#(i never did get used to the ex-aid eyes but he makes them work)

[egophiliac]

i don't think u need to worry about poppy ikemen anymore, new ride kamens character is kr kamui who is our lord and savior dan kuroto

DAN THE DANGEROUS ZOMBIE MAN!!!!!! I was SO excited when I saw the reveal, he is absolutely the funniest possible character choice hands-down. oh my god. I'm so glad he made it into this game.

also Kamui just looks incredible. instant favorite. this is the kind of man I can picture standing naked on a cliffside and screaming at everyone about his imminent ascension towards godhood. he is the incarnation of that one iconic Gina Linetti scene.

[ratkingsocks]

Misc. Heart Pirates Head Canons

So, when I'm bored out of my brain at work I've been thinking about my silly little beloveds the Heart Pirates! So here are some thoughts I've had about them and the crew structure! Crew Structure

Not a traditional first mate or incredibly strict hierarchy. I figure Law's authority issues extend to how he runs his crew!

There's four "departments" basically where one of the core-four preside over.

Bepo is in charge of all the helm stuff: navigation, steering, general operations (maintenance of equipment, engineering)

Penguin is in charge of personnel: finances, crew schedules, supplies (clothes, food, yatta yatta)

Shachi is on weapons: armory & procurement of, training the crew, and any like recon they do is planned by him

Law handles all the medical stuff: yearly exams, extensive charts/notes on the crew, any on-going treatments, and the supplies for this specifically goes through him

As captain, Law does oversee/supervise the others if he feels it relevant but after like 13 years he's pretty confident his favorite idiots can handle themselves!

The tang runs on two shifts so someone is always around to keep the sub running in case of emergencies, as such there's often multiple crew members capable of a job (ex chef, helmsman, engineering, nurses)

All the crew knows how to handle alarms, any gauge or sonar readouts, and just generally keep everyone from dying

Most of the crew knows basic triage and first aid

Any Big Decisions (TM) are normally talked over. The crew has a lot of say in most scenarios... One of the few times this was not the case was Law ordering them to Zou when he went to Punk Hazard.

It was an intentional choice on Law & the crew's part that none of them were spotted on jobs and don't have bounties. A lot of the crew's work, especially early on in Law's plotting against Doffy, was gathering information and other covert work. Them being well known or recognizable would've made it impossible for this to get done... It also would've made hiding from Doffy that much harder.

The crew splits proceeds evenly! 50% goes to the Tang's upkeep and supplies, 50% is split equally between everyone else.

Named Crew Jobs

Law- Captain, Doctor

Penguin- Quartermaster

Shachi- Armsmaster

Bepo- Navigator

Jean Bart- Helmsman

Ikkaku- Head Engineer

Uni- Head Nurse

Clion Chef

Hakugan- Helmsman

The unnamed crew I do plan to flesh out eventually, but I haven't made a whole lot of headway in that direction yet... Some day I shall!

Silly HCs

Other than Bepo, everyone is older than Law

Penguin likes to sing

He also has collected rocks & shells from every island they've stopped at to make a living map of their travels.

I personally like to think of Shachi & Peng as some sort of fishman-human hybrid or perhaps a few generations removed from a fishman ancestor? Not super sure on how it works exactly, but I think they both look a lil odd and that's why they hide their eyes and such with hats.

Ikkaku handles Law 2nd best only to the Core 4. She knows when he needs space and when he needs to be pushed pretty well, and so they're pretty close.

Uni loves to sew; it's how he relaxes and passes time while they're underwater for long stretches of time. He is also the person who customizes most of Law's clothes with their jolly roger

Law did said customization before they recruited Uni and still helps, but Uni shoves him off often and says this is his therapy time alone

Clione takes to new members the best

He's also a great fighter and definitely yeeted Shachi into a wall one day; Shachi was delighted with this

He can drink most of the crew under the table

Hakugan is enby! And uses they/them pronouns

They also communicate with sign language, so the entire crew is relatively fluent

Hakugan is never lost; they have a 6th sense for where north is at all times

Much like their namesake, Hakugan is a volatile creature prone to violence

Shachi likes to keep up with psychology journals in his free time, so sometimes he & Law will have a little "medical journal book club" to hang out

Bepo is more an astronomy & weather guy... there was, however, a tragic mix-up with the news coo one time that resulted in Bepo getting an astrology magazine.

He likes to torment Law by teasing him with a well placed "That's so very libra of you, captain."

Law actually likes his coffee absurdly, disgustingly sweet

Penguin, however, takes his coffee black

Shachi & Bepo are 2 of 3 members of the Hearts without a caffeine addiction. Hakugan is the third

Penguin has given up trying to get Law on a schedule... It has never worked in their 13 years sailing together

Law had to implement a "no gambling on the tang" rule shortly after Hakugan joined; They were absolutely taking everyone else's money

Law does, however, actively encourage fleecing marines & rival pirate crews

The crew has picked up some Mink social behaviors! As such they're very physically affectionate... Yes, even Law. Though he tends to contain his affection to when they're in private or on the Polar Tang

It's super common to see the crew swap undershirts, jewelry, or other accessories

Bepo has a collection of his crewmates' shirts! Uni made it into a quilt for him since he can't exactly wear them properly

Everyone else has a "Bepo shirt"

Ikkaku tends to forget she's wearing hers while working on the Tang or to sleep then walks about. Whenever Bepo sees this he gets all flustered & teary-eyed

Law, similarly, wears his to sleep in regularly. He would rather be caught dead than wearing though. That's way too mushy for him.... but if there are days where he's still wearing it when Bepo comes to check on him in the morning, well, nobody has to know but them right?

Shachi & Penguin one time wore their Bepo shirts and attempted to force Bepo into their shirts which... obviously did not fit. Undetered they stitched the two together to the ultimate-bros-shirt. Bepo loves this shirt & wears it regularly.

Shachi & Penguin remake this shirt whenever the old one starts wearing down or falling apart every few years

(I took this one from a fic cuz I thought it was just so good) Between more junior members of the crew, it's a running gag that Law, Shachi, & Penguin are more "lesser mink" than "human" after 13 years with Bepo.

Law finds this absolutely hysterical, Bepo says they're all lesser minks

Law is, in fact, capable of a variety of animal noises such as growling, hissing, or purring. He normally makes this noises on accident when startled or particularly relaxed. He did not intentionally learn to make these noises. He was just an incredibly weird child and like many weird children before and after him, mimicked animals

Shachi & Penguin may or may not make fun of him for this

They may or may not have started the rumor that one of Law's parents was a mink; a rumor that Law has unintentionally perpetuated with his general wet cat behavior

Penguin's family were whalers! He uses a harpoon & is a fantastic fisher as a result

The above makes him Clione's favorite

Penguin often threatens Shachi with the harpoon so he may join his bretheren. Shachi shrieks back that orcas are not whales but dolphins. This is a near weekly song & dance.

Each of the "core four" have a way to show they accept a newbie into the crew!

Shachi carves a little wooden animal

Penguin embroiders their name inside their boiler suits

Bepo trades clothes with them

Law procures a custom mug decorated to their taste

Law normally gives his first, actually. Firstly, if he invited you to his crew he already likes you well enough. Two, he knows he can be an unapproachable dick and sees it as a bit of a peace offering. Three, to show the rest of the crew this new person is approved!

Shachi & Penguin gives theirs whenever they feel the new member has "earned" it. Normally 2nd/3rd in whatever order they deem.

Bepo basically always gives his last. He's a very anxious lil guy and doesn't want to disturb or weird anyone out.

Jean Bart is, ironically, the only crew member to not have concussed himself on the doorways in the Tang

Law had a few problem years after his sudden growth spurt, but it hasn't been a problem since he got used to being taller

After reuniting on Zou there was a crew wide cuddle puddle

Law is surprisingly tactile so long as it's on his terms. A head pat there, brushing his hands against a cheek or shoulder there... That kind of thing

This is generally the best indicator of how much he actually likes you

Law often stims using Bepo's fur or paws. Bepo loves this very much

[r0s3m4ry-mp3]

Heh.. I was wondering if.. and you don't know me.. *I say, tucking my long black hair behind my ear* but... If you could.. could you make nina and clockwork headcanons that'd be greatly appreciated..heh..

A/n: HELP TGIS ASK IS SO OLD BUT I'M TRYING TO CLEAN OUT MY INBOX UNTIL I START DOING THE NEW STUFF😭😭😭 I KNOW ITS YOU REESE SMH

Nina + Clockwork Headcanons *ೃ༄

CLOCKWORK*ೃ༄

Her bangs and hair in general are very uneven and choppy. She randomly will cut her hair when she gets in episodes ( projecting tbh 💀)

Shes kinda tall, at least 5,8

Shes a little muscular in the arms

Shes unsure what what her sexuality is but she knows she likes girls

HAS A CRUSH ON NINA❗❗❗

Shes fr kicking her feet and giggling when she sees nina

And its a complete drastic turn from her usual cold persona

I have a feeling her personality is like Lisa Rowe from girl interrupted

Her and Toby did date at some point, around when he first became a proxy. They broke up because they realized they only saw eachother as friends, and it just wasn't working out. Idk they're friendly exes but not friends. If you place them in a room with each other, its gonna get awkward quick.

She has some acne on her shoulders, chest, and her chin

Shes has alot of band aids on her from just cuts and bruises from random missions

She wears flannels, tank tops, dirty worn converse, combat boots, worn and ripped jeans, and occasionally a band tee or something.

Has a couple pericings, one on the right side of her nose, and a septum. She got Nina to do it for her with some shitty amazon piercing kits. It's most likely infected.💀

NINA THE KILLER *ೃ༄

LITERALLY THE SCENE QUEEN OF THE CREEPYPASTAS❗❗

Shes average height, 5,4

Shes very upbeat and honestly exhausting to be around.

She has a loud natural voice and most of the creeps think shes annoying for it.

She's bisexual

She says she doesn't have a crush, but the way she looks at Clockwork says otherwise...🤭

Shes friends with Jane, Clockwork, Toby, and Dina, but she acts friendly with everyone

She has struggled with intense depression for most of her life. Her obsession with Jeff gave her a purpose in her eyes.

Shes not really obsessed with Jeff anymore. Around 17-21 she grew out of it. When she met Jeff for the first time, she acted like a crazy fangirl. Jeff eventually became her friend, and he pretty much used her because she'd do anything for him. He would practically treat her like a servant or something, for example: making her go to the local gas station to get him something. After her weird Jeff obsession, she stopped talking to his ass and finally is getting a little better.

Everytime one of the creeps has a party at their "house" (literally a abandoned warehouse or a abandoned house) shes always the one picking the music, and trying to convince people to come.

She will NEVER forget your birthday, she has everyones birthday wrote down somewhere. She will try to subtlety(not at all😓..) get you to tell her about things you like so she knows what to get you early on.

Shes a stereotypical hello kitty girl like she has blankets, to a fucking toaster with that mf on it😭

She also has a piercing. She has snakebites, dimples, and a nose bridge one. once again, its probably infected💀

[bobby-r2d2-floyd]

Never There part 2

happy easter if you celebrate!

i rewrote this three times before finally word vomitting this piece out. thinking one more part for this one and then it'll be wrapped up

warnings: 18+, swearing, reader throws a punch, some talk of blood, no smut but allusions to "bob fucks" mentality, some arguing

word count: 2k

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

It’s been a month since you left Bradley, at least the apartment that you shared once upon a time. You still worked at the Hard Deck while you were waiting for your state veterinary license to come in so you can start to try and find a clinic to work in. 

To make matters worse, nearly every single night the Dagger squad took up residence at the pool tables after they were dismissed for the day from Top Gun. Meaning nearly every single night, you were stuck serving Bradley and his friends, even Bob. Bradley did his best to try and get you back, he would try to make small talk whenever he could between down time but you always did your best to ignore him. The rest of the team would look over at you, almost like they pitied you. 

Bob was the only one who looked at you like you were a real person. He would stay until after close when you worked late, would usually be leaving with you when you had a shift where you were out before midnight. 

You had caught yourself a couple of times, just after the break up. You nearly walked over a few times after your shift but after what had happened, you doubt any of them actually wanted your company. 

It was a rare shift where you were working and Bob wasn’t at the bar, so when you walked out at 2:45 in the morning and a hand wrapped around your bicep you didn’t hesitate to whip around and punch the person who grabbed you. 

“Ouch what the fuck was that for?” a light voice yells at you and you take a better look at them.

“Natasha? Oh my god, why the fuck would you grab me like that?” you shoot back and set your bag down before taking her face in your hands so you can look at her nose. “Well, it isn’t broken, just bleeding, you’ll probably have a bruise in the morning.” you tell her before grabbing your first aid kit from your bag you always carried around and you hand her some tissues to hold against her face.

“Why are you here, Nat?” 

“To talk to you, you’ve been avoiding all of us like the plague aside from Bob.” she says, spitting some of the blood into the plants off to the side.

“You couldn’t have texted me that you needed to talk?” you ask, picking up your stuff and walking back towards your 4Runner and she follows you.

“No, this couldn’t have been a text because I know that you would have ignored it.” she pulled the tissue away and checks to see if the bleeding stopped with a different one you handed to her. You nod, knowing she wasn’t wrong and you open your door and toss your bag in and she slams it shut, making sure not to hit you. 

“Nat!”

“I need you to know I never had sex with Bradley,” you roll your eyes and she pushes you against your car. “I didn’t sleep with him. No one from the squad even knew he was seeing someone else. We’re sorry that we didn’t go to your graduation, it was our fault and we had the weekends mixed up.”

“Bullshit. I texted all of you in a group and individually when it was, Natasha.” you glare at her and she straightens up, like she’s sizing you up even though you have a few inches and pounds on her.

“We fucked up, but don’t ice us out like this.” 

“I’m icing Bradley out, and you all hang off his every word most of the time, so forgive me for not wanting to keep the company my ex boyfriend keeps, Trace. Now back off so I can go home and go to bed. It’s been a long day and unlike you, I actually had a job to do.” you knew it was a low blow but it got her to back off and you got in your car, not looking back once as you pulled out of the parking lot; she watched you drive off with tears in her eyes. You were one of her best friends and one of the only other girls she actually tolerated that hung around the Hard Deck. She was quick to wipe her eyes before climbing in her own car and driving to her off base housing.

You walked into Bob’s house, not wanting to be alone and he’s already fast asleep. You strip quickly, slipping into one of his discarded shirts before climbing into bed with him. He lets out a small hum before shifting and wrapping his arm around your waist. 

“How was work?” he mumbles before kissing your shoulder.

“Punched Natasha in the face on accident.” you respond and settle more against him.

“What?” he asks, a little more coherently.

“I’ll tell you in the morning.” you say and he just wraps his arm tighter around you.

You wake up alone, which isn’t unusual since you got home late most nights and he was awake early every morning. The smell of coffee and bacon summons you to the kitchen and he smiles at you when you walk in. 

“How’d you sleep?” he asks, setting a cup in front of you and you can smell your favorite irish creme coffee creamer and you smile before taking a sip and letting out a gentle moan.

“It was better when I finally got home.”

“What happened with you and Nat?” 

“She grabbed my arm as I was leaving the bar and I just… decked her. Right in the nose too so don’t be surprised if she’s sporting some bruising next time you see her.”

“What did she want?” 

“Said she wanted to talk? Something about how everyone from the squad misses me and that she didn’t sleep with Bradley and that none of you guys even knew he was cheating on me.” you look up at him and he’s already looking over at you. He gives you a small smile before turning the bacon.

“The team does miss you. And they do feel bad for not being there, there’s no excuse for why they weren’t but at least give them another chance?”

“They’re Brad’s friends-”

“So am I. Do you know how hard it is being his friend and living with you?” he asks, not meaning any malice but you still feel a sting.

“Well then I’ll leave, I’ll start looking for apartments tomorrow-”

“That’s not what ’m sayin’.” he says, his drawl coming out a little more since he’s getting frustrated. “All ‘m sayin’ is that you and him were a package deal for so long and now you’re not, but we got used to havin’ you ‘round and now you’re not there anymore. They miss you.” he plates the food up and sets a plate in front of you. “And yeah, livin’ with you and lovin’ you is hard, especially when not even a month ago you were still with Brad.” 

“You love me?” you ask looking up at him and he gives you a pointed look.

“That’s all you got from that?” 

“No but-”

“No but’s. Brad and you need to talk things out ‘fore things get more serious between you and I.” 

“We have nothing to talk about. You and I have basically been together for months, the only difference is I was still sleeping with him.” you mumble into your eggs and he rolls his eyes.

“Talk to Bradley. Talk to Natasha. Talk to the rest of the Dagger’s for god’s sake.” 

“Why are you mad at me?” you ask, your voice small and he sighs.

“I’m not mad at you, darlin’. I’m mad at the situation. You deserved so much better than anythin’ that Bradley gave you, and I want nothin’ more than to love you in public and not have to worry about him ripping my arms off every time that I touch you.” He places his hand on your thigh and gives you a gentle squeeze, “sure our relationship start wasn’t conventional by any means, but I know that I want you, but I also want Bradley to be okay with it, he and I are on the same team and I don’t want the dynamic getting ruined.” 

“So you wouldn’t be selfish, and just be with me despite what he says? You’d wait for Bradley’s permission to date me?” 

He sighs, knowing no matter how this ends he’s going to be sleeping on the couch so he just agrees with you. “Yes, darlin’. I would wait because the last thing that anyone needs is two people in goddamn f-18’s to be fighting with each other when we’re supposed to be on the same side.” 

You’re silent the rest of the meal and he feels bad, knowing that you don’t like arguing, especially first thing in the morning so when you’re standing at the sink washing the dishes from breakfast he comes up behind you and wraps his arms around your waist and hooks his chin on your shoulder. 

“I’m sorry, darlin’. I do love you, and I want nothing more than to be selfish with you. But Brad was an important person in your life for a majority of your life. It’s important to me that he’s okay with us being together.” he whispers softly against your ear and you nod, “besides, it’s my bed you’re in now, not his.” you laugh and he presses kisses down your neck while his hands sneak their way under your shirt. You flinch at the coolness of his fingers and he drags you back to the bedroom by your hips and your laugh fills the apartment as you try to grab at the walls and door frames. 

“Robert!” you cry out and he tosses you on the bed before climbing on top of you. He has a leg pressed between your thighs and you wrap your arms around his neck as one of his hands rests on your thigh and the other holds your head as he leans down on his elbow to be closer to you.

“I love you, darlin’. More than anything, and I’m going to spend the rest of my life showing you just how much.” he says and your eyes flick from his eyes to his lips.

“What are you waiting for, Lieutenant?” you whisper and he gives you a gentle smirk.

“Your permission.” he says, accent thick and the gravel to his voice has you pulling him down in a bruising kiss.

The bedroom quickly fills with moans, groans, gasps, and wet noises as Bob takes you to heaven and back four separate times before he fills you, only to do it again in the shower while you two are trying to get ready to head to the Hard Deck where you have to help Penny with the book keeping and he’s meeting the rest of the team to play dogfight football. 

He helps you get ready since you’re unsteady on your legs and he laughs and presses a kiss to your wet neck, “gonna be leaking me out of you all day in front of all our friends and your boss.”

“Bob, if we want to leave, get away from me. And they’re your friends.”

“They’re our friends darlin’, you just lost your way a bit.” he tells you and you sigh.

“Yeah, I know. I’ll talk to Bradley today, see if I can pull him away from the game for a bit or something.” 

By the time you two finally arrive at the beach Penny already has the back deck supplied with beers and burgers for the team. Mav pulls you into a hug and you gladly return it.

“It’s good to see you kid.” 

“It’s good to see you too.” you say before pulling away from the hug and walking up to Bradley, “can we talk?” 

“Uh, yeah. Sure.” he says, standing up from where he was seated with Natasha and you give her a small smile.

He follows you into the bar and you two take a seat at a booth by the window, Bob shoots you a reassuring smile through the glass and you return it. “So, what did you want to talk about?” Bradley asks as he takes a bite of his burger.

“Us. Or well, what happened to us.”

[luvfae]

My favorite Henderson with romance prompt 26 and angst prompt 3?

MY FAVOURITE

HENDERSON

PART SIXTEEN

fandom: stranger things

parings: eddie x f henderson reader

warnings: mention of drugs, swearing

note: i’ve already used number 3 a few chapters ago!!

26: “i think i’m in love with him.”

masterlist

Dustin had his suspicions. Suspicions about the relationship between you and Eddie. Much like he didn’t want you to get hurt, he also didn’t want Eddie to get hurt, which is why he decided to confront you.

Dustin walked into the living room, turning the tv off that you were watching and sat next to you on the couch.

“Hey!” You exclaimed, staring at the now black tv screen.

“Are you using Eddie?“ Dustin asked, ripping the band-aid straight off. You furrowed your eyebrows, giving him a confused look.

You had done it before, Dustin had watched you do it several times over with past boyfriends. Use them to you advantage, date them until they gave you whatever it is that you wanted. Drugs, money, a new dress that you couldn’t afford. You were good when it came to manipulating and Dustin didn’t want his best friend to end up like one of your ex boyfriends.

“What are you talking about?” You asked, staring at your younger brother.

“Are you using Eddie?” Dustin repeated. “You know, that little trick you’ve done with your ex boyfriends… are you using him for something?”

“What would I use Eddie for?” You asked.

“I don’t know, weed.”

“I don’t even smoke-“

“Don’t bullshit me, Y/N, i’ve smelt weed on your clothes, I know what it smells like,” Dustin replied.

You scoffed at him. “Fine, I smoke on occasion,” you said, Dustin looked at you expectantly, waiting to you to tell him the truth. “No, i’m not using Eddie,” you said, rolling your eyes. “I think i’m love with him,” you admitted.

The feeling scared you, you had never felt it before. Never felt anything like this before. The feelings you had for Eddie were far stronger than anything you had felt before, they were different. You could only assume it was love, but you weren’t ready to tell Eddie that yet.

You were popular, he was not. It would never work out. You aren’t ashamed of him, you just know that if the pair of you made it offical that you’d be kicked off of the cheer squad. You’d become a laughing stock and honestly you’d be fine with that, if cheerleading wasn’t your only way into college. That being said you were his cheerleader, everything you did, you did it for him. Not for your cheer captain, not for the basketball team, not for Hawkin’s High School, for Eddie Munson.

And Eddie on the other hand, had spent years telling his friends about how much he hated you. If he made it offical with you, there’d be too many questions from his friends. Too much explaining, they’d make fun of him, they wouldn’t respect him anymore.

It was like there was a mutual understanding that the both of you being together in public was a huge no-no.

“Really?” Dustin asked, a shit eating grin on his face. You nodded, fidgeting with your fingers. “In that case, keep doing whatever you’re doing… just don’t tell me about it because I don’t want to know,” Dustin said.

You laughed, “I wasn’t planning on telling you a thing, Dustin.”

© luvfae 2022

[religion-is-a-mental-illness]

More:

I worked at a place that had ballroom venues for events. Annually, Chipendale dancers had a show at this place. The amount of calls we dealt with for groping, cat-calling, lewd behavior, and general harassment toward the performers and staff was outrageous. This was at a native owned casino in the Midwest where they also had an annual powwow event at which members of rival native gangs would murder each other. Chipendale night was worse than Indian murder weekend. Anyway, they also hosted boxing events and one guy commented once on how sexy he thought the ring girl was. He was evicted for a year. The ladies who molested security staff? No evictions.

-

As a man, even in the most progressive countries, you are seen as the secondary parent to your child.

-

We aren't allowed to make fun of fat people, but it's more than acceptable to rip on guys due to their height.

-

I had a psycho ex that was trying to kick in my door, I called the cops. She left before they got there. She wrote all over my car in lipstick. The cops laughed at me and were like - you afraid of a girl? And told me they couldn't do anything about the lipstick because they didn't see her do it. I would have been in jail for the same shit.

-

I have mentioned this before.. but I have a weird work schedule that gives me several weekdays off. I would take my girls to the parks nearby, and got constant side-eyes and resentment from the haus-fraus and molly-mormon sanity groups there with their kids. I even had the cops called on me twice asking me to prove I had my own kids there.

-

wanting men that are tall is a matter of preference and can be voiced out loud and is somehow acceptable even though they have no control over it but men on the other hand can't voice their preference in any regard else they'd be cancelled for body shaming.

-

I'm older: I have only cried at a movie one time. It was the end of Braveheart. My date was turned off. Said it was "not cool". Same girl hit me for not crying when Jack went down at the end of Titanic, said it was "not cool". I decided she was not cool.

-

I’ve had multiple women make comments on my weight gain

-

The Duluth Model. It states that men are abusive in order to control and women are abusive because they are victims of abuse. Most law enforcement agencies use this model in dealing with DV cases. The creators disavowed their own work and admit it is completely biased and flawed but is still in use in the majority of the country

-

I was a tray aid (food server) at an elderly home, and I went thru a fitness phase where I lost a ton of weight and gained a lot of muscle. Nearly all of the CNA’s (young and old) would come up and grope me (rub my arms, nipples, back, etc) and talk super flirty about how good i looked. It took a few weeks for the older CNA’s to finally snap out of it and start telling the younger ones that it wasn’t right

-

If I open up and share the things weighing on my mind somehow that makes me weak and a crybaby but if I hold it all in and just “suck it up” I’m contributing to toxic masculinity and I’m an asshole.

-

When my ex-wife (of a 16 year marriage) had a year long affair before I caught her and we split up. She wanted to not tell anyone that she'd had an affair, and wanted to have an even split on custody and divorce etc. I asked her, "if I'd been cheating on you, would you have agreed to keep it a secret and still let me have 50-50 custody of our kids?" Her answer? "of course not." But like, the way she said it was like, "obviously, cuz you're a man, it's fine to tell everyone about the affair, and for the mom to get the kids." Even, when people did find out there was an affair, 90% of them thought it was me that had cheated. I never cheated on anyone. But cuz I was a guy, then obviously it was me.

-

I don't think any of my girlfriends have ever bought me flowers. I like flowers.

-

Women don’t ask for consent. I have a female acquaintance who described something they did to a man that would otherwise be considered sexual assault — but she was joking about how awkward the guy was.

-

Worked at a hotel in Edinburgh and had to wear a kilt. Cleaning staff LOVED lifting my kilt. I've rarely been out in a kilt but whenever I have been (not weddings) random women will lift it to see. I wouldn't dare lift a woman's skirt. I'm not even that attractive and assume it's much more likely to handsom guys.

-

My daughter is now 11, but when she was younger, a lot of women were surprised at how involved I was in my daughter's education, medical appts, and her life in general. There is still the double standard where it's assumed the mother is the one who knows all the details of their kids' lives. My wife had a very busy career and so we tried to evenly split all the parenting responsibilities as much as possible. It was amazing at how many places like playgrounds or fun kid stuff where it would be just my daughter and I, and it was assumed I was a single dad or more often that it was my custody time. Fortunately, my daughter looks very like me because I would sometimes get double takes from mom's to make sure I was not stealing some random kid or a pedophile.

-

Women taking advantage of a male teenager rarely get the same disgust compared to a male taking advantage of a female teenager. It's always an abuse of power and wrong no matter who does it. The double standards for this by teachers are the worst.

-

If sex with her is not that great that is my fault. If she does not enjoy sex with me that is also my fault.

-

After I and my wife separated, she took my kid and told the police, CPS, random doctors, etc that I SA'd my kid. When talking to my lawyer, CPS, police, or whoever, the first thing they would ask is if I'm paying child support and am I up to date with it. Only after I assured them that I was would they continue helping me. Now I've gained custody, she has never even bought a pencil for school but still accusing me of BS. Anytime I bring up child support with anyone it's always "we'll get to that later". Why is she allowed to be a deadbeat mom without consequences while I would possibly be in prison if I were a deadbeat dad?

-

A friend of mine is a male military spouse, no kids. You would think that the military spouse community would be so welcoming as everyone has that in common. Absolutely not, in fact he gets denied access to online support groups because he is a guy. He has 0 support. Many military spouse appreciation events don't think or care about male spouses. He just stopped trying to integrate with the other spouses, or go to events. It is really sad.

-

Women almost always refuse to acknowlege that men have any problems at all. And when they do acknowlege them, it's like "they're caused by patriarchy, so help us fight patriarchy", and it's like, "no bitch, how about you stop being an ass and have some sympathy for once in your fucking life". So many of men's problems just, don't exist or aren't worth thinking about for women. But when men behave the same way about women's problems, they're sexist.

-

In rural Africa, FGM is still a modern day practise that sees the labia and sometimes clitoris removed before the child can even stand up or give consent. This painful procedure leads to death in a small amount of cases. This is obviously disgusting. In the Western world, circumcision is still a modern day practise that sees the foreskin cut away or sometimes bitten off by an adult before the child can even stand up or give consent. This painful procedure leads to death in a small amount of cases. This is widely accepted and sometimes seen as a hate crime to oppose. How is this OK?

-

Continued:

https://www.reddit.com/r/AskMen/comments/15cto3y/men_of_reddit_what_absurd_double_standards_have/

==

One double standard that keeps coming up again and again: women's problems are caused by external societal factors ("tHe pAtRiArChY!") that society has to fix, while men's problems are caused by their own flawed internal factors that they have to fix.

She was cutting? It's because society doesn't respect or understand her and doesn't treat her right. Women are already perfect. Society has to recognize that and do better. Teach men that women are hurting.

He killed himself? He must have been fragile and too toxically macho to talk about his feelings. Men should recognize that and do better. Teach boys to cry.

[necros-writing-stuff]

In the younger AU, what do you think it is that eventually makes Eden want to escape into the woods? Bailey being put back under the caretakers thumb perhaps?

It's late at night when Eden hears the keys jingle in the lock. You're sound asleep in bed, but Bailey has been gone all day.

It's the dark haired young man that comes tumbling through the door. His nose is bleeding; lip busted; eyes blackened. Not to mention the limp and the weird angle his arm hangs at. The rattle sound as he breathes.

"... come here," Eden whispers, guiding Bailey to the couch. It's not the first time something like this has happened, but this is one of the worst.

They know the drill by now. Bailey carefully shrugs off his coat, stuffing the sleeve into his mouth to muffle the scream as Eden puts his shoulder back into place. Then the first aid kit is fetched from under the kitchen sink.

Eden's jaw sits tense as he works, his mind going through everything. About how to stop this happening again.

He could kill the caretaker. Could take him out and make him suffer for everything he did to Bailey. And himself. And you. But the fucker is never alone. And carries weapons.

Everyone knows the three of them live here. Everyone knows they're ex-orphanage members. They've had men in dark clothes at their door delivering messages before.

Gulping, Eden puts down the cotton pad he was treating Bailey's wounds with. Their eyes meet, what little light there is in the room reflecting off of the shiny surface.

"I can't, Eden." Bailey's haggard breath comes out.

"Why not?" They've had the conversation a million times before. Eden's already found a spot, deep in the forest. Where the three of them could go and build a separate life. A place Eden has already started clearing and preparing to make his home.

"I have shit to do. I have... I have to fix things." The dark haired man wheezes, an expression of pain tugging his features into a grimace.

Eden shuts his mouth. Lowly nods, already knowing that was the answer anyway.

"I can't keep doing this. I can't keep seeing you like this."

"I know. So go. Go and take them with you."

His heart wrenches, a voice in his head begging him not to leave Bailey alone.

"Okay."

But he does anyway. Because he knew he couldn't help if he tried. Because he feels the heaviness in his limbs and the old aches that come up when seeing his friend like this. Eden used to look this rough every day, too.

"Just promise me you won't get killed," Eden's voice cracks a bit on that last sentence. He coughs into his shoulder, blinking heavily.

Bailey's shoulders shake as he laughs, the man immediately regretting his chuckle when he clutches his side. Probably a broken rib. "You know better than that, Eden. I'm like a cockroach. Can't just kill me."

He hopes so. He truly does.

[quollstar]

Like Animals; ch1

billy butcher (the boys) x reader

warnings: this fic makes use of the sex pollen trope later on, as well as including some the boys-typical violence/language. i'm not going to post the whole thing here because to be honest i really don't know tumblr's layout or rules that well so i'll drop the first chapter and then a link to the whole thing on my ao3 if anyone is interested!

notes: reader/you is a member of the team, an ex-vought supe introduced by annie. now you work with them to take down any supe you can (this is somewhere in between szn2 and szn3!)

The job was simple– well, as simple as it gets when you take down superpowered assholes for a living. Hughie had given your group the green light to take out some low-level supe after he gave a speech at an animal rights event. According to your digging, the supposed animal liberator was actually as fake as the rest, dealing in black market pelt and meat trading on the down-low and peddling the 'vegan, fish are friends, save all the creatures' story to the public the whole while. He got shipments of V to his zoos disguised as animal feed, then presumably used it on the animals in question, the 'why' of that was unclear. What was really fucked about it was the guy could understand and speak to animals. You weren't a crunchy vegan yourself, but damn, that was cold.

It was you, Butcher and MM in the field, while Frenchie and Kimiko did surveillance in the van a few blocks away; close enough that they could come in if things went sideways and you needed another supe. So far it didn't seem like you'd be needing them, but you never know. Butcher and MM spread out through the crowd, taking care to avoid the cameras above the outside venue so they wouldn't get tagged. You, on the other hand, were fairly new to the job, and thus hadn't had your face put up on any of the criminal databases yet, and since you were a rather unknown supe there was little chance of someone recognizing you. You got to claim front row seats. Hooray.

The event itself was cheesy. You were surprised at how many people showed up, considering how bland and boring it had been so far, but you figured any big event with Vought tied to the name was bound to attract a crowd, even if the main speaker- your target- had less charisma than the longhorn bull he was on stage with. You weren't sure which of the pair smelled worse. Internally, you cursed the fact that you were essentially untraceable, because you would have loved to be in the back like Butcher.

Subtly, you looked over your shoulder to find him in the crowd. He was already looking your way, and when you met his eyes you rolled yours, glaring. He sent you one of his patented cocksure grins and gestured back towards the stage.

"Keep your eye on the prize, love," came his accented voice through your earpiece (disguised to look like a regular hearing aid). "They'll be bringing the monkeys out next, ain't that exciting?"

As quietly as you could, you snarked back: "I'm thrilled." When all this was done, you were going to tear into him for insisting you showed up for the whole show, when you could have gotten in for the last 10 minutes and then done your damn job.

His responding chuckle sounded in your right ear and something in your lower gut twisted not-unpleasantly.

You just couldn't help it. The man was attractive, and his deep voice didn't help. When you'd first joined up with the boys, introduced to their movement by Annie, he'd gotten on your nerves immensely. Actually, he still did (all the damn time) but he was a lot more bearable after getting to know him. You realized that his rudeness was usually just a way to deflect positive attention off himself and that, while he called the boys 'cunts' every other day, he would do anything to keep them safe in the field. When you felt those feelings stirring in you the first time, you swore you wouldn't get attached, but it was no use. You really loved a misunderstood bad boy type.

Nowadays, when you caught yourself feeling things for him, you didn't try to tamp it down. You just reminded yourself that he was clearly not one for new commitments. He was torn up over his late wife and on a path of rage after what Homelander had done. He didn't need some 20-something d-lister supe pining after him on top of that. You were pretty sure he would be disgusted at the idea of the two of you together.

So you kept that shit to yourself. You were used to quiet pining, anyway, always being the single friend from the moment you realized you even cared about that. You could get over it. You could be content just to admire him from afar when he wasn't looking.

Your attention was drawn back to the gaudily decorated stage when, just as Butcher had said, they carted out some chimpanzees. You weren't even entirely sure what they were doing, having tuned out most of the things Monty Montgomery had been saying about his various animal guests up until this point. Your guess was some sort of informational show, but god was it bland, and you usually liked shit like this.

You checked your watch; 2:42. The show was set to end at 3:00, and then you'd follow Monty backstage and grill him on his sketchy side hustle before finally following Butcher's precise plan to take him out. You couldn't actually kill him- Hughie would have a fit- but knocking him out would be fun. You were considering giving him an extra kick in the nuts just for making you sit through this god awful stage show. Nearly 20 minutes left. Fuck.

The remaining time could not have gone slower, dragging on as the celebrity supe went on and on about how intelligent most animals actually were. Normally you'd find that to be a lovely sentiment, but knowing what Monty does after hours just made the whole presentation seem so fake. You weren't sad when it ended and you got swept up in the crowd of people leaving the clearing to wander around the booths or stand around in groups talking about whatever it was supe fans talked about. You made to follow the crowd, then broke off away from them at the last second to head towards the backstage area. Butcher and MM would be heading that way, too, and you could finally get to the fun part of your job.

You strutted past the security stationed outside the back of the stage, flashing them the ID badge you'd nicked from another guard earlier on in the day before sweeping past them into the much quieter halls of the building behind the stage. Nobody was around and you breathed a sigh of relief; standing among the throngs of chattering people for so long had left you socially exhausted. It was nice to have a moment of quiet.

Right on time, Butcher and MM entered through the door at the other end of the hall, spotting you and making their way over. You met them in the middle.

"You sure he's in?" you asked, placing your hands on your hips.

MM nodded. "We kept on eye on him after the show, he came right back to the room. You ready?"

You huffed. "Only been waiting for this for two hours, so yeah. Jesus, why did we have to watch the whole show?"

Butcher only grinned, amused at your annoyance. "What, you don't like animals, y/n? I'm surprised. I thought you were one of them sensitive blokes."

You bit your tongue to keep from getting pissed and saying something stupid. Your feet hurt, damnit, you were ready to go home. Exactly when you started seeing the dank cellar that was your base as 'home', you didn't know, but the dark concrete walls and suspiciously wet floors were sounding really welcoming about now.

Shutting your eyes, you dropped your hands from your hips and splayed your fingers out, using the dark and quiet to hone your supe ability. As powers went, it wasn't that amazing, but it was mighty useful for missions like this, where you didn't want to be seen. You felt out mentally, searching for cameras and anything else giving out an electronic pulse from behind the door marked "STAR". When you apprehended Monty, you didn't want it to be for an audience.

"Three cameras, and one shitty desktop computer- probably also has some sort of webcam on it. Plus his phone, I think," you muttered, eyes still closed.

"Fry 'em," Butcher said.

You clenched your fists. "Done." You opened your eyes in time to catch a look from Butcher that was almost, almost admiring. It could just have easily been mocking, but you'd like to let yourself believe for one minute that he found your powers useful. The prospect brought a little smile to your face.

MM leveled you with a knowing look, then took the lead, putting his ear up to the door for just a moment before throwing it in, catching the supe inside by surprise.

Monty Montgomery had been laying on a couch inside, worn out from talking for so long (you didn't blame him there; you were worn out from listening to him talk) but quickly shot up when the three of you rushed in, the guys holding their guns and you with your hands cockily stuffed in your jean pockets.

"What the fuck??" he sputtered, looking between the three of you angrily. "Who the fuck are you?"

Butcher smiled, taking a step forward, still pointing his gun at the supe. "We're your biggest fans, mate! We wanna ask you a few questions about your job- the other one. You ever feel bad sending your little buddies to their deaths so you can sell their hides on eBay or what have you?"

Monty balked. "I- I don't know what you're talking about, psycho. How did you get in here?"

While Butcher had his attention upwards, you noticed Monty's hand inching towards his back pocket. Whether it was a gun or a phone he was reaching for, you weren't having it. Your hand lifted calmly, and you pulled, the object ripping out of the target's pants and flying into your hand. A phone. Figures. He didn't know it was useless anyways after your powers got to it.

"Really? Who're you gonna call? You have an elephant on speed dial?" You glared, making a show of using your powers to crush his phone. It was overkill, but you liked the shocked look on his face. As it fell to the ground, Monty's eyes narrowed.

"What do you want from me?" He asked, tone guarded.

"Already said. We want to ask you about your side hustle, and what exactly you're doing with the Compound V you have sent to your place every month," Butcher said, gesturing towards the couch with his gun. "Now sit down."

end of chapter one!

please see here if you'd like to keep reading:

[dream-meister-translations]

CROW - VOICE COLLECTION

━

"Okay, we're all set! Let's get going!"

"Haha, you know, I'm starting to take you for granted."

"Which country will we venture to next?"

"All right, let's have some fun!"

"How 'bout we grab a bite to eat somewhere?"

"I wonder what kind of people we'll run into."

"Oh, you're preparing an expedition? Better be sure you're making the right choice. You never know what might happen."

"Well, the harder the work, the better the reward! Come on, cheer up, and let's do our best!"

"I'm soooo happy to see you! I can't wait to see the world like I've never seen it before! Where do you wanna go first?"

"First aid… Survival kit… Wait, you don't have a map? Oh, well I'll just follow my gut."

"We're both Moon Wanderers, so you can count on me for anything, okay? I'm here."

"I'm counting on you today. No matter how tough it gets. Together, we can overcome anything."

"Leave it to me."

"This is exciting! Let the adventure begin!"

"Let's keep it moving, full speed ahead!"

"Three in a row!"

"I won't miss!"

"Watch me!"

"I got this one! Concentrated fire! Kaboom!"

"I can still fight…!"

"Who the Hell's gonna stop us!?"

"Damn, look at this treasure! We did it!"

"We're not done yet!"

"I hope you'll keep relying on me."

"The journey has only just begun! Let's have even more from here on out!"

"I truly believe you and I can do anything together. We'll be fine no matter what comes our way. I promise!"

"Hey, I've been thinking… I'm happy that you're with us. It's nice having you around like this."

"Home… Huh? Oh, no, it's nothing. I just mean our home. The Moon Wanderers home…"

"Hm? You woke me up. That's okay. I'll be right here next to you so why don't you get some rest?"

"We'll stay together. Whatever the treasure. Whatever the adventure. I want to share it with you from here on."

"The stars are beautiful… I wonder what they'll look like tomorrow."

"Full speed ahead!"

"Okay, partner, we're all set! Think you can keep up?"

"It's nice going out casually like this every once in a while, huh? Let's have fun today!"

"That was fun! We should go out again like this!"

"You know that super-popular cake shop? They sell out of cheesecake all the time! Well, would you believe I just got the last piece before they sold out!"

"Have I had any luck lately? Uh… Oh! I was weating shellfish the other day and found pearls in it! They were huge! And beautiful!"

"Did you know I almost got swallowed whole by a monster once? But he was soooo big I was able to squeeze my way through the gap in it's teeth!"

"I feel extraordinarily lucky these days…"

"I'm so glad I found you! That's all there is to it!"

"Hey! It's nice to meet you again as Meister and Guild Keeper!"

"You wanna know what tools I keep handy? Well, it depends on the day, but as an adventurer, I always have a rope and knife on me!"

"Oh, aren't you a sight for sore eyes! I know the price is outrageous but those bandages work wonders!"

"Oh, that? That's the stone I picked up at the ruins we were… Just… Ex... Ploring… Shit! I forgot to give it to Lannes!"

"Do you really wanna know what's in my bag that badly? N-No, there's nothing weird in there! Just… Be careful, okay?"

"It's just some knives and gunpowder… It's dangerous, and I didn't want you getting hurt by accident…"

"If you're that interested, I'll have to teach you how to use them one day."

"If you wanna know what I do, I'll take you with me next time. The best way to learn is to get your hands dirty."

"Hmm… There's a lot of responsibility resting on your shoulders… Deciding everything we do. Haha, isn't that what YOU said?"

"Oh, for me, it's all about having fun! The harder it is, the more excited I get!"

"…Oh! It's important to remember: One of the best things about being alone is being free to do anything you want!"

"But if you have someone you can count on… Well… You can do way more things and achieve even greater results!"

"So… A few tips from me: Find a group of people you can trust. That's what I'm tryna do here."

"Hm~? What's up? Oh, you're worried about me? Well then, do whatever you need."

"Oh, a staring content, is it? Okay, then let's see who looks away first! You think I'm gonna lose~?

"…Whoa! You scared me! I didn't know you were that close!"

"All right! What do you wanna do today? We can go wherever you wanna go!"

"I… Don't think we'll get separated, but… Hm… Hold my hand just in case."

"Oh, it's time to go… Is it too soon to ask when you're next free?"

"I guess that's it for today. I wish we could have hung out a little more. But I'll be back soon, okay?"

"Huh? What the Hell…? Oh, you wanna spoil me? Well, I guess I'll just have to do it, too, won't I?"

"Your hair's grown so long… How long have we been out searching like this? It's getting harder to cut."

"You enjoy touching my hair? I don't mind at all. It kinda tickles."

"Oh, uhh… Sorry… I'm just a little sleepy…"

"Your hands are so soft, so gentle… Feels so good… I wanna do this all the time."

"Y'know, I miss you… It's irresistable… Almost like I'm choking without you… Can I ask you to stay for just one more minute…?"

"I mean… It's not THAT bad… I can endure it… I just need… To… Ahahahaha! Okay I can't do it after all! Hahahaha!"

"God, you really caught me by surprise there! I thought I was gonna die laughing!"

"Hmm? Are you… Are you trying to tickle me? You look like you're trying to tickle me. Wait. Wait. Wait. No, no, no, no!"

"If you still wanna tickle me, I'll have to tickle you, too. I'm gonna make you laugh so hard, so forgive me, okay?"

"Hm? You're such a hard worker. I was just admiring the way your hands move. They're so nice~"

"I was just thinking: You're hands are so cute. It's like… I want to protect them."

"Hahahaha! The Hell? You touch my hands all the time! Do they really feel that good?"

"Actually… I'm the same way… I love feeling the warmth of your palm…"

"Our hands are so different… I have mine and you have yours, but even still... We've got each other's backs."

"I mean? What can I say? Having you stare at me like this makes me feel a little uncomfortable."

"I like to think I'm pretty close to people, but you're on a whole other level."

"I always thought you were cute. But up close? You're beautiful… Your eyes, your skin.. So beautiful…"

"Hey, what's up? Something on your mind?"

"Hey, I was just thinking about you… I think you're the best partner I've ever had… I'm glad you feel the same way."

"Celebrating with you was always more than enough for me. But now this…? Thank you so much… It's the best thing anyone's ever done for me."

"Haha, I'm glad you like me so much, but I can't take this… I... Thank you…"

"Oh, I love it~ Thanks, Emma!"

"Hmm? You're giving this to me? Well, then I gratefully accept!"

"Huh? Hm~… Instead of giving this to me, maybe you should give it to someone who needs it?"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, I know you're excited, but calm down!"

"I want to thank you for all you've done for me… I don't mean that in a burnt-out kind of way… I just wanted you to know that I'm always grateful. So, here, take it."

"Wow, it's my favorite! You really know how to make me smile!"

"Oh, thank you! I'll have to get you something, too!"

"Are you sure this is addressed to me? I see… Well, thank you. It makes me happy."

"Haha! Hey, stop it, stop it! If you keep doing that I'm gonna lose control!"

"Hm! I knew it! You really are the best partner of all time!"

"Thanks for for this. I'll take good care of it."

"Hahaha, I'd just be happy receiving anything from you!!"

"Let's just leave it there for now. We'll pick up where we left off once we get back, okay?"

"I wanted to give you this to... Express my thanks for the past and the future."

━

CROW : Hey, Evan, have a great day, man. I'm counting on you to be there for me when I need you! EVAN : Don't talk to me like that. You think I'm gonna take care of you? Are you listening to me?

━

CROW : Hey, Itsuki, where do you want to go explore next? There's a place I really wanna visit! Let's go! ITSUKI : We just got back yesterday. Fufu, that's so like you… Well, let's get on with the next moon reading!

━

CROW : Hey, Itsuki, let's do this again today! ITSUKI : Just like always.

━

CROW : Nice assist, Itsuki! ITSUKI : I'm used to supporting you.

━

CROW : Gran~? You gotta move faster than that! They only sell a hundred cheesecakes a day! We gotta get there before they sell out! GRANDFLAIR : Oh my… Oh no… It's time like this I realize you're still just a boy, Crow…

━

CROW : Let's do it, Evan! EVAN : Don't tell me what to do!

━

CROW : Yeah! That's it! That's what I'm talkin' about, Evan! EVAN : Hmph. Don't be such a fool.

[typingdyslexiaisathing]

The Aftermath of the Third Moon

Summary: Wolfwood and Vash's s/o head out to find a vanished Vash

Characters: Nicholas D. Wolfwood, OC

Content: established relationship, mention of violence, mention of blood, angst, confirmation of feelings

Wolfwood was sitting on the bed when I woke up. Hand laced in mine to have a death grip on my fingers. Which would explain why my fingers were slightly numb when I gave a hard huff of air. Wolfwood gave my hand a squeeze to sound relieved. "About time. Welcome back, Retha. We're in a safe place. I got us to a small settlement close to the city outskirts."

My brain clicked things together as I eased myself into a sitting position. With Wolfwood leaning over to help me and keep me balanced. Which ended up with me getting so dizzy I face planted right into his chest. My groan of both pain and fatigue escaping as Wolfwood kept his hands to my shoulders. "Easy. The doctor said you got pretty banged up. Cracked skull. Several deep cuts they stitched up along your left arm. As well as a few bruised ribs. You also wrenched your knee really bad for them to suggest a knee brace. So you are not going to have fun moving around for a good while."

A huff of air escaped my whole frame as I just reached out to hug Wolfwood. His arms going around me with gentle care after a thoughtful moment of pause. My whole body trembling as the silence lengthens. But soon Wolfwood grumbled to finally answer my unspoken question. "He pulled a vanishing act. I have zero idea where he went or if he plans on coming back. Augusta is a pile of rubble and there is a hole in a moon on top of that. So I am not surprised he hightailed it on us to leave us somewhere far away from his troubles."

My growl is hard and fuming for Wolfwood to hug me tighter. Which makes me squeak at the pain in sends shooting through my healing ribs. But Wolfwood just chuckles as he rests his chin on my head. "Yeah. Yeah. You can have first round on kicking his ass when we find him. I know better than to tell you to sit and stay like a good little girl. Even if your adopted family has a very big place to hide out and keep you from doing anything reckless." A huff of air has me lower my hands to mock punch Wolfwood repeatedly in the stomach. "I never should have told you about my uncle and his influences. But thanks for not shipping me out to have him sit on me to keep me safe, Wolf. He did send me a letter though."

Wolfwood stills to then rub my back with his hands. "I saw that. It was in your inner jacket pocket. He actually gave you full blessings to marry that dumbass needle noggin? As well as an open invitation for the two of you to make a love nest close by? Color me stunned." My sigh is full of warm amusement. "I do send letters every few times a week. He knows my mind and my heart. That is why he supported my learning martial arts and how to do mechanical work. As long as I also learned first aid to keep myself stitched together when I charge into the vast unknown."

Wolfwood chuckled to then have me lean back so we can look at each other face to face. My left arm twinging for a slight bit of red to stain the bandage. But my hand soon comes to rest at Wolfwood's cheek. His eyes holding a mixture of affection and the barest trace of sad acceptance. So I smile at him to then lean in for a kiss. A chaste kiss for Wolfwood to close his eyes and savor the moment before having us break apart. My words soft and hurting. "We do love each other and are family in all but blood, Nicholas. But we know that is very different from us being in love with each other. So promise me that we will give what love we have freely in the ways we may. Would that be enough for you?"

His sigh is full as Wolfwood nods his head. His free hand coming up to flick me on the forehead as he tends to do. "Deal. So we aren't exes. We're just family. But if that dumbass doesn't treat you right like we know he should, I am taking it out of his hide. That goes double for if you decide to screw this up, Retha. You are the smartest one out of this hodge podge family." My grin is wide as a few tears fall from my eyes. "Right. Love you, Wolf. So once I get the all clear from the doctor and we get some travel funds, you and I are on the hunt for a very silly Humanoid Typhoon. Just one thing." Wolfwood raises an eyebrow for me to actually punch him in the gut. Making him wheeze to rest his head on my shoulder as he grunts. "Ow. Low blow, sunshine." My grin turns fiendish as I note with pure glee, "You help me train up better. No holding back."

Wolfwood openly huffs a few chuckles to then cough and catch his breath. So I lean in to snuggle into him for us to flop onto the bed. His words full of amusement as he grumps at me. "Fine. I am gonna make you regret ever asking me to do that. You are going to hate me. But I agree. Now then, Retha. We should see to packing up and or getting some food. You're buying."

[carmen-fics-for-thee]

Remember

Summary: As Paper Star reflects on her past, she decides to play Carmen in a different way. After all, if Paper Star's heart is broken, why should everyone else not suffer like her? With Chase's heart on the line, and Carmen's heart clouded by vulnerability, can she realize what's really going on or will the villain win?

...

They were in Peru, full of fields of grass and trees everywhere by the side of the dirt road. Paper Star was on a hay bail truck. She was waiting for Carmen.

Narrowing her eyes, Paper Star spotted Carmen dashing across a field and hiding in a tree. Behind her, Devineaux was in hot pursuit. He shouted, "Aha!" and started climbing. Paper Star was humming her little song, but stopped at seeing this. Hmm...

Hopping down from the hay bail she was on, she approached them.

"Well, well, well..."

Carmen looked down at her and gulped.

"Not you again!"

Paper star started folding some stars. But she threw only one. It landed in Devineaux's arm sharply, sticking.

"AH! Curse you!" He cried.

Glaring at Paper Star, Carmen went to help Devineaux. She looked at him kindly, assuring him she'd help and pulled out the star. Then she told him to apply pressure to the wound. He did so, hissing with pain. Looking the "star" over, Carmen found it was red and pink and shaped like a broken heart. Paper Star grinned smugly.

"Oh no! A bad omen. Well, guess I'd better be on my way!"

Carmen trembled with rage.

"Come back here!"

...

Paper Star didn't like to talk about it. It would bring too much pain.

As a teenager, she'd dated her classmate. His name was Jamie. He told her he loved her; but then he'd professed his love to another girl in front of the whole class. The other kids mocked her, knowing she and Jamie used to be together. The pain cut deep, slashing her heart to pieces.

Paper Star worked tirelessly to get her revenge. She folded papers so sharp until they cut her own fingers, making them bleed. It was painful. That gave her an idea.

She'd trained so hard to be the best origami ninja in the world. And one day, she'd take her revenge on Jamie, as well as all the other bleeding hearts.

Jamie had truly been made to be sorry for what he did. His hands had to be bandaged in the hospital. And that other girl? Well, let's just say her pretty body wouldn't be going swimming anytime soon.

Whenever Paper Star saw couples walking in the street, she wretched in disgust.

Valentine's Day was the worst. All this celebration, and for what? Something she'd lost, and never found since that fateful day. It was stupid anyways, to think that a boy wouldn't break your heart if he saw a prettier girl.

All this pain made her madder. She began folding more broken paper hearts.

...

Chase had wrapped his arm thanks to his first aid kit.

With what had that random woman attacked him?! And why?!

Carmen had shown him the paper heart, looking worried.

"Hah! I do not believe in superstitions. My heart was already broken a long time ago." He said, recalling his ex-wife.

"What do you mean...?" She said sadly. So Chase told her about Edna.

He and his wife had gotten together as an office romance, as tensions heated up and she needed some cheering up about her poor work performance. After that, they'd started dating. Their marriage was relatively happy, until one day she told him she didn't love him anymore. There was no one else, she just grew tired of him. The divorce had hardened him; from then on he put on a tough outer shell. Something that would not break easily.

Carmen put a hand on his shoulder, and offered a hug. He accepted. It was a fairly loose hug. He wanted to make sure she knew she could run away if she wanted. That it wasn't some sort of trick to catch her. Carmen kept her eyes open for the most part, hoping this was a good idea. When she realized how softly she was being held, she let out a sigh and closed her eyes.

Paper star watched them with her binoculars. This was easier than she'd thought.

As she watched Carmen leave the hospital, she threw more broken heart paper stars at her. Carmen dodged, running away.

"What's your deal?!" She shouted.

Laughing, Paper Star showed Carmen to the limo that VILE had sent. Confused, Carmen saw Grey step out of the limo.

"Grey?" She said, running up to him. "Is that really you...?"

She'd been so worried about her big bro, she studied him carefully, hoping he wasn't under VILE's mind control.

"Carmen," he said with relief. Looking around, he glared at Paper Star. "She told me you were in danger."

"Huh? No." She said, fidgeting with her hands. "I'm fine. But are you fine?"

He nodded. "Don't worry, Carmen. They undid the effects of The Wiper... I remember everything."

She shook her head. "Why...?"

Carmen wanted to believe this was real. But there was no way this wasn't a trap of some sort. No way would VILE actually do something so nice without a catch. Paper star grinned.

"Well, Black Sheep...? It's okay, we removed any weapons from him. He's not a threat."

She grew angry.

"Yeah, so he wouldn't be a threat to you!"

Paper Star threw more broken heart stars at them.

"Carmen, quick!" Grey pulled her away and they ran for cover. Strangely Paper Star didn't follow them. They stopped by a school. It was quiet. "Carmen, I missed you."

"Graham. I-I don't know what to say. How?"

He shrugged. "I don't know Carmen. But I don't trust VILE. Paper Star is trying to execute some sort of evil plan, but I don't know what. Maybe it has to do with her um, paper hearts?"

Picking up the one from her bag, Carmen studied it worriedly.

"Maybe... Maybe it's a riddle of some sort. Perhaps there's a museum with a broken heart jewel somewhere around here? ... I'll call Player real quick."

Grey looked at Carmen curiously. After spending so much time away from her, he felt really bad about deserting her for the academy. He wasn't going to throw away his dreams, but in hindsight maybe being held back for a year would have been worth it so he could watch over Carmen. Maybe he could make it up to her somehow. Abandoning her was always the thing he regretted most.

After being on the phone for a while with Player, Carmen frowned. There was apparently no broken heart jewel around the area. The nearest museum was within 200 miles from here. Then what did Paper Star and her possible henchmen want?

Her heart dropped.

"Chase. I think VILE wants to hurt him again! Devineaux!" She said, panicked. Looking around, she grabbed Graham's hand and rushed back into the hospital.

"Woah, are you sure?!"

She nodded. "For some reason when we first encountered Paper Star, she threw the broken heart at him, not me."

"Why would she do that?" Grey said. And then it hit him. "Carmen." He stopped, tugging on her hand to make her stop too. "I know why. It's your kind heart. You worry about people a lot... She wanted to hurt both of you; two birds, one stone."

"Oh." She sighed. Yeah, that made sense.

Graham frowned. "I wouldn't go to that hospital room if I were you. Paper Star set this up for a reason. I think I know what her plan is, and you WILL hurt Devineaux if you go see him with me."

She stopped and thought about it. Examining her feelings, she realized what they had together. How much closer she'd gotten to Devineaux since they'd first met. And how seeing her with another man would break his heart... even if she tries to explain. That would explain the broken paper hearts. It was diabolical, it was VILE's M. O.. Yeah, it made sense.

"What do I do, then? I don't want to lose either of you. If I go check on him without you, VILE might drag you away again..."

He nodded.

"I understand. But I refuse to be their pawn anymore. I refuse to let them use me to hurt another man, especially an innocent."

"Good man." She patted his arm.

Grey smiled, thinking about their possible options.

...

Paper Star growled. What was taking them so long? She had her operative posed as a nurse and filming the reaction.

Chase grew uncomfortable and demanded more bedsheets. The nurse looked done with it all, but she left the room nonetheless. Didn't want to raise suspicion. Devineaux sighed with relief when she'd gone away.

He had a feeling that his heart was about to be broken due to an evil plan poised by a psycho villain, for some reason. Hah! Didn't they know that Chase Devineaux wasn't born yesterday?! Of course he'd been suspecting it, which was why he'd gotten the nurse to leave.

A person he wasn't expecting entered the room.

"You!" He shouted in surprise, nearly knocking over the bedside table to reach him. "I know you!! From the train!"

Gray put his hands up in defense.

"Wait, wait! It's not what you think! I-I'm a good guy now!"

Chase growled. "Prove it!"

He shook with disgust, yet he wanted to do him the honour of telling the truth. It was the least he could do.

"Inspector, I'm sorry. I was a huge jerk." He looked away. "But I want to make it up to you. There's these guys, VILE... They like to play with the people Carmen likes. They want to hurt her heart as much as possible..."

He frowned. "That explains the broken hearts..."

"Yeah..." Grey said. He walked over to him and sat down in the chair next to him. "Inspector. These people, they don't play fair. ... They wanted to make sure your heart was broken today. I figured out their plan. I refused to let them hurt you."

Confused, he raised an eyebrow. "Thank you...?"

Grey shrugged. "Blame Carmen. She has this way of softening people up." He gave a half-smile.

Laughing, Devineaux stuck out his hand. Grey shook it.

"That she does, Mister...?"

"Graham. But you can call me Grey."

...

In her room full of torn up coloured paper stars, Paper Star sobbed into a pillow.

It wasn't fair! Why did others get to be happy, and not her!?

Sure, she was a little psychotic, and wasn't afraid to use violence and manipulation to get what she wanted. What did it matter though?! Why couldn't she be loved the way that people loved Carmen?

Her mascara ran all over her face.

Maybe she'd be loved by a man one day, but by then she'd no longer be young and beautiful...

Grabbing her teddy bear, she cuddled it and curled onto her side in bed.

It just wasn't fair...

...

Carmen dropped off her gift of a bouquet of red roses for Chase on his doorstep, along with the returned items she stole back. It was always her way of saying, "you're welcome" to both him and Julia. She'd always thought nothing of it.

And yet now when she did it, it felt different. Like it meant something a little more.

She rang the doorbell, and heard his footsteps approach. His gruff, French-accented voice called out.

"Hello?! Who is there?!"

Her eyes wavered, and she tipped her hat to him before disappearing once more into the shadows.

[thecaptdynamite]

Doing a RWBY X Nikke:Goddess of Victory work, here's the first chapter

Jaune stood overseeing Vale, he had just returned to Remnant after an abrupt portal dragged him back. Luckily he wasn't alone.

Rapi: "Commander!" He turned to see his girls. Rapi, Neon, and Anis (BEST FUCKING GIRL). They tackled Jaune and brought him down to the ground.

Anis: "Commander! When you got pulled in we were so worried! Where are we anyways?"

Neon: "Wait Master! Is this like another universe?"

Rapi: "Commander?"

Jaune let out a sigh.

Jaune: "Girls, we are in my home world, this is Remnant." The girls all had wide eye reactions. "I know this is a lot, and I promise to-"

'BOOOOOOM!' The sound of an explosion cut everything off. They looked over to see a plume of smoke coming from the city.

Jaune: "Oh no, that's Vale! Girls quick ws gotta save them." Jaune pulled out his hand gun and charges in. The Counters follow in.

Team RWBY is seen fighting off the Grimm, the breach was allowing many beowulf into the city, but all things considered they were holding their own.

Ruby: "We got this everyone!" As she dashed in an explosion caught her attention. She looked to see a girl with a grenade launcher.

???: "Hiya! It looks like you could use some help!" Ruby while being intrigued by the girls weapon, she noticed that there were two more with her. The white haired on pulled out a shotgun and started blasting away at the Grimm. Rather easily.

???: "Encountering enemy! Commander!" The one wearing the beret and who was using an assault rifle was firing away, giving suppressive fire.

?????: "Push forward!" The voice of the male in their group caught their attention. They saw a tall man with akimbo pistols. Firing away at the Grimm, clearing a path for the civilians.

Ruby: "JAUNE!"

Jaune: "Ruby. Good to see you. We'll catch up soon." He landed multiple shots in critical points. Not one bullet wasted the beowulves dissipated. "We can get lunch! Girls press the advantage!" The first thing they noticed was Jaunes uniform, it looked like military attire, but not Atlas'.

Weiss: "Jaune?! Where did you come from? I thought you died?!"

Jaune: "Later drumstick!" He pressed the advantage and lead the Counters to the front line. "Man I wish we had more help."

Rapi: "It would be nice, but given the circumstances."

Neon: "We can't expect weird miracles Master."

Weiss/Ruby: "Master?!"

Jaune: "Later!" Suddenly a bullhead was in view. "Calvary is here people stay behind us!" Jaune and the Counters lead the civilians to the Bullheads, holding off the hordes.

???: "Jaune?" Jaune turned to see his ex Partner, Pyrrha.

Jaune: "If it isn't my favorite Redhead, help us thin them out! Anis, launch some grenades at the opening, the rubble should close it up!"

Anis aimed her grenade launcher and let a barrage loose. The grenades slammed into the rubble surrounding the breach, causing a collapse of the infrastructure surrounding it. With majority of the Grimm getting crushed the stragglers became desperate and started to become more violent. Luckily the squad was able to handle them.

As the commotion died down, Jaune was making rounds with victims that were unable to get an evac due to number. He performed first aid with the Counters following his example.

Ruby stared on. She noticed that Jaune had changed tremendously, granted it wasn't a bad thing. The uniform he wore made him look more mature, he had a small beard growing in, and his eyes held a confidence he never had before.

Ruby: "Jaune... where have you been, it's been months."

Jaune was dressing a wound on the man in front of him.

Jaune: "I'm quite sure I'll be explaining everything soon, I'd rather not state it about 40 times. Besides knowing how this goes, Ozpin should be here in 3-2-1"

As if scripted, Ozpin is seen entering the tent, his cane tapping the ground and eyes observing the Counters.

Jaune: "Headmaster sir." Jaune stood up. And saluted him. "I'm aware of my absence. But I can explain it, if you require." The Counters stood behind Jaune. The first thing Glynda noticed was their attire.

Glynda: "Jaune, while I'm glad you're safe. I wish to ask, If you are military, what are the dress regulations on them?" She pointed at Anis' 'Assets'.

Anis: "I mean I just wear what is comfy. And I'm not that bad, you should see Mihara."

Neon nodded while Rapi was on guard.

Jaune: "Their attire is the least of my worries, as long as they are ready to fight than they could be naked for all I care."

The Counters all blushed at this.

Neon: "Master are you a perv?"

Anis: "Yeah boss, that's kinda raunchy for you."

Rapis: "Indeed."

Jaune: "Anyways, we will assist on first aid and necessary services." Jaune goes back to his patient. "Headmaster, please do what you need. I'll be here."

Ozpin nodded, he noticed a tremendous change in the boys maturity.

Ozpin: "Where ever you were Mr Arc, it seems to have had a positive change to you."

Jaune: "Perhaps, I myself I'm glad I changed in a sense. But I'm still ne in some regard."

Weiss walked up to Anis, besides the envy of development, she was curious.

Weiss: "If I may ask, who are you three? Also, how do you know Jaune?"

Anis: "Well, we are The Counters, a squad of Nikke Commandos."

Ruby: "Nikke?"

Weiss: "Commandos?"

Jaune: "Like I said, I'll explain later." Jaune was seen walking toward them, his sleeves rolled up and his shirt unbuttoned a bit. "Where's my old team?"

Ozpin: "They are at Beacon Mr Arc, they were with one of the groups of civilians. And played escoet for them."

Jaune: "I see, when possible I'd like to have a catch up with them. Especially Pyrrha, she was a true friend."

Meanwhile Pyrrha felt her heart hurt, she wasn't sure why.

Glynda: "Poor girl."

Another bullhead landed. Jaune stood up and directed the civilians into it. Leaving just the Counters and RWBY at the site. Yang looked over as well as Blake.

Blake: "Theres something... different about him."

Yang: "Different as in he's more mature and confident?"

Blake: "That, and also he hasn't made a joke yet."

Yang's eye went wide in realization.

Yang: "That's right, I wonder if he's still even remotely dorky?"

Neon heard this and looked over at the two.

Neon: "Oh, Master is very dorky, when we caught him reading comics one day he had an adorable snort laugh while reading. I have the video if you wanna see!"

Blake and Yang immediately nodded in affirmation and watched the video on Neon's phone. The laugh the two gave was priceless.

A final bullhead arrived shortly after, with the ramp opening Team RWBY and the Counters entered. Jaune followed and looked out the window. I'm the distance was Beacon Academy. A place of bad memories from Jaune's past life. But now he's able to start anew. After about 20 minutes, the ramps open and Jaune is standing at the front. He looks to see General Ironwood, a scruffy guy, and Glynda.

Jaune: "Good afternoon everyone, I will explain my return inside. If you would follow me." He strove through the crowds ignoring the stares and glares. He had made it to the auditorium. He looked upon everyone who had gathered. He takes a deep breath and looks onward. "I am indeed Jaune Arc. Let me explain my last few years."

[ass-sassafras]

I got married and had kids because you wouldn’t stfu about getting grandkids. The pressure was immense. And then I got stuck in a marriage that almost made me kill myself, and now every time the kids stress me out or won’t let me get enough sleep for days in a row, the responsibility falls on me and no one else. I love my kids, but I’d feel better about all of this if I wasn’t pressured to have them by literally everyone. It was a foregone conclusion, no one was interested in my opinion about it. Christianity says it’s my job as a woman. It’s my purpose. I drank the kool-aid. 

You can’t have it both ways. You can’t need me to do what you want me to do and never disagree with you but also not resent you. Don’t treat your adult children in such a way that they don’t feel like they can really be themselves until you’re gone. Otherwise they’ll be subconsciously counting the years until you’re dead and wondering if they’ll have to wait until they’re 60 to actually be who they are. By then they’ll be old and used up and resentful toward everyone. Is that what you want for your kids?

I’m trying hard not to make the same mistakes with my kids that my parents made with me. 

And while we’re at it, every time I do what you guys want me to do, I’m the only one who has to deal with the fallout. You wanted me to get married to a believer so I did. Then, you didn’t want me to air my personal marriage issues because that’s private, so I endured the emotional abuse alone and let him treat me badly because I didn’t know it was wrong. He isolated me from my family with his hoarding, unwillingness to help clean our house and his crappy attitude, so I never saw my family only his. I was surrounded by people who didn’t like me and didn’t care how he treated me. I gave you the grandkids you wanted but it still wasn’t enough because you didn’t like my husband. Somehow his personality and actions were my fault. He was not a good person. So I divorced him. That was also the wrong thing to do. I was somehow supposed to stay with him and make it work and not kill myself, all without talking about my marriage to anyone and with no support from my family or his. 

So I left and made a friend who ended up taking advantage of me emotionally and financially, but also kept me company. I was able to be honest with him and be myself. No one liked him. I didn’t always like him either but he was my friend. He didn’t judge, he just tried support me. No one liked him and I didn’t’ like how he treated my kids. So I got rid of him. I made him leave. 

Now I’m alone and I got rid of both guys who my family didn’t like and I’m raising the kids my family wanted me to have and I’m doing it all by myself. And still it’s not enough. No one is supporting me, no one is helping me and I can’t even be honest about my opinions and feelings. There’s no room for my issues. I just need to shut up, be helpful and do what everyone wants. Not need anything, not make waves. People just want me for what I can do for them. They’re not interested in who I am as a person. My two options in everyone’s eyes are to either somehow miraculously go back to my ex husband and make it work at the expense of my mental health (not going to happen) or just be alone forever and be the martyr of the family. Fade into the background and not need anything ever. 

I need to get therapy or I’m not going to make it.

[kuromochimi]

Heyyy!! I recently read ur work and I love it!! Is it okay if u do "they used to have a toxic relationship" but the characters are shinichiro, wakasa, benkei, and takeomi?

Not really taking requests but already had a draft for this so here you go <3

Note: idk if I did the opposite of your request. Like you wanted for them and not the reader to have a previous toxic relationship 😭 but this is the one I had in my drafts so I hope this is fine.

Content & Warnings: angst to fluff! toxic past relationship (cheating, manipulation, violence) lmk if I missed any!

Shinichiro Sano

It’s become a norm at this point for you to hang out and even help around shinichiro’s bike shop. At first, you were reluctant to always be there, thinking you’d be a big bother to him and his work but he always made it a point to assure you that he wanted you there and that he understands why you sometimes feel that way. He never fails to remind you that he’s not your ex. He’s not that guy who shut you out and ignored you when it wasn’t convenient for him anymore but old habits and wounds don’t just die down that fast, do they? While helping him unpack deliveries and move boxes from the main room to the storage room, because of how big and heavy the box was, you accidentally tripped and knocked over one of the motorcycles on display. No, never mind the excruciating pain you were in caused by the heavy box that fell on your foot, you immediately dragged yourself to the fallen bike, checking for any scratches and dents. Shinichiro, who was in the storage room, ran back to where the loud clatter came from and then he found you, slumped beside a knocked down bike and metal parts scattered all over.

“Baby what happened? Are you okay?” His eyes darted to the bike “Did you fall on the bike?” He was in no way concerned for the bike more than for you but recurring past events creeped up to you and engulfed you in fear, bad memories and old habits. You looked at him with eyes that begged for him not to hurt you. “Shin I’m- I’m so sorry I didn’t mean to knock it down. I’ll pay for it I promise I’ll work for free, I’ll check my savings, I think I have enough. I just- I fell and then the box it just-“ he cupped your tear stained face with his calloused but warm hands. You didn’t even realize you were crying. “Baby look at me. Here look here. I don’t care about the bike. I care about you. Are you hurt anywhere?” He started caressing the back of your head to check for bumps. Gently running his fingers down your arms while examining them for any scratches and wounds. When he finally got to helping you up, the moment you put weight on your left foot, you winced and fell back down. With a look of pure concern, he helped you up and guided you to a chair where he examined your injury. He carefully removed your sneakers and socks which revealed an already swollen foot. “Hold on, I’ll go get a first aid kit. Stay put hm?” He gave you a forehead kiss before disappearing into the back door. The second he left, you couldn’t help but let out streams of tears, it got you heaving for air. Because although you knew it was him with you, you still couldn’t help but feel like such an inconvenience to him. You knew he would never see you that way and it was just your thoughts playing with you. You hated how he had to deal with you reacting this way when he’s been nothing but kind and amazing to you. Did he really deserve someone still so clearly tainted by her past relationship? Just then, someone hugged you from behind. Not shinichiro because the hug barely surrounded your body. Looking back, you found his little sister emma clinging onto you. “Did my brother make you cry?” She asked. You smiled at her and fixed her ruffled hair. “No he didn’t. He never makes me cry” you smiled at her and started wiping your tears with your sweater sleeves. “What are my favorite girls talking about?” Shinichiro emerged from the back door, catching emma in his arms as she ran to him. “Come on let’s get y/n all patched up, ‘kay?” Emma gave a firm nod, coming down from her brother’s arms and walking back to you. He started wrapping your foot, taking glances at your face from time to time. Emma, long gone, maybe already playing with mikey outside. He crouched to your eye level and gave you a tight hug, pulling away while still having his arms wrapped around you. “You okay now? I love you so much, okay? I don’t care if you end up burning my whole shop down, I will still love you.” That made you laugh a little. “But don’t actually burn it down. It’s my investment for us, you know?”

Wakasa Imaushi

Everyone knew how wakasa was. He always looked bored and uninterested. Though he could easily pick up any girl he wanted, he never really showed interest in dating. It was such a surprise when you two revealed your relationship to everyone. They really didn’t expect him to commit and to be such an attentive boyfriend at that. He was always around to pick you up and drop you off. Always there to bring you food or simply his company. Although at times, you couldn’t help but look at him and think that maybe you could do more for him. But what exactly? As far as you’re concerned, you’ve been giving him the most that you can. Is it enough? You have had two guys who said you weren’t doing enough after all, perhaps you’ve been the problem all along and not them. To add to that, you were dating someone like wakasa. Girls literally lined up just to get to talk to him and attempt to get his attention. So you started doing more. Stopping by at his gym to give him bento boxes even if that means you were going to be late for work. On days off, which you usally spent resting, you now insisted on helping him manage the gym despite him saying that he and benkei were more than enough to handle the work. It wasn’t out of the norm for a girlfriend to want to help her boyfriend but wakasa knew something was up. Besides, he noticed how you’ve been so tired lately and he didn’t want to see you overwork yourself just for his sake.

While hurrying to dress up to head to your boyfriend’s gym, your phone alerted a text:

From: Waka 🖤 Received at 7:25am

> Morning bub! You don’t have to come over today. We don’t have a lot of clients anyway. We’ll be okay

To: Waka 🖤 Sent at 7:28am

> Oh okay bub, have a good day then, I love you

Okay, maybe he wasn’t exactly the best at conveying what he really wants to say. Filled with negative thoughts and riddled with fatigue, you broke down. It’s been nearly 3 weeks of working non stop and trying to keep up with your self promise to help him out more. Your break down wasn’t even fully because of the emotional aspects of your tiredness but more on tue physical side. Your back hurts, you barely get any sleep. Work has been a bitch. Needless to say though, you completely brought this upon yourself. Or at least that’s what you kept telling yourself while you sat fully clothed in the shower. You didn’t hear the front door open and didn’t feel the presence of another human in your house ‘til someone opened the bathroom door which alarmed you. “Bub? It’s me. I heard you crying from all the way in the living room, can I see you?” your body relaxed at the sound of his voice and you gave him a sound of agreement. He got the shower curtains out of the way only to see you sitting under the shower with your clothes still on, face clearly overcome by stress. “What happened? Was it work?” He didn’t care if he got soaked, he immediately removed his slippers and got into the bath with you then scooped you into his embrace. “Waka” you mumbled against his chest. “Yes bub, what is it?” He pulled away a little bit to be able to see your face. “I’m sorry if I’m not doing enough sometimes. I really want to build my career and I know I tend to get so immersed in work that I forget to reply and call. I’m sorry” ; “and? Why are you apologizing? That’s great! I love how you want to build yourself up. I support that. You don’t have to do anything for me. All that matters is that we support each other and that’s it.��� You smiled to yourself. It was stupid. To let your past get in the way of what you have with wakasa now.

Arashi Keizo

Your boyfriend was.. something else. He’s got that extremely manly aura. His amazing biceps and toned pecs, as well as his mysterious demeanor. Even you would be in awe sometimes despite the fact that you see him almost every day. Unfortunately, him being that way also came with insecurities for you. He loved going out with his friends and you knew where they liked to hang out. At bars and clubs. It’s where you met him, after all. Drawn to his charisma, you couldn’t help but bite at the bait. You don’t come with them, you weren’t fond of drinking and partying anymore. But you knew, and sometimes shinichiro would let you in on the events that take place during their nights out. Naturally, women flocked their group. The sweet, boy next door shinichiro, the handsome, cool wakasa, charismatic smooth talker takeomi, and your hunk of a boyfriend. A girl would be stupid to not take a second look at them. And they do act on their desires. Benkei just always says “I have a girlfriend”. He enjoys his friends’ company but not having to fend off girls. You on the other hand, while you did of course trust him, there’s always little doubt hidden behind your head. Not because of him. But because you got cheated on during your previous relationship.

Now, when benkei’s supposed to call and come over after partying, there was no sign of him at all. Even if he got blacked out drunk, the other guys would always bring him to your place. Pacing the floor, you dialed his number but no one answered. It hurt you that you were doubting him this way when he never gave you a reason to. You tried your best to push aside your toxic past but instead of relief, you were washed with worry. What if he got hurt? Your thoughts circled ‘til the front door finally opened, revealing a beat up benkei. “Kei?! What happened? Are you alright?” You rushed to his side, escorting him to sit at the couch while you took out the first aid kit and started cleaning him up. “I’m okay, babe. Sorry for worrying you, I should have called” he leaned into your touch. “What happened?” ; “ got caught up with an old rival gang, nothing serious babe. How about you? Are you fine?“ you clicked your tongue “honey I’m not the one with a huge black eye right now. I’m okay. I’m sorry and I love you so so much” you kissed his nose, cheeks, lips. He raised his eyebrows at you “you’re not dying, are you?” He asked suspiciously “What? Can’t a girl be affectionate with her boyfriend?”

Akashi Takeomi

Your relationship with takeomi was fairly new. You weren’t fully familiar with all his quirks and habits and the same goes for him to you. You were still getting to know him. Right now, you were having a fun little beach trip with him and his friends and their girlfriends. While unloading bags and things, you were left with shinichiro near the car. “So omi finally got himself a girl. I’m happy for the both of you. He used to be such a player ‘til recently. He’s alright now, thanks to you.” you smiled and nodded his way, still a little shy around them. But takeomi was right, shinichiro was a little talkative. A little too much, in fact. “Don’t you worry, y/n, we’ll keep an eye on him, make sure he never does anything with other girls” You didn’t want to hear more. He probably didn’t mean any harm but it rubbed you the wrong way. You were done with players, having dated a couple of them before. You hadn’t known how takeomi used to be. What you did know was that he felt genuine towards you and you were certain he wasn’t how his friends described him to be. But then again, you were a new addition to his life, unlike them. They know him better after all.

You decided to talk about what you were feeling. Develop a healthy habit and get rid of doubts early on. That night, when you all resigned to your rooms, while he was reading a book, you brought it up. “Omi, how much of a player were you before me?” He Grabbed your hand and took it in his after he set the book down. “Honestly? Was pretty wild, babe. I’m not gonna lie to you. It’s what you heard from the guys. That’s how I used to be.” With a nod, you signaled that you were listening. “Why the sudden question?” ; “oh nothing, just.. you’re not anymore, right? We’re exclusiv- fuck I’m sorry, that was offensive. I’m sorry. I just- I’m anxious but that doesn’t excuse me accusing you already” he leaned down to give you a quick kiss. “It’s alright, shinichiro probably accidentally said something that made you overthink, didn’t he?” ; “Well, I’m sure he didn’t mean to harm me or you, omi.” He nodded “mhm, he’s just such a blabber mouth, you’re gonna get used to it” you hugged him, still trying to get used to everything but still feeling comfort and contentment nonetheless. “Hey” he called “thanks for giving me a chance”

[enchantestuff]

rekindle - rbr sebastian vettel

in which after a long time apart, you and Sebastian rekindle your love for one another in the least romantic place you could think of - a sweaty, packed nightclub

NOT MY GIF!!

warnings: public sex (ofc), fingering, teasing, lowkey angst at the start, nicknames, uncomfy ex, sebastain Vettel deserves a warning himself, happy sinning

taglist: @theringers​ @forestviper201 @icemanhoneybadger​ @formulamei @findthelightinyourlife

3.1k words

You smirked as your eyes met from across the club for what felt like the hundredth time that night. You hadn't seen him in over a year, the last time you were even in the same country as him had ended up with you climbing into a taxi, speeding away to the airport and him standing half naked in his driveway, wishing for the car to turn around and end his worst nightmare.

The relationship between you and Sebastsian was a complicated one to say the least. You had grown up with each other, your families vacationed together every second summer and you spent many christmases together. It was only when you got older that you started to really appreciate Sebastian.

Daydreams of what it would be like to spend a night in bed with him began to fill your free moments. Images of the two of you tangled in bed was once something that you could only dream about, but that dream certainly became a reality one unforgettable night in Italy.

It was during a celebratory dinner after yet another win that he had leaned over to talk to you. His lips brushed against the side of your neck and goosebumps had risen all over your skin, you cursed yourself for your reaction but soon began praising your childish antics once Sebastian finally caught onto how you felt about him.

The few words of “do i make you nervous, liebe?” led to the two of you making out in the corridor. That celebratory dinner escalated to a friends with benefits situation which set off a more than complicated relationship between the two of you where feelings were of course present, but stubbornness from both sides refused to let them be out in the open.

Your feelings for one another eventually escaped when he got into a nasty crash in the middle of a race. You ran up to him the minute he stormed into the garage, tears welling in your eyes as you crushed into a hug. He held you with just as much force and whispered into your ear what you had been waiting for months to hear.

He told you that you had been the only thing on his mind when he crashed into the wall and he didn't want to go a minute longer without telling you how he really felt about you

As much as you wanted things to be great with Sebastain, your relationship was unfortunately not plain sailing from there and the media had a bring role to play in your downfall. They wouldn't leave him or you alone, constantly following the two of you wherever you went and even going as far as sending mail to your shared home. It was the media that drove you to leave the man you adored and move to another country in search for a new career and a new life away from the public eye.

You stared at him now, unable to tear your eyes away from his beautiful frame. He looked as good as ever and you knew deep down that you would probably never see him again. So against your brain telling you not to, you engraved every detail of his face into your memory, not wanting to let him go just yet.

You felt horrible for leaving him and strongly believed that he hated you for abandoning him. You wouldn't have blamed him if he did, you sometimes hated yourself for that decision. So you kept your distance from him all night, repeatedly telling yourself that if he did not harbor any bad emotions towards you, then he would approach you himself.

To tell the truth, you were too embarrassed to go up to him yourself, too full of guilt to face him after what you had done. But when he made eye contact with you as he pulled a girl into his body, something inside you snapped and you found yourself being dragged into an all too familiar game of cat and mouse with him.

Your night of teasing had officially begun the minute he kissed the brunette's neck, refusing to break your stare as his hands ran up and down her hips. You decided it was your turn to reciprocate the teasing and pulled a random, but still handsome, man towards you to dance. Holding your gaze with him, you allowed the man to grip onto your hips and sway from side to side. Your ass pressing against him with every beat of the music.

You maintained eye contact with him as he chatted with multiple women, his hands resting dangerously low on their backs as he smirked in your direction, you hated how much you loved his little games.

You decided to take a dance break and stepped away from the claustrophobic dance floor. Moving towards the less packed bar, you leaned against the contour top as you ordered yet another drink. The feeling of hands wrapping around your hips didn’t surprise you, nor did the hot breath fanning across the back of your neck. You were used to the warmth of Seb’s body by now and after so much time apart, you still recognized his touch.

“Quite a show you put on back there,” he muttered, gesturing to the bartender for another drink before turning his attention back towards you. You kept your face forward, staring at the variety of liquor stacked on the shelves as Sebastian flirted with you in your ear. He was still positioned behind you, which you saw as the perfect opportunity to press your ass against his crotch.

The tightening of his grip only fueled you to press yourself further into him in hopes that you would emit an even stronger reaction from him, and boy did you get what you wanted. One of his hands rested underneath your breast and as he emitting a small amount of pressure against you, he forced you into him.

No longer leaning against the counter, you could now feel the entirety of his body pressed against you. Every vein and muscle. Every curve and dent of his body, Still, that didn't stop you from wiggling your bum against him.

“Are you trying to turn me on right now, love, or are you really that fucking oblivous?”

You twisted your head to finally look at him, momentarily taken aback by his pure beauty before regaining your confidence again. “That depends,” you hummed, purposely brushing your lips against his neck as you spoke, “Is it working?”

His hold on you tightened and somehow he pulled you even closer to him, allowing you to feel every inch and vein of his hardened cock. “Someones excited,” you smiled, immediately freezing up when you caught sight of your ex boyfriend standing next to you.

He was the man you had been with before Seb and it was safe to say he had completely broken your heart.

Confusion immediately filled Sebs body at your reaction, fearful he had done something wrong he moved to stand beside you, holding onto your bicep as he looked you in your eyes. “Are you alright, darling?” he questioned, his eyes bouncing back and forth as he searched your face for any indication of pain.

“Yeah its - “

“Y/N! Great to see you.” Dread immediately filled your body at the infamous voice, you felt yourself go rigid in Sebastian's grip and desperately wished for your ex to leave the two of you alone.

“Who's this douche?” Seb whispered in your ear, trying to relive some of your tension and comfort you in what seemed to be a terribly uncomfortable situation.

“Brad, hey,” you muttered, you grabbed hold of Sebastian's hand that was previously sprawled on the bar countertop, using the warmth of his touch as a confidence booster to finally turn around and face the brutal ex.

“How have you been?” he asked, refusing to even glance at the Redbull driver next to you, focusing his hungry gaze on you and you only.

You sighed deeply at his attempt of small talk. Could he not just say hello and move on? Did he really need to interrupt your night.

Sebastian kept a close eye on you throughout your short conversation. A sense of protectiveness filled him at your rigid stance, he knew you could handle the situation yourself but he couldn't help but want to aid you. He felt the need to get involved. So he did.

He didn’t let you answer the man's next question of what you had recently been up to, instead he grabbed hold of the side of your face, his fingers dipping into the nape of your neck as he pulled you into him. He grinned smugly at the worried glance you threw his way before connecting your lips together.

The kiss was hesitant at first.

Taking into account this was your first shared kiss together since the breakup, it felt both natural and unusual to be kissing him again, but as the seconds passed you found yourself relaxing in his hold and began kissing him back with much more force.

You lost yourself in the moment, the idea of your ex boyfriend watching you make out with your other ex boyfriend didn't even cross your mind. You solely focused on the way Sebastian’s lips felt against yours after such a long time apart. He was addicting.

Your eyes fluttered open when he pulled away, blushing slightly at the sheepish look he threw your exes way. “What were you saying, mate?” he confidently asked.

The feeling of his palm burned against your cheek and you couldn't even bring yourself to look at Brad, but you didn't need to as he just stumbled away, clearly intimidated by Sebastian.

There was no need for you to say anything to Seb - if the way you were teasing him earlier on in the evening was of no indication to how you felt about him - then the lustful look you were giving him now certainly was.

He immediately pulled you back into him, your lips reconnecting in a lustful kiss. With no more awkwardness surrounding the two of you, you found yourself enjoying it even more.

Moving one of his hands down your body, Sebastian forcefully squeezed your bum which emitted a gasp from you, allowing him to slip his tongue into your mouth, further deepening the kiss. He pressed his body against yours and your hands raked across it, feeling his muscles flex against your hands.

You moaned into his mouth the minute he dug his hips into you, the feeling of his body so close to you bringing you back to when the two of you dated. Confusion filled you when he pulled away, ending your lovely make out session and disappointing you tremendously. “Don't start what you can't finish, love” he warned, leaning down to scatter kisses across your chest, nipping and licking at every exposed area.

“Who says I can't finish this?” you remarked, grinning at the way his eyebrows rose at your statement.

“Look around us, darling” he stood up straighter, craning his neck to glance from side to side, taking into account the multiple people surrounding the two of you. Hundreds of people filled the room, hundreds of eyes that could possibly witness something. Hundreds of reasons why the two of you shouldn't get ahead of yourselves. But then again, when he looked back at you and the playful pout that crossed your features - he found himself making up a hundred different reasons as to why it was such a brilliant idea.

“But then again,” he continued, leaning closer to you in order to whisper in your ear, “that's never stopped us before.”

A shiver ran up your spine at his words, images flashing through your mind of previous encounters the two of you had in the most inappropriate areas. Cutting your daydream short, Sebastian grabbed hold of your hand and guided you up the stairs to the more secluded vip area.

The bouncer merily glanced at Sebastian before lifting the red velvet rope and letting the two of you in. Nodding a small thanks to the man, he continued his journey into the dimly lit area, a content hum leaving his lips at the sight of a small booth in the corner.

He sat down on the plush seats and you fell down to sit on top of him, the lower half of your body covered by the wooden table in front of you. Sebastian wasted no time in kissing your neck, unable to detach himself from your skin for more than a few moments.

Your head fell back onto his shoulder, watching the small group of people ahead of you dancing and laughing at each other caused a blush to quickly creep up your cheeks. The thought if anyone witnessing your antics both embarrassing and exciting you.

“Are you sure you want to do this, liebe?” Seb questioned, he placed his finger on your cheek and forced you to look at him as he spoke. “Because once we start, I won't be able to stop.”

“And why would I ever want you to stop?” you shot back, pressing your bum further into him to prove your point. Sebs eyes scanned the area, having seemingly decided the risk of getting caught was worth it, he ran his fingers up your thigh, under your skirt and into your underwear.

His other hand trailed the opposite direction, moving up your body to gently squeeze your breast. You arched your back at the sensation, your ass moving further into him and a harsh squeeze being delivered as a result.

Slipping a finger into you, his hand flew away from your breast to clamp over your mouth, muffling the sudden moan that escaped you. “You have to be quiet, sweetheart. There's people around us,” he reminded.

He littered gentle kisses up your neck and you could feel his smirk against your skin at the shaky breath you let out the minute he slipped a second finger into you. “I don't think anyone else deserves to hear your moans, darling.”

You hummed against his hand, wetness pooling at his words and your eyes fluttering closed as his thumb began to circle your clit. “Move up for a second, liebe,” he demanded once he removed his fingers from you. Having no other option but to comply, you braced your hands against the table and stood up on shaky legs. You patiently waited as Sebastain undid his belt, the sound of the metal coming undone bringing a newfound wetness to your core.

“Ready?” he questioned, moving his hand up and down your thigh to comfort you. You nodded your head, biting harshly on your lip, you quickly glanced behind you and yet another shaky breath tumbled from your lips at the sight you beheld.

Sebastain was sprawled across the couch with his dick barely covered by your body. The sight of him shamelessly sitting there did something to you and before you lost your confidence, you slowly lowered yourself down onto him.

“Keep quiet now,” he reminded once you took all of him in. Your hands gripped onto the table in front of you, your knuckles quickie turning white as you used it as leverage to start moving.

The sound of your skin hitting against sebastians was muffled by the laughter of the crowd and the loudness of the msic booming across the grand club. “I'm trying,” you grunted.

You slowly bounced on him, trying to keep your movements small and inconspicuous to the people around you. But Sebastian could only last so long without needing to take over. A moan accidentally escaped you once he began thrusting his own hips upwards to meet yours. In response to your foolishness, he grabbed a fistful of your hair, yanking not so gently on it as a warning and forcing you to look at the dim lights hanging above you instead of the people ahead of you.

Holding onto your body he quickly steadied you, forcing you to halt your movements as a random man walked up to the two of you. You shifted in his hold and attempted to reposition yourself to look more natural towards the stranger. You just wanted it to seem like you were cuddling the driver, not bouncing on his dick.

One of your arms wrapped around his neck while the other laid on his chest. You spared a quick glance downwards, making sure your skirt covered everything before looking back up at the man. Sebastian greeted him, admittedly not poilelty, but he greeted him nevertheless. It only took a few seconds for the two of you to realise he was a fan and by the looks of it, would do anything to hold a conversation with the Sebastian Vettel.

You couldn't help but move on his lap, the need for friction overwhelming you after staying put for several minutes. You slowly began rolling your hips, your heart racing at the sudden release of pressure and also at the fact you were grinding on him with a fan of his only a few feet away.

Sebastian cleared his throat, trying desperately to pay attention to the man in front of him and not on how good you felt clenching around him. His hips unintentionally runted up into you, muttering a quick curse under his breath he grimaced at the man, cutting his sentence short as he gestured towards you. “If you wouldn't mind,” he sympathetically commented.

“Right, right sorry,” he mumbled, “Enjoy your night.”

He soon scrambled away from view and Sebastian began carelessly thrusting into you again. You returned to your original position, now resting your head against the table, thankful for the pleasure filling your whole body. You could feel a bead of sweat forming on the nape of your neck and were almost certain you looked a mess but you couldn't have cared as you got nearer and nearer to your peak.

This new angle allowed Sebastian to take control of your activities. He guided your hips back and forth, not paying attention to the movement of the table nor the attention that the two of you could possibly bring your way. All he wanted was to bring you to your release. “Are you going to cum for me, darling?” he whispered. You nodded against the table, the coolness of the wood reliving your flushed cheeks as you felt the knot begin to release in your stomach.

You moved your hand to grip onto his thigh, “I'm gonna-” you mumbled, unable to finish your sentence as he gripped onto the back of your neck and forced you to sit up straight. His fingers immediately fell down your throat in a poor attempt to muffle your moans. You whimpered loudly at his show of dominance, your attempts to keep quiet failing profusely as he hurried his movements.

His fingers moved further down your throat as your walls clenched around him. Before you knew it you were spilling yourself against Sebastain. Your eyes rolling to the back of your head and heat filling your body as he followed in your actions.

[just-jordie-things]

A Lover And A Fighter - Richie Tozier

word count: 3122 warnings: swearing, sight sexual harassment summary: Richie promised (y/n) that he wouldn’t get into fights anymore, but sometimes he just can’t help himself.  Especially when it comes to protecting her.

___

It was an understatement to say that Richie was protective of you.  The boy was downright insane about it.  Everyone in Derry knew not to fuck with (y/n), not unless they wanted Richie Tozier tracking them down and beating them half to death.

You’d given him a talk numerous times.  But not once did they work, it always went in one ear and out the other..

He’d beaten up three ex boyfriends, a couple guys that looked at you the wrong way, and Greta Keene.  He was proud of that amount.

But he’d promised that he would try his best not to act out on your behalf anymore.  And you made him pinky promise.  That’s a big deal.  And he didn’t want to break your trust or your promise.

However… once he walked past Henry Bowers and his dumbass friends, and heard your name being mentioned, he couldn’t stop himself from getting involved.

“What was that?” He spoke before he could think things through.

The boys turned to him, each bearing a scowl that wasn’t out of character.

“I said, (y/n’s) not fucking worth it,” Henry practically growled out.  “Now why don’t you fuck off, Tozier?”

“Your damn fucking right it’s not worth it,” Richie spat back, turning away, doing the right thing.  “I’d break your goddamn nose” He muttered under his breath.

“It’s not worth it to try and get in her pants,” Henry called out before Richie could walk far enough away.

He stopped in his tracks.

“Cause she’s such a slut anyways, it’s not a real victory to fuck-”

Richie had never whipped around so fast.  And with the punch he delivered went all common sense, and all the promises and reassurances he’d given you to prove he was going to ‘mature’ as you’d begged him to do. ___

“Hey, Richie,” You held your phone between your ear and shoulder as you painted your toes.  “This is like, my fifth message… so… call me back, I guess.  Okay, bye”

You sighed as you set the phone back on it’s holster.  Richie wasn’t the type of guy to stand you up, especially on taco tuesday.  And even if something came up, he always always, called.  But now he couldn’t even bother to return one of your calls, leaving you to assume that he was upset with you for some reason, and therefore ignoring you.

You weren’t sure what you did, and at this point, you also weren’t sure that he was going to tell you either.

When Richie didn’t want to talk to someone, he was the damn best at avoiding them.

But he’d never given you the cold shoulder.  And there was a time that you’d thought he never would.  Richie was your best friend, you trusted and confided in him more than anyone else, even the other Losers.  And in the last seven years of being his best friend, he’d never treated you this way.  In fact, he always treated you amazingly, like a princess, it was very surprising actually, the way he cared about you.

It was that care that always led him to picking fights where he shouldn’t be, though.  It started with your ex boyfriend.  He broke up with you once a ‘better, prettier’ girl showed interest (his words), and the next thing you knew, Richie was throwing him against the lockers.

When your next boyfriend straight up cheated on you, Richie took care of him too.

He broke the third one’s nose.

And then there was the Greta Keene incident… Beverly may have let it slip that Greta had been writing nasty rumors about you in the girls bathrooms.  And Richie declared that he didn’t have a problem beating up a girl if it was justified (and if that girl had man arms).  That was when you drew the line, and made Richie swear to try and control his anger.  And he pinkie promised to work on it, and that he wouldn’t get into any more fights over you.

You weren’t sure why he got so enraged over these things.  It was just drama, and you found it pointless that he tried to bring you justice, since he was so reckless about it.

It was getting late, and you knew that Richie wasn’t going to return your calls.  So you finished painting your toenails blue, and decided to spend the night in your room, reading, alone.

Even though you should have been eating a bunch of tacos and gossiping with Richie.

Just as you got situated in bed, and had turned off the overhead light in exchange for the soft glow of your lamp on the bedside table, there was a knock on the window.

When you glanced over, you could tell it was Richie by his silhouette, and you frowned slightly.

Nonetheless, you got up and unlocked the window, before sliding it open.

“Where the hell have you been?” You asked.

He could tell that you couldn’t see his face very well.

“Busy, you gonna let me in?” He grinned.

“Richie, it’s-” You glanced over your shoulder to the alarm clock on your table, before glaring back at him.  “-midnight.  Are you kidding me? Did I do something to piss you off?”

“What? (y/n/n), no-”

“Then how come you were dodging all my calls? And you’re seven hours late?” You asked, crossing your arms over your chest..

Richie crawled in through the window, even though you hadn’t invited him in yet.  But he figured it was only a matter of time before you cave anyways.

Your distressed face disappeared as you caught sight of him now that he was in the light.  His left eye was bruising, and so was his right cheekbone.  Along with a split lip and a bloody nose, it was clear what had happened.

“Oh, Richie…” You mumbled, hand reaching up to cover your mouth as your eyes widened at the sight of him.  “Tell me you didn’t-”

“Look it’s not what you think-” Richie tried to protest.

“Don’t give me that shit”

He knew he fucked up, because you weren’t yelling.  Your voice was soft, and low.  You were heartbroken.

He stared down at the ground, too anxious to look at you anymore.  Not when you looked so disappointed in him.  

“You promised- you-you pinky promised me-”

“I know-! I know and I’m sorry, really, I’m really fucking sorry” He told you, desperately hoping that you’d forgive him.

You shook your head at him, and gestured for him to sit before you left the room.  Richie was the most frustratingly complicated person that you knew, and it drove you insane.  Why he couldn’t just walk away and not beat the shit out of people… you weren’t sure.  But it really hurt you that he didn’t even seem to try, and he broke his promise.

Richie was sitting on the side of your bed when you came back into the room.  He chuckled as he eyed the first aid kit in your hands, the same one that you’ve used the last four or five times you dealt with the aftermath of his episodes of rages.

“You don’t have t-”

“Yes I do” You cut him off and unpacked what you’d need.

You were upset, you were fuming, actually.  It angered you that Richie broke his promise, not even a month after making it.  That promise was important to you, because he was important to you.  And now here he was, waiting to be fixed up by you once again after he so stupidly, so recklessly got himself beaten to a pulp.

But no matter how angry you were, you remained silent.  Dabbing at the excess blood under his nose, which at least wasn’t bleeding anymore.  And when you were finished with his cheek, you moved on to rubbing cream over the bruise on his cheek.  Richie’s eyes fell shut as he sighed in relief at the feeling of the cool lotion, and your gentle fingers.

He knew your silence wasn’t a good thing.  In fact, it was the worst thing.  It meant he messed up beyond redemption.  And he’d never fucked up that bad before.  Sure, he’d pissed you off and frustrated you on the daily, but that was just the hallmark of his friendship, and it was never anything serious.  Just when he dragged you out in the middle of the night for slushies, or got you in trouble in class because he was running his mouth.  He’d never made you this genuinely upset before.

“(y/n)-”

“Save it” You muttered before he could even start with the apologies.

That was another hallmark of his friendship.  You knew what came next.  The apologies, the excuses, the begging for your forgiveness, followed by a playful ‘you know you love me, you need me’ and puppy dog eyes that you couldn’t refuse.  Except tonight, you might just be able to.

He took you by surprise when he didn’t protest, and snapped his mouth shut.  Your eyes met his for a moment, before you started applying a smaller amount of lotion on the bruise surrounding his eye.  It was going to look a lot worse in the morning, but this would help with the pain now.

You hated that your heart ached for him right now.  You hated that you wanted to cry and hold him and make him feel better.  Because you were so fucking mad-

“I don’t understand,” The words suddenly spilled out of your mouth, as if your mind just couldn’t take them swimming around in your head anymore.  “I just- I- I don’t fucking get it”

He nodded, ducking his head down, only for you to lift it back up by his chin and continue with the lotion.

“I care about you, dumbass, and all I asked, which I thought was simple, all I asked was for you to stop with the fighting-”

“I know” He mumbled back.

You stared at him skeptically, wondering if he really did know, or if he’d show up again in a few weeks with the same battered face and guilty look in his eyes.  Richie didn’t look back at you.  He couldn’t.

“Who?” You asked, trying to soften your voice so he wouldn’t whither away from you like he was doing right now.

“You’re not gonna like it” Richie answered, fingers pinching at your bedsheets in an attempt to distract himself.  From the pain that burned across his whole face, or from the intensity in your eyes, he wasn’t sure, but he needed the distraction.

He hadn’t had a smoke in months, but it sounded pretty damn good right now.

“Well, newsflash, I don’t like any of this,” You told him.  “But I think I deserve to at least know what happened”

Of course you do, Richie hung his head in his hands.  You deserve so, so much better.

You watched as he rubbed his palms over his eyes, and it took everything in your power not to take his hands and hold them in yours, to tell him it was okay and you forgave him.

“Bowers”

He muttered the single word without even looking at you.  But he didn’t have to look at you to know exactly what you looked like in that moment.  You probably had a dropped jaw and furrowed brows.  Disappointment, disgust, anger, all displayed in one heartbreaking look.

“Richie…” You murmured without meaning to.  “Why? Why would you-”

“I had to, okay?” He shot up suddenly.  “I know that you hate it, and as soon as I swung I- I knew I fucked up, but I had to”

You wanted to argue it, argue that there’s always another option, that he can always walk away.  But you bit your tongue.  Something about the way he spoke told you that there was more to this than his stupidity.

“I’m sorry, (y/n/n), I am.  But I… I don’t regret it”

Your heart sunk all the way down to your stomach.  Richie had such a toll on your emotions and he didn’t even know it.

“Tell me what happened” You said quietly, and shifted closer to him.

You wanted him to know he had your undivided attention, and that he should have the chance to at least explain what happened.  You pulled your leg up to rest on the mattress, and turned your body to face him.

Richie looked at you before looking back down at his hand, which was now fisted in your blankets.

“Richie,” You hummed, brows furrowing as you saw how reluctant he was to opening up.  “Tell me” The words were so soft, it was almost inaudible.

You wondered what Henry could have done that Richie didn’t want to tell you about.  He must have really outdone himself.

“He was just talking shit-”

“Richie,” You cut off his bullshit before he could even start.  “Come on, the truth”  

“It’s not-”

“I deserve to know, Tozier! Whatever it is, I don’t care, okay? Just tell me-”

“He said you weren’t worth sleeping with!”

Just like that, you’d gotten him to snap.

And you shut up instantly, shocked by the outburst.  His words processed slowly in your head.

“He said it wasn’t worth trying because you’re- because you’re a slut, and it wasn’t fucking true!” Richie continued to yell.  Not at you, he just couldn’t contain his own anger anymore.

And you thought you were pissed.

“Motherfucker had your name in his nasty fucking mouth and he was telling his buddies fucking lies and I couldn’t- fuck I couldn’t walk away.  I should’ve fucking killed him”

You were staring at him, speechless.  You should’ve known it was about you, Richie was always so fiercely protective of you.  And Henry’s wouldn’t be the first nose that he’d broken protecting you.  But this wasn’t like before.  He’d beaten on your ex boyfriends after they broke your heart.  Henry hadn’t said or done anything to you, he was just doing what boys do.  (Make shit up because they think it makes them impressive when really they’re even shittier than they look)

“I didn’t mean to break your promise,” Richie huffed.  His face was slightly flushed after his mini tantrum.  His hands grabbed both of yours, holding them close to him.  “I’m so sorry I put you through this again”

You were still silent, but he knew this wasn’t a bad silence.  You were still processing, still trying to figure out how to forgive him while making sure this was the last time he crawls through your window looking like this.

“I hope you know that it came from a place of- of caring about you,” He added.  “Caring about you too much, I guess” He mumbled as an afterthought.

Your stupid lovesick heart skipped a beat at the sweet words.  Richie wasn’t one for words, at all, but he somehow managed to say the most loving things without even realizing it.

“I can’t promise it won’t happen again, that much is clear.  And if Bowers says one more goddamn thing about your ass I’ll fucking string him up- I will- but I can promise I’ll try, okay? I will, I’ll really try”

He squeezed your hands a little bit, hoping you believed him, hoping you trusted him.

Your eyes flickered between his for a moment, and you could see in them that he was being sincere, and that he was broken up over hurting you.

“You…” He started to speak, but trailed off unsurely.  “You deserve better” He finished.

His eyes flickered to yours for a brief moment, before he turned away.

You shake your head, before you let go of one of his hands, and took his chin between your thumb and index finger, turning him to look back at you.

“(y/n/n)-”

You cut him off when you leaned in and gently kissed him, trying to be mindful of his split lip.

Richie’s eyes remained focused on your closed ones, too stunned to close them, or really kiss her back.

He wanted to kick himself when you pulled away.  He managed to miss his fucking chance because he was too slow to do anything about it.

Your eyes fluttered open in such a beautiful way Richie swore you were holding his heart in your perfect little hands.

His brows were furrowed like you’d confused him, and you absolutely had.  He hadn’t expected you to kiss him.

“Why’d you do that?” He asked breathlessly, and your cheeks burned pink.

Your shoulders raised a bit in a shrug, and you had to bite your lip to keep from smiling too much.

“I just… wanted to” You whispered.

A smile twitched on the corner of Richie’s lips before his hand cupped your cheek, and he pulled you in again, so he could kiss you right this time.

Your lips were just as soft, if not softer, than he’d imagined they’d be.  And he’d imagined countless times what they’d feel like.  Daydreaming in class, before he fell asleep, and being right by your side for the last seven years.

Kissing you was bliss.

He did it again, taking your face in both of his hands and pulling you impossibly closer.  He could feel your lips smiling against his own, and once again, his heart was beating out of his chest trying to get to yours.

“I’m in love with you, (y/n/n)” He murmured when you parted, and you laughed softly.

“That makes sense,” You replied, reaching a hand up to play with the curls on the back of his neck.  “And… I love you too”

Richie gave you a sunshine smile, which you couldn’t help but return.

“I’m still upset, by the way,” You told him, still playing with the curls.  “But only cause I’m tired of seeing you covered in bruises, okay?”

He nodded, and you leaned your cheek further against the palm of his hand.

“I promise to try” He said, and then raised his pinky.

You looked from his hand and then back to him, a slight glare in your eyes.

“Come on, just do it,” He urged, you rolled your eyes, but he was persistent.  “Just link fuckin’ pinkies with me”

With a giggle you hooked your pinky with his, and held it for a moment.

“You want to go get tacos now?” He asked, and you grinned, nodding your head.

“You read my mind” You answered, and followed him back out the window.

It dawned on you that Richie was both your lover and your fighter.  And he held those titles proudly.

As he took your hand and walked alongside you down the street, he decided there were no other title he’d want to be labeled, besides yours. ___

taglist: @thegr8kush​

xoxo ~ jordie