#ALSO ALSO so glad to see the Fox comfort fic was no.1

[batshieroglyphics]

I posted 95 times in 2022

That's 29 more posts than 2021!

63 posts created (66%)

32 posts reblogged (34%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@batshieroglyphics

@batsutousai

@seekingidlewild

@bats-batsutousai

@kye-fandomsnstuff

I tagged 80 of my posts in 2022

Only 16% of my posts had no tags

#fandom:star wars - 23 posts

#fandom:merlin - 21 posts

#series:dragons soar the skies with plentiful fields below - 19 posts

#pairing:merlinxarthur pendragon - 19 posts

#fic:we can burn brighter than the sun - 18 posts

#holiday card fics - 17 posts

#merthur - 17 posts

#one-shot - 16 posts

#bats' patreon wips - 9 posts

#series:jasben save the galaxy - 9 posts

Longest Tag: 93 characters

#poor tier will get it either when i think it's finished or i get distracted by something else

My Top Posts in 2022:

#5

[FIC] I Hold My Own Hand ~ Star Wars Prequel ~ Teen

Title: I Hold My Own Hand Fandom: Star Wars Prequel Era Author: Batsutousai Rating: Teen Warnings: The clones deserve better, abuse survivors, Kamino is the worst, hurt/comfort, Jango is not the clones' parent, OC character death (offscreen), decommissioning, reconditioning, touch-starvation, grief Summary: The Alpha-batch were the best of all the clones, intended to be a one-being army, able to hold their own no matter the odds. They were never meant to need anyone else.

Seventeen opened their mouth, and then stopped, realising that they just...didn't have the words for what they needed to ask. Which was why they needed Baar in the first place. "It's– We're...upset," they settled on, grimacing. "How do we be...not upset?"

Baar blinked at them once, twice, then groaned and rubbed a hand down his face. "I legitimately hate you, right now," he muttered.

Seventeen relaxed, because that line, among the Alphas, usually meant one of them had cottoned on to something that another felt they should have realised sooner, because it fell under their specialised training. Which meant Baar had understood what they'd tried to ask, and probably had an answer.

Baar dropped his hand and looked around the room. "Right, you know how the cadets sleep in little piles?"

A few scoffed or let out other disgusted noises, while a few let out noises of acknowledgement.

"Yeah, we're doing that," Baar announced.

Read it on Archive of Our Own!

Reblogging this post is literally the easiest birthday gift you can give me. (Likes are lovely, but I want reblogs for my birthday.)

52 notes - Posted March 12, 2022

#4

[FIC] Wrapped in the Warmth of You ~ Star Wars Prequels ~ Obi-Wan/Jaster ~ Teen

Title: Wrapped in the Warmth of You Series: JasBen Save a Galaxy Far, Far Away Fandom: Star Wars Author: Batsutousai Rating: Teen Pairing: Obi-Wan "Ben" Kenobi/Jaster Mereel Warnings: time travel fix-it, all the hugs, lineage feels, Ben has PTSD, Feemor has depression, Jedi as family Summary: Four years after their trip to Coruscant resulted in Ben obtaining a padawan, the first group of Jedi hoping to find a new home in the excavated and repaired Temple on Mandalore arrive.

"Good afternoon, Ben'ika, Jas!" Tor called cheerfully, as Ben and Jaster joined him.

When Jaster nudged him to take the open seat next to Tor, Ben sighed—Tor's grin widened—and then did so, leaning in for a slightly too hard Keldabe kiss, because he'd long since resigned himself to the majority of Clan Vizsla deciding he was a Vizsla.

(Him finding Tarre's Temple and finally using his excessive 'allowance' from Jun to renovate it, had apparently just solidified the idea in all their heads.)

Tor offered greetings to Xanatos and Shmi, and traded cheerful insults with Arla, when the three joined them, then said, "Xan'ika, I hear your sibling is coming to join us."

Xanatos startled slightly, then shot Tor a narrow, suspicious look. "Who told you?" he demanded.

"I will never reveal my sources!" Tor insisted.

"I did," Shmi admitted, and Tor groaned and covered his face with one hand.

"But you're the nice one!" Xanatos complained.

Arla patted Xanatos' shoulder. "We've finally done it. We've ruined Shm'ika."

Shmi rolled her eyes at the pair of them.

Ben hid a smile at the byplay behind his shig, while Jaster chuckled and said, "Yes, Knight Feemor and their padawan are joining us. And their grandmaster and their padawan."

Read it on Archive of Our Own!

Reblogging this post is literally the easiest birthday gift you can give me. (Likes are lovely, but I want reblogs for my birthday.)

63 notes - Posted March 12, 2022

#3

[FIC] (We Can Burn) Brighter Than the Sun ~ BBC Merlin ~ Arthur/Merlin ~ Mature ~ Chap 1/26

Title: (We Can Burn) Brighter Than the Sun Series: Dragons Soar the Skies With Plentiful Fields Below Fandom: BBC's Merlin Author: Batsutousai Chapter: 1 of 26 Rating: M Pairings: Arthur/Merlin, past-Arthur/Gwen, background relationships Warnings: AU, time travel fix-it, PTSD, immortal!Merlin, powerful!Merlin, grief and loss, allusions to suicide Summary: Merlin has been alive for 1500 years, and he's long since accepted that Arthur's not coming back. But there may yet be a chance that he can go back to Arthur and get a chance to not fail his king.

A/N: The idea for this fic came from reading Ikdaswani's This Time Around... series. This fic is complete with 25 chapters and an epilogue. A chapter will post every 4-5 days (alternating with the fic posting on Patreon), so the epilogue will post on the 22nd of June, for those who prefer to binge.

Chapter One—Endless Nights

He gave himself a year to settle his affairs—he'd made his share of friends in his current life, and there was a young girl fighting cancer who he couldn't bring himself to leave until she'd fought it to remission—then driven his car off a bridge and 'died'.

He returned to Avalon and stared across the lake for a long while after his latest death, two halves of himself at war over whether or not this was really the best course. What if he created a paradox and the world imploded? (Unlikely, and it would probably serve the rest of humanity right.) What if the spell failed and he was left as he was, eternally waiting for something that would never happen? (Then it failed, and he went on living among mortal humans.)

What if he went back, only to fail all over again?

He choked out a slightly hysterical laugh, the sound shattering the familiar stillness of the shore.

He forced himself to swallow down the noise, to close his eyes against the cruel view he'd been suffering for over a millennium, to take a much needed deep breath.

And then he opened his eyes and narrowed them on the distant tower, still standing strong even as everything around it changed. "Arthur," he said, almost surprised at how strong his voice came out, "I'm coming."

Read it on Archive of Our Own!

If you enjoy the fic, please remember to reblog this post. Likes are nice, but all they tell me is you saw the post. Reblogs tell me that you think the fic was actually good, and that other people would like it, too.

64 notes - Posted February 25, 2022

#2

[FICLET] Darasuum ~ The Mandalorian ~ Din Djarin/Boba Fett ~ Teen

Title: Darasuum Fandom: Star Wars: The Mandalorian Author: Batsutousai Rating: Teen Pairing: Din Djarin/Boba Fett Warnings: respect of culture Summary: Din collapses in Boba’s arms, and Boba is still by his side when he wakes up.

For the anon who requested Boba/Din – "You fainted...straight into my arms. You know, if you wanted my attention you didn't have to go to such extremes."

"You're in my palace," Fett said, voice kept low and almost soothing, like he was worried that Din might be sensitive to sounds.

His head did ache, admittedly, but it was a dull, distant throb, which suggested that he'd been given some form of analgesic already. Which tracked with Fett's particular brand of kindness.

"You landed two days ago. Rough, even for you," Fett added with just a hint of amusement, like he was sharing in a joke with Din, and Din didn't bother trying to suppress a smile of his own, because Fett had been tracking him during some of the worst landings the Razor Crest had suffered through, including that one incident on Trask, when it had needed to be fished out of the water.

"You weren't steady on your feet when you disembarked," Fett continued, the amusement in his voice turning to concern, and it said a great many things, that Din was able to inspire concern in the widely feared King of Tatooine, and said even more that Fett wasn't trying to hide it from him. "Made it down the ramp, stumbled a couple more steps, and then fainted. I barely caught you."

Read on Archive of Our Own

73 notes - Posted February 17, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

[FIC] With Nothing to Lose, There's Everything to Go ~ Star Wars Prequels ~ Teen

Title: With Nothing to Lose, There's Everything to Go Fandom: Star Wars Prequel Era Author: Batsutousai Rating: Teen Warnings: The Corries deserve better, abandonment issues, fix-it, abuse survivors, terrible coping methods, PTSD, Kamino was the worst, Palpatine was the worst, Fox needs a hug, Fox gets a hug, little bit of hurt/mostly comfort Summary: The end of the war arrived, but nothing changed for the Coruscant Guard.

"Well," said a voice that almost brought tears to Fox's eyes, "I'm not your CMO, but he did comm me."

"Kriff off, Cody," Fox bit out, because it had been a year since he'd last spoken to his batchmate—shouting their name in terror when he'd seen the shrapnel hit them in the face during a live-fire exercise, hadn't even known they'd survived until he'd seen holos of them with Kenobi—and he was angry.

(He was hurting and still half-grieving, had never understood Cody's silence. It had felt like someone firing another bolt into their chest, every time they'd seen another holo, heard another soundbyte, and still no comm.)

"No," Cody said, and Fox heard heavy boots thumping on his floor, too many for just one interloper.

He finally raised his head from his datapad, snarl firmly in place, only to find himself meeting Cody's eyes, crinkled at the corners the way they'd always looked when they were worried, the scar making the expression somehow even more pronounced. Fox had seen that expression turned on Cody's blond mutant so often, had fond memories of Wolffe warning them their face was going to get stuck that way and Cody reaching over to shove him out of his bunk or a chair in the mess or–

"Kriff, you look like osik," Wolffe said.

Because it was Cody and Wolffe and Colt and Bly and Gree and Bacara, and he could just hear the familiar sounds of Thire and Neyo having a go outside his open door while Thorn tried to get them to knock it off, already, and—

Something caught in Fox's throat, that familiar ache that hurt to swallow around, brought tears to his eyes. Entirely involuntary physical reaction, nothing at all emotional about it.

Read it on Archive of Our Own!

Reblogging this post is literally the easiest birthday gift you can give me. (Likes are lovely, but I want reblogs for my birthday.)

91 notes - Posted March 12, 2022

Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →

[catradoramma]

how about a fic of Adora noticing being the jealous one after noticing other women give Catra attention.

i have been getting prompts like this since Mine, and honestly, hell yea. i deadass started working on this in 2019 and well. its finally finished. this is who i am folks. thanks so much to @kittens-and-foxes, @magicchalkdust, and lunatica (ao3) for the prompts! prompts are still open! i’m just a slave to writers block. evidently

Oh, How the Turntables

|  Rated: T  |  Words: 2,604  |  Chapter: 1/1  |

Adora was not a jealous person. She was confident with where she was in her life and always had been. Trying her best and being proud of that was something that was basically sewn into her DNA.

Adora was not jealous. Never had been, and never would be.

She wasn’t jealous.

She was just…a little upset.

Or how Adora handles being jealous. A significantly less fun sequel to Mine. 

| ao3 | buy me a kofi |

Adora was not a jealous person. She was confident with where she was in her life and always had been. Trying her best and being proud of that was something that was basically sewn into her DNA.

Adora was not jealous. Never had been, and never would be.

She wasn’t jealous.

She was just…a little upset.

It wasn’t really that big of a deal. Honestly it wasn’t a big deal at all. In fact it wasn’t even a deal at all. Catra was just making friends. Which Adora, for the record, was extremely happy about.

Catra was making friends with some of the people in the Royal Guard at Bright Moon and it was awesome! People were accepting her! And, like, treating her with respect like she obviously deserves as a literal war hero! So naturally, Adora was happy to hear this. Adora was enthused!

Obviously, okay?

It’s just that Catra had recently become closer with a few of her friends in the Royal Guard which meant they were out all day training and running drills, and then out all night getting drinks and singing bar shanties or whatever soldiers did together. Adora was so glad that Catra was fitting in and being accepted. That goes without saying.

But.

Adora also really, really, really missed her girlfriend.

Like.

Adora missed her a lot.

As simple as that.

Although, it didn’t help that one of Catra’s new friends was the totally smart, pretty and badass Captain Kassandra. And it also didn’t help that Captain Kassandra was definitely Catra’s best friend in the guard which meant Catra and Captain Kassandra were spending the majority of their days together.

Alone.

And it’s not like Adora thought anything would happen! Catra would never cheat, okay? She wouldn’t! She just might...you know. Realize that Captain Kassandra was so, so much better, and smarter, and stronger, and prettier, and cooler than Adora.

And Catra might want to break up.

Which Adora definitely didn’t want.

— . —

“Hey, Catra?” Adora called as she was pulling her hair up into a ponytail.

“Yeah?” Catra called from the closet where she was trying to decide between two identical burgundy sports bras.

“I was, uh,” Adora paused as she grabbed her hair tie with her teeth off her wrist. “I was thinking that it might be fun if we went out tonight? Go into town and grab dinner or something? Have a little date?” She asked with a tentative smile as she finished tying off her hair.

Catra turned to face her properly, lowering both sports bras. “Tonight?” She asked, not sounding excited like Adora had thought she’d be.

The lack of enthusiasm made Adora a little nervous. She licked her lips and continued. “Yeah. We’ve both been really busy lately, and I finally have a night off from--you know--She-Ra stuff. So I was, you know, just wondering if we could, I don’t know. Go on a date,” Adora bumbled, her nerves getting to her the longer she went without an answer.

“Shit, tonight?” Catra asked, her shoulders slumping alongside Adora’s heart. “I can’t. I have a game tonight.”

“Wait, you have a what tonight?” Adora asked, immediately confused.

“Oh, yeah. Sorry, I meant to tell you. Me and the Guard started up a Softball team. Bright Moon Royal Guard against Entrapta’s Robot Army,” Catra explained, a little smile curling up her lips which Adora knew meant that Catra had really been enjoying playing Softball.

Adora was, admittedly, a little hurt by the fact that Catra hadn’t even thought to tell her about this. Adora was always super supportive of everything Catra did and would have loved the opportunity to cheer her on in a very literal and vocal way.

But, Adora supposed, she had been really busy with She-Ra stuff lately so it made sense that Catra forgot to mention things. Especially when they really only saw each other at dinner and when they got in and out of bed everyday.  

Adora pushed down her hurt feelings and pressed on. “Alright, well. When’s the game? I’ll come and maybe we could grab a bite or something after,” she suggested.

Catra winced. “After games, C.K. usually buys everyone a burger,” Catra explained. C.K. So we’re calling Captain Kassandra C.K. now. Adora suddenly craved physical violence.

Catra continued, not noticing Adora’s mounting frustration. “It’s like--I don’t know--a team bonding thing,” Catra explained with a shrug. “You could come to the game though! I’ll hit a homer for you,” she added, sending Adora a deliciously wicked grin that Adora couldn’t even enjoy due to the slowly mounting rage within her.

Adora took a deep breath, suppressing the anger for the time being, and forced a smile. “That sounds awesome, babe. I’ll….be there for the game then.”

Catra grinned at that and darted over to press a kiss to Adora’s cheek. “I’ll look for you in the stands,” she said, practically glowing with happiness, and just like that, all of Adora’s rage and jealousy melted away. This was something Catra enjoyed. Having friends and maintaining them was important to Catra. So it was important to Adora.

Adora turned and stole a proper kiss from Catra. “Leave your alternate jersey for me and I’ll wear it,” she suggested with a soft smile.

Catra nodded eagerly before she disappeared back into the closet. She came back out wearing one of Adora’s white and blue sports bras, and, honestly, that made everything a little better.

— . —

Adora had no idea how Softball worked, but Gods, was she becoming a fan quickly. Everything from the tight white pants Catra wore, to the slashed up cap she wore to let her ears through was doing things for Adora. Adora was pretty sure she was actually learning less about Softball the longer she spent in the stands. Probably because she was happily staring at Catra’s ass instead of the game.

The whole experience probably would have been a net positive if it wasn’t for what happened at the very end of the game. Catra must’ve hit a particularly impressive ball (Adora wasn't exactly paying attention to the ball or where it was going as much as she was focusing on where the hitter was going and doing) because as she dashed around the diamond, everyone around her was cheering and freaking out. The Bright Mood Guard left the make-shift dugout and ran onto the pitch. They swarmed Catra as she passed home. They all wrapped her in a hug before Captain Kassandra tossed her up into the air and then sat Catra on her shoulder.

Jealousy burned inside of Adora. That was Adora’s move! Adora was absolutely the only one allowed to toss Catra into the air and catch her on her shoulder! Why the hell was someone else doing that?! Was this a common thing? Did Captain Kassandra toss Catra all the time?

Adora was about three seconds away from going full-on beast mode on the Captain. The only thing that stopped her was the way Catra pulled her cap off in celebration, waving it excitedly in Adora’s direction. The elation on Catra’s face—the pure joy that was clear from whatever game-winning hit she’d made—was entirely enough to cool Adora’s temper.

Catra looked radiant out there. And she deserved to be praised like that. She deserved to be celebrated and loved by her friends. Adora wanted that for Catra so badly, and if it wasn’t for the ugly jealous monster that was living rent free inside of her for whatever reason, Adora was sure she’d 100% be just as happy as Catra was in that moment.

So, with her mind made up, Adora grinned and waved back. She cupped her hands around her mouth and cheered loudly. She made a heart with her hands and held it up above her head for Catra to see. Catra must’ve seen it because she blushed a little darker and bit her lip in a way that made Adora’s blood burn in a very different way.

If only Adora wouldn’t have to go home alone after the game.

— . —

Adora decided to wait up for Catra. She wanted to show Catra exactly how proud of her game-winning home-run she was. Adora lit candles around their room while she waited, and even changed into some of the more frilly underwear she owned for nights exactly like this. She kept Catra’s jersey on, though, and made herself comfortable in bed to wait.

And wait.

And wait.

Adora waited long after the sun went down behind the back hills, long after the candles burned down to nubs, and long after the lacey bra she wore became too uncomfortable to continue wearing. Adora didn’t want to admit defeat, but eventually the mood was lost, and she could barely keep her eyes open.

It was with a new level of bitterness, and a little heartbreak, that Adora cleaned up the candles, slipped into pyjamas, and put Catra’s jersey away. This time when Adora curled up into bed, she didn’t wait. She closed her eyes and fell asleep.

If the smell of candle smoke was still in the air when Catra got back, then so what.

— . —

Adora felt very off for the rest of that week. She hadn’t even heard Catra come in that night, and when she woke up, Catra was curled up into a ball on her own side of the bed. Something about not even waking up in Catra’s arms left a sour taste in her mouth.

Adora knew, logically, that Catra hadn’t made her any promises to come back early that night. She had said that she’d be out with the team, and Adora had agreed to that. It was just that...after a game like that, the first one Adora had gone to, shouldn’t Catra have wanted to come home and celebrate with Adora? Shouldn’t she have at least come back at a decent hour? Catra had only said that she’d be getting dinner with her team. Did getting burgers really take that long?

What else had Catra been doing out there?

That thought alone was enough to leave Adora in a horrible mood for the rest of the week.

She destroyed many straw filled dummies, and snapped at anyone who so much as thought about asking her what was wrong, including Catra.

Especially Catra.

Adora hadn’t been in this bad of a mood since the war--since the time she hadn’t slept for weeks at a time.

And the worst part? Adora knew she was being unreasonable. She knew she was being dramatic and was definitely blowing things out of proportion. It was just that—

The jealous little monster that lived in her mind rent free was slowly taking over.

— . —

Adora was lounging in the bath, trying to make herself feel better though aggressive self-care, when she heard Catra come in. It was already late into the evening. Adora would usually be in bed this time of night, and Adora was beginning to think (unreasonably) that Catra was coming back late on purpose.

“Adora?” Catra called as she noticed the bed was empty. She sounded a little afraid and suddenly Adora was just tired. And sad. And frustrated. She was so, so frustrated with herself and this stupid situation. She didn’t want to be upset at Catra anymore.

“In here!” Adore called back as she moved her hands a little anxiously through the bubbles still floating on the surface.

Catra appeared in the doorway and smiled tentatively. She looked concerned and tired.

“Hey,” Adora said softly.

“Hey,” Catra repeated, her voice just as soft.

“How was your night?” Adora asked. “I missed you at dinner.”

Catra’s shoulders dropped a little and she nodded. She stepped into the bathroom and sat down on the floor right next to the tub, her knees pulled up to her chest as she looked at Adora. Catra looked small like that. Small and afraid.

“Missed you too,” Catra said back, her voice just above a whisper.

Adora bit her lip a little anxiously and had to look away. She couldn’t look at Catra knowing she was the one who made her feel uncertain like this. But...wasn’t it because Adora herself felt uncertain that this whole thing had happened?

Adora pulled in a deep breath and forced herself to look back at Catra. “I’m sorry I’ve been...rough this week,” she said.

Catra leaned her head onto the side of the tub. “Are you gonna tell me what I did?” Catra asked, her voice soft and non-judgemental.

“Catra you didn’t...do anything,” Adora said. “And...well. That’s the problem. I feel like we never see each other anymore. I feel like we don’t talk.”

Catra straightened up, her shoulders coming up in a defensive stance. It was clear she was afraid of what else was coming from this conversation. Adora reached out and placed her hand on top of one of Catra’s knee.

“I just really miss you Catra. All the time, even when I wake up next to you,” Adora admitted.

“I’m sorry,” Catra said immediately, her ears pressing back flat onto her head. “I…”

“Hey, no, I should have said something—” Adora said but Catra cut her off, her eyes wide in realization.

“Oh my gods,” Catra breathed. “You did say something. You wanted—and I totally just brushed you off to hang out with the Guard. Adora—” Catra spoke frantically, and it was Adora who cut her off this time.

“Catra, hey, no,” Adora said as she moved closer. “No, you didn’t brush me off. You just. You’ve never had a really solid group of friends before. Of course you got caught up. I like that you have these people who like you and want to hang out with you. I’ve been so busy lately and I’ve been so thankful that you’ve found these people to keep you company when I can’t,” Adora said honestly.

“It’s just that...I’m not used to having to share your attention. And it’s...it’s making me feel a little insecure—which I hate. I don’t want to be jealous of your friends. I don’t want to keep you away from them,” she admitted, looking at her hands now, ashamed of how she was feeling.

Catra reached out and threaded their fingers. “Adora…” she breathed softly as she squeezed Adora’s hand. “You should have said something, dummy,” she said affectionately, reaching out with her free hand to smooth Adora’s hair back and turn her face up.

“I’ve only been spending so much time with those idiots because I’ve been wanting to give you space to relax,” Catra admitted. “I thought that having me around, wanting your attention after you’d had to listen to people bitch and complain all day would just cause you more stress.” She leaned forward some more to press a kiss to Adora’s lips softly. “I’ve been missing you too, Adora.”

Adora let out a sigh of relief, and then a sound that was halfway between a laugh and a sob. She shot forward and wrapped her arms around Catra in a hug, holding her tight. “You’re sure you’re not unhappy with me? You wouldn’t rather be with C.K.?” Adora asked, finally voicing her deepest concerns.

“What?” Catra asked softly as she held Adora tighter, seemingly undisturbed by the fact that she was getting soaked by the bath. “Adora, Captain Kass is married. To a man. And besides that, I don’t want anyone but you. You make me happier than anything.”

Adora let out another sigh of relief. “Oh, I’m so glad,” she breathed as she pressed her face into Catra’s neck.

— . —

That little jealous monster was finally evicted.

[multi-fandom-freak0221]

If Your Done With Embarrassing Me On Your Own Won't You Go Ahead and Tell Them

Oh my god y'all have just blown me away. I was not expect so much positive feed back. I was screaming so much I could not Believe how much you guys liked that. And so many people are asking to be tagged in the next part thank you guys so much. Also can I just say moving from Google Docs to Tumblr was a bitch to do and I hated it. But y'all inspired me so much that I decided to just go ahead and type it up on tumblr and move it to Google Docs afterwards.

This part's title is from "Impossible" by Shontelle. The song in this part is "Young Volcanoes" by Fall Out Boy

This is Part 2 of my fic based on @misashabunbun 's Love of Three.

Part 1

Tagging List (I STILL CAN'T BELIEVE I NEED ONE.):

@thestressmademedoit @colorfulmongerpsychicranch @lizziejay @indecisive-mess-named-me @captainmac6 @luveverything12 @kris-pines04 @brokenwordsarehard2

To say Marinette was busy would be an understatement. Between working with Luka and Uncle Jagged producing her album as Neon Titanium and her friends insisting that they help heal her brokenheart she felt like she was caught in a whirl wind. But it was nice she had fun. Luka and Uncle Jagged knew how to turn the hard work of producing music into a fun experience while still being efficient. And her friends they had her laughing harder than she laughed in while and smiling brighter than their resident sunshine child. They did everything they could think off.

She went shopping with Chloe and Kagami. She watched horror movies with Alix, Nathaniel, and Adrien. Marc and Luka let her rant to them which turned into a crying session which then turned into a meditation session. And on top of that her and Peter hung out as well. Whether they just worked in silence together on their respective projects or they were pranking Uncle Tony, kwami did she have fun renaming the protocols on the Iron Man suit. Soon Peter easily fit his way into her group of friends abd he fit in perfectly. Everyone got along with him.

But he wasn't the last to join their ragtag group. Everyone was shocked when Felix Graham De Vanily came to their group offering Marinette condolences on her lost engagement. He was sincere and courteous so of course no one was surprised when Marinette invited him to join in the currently planned game of dodgeball, except maybe Felix himself. But nonetheless he joined in the competition and found himself hanging out with the rest of the group as well. Soon his cold off-standish demeanor was traded for sly smirks and slick humor that nobody caught at first except Marinette and Peter who would laugh openly at his responses.

Soon enough Felix was a part of the group and felt comfortable letting his guard down. It help that they didn't treat him as the Graham De Vanily heir or Adrien's asshole cousin. They treat him like Felix, the boy who while very proper cried watching Big Hero 6. Also the boy who slam dunked on Adrien without breaking a sweat. Yet he still is the master of backhanded compliments and insulting people with a smile and having them thank him. He could truly be himself and he was thankful.

And while he easily was getting along with everyone, anyone with easy could see he had a soft spot for Peter and Marinette in general. It was in the way his face would soften when looking at them. Or the way he would smile when Marinette would get excited over something. Or the way he always paid attention to Peter when he was geeking out. It was the way he softly teased them over their height, Marinette being the shortest of the group and Peter only being taller than Marinette and Alix. And everyone knew Marinette's heart was still healing, so it came no surprise when Felix and Peter started dating. And while everyone was happy for them no one, but Marinette herself missed the looks of longing both boys would send towards her.

Believe it or not Felix was not the most surprising addition to their friend group. No the last addition came soon after Marinette formally did an interview after too much press took notice of Damian Wayne's fiancee being seen for the first time in almost a year, in New York of all places.

She remembered Uncle Tony setting up the interview with someone he trusted. She was glad that this was only an interview as Damian Wayne's (ex) fiancee and not MDC or Neon Titanium. She can only imagine how big a deal it will be when she reveals. But that was future Marinette's problem. Present Marinette had to focus on what to say without giving too much details because no matter how much he deserved it, she didn't want to throw Damian to wolves like that. She settled on saying that she was going through some things and no longer was content in Gotham. She claimed that she decided it was in her best interest to leave, but she didn't want to make a big deal about which is why nothing had been said until now.

The interview went well and everyone accepted her answers. It was released about a month after she left Damian and two weeks since Peter and Felix started dating. She still got news alerts for Gotham so she was waiting with baited breath for her interview to reach the Gotham, but it never seemed to. No announcements from WE or the Wayne family in general. She couldn't say it didn't hurt that no one even realized she was gone yet. But what hurt more was when 2 weeks after her interview she got an alert from Gotham Gazette saying the Damian claimed they set a date for their wedding. She cried that day. How could he not even notice she was gone? Was he so used to lying about her and their relationship that he didn't even give a second thought to what he was saying any more? And while she despaired, she relished in the fact that her friends did not let her be alone. Her face was buried in Peter's neck, she was sat on Felix's lap, Chole was threading her fingers through her hair, her feet laid over Peter legs and settled on Marc's, Adrien sat on the floor in front of Felix a hand rest on her back and everyone gathered around as close as possible trying to physically reassure her. Luka was even humming softly. She appreciated all the love amd support she had and soon she was feeling much better. Eventually it turned into a puppy pile napping session and if she ended up curled up between Peter and Felix? Eh, nobody said anything.

It was these series of events that led to their newest and by far strangest addition to their friend group. Here it was, two days after Damian's announcement and here in front of her stands no other than Jonathan Kent, Damian's best friend.

"Hey, Mari. It's been a while, huh?" She could admit Jon looked nervous. The way he wouldn't meet her eyes and how his hand was rubbing his neck. But him bring nervous did nothing to calm her nerves about why he was even here.

Marinette took a deep breath and drew as much of her inner Ladybug as she could. "Why are you here, Jonathan?"

Jon flinched at how she used his full name. "I'm so sorry, Nette. I'm sorry I wasn't there for you. I'm sorry I didn't push harder. You were my friend too. I should have checked on you. Damian was such a good liar, I never knew. I should have known but I didn't and that doesn't excuse the fact that I wasn't there for you." Jon took a deep breath and finally met her eyes before speaking again. "But I'm going to do better, Nette. Whatever you need just say the word. Even if it means leaving. When we saw your interview Dad told Uncle Bruce to make sure his family was in order especially his youngest. He didn't give any details and Uncle Bruce got offended. I guess he did end up talking to Damian, but Damian doubled down on his lies and his family is believing him. But I know better because I saw what you said and I know even that wasn't the whole truth. So I want you to know I'm on your side."

Marinette was silent for a minute she study him and his words. The way she was looking at him made Jon feel like his whole soul was being judged, but he didn't dare look away. He needed her to know he meant it and that he was truly sorry for not being for. After a minute that felt like hours Marinette smiled softly at him. "I could always appreciate a hug from a friend." She held her arm open and Jon surged forward and hugged her tightly lifting her off the ground.

Marinette giggled a bit before he set her down. "Thanks, Jon for being here for me. I know Damian is you best friend-"

"He lost that right when he decided to lie to me repeatedly for his own benefit." Jon looked uncharacteristically upset at the fact.

"Well if you're in need of some more good friends, I know a group you should meet. Come on, we're about to have a pool day. I'm sure I have some swim trunks I've designed that you could probably fit. "

After they changed intl their respective swimwear, Mari led Jon to her Uncle Tony's pool where the rest of her friends were already waiting. "Hey guys! I'd like you to meet my friend Jon. He's in need of some good company."

Those who recognized Jon looked up surprised before see his nervous fidgeting and hearing Marinette's last sentence before nodding in understand. It was Peter who spoke up first. "Well any friend of Mari's is welcome with us. Come on we were about to play chicken fight!" And just like that their pool party was in swing. The played a couple pool games and had some snacks before Marinette decided to play some music. Soon a familiar tune was playing over the speakers.

When Rome's in ruins

It was Chole who started singing along first sitting laying on one of the pool chairs. In between Alix and Kagami.

We are the lions

Free of the colosseum.

In fields of poison

We're anitvenom

We're the beginning of the end.

Soon Alix was singing the next part as Chloe finished the first part.

Tonight, the foxes hunt the hounds

It's all over now

Before it has begun

We've already won

Luka was quick to pick up the chorus while trying to get everyone to join in with him.

We are wild

We are like young volcanoes

While everyone was distracted with singing Luka had Adrien and Jon sneak with him behind the girls in the pool chair. Each of them grabbed one and threw them in the water. Luka grabbed Kagami, Adrien grabbed Chloe and Jon grabbed Alix.

We are wild

Americana, exotica

Do you wanna feel a little beautiful, baby?

As everyone else's singing tapered off into laughing, Marinette picked up the next part solo as she walked to the diving board and climbed up.

Come on, make it easy, say I never mattered

Run it up the flag pole,

She ended her singing with a cannonball into the pool. Peter picked it up from his place in Felix's arms.

We will teach you how to make boys next door out of assholes

He sung his verse looking at Felix the whole time, who scoffed jokingly when Peter winked at him, but gave a him a kiss after he was done singing. Marc and Nathaniel picked up where he left off dueting together.

Tonight, the foxes hunt the hounds

And it's all over now

Before it has begun

We've already won

Soon everyone was singing along again to the chorus playing around splashing each other.

We are wild

We are like young volcanoes

We are wild

Americana, exotica

Do you wanna feel a little beautiful, baby?

Soon everybody had calmed down slightly singing a little quieter. Marinette her self was floating on her back towards the center of the pool. Smiling at all her support around her.

We are wild

We are like young volcanoes

We are wild

Americana, exotica

Do you wanna feel a little beautiful, baby?

As the song ended Jon was the first to speak. "What the fuck is in the water in Paris that makes y'all so talented?"

Peter laughed as he easily agreed, "That's what I said!"

Adrien chuckled at the Americans in their group antics. "To be fair, Felix is from London and Kagami is from Japan."

"Still! That is crazy. And Marinette I never knew you could sing like that!" Jon looked over towards the bluenette, his eyes softening at her.

Marinette giggled. "Neither did the rest of the world until Neon Titanium featured in Luka's last single."

"What?!" Jon exclaimed. "You're Neon Titanium?! I loved that song! Nette you're even more amazing than I thought."

Luka threw his hand up saying "Here, here." Making Marinette blush as all her friends joined in on complimenting her.

About a 3 weeks later, Marinette found herself working on a dress for her debut as Neon Titanium which uncle Tony insisted she do at a gala he's throwing. Which she suspects he's throwing just for her to debut because there was absolutely no gala planned before.

That was what she was doing when Jon, Felix, and Peter found her. It didn't take long for Jon to fit in with group. And with how often he stayed with them in New York instead of going back to Metropolis, no one was surprised when he started dating Peter and Felix. Marinette was happy for them even though it seemed like everyone was in happy relationships but her. But she knew she still had some things to work out before returning to the dating scene.

As they approached Marinette paused her sketching to look at her friends. "What's up guys? You needed something?"

The 3 boys looked at each other before Peter spoke up. "Yeah, actually. We wanted to tell you something." He rubbed the back of his neck before letting out a sigh. "We like you Marinette. A lot. And we would love for you to date us."

Marinette could feel the rejection on her tongue, but before she could say a word Jon cut her off.

"Let us finish first Nette. Please. After we're done you can tell us to never bother you again, but just let us get this out." Jon pleaded at her. Marinette just nodded and let them continue.

"We all like you a lot," Felix started his words very sincere. "But we all know that your still healing. We only told you because we thought it would be fair for you to know."

It almost seemed as they had planned and rehearsed for this because Peter effortlessly picked up after Felix. "We're not trying to guilt you into dating us because at the end of the day it is still you decision. And we know it may be some time before your ready to even consider dating us, but we're willing to wait."

Jon grabbed her hands as he prepared to finish them out. "We just want you to know how amazing we think you are. We'll be beyond lucky if you decide to date us when you're ready to make that choice. And until you are we're still your friends and we'll continue helping you heal and be better how ever you want us to. And if you decide you don't see us that way we'll still be some of your closest friends because having you in our lives is a blessing Nette."

Soon they all seemed to be holding one of her hands as they finished what they had to say. Marinette had silent tears streaming down her face, but the big smile she had eased away their worries. She pulled them into a tight hug for a moment before pulling back.

"You guys are the absolute best friends a girl can have." She smiled at them gratefully. "You're right that I'm not ready yet, but when I am, you guys will be the first people I consider dating. Promise. Now do you guys wanna see the designs I'm considering for my reveal?"

As the boys gathered around Marinette for her to show them her sketchbook she thought to herself with a smile.

I might not be quite okay yet, but with all the great people I have on my side, I know I will be soon.

[dragonydreams]

Fic: Bright Ideas - 911

Title: Bright Ideas Fandom: 9-1-1 Rating: General Audience Pairings/Characters: Christopher Diaz, Eddie Diaz, Evan "Buck" Buckley Summary: Christopher has a wonderful idea. Timeline: S2E18 This Life We Choose Word Count: 680 Disclaimer: I claim no ownership over these characters. I am merely borrowing them from Reamworks, Brad Falchuk Teley-Vision, Ryan Murphy Television, and 20th Century Fox Television. Betas: Thank you to @medie-shanachie for looking this over for me. Author's Note: I said that I wasn't going to write in this fandom when @medie-shanachie finally convinced me to watch this show. Which I then proceeded to watch all the way through three times in a row in the past month. Then I started to slowly read fic in the fandom, still insisting I was not going to write in it. Apparently I'm a lying liar who lies. I hope you enjoy my first foray into this fandom.

Buck is asleep when Eddie brings Christopher to his hospital room. Eddie feels his breath catch in his throat (or is that his heart stuttering) as he takes in Buck's still form lying in that bed, the majority of his left leg in a cast. Buck, who is always so full of life, looks small trapped in that bed. 

Eddie holds the plastic chair still as Christopher settles into it, his crutches hanging loosely from his arms. Christopher leans forward, examining the cuts on Buck's face before he turns to look at the pulleys keeping Buck's leg elevated.

Twisting in his seat to look up at Eddie, he quietly asks, "He's going to be okay, right?"

Eddie moves to gingerly sit on the edge of the bed. "Of course he's going to be okay. Buck's strong. His leg is going to heal and he'll be up and running around in no time. Just wait and see."

Christopher side-eyes the large cast. "If you say so."

"It's gonna take some time," Eddie admits. "And first he's going to need to get around on crutches while his leg is in that cast."

"Like me!" Christopher exclaims, raising his own crutches. 

"Just like you," Eddie says, grinning as he ruffles Christopher's hair. "Maybe you can give him some tips."

"I get to teach Buck something?" Christopher's voice is filled with awe at that thought.

"Counting on it," comes a rough, sleepy voice from the end of the bed. 

"Buck!" Christopher squeals, pushing himself up so he can get closer. Eddie catches him before Christopher can throw himself on the bed.

"Easy there, Superman," he chastises his son. 

"I wanna give Buck a hug," Christopher complains, squirming in Eddie's arms. 

"I think a Chris hug is just what the doctor ordered," Buck says. He meets Eddie's worried eyes and nods. 

Eddie carefully disengages Christopher's crutches from his arms and sets them down against the side of the bed before setting him down next to Buck's hip. Christopher instantly wraps his arms tightly around Buck's neck. 

"I'm glad you're okay," he whispers in Buck's ears. 

Buck's eyes fill with tears as he wraps his arms tightly around Christopher, pulling him tighter against his chest. 

"Me too, bud," Buck says, his gaze locked with Eddie, whose eyes are also wet. 

"I know," Christopher suddenly exclaims, turning back around to face his dad while still keeping an arm around Buck's neck. 

"What do you know?" Eddie asks, sitting in the now-vacant chair. 

Buck settles Christopher more comfortably in his lap, shaking his head when Eddie shifts as if to take Chris back.

"Buck should stay with us," Christopher states. "That way I can show him the best way to use crutches."

Eddie tilts his head, seriously considering Christopher's suggestion. He meets Buck's eyes. "That's actually not a bad idea."

"It's not?" Buck can't keep the hopeful look off his face. "But, um, where would I even sleep? No offense, but I probably shouldn't be sleeping on your couch with this leg."

"You can have my bed, I'll sleep on the couch," Eddie offers, without thinking. 

"I can't kick you out of your own bed," Buck protests.

"Sure you can," Christopher says. Both Buck and Eddie chuckle at that.

"Just think about it," Eddie says, seriously. "In addition to Christopher's knowledge about using crutches, you know that our house is accessible. Plus, we have Carla. It's not good to be alone at a time like this."

"I'm not some invalid," Buck protests.

"Actually, you are," Eddie counters, nodding towards the cast. 

"I mean, I'm not helpless," Buck argues.

"It's okay to need help sometimes," Christopher says. "That's what Dad always tells me."

Buck blinks several times before glancing down at Christopher. 

"Let us help you now," Christopher adds, looking up at Buck. 

A tear rolls down Buck's cheek and he buries his face in Christopher's hair. "Okay," he mumbles.

Sitting back, he wipes at the tears with the back of his hand and says again, "Okay."

Eddie is grinning when Buck meets his eyes. "Okay," Eddie agrees.

End Chapter 2

[servetolive]

More Cleno babies stuff

This is weird and arbitrary and there's ABO stuff in here that I didn't put in before. I'm just comfort writing at this point. <3

(if you don't know me on twitter, Reno is always a canid/fox and Cloud is always a Shiba inu. Also the first daughter is not included, as her existence is a spoiler for a fic.)

Unlike with their first two girls, this pregnancy had been difficult. Cloud remained ill throughout the entire eight months.

King announced his arrival with painful cramps at increasingly brief intervals. Cloud had been in the kitchen, clutching the counter as he screamed and collapsed. Reno arrived home from work seconds later to find Charisma pulling on Cloud's curled tail, screaming "mama," with a river of fluid leaking from him.

In the hospital, Cloud was pale and clammy. The medication did nothing to calm him. His eyes followed Reno's movement as he took in deep pulls of breath.

Reno, torn between concern and excitement as he pulled a mask over his mouth, took Cloud's hand in the medical den as they waited.

"What's wrong, baby?"

Cloud's throat caved as he swallowed. He was beginning to think that his fertility, combined with his altered genes, might become a death trap for he and any of his future children.

"I'm scared."

"Don't be," Reno said, dismissing any warranted notion of danger to his wife and offspring. He kissed Cloud's damp head. Behind him, his tail wagged so furiously that the nurse nearly tripped over it.

He lapped at the corners of his mouth and breathed across Cloud's wet skin, scenting him gently.

"I got you."

--

The boy came with about as much ruckus as any son of Reno would. He and his mother were joined in an agonizing scream as his crown of brown hair emerged.

"There he is!" Reno's voice rose above the encouraging words of the medical personnel. His tail and ears stood straight up. "There's my boy. Oh, god, Cloud!"

Cloud's last push was accompanied with a murderous look towards Reno, who was too busy watching his vagina to pay him any mind.

The boy plopped out onto the sheets, spat out fluid, and wailed.

Elated, Reno impatiently held his hands out for the pup, his eyes wide and shining. "Give 'im here, give 'im--"

He was ready to nearly tear the boy out of his mother.

"The umbilical cord, Mr. Strife," the doctor reminded him.

"Oh, shit."

A nurse passed him a blanket. Reno gleefully took the scissors and separated him from his mother. Only when he had the child in his arms, close to him, did he begin to calm down. He turned his back on the rest to get his prize: the first moments with the baby.

"King," Reno whispered into the boy's red ears. "You hear me? I'm your daddy. You're gonna rule the fucking world one day..."

Meanwhile, the nurses tended to the exhausted Cloud, patting him dry and sewing him up. When a nurse whispered "good boy, mom" and squeezed his shoulder, Reno seemed to remember who the true hero was, and turned back to him with the baby.

"And this," he said, placing their first male into the cradle of Cloud'[s arms. "This is your beautiful mama. The strongest man in the whole world..."

Cloud looked down at his wrinkly son and fought back tears. He had no idea where they came from, or why they existed. Furthermore, he had nothing to say.

"Good to see you," he managed.

King couldn't see him. He rooted for Cloud's breast, and once he found it, settled down to drink.

--

Later on in the evening, Cloud was glad to give Reno his son back so he can rest. Through his hazy, post-birth vision, he watched Reno pull himself out of his shirt, take the baby out of the bassinet and sit with him on the chair across from him. There, Reno held King on his knee and dragged his tongue across the baby's skin and hair, collecting all the remnants of blood and tissue, and spit them out into the biohazard bin next to him.

While he watched his husband bathe his son, Cloud's fear--and annoyance--subsided. For someone who made his living doing Bad Things, Reno's child-like enthusiasm for the birth of a child--his child--was the most endearing thing Cloud had ever seen.

Cloud rested at home with the baby on his chest after the first night, while Reno took Charisma out. They returned with the girl on Reno's hip, a bouquet of flowers in her hand to present to her mother for "giving her a baby brother to pick on," Reno said.

--

Reno spoiled Charisma, by okaying anything lavish that Cloud insisted on buying for her; sometimes even overriding his wife's frugal suggestions with something twice as expensive. A regular crib that she would only use for a number of months became a pink princess palace with a matching mosquito net, a mechanical rocker, and a mobile with a model of the Planets. Clothes that she would outgrow in weeks were purchased from Midgar's boutiques, even though she never ended up wearing most of them, because she was born in the summer.

But there was nothing quite like how he doted on his son. Nothing was handed down; King got matching tracksuits with his father, a brand new bed with black and gold trim, basketballs, soccer balls, tennis balls, and an organic chew toy for his milk teeth that wouldn't come in for weeks. He handpicked all of his clothing and even went so far as to start cooking Cloud's meals to control the flow of nutrients to his son.

"Want you big and strong... again," he added as an afterthought while he stirred a meat stew, as if Cloud couldn't tell that he was talking to his son--not him.

"I don't like that much meat," Cloud said, holding King in his lap. He adjusted his wedding ring on his finger so that it wouldn't catch on the pup's skin. The diamond was massive when Reno had first bought it for him, but now he had a sapphire and a black diamond added, to represent the two treasures Cloud had given him.

"You gotta have meat, dollface," Reno insisted. "You have an iron deficiency."

He had more than that, but Cloud hated to be reminded.

Next to him, Charisma sat in her brand new high chair, her hair done in blonde pigtails, pounding the table with her airplane-shaped knife and fork. Her canines had come in fully now, and nursing had become almost impossible. Reno placed a bib around her neck that said "#1 Daddy's Girl" (which Cloud had rolled his eyes at.)

"Hoer auf," Cloud said to her with a warning look. He gently placed her hands with the utensils down on her little table. "Stop it."

"Dada, eat!" She said, ignoring her mother. "I hungry."

"I'm coming, mama," Reno said, scooping some of the stew into a bowl. He joined the family at the table, and began with scooping some of it into the small bowl for the baby.

"She's not old enough," Cloud sighed as Reno fanned the chunks of meat. "I told you--"

"Mmmm," Reno said, making a huge deal out of smelling the stew. Charisma copied him.

"Mmmm," she said, once her nose came up from the bowl. Reno laughed and stuck a chunk of meat in the side of his mouth to chew, then placed the mush onto Rizzy's table. She lapped it up with her tongue.

"Use your fork," Cloud scolded.

[swordmaid]

creator tag meme

tagged by the local angel @giuseppearcimboldo thank you so much lizzie!

rules: it’s time to love yourselves! choose your 5 (ish) favorite works you created in the past year (fics, art, edits, etc.) and link them below to reflect on the amazing things you brought into the world in 2020. tag as many writers/artists/etc. as you want (fan or original) so we can spread the love and link each other to awesome works!

VERY happy i can fill this out because i’ve been so productive this year lol. also this is all gonna be jb bc ive been RELENTLESS and spamming and i would apologize but i wont lmao 

1. jb eros/psyche au.

i am talking about everything i have done for the au btw, because i’ve done quite a handful of things and honestly i really love all of them--even the doodle ones which rarely happens. anyway, i love this au in general. i think the tale is perfect for them, and i’m happy with the works that i managed to put out most esp this one that’s based on canova’s sculpture of eros and psyche. translating sculpture into digital art was interesting since it was all about converting the weight and structure of the sculpture into the screen and i think i managed to do it imo! i love how brienne looks heavy in his arms, i love how strong jaime looks holding her up and i especially love the way i shaded her dress to mimic the lines that the statue has. all in all, this au slapped and i actually want to do more of it but i have no inspiration right now. 

2. jb as classical art series. 

honestly i never thought that this was going to be a series lol i thought it was just a two time thing, but then i did another one, and then another one, and then another one and now here we are. i love all the pieces that i’ve done for it actually. my favourite thing is that they’re all not direct translations of the original art. there are some aspects that i’ve taken and adapted while also putting my own flair into it. i love the reverse colour scheme with klimt’s kiss and my own rendition of it. the gold being the accent highlight in a field of murky brown/black whereas klimt has the black squares present to emphasis the richness of the gold and yellows. i also like the little thing i did where i put the geometric shapes outside of the subject instead of inside (what he did). i put on the tags that i didnt like how it turned out but i actually like it lol i just didn’t like how long it took me i get too impatient with my art i think. anyway. i love this whole series sm i think all the pieces have their own character, and tbh i always get nervous adding another piece into this just because all the ones that i’ve done has been so well received i don’t want to be a disappointment lool. regardless, i love classical art and i love jb and i love being able to put the two together hehe we love to be self indulgent

3. la belle fleur sauvage commission. 

aka THIS commission that was based from SD’s fic, la belle fleur sauvage. some behind the scenes with that one--that one took me SO long to do, like it was taking longer than i had wanted and i felt very bad and i am forever thankful for sd’s patience 😭😭😭. i really can’t be too mad though since i was working on the third year of my degree, but i still would’ve wanted to finish it sooner than i did. but as for the art itself---i actually love it lol. i always say to zoom in on my stuff to see all the details but i WISH folks would zoom in on that because it’s so big and so intricate. i love how everything turned out; i love how rich the colours are, i love the composition for all three panels, i love how the SKY looked like actually that’s the first time i sat down and painted clouds with that technique and i am so happy and pleased with how it looked im using it for everything LOL, i love jaime’s outfit in the 2nd panel---i actually designed a whole outfit for that and he DOES have his pouches and daggers, etc. stuff that he would have with him if he was a mercenary, but because of the cropping, those details were taken out but it’s THERE. i love the colours and the shading on the 3rd panel. it looks so soft and romantic and it’s everything 😭😭. honestly i didnt know if i was able to finish whole three panels just because of how big the project seemed, but tbqh this piece really pushed me as an artist and im really happy that i had the chance to work on it (-’: 

4. early morning.

this one is a more recent piece and i was thinking post canon jaime/brienne married and either living in casterly rock or evenfall hall. originally the sheets were gonna be red with the gold brocade but i just made it green to make their location more ambiguous. they’re in a castle because of the finery, but which castle i have no idea. anyway i love their faces here in particular--jaime because it’s not often that i draw him old (this is the second time i drew old jaime i think?) and i love how he turned out here. i love how he looks like a silver fox and a dilf and we really do love that for brienne. full disclosure, i have no idea how to draw older folks since i don’t have a lot of practice in that area so im glad my lack of experience doesn’t show lmao. i also love how soft brienne looks here! the little smile on her lips is very sweet, her body language and how relax she seems is very telling abt her confidence in this scene also i think i drew her hands hella well haha. all in all i think it’s a really sweet art! and the full version is not so bad either jaime’s ass was referenced from marble sculptures so you know im aiming for Quality. but i love this headcanon of a younger brienne tiring jaime out, i’ve read a handful fics about it and im happy i can do my own version of it hehe 

5. unravel.

wow we love domesticity. someone said that if you compile all my ns*w art of them together it’s like they haven’t left their bed ever since they got together and you know what? love that for them it’s what they deserve. anyway i chose this one because of how sensual and simple it is. their body language really does all the talking ; jaime’s hand pulling on the ties on her shift, her hand on his hair, how soft and lazy their kiss looks--it’s enough to tell the story me thinks! i just love how simple this whole thing is but it’s very effective. there’s really not much to it besides what you see but that’s really enough.

i am actually very proud of myself with how productive i’ve been. it’s really not often that i get as much drive and energy to post so much art. iirc my art tag is nearly 200 content already (i think it’s 180 ish rn?) and honestly that’s a LOT if you told me ill be making more than 100+ content for jb i would’ve been like nah im too lazy for that lmao. but im really proud of myself this year! i think i pushed myself as an artist and i’ve familiarized myself more with my strengths as well as my weaknesses. i have a clear idea on the areas that i need to work on, and i’ve really gotten more comfortable with being happy with my own pieces and i’m trying not to put myself down more if something doesn’t go the way i want it to. also, i’ve had the opportunity to work with more people this year--so for the people who has commissioned me or IS commissioning me rn--- thank you so much for trusting me with your visions 😭😭 ive never expected to get this kind of reception with my art but i am very grateful for all of it. 

anyway as for the tagging i tag -- @na-bruma-leve / @dreadwulf / @dilfjaime / @fawnilu BUT i would highly recommend you to come along and snatch this tag meme up like a little raccoon because we all should start being proud of our own works imo !!

[aftgficrec]

Hey! I'm glad you guys are back! You guys are a blessing, & considering how much I (& I'm sure others) appreciate your hard work, feel free to take as many breaks as you want! :) As you're now open, I was hoping you could find me some post-canon fics (like quite far in the future) centred on Andriel being hella domestic & soft & happy, please! Preferably long fics/series if possible! Love you guys xx

Thanks for your kind words!  We’ve got some great recs below, including a couple of personal favorites and a couple of previous recs.  The first previous rec below may fit what you’re looking for, it’s very long and though there’s some angst there’s a lot of fluff and recovery as well.  -F

‘Blame It On My Youth’ previously recommended here 

‘We Sat on Our Own Star and Dreamed’ mentioned here 

Learning Eachother and Learning to Love series by abraxos_is_toothless [Rated G/T, 15272 words, Incomplete]

Part 9: I love you, I love you, I love you. [Rated G, 1504 words, Complete 2020] Neil and Andrew adopted a little girl six months ago named Jules. The little one has a bad dream and they boys are just really soft.

(tags: neil josten/andrew minyard, universe: post canon, theme: adoption, theme: parenting, theme: hurt/comfort, theme: domesticity)

Part 10: Soft Cuddles [Rated G, 1151 words, Complete 2020] Andrew and Neil have some sleepy cuddles and big talks of their future. Set between Late Night Exploration and I love you, I love you, I love you in this series.

Worth the Trouble by exyjunkies [Rated T, 15348 words, Incomplete, Updated July 2020]

Whenever and wherever the wedding is, I'll be there. I'm not even going to wait for the invite. Since I'm the ring-giver, I also get to be the ring-bearer. Love, Robin.

All Hail the Underdogs by wildfrancium [Rated T, 25411 words, Complete 2017]

Ten years after Neil Josten becomes Neil Josten, life is full of Exy and Andrew. And then they decide to try fostering a kid.

(tw: references to past abuse, tw: implied/referenced child abuse, tw: implied/referenced homophobia)

Small Angry Gardeners series by SensationalSunburst [Rated G, 18833 words]

Part 1: Saved by The Bush [Rated G, 849 words, Complete 2018] The thought never occurred to Andrew that Neil, body long and loose atop the desk they’d shoved against the windows to smoke atop of, would exhale and smile and lean the entirety of his body weight against the flimsy mesh that separated him from a plunge to the ground below.

Part 2: Andrew, Neil and Curb Appeal [Rated G, 5179 words, Complete 2018] After Riko, after Baltimore, after three years of long distance and Skype calls, Andrew and Neil settle on the same team in the same city and purchase their first house. The Foxes decide the pair need a good hobby and no so subtly suggest gardening. Or A small series of vignettes of Andrew, Neil and the pursuit of curb appeal

Part 3: The Godfathers [Rated G, 3769 words, Complete 2018] Leigh was, in all aspects except for his eyes and mouth, a carbon copy of Thea. He also possessed his mother’s boldness, evidenced as he smacked his tiny hands against Andrew’s cheeks, cooing “Dew! Dew!” It was as close as he’d been able to get to Andrew’s name thus far and so unfathomably cute that Neil felt it like a physical ache deep in his chest.

Part 4: Kintsugi  [Rated G, 1127 words, Complete 2018] Kintsugi:(金継ぎ, "golden joinery"), also known as Kintsukuroi (金繕い, "golden repair"), is the Japanese art of repairing broken pottery with lacquer dusted or mixed with powdered gold. As a philosophy, it treats breakage and repair as part of the history of an object, rather than something to disguise  “He saw our scars and thought they'd been fixed with gold, like the pottery in the book.” Neil blinked, stunned. “Kids this age are honest.” Andrew said, “They haven't learned to lie.”

Part 5: Chick Magnets [Rated G, 2488 words, Complete 2018] “Andrew, look!” Neil breathed, holding up a tiny silkie chick. He was seated next to Rebecca on the floor of the pen holding their newest chicks. They were crawling all over them, and Robert could see that several had settled in the fabric of his basketball shorts where it puddled around his thighs. His eyes were wide and bright, and although Robert's heart was buried along with Shannon, his late wife, he could see exactly why Andrew's entire person went loose at the sight of him. OR In which Andrew and Neil adopt chickens.

Part 6: Hey, Jude [Rated G, 1977 words, Complete 2018] “Her name’s Jude,” Nyugen said, voice steady and calm even as the rest of the team slipped off the walls to pet the dog in turn, “Britt’s practice took over her vet care, so we’re fostering her for now.” “But,” Nyugen said, and his eyes snapped up to the far corner where Neil and Andrew reigned, glancing between them with something like hope on his face, “Britt’s at that conference this week, yeah? And I figured… since we had a man on the bench…” Or In which Andrew and Neil get a dog.

Part 7: Second Opinions [Rated G, 1332 words, Complete 2018] “They’re okay.” Andrew said, “They’re friends.” Lily squinted, holding Andrew’s even gaze for a long moment before she looked to her father and lifted both hands in the universal sign for up. He complied immediately, laughing as he straightened to his full height. “Now we’re good? They got the Uncle Andrew stamp of approval?”

Part 8: A Case for Phone Cases [Rated G, 1375 words, Complete 2019] “We are alright here, guys, we’re alright. But according to Baltimore PD, which we overhead during the evacuation, there are at least three people down, one of which is a Riptide-" Neil registered the the ringback of Andrew’s phone before he realized he’d dialed his number, his heart rate climbing with each moment that the call went unanswered.

(tw: scars, tw: shooting)

[companionjones]

To Get Better (Part 3)

Requested by: @closetedgoth8

Request: Hi! I loved that resident fic, could there maybe be a part 3 where they can get the kid treatment, or the gang fights the ‘evil’ doctors to get the kid actual treatment?

Fandom: The Resident (FOX)

Warnings: Surgery reference, fight reference

1 // 2 // 3

*******

    “Good morning,” Conrad greeted cheerily.

    Opening your eyes, the first thing you saw was Dr. Hawkins. You responded by saying his name and repeating “Good morning to you, too.”

    Conrad smirked as he leaned back in his chair and kicked his feet up onto your bed. “I get to watch you today, so what do you want to do?”

    “There’s not much to do, Dr. Hawkins. I’m stuck in this room, remember? No one’s allowed to see me or else I could be sent back to those evil doctors.” Your disappointment in your confined situation was shown clearly on your face, so you turned it away from the resident.

    He brought his legs down, and leaned closer to comfort you. “Hey, don’t be so upset.” Conrad took a breath, and it looked as if he was using it to deliberate his next inquiry. “...Do you want to go for a ride?”

    At first, his question puzzled you. Your concerns were put to rest, however, when Conrad helped you into a wheelchair and began pushing you down the hallways of the hospital.

    “But what about the evil doctors?” you wondered.

    Conrad laughed, “Stop calling them ‘evil.’ We’re not in some story where we’re heroes fighting villains. And as for the ev...idiotic doctors who are after you...Well, looks like we’ll just have to be careful with avoiding them.”

    The day spent by Conrad wheeling you to visit all of your friends throughout the hospital. Your first stop was the ER. Thankfully, it was a slow day. Devon and Irving showed you around the department, and you even helped diagnose a patient. Irving, who found out about the secret that was you later than everyone else, was impressed. He said that after you got better, and maybe completed some odd years of medical school, then a job would possibly be available for you in the ER at Chastain.

    Next, Conrad took you to Mina. She was preparing for a surgery with Dr. Austin. AJ was an interesting doctor. Apparently, Mina had told him of you, and AJ was in full support of Conrad’s deceptiveness toward Bell. Another thing about Dr. Austin was his clear-as-day egotistic personality. You didn’t mind it. In fact, you found AJ entertaining. You happily called him by his self-dubbed nickname, “The Raptor.”

    To return your kindness, Dr. Austin invited you to sit in on his surgery. It was a routine procedure, so it was likely you wouldn’t see anyone die; and AJ also promised that the observation gallery would be empty except for you and Conrad, so no one would find out about you. Although there was a small complication during the procedure, the patient turned out fine. The only cost was the concern on your and Conrad’s end. Ultimately, you were glad you were able to watch the ordeal.

    Your time with Conrad was winding to an end for the day, so Conrad started taking you back to your room. The person watching you for the night was going to be Nic.

    “Hey! What are you doing with them?!” A burly man yelled at Conrad from the end of a hallway. He was one of the doctors that favored racking up your medical bill over giving you actual help.

    Conrad wheeled you behind himself. “My job, Dr. Stevenson,” the resident firmly notified the approaching agitated man. “This is my patient.”

    Dr. Stevenson angrily corrected, “No, this is my patient that you stole from me!”

    “That doesn’t matter,” Conrad’s voice suddenly got very low. “What matters is you would rather watch a child get sicker over ending up with less money in your pocket.”

    Hawkins didn’t get a verbal response. Instead, Stevenson wound up his fist and went to take a shot at your friend.

    “No!” you shouted out of fear.

    Conrad easily dodged the punch. He twisted Dr. Stevenson’s arm around the offender’s back and pushed Stevenson against a wall.

    “Wait!” You called out to the resident. “Conrad, stop!”

    He didn’t respond, Conrad was seeing red.

    The commotion was drawing the attention of other personnel. You could tell that they were all viewing Conrad as the bad guy.

    “Alright, everybody! Back it up!” came a high-pitched but authoritative voice out of no where. “I’m Dr. Bell’s personal assistant and I say that there is nothing to see here!” A boy appeared. He seemed to be in his very early twenties. Despite that, he was putting on the best show of power that he could. However, he wasn’t very good at it.

    You had to hide a smile at how out of place he looked.

    He tapped Dr. Stevenson’s shoulder. “Bell needs you right away.”

    Stevenson rolled his eyes. “Can’t you see I’m in the middle of something?”

    Conrad let him go. “If Bell needs you, then Bell needs you.”

    “No way I’m leaving you with the child,” scoffed Stevenson. “You’ll just hide them away again!”

    Dr. Hawkins shrugged, “I don’t know, man. It sounds like Bell really needs you.”

    “He’s by OR-3,” the boy informed.

    Dr. Stevenson glared darkly at the boy, then the resident, then you. He stalked off toward OR-3.

    “Dr. Hawkins, you better get going now, because Dr. Bell definitely isn’t looking for that guy,” the boy chuckled.

    Hawkins looked confused, “How do you know my name?”

    “Oh, I’ve heard stories about you. It’s how I knew you were trying to do the right thing in that fight that just happened. You’re always trying to do the right thing.” The boy introduced himself upon seeing Conrad’s still-weary eyes. “I’m Grayson. Grayson Betournay.”

    Conrad seemed to be put at ease. “So, you actually are Bell’s assistant.”

    Grayson was nearly jumping up and down with excitement. “You’ve heard of me?”

    “I’ve heard the name of Bell’s assistant,” Conrad clarified, a little amusement in his voice.

    You giggled.

    Grayson nodded. Realization that he may have been acting like a fanboy was hitting him. “Right. I’ll-uh-just let you two get on with your day.”

    “Thank you. Oh, and Mr. Betournay?” you called as he was walking away.

    “I’ve never been called a “Mr.” before. It sounds so official,” he noted childishly.

    You laughed again at the boy’s antics. Then, your mood changed, and you nervously asked, “Could you keep me a secret?”

    Hawkins continued for you, “We’re trying to get Y/n better, and the only way to do that is for no one to know we have Y/n, especially Bell.”

    “You have my word, sir.” Grayson saluted.

    The resident chuckled, “Conrad’s just fine.”

    As you started to be wheeled away, Grayson looked as if he had just been bestowed the highest honor. “Thank you, Conrad.”

    You and Hawkins were both holding back laughter as you rolled away.

    “So, eventful day, huh?” commented Conrad once you were settled back in your makeshift hospital room.

    Nodding, you admitted, “I want to see The Raptor again, and Grayson was really funny.”

    Conrad agreed, “He was. Maybe I could bring them to visit you some time.”

    “Dr. Feldman, too?” you wondered.

    Conrad smiled, “Feldman, too.”

    “Great!” you celebrated. “Maybe he could teach me more about the ER.”

    “Maybe,” Conrad chuckled.

    There was a knock at the door. It was Nic. “Hey. I heard the two of you had quite the eventful day.”

    Conrad nodded, “We did. Y/n, how about you tell Nic about the new friends you made. I’m going to head out and start my rounds.”

    “Okay,” you smiled. “Oh! Conrad?”

    Hearing you say his name turned him around.

    “Thank you so much for today. I really needed to get out of here.”

    He smirked, “Any time, kid. Anytime.”

*******

Author’s Note: Thank you so much for reading! Fill up that heart and reblog if you liked it. I would also really appreciate a comment, if you have the time. If you would like to read more, I have more fics on The Resident over on my page. You should check it out. Also, REQUESTS ARE OPEN. I take requests for preferences, headcannons, drabbles, and one-shots. No smut requests, please. If you’re wondering if I write for a specific fandom, feel free to ask me. Have a nice day, night, or whatever time it is for you! <3 <3 <3

[gaygent37]

A Kiss A Day - Day 1

Holiday Countdown Fics, December 1 - MISTLETOE

JayDick, Ivy’s protoge Jason, Robin Dick, first kiss, mistletoe hair, teenage crush, Ivy’s a good mom, slight identity porn, 2398 words

*̣̥☆·͙̥‧❄‧̩̥·‧•̥̩̥͙‧·‧̩̥˟͙☃˟͙‧̩̥·‧•̥̩̥͙‧·‧̩̥❄‧·͙̥̣☆*̣̥

The boy came out of nowhere, startling Jason. A gloved hand grabbed his wrist, and Jason gasped, whipping around.

“Robin!” Jason yelped, nearly dropping the little crate he was carrying. 

“Give me the box, Foxglove,” Robin said, lunging for the crate. 

Immediately, Jason lifted it out of Robin’s reach with a vine that burst out of the ground to aid him. Robin crashed against Jason’s chest. Jason swallowed hard, pulling the wooden box farther away.

The young hero growled and reached for the crate again, pushing himself harder against Jason’s chest.

Jason inhaled sharply, squeezing his eyes shut behind his mask. Robin stopped struggling and the lenses of his domino narrowed, staring intently at Jason. 

“What?” Robin demanded. “You’re acting weird again.”

“‘m not acting weird,” Jason breathed out shakily. “You’re just- You’re just in my personal space.”

“Yeah, I’m trying to get your damned box of seeds. I’ll get off you if you’d just give it over!”

“I can’t do that, Robin,” Jason said, his heart beating loudly in his chest. Robin had no shame, but Jason could not help but be ultra aware of their proximity and Robin’s bare legs practically straddling Jason, and Robin kept him pinned against the table with those legs alone. Not to mention, Robin would not stop rubbing up against him. “I- My mom needs those seeds.”

“Yeah, to wreck havoc on the city! Fox-” Robin’s foot slipped, and his thigh brushed over the bulge in Jason’s pants. He went silent, staring at Jason in disbelief. “Are you hard?”

Jason’s hair suddenly exploded into sprigs of small green leaves and poisonous white berries. There were so many of them that it pushed his hood off of his head. 

A few berries bounced off Robin’s face. “Mistletoe?” Robin asked in wonder, staring at Jason’s hair.

“I-I gotta go!” Jason squeaked. He shoved Robin off of him, grabbing the box and running off as fast as his legs to carry him. 

Jason dropped the box off where Ivy said she would pick it up. Then, Jason went back to one of their safe houses, willing the mistletoe to disappear. They were mostly gone by the time Jason showered and got himself something to eat. 

He pulled out the last couple sprigs, tossing them onto the ground. Jason hated that his hair exploded into different types of plants depending on his emotions. His mother did not have that problem, but she had different problems that Jason was glad he did not have.

Robin and Jason tangled often, had have been enemies for a little over a year now, though their clashes rarely consisted of much physical fighting. Mostly arguing, which evolved to teasing, which now developed into Jason shutting down around the older boy. 

Ivy had admonished Jason about his huge crush on the Boy Wonder, but she had also ruffled his hair, saying it was only natural for Jason to be interested at his age. 

Jason flopped onto the couch and buried his face in his hands with a groan.

“I see the mistletoe disappeared.”

Jason’s head snapped up when he heard Robin’s voice behind him. “What are you doing here?” Jason snapped, grabbing his mask, which was on the table. He put it on before spinning around and glaring at Robin. 

“I followed you,” Robin said simply with a shrug.

“I don’t have the box anymore,” Jason said. 

“I know,” Robin said, giving Jason a smile. “I followed you, remember? Picked it up after you left it in the abandoned mailbox.”

Jason gritted his teeth, anger flaring briefly. “I said my mother needs those seeds! They’re just normal seeds.”

“I’ll put them back if they really are normal seeds,” Robin promised.

“Then what are you doing here?” Jason asked. He searched for his sweatshirt, wanting the comfort of his hood pulled over his head. He felt strangely naked standing there in a t-shirt and shorts. 

Robin did not answer, just tilting his head to the side and staring at Jason. 

Jason blushed hard. He looked away from Robin. “Can you just leave?” Jason asked. “My mom’s not going to be happy if she finds that you’re-”

Robin slipped away from the table he was leaning against and walked towards Jason, taking each step slowly and deliberately.

“Robin...” Jason said in a breathy voice. “Get- Get away.”

Robin grinned up at Jason. “Why? I’m not going to hurt you, Foxie.”

“Don’t call me that,” Jason hissed. 

“It’s what Ivy calls you, isn’t it?” Robin asked, now only a few steps away. “I think it’s cute. Foxie, Foxglove. So. Why mistletoe?”

“It’s- It’s not-”

Jason’s hair exploded into plants again, much more than before. The sprigs cascaded down his sides, reaching his shoulders at alarming speeds. They grew exponentially faster than before, which made Jason more than a little worried. Two doses of Robin in such close proximity was more than his poor little heart could handle. 

Robin laughed in delight. He even reached up and teased a berry between his gloved fingers. Jason stepped back hurriedly. A few sprigs of the mistletoe fell onto the ground.

“What the hell, Robin?!” Jason asked, touching the cascade of mistletoe locks he now possessed.

“I didn’t do anything, Fox,” Robin smirked, like he knew exactly what he did. He bend down and picked up one of the fallen sprigs of mistletoe. “You know,” he said in a sing-song voice. “Mistletoe represents romance.”

The mistletoe on Jason’s head grew another few inches as he blushed furiously. He back up against the bookshelf. His hand brushed on a gardening book. “Get out of here, Robin!” he yelled. He sent the book flying at Robin, who just stepped aside and laughed. 

Robin pushed open the nearest window, swinging one leg out. He still held the mistletoe in his hand. “See you around, Foxie,” he said. He brought the sprig up and gave it a little kiss before swinging out of the window into the night. 

The mistletoe that was Jason’s hair now reached mid-back. When Robin was gone, Jason let out a little sob. The mistletoe was uncomfortably heavy, and a very prominent reminder of his stupid crush on Gotham’s youngest hero.

He rushed to the kitchen and yanked open the drawer with the gardening tools. Jason grabbed the heavy duty shears and cut through a thick handful of the mistletoe. Robin’s grin floated in his mind. Jason watched in a sinking heart as the newly sheared mistletoe hair grew back.

He sank to the floor and held his head in his hands. For an entire hour, Jason tried as hard as he could to get the mistletoe to disappear. But it did not go away like it did before because Jason could not get Robin’s teasing remark out of his mind:

“Mistletoe represents romance.”

Finally, with no other solution in mind, Jason reached for his phone, dialing the only number in it. His voice was shaky when the call was answered a few seconds later. 

“Mom?”

*ꍈﾟꍈ｡*ꍈﾟ

Dick strolled down the street, whistling cheerily to himself. His breath came out in warm puffs in front of him, and the skies were cloudy but bright. It was a happy kind of gray. His gloved hands were shoved deep into his pockets.

He passed a park where the local kids were skating on the lake, which had frozen over a week ago. He grinned, wondering if he could convince Bruce to go ice skating with him that weekend. 

As Dick moved passed a barber shop, something caught his eye. Dick took a few steps back, staring into the window where a woman and her son were talking to the barber. 

Without a second thought, Dick walked inside. 

All three turned to stare at Dick. “Hi,” Dick said with a smile. “Sorry, I was just passing by, and I couldn’t help but notice your, uh, predicament.”

The boy glared at Dick. He was sitting in the barber chair, wearing a black sweatshirt, but the strangest thing ever was that his hair was actually a wild bush of mistletoe. So long that it practically reached the ground. 

The woman who stood behind the boy was the notorious Poison Ivy, but without her usual get-up, it was a bit harder to tell. And Dick played oblivious good-doing citizen of Gotham. 

Dick grinned and gave a low whistle. “That’s- That’s a lot of mistletoe. Science experiment gone wrong or something? You know, you can probably sell that once you cut it off. It’s the holidays and people are always looking for an excuse to share a kiss under mistletoe,” Dick said. “Hey, maybe that’s what you have to do! Handsome boy like you, I’m sure you’ll have no trouble finding someone to kiss.” He even gave the boy a wink.

“Who the fuck are you?” the boy snarled. 

“Jason,” Ivy said with a firm voice, putting a hand on her son’s shoulder. She turned her gaze back to Dick, cold and uninviting. “Some problems are not so easily solved as with a- a kiss, young man. Sometimes we just have to be practical, so if you’ll excuse us while we search for a permanent solution to my son’s problem.”

Dick sighed. “Well, I gave my advice,” he said. He turned on his heels, heading towards the door. He tossed a smile over his shoulders, aimed directly at the boy, Jason, sitting in the chair. “Good luck with that hair,” he said. “It honestly looks kind of cute. Happy holidays, folks!”

Dick continued down the street with a slight skip to his step, his smile just a little bit wider. 

*ꍈﾟꍈ｡*ꍈﾟ

The next time Jason saw Robin was a few days later. He was sitting on one of the highest buildings on Robin’s Thursday route, hoping the Boy Wonder would see him. 

Jason did not have to wait long. Near midnight, Robin dropped down behind Jason. 

“I see the mistletoe hasn’t disappeared yet,” Robin chirped with a grin on his face. 

Jason rolled his eyes, frowning at the hero. “No, it hasn’t,” he said. He ran his hand through it. It was shorter now, but it grew every time Jason thought about Robin (which was dreadfully often now), and Jason had to cut it at least once a day.

“Doesn’t it bother you?” Robin asked, sitting down next to Jason. 

“Of course it bothers me!” Jason grumbled, his face heating up. He could already feel the mistletoe growing. The longest sprigs reached his ears now. 

“Then do something about it,” Robin said. 

“Do what?”

Robin just stared at him, smiling that smile that made Jason’s heart thud loudly. The parasitic plant on Jason’s head just kept growing longer. Finally, Jason had had enough. He grabbed Robin by the collar of his cape.

He mashed their lips together, teeth clashing as lips parted. Robin moaned appreciatively, leaning in closer and tilting his head to the side. Robin’s mouth was hot and wet and pliant, and Jason took everything he wanted from the older boy. 

Their kiss went from desperate, hot, slightly awkward and painful to slower, a burning heat, and much more sensual. Jason’s face grew warm and his hand relaxed, no longer trying to strangle Robin with his own cape. 

The Boy Wonder pulled away first, but just a little. He smiled at Jason. “What a pleasant surprise, Foxglove. You could have just asked if you wanted a kiss so badly.”

“Shut up, Birdbrain,” Jason said, but his insult came out as a shaky whisper, so it did not have the effect he wanted. 

“Look,” Robin said. “Your hair’s back.”

Jason straightened in surprise. His hands few up to his head and felt his soft black hair instead of twigs, leaves, and berries. 

His face heated up. 

“Oh, don’t go blushing again, Foxie,” Robin teased. “They might come back if you keep getting flustered around me.”

“I don’t- I’m not flustered around you!” Jason protested as he blushed harder. 

He could feel the mistletoe poking at his scalp again, and he knew a few leaves and berries popped out again. 

Robin laughed when he saw that. Instead of saying anything, he just leaned in and kissed Jason again, cutting the other boy’s protests off with a kiss. A few seconds later, Robin pulled back.

Jason swallowed hard, his heart pounding. “Thanks,” he eventually choked out. 

“No problem, Fox,” Robin said. “Though, it certain makes a little issue. We’re not supposed to like each other.”

“Too late for that,” Jason grumbled. “For- For me at least.” He looked down at his lap, suddenly realizing that he basically confessed to Robin, his nemesis.

Robin laughed softly. “Hey, don’t get all shy on me now either. I think you’re pretty cute too, Fox,” Robin said. “Though I suppose you wouldn’t know that since my hair doesn’t try show my desire to want to kiss you.”

Before Jason could blush and send his hair disappearing into a bush of holiday cheer again, Robin kissed him one more time. He patted Jason’s stunned face with his gloved hand.

“Don’t worry, Foxie,” Robin said. “The hair thing is endearing. I think I might drop by and kiss you more often now. A kiss a day keeps the vegetation away! But for now... I gotta get on with patrol. See you around, Foxie.” 

With that, Robin somersaulted off of the side of the building and swung into the night with a happy whoop. Jason watched him go, his heart doing a happy little dance. 

He went home that night, and his mother was in her lab, working on another one of her experiments. 

She paused when he walked in, mistletoe-free. Her green eyes looked at him accusingly over the top of her purple glasses. Jason bit his lip when she pursed hers.

“You kissed him, didn’t you?” she sighed, setting the vials down and walking over to him. She tilted his face up and peered at him. 

Jason gave her a sheepish smile. “I... might’ve...?”

Ivy pursed her lips harder. Then, she shook her head and smiled. She ruffled his hair. “Be careful, Jason,” she warned in a motherly tone as she headed back to the table. “I don’t want to end up finding out that little bird is going to be my son-in-law someday.”

“Mom-”

“Just saying, Jason. You don’t want a bat furry for a father-in-law either, do you?”

“Mom!”

*̣̥☆·͙̥‧❄‧̩̥·‧•̥̩̥͙‧·‧̩̥˟͙☃˟͙‧̩̥·‧•̥̩̥͙‧·‧̩̥❄‧·͙̥̣☆*̣̥

I didn’t mean to start this off with Ivy’s protege Jason again, but really, I couldn’t help myself. Happy December, everyone, and happy whatever holidays you all celebrate! I promise it will get more porny as the month goes on.

[allie1804-fan]

The Fall (Chapter 1)

Warnings: None

St Thomas Hospital London

Feb 11th 2017

A dull but insistent drum sound seemed to be beating in the distance over and over again. Where was it coming from and why wouldn’t it stop? Abby opened her eyes tentatively, blinking at the bright light steaming in through the window next to her bed.

Her  eyes ’s flew open . There wasn’t a window to the left of her bed!

And that’s when she remembered where she was and why.

Yesterday she’d been queuing in Leicester Square with a ticket to attend the Premiere of John Wick 2.  She’d felt kind of daring being there and also completely stupid at the same time. She was 48 for god’s sake and surely beyond the days of following your favourite movie star to premieres and book signings – and yet, why shouldn’t she have some youthful fun. Her kids were teenagers now so it was no skin off her husband’s nose for her to go off with a girlfriend for a long weekend away and why not build in the chance to see her idol of over 20 years in the flesh again. She’d managed to see him a couple of times before  this - with Dogstar in the 90s and at a book signing in 2011, but in February 2017 Keanu’s star was riding high and so she and her friend Alison had made a the trip to comprise the Graham Norton Show on the Thursday and the John Wick 2 Premiere on the Friday. There was a large excitable crowd at the premiere and, as it turned out, she was alone as her friend Alison had had to cry off and return home that morning as her son  was sick. Maybe that was Abby’s downfall and why she’d been more vulnerable in the crowd.

She’d managed a glimpse of Keanu as he’d come up the line but she wasn’t able to get to the front  and pass him her picture of him for signing. So enthralled was she at just watching him interact with the fans at the front, especially the few kids that had been brought along,  that she didn’t notice the swell of the crowd behind her. Keanu had crouched down for a picture with one of the kids and as he rose back up she glimpsed his expression changing, his eyes fixed on something behind her. And then her feet were knocked from under her and her head hit the icy cold pavement.

This whole scene was  going through her mind yet again when the nurse came to check her vitals the following morning.

“Morning sleeping beauty, how are you feeling?”

“Sore” Abby replied smiling slightly “and I can’t really remember getting here. Last thing I can remember is the pavement!”

“Well, your husband is coming down this afternoon and hopefully we can discharge you then. It’s Saturday now and you came in at around 8.30 yesterday evening after a fall in a crowd, do you remember where you were?”

“Yes, I do” Abby replied blushing, wondering if the nurse would think her really juvenile for going to a premiere.

“Did you get to see him?”

“Who, Keanu?”

The nurse nodded excitedly and Abby breathed a sigh of relief that it didn’t seem like she was being judged.

“Yes from a distance – I think me looking at him stopped me noticing the crowd surge. I think he saw it coming though. That’s the last thing I remember – his worried expression looking behind me and then wham!”

 February 11th Claridges London

The phrase from the Matrix, “Like a Splinter in your Mind” was going through Keanu’s brain as he lay in bed the morning after the premiere.  He kept trying to picture the woman who’d fallen the night before and to place her but it just wouldn’t come. Immediately after it happened, security had stepped in to both attend to the woman and protect him, rushing him into the auditorium for press and despite him repeatedly asking if everyone was alright he never really got any detail from anyone. He leaned over to grab his phone off the nightstand and rang Cheryl. She had stayed outside at Keanu’s insistence to see that the emergency services came and what the outcome was. She was a bit irritated as she would normally hover near each journalist seeking to talk to Keanu to make sure no-one strayed into unwanted territory but she could see he’d be even more likely to bail completely if he was worrying that no one was ensuring that the woman who fell was taken care of.

“Did you find out anything, about the woman last night”

“well they told me which ER they were taking her to but I don’t know if that’s where she’ll still be.  She might have been discharged for all we know.”

“Damn it!, I know I recognise her but it just won’t come. Did you get a name?

“No she was still concussed  - can you give me any clues?”

“I just feel like I’ve met her or heard her speak or …. Something”

It was in the shower later on that it came to him! She’d been at the chat show! He hadn’t actually seen her there in person but the show runners had done some interviews with fans in the afternoon who were queuing to get in and hers was one they’d selected to show him as they thought it was cute.

The question they had asked fans of those on the show was “What would you say if you met xxx and she was there for him rather than Denzel or Amelia Fox.

“Well, let’s be honest” she’d laughed, looking at her the friend beside her “I know I’m a grown woman, but I‘d most likely be dumbstruck and tongue tied……… but if I could actually gather my thoughts it would be to say lots of thank yous.

“What would you thank Keanu for?”

“Well 1stly obviously a thank you for all the entertainment -  the laughter, the tears and the thrills from his films. And then thank you for the friendships, like this one (she gestured between herself and her friend)  that have sprung from being a fan. Some online and some that were made in real life or went like this one from being online to real life and many of them have lasted over 20 or so years. And  thanks for being someone I can admire as a person too (the hard work, the humility, living up to the “being excellent to each other” mantra is pretty inspirational to me and is a massive part of why I am still a fan. And finally, maybe most importantly, thank you for the solace that having this little outlet, this escape of being a fan has given me so often when real life has been too painful. You know, having a film to watch and share thoughts about or a new interview to see, a Dogstar gig to go to or a report from a film set from an extra. Or even if I’m brutally honest, having  a cute new picture to fan girl over has been a comfort to me when times were tough. So thank you for all that Keanu. That is what I would want to say but probably I’d just be a like a mute goldfish!”

He had been speechless after watching that. He knew his fans liked him - how could he not when people got excited in the street or at an event to meet him and shake his hand but to have it put so beautifully and to hear the word “solace” from someone of around his age who  he guessed had been battered somewhat by life’s travails like him  - that was really something else and it had stayed with him. He was glad he’d now connected the two images – the falling woman and the fan. He called Cheryl back with this nugget and asked her to contact the show team to see if they had kept any details. He was determined to send her flowers, maybe try to see her, especially as she had ended up in hospital, however briefly.

@fortheloveoffanfic @kindainlovewithk’eanu @omg-imagine @iworshipkeanureeves @fics-not-tragedies @ficsnroses @keanureevesisbae @penwieldingdreamer @witty-wallflower @paperplanesandwallflowers @bitchyslut99 @ladyreapermc @toomanystoriessolittletime @fanficsrusz @keanuficfiles @bitchyslut99 

[mcheang]

Feng Jiu’s revenge against Lian Song

This was meant to be a short fic but somehow escalated to this...

Feng Jiu can understand him not helping her when she was a handkerchief, if even Zhe Yan left her behind, but did he have to eat her fish too and taunt her about Cheng Yu’s health? It just left her hungry and worried. Not a good combination.

So what if, instead of Lian Song bringing just Ali to see his Cousin, he also brought Cheng Yu.

Cheng Yu immediately greets Jiu Ge as an old Friend. Feng Jiu numbly returns the greeting.

Upon seeing them, and after pinching Dong Hua’s leg twice, Lian Song mentioned that he brought these 2 pining friends to distract them from their worry over Feng Jiu.

Feng Jiu just shot the prince a mischievous smile. Turning to Cheng Yu, she inquired after her health.

Cheng Yu: I’m fine now that I can finally rest.

Feng Jiu: oh, I am so glad. I’ve been so worried ever since some rascal told me you were bedridden with a terrible headache and had fallen into a coma. I would have come to visit you, but that same rascal stole my supper and I was too weak to come find you.

There is only one person who Cheng Yu calls a rascal.

As Feng Jiu continued to enjoy her meal, Cheng Yu slowly turned to glare at the sweating Lian Song. What did he do to deserve this? Wasn’t the fox queen being kind of petty?

Cheng Yu cracked her knuckles menacingly. “That rascal indeed deserves to be punished. How dare he curse me to fall ill and steal a hungry girl’s food?”

Lian Song gave a weak laugh. “Come now, aren’t you both being too hard on this fellow. Maybe he was joking and didn’t mean any harm by it.”

Feng Jiu gave him a look. After all the torment she went through, she cannot get back at Dijun, but she can get back at his accomplice. “Ah, but this fellow knew how much I had already suffered. He knew that a weirdo was bullying me.” Dong Hua looked at Feng Jiu. She stared back unabashedly. After all he put her through, she had no qualms repeating the insult.

This whole time, Jiheng had been trying to serve Dong Hua soup but he ignored her in favour of the show in front of him.

Lian Song quickly took advantage of the situation and tried to appease Feng Jiu.

“Princess Jiheng, you don’t have to worry about Feng Jiu’s cooking. I’ve had her food before and it was the best meal I’ve ever had. Right, Dong Hua?”

Dong Hua turned to look at his buddy. “That is true. Now that she and I are neighbours, I can try her cooking. Considering the last time Xiao Bai cooked for me, you even ate my share.”

Lian Song’s brain: Oh come on. Now you are holding a grudge too?

Noticing Xiao Yan’s desolate expression, Feng Jiu leans over to whisper to him. Deciding to cheer him up, Feng Jiu decides to head to the kitchen to order more food for their new guests and ones that will suit Xiao Yan’s tastes.

Ali, Cheng Yu and Xiao Yan want to follow her but she gives them her bag of cakes instead. Then gives Xiao Yan’s share to Meng Shao and Jie Lu instead.

Feng Jiu tells Xiao Yan not to worry as she will order his favourite dish. If they can’t make it, then she will make it.

Dong Hua spills his soup.

Seeing Jiheng care for Dong Hua, Feng Jiu doesn’t have to worry about him and so goes over to the kitchen.

While the four of the guests enjoy the delicious cakes, Xiao Yan watches miserably as Jiheng tries to offer Dong Hua more soup. Lian Song is just miserable today.

Meng Shao and Jie Lu praise Feng Jiu’s cakes. Ali and Cheng Yu puff up like proud parents. Ali even mentions Feng Jiu was best at making sorrowless cakes.

Lian Song: What? She made those sorrowless cakes?

Cheng Yu gave Lian Song a too sweet smile. “Yes. And she also told me what happened the last time you tried it.” Her expression turned cold. Dream on, it said.

Lian Song: things are making more sense now.

Dong Hua already suspected Xiao Bai was the culinary maid from Tai Chen Palace. He wasn’t that surprised.

Meng Shao expresses a wish to try those cakes.

Dong Hua is getting annoyed because he didn’t get to try a cake. The soup is not appealing to him, even if it is favourite.

Feng Jiu returns, promising new dishes that are to Xiao Yan, Cheng Yu and Ali’s tastes.

When the dishes arrive, Dong Hua notes which one is for Xiao Yan. He accidentally causes the soup vessel to hit that dish, spilling all over poor Xiao Yan.

Feng Jiu fusses over him, making Dong Hua’s mood blacken. Lian Song doesn’t dare taunt Dong Hua now.

Jiheng leaves, disappointed her soup was wasted.

Seeing no way for Dong Hua and Xiao Yan to have a civil dinner together, Feng Jiu offers to treat him to a dessert place, Cheng Yu and Ali should come to. Dong Hua and Lian Song don’t have to strain themselves, Feng Jiu has heard how they enjoy spending their time alone, without the bustle of noisy youths. Meng Shao and Jiu Ge are welcome to join them though.

The prince and princess wisely and politely decline.

Lian Song and Dong Hua unhappily stare after the group of 4 romping happily to the dessert shop.

Lian Song: I did something nice today and this is the thanks I get?

Meanwhile, Feng Jiu is hugging her BFF and Cousin fiercely, crying about how hard Dijun has made her life.

Xiao Yan reminds her that she is only in this competition because of Dong Hua.

Cheng Yu refutes Xiao Yan’s nonsense. Of course Feng Jiu should not forgive Dong Hua so easily. He owes her too much. This favour can be counted towards that debt.

Cheng Yu coddled the abused fox queen, promising to teach Lian Song a lesson for being mean to her.

When they get back, Cheng Yu keeps her word and chases after Lian Song to give him a beating. When they return, Lian Song is sporting a large bruise and offers Feng Jiu his sincerest apologies for depriving a starving maiden of her food.

Once they leave, Feng Jiu turns to Dong Hua and huffs before stomping off without a good night.

Dong Hua’s eyebrows rise. Cheng Yu is a bad influence on Xiao Bai.

Anyway, training takes place as usual, with the kiss and ointment scenes.

When the tournament arrives, Ali and Cheng Yu are also present. Cheng Yu is infuriated that the fruit was stolen and goes to confront Dong Hua, dragging Feng Jiu along. When they learn from Xiao Yan/Jiheng that he returned to Taichen Palace, Cheng Yu tells Feng Jiu not to worry. She will get her that fruit; by hook or by crook.

In short, she gets Lian Song to bring her back to Taichen Palace where she confronts Dong Hua. Cheng Yu explains the real reason Feng Jiu wanted the fruit. If he wants to make peace with Jiheng, use some other treasure. But that fruit belongs to Feng Jiu.

Realizing his mistake, Dong Hua agrees to return the fruit to Xiao Bai and brings Cheng Yu with him back to the valley.

Lian Song decides to stay behind and question Si Ming.

They find Ali consoling his Cousin and doing his best to stop her from doing anything rash. Mostly by tying their hands together. Xiao Yan is also there comforting his good Friend, irritating Dong Hua. How annoying that his fruit theft backfired on him badly.

Dong Hua apologizes to Feng Jiu. He can’t explain the reason he stole the fruit in front of the others. It wasn’t the right time. Feng Jiu politely accepts his apology but thanks Cheng Yu wholeheartedly.

Cheng Yu already scolded Dong Hua but Xiao Yan still wants to give ice face a piece of his mind.

To change the subject and avoid offending Dijun, Cheng Yu suggests they might as well eat the peaches while they wait.

Dong Hua stays behind, trying to figure out how to get Xiao Bai to stop hating him.

Lian Song stops by and tells Dong Hua the whole story.

Dong Hua looks like he has a headache. He had just realized he liked Xiao Bai romantically, only to learn that he had seriously wronged her in stealing her fruit. He thought Xiao Bai had a bad impression of him for the whole handkerchief issue and thereafter, but they had been improving until the fruit issue. Now Lian Song is telling him Feng Jiu was his beloved fox who had been horribly neglected, not to mention how much she had done for him already.

Feng Jiu had done so much for him, but he had wronged her so much. He now realizes how much he likes her, and how much reason she has to hate and reject him.

What can he do?

Feng Jiu will want to return home now that she has the fruit...

He has the amnesia potion but Cheng Yu will help remind Feng Jiu what went down.

Lian Song’s advice: tell Feng Jiu the truth and apologize.

In any case, clear up that misunderstanding about Jiheng. Lian Song will take Ali and Cheng Yu home so Dong Hua can get closer to Feng Jiu without interference.

For more advice, remember the advice he gave Ye Hua?

1. use natural good looks to charm her....won’t work in this case

2. Be the hero and save her again....yeah, he owes her too much now so there won’t be any debt anyway

3. Injure self so she will nurse you...he will have to be truly injured since illusions don’t work on immortals

Feng Jiu could have returned with Cheng Yu but decides to wait because she wants to bid Meng Shao and Jie Lu a proper goodbye.

After their friends leave, Dong Hua visits Xiao Bai. He struggles to explain the situation again. He didn’t want her to have the Saha fruit because he was jealous of Yan Chiwu getting pastries from her. Feng Jiu is confused.

“I thought you were jealous because of Jiheng.”

Dong Hua confesses that he likes Xiao Bai, not Jiheng. But Feng Jiu can’t believe that so easily. She has suffered so much already because of Dong Hua.

Dong Hua asks what he can do to convince her of his feelings.

The thing is...Xiao Bai is not sure what to do if his feelings are sincere.

Dong Hua admits he knows what Xiao Bai has done for him.

Feng Jiu: Are you confessing your feelings because you feel guilty? Don’t worry. It’s all in the past. I have long decided to move on.

Dong Hua: I really do like you. It is not because of guilt. I liked you before Lian Song told me all you have done for me.

Feng Jiu just stares at him, speechless.

Dong Hua: Xiao Bai, what do I have to do to prove my love for you?

Feng Jiu looks torn about wanting to leave but Dong Hua is holding onto her hand.

After a moment of thought, Feng Jiu offers, “Carve out your heart for me. My aunt told me that is the sincerest form of expressing your love....but you don’t have to do it. I just can’t think of any other act right now.”

This could work for Dong Hua....

The next day, Feng Jiu is horrified to see Dong Hua heavily injured because he had actually cut his heart in half.

Feeling guilty, Feng Jiu agrees to nurse him back to health. During which time, she sings him lullabies and makes him toffee.

To prevent loss of face, Dong Hua’s injury must be kept secret. Which means Jiheng isnt allowed to see him.

Actually Dong Hua is exaggerating his pain...but hey, the dude’s shameless.

Anyway, Dong Hua gives Feng Jiu the ring. She has no choice but to accept the gift.

It will protect her from Miao Luo.

Ok, so Feng Jiu reluctantly believes Dijun likes her....but that doesn’t mean she wants to be with him!!!!

Dijun just asks to let him court her. Feng Jiu unwillingly agrees.

But there isn’t much opportunity to court her in the valley. Not to mention Feng Jiu misses Qingqiu where Dong Hua can’t exactly stay with her constantly since they are not engaged. Granted, he can be shameless but he doesn’t want to offend her family.

Upon leaving, Feng Jiu bids farewell to her new friends and clears the misunderstanding with Meng Shao. (Im following the drama so I have no idea why Jiheng was absent)

Feng Jiu returns to Qingqiu and at least clears off the blind dates once she makes it clear she accepted Dong Hua’s courtship.

Dong Hua decides to take her to the Mortal Realm first for a festival. There are many worlds, one of them probably has a party right then.

Soon it becomes known that Dong Hua is pursuing the Qingqiu queen and that all other suitors should avoid following his lead lest they face his petty vengeance.

Some wonder if the mighty Dong Hua was under a love spell. Ridiculous.

Others wondered if he was just obsessed with red foxes.... first he had a pet, now a lover....

Zhi He heard the news and rushed back, demanding to see her brother. Dong Hua wasn’t back yet, but Chonglin kicked her out because she wasn’t invited.

Despite taking her out on romantic dates and making her happy, Dong Hua still hasn’t received Feng Jiu’s acceptance.

Lian Song inquires via Cheng Yu who had already asked Feng Jiu.

It turns out Feng Jiu wants a man who will be beside her in danger and comfort her when she’s sad. Dong Hua hasn’t done any of those things much.

(To be fair, she was fighting Miao Luo to save Dong Hua.)

Lian Song warns Dong Hua not to stage a threat to Feng Jiu as Cheng Yu will see right through it and blab.

Then the opportunity comes during the Bing Cang ceremony.

Nie Chuyin appears and wins a fight against Feng Jiu. Because Dong Hua is not married to her, he cannot fight against the demon in the ceremony.

Nie Chuyin was instructed by Miao Luo to retrieve that ring! She wants Feng Jiu’s protection removed.

Once Feng Jiu passed it over however, Dong Hua promptly stole it back. When asked why he stole it, Dong Hua said the ring was an expression of love. He does not want the demon boasting about possessing Dong Hua’s token of affection.

Nie Chuyin leaves in humiliation.

Anyway, Feng Jiu already fulfilled Nie Chuyin’s wish and proceeded with the ceremony.

Dong Hua comforts Feng Jiu over her loss, reminding her that it was an unfair fight.

Feng Jiu remembers how Dong Hua helped her through her grandfather’s test and actually asks him to dinner.

It is the first time she has made a move. Dong Hua happily accepts.

Feng Jiu is finally ready to accept Dong Hua romantically and is given back her ring.

They go out on a few more dates before Dong Hua asks her to be his queen. She accepts.

Dong Hua literally gets them registered before the actual wedding.

Zhi He returns and is again kicked out.

Jiheng tries to interfere and be a maid at the palace but Dong Hua just cuts her off from his life by getting her Brother to accept her back. Meanwhile, Xiao Yan and other guards are ordered to guard her in Fanyin Valley and make sure she stays there. (In the book, she was dying but in the drama she was still alive but her poison had worsened.)

They have a happy wedding. Cheng Yu takes all the credit despite Lian Song’s protests.

Miao Luo is irritated because without the blood tear and red qi...she can’t escape. And she can’t give Nie Chuyin more power without either.

Nie Chuyin tries to sabotage the other demon lords but he is held in contempt for his interruption of the Bingcang ceremony.

[killian-whump]

My relationship with the CS ship is strange. First I didn't care about it. Then one day suddenly I was a HUGE fan, I was eating, breathing, dreaming and living for CS. I was in every group of fans, I wrote FF, I went to ComicCon. Then everything started to fade away to the point that I gave away all my memorabilia. For years I didn't think about CS and just recently I started to feel some nostalgia for those CS years. I'm not a huge fan but I think I'll always look back at them and smile.

Aw, that’s sweet, Nonny <3 Thank you for sharing your story with me :)

I’ve had a bit of a rocky road with CS, personally. I was a Hooked Queen shipper when Hook first came on the show, because... Well, I never really cared for Emma as a character. It was the main reason I skipped out on Season 1. I just hadn’t really liked Jen in House, and I was disappointed she was the lead in Once, because the premise was interesting, but I just couldn’t get into it. Also, as much as I love fairy tale variations (I was a HUGE fan of Fables!), I tend to get antsy when storylines revolve around the audience knowing something (in this case, that they’re all fairy tale characters) that the characters don’t know.

ANYWAY, back on the subject at hand... I loved Hook the moment I laid eyes on his sexy, sassy self. So I was a casual watcher of S2-3, but solely for him and him alone. I basically just wandered into the living room whenever I happened to hear his voice, lol. “Mmm... I hear eye candy in the next room...” XD

Anyway, I didn’t really like him with Emma. I ended up missing their first kiss with my casual viewing habits, or else I might’ve gotten on board when she kissed the ever-loving crap out of him (that’s my jam, don’tchaknow). Instead, I only started to think “I could ship this” when he flung himself into the portal after her in the S3 finale. S4 is when I became a full-time watcher, because there were TWO things I wanted to see at that point: Hook’s smexy face and Frozen.

I still wasn’t super into CS, though. It was okay, yeah, but I still wished he’d been paired with Regina instead. That ship, though, had sailed.

Anyway, I fell completely and irrevocably down the Hook (and Colin) rabbit hole in S5, when the whump-o-rama went on in the very middle of the season. And when I fall fully down a rabbit hole... I always wanna write lots of ridiculously whumpy hurt/comfort fics. But that left me with a conundrum, as I still didn’t really care for Emma/CS - but also didn’t feel right pairing Hook with anyone else in my fics (I’m kind of a stickler for canon compliance).

So I decided to rewatch ALL of the CS scenes from Hook’s first appearance all the way through to the current (at the time) episodes... and that was when I fell down the CS rabbit hole and came to actually enjoy it :) And, as a result, I also came to enjoy Emma, as well. I still wouldn’t say she’s one of my favorite characters... but I don’t dislike her as I once did. She’s cool. She can stick around, lol.

But then S6 happened... and OH MY FUCK was I mad. They took everything I liked about CS and more-or-less ret-conned it and replaced it with all the very things I didn’t like about it in the beginning. Like... Fuck you, show? They literally made me angry almost every episode. I wanted to throttle someone. I felt like I’d invested in a ship just to have someone pull the rug out from under me and be like, “HAHAHAHAHA BITCH, YOU THOUGHT” and I no likeyed that.

And then S7 happened... and I fell back down the Hooked Queen hole in a MAJOR way and I would’ve shipped the fucking hell out of that if the show had continued, but alas... I shall have to be content with the great content we got in the finale and just assume that Wish Hook and Regina totally got together post-series. No, I am not accepting criticism about that at this time ;)

So... yeah. A bit of a bumpy road there for me and CS. But ultimately, I DO enjoy them and I think Colin did a great job playing a romantic lead and I don’t know if he really would’ve pursued that kind of role, so I’m glad it turned into what it did, so everyone can see (including Colin himself!) that he can do it so well :)

But admittedly, my interest in CS has majorly waned as of late. It’s not anything about the ship itself that’s done it - it’s more a matter of me being more invested in Colin’s recent and upcoming roles than I am in Hook... and also the fact that Brightwell (from Fox’s Prodigal Son) has completely taken me by storm and is my #1 OTP at the moment.

Like you, though, I have no animosity for it. The ship’s like a warm blanket on a cold winter night. Or a leather-clad pirate bringing over a space heater and rubbing my shoulders <3

[twinkletoes-rp]

Naruto AU “Surface Breaker” Ch. 1 - Awakening

Fandom: Naruto Genre: Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Friendship, (Found) Family Rating: T (to be safe) Relationships: Naruto Uzumaki & Shikamaru Nara, Naruto Uzumaki & Sakura Haruno, Naruto Uzumaki & Konoha 11, Naruto Uzumaki & Everyone, Naruto Uzumaki & Sasuke Uchiha (mentioned) Characters: Naruto Uzumaki, Shikamaru Nara, Sakura Haruno, Konoha 11, Sasuke Uchiha (mentioned) Words: 4,456

Summary: AU/Canon Divergence post-Shippuden 215. When Naruto nearly dies at Sasuke’s hands for a second time, he makes the heartrending decision to finally heed his dead master’s advice and let the Uchiha go. Healing and moving on are never easy, but luckily, Naruto has a whole village (and even those outside it) to aid and love him along the way.

Canon Divergence start: Different from the actual episode, Naruto and Sasuke's fight goes on a lot longer and is way deadlier. It ends up a fight to the death. The only reason they both survive is because Tobi swoops in to steal Sasuke away, and Naruto passes out a second later. That's where the fic opens.

(Can also be read on FFN | AO3 | Next )

--

“Naruto!”

He remembers coughing up blood, a lot of it, and then…his eyelids were so heavy…

“I can’t… We have to…the village…”

He remembers hands on him. Warm and slick and…shaking…

“Stay awake, Naruto…”

He remembers intense pain shooting through him, coughing up more blood…

“Hold on!”

He remembers rushing paws, so many and so loud it became a roar…

“Just a little farther! You can…”

He remembers being set on something soft and cold, tasting more blood…

“Come on, Naruto… You’re…be Hokage…”

He remembers pounding feet and familiar voices barking orders…

“Don’t you dare… Stay with me, you stubborn…”

He remembers machines screeching and a well of grudgingly-protective rage surging through him…

Don’t give up, brat!

And then…nothing.

---

When Naruto wakes, it’s to sights, sounds, and sensations that are becoming more and more familiar over the years.

Machines beep into an otherwise silent, still room. Sterile floors and walls in dull colors that are supposed to relax and provide a sense of calm. Chemicals most might not be able to smell, the pinch of an IV, a few actually, in his arm. Slightly itchy white sheets and a starchy blue hospital gown that’s too big for his small frame. Bandages cover almost every part of him, and he thinks one of his arms might be in a sling – or at least, bound to his side temporarily. Some seriously strong pain meds must be in his system because, at least for the moment, he doesn’t feel even a fraction of the pain he’s sure he should be in. Sakura or Granny Tsunade, maybe both, must have ordered that for him. He’s grateful.

Giving his body a few minutes to adjust to being awake after…who knows how long, he turns his head slowly to look around. He almost regrets it when his vision swims, but something else he notices almost immediately takes precedence.

Body heat at his elbow. There’s…someone else here…?

For a split second, his heart rate spikes, but it calms just as quickly. His vision might not be clear yet, but he can tell from the steady heartbeat and gentle breathing that whoever it is isn’t here to hurt him. Besides, if the splotches of color he can make out are right, he thinks he knows who it is anyway, and in that case, he’s definitely not worried.

When he can finally see, Naruto can’t help but smile, what little he can manage anyway. He was right. It’s Shikamaru, fast asleep at his side with his face in his arms. Naruto breathes a laugh. It’s the same way he used to sleep in class at the Academy when they were kids. If he’s asleep, though, Naruto wonders how long he’s been here. He hopes not all night. Besides getting him in trouble with the nurses or, worse, Sakura and Granny Tsunade, leaning over on the mattress like that must be really uncomfortable.

All the same, he can’t help but soften. He never thought he’d wake up to find Shikamaru Nara, of all people, at his bedside, but he’s certainly not complaining. On the contrary…he’s happy and touched. Shikamaru’s a great friend, one he’s lucky to have, and he knows better than most that the genius doesn’t put his energy into anything he doesn’t believe in. So for him to be here…

Lifting his good arm experimentally, he finds it doesn’t hurt too much to use. Satisfied, he reaches over to rest a bandaged hand on Shikamaru’s shoulder and shake him gently. “Hey, Shikamaru,” he whispers, not wanting to scare his friend. “Wake up.”

Shikamaru instantly shifts and opens bleary eyes. Blinking a few times, he pushes himself back some and stretches, yawning so long that it leaves tears at the corners of his eyes. Wiping at them with his sleeves, he looks his way and freezes, blinking a few more times and even rubbing his eyes for good measure. “N-Naruto?” When he sees his friend really is up, he perks up instantly, face breaking into a wide smile, maybe his brightest Naruto’s ever seen. “Hey, you’re finally awake!”

His smile is contagious. Naruto’s isn’t nearly as big and bright as it normally is, but Shikamaru wasn’t expecting it to be. Not yet, anyway. “Y-yeah, I guess I—I am!” Naruto cringes and coughs at how raw and croaky his voice sounds from disuse, his throat dry as the Demon Desert. Shikamaru helps him sit up enough to drink some water, and Naruto sighs happily once he’s done. There’s more life to the smile he gives this time. “Thanks, Shikamaru! It’s good to see you, too!”

Shikamaru’s exhale is helplessly fond, the other’s voice and smile the last pieces he needed to know he really is okay – or, you know, going to be. He hangs his head with a heavy sigh, all the tension bleeding from his shoulders as his relief takes all his energy at once. “Thank goodness…”

Naruto, meanwhile, is silent, studying Shikamaru’s face. Now that it’s not hidden in his arms, his friend looks paler and definitely more tired than usual. There are some pretty dark shadows under his eyes, too. The blond’s brow furrows in concern.

“Shikamaru…are you okay? You don’t look so good…”

Shikamaru looks up, startled, and then he laughs, the action helping to further relax him. He can’t help it. He swears Naruto is the most selfless person he’s ever met in his life. “You’re one to talk. You’re practically a walking bandage roll.” Naruto doesn’t let up on his worried stare, though, not swayed by the joke and possible deflection, and Shikamaru sighs a bit, smile sobering along with him. “I’m fine. Just a little tired, is all.” He scrubs his hand down his face and then gives Naruto a semi-scolding look, smirking lightly. “You scared the shit out of us, you knucklehead.”

Naruto has the grace to look sheepish, rubbing the back of his head before he remembers that hurts. “S-sorry… But, uh…what exactly am I apologizing for…? How’d I get here again…?”

Shikamaru huffs a laugh. Honestly, this guy… “With how hard you hit your head, I’m not surprised you need a refresher.” He gets more comfortable in his chair and then fixes Naruto with a serious stare. “Depending on how this goes, this might not be the easiest thing to hear, so fair warning. Frankly, I’m glad you’re already lying down.” Naruto’s caught off guard for a moment, but he nods in the next one. Shikamaru takes that as a signal to start. “Well, for starters, you’ve been out for over a week.”

Naruto’s eyes widen, lips parting in surprise. He doesn’t think he’s ever been in the hospital that long before. “W-wait, really? How long?”

Shikamaru nods, resting his chin between his knuckles. “Eleven days, counting today.”

The blond pales a bit, good hand moving to the Seal on his stomach. He’s a little surprised that his immediate reaction is to worry about the Beast locked up inside him, but hey, stranger things have happened. To him, at least. He wants to try talking to it to make sure it’s okay, but he doesn’t want to freak Shikamaru out. Maybe if he explains it to him, he can try later.

As if reading his mind, Shikamaru offers, working to tread carefully, “I’ll get to the Nine Tails in a minute. But for now…what do you remember about what happened?”

Figuring the Fox is sleeping to regain its energy like he was anyway, Naruto takes a breath and does his best to think back. Everything’s so…hazy… He mostly remembers pain and blood and familiar voices…Kakashi-sensei, Sakura, and Granny Tsunade’s, specifically… Before that…—!

A face appears in his mind’s eye, and he bolts upright, Sasuke’s name on his lips, but the pain chokes it off and Shikamaru’s urgent, careful hands stop him halfway. It takes a moment for him to get his breath back. “Sa-Sasuke…! He was…!” Suddenly distracted by more important things, he doesn’t even register Shikamaru gently pushing him back down on the bed. “S-Shikamaru, is—Kakashi-sensei and Sakura—!” He swallows, blue eyes blazing as he breathes through the pain. He doesn’t want to even entertain the thought of being wrong. “A-are they okay?”

Shikamaru swears, no matter how old they get, Naruto’s insane devotion to his friends will always be one of his favorite things about him. He nods, a reassuring smile on his face. “They’re just fine. They made it back here with barely a scratch.” He pokes Naruto’s forehead gently. “It’s you we’ve all been worried sick about.”

Naruto’s whole body sags with the force of his relieved sigh, spring-coiled tension gone in a second. “Thank goodness…”

Shikamaru’s smile grows before he sobers again. “So, what do you remember? Let’s start there.”

Naruto narrows his eyes in concentration, and as the memories start to come back, he feels his stomach drop. “I-I remember…Kakashi and Sasuke about to fight when…S-Sakura tried to—“ he swallows, “—to take him out h-herself. Sasuke retaliated by—by t-trying to stab her with a—a k-kunai through the—” The last word turns to ash on his tongue, too awful to say, but he gestures to his throat with a trembling hand to finish the thought regardless. His words are shaky, horrified, more so as he goes on, and he swallows again, curling a fist in his sheets for purchase. “That’s—that’s when I jumped in. I-I saved her, and then…t-the three of us, all of Team 7, we…w-we tried to convince him to—to come back with us…b-but…” he breathes a laugh, a bitter, angry, almost scared thing, a like smile on his face, “…h-he was talking crazy… He said he—he killed Danzo and that h-he was—was going to k-kill us and then…d-destroy the Leaf to—to ‘cleanse the Uchiha name’…” His fist in the sheets tightens, though he tries to take a shaky breath to steady himself. “I’ve…I’ve never seen him like that before… It was…” he glances up at Shikamaru, knowing he’ll understand, “…it reminded me of the old Gaara, like he sounded when we stopped him from killing Lee all those years ago… That’s what he sounded like...”

Deranged. Unhinged. Totally unrecognizable from the person they knew. Hell, those are being generous…

Shikamaru swears under his breath, frowning as he glares at the floor. He knew the Uchiha was a little sick in the head, but nothing like this…! Looking back up at Naruto, he asks, “Anything else?”

He thinks, but then shakes his head. “Everything after that is…a blur, really. Bits and pieces, a lot of blood and pain, but that’s it. Mind filling me in?”

Shikamaru’s frown deepens, but he sits up a little straighter nonetheless. He’s always been one to rip off bandages quickly. “You used your clones to stop Kakashi-sensei from interfering and then went after Sasuke yourself. Once you two started fighting, there was nothing Kakashi and Sakura could do but watch. There was no way in hell they were getting between you two.” He can only imagine how hard that must have been for them to watch. “The fight went on for a long time, and it got pretty brutal. Sakura had to look away after a while. She couldn’t stand to see you two hurt each other like that. The only reason it stopped without both of you dying was because some guy in a mask showed up and took Sasuke away. You wanted to go after them, but you ended up coughing up blood and passing out a second later. Kakashi and Sakura got you back here as fast as they could, and then Sakura and Lady Tsunade headed the three surgeries necessary to save your life. According to Lady Tsunade, though, it wasn’t just them who saved you.”

He nods toward Naruto’s Seal. “It was the Nine Tails inside you, too.” Naruto’s eyes widen, and he looks down at where the demon resides. “It used up a lot of its chakra to keep you alive after yours was depleted. That’s also why it’s taking you so long to heal. Since the pair of you are basically out of chakra, the Nine Tails can’t accelerate your healing like it normally would, so your recovery’s pretty much slowed to a crawl.” Taking a sip of his water, he continues, “Anyway, after you got out of surgery, you were still in really bad shape. All the doctors and nurses did their best to take care of you, and Sakura and Lady Tsunade even stepped in and did some special medical ninjutsu stuff where they could, but it was touch and go almost the whole time. Some days were better than others. We were all really afraid you weren’t gonna make it this time.” He rubs the back of his neck and sighs, mostly in relief. “But thankfully, you’re awake now, so that’s over. Thank goodness… I’m getting way too old for this stuff…”

When Naruto doesn’t immediately laugh and spout some quip about Shikamaru only being a few weeks older, the chunin looks up to make sure he’s okay.

He finds Naruto staring up at the ceiling, for once completely silent. His eyes are dull, a shade or two darker than they were a few minutes ago, almost listless. His expression is much the same, but Shikamaru can tell there’s a whole maelstrom of emotions playing behind both.

“Where’s Sasuke now?” Even his voice has lost most of its inflection. He sounds…exhausted, but it’s more than that. Almost...defeated.

Shikamaru swallows, trying to quell the worry starting to turn his stomach. He hopes it’s just the shock and maybe a reaction to the memories coming back. “Hard to say. According to Kakashi-sensei and Sakura’s reports, when that masked man came for Sasuke, it was like they just vanished into thin air. There wasn’t a trace of them left, not even a chakra signature. Kakashi has a theory that it was some kind of jutsu unique to that man. An ANBU team was dispatched to the area to see what clues they could find, if any, and they did find a red-haired woman who claims she was Sasuke’s…assistant or something, but as far as Sasuke goes…” He shrugs, next words riding on a tired sigh as he scratches his head. “For now, it looks like we’re back to square one.”

There’s a long, pregnant silence for several moments. The clock ticks by, but Shikamaru can’t bring himself to break it, waiting instead on bated breath for his friend’s response.

Naruto, for his part, heard everything, it’s just…it’s like there’s white noise playing in the background of his mind. He’s not sure if it has something to do with the Nine Tails’ weakness, his own, or maybe it’s all in his head. He’s trying so hard to process everything he’s just remembered and learned, but…it’s too much. All of it’s too much. He wishes it would stop, especially the static. It’s not helping anything. Maybe…he just needs more sleep. “I see…”

His voice is even more despondent than before, and that combined with the way he rolls over onto his side, his back to Shikamaru, sets the older boy further on edge. “Naruto…are you okay?” he asks softly. He’s well aware how stupid a question like that probably is right now, but he doesn’t care. He needs to know, and more than that, he wants to. This would be a lot to take in for anybody, but especially Naruto, who loves with absolutely everything he has in him, and hell, he basically fought his former teammate to the death (for a second time), so it makes sense that this would negatively affect him. Of course it does. It’s only natural. He remembers the last time Naruto shut down like this, after his first near-death fight with Sasuke in the Valley of the End. But still, this…it feels…different somehow. He can’t quite put his finger on why yet. He just hopes it won’t be worse. God forbid.

Finally, curling into himself a little more, Naruto answers, “Y-yeah…” His voice is so hollow and low that Shikamaru almost has to strain to hear it. The brunette swears he’s the worst liar in the world. He’s not even trying at this point. It only makes him worry more. “Hey…Shikamaru…?”

Said boy leans forward so he can hear better. “Yeah? What’s—?”

Suddenly, there’s a bandaged arm around him, and the next thing Shikamaru knows, Naruto’s hugging him. He couldn’t even sit up before without being in intense pain, but now, through sheer force of will, he’s hugging him. Shikamaru breathes an exasperated laugh. “Thank you, Shikamaru. For staying.”

It’s barely more than a whisper, but Shikamaru hears it like it’s the only thing that matters. Right now, to him, it is. He gets the feeling Naruto isn’t just talking about being here when he woke up either. He can’t help but smile and hug his friend back gently, not wanting to hurt him more than he’s probably hurting himself. He feels Naruto relax in his arms, and he holds him just a little tighter, letting his face tuck just slightly into the blond’s shoulder. He’s so, so glad he’s alive. “Don’t mention it. What else are friends for?”

Naruto actually does manage a chuckle at that, and Shikamaru considers it a personal victory. They stay like that for several seconds more before settling Naruto back in bed.

“H-hey, um…” Shikamaru’s steady, calm gaze never leaves the blue-eyed boy; he wants to help in any way he can, “…don’t leave?” Then, even quieter, “Please?”

The whirlwind in Shikamaru’s gut dies down, if only a little, and even though Naruto’s too embarrassed to look at him, feeling his request childish, he hopes he can feel the way his gaze softens. He leans back in his chair to get a little more comfortable. If the nurses want to throw him out now, they’re going to have to contend with Naruto’s word as well as his own. “I’m not going anywhere,” he promises quietly. “Sleep well, Naruto.”

---

“I’m going to kill all of you…”

“You never had a family! You couldn’t possibly understand!”

“The Hidden Leaf will be destroyed by my own hand!”

Images of the Hidden Leaf in burning ruins pass by, nondescript screams and sobs piercing the air. Bodies everywhere—crushed, burning, impaled, cut in half, dismembered—so many there’s almost no open ground to be seen. Moving closer to the center, all of Naruto’s mentors and friends are lying on the ground, unmoving and unseeing. They’ve been killed, murdered, in chilling, gut-wrenching ways, each worse than the last. Those closest to Naruto were dealt the worst deaths by far.

In the middle of it all, Sasuke holds a dying Naruto by his collar, grinning at him like a lunatic, eyes wild. He leans in close, his Magekyo Sharingan glowing an unsettling red. Naruto can see and smell the blood coating his lips and teeth, gushing from now-blind eyes. “I win…Naruto!”

--

“No! Sasuke!”

Naruto shoots upright instantly, screaming loudly enough to wake the rest of the patients on the floor.

“Whoa, hey!”

His good arm clutches at his chest where a huge hole was a second ago, he’s sure of it.

“Naruto!”

He’s shaking like a leaf, drenched in sweat, breathing and heart rate erratic.

“Damn it! Can’t you hear me?!”

Tears flow freely from blue eyes that can see nothing but the carnage and world-ending in his nightmare. Part of him knows it’s not real, but he can’t—he can’t shake it—!

“Hey, Naruto!”

Naruto snaps his neck to find Shikamaru standing at his side. He has a tight, tremulous grip on his shoulder, and the older boy’s looking at him like he’s afraid he’ll pass out or start screaming again any second. They’re both breathing hard, but for two very different reasons. Shikamaru, seeing the change in him immediately, lets out a shaky breath, worry pinching his brow hard. “Hey, hey…” He squeezes his shoulder a little more to hopefully help ground him in reality. “You with me?”

Naruto takes a minute to catch his breath and slowly ease his white-knuckled fist from his shirt so he can reach up to wipe his eyes and face and then rest it on Shikamaru’s. He nods. “Y-yeah…I-I think so…” Shikamaru doesn’t let up right away, not moving an inch, and Naruto tries to manage a smile for him. It’s pitiful, but it’s something. “S-sorry if I scared you…”

A few more cautious seconds, and like the string holding him up has been cut, Shikamaru’s whole body slumps and he takes a heavy seat on the edge of Naruto’s bed. He sighs wearily and buries his face in his hand, just trying to breathe. He shakes his head. “No, it’s…don’t worry about it…”

He says that, and yet his shoulders are trembling, just slightly. Naruto isn’t sure he’s noticed. He gets the feeling his friend might have had a tougher time waking him up than he wants to tell him. Suddenly worried he might have actually hurt him in his terror, he looks him over for any injuries, but doesn’t find any. He lets out a relieved, silent sigh of his own. Thank goodness… “I’m…I’m sorry…” He winces at the sound of his own voice. It’s even worse than when he first woke up. Probably from all the crying and screaming. “It was…” he looks away, embarrassed and ashamed to have caused all this trouble, voice falling, “…it was just...a nightmare…”

Shikamaru, while listening intently, takes a deep breath before letting it out slowly. He does that a few times before he lets his hand fall. It’s a calming exercise Asuma taught him years ago. It almost always works, and this is no exception. He’s grateful.

Turning back to Naruto, he hesitates a half-second ahead of reaching out to squeeze the blond’s fingers lightly. After so many years of being friends and as observant as he is, the notion that physical affection is something Naruto lives for hasn’t been lost on him. Never mind that he’s not usually especially physically affectionate himself, if he can give Naruto some comfort right now, damn it, he’ll do just about anything. “I know. I heard. About Sasuke attacking the village and killing everyone in horribly brutal ways, right?” Naruto looks at him like he’s grown two heads, and he explains, a tiny, wry smirk coming despite himself. “Unfortunately, your mumbles and screams didn’t leave much to the imagination.”

Paling, Naruto shakes his head roughly to get rid of the resurfaced images. “S-sorry…”

Shikamaru frowns. “Hey, stop that. This is not something you have to apologize for,” he tells him firmly. “After what you’ve been through, I don’t blame you for freaking out, even in your sleep. Any sane person would.”

Naruto breathes a laugh at that, somewhat relieved. Still, something in his expression is almost… haunted. ‘Sane,’ huh…? “So I’m not a drag, then?”

Shikamaru recognizes that look on sight. He used to wear it all the time as a kid, and it comes back once in a while when he’s reminded of back then. Hell, even just a few short years ago. His answering almost-snarl makes Naruto look up at him with wide eyes, but Shikamaru can’t help it. “No, of course not.” He doesn’t care if it’s been years. He still wants to punch all the ignorant bastards in this village who ever made Naruto feel like he was nothing but a worthless demon. He was a child, for God’s sake! “You are not a drag, idiot. You never could be.”

A heartbeat, and something in Naruto’s face and eyes softens, the shadows leaving his eyes, and a more believable, if still small, smile paints his lips. Shikamaru feels himself relax at that alone. “Got it. Thanks, Shikamaru.”

“You’re welcome.” It’s quiet for a good few seconds, and then, quietly, hesitantly, “So…do you wanna talk about it?”

Naruto blinks and then thinks. He could tell him what he’s thinking and feeling, but…right now, it’s all still kind of a mess inside, and that nightmare didn’t help. He might be able to help him figure out a solution, but he also gets the feeling that Shikamaru would tell him this is something he has to figure out for himself. With that in mind, he slowly shakes his head. “Not yet. I…I still need to…sort some things out. In my head and…my heart, too. How I’m feeling…you know?” Blue eyes leisurely move to meet brown. His tiny smile’s grown a bit. “But thank you. I’ll tell you when, okay?”

Shikamaru isn’t so sure he likes letting this lie, but…he trusts Naruto. He trusts that he’ll come to him if he needs someone to confide in. “Sure. Take your time. I’ll be here.”

Naruto softens, tries really hard not to think of the three clean-through sword wounds that traveled the length of Shikamaru’s midsection in his nightmare. He swallows, does his best to remind himself that the blood on his tongue isn’t real. His smile wavers, turns fragile, but then bounces back to be even bigger than before. “T-thanks, Shikamaru. You’re the best.”

Shikamaru’s cheeks color slightly at the compliment, not expecting it. Avoiding his gaze momentarily, he gently pushes Naruto back down on the bed. “Again, you’re welcome. Now…” he moves from the mattress back to his chair so he doesn’t crowd his friend, “…get some sleep. For real this time.” Sensing he’s nervous, he reaches out to squeeze his fingers again, leaving them there. If it’ll help him sleep and avoid any more nightmares for the night, he doesn’t mind. He offers a reassuring smile. “It’ll be fine, you’ll see. If I’m wrong, I’ll eat my words and do something we both know I think is a total drag.”

Naruto laughs, for real this time. It looks like some of his color’s finally coming back, too. That’s good. “A—” a big yawn interrupts him, and his eyelids start to droop; his exhaustion’s rushing back now that he feels warm and safe again, “—all right... Night…Shikamaru…”

He’s out like a light in just a few seconds, and that means Shikamaru can finally relax himself. He doesn’t plan on sleeping just yet, wanting to make sure Naruto really will be okay first, but he’ll get there eventually. Leaning back in his chair, head propped against the wall, he looks out the window at the clear, starry night sky. They might not be clouds, but they’ll do.

Something about all this tells Shikamaru that Naruto’s recovery won’t be as smooth as the last time.

But lucky for him?

This time, he has Shikamaru at his back.

[hookedonapirate]

Summary: The Jones brothers are polar opposites. Liam's the safe and honorable one, straight-laced and straight as an arrow. The good son.

Killian's the dangerous one, the bad boy with tats, leather jackets, a motorcycle and a questionable past.

The only things they have in common are panty-melting sea-blue eyes, the flat they share in Storybrooke and a rare blood type.

Oh, and apparently their taste in women.

Or rather, one woman.

Feisty.

Blonde.

Gorgeous.

Green-eyed Goddess.

Killian saw her first, but she chose his brother—the nice guy over the playboy. And even though she’s dating his brother, it doesn't make him want her any less. If that's not bad enough, she moves in with them and he has to pretend he's not completely in love with her. His life could not get any worse…

Until Liam dies in a tragic motorcycle accident.

Leaving each of them with one half of a broken heart.

Now Killian and Emma are left helping each other pick up the pieces.

Just as they're beginning to learn how to live in their new reality, another riptide pulls them further into the deep end when she finds out she's pregnant with Liam's baby.

Notes: So I made this post on Tumblr the other day, and then this fic happened. If you haven't seen the tags, please read them before starting this story or becoming invested because it’s very angsty. First of all, this starts out as Swan Jewel? I don't know what their ship name is or if there is an official name, but yes, Liam and Emma are in a relationship in the beginning, and I know it’s not everyone’s cup of tea. If you're not comfortable with that, I highly encourage you to hit the back button.

Thank you @ultraluckycatnd​ for looking it over!

This story was inspired by Baby Mine by Kennedy Fox, and I loved the book so much and thought it was very much underrated. I’ve wanted to write a fic like this for a long time now because it’s one of my favorite tropes, but after I read that book, I just had to write my own take. Also, I made this post about a Baby Yodarita drink last year when it was trending and since the beginning of this story starts one year prior, 2019 and since Killian is a bartender, it was a perfect way to include the prompt.

The title comes from the lyrics of the song, Lay By Me by Ruben. The particular line goes like this:

"I hope you know through the rising tide That I'll be here and you can lay by my side"

If you've never heard it, I recommend giving it a listen. It's an amazing song and very fitting for this story.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VFJbLzEtoZw

P.S. In case you're unable to read the shoulder tattoo in the picture above and are wondering what it says—

"There is no happiness without tears

No life without death

And no true love without heartbreak"

Rated: Explicit for smut (including sexual fantasies, masturbation, implied and detailed sex, etc.) and language (lots of F-bombs).

Also available on: AO3 FF.N

Chapter 1

“Late again?” Liam chides when Ruby waltzes into work as if everything is completely normal. As if she’s not an hour late for her shift. 

  For the third time that week.

  She gives him an apologetic smile, but Killian knows she’s not actually sorry. 

  He’s just wondering who she was with this time.

  “Won't happen again, boss.”

  “Damn right it won’t. This is your third warning. Next time, there will be a write-up,” he admonishes.

  Frustration creases her forehead. “Geez, would you just chill? My car broke down.”

  Liam crosses his arms, narrowing his eyes at her. “So, you mean to tell me your car has broken down three times this week?” he asks, holding up three fingers. “And on either of these occasions, you couldn’t pick up the phone and give me a heads up? Did your phone break, too?”

  She flashes him a look as though the answer to his question is obvious. “I told you my car’s a piece of junk. And I tried to call, but no one answered.”

  Killian fights off a laugh, knowing for a fact Ruby is bluffing. At least about calling tonight, since the phone hadn’t rung in the past hour. But he could easily check to see if she’d called on the other two days on the bar phone’s caller i.d. to find out for sure if he really wanted to. 

   “So get a new car. Don’t you make enough from your tips and the hourly wage I pay you?”

  “I make enough from my tips,” she replies with a sarcastic smirk, “but I have more important things to buy.”

  Liam rolls his eyes. “Like what? More six-inch heels, low-cut tops and short skirts?”

  Ruby lets out an exasperated sigh. “How do you think I get good tips—by dressing like a Catholic schoolgirl?” She twists her lips and presses the back of her long, red-painted fingernail to her chin, pondering her own words for a second. “On second thought, that actually might bring in even more tips. Besides, you should be paying for my work clothes. Maybe then I could afford a new car.”

  Liam scoffs. “You want me to pay for your outfits?” He shakes his head. “I don’t think so.”

  Ruby's eyes widen, as though she’s shocked he declined her request. “Why not? Can’t you claim them as a work expense?”

  He nods. “Alright, fine. But if I’m paying for your work attire, then I’m choosing what you wear. Sound good to you?” he asks, knowing damn well she’ll never go for it.

  Unsurprisingly, she shakes her head. “Absolutely not. I ain’t wearing no damn polo shirt and black slacks. I like my low-cut tops and short skirts, thank you very much.”

  Liam sighs and cups his forehead in his hand to indicate she’s giving him a headache as he turns around and walks toward his office. “Just get to work, Ruby.”

  She wraps her apron around her waist and mimics his words in a mocking tone, “Just get to work, Ruby.”

  “I heard that!” Liam hollers.

  “I could be already serving customers if it weren’t for my pain in the ass boss riding me every two goddamn seconds!” she shouts, hoping he heard that too.

  Killian chuckles to himself as he rings up a customer for his drinks and hands him the change.

  “That dude seriously needs to get laid,” Ruby huffs. “Maybe then he’d back off a little.”

  “Ha! I doubt it,” Killian comments before taking another drink order.

  Ruby heads to the dining area to wait on customers. She knows Killian’s not wrong to doubt Liam’s ability to show a little mercy. He’s worked for his brother for two years, longer than anyone has ever been able to stand working for him, and he’s never once seen Liam be lenient, not even to his own brother. He runs a tight ship, and Killian doesn’t see that ever changing. Liam has owned this bar for five years and takes his job very seriously. 

  Killian’s just glad he only has to work here for another six months. Or at least that’s the plan. He’s about to graduate from Storybrooke University and get his degree in engineering. As much as he enjoys working for his brother, or rather listening to his coworkers complain about his brother behind Liam’s back, he doesn’t plan on spending his entire life making drinks.

  Liam emerges from his office an hour later and announces he has to take off for a while to run some errands. Killian’s confused because this is Liam’s night to manage the bar. He dedicates the majority of his other time performing administrative tasks during the week.

  “What errands do you have to run on a Friday night?” Killian asks, his words laced with suspicion.

  “Just some errands I promised someone I’d take care of. You’re in charge while I’m gone.” He pulls on his jacket and leaves Killian behind the bar with a confused expression on his face, wondering what his brother is up to. 

  Killian brushes off the thought, deciding to further question him later.

  Liam heads out the door, but not before scolding Ruby for sitting down at a table full of rowdy men, chatting (and not about the menu). She may be into women, but she flirts with customers regardless of their gender for the tips. 

  Ruby curses under her breath and gets up, moving to her next table to jot down orders.

  ~*~

  Emma sighs as Mary Margaret grabs her hand and pulls her into The Captain's Rum. Or more like, drags her in kicking and screaming. She doesn’t wish to be at this bar any more than she wanted to be at the last two. But her sister-in-law insists on the outlandish idea Emma’s going to find Mr. Perfect tonight. Or somehow get over her asshole of an ex-boyfriend after one night of drinking.

  And even though it's been two months since she left Neal and his thieving and cheating ass, and as much as she wants to get over him, Emma knows it’s not gonna happen for a while. At least not tonight.

  And yet, here she is.

  One night of drinking can’t hurt, she supposes. One night of forgetting everything. Of numbing her pain. Or so she keeps telling herself, but that could be the alcohol she’s already imbibed at the other two bars speaking.

  “So, how’s it going tonight, Rubes?” Mary Margaret asks the cocktail server once they’re seated at a booth. 

  Apparently, they know each other.

  “Well, no one's tried to manhandle me yet, so it's a start.” The tall brunette with red streaks in her hair leans over the table and murmurs, “Not a great start, but it's a start.”

  Mary Margaret rolls her eyes and laughs as she gestures at Emma. “Rubes, this is my sister-in-law, Emma. She just moved here from New York.”

  Looking at Emma, Ruby grins and sticks out her hand. “Hi! Nice to meet you!”

  Emma gives her a polite smile and shakes her hand. “Likewise.”

  When Ruby brings the chips and cheese Mary Margaret ordered, she places them on the table along with two empty plates. Before arriving here, Mary Margaret decided they would put some food in their bellies before they added more alcohol so they wouldn't get too drunk too fast and have to head home early. Well, that was Mary Margaret’s idea at least. Emma would much rather be home in the comfort of her bedroom watching Netflix. Or rather, her brother’s and sister-in-law's guestroom they so graciously let her sleep in until she gets her own place. 

  “Enjoy, ladies.”

  “Sure will,” Mary Margaret beams as Ruby leaves their table. She sips on some water as she scans the bar. Probably for potential suitors she can hook her sister-in-law up with, Emma surmises. “What about him? He's cute,” Mary Margaret remarks, her eyes trained on someone behind her. 

  Emma looks over her shoulder and arches a brow. “He’s cute if you’re sixteen. He looks way too young.”

  “Well, he’s drinking, so he must be at least twenty-one,” Mary Margaret points out.

  “He looks sixteen, and sorry, I don’t date children.”

  “Emma, he’s not a child, probably a college student. And you act like you’re so old just because you already graduated. You’re twenty-two,” Mary Margaret points out like she’s jealous and wishes to be so young again. But she's only a few years older—the same age as David.

  Emma groans. “No, thanks.” Her last boyfriend was immature enough as it was, and he was ten years her senior. “So, tell me, how are you and my brother getting along?” Emma asks, attempting to change the subject and get her sister-in-law to avert her attention from the college boys across the room. “Sick of each other yet?”

  Mary Margaret whips her head around and scowls. “Of course not. Why would you ask such a thing?”

  Emma laughs and raises her hands in defense. “Because I knew it was the only thing that would get your attention.”

  Guilt and apology flicker in Mary Margaret’s eyes. “Sorry, Emma.” She lays her palms on the table. “David and I are just worried about you, that’s all.”

  Emma sighs, frustration creasing her forehead. “I’m fine, I promise. Neal was an ass, and honestly, him cheating on me was a good thing. I needed the wake-up call, okay? I was blinded by love. But now that we're over, I can move on with my life. That’s why I let you talk me into bar hopping.”

  A slow, hopeful smile spreads across her lips. “I know, and I’m so happy you got out of that relationship, Emma. David and I both are.”

  Emma laughs. “I know. When I landed on your door stoop, we both had to stop him from driving all the way to New York to kick Neal's ass.”

  Mary Margaret nods. “True. He’s very protective of you.”

  Emma rolls her eyes. “I know. It’s both a blessing and a curse.” She takes a sip of water as she scans the bar. It’s the first time she’s been to The Captain's Rum, and everyone is so unfamiliar to her. New York is a huge place, especially compared to Storybrooke, but in this bar, it feels like she‘s back in New York. She swears everyone in Storybrooke is here.

  Ruby returns to their table to sit and chat. And steal some of their chips, double-dipping them in the cheese. Emma fights off the urge to laugh at this as her eyes wander past Ruby’s shoulder. 

  Huge mistake.

  The group at the bar counter disperses, revealing the most gorgeous sight she's ever seen.

  Holy. Fucking. Hell. 

  She loses a breath when she sees what she can only describe as a fine specimen. 

  Good Lord.

  Handsome features and such a delicious smile to accompany his perfect face as he chats with a male patron at the bar, she finds herself licking her lips.

  “What about him?” Emma manages when she’s able to find the words in her throat. 

  Mary Margaret’s eyes light up before she even looks to see who Emma is staring so unabashedly at. “Who?!” She and Ruby both turn their heads, their eyes following the path of Emma’s gaze until they land on the target.

  “You mean the bartender?” Mary Margaret asks, though, to Emma’s surprise, she doesn’t seem very excited; more like disappointed.

  Emma tears her gaze away from the bartender, as much as she doesn’t want to. But she couldn’t breathe when she looked at him and she needed to come up for air. “Yeah, why not?” 

  “Why not what?” Ruby asks as she looks at Emma, curiosity flashing in her big hazel eyes. “Because if you’re asking ‘why not jump his bones,’ then I can’t think of one good reason.”

  “Ruby, don’t encourage her,” Mary Margaret chides with a glare.

  Ruby frowns, confusion etched in her features. “Why not?”

  “Because… Killian is a player. Emma just broke up with her player of a boyfriend a couple of months ago. She doesn't need another one in her life.”

  “Um, excuse me, I’m right here,” Emma groans wryly. “And I’m perfectly capable of making my own decisions.”

  “She’s not wrong though,” Ruby remarks. “He is a player. But a fucking hot player. Between the two of us, we’ve conquered all the women of Storybrooke.”

  Emma lifts a brow. “Does that mean what I think it means?”

  “Yep. Probably even some of the same women,” she winks, her words bearing no shame or remorse.

  “Ruby, would you stop? Besides, neither of you have conquered me,” Mary Margaret points out with air quotes.

  Ruby rolls her eyes. “Of course not. Prince Charming had already parked his car in your garage long ago.” She reverts her eyes to Emma. “If you’re looking for a relationship, he’s definitely not for you…” she leans over toward Emma, speaking softly, “but if you’re looking for a hookup to get over that cheating ex of yours, then he’s absolutely perfect for that. He’ll give you an orgasm sooooo hard, you’ll forget all about that scumbag. Then he’ll do it over and over again until he knows you won’t be able to walk for weeks.” Ruby grins wide. “Hell, you’ll forget your own fucking name for weeks.”

  Emma gulps, having to recover from the images Ruby implanted in her mind of the man on the other side of the bar. Once she recovers, she furrows her brows at the conclusions she’s drawn from Ruby’s graphic depictions of what a night with the handsome, dark-haired bartender would be like. “How would you know? Have you two—”

  Ruby laughs as though Emma just said the funniest thing she’s ever heard in her life. “Oh Gaaaaawwwwd, no! I don’t swing that way, honey,” she says, rising and waving off Emma’s words with a flick of her hand. “But I’ve seen the number Killian’s done on his conquests. People talk, especially the drunk, horny females who enter the bar. Plus, as I said, he’s my competition, so I have to know what he's working with… if you know what I mean,” she says with a wink.

  “Yeah, I got it,” Emma groans as Ruby saunters away. Why do all the hot guys have to be players? 

  It’s just her luck.

  Emma turns to catch another look at him. 

  God, he’s gorgeous. 

  Dark, wild hair, stubble on his chin and cheeks, and a fantastic body based on what she can see from her vantage point.

  “Emma! Don’t even think about it! That man’s trouble and you know David would never approve,” Mary Margaret explains, pulling Emma from her trance.

  She turns her head, glaring at her sister-in-law. “David is not my father. And besides, I’m a grown-ass woman! He can’t tell me who I can or cannot date.”

  Mary Margaret gives her a motherly look. “I know, sweetie, but this man doesn’t date women, he fucks them and then sends them packing. David only wants to protect you from guys like him.”

  “I don’t need his protection, okay? Or yours. I’m perfectly capable of looking out for myself.” Emma stands from her seat, and she’s not sure if it’s because of the alcohol still brewing in her system, or because her sister-law has expressed disapproval from both her and David, making this man seem like a forbidden, sinful dessert she’s dying to get a taste of, even though she’ll pay for it later. But right now she doesn't give a fuck. 

  She sucks in a breath and strides across the bar, ignoring Mary Margaret’s pleas and warnings.

  Her eyes are fixed on him like a magnet. He’s wearing a black v-neck that fits him like a glove and shows off a provocative amount of chest hair, his tight, firm muscles bulging as he wipes down the bar counter. His muscles aren’t inhumanly large, just big enough for her to imagine him picking her up and easily carrying her to his bedroom like she weighs nothing. Emma can feel her panties grow wet just from watching him work. 

  But even though she doesn’t wish to be told who to be with, she knows she should heed her sister-in-law’s warnings.

  What would one night of fun hurt, though? She’s spent too much time holed up in her New York apartment, wallowing in self-pity and heartache after Neal hurt her. She hasn’t been with anyone since then. And maybe she’s not looking to dive into a serious relationship right now. Or ever. Maybe she just wants to blow off some steam. And this man looks like he can handle such a task. She’s more than willing to find out. 

  Emma approaches the bar and stands in front of him, placing her hands on the counter. 

  “What can I get you, lass?”

  Well, fuck me sideways.

  He has a British accent too?

  She knows she should run for her life, but before she can talk herself out of it, he looks up from his task, and she feels like her feet are glued to the floor. 

  Ho-ly hell.

  He’s even more gorgeous up close.

  His arms are inked with tattoos she so badly wants to trace with her fingers, and his striking blue eyes sparkle as he stares at her, his smile showing off a set of pearly white teeth.

  Well shit.

  She couldn’t run away if she wanted to.

  ~*~

  Killian had been running back and forth behind the bar for hours, ringing up bar patrons, making drinks and engaging in small talk. It’s a typical Friday night at The Captain’s Rum; the place is normally busy on the weekends, especially since the bar is only a stone’s throw away from the university, and tonight is no exception. It’s crowded and loud, couples are dancing, and the women are scantily clad in either tiny dresses or short tops and skirts. As he’s grabbing beers and making cocktails, the bar continues to fill and grow louder. 

  He hands off drinks to a couple before moving on to the next customer. 

  “Hey Jones, can I get two Blue Ribbons?” his good mate, Robin, calls over the blaring music. 

  Killian chuckles and grabs the desired beers, popping off the caps before handing them over. “Taking it easy tonight?” he asks, leaning against the counter and gripping the edge of it with both hands.

  “Aye. Regina doesn’t like the hard stuff. She’s more of a wine person.”

  “Ah, I see.” Killian nods; he can definitely see that about Regina. He doesn't want to say this to one of his best mates, but the lass can be a little stuck up and quite bossy at times. She makes Robin happy though, so he keeps his mouth shut.

  He chats with him for a few minutes, finally getting a few minutes of reprieve. As Robin heads back to his girlfriend, Killian takes the opportunity to wipe down the bar top. But before he’s finished, someone approaches the counter. His eyes are still trained on his task, but he can’t miss the long blonde hair, pink lace and fantastic cleavage, seeing as the view is directly in front of him. “What can I get you, lass?” he asks, throwing on his most charming grin as he lifts his head.

  His smile is cemented on his face the second he looks up.

  Killian’s accustomed to seeing pretty women entering his brother’s bar and parading around in clothes that barely cover their essential parts.

  Yet nothing in the world could’ve prepared him for the woman standing in front of him on the other side of the bar counter.

  No, not woman. 

  Goddess.

  Emerald green eyes, soft pink lips curved into a shy smile, smooth creamy skin, long golden hair cascading over her shoulders.

  Good. 

  God.

  She’s breathtaking.

  Stunning.

  “What would you recommend?” she asks in a teasing tone.

  Fuck.

  Her voice is that of an angel’s. Pure and sweet and innocent.

  She looks like everything he doesn’t deserve but wants every... fucking... part of.

  “Uh… I um…” he stutters, scratching nervously behind his ear. He can’t form a cohesive sentence as he looks into those hypnotizing eyes. He wants to get lost in them, drown in them. “What are you… what are you in the mood for, love?” he finally musters, adding another one of his signature grins. “I can make you anything your heart desires.” What he wants to say is, “I can give you anything your heart desires,” but even that may not be true. As gorgeous as she is, he’s afraid he wouldn’t be the man she deserves. He’s never been the guy women like to take home to their parents, anyway. He’s the guy chicks like to have around for a good time before they eventually settle into a serious relationship with Mr. Perfect. He’s definitely no Mr. Perfect, more like a Good Luck Chuck, but at the moment, he feels like he could be fucking Superman for this woman. And he's only exchanged a few words with her so far.

  She arches a brow and it’s literally the most adorable and sexiest thing he’s ever witnessed in his life. “Anything?” He senses a challenge in her tone. 

  “Try me,” he encourages.

  She bites her bottom lip in thought.

  He lied. Now that’s the most adorable and sexiest thing he’s ever witnessed.

  “What if I said I wanted a Baby Yodarita?”

  He arches a brow, very much intrigued. “A Baby Yodarita? Never heard of it.”

  She laughs and the sound is music to his ears. “That's because I made up the name. But I figure it would be a green drink that looks like baby Yoda.”

  “So, I take it you’re a Star Wars fan?”

  “Are you a bartender?” 

  Just as he answers like it’s the most obvious thing in the world, since he’s behind the bar serving drinks, he catches her drift and flashes a smirk.

  Could this woman be any hotter? And yes, as he’s asking this question in his head, he’s picturing Chandler Bing and the way he would say it, emphasizing the word be. Gods, he hates that he knows that about Friends. He hates that he actually likes that show.

  “You don't really have to be a Star Wars fan to be a baby Yoda fan though. He's so cute, he's trending on the internet, haven't you seen?”

  He chuckles. “Aye, who hasn't?” 

  She plants her hand on her hip, donning a sultry smirk. “So, are you up for the task, or not?”

  He licks his lips and leans over the bar counter, his eyes locked with hers. He wants to ask her if she fell from heaven. Or if he just died and went to heaven. But he has a feeling cheesy lines wouldn't work on a woman like her. “I'm afraid you'll have to be more specific as to what task you’re referring to, love.” But who the fuck is he kidding? There is nothing he could do for her he would consider a task. 

  Only a pleasure.

  Blush paints her cheeks and she leans over, meeting him halfway until her face is mere inches from his. “I have a few in mind… but how ‘bout that drink, first?” 

  Bloody. Fuck-ing. Hell.

  Her voice is a mixture of sweet and seductive. He doesn’t know how she manages to pull off a combination like that. His eyes drop to her lips and he’s seriously considering kissing the holy fuck out of her over the bar counter, audience be damned. He almost groans just thinking about her soft, luscious looking lips pressed against his, but he swallows the sound before it leaves his throat.

  He lifts his eyes to hers. “Sit tight, sweetheart.” 

  “Okay,” she says with a smile and takes a seat on a barstool. “Oh, and a Cosmo for my sister-in-law.”

  “Coming right up.” It takes every ounce of strength within him to pull away, but somehow he does. 

  He has to take slow, deep breaths to peel his mind from the fantasies he’s already having of him and the blonde temptress watching him intently as he prepares her drink. 

  ~*~

  Emma snorts. She honestly didn’t think he would actually take her seriously. She was only kidding around. But he took her very seriously and eagerly accepted her challenge. And he did an amazing job.

  She stares at the green drink in amusement, impressed, to say the least. He brought it to her in a margarita glass with two lime wedges sticking out like ears. The stem is wrapped in a napkin tied with twine and clearly made to look like Baby Yoda’s coat. And there's a cocktail stick tucked into the twine like a sword. 

  “Well? How did I do?” he asks, eagerly seeking her answer.

  “It's so cute,” she comments honestly. “It looks great, but does it taste as good as it looks?” As she asks that question, she’s looking up into his gorgeous eyes. And she can’t deny she’s wondering the same about him. 

  Does he taste as good as he looks? 

  Before she brings the glass to her lips, he puts up a finger to stop her. 

  “Hold on.” He grabs a toothpick and stabs two cherries, one on each end, before sticking it into the drink, giving the baby Yoda a pair of eyes. “For the finishing touch,” he smirks.

  After she stops laughing, she takes a hesitant drink. Once she takes the first sip, her face sours and she blinks a few times as she swallows. “Wow, that’s strong.” She arches her brow, pinning him with an accusatory stare. “Are you trying to get me drunk?”

  He chuckles. “Aye, isn't that the intention?” 

  She nods and grins. “This will certainly do the trick.” She rises from the stool and reaches into her back pocket, pulling out her phone case wallet, which holds her phone and money. “How much?” she asks, pulling out some cash.

  He waves off her offer. “The drinks are on me,” he says with a wink.

  “Are you sure? I don't wanna get you in trouble.”

  “Trust me, I won't get in trouble.”

  Taking his word for it, she tucks the cash into her wallet. “Thanks for the drinks, Killian.”

  He arches a sultry brow, making her heart skip a beat. “So, you’ve heard of me, but I have yet to learn your name?”

  She laughs and points at the name embroidered into his shirt. “Yours is right there.”

  “Oh, that,” he chuckles, a light blush tinting his cheeks as he peers down and brushes his fingers over the letters. “My boss insists we have our names displayed on our shirts.”

  “Well, your boss sounds like a pain in the ass.”

  “He is, but I only have to work here for another six months. I’m graduating from SBU in the Spring.”

  She nods as a group of people approach the counter beside her. She glances over at them and shifts her gaze back to him, wishing he had more time to chat, but she knows he has to work. “It's Emma,” she makes sure to tell him before the counter becomes too overcrowded. “My name,” she clarifies, in case that wasn't obvious.

  “It’s nice to meet you, Emma,” he says sweetly, reaching over to shake her hand. When she slips her palm into his, she can feel the sparks from his touch, but instead of shaking her hand, he brings it to his lips and kisses the back of it.

  Oh, God.

  This man’s lips on her skin feel like heaven and sin. She has to clench her thighs to stop the throbbing she feels between her legs.

  Fuck.

  She feels the loss when she pulls her hand away and sees the loss written all over his face. “Well, I should um… I should get back to my sister-in-law,” she stammers after learning how to form words again.

  He scratches behind his ear and opens his mouth to speak before closing it again like he’s nervous about something. “Of course, love.”

  Emma swallows thickly and lingers a bit, patiently waiting for him to say what’s on his mind. 

  He must sense she's waiting for him because as she grabs the drinks and starts to back away from the counter, his voice stops her. “Emma?”

  Good Lord, she loves the way her name slides off his tongue.

  She cocks a brow, hoping he's about to ask for her number. Praying he does. “Yes?”

  “I um… can you come back here before you leave? Say in an hour when it slows down a bit? I’d love to chat with you some more,” he says sincerely.

  Emma purses her lips like she has to mull over his question. The offer is extremely tempting. But she has something else in mind other than talking. Something involving his hands all over her body and her legs wrapped around his hips as he's plunging into her. 

  And you know what? Fuck it.

  She’s sure whatever he has in mind is exactly what she has in mind. Or at least, close to it. “Sure.”

  His eyes widen in excitement and surprise, as though he wasn't actually expecting her to say yes. “Really?”

  She flashes him her sexiest grin. “Yeah, why not? I’ll see you in an hour.”

  “See you then, love. Enjoy your drink. May the booze be with you.” 

  She snorts and backs away from the counter, holding up her glass in salute before taking a sip. Their eyes are still locked before she turns around.

  As she walks away, she cranes her neck to see him still watching her, even as he's serving other customers. She winks at him and has the pleasure of witnessing that adorable pink blush coloring his cheeks and the smirk on his lips before she faces forward and heads back to Mary Margaret. 

  She’s not looking forward to the lecture her sister-in-law is about to give her, but honestly, she doesn't care. She's looking forward to returning to the hot bartender, hoping to go back to his bedroom. Or the restroom. Either will do, really. As long as she gets to have him.

  After Mary Margaret is done chewing Emma out and reminding her of what a player Killian is, and after she finally realizes Emma is going to do what she wants, regardless of what anyone says, they are able to have some fun. 

  Ruby keeps the drinks coming, and soon they’re tipsy enough to get up and dance among the crowd of gyrating bodies already on the dance floor. Emma glances over at the counter every now and then, and every other time, she catches Killian staring at her, sending shivers down her spine. And every time he tosses her one of his cheeky smiles, her stomach flutters with butterflies. 

  Emma's thankful Mary Margaret is plastered enough to let loose and not give her any shit because she has no idea what Mary Margaret would do if Emma told her she's going back to talk to Killian. Though she has a feeling if Mary Margaret were sober, she'd do anything in her power to make sure Emma stayed away from him. 

  When the time finally comes, they order an Uber, which takes much longer than expected. She helps Mary Margaret into the backseat and tells her she's staying for a bit longer and will catch another Uber when she's ready to leave. She doesn't dare mention Killian's name, or that she plans on leaving with him, for fear Mary Margaret will blabber to her brother. Because then he'll come marching into the bar on his white horse to find his sister with the bartender and embarrass the hell out of her.

  Mary Margaret's too drunk and in no shape to talk her out of anything, so Emma’s able to escape, knowing her brother will take care of his wife when she gets home. 

  Emma quickly shoots David a text to let him know his wife had a few too many drinks and is on her way home in an Uber and that Emma decided to stay a little longer but will be home soon. Which is a lie. 

  She hopes. 

  Before the Uber drives away, Emma slips her phone into her pocket before heading back into the bar. She's fifteen minutes late, but it's not like Killian can go anywhere. He’s the bartender.

  Once inside, she takes a deep breath and tucks some hair behind her ears, a smile playing along her lips as she makes her way to the bar counter. She has no idea what exactly will happen once she reaches him, but with a face as gorgeous as his, she’s pretty sure she would let him do anything he wanted to.

  She’s also pretty sure he could help Emma get over her ex. As they say, the best way to get over someone is to get under someone else. And that’s exactly what she plans on doing.

  As Emma nears the counter and spots Killian, the beaming smile on her face immediately falls flat.

  And her heart sinks.

  A busty blonde is standing at the bar, her hand running up and down Killian’s arm, her fingers tracing his tattoos. The woman is sitting on a barstool at the opposite side of the counter in a low-cut top that leaves absolutely nothing to the imagination, and a skirt so short and tight it looks like it's been painted on. Killian’s standing in front of her, so his back is to Emma as he gives his full attention to the other blonde. It's almost time for last call, so it's now much quieter in the bar, and she's close enough to be able to hear their conversation.

  “What can I get you, love?”

  “A Tequila.”

  “Tequilas are trouble,” he says matter-of-factly.

  She moves in closer, biting her smile. “So am I,” she taunts.

  “I’m fully aware,” he replies with a chuckle. He tries to move, probably to make her Tequila, but she grabs his arm, forcing him to stay. Though, forcing is a bit of an overstatement; Killian doesn't seem to be putting up much of a fight. “Would you like a snack, too?”

  Mischief dances in her eyes as she licks her lips, ogling him like he’s the snack. “I’m looking at it, honey.”

  Emma feels like she's going to be sick. 

  The woman leans in and bites his ear and then pulls away slightly. “Last weekend was incredible. Can’t stop thinking about having my legs wrapped around you,” she giggles.

  Jealousy stabs Emma’s gut and disappointment shoots through her like a lightning bolt, bringing her back to reality.

  Mary Margaret and Ruby were totally right. 

  He’s a player. 

  Unable to listen to them for another second, Emma spins on her heels and dashes out the door so fast, she almost tramples over some guys heading in at the last minute. 

  She should’ve listened to the warnings, but she was too blinded by the attraction she felt for Killian. 

  God, she’s a fucking idiot. 

  Why does she always fall for the dangerous guys? The ones who are bad for her? Why can’t she just find a nice guy for once? Someone safe. Someone who won’t stomp on her heart and discard it like trash without batting an eye.

  She pushes open the door, tears stinging her eyes as she runs outside into the bitter, chilly night, hoping the Uber driver hasn’t taken off yet. But it's wishful thinking because she can't think of a reason why he wouldn't have left by now.

  “Ooof.”

  The air rushes from her lungs as she slams into a tall, solid mass. 

  Hands are gripping her arms to keep her from falling as apologies leave her lips. “Sorry.” She looks up at the man towering over her, Emma's eyes connecting with soft blue ones, which are full of apology. 

  He flashes a warm smile, his lips framed by a light brown scruff.

  “I’m the one who should be sorry, lass. I wasn’t paying attention to where I was going.” 

  Shit.

  He has an accent too? 

  What’s with all the accents in this town? She’s noticed a lot of the locals here weren’t actually born here. Or the States. She didn’t realize how much she liked men with foreign accents until tonight.

  This man continues to apologize, but he doesn’t sound very sorry. At least not for crashing into her. “I was distracted,” he says with a smirk, giving Emma the impression she was what he was distracted by.

  Emma tears herself from the trance she’s in and glances at the side of the road, where the Uber once was. “Shit,” she curses under her breath.

  “Are you okay?” he asks in genuine concern.

  “Yeah, it’s just… my ride has already left. And I’m too drunk to drive home,” she sighs.

  Before the man can respond, his phone chimes from his jacket. “Excuse me,” he says apologetically, pulling out the device. He studies whatever’s on the screen with a worried expression, then looks up at her, his mouth slightly agape.

  “Everything okay?” she asks with an arched brow, starting to shiver as a frigid wind sweeps around her.

  “Um, yeah.” He glances at his phone again before lifting his gaze. “You wouldn’t happen to be Emma, would you?”

  She freezes and just stares at him, not knowing how to answer that. Or rather, why she should answer that.

  What the hell? 

  She's never seen this man before in her life, so how does he know her name? 

  Her heart pounds and she wants to run, but she's afraid she’s not sober enough for that at the moment. “How do you know my name?”

  He appears to be hesitant as he holds up his phone, showing her his screen.

  Emma takes it in her hands so she can get a better look.

  Her eyes widen when she sees a text from a Nolan.

  Nolan, as in her brother? Who else with the last name, Nolan, lives with a Mary Margaret and an Emma?

  Nolan: I just received a text from Emma. She sent Mary Margaret home in an Uber and is at your bar. Can you make sure she gets home all right?

  Her blood sizzles as she rereads the message. Then she reads the texts before it, a couple in particular sticking out like sore thumbs.

  Nolan: So… I have a huge favor to ask.

  Me: Sure, what’s up, mate?

  Nolan: The wife and sister are going to the Rabbit Hole tonight. Emma just moved here from New York after a terrible break-up and Mary Margaret is determined to hook her up with someone.

  Nolan: Think you have time to get away from work and keep an eye on my sister, make sure she doesn’t find any trouble? 

  What the actual fuck?

  Why is her brother having this man spy on her?

  Emma turns around and pulls back the hand still holding the phone, about to toss the damn thing.

  “Whoa, whoa, whoa, don’t shoot the messenger, love,” he pleads. “I need my phone.”

  The endearment makes her shiver. Killian had called her love, too.

  She spins around to glare at the stranger. “David’s using you to spy on me?” she demands firmly.

  He holds up his hands in surrender. “I didn’t want to, lass, I promise, but I would’ve felt terrible if I said no and then, later on, found out something bad happened to you. I promise, I was only helping a friend and looking out for you.”

  Emma sighs and hands his phone back, knowing he’s telling the truth. She saw his responses to David’s texts and gathered he didn’t wish to put his nose where it didn’t belong or to stir up any trouble. “David always has been good at persuading people,” she grumbles.

  “Aye, especially when it comes to protecting the ones he loves,” he winks. 

  “Even so, he has no business spying on me!” she states louder than intended.

  “I wholeheartedly agree,” he states adamantly, making sure to express how much he was against this whole idea, to begin with.

  Emma crosses her arms over her chest, wondering how she never saw him at the Rabbit Hole when she was there. “So, you spied on me at the Rabbit Hole?”

  He shakes his head. “No, I didn’t get the chance to. By the time I got there, you and Mary Margaret were already gone.”

  Emma shakes her head and rolls her eyes at the thought of her own brother asking someone to spy on her. But she’s not surprised. “Brothers are so annoying,” she grumbles.

  He chuckles, and the deep, hearty sound warms her heart a little, despite the chill in the air. “Agreed.”

  She arches her brow, as though to ask him to expand on why.

  “I have one of those, too. So I get it.”

  Emma’s features soften, a small smile pulling at her lips. “Older or younger?”

  “Younger. He can be quite the ponce sometimes, but at the end of the day, I’d lay down my life for him.”

  “I usually feel the same about David… and then he goes and pulls something like this,” Emma remarks bitterly.

  “I take it he does this a lot?”

  “He did when we were younger. But then I moved to New York and he came here, so we didn’t see each other very much.”

  “Ah, I see.”

  Another gust of wind makes her shiver and has him removing his jacket and offering it to her. Even though she’s already wearing one.

  “May I?��

  She cocks a brow. “Won’t you be cold?”

  He shrugs. “I rarely get cold.”

  She gives him a soft nod. He looks like he’d be the type of man who knows how to stay warm, and therefore knows how to keep a woman warm. He has those big, strong arms and broad shoulders, and he’s very tall. She could picture herself being buried in his warmth, but maybe because she's currently freezing her ass off. “Thanks,” she murmurs when he goes behind her and drapes the jacket over her shoulders. 

  “It’s my pleasure, love.” When he’s standing in front of her again, he sticks out his hand. “The name’s Liam.”

  Emma smiles and slips her palm in his. 

  She was right. He is warm. Very warm. “I think David’s mentioned your name a few times.”

  “Probably not as much as he talks about you. In fact, I feel like I already know you,” he chuckles as they break the handshake.

  “Hopefully, he had good things to say?” She almost groans at the idea of David spewing a bunch of embarrassing stories about her from when she was a kid.

  “Aye. Very good things… well, mostly,” he admits. “But who doesn’t have at least a complaint or two about their siblings?”

  She nods in agreement. “True. I complain about him all the time.”

  He grins big and wide. “I don’t doubt that.” When his smile fades a little, he scratches his head as he looks at her, hesitant to form the next words he wants to say. “Well, uh… seeing as it’s,” he checks his watch, “almost two o’clock and not getting any warmer out here, how about I give you a ride home?”

  Emma twists her lips in thought. Normally she wouldn’t even think twice about rejecting a ride from a stranger, but there’s something about this guy that tells her he’s not a serial killer or rapist. There’s something pure about him, a vast contrast to the bartender inside. That guy screamed danger and sin, but this man standing before her gives off completely different vibes. He has a warm personality, which is very refreshing, and he has honest eyes. Besides, she may not be able to stand her brother and his antics sometimes, but he's always had good taste in friends. And if David trusts Liam enough to keep tabs on his sister, then he must be trustworthy.

  So with a feeble smile, she finally answers. “Okay.”

Tagging people who have shown interest. Let me know if you would like to be added. @itsfabianadocarmo​ @resident-of-storybrooke @onceuponaprincessworld @viajandosinalas @teamhook​ @captainswan-shipper88 @jamif @katielovesstarcrossedlovers @uhthreeyuh @lfh1226-linda @babyyouremyqueen @sthonour @julesep3026 @fairytalewhispersinmyheart @andiirivera @wefoundloveunderthelight @wickedsw4n @eleveneitherway @eherron14 @ouatpost @transparentclodsludgeweasel

[serahsanguine]

Vacation Series Pt. 2. Halloween Surprises Ch, 1

This is the Frist Chapter of the Second book in a two-part series 

Book one. - pt. 1, pt. 2, pt. 3, pt. 4, pt. 5, pt. 6 

All chapters can be found Here on Ao3

This Chapter Rating; NC-17 NSFW

Tagging; @skullsmuldon @today-in-fic @baronessblixen @peacenik0

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Summary;  The Second Instalment for the Vacation Series. Filled With spooky storeys, vanity fairs and everything in between. Also to fill The October Spooky  Exchange the Prompt was Boo. 

P.s. Happy Halloween. Happy All Hallows Eve.

***********************************************

               Chapter one; Day one - Arrival.

The lone Gunman had managed to wheel and deal their holiday outlet from the current tenants for two weeks over the Halloween period. Mulder and Scully had also managed to secure a two-week vacation from A.D Skinner for that exact same time frame. 

There had been some changes since the last time they went on vacation, the relationship had not only bloomed both in work but also out of it. They hadn’t told anyone but they weren't actually keeping it a secret either. Scully's mom Maggie had found out by accident when she walked in on both Mulder and Scully snuggled up naked wrapped in each other's embrace one weekday when they were meant to be at work. 

Maggie was annoyed at first and Scully was extremely embarrassed, but Maggie was happy for them and knew this was coming for a long while and was glad they finally got their act together. She wished she had known sooner but better late than never and from now on promised to either ring or knock before entering her daughter's apartment.

They had arrived a little over an hour ago and Scully got to unpacking their things and Mulder had gone outside to chop some wood for the fire. The Lone Gunman was not due for another day but had warned Mulder that due to it being winter the main electric supply could go out and there were two heavy-duty massive generators in the tool shed and plenty of gasoline. Mulder also noted there were oil candles and wood in the basement of the main house as well as food, water and anything else you would need in case the world came to an end. 

Scully had finished putting the last item into the wardrobe then she opened the windows in their bedroom and one in the upstairs hallway before wandering downstairs to open the windows down there as well trying to create a small breeze and let the fresh sea air fill the house. She wandered outside and stopped on the porch steps, Mulder had rid of his suit trousers and changed into jeans that fit comfortably on his hips. Sweat was dripping from his brow, his naked chest shimmering in the afternoon sun, it was cool but not overly cold. 

She watched as he swung the axe above is head throwing it down. The sound of the axe colliding with the wood as it split mixing with the crashing of the waves was tranquil to her. She smiled as his muscles tensed and relaxed with each swing he took. 

“I think we have enough for now.”

“Hi Scully, are you sure? I don’t want to be chopping again in a days time.”

“Mulder there was already three large piles by the house and you have been at this for over an hour and a half we will be fine.”

“But what if?”

She walked over to him the sand slipping through her toes and crunching under the soles of her feet. She stood in front of him, leaning up and placing her lips on his. His hand snaking around her waist bringing her body flat against his. His tongue invading her mouth he lifted her up, her toes no longer touching the ground. She pulled away and looked into his eyes. 

“Did I tell you, that you look beautiful today?” 

She giggled as he always had the ability to make her blush. She wasn’t wearing anything special just an old pair of blue jeans and one of Mulder’s jumpers that were overly baggy on her but it was just the way she liked it. Her hair fell down in soft waves around her face that were still covered in freckles from their summer vacation. This was his favourite look on her, it made her look young but still like his Scully,  sexy and beautiful.  

“Anyway, if our boys want wood they can chop it themselves.”

He smiled at the words ‘our boys’ and placed her back on the ground. 

“Yes, I suppose your right.”

“Never thought I would see the day where agent Fox Mulder agrees with me,” she said mockingly smiling the whole time. 

“You wound me.” 

They both laughed and walked back inside, she sat on the wicker loveseat with her book in front of her waiting for Mulder to snuggle in beside her.

Two hours later the sun had gone down and a chill set in so the windows were shut as were the doors. The blinds were closed and the curtains were drawn, a fire crackling in the background and the radio streamed 80's love ballads playing softly. Mulder had cooked them a smoked salmon with lemon and dill dressing on top of a small rice platter which had stuffed them both to the bone. They sat under Mulders' Navajo blanket he had brought with him talking about the next few days.

“Mulder we're meant to be relaxing and enjoying ourselves.”

“Yes we will, I promise but I have a few things lined up.” Her head resting against his chest, his heart beating into her ear and his arm wrapped around her body while his hand made small circles on her hip.

“Such as?”

“There is a vanity fair at the end of the week. Which the boys have been told by the locals is something fun to do even in this cold. The day after that is Halloween and was having a small get together with jack ‘o lanterns, spooky music and alcohol.”

“Sounds nice. But why is it whenever we come here there is a party involved?”

She burrowed into his chest, even more, feeling her shiver he wrapped the blanket around her tightly,  kissing the top of her head. 

“If it wasn’t for that last party we wouldn’t be sitting here now as a couple.”

“Hum, that's true.” she shivered again. 

“Scully are you feeling ok?” he sounded worried.

“I can’t seem to get warm.” She had learned to say I’m fine only made matters worse and made him worry more, plus with him being stubborn he would carry on pushing the subject until she gave him the answer. So it was best just to tell him how she felt outright instead of beating around the bush. 

“I have a cure for that.”

She pulled away and looked at him with the biggest mischievous smile on his face. 

“What might that be Mulder?”

Instead of saying any more words his lips touched hers his hands hooking under her legs and he cradled her to his body. He carried her upstairs not bothering to turn on any of the lights. He gently placed her on the bed. 

“Be right back.”

He walked to the drawer pulling out a few candles lighting them and setting them throughout the bedroom. The smell of jasmine filled the room, he slipped his t-shirt over his head before walking back to Scully. 

He lay beside her, their bodies barely touching but it felt like she was everywhere, her lips upon his, her fingers caressing his skin. Their tongues danced the tango as she pressed her body against his. Her dress scraping and tickling his skin, igniting a fire within him, his cock thick and hard and he could smell her arousal intense under her perfume which only made him worse. 

Her fingers danced on his chest, her lips working from his to down his clavicle and lingering across his pectoral muscles. She touched each nipple into her mouth licking, suckling and biting down hard. Before she worked down his stomach her face tickling the hairs making him flinch in pleasure. Her hands undoing the buttons with ease as she slid her hand under the hem of his jeans and the soft cotton of his boxers. 

She gripped him tightly and brought him out of his confines, thick, hard and hot inside her hand she brought her mouth to his tip swallowing him whole. 

“Jesus Christ Scully,” he sat forward his hands in her hair feeling the fine silky strands slip through his fingers. 

He sat back when he felt her tongue lick him from root to tip, watching with her beautiful blue eyes, lustful and dark.  His cock disappeared in her mouth, those full, pouty lips focusing on his crown, pulling up and down his shaft 

“I love this woman! How did you get so LUCKY?!” he thought as she hollowed her cheeks and began to suck hard.

“Scuuuuully I’m close”

She did something with her tongue and for at least three seconds or more, he was completely helpless, euphoric and vulnerable to her. He felt his balls swell and tighten as he erupted into her mouth his seed flowing hot down her throat. She swallowed every last drop and let him go with a pop. 

She looked at him and smirked at the pure look of ecstasy written on his face. He hooked his hands and brought her up to him. His lips upon hers his hands undoing the zipper on the dress and it slowly fell to her hips. His lips instantly locked onto her pink pebbled nipples suckling them, her body writhing under his touch. 

“Mmmm.. OH god…”

She was overly sensitive these last couple of weeks but it only highlighted the pleasure, his hand slipped to her folds as she raised her hips and his cock slipped within her tunnel. 

She arched her back and he thrust his hips, skin crashed against skin. The smell of sex, sweat and jasmine lingering in the air. Her oceanic eyes locking onto his hazel ones with the reflection of love, lust and pure bliss shown there. Her skin broke out in goosebumps and her walls clamped down, her body twisting in.  

“Mullllddder”

She saw stars and then everything went black as she fell into a deep slumber. Mulder wrapped a sheet around her naked form and took off his trousers and slipped around her spooning her, he heard her sigh in contentment and soon he slipped into sleep with her. 

[jamiebluewind]

List five things that make you happy, then put this in the ask box for the last ten people who reblogged something from you. Spread the positivity :) ❤💛💚💙💜

What a fun question! Hum... let's see

1. My best friends. I love them so much. I have two wonderful best friends that have stuck by me for years, even during the hard times. They are just the source of so much of my happiness with our all goofs and indide jokes, but also a feeling of comfort and safety with them. I can tell them anything and they either just accept it (like me coming out or telling them about my past) or are ready to help (like if I'm having a panic attack). It's not all one way of course. I will drop everything yo be there for them too. It's funny, but when we're tired of people and want to be alone, it never includes each other. Like we just don't drain each other's batteries. It's nice.

2. My online friends. Yes. I'm talking to you @winterpower98, @fuocsniperbot98, @parano--vigilant, @fangirltothefullest, @random-pianist, @thesearcher1092, @champions-of-spirits, @madly-handsome, @crystrifoglio, @anotherphaseofpain, @5am-the-foxing-hour, @shoot-i-messed-up, @dillbugg, @an0therrand0, @ymmm-someone, @uwillneverknowwho, and anybody else on here that has touched my life (sorry if I missed anybody!) as well as the wonderful people I've met on other platforms too. You all have brought me so much joy. Yes, some of you can annoy the ever lovin HELL out of me sometimes, but I still love ya ;) Thanks for being a part of my life. You are all such wonderful people, each in their own way.

Winter, you are overflowing with kindness, understanding, and artistic talent that makes everyone who knows you see you as precious. I mean it. You are a beautiful precious bean. Anybody who doesn't see that is an idiot and I will fight them (and I wont be alone). You are always willing to listen, always ready to help, and always willing to learn and grow as a person. You accept everyone as they are and you are such a giving friend. You love what you love so purely and enthusiasticly too. Is it any wonder that anyone who knows you is ready to protect you with the ferocity that most people reserve for their favorite character and baby animals?

Fuoc, you are filled with chaotic energy, but also so much good and such a strong desire to help that you at times feel like a dnd character given human form. You are also a kickass artist! I love what you create and watching you put your own spin on things. You are a delight my wonderful rainbow demon seal and I am so lucky to have met you. ^_^

Celeste, you are a great listener and so brave and creative with your art. Not a lot of people are able to withstand the pressure to keep putting themselves out there like you do. You also have this... undercurrent of kindness that flows through your being. I'm not sure you're even aware of it, but it's always there and it's beautiful.

Toshi, you are just... you. A goose let loose on the world. You feel how you feel. You art how you art. Just... stream of conciousness randomness creating beautiful insanity. You own who you are and what you believe fearlessly. You work hard to achieve your dreams (even when your professors are being idiots) and harder to help your family. You deserve to be as kind to yourself as you are to others.

Random, you are cautious and walk the world like an adventurer exploring a cave with light steps and wide eyes, but when you share something, it's always worth it. Rather it's art, a story, or letting down a wall just enough to let yourself shine through. I love the caring talented person you are.

Blue, you are the embodiment of the kid in a candy store. Just so filled with bubbly pure excitement (with a bit of anxiety that tends to leak through at times *hugs*)! You apreciate things from rooftops, both creations and people. It's a sight to behold and absolutely contagious. I can't tell you how much I squealed when I seen your art of my story. I really did print it out ya know? I lost it in the move, so I plan on making another at some point. My new fridge requires art ;)

Josie? My dear? You are a doll. A tiny ball of hope, anxiety, and dreams. You care - just so much - about everybody. Strangers? Animals? Superiors? Friends? Family? It doesn't matter. You want to help them all. You will drive yourself into the ground to help someone. You will juggle as much as it takes. Your major in college was even picked BECAUSE of how much you want to help people! You are an amazing talented beautiful person who deserves all the love and appreciation in the world and your love of the written word is precious and contagious. Just... try to direct some of that beautiful carring nature towards yourself ya?

Madly. Madly, Madly, Madly. My fellow beautifully insane person and lover of dark things. We literally met brainstorming a serial killer! I love your dark sense of humor. Sometimes it's nice to just sit down with someone that I know wont get nightmares from darker story ideas and recommendations (or look at me like I must have something seriously wrong with me to come up with such things). You are that person. And you care. You really do. When you ask someone how they are, you mean it. You sincerely want to know. And you are so very... alive. It's the only way I can describe it. Just filled with... life. It's a beautiful thing.

Cryst, you are one of the people that inspired me to come on tumblr and share my first short story. You are wise beyond your years, kind, creative, and a real friend to those you know in real life and online. Your that person who always needs a tablet on hand because you never know when creativity will strike. You love the silly things and jokes, but you aren't afraid to roll up your sleeves and get down to business. You're also also a good listener and an honest editor and I'm so glad you seen my note on your speed paint. ^_^

Menace, you are the other person who inspired me to come to Tumblr and share my story, but instead of excitement (like Cryst), you used a gentle nudge and I think the one-two punch of the two of you is exactly what I needed. You my dear are made of feelings. You wear them like a cloak and they pour out of you with pure sincerity... and yet you somehow still have this quiet calm energy about you. It's like a flowing stream; calm and overflowing with life and movement at the same time. It actually comes through in your art and gives your pieces a very unique and beautiful feel. You're also kind and willing to listen. I know sometimes it feels like the world is on your shoulders, but I also know that you are filled with such great and beautiful things that sometimes are hidden just under the surface. Thank you for finding me.

Foxy? God. What do I even say about you? You dive in head first when you love something and make it your own. And when you don't like something? You don't play around with it either. You walk the world with a stubbornness that could put some bolders to shame, but because of it, you are honest about how you feel. You talk to a person because you like them, not because of social norms. You praise something because you think it's good, not to take it easy on somebody. It's actually very comforting. You're also silly and goofy and fun. You're empathetic and always trying to help out your readers, rather it's through asks, over tagging your creations, or making sure you balance your creations so they never end on a bad note. You are... you.

Shoot, you were my first reader. The first person to find me on this mess of a site. God. How confused were you when I practically wrote an essay thanking you for liking my little fic?! XD I've watched you grow and become the person you are and that person is pretty cool. Your desire to create comes in bursts. You live up to your username a little too much though and I desire to flick your ear when you worry so much. This momma bear says you are an amazing creator and a good friend and I'm proud of you ^_^

Dilly, you were always a hoot. I loved your stories and your creativity. It's been entirely too long since we've talked.

Rando, I haven't known you long, but I like you. You remind me of a kid rocking on their feet before jumping into a game of double dutch (type of jump rope with two ropes), hesitate and anxious, but still willing to jump in. I look forward to getting to know you more.

Ymmm, you are also fairly new, but I have had so much fun getting to know you. I think we started talking when I seen my phone was blowing up and realized you were going through and liking everything I've ever posted and reblogging half of it. XD You are fun, energetic, and you still read my tumblr even though I'm far less active than I used to be. I love your asks, your random messages, and chatting with you about nothing in particular. You are half the reason that I started getting back on occasionally to post things. ^_^

Who, you are the embodiment of a keysmash. Just stream of conciousness feelings and thoughts and all the things you love. It's a blast. You love to listen, you love to talk, and you love to have conversations about everything and nothing. It's wonderful to witness you finding something new and spazzing out over it. Your energy is infectious and sometimes it's nice to talk to someone who is cool with me talking in paragraphs. Case in point. Jesus. I think my point 2 went on a LITTLE long O_O

3. My cat Danny. He's a wonderful spoiled boy and a FANTASTIC ESA. He makes me laugh, he brings me comfort, and no matter what's going on, I know that this gray ball of crazy cat energy loves me.

4. Reseraching. Yes. I'm well aware that that's weird, but there's something about diving into something new and learning new facts and viewpoints that you never knew your entire life that is just so satisfying. Reading, experiments, or just talking to someone outside of my social circle. They all help me understand the world a little better and be more open minded. Some are simple (like learning how dice are made and what makes them more or less likely to be fair), some that seem simple at first turn out to be complex and nuanced (like black haircare, styling, and culture), and some are massive undertakings from the start (like intersex conditions). Each subject - from big to small - changes how I see the world.

5. Enjoying creations. I know that sounds vague, but I sincerely enjoy seeing what people create! As long as the creations aren't bigoted, odd are I'll love it because I love seeing the result of somebody take something from thought to reality. From classical art to fanfiction to my nephew's lego towers, each creation has it's own merit because each creation (even commissions) shows a part of the person that created it. After all, you can give five guitarists the same chord to play and no two sounds would be exactly the same. Now rather I actually like the end product of their creation varies. Some thing just aren't for me (like creepy pasta and country music). However, I can still appreciate that they made it.

On a side note, please don't be cruel to creators. Imagine there's a toddler still inside every creator who shows what they create. Some who are shy and fragile. Some who are overwhelmingly confident and proud. Some who just want to draw on the walls. All so easily crushed with a single hurtful word. Choose to see the good in what they make. Point out where they improved, tell them what you liked, and gently and tactfully pointing out small mistakes (like a typo or some other small overlooked thing) if you need to. And for god's sakes, don't be a bully.