#Anyway this makes me wonder if he ever found a way to blame himself for Esme's baby dying

[jessicanjpa]

I wonder how many patients Carlisle has lost knowing he could have saved them, if only nobody had been watching. I wonder how many times he's spoken to grieving families and lied through his teeth when he said he'd "done everything he could."

... and I wonder how each of those losses has burned him.

[fastandcarlos]

When He Stares At You Getting Ready For A Date : ̗̀➛ F1 Reaction

» Max Verstappen 

There’s a proud smile on Max’s face as he watches you get ready. He only intends to be there for a moment, just passing by as he gets himself ready, but soon enough he finds himself stood staring, unable to drag himself away. You pretend not to notice him, but as the minutes pass you can’t help but pay attention to him. “If you look at me any longer, you’re going to run out of time to get yourself sorted,” you call out, snapping him out of his daydream as he mutters an apology and scurries away back into the bedroom to sort himself out too. 

» Lando Norris 

He tries his best not to be seen by you as Lando watches you slide into your dress, straightening the material out. The way it hugs your figure makes his heart excited, unable to stop himself from smiling. He hides away from you, blending into the rest of the room so that you can’t spot his eyes watching over you. However as you turn around, Lando panics and stumbles like he always does, ever his clumsy self. “Were you staring again?” You joke, knowing exactly what Lando is like. “Maybe,” he responds, voice trailing as embarrassment washes over him. 

» Charles LeClerc 

He’s happy to admit he stares at you when you get ready for a date. Who could blame him? Charles watches you in awe, wondering how he got so lucky to spend his days with you. Even if you want to make fun of him for staring at you, Charles doesn’t care, he’s proud to stare and proud to call you his. “I’ll never tire of looking at you,” Charles tells you time and time again whenever you notice him. If there was one thing he’d like to do forever, it’s stare at you, whether the two of you are going out on a date or not. 

» George Russell 

Usually he finds himself dropping himself in it when he’s staring at you, not meaning to get caught glancing at you, but always getting caught anyway. Mostly, it’s when he wants to take a photo of you, lost in your own little world, forgetting his sound or the flash is on. “I just got her,” George would always protest whenever you looked across at him, unable to bring himself to admit that he was staring at you. The smile on his face tells you everything that you need to know though as George can never quite control when he’s around you. 

» Oscar Piastri 

It’s when you catch him out that always reminds Oscar how dangerous of a game it is staring at you. He really can’t help it, he’s just excited about the idea of a date with you, but he knows as soon as you find him staring you won’t let him forget it for the rest of the day. “You’re obsessed with me,” you tease time and time again when you find an opportunity. The way Oscar shyly looks away from you always makes you laugh when he knows that he’s been staring, the confidence quickly disappears whenever he gets caught out by you. 

» Carlos Sainz 

As he stares at you, you can usually be found staring at him too, both of you are equally obsessed with each other. It’s almost a game to see who catches the other first. Sometimes it’s you, sometimes it’s Carlos, but you most of the time you’re there together. “We’re both just so in love,” Carlos laughs whenever your eyes meet, unashamedly staring across at you. Both of you are left in awe of the other one time and time again, but particularly when you both put in a lot of effort to make sure that you look your best for the other on your dates. 

» Daniel Ricciardo 

Your body jumps as you hear a familiar voice call out as you get yourself ready for your date night. As you look between the two dresses in your hands, Daniel calls out with his own suggestion of what he wants to see. You hadn’t even heard him come up the stairs but soon enough he was in the doorway staring at you. “How long have you been there?” You ask as you place the dress Daniel didn’t choose back down. He simply shrugs back at you, ashamed to admit to you just how long he’s actually been stood there admiring you. 

» Lewis Hamilton 

He’s happy to sit back and watch you get ready for your date, appreciating the efforts that you go to for him and how careful you are with all the details. Every date you go on, Lewis watches you get ready, fascinated by your routine and the steps that you take. You usually can switch off to it, but when you meet his eye, you suddenly feel full of excitement, as if you’re back on your very first date again. “You look beautiful,” Lewis calls out as you shyly look away, encouraging you to find your confidence again and not get too nervous around him.  

˗ˏˋ 𝐌𝐀𝐒𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐋𝐈𝐒𝐓 ! ´ˎ˗

[unfinishedslurs]

The boy stops in his tracks. “I know you,” he says, tilting his head curiously. He’s not tall, but he’s regal nonetheless, dressed all in white. Something about him makes Leia’s hair stand on end, and although she hides it she feels a stirring in her own chest. I know you like I know my own soul, she thinks wildly, and wonders where it came from. Has she gone insane?

“That’s nice,” she says, and shoots him anyway.

He deflects it in a flash of light, a glowing blue laser sword appearing in his hand like magic. She’s only seen one of those before, and it’s Vader’s. If this boy is anything like Vader, she realizes, she’s in deep shit.

She’s smart enough to know when she’s outmatched. Leia makes the tactical decision to run for her life.

Later, as she’s getting the hell out of there, she wonders why he didn’t try to stop her.

She remembers being young and tugging on her mothers skirts, demanding to know why their guest was so sad. “Does he not like it here?” She’d asked, and then, trembling, because Kenobi always seemed saddest around her. “Is it…because of me?”

“Oh, Leia,” her mother sighed, lifting her into her arms. “It’s not that, I promise.”

“Then what is it?”

“Master Kenobi lost a child under his care, years ago.” Breha’s eyes grew deeper, darker. “It was not his fault, but he blames himself. You remind him of that child, that’s all.”

Leia had quieted at that, contemplative.

The next time she’d seen Master Kenobi, she had given him a hug. He didn’t seem to know what to do with that, so she resolved to give him more of them. “He’s lonely,” she’d told her mother. “No one should be lonely.”

Looking at Obi-Wan Kenobi now, the memory seemed so far away. He’d aged thirty years in the ten it had been.

He looks, Leia thinks with a small twinge of regret, very lonely.

“Leia,” he greets. “It’s been a long time.”

Out of the corner of her eye, Leia sees a glint of white.

Kenobi freezes in his tracks. “Luke?” He whispers, and through the distance Leia can hear it as if he’d been speaking directly into her ear.

Master Kenobi lost a child under his care, her mother whispers in her head. He blames himself.

In an instant, Leia understands everything.

Kenobi is still staring at the boy he’d lost so long ago when Vader cuts him down.

Later, as she’s pacing around on the Falcon to Han muttering darkly about Princesses and supernatural abilities, she rememberers the way the boy collapsed, as if all his strings had been cut. Vader was too occupied with him to even look at her as she shot at him desperately.

Luke. She hates him more than she hates herself.

“They know where you are,” he hisses frantically. “They’re coming for you. You have to run.”

“Wait!” Leia quickly pulls up their sonar. Nothing yet, but it would explain the distant queasiness she’d felt since they’d landed. She tended to trust her gut. “How do you know? How much time do we have?”

“Not important, and not enough,” he says. “I have to go, and so do you. You need to leave yesterday.”

“How do I know I can trust you? I don’t even know who you are.”

He pauses. “Call me Skywalker.”

“That’s not an answer, Skywalker.”

“Yes it is.”

She opens her mouth to argue, but there are faint voices on the other end, drawing nearer.

“Shit,” Skywalker mutters. “I have to go. I’ll be in contact, okay? Don’t ever tell me where you are, or where you’re heading. Vader and Palpatine aren’t shy about reading minds. Just leave as soon as you can, and figure out the rest.”

“But—“

It’s too late. The comm has disconnected.

She stares down at it, disbelieving. How would the Empire know they’re here? Why should she trust a stranger who somehow got her personal comm code?

Gut feeling or not, on paper this was a perfect location. Supplied, armored, and most importantly, extremely well hidden. There was no real reason to think it would possibly be found out.

It’s probably a trap. Almost definitely a trap.

Han sticks his head in the door, a sour look on his face. “Hey Princess, can you tell these idiots—“

She makes a decision then and there.

“We’re leaving.”

“What?”

“We’re evacuating, effective immediately.” She pushes past him, and he follows so close he’s nearly stepping on her heel.

“Why? I think it’s pretty cozy here. Actual sunlight doesn’t hurt, either.”

“Apparently too cozy.” She grabs the first person she sees, a pilot who stares at her with wide eyes. “Emergency evacuation. Spread the word to pack everything you can and leave, I’ll let you know where we’re headed when we’re in orbit.”

He salutes and scurries off.

“Woah, hey now.” Han snatches at her elbow until she turns around to face him. “What’s going on?”

“There’s a new informant. He told me the Empire knows we’re here. They’re coming for us.”

“And you trust this person because…”

“I don’t have a choice,” she snaps. Someone runs past them, holding three packs filled to the brim with rations. “It’s either he’s lying and we’re not in danger, or he’s telling the truth and we’re going to die if we don’t listen. It’s not exactly hard math.”

It could be a trap of course, but he hadn’t suggested any sort of direction or destination to follow, and Leia wasn’t inclined to share. Especially not after his tidbit about Vader and Palpatine reading minds.

He squints at her. “That’s not it.”

“What?”

“I don’t believe you,” he insists. He’s so infuriating. Leia doesn’t know why she hasn’t kicked him out yet.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Yes you do, and you’re either gonna tell me why, or find a different transport when we head out of here.”

“Who said I was riding on your hunk of junk?” She demands. She actually was planning on going with them, since the Falcon has more than enough room for all the supplies that can’t fit in the other ships and none of the trustworthiness of the other pilots, but Han doesn’t need to know that.

“Well?”

Damn him. Damn him for knowing how to read her. She doesn’t know when she let that happen.

“I feel it,” she admits, defeated. “Something tells me he’s trustworthy. We’ll wait and see if it’s right.”

He studies her. She holds her head high, but inside she’s jittery at the scrutiny. They don’t have time for this.

“Yeah, all right,” Han finally says.

“Really?”

“Yes, really.” He rolls his eyes, like she’s not acting absolutely insane by putting all her trust in a random man she’s never even met. “Now come on, Princess, weren’t you the one who said we had to hurry?”

What is it about this man that makes it impossible to tell whether she wants to punch him or drag him into the nearest supply closet? They don’t have time to find out.

“So there’s good news and bad news.”

“Bad news first,” she demands.

“They know there’s a mole.”

“Shit.” Of course they know, how could they not? She should have been more careful, less obvious about the correlation of their movements with the Empire’s plans. “The good news?”

“They’ve tasked me with hunting down this ‘pathetic rebel spy,’” Skywalker says, humor in his voice. “That should buy me some time.”

Leia can’t quite stop the snort she lets out. “Seriously?”

“Yep. You’re speaking to a professional mole-hunter, here.”

“Well congratulations on the promotion, Skywalker.”

“Thank you,” he says grandly. Then, quieter, “It won’t last, Princess. They’ll find out eventually.”

“I know. Just hang in there, it will be over soon.”

“Will it?” He asks, suddenly sounding very young. She realizes that she has no idea how old he is. She doesn’t know anything about the man who has saved them more times than she cared to admit, and the idea rattles her until they sign off.

Later, she looks up the name Skywalker in their archives. There are a few results, but only one sticks out.

Anakin Skywalker, Jedi Knight and hero of the Clone Wars. Killed at the hands of Darth Vader. There are gossip articles too, speculations on his relationship with the pregnant Senator Padmé Amidala, who died around the same time Skywalker did. The baby, it seems, died with her.

Unless he didn’t.

It’s ridiculous. It’s impossible. The idea is so ludicrous that Leia almost rejects it entirely.

But it makes sense. By the Maker, it makes sense.

The child of Anakin Skywalker, it seems, would be a powerful Force user indeed. Powerful enough for Kenobi to take the baby and run. Powerful enough for the Emperor to want him for his own gain. Powerful enough to send Vader after Kenobi and take the boy himself.

Maybe even powerful enough to shield his mind from Vader and Palpatine’s intrusions.

Powerful enough to hide the fact that he’s a spy.

Leia sinks into her chair, covering her face as she laughs.

Maybe Luke isn’t so bad after all.

“No, no, no,” she mutters, digging through the smoking wreckage of the TIE fighter. “Don’t be dead, please don’t be dead.”

“Princess…” Han lays a hand on her shoulder that she immediately shrugs off.

“No, he’s not dead. He’s not. Luke!”

A faint cough answers her, and she’s so relieved to hear it she could cry. Behind her, Han starts bellowing for a medic and, “Some damn help here, do you expect us to move all this ourselves?”

“Luke, it’s me,” she sobs. “It’s Leia. You’re at the Rebel Base. You’re safe.”

More coughing, and there’s a worrying rasp to his voice when he says, “You know…my name?”

“I figured it out.”

“Smart.” This time, the coughing is so bad Leia and Han both wince.

“Shit, kid,” Han says, moving another piece of rubble. “Don’t talk. We’re gonna get you out of here, all right?”

“Stand back,” Luke chokes out.

“What?”

“Stand back. Please.”

Han protests, but something in Leia knows they should listen to him. She drags him back, and motions everyone else to fall back with them. They do, albeit reluctantly.

“Clear,” she calls, hoping Luke can hear her.

The TIE explodes.

“Fuck!” Han goes back in, Leia on his heels with the terrifying feeling that she’d just allowed Luke to die, before they both stop in their tracks. Around them, the broken pieces of the TIE are floating.

And curled up in the middle is a man dressed all in white.

“Luke!” She pushes past Han to start dragging him out, and after another moment of staring around them, he helps her.

As soon as they get clear, the pieces fall to the ground with a clatter. Luke falls limp with them.

Han is still looking at the TIE. “Can you do that?” He asks quietly.

Leia pauses her examination of the unconscious man in front of her to glare at him. “Is that what you’re most concerned with right now? Really?”

“Excuse me for asking, Princess!”

“It’s white,” Luke grumbles, pulling at his hospital gown bitterly. “I hate wearing white.”

“Should I be offended?”

He rolls his eyes. “Don’t even. You look great and you know it. I just feel like I never left.”

“Well,” she says gingerly. “I guess it’s a good thing you got sick of it. If we went around in matching outfits all the time, people might think we’re twins.”

He snorts. “Yeah, right.”

[justabrunettewhowrites-stuff]

Hiii.I have a rq!

Luke accidentally kills reader after reader takes a blow meant for percy?

'Even A Stab Hurts Less'

Luke Castellan x Fem!Reader

A/N:Hi lovely!Ty for the rq!I'm going to post a bit more this week since I have a break.

WARNINGS!!:Mentions of blood,r!dies,Angst! SAD ENDING!!

You and Luke found yourselves walking along the path of Thalia's Pine.Luke's smile was infectious, and as he spoke of his dreams and ambitions, you couldn't help but be swept away by his passion.

"You know," Luke said, his eyes sparkling with excitement, "one day, I'm going to change the world. I'm going to make a difference, not just for demigods, but for everyone."

You smiled, taking his hand in yours. "I believe in you, Luke. You have so much potential, and I know you'll do great things."

But even as you spoke those words, a shadow of doubt crept into your mind. You had heard whispers of unrest among some of the campers, murmurs of dissatisfaction with the gods and their lack of intervention. And though you loved Luke with all your heart,you couldn't shake the feeling that his ambitions might lead him down a dangerous path.

Days turned into weeks, and weeks into months, but your worries only grew. Luke became more distant, more consumed by his own thoughts and plans. You tried to talk to him, to reach out and understand what was bothering him, but he always brushed you off with a smile and a promise that everything would be alright.

Then came the day when everything changed.Your heart shattered into a million pieces.You couldn't believe that the boy you loved, the boy you had shared your hopes and dreams with, could turn against everything he once stood for...

But despite the pain and the betrayal, when Luke stood before you with a blade in his hand, poised to strike down Percy, you didn't hesitate. You stepped in front of Percy, taking the blow meant for him. The pain was terrible, but you refused to cry out. You refused to give Luke the satisfaction of seeing you break.

As blood spilled from your wound, staining the ground beneath you, you looked up at Luke, tears streaming down your face as a hand reaches to cover the wound "Even a stab hurts less than the way you broke my heart," you croaked out bitterly,your voice barely a breath against the chaos around you.

Luke's eyes widened in horror, his hands trembling as he dropped the blade.He loved you too much,and yet... "No... no, this wasn't supposed to happen," he muttered, his voice cracking with emotion. "I didn't want this... I never wanted this."

But it was too late. Your hand went limp at your side, your vision blurring as darkness crept in at the edges.Despite the bitterness you felt and the disgust,you reached out for Luke,wanting nothing more than to hold him one last time, but he recoiled from your touch as if it burned.

"I'm sorry," he whispered, his voice choked with tears. "I'm so sorry..."

And as your eyes closed for the final time, you couldn't help but wonder if there had ever been any goodness left in Luke's heart, or if it had been consumed by darkness long before you ever met him.

Luke's cries of anguish echoed in the night, but the blame he placed on Percy was palpable.

"No.This...this is all your fault!" Luke shouted, his voice laced with bitterness as he turned accusingly towards Percy. "She took the hit for you... she died because of you!It was supposed to be you,not her.Not her..."

But deep down, Luke knew the truth. He was the one who had let you down, the one who had betrayed your trust and shattered your heart. And as he watched your life slip away, he knew he could never forgive himself for what he had done.He had lost you...

A/N:Just woke up from a 6 hr nap and idk what gave me the confidence I can write,but anyways 💀

[magniloquent-raven]

I'm getting distracted from my current projects by someone else's post again someone tell me to stop going on tumblr while I have WIPs lmfao

@rosetterer this isn't EXACTLY what you posted about but it does get there in the end

**

Twenty-four hours has never seemed like such an insurmountably long time.

Buck's had long shifts before, the boring ones when he'd stare at the alarms on the wall, willing them to go off—he can picture Maddie's disappointed scowl if she ever found out about that, but he swears he was only hoping for something small and harmless to break up the monotony—and the busy ones. Ones that leave his ears ringing with phantom sirens by the end. Those days only ever seem long in retrospect, when he's bone-tired and trying to remember all the names he asked for.

But now every shift seems to find new and shittier ways to be gruelling. Eddie's miserable and trying to act like he isn't. There's this weird, uncomfortable tension brewing between Hen and Chim. Ravi got himself transferred to B shift—probably to get away from Gerrard, and Buck can't exactly blame him, but he sort of does anyway and their new probie is terrible, and... then there's Gerrard.

Like, Buck already knew he was a piece of work, but. Knowing and experiencing are two very different things. He could barely stand keeping his mouth shut at the medal ceremony when he met the man for five seconds, and now he has to put up with him making smug, belittling comments towards all his friends, all the time. Constantly needing to remind himself he doesn't want to get fired is actually killing him.

It doesn't help that every so often he'll remember Tommy's offhand Captain Gerrard was like having the dad I already had, with a pang as he wonders what exactly Tommy grew up with. What parts of Gerrard's condescending tyranny were familiar to him. Phillip Buckley may not have been father of the year, but maybe never being looked directly at was better than being raised neck deep in toxic waste.

Every time he remembers he gets the urge to pull out his phone and call Tommy up just to... he doesn't even know. Just to hear his voice, maybe. Know if he's doing okay.

Another reason work days seem so long now, if he's being honest. He's always counting down the hours until he can see Tommy again. Like a kid on the last day of school, watching the clock tick closer and closer to summer vacation.

So, of course, right near the end of a particularly busy shift, Gerrard gets them all lined up for a lecture about how sloppy that last save was. Everyone did something wrong, and everyone needs to hear about all the ways they could have gotten someone killed, like they don't all know how risky the job is already.

By the time he's finished telling Chim it's a miracle he managed to convince anyone to let him out on calls, Buck is clenching his jaw hard enough to make his teeth ache.

"I'm sure Captain Soft-Touch loved telling you all it was okay to be mediocre, and that you were trying your best," Gerrard sneers at them all, waving a dismissive hand at very idea of Bobby's captaincy. "But the coddling ended when he retired. Sparing your feelings is going to get people killed. Diaz!" He shouts, abrupt, turning on his heel towards Eddie. Eddie doesn't flinch, but Buck does.

"Yes, sir?" He's coolly polite, and his face is carefully blank, but his posture is tense.

"If I ever catch you checking your phone at a scene again, I'll make sure you're mopping floors for the rest of your life."

Eddie's expression hardens. It was a fender-bender and Eddie didn't even touch his phone until everyone was accounted for and packed into the ambulance. "It was a text from my son. Sir." His tone veers a little to the left of polite.

"I don't care if it was from the goddamn Pope, when you're in the field your focus stays on scene. Next time your brat needs something tell him to go cry to his mother about it."

This time when Buck flinches, everyone else in line does too. Hen bites down on a grimace. Chim hisses quietly through his teeth.

"I can't do that," Eddie says flatly. "What with her being dead and all."

The firehouse is silent for a long, horrible moment. That might've taken the wind out of any decent person's sails, Buck thinks. At the very least most people would've retreated into awkwardness and ended the lecture entirely.

Gerrard's brow pinches angrily. "Don't get smart with me, Diaz."

Buck's not sure it's possible to hate someone more than he hates their new captain right now.

"I don't care about your little sob story excuses, I care that you're sloppy and distracted. If you can't handle the job and the kid, drop one of them."

Oh, he was wrong.

He hates this man so much he's choking on it, it's clogging his throat like bile and he's running out of strength to care that he shouldn't spit it out, spew it everywhere and ruin everything just for the chance of hurting this man in the process. He feels like his skin is bursting at the seams.

Eddie's biting the inside of his cheek, rage and sorrow warring silently on his face.

And Buck breaks. Bursts. "Hey, Captain, that's—"

"Can it, Buckley," Gerrard cuts him off before he can even start. It's not angry, it's not anything, he brushes Buck off like he's an annoying fly buzzing in his ear, barely worth glancing at for the two seconds it takes to tell him he doesn't care. "You're all dismissed. Get out of my sight."

Some of them flee, scurrying to their lockers, the kitchen, anywhere but here. A couple of people throw backwards glances before they walk away. Hen and Chim exchange grim looks. Eddie disappears out the back door in an angry haze. And Buck...

Buck feels. Empty. Small. Like he cut himself open trying to relieve the pressure and now there's just nothing left. No one to patch up the wound, and no reason for any of it, he didn't make an impact, he didn't help anyone, he stood there listening to his friends get degraded, and now—now he's feeling sorry for himself?

It's stupid. He's stupid. He feels like shit because, what, because he didn't get yelled at? Because his piece of shit captain took a break from implying he's a disgusting pervert?

He thinks himself in circles about it his whole way home, the pit in his stomach getting a little deeper every time he tries to will it away.

He's wallowed himself halfway through a six-pack, staring sightlessly at his TV, by the time his front door opens.

"Evan?"

One of the knots in his chest loosens. "Yeah," he calls out, not bothering to sound less pathetic than he is. "In here."

"Hey." Tommy's stopped next to the stairs, eyeing him. His gaze is assessing, but his tone is soft. He's always so careful with Buck. "Bad day?"

Buck takes another sip of his beer. Shrugs.

"Ah, one of those."

The couch cushions dip as Tommy takes a seat next to him. He's close enough that Buck doesn't have to look at him to know he's there. There's warmth radiating off him. The woodsy scent of his aftershave. Buck presses their knees together, and exhales properly for the first time in hours.

He knows he could talk about whatever he wants and Tommy would let him. He's waiting for Buck to take the lead here. Buck could avoid the issue entirely and decide to talk about anything. The fact that he can't really tell the difference between the fancy beer Tommy insists is better than the crap Buck's drinking right now. The documentary about bees he's pretending to watch. The goddamn weather.

What comes out of his mouth is a quiet, "I feel like an idiot."

Tommy pulls the beer bottle out of Buck's loose grip, puts it down next to the couch, and then takes Buck's hand in both of his. "Why?"

Buck scrubs at his eyes. "I..." He catalogues the tiny scars on Tommy's knuckles. Two, three, little dots on his index finger. A lopsided vee on his thumb. "Something happened at work."

"Did Gerrard say something to you?" There's an edge to Tommy's question, something sharp and flinty. It makes Buck's heart do dumb little somersaults.

"No." He stops, shame burning his cheeks. "Not. Not to me. That's... He was lecturing everybody, and I..."

"Evan." Tommy grips his chin, firmly, gently, guiding Buck's face until he looks him in the eye. There's a sympathetic twist to his mouth. "Tell me."

He does. As best he can when it feels like what's didn't happen is more important, and he can barely put into words why that is. But trying helps, a little. Trying to whittle it down into an explanation forces him to look at the whole of it, and realize it's not looming over him anymore.

Maybe it's just Tommy's hands on him, soothing the hurt away.

"I dunno. Feels like I could have done something differently, maybe"

Tommy hums, tilting his head in acknowledgement. "You could've."

Buck winces.

"But it wouldn't have turned out any better."

Oh.

A flower blooms on the TV, purple and white petals reaching for the sun. Buck toys with Tommy's fingers, and shifts his leg closer, hooking their ankles together.

"It felt so shitty," he mutters.

"I know."

He would, wouldn't he. Buck gets that pang in his chest again, and he pushes the rest of the way into Tommy's space. Tommy wraps his arms around him, and drops a kiss into his curls, seemingly content to let Buck situate himself however he wants.

He kind of wishes Tommy wasn't still wearing jeans, but asking him to take his pants off might send the wrong message.

"You don't think I'm, like...a bad friend, right?" He cringes his way through the question.

"No." Tommy responds matter-of-factly and without hesitation. Then the corner of his mouth twitches. "I think you're a very good boy."

Buck's entire head feels like it's on fire. A grin starts to creep across his face. It might be the first time he's smiled all day. "Oh, yeah?"

"Mhm."

Maybe he should ask Tommy to take his jeans off after all.

[onna-musha-mari]

Under the Wisteria Tree

Giyuu Tomioka x Hashira! Reader (Gender neutral)(they/them)

Summary: Giyuu finally tells you his feelings in one of your favorite spots.

Warnings: None, pure fluff

(First time posting a fanfic…I tried y’all)

(Wisteria border by @saradika-graphics)

Giyuu stood there in silence, watching the wisteria petals fell to the earth from their branches above. There was a reason he was here, and not just to admire the scenery of the light dancing through the openings in the trees…He knew that a certain Hashira always came to this exact spot to meditate and relax. Giyuu never planned for any of this, he had never been one to dwell on emotions like this. But, here he was, waiting for that hashira who some might think took the job lightly. Sure, they goofed off sometimes, but they were an efficient fighter. It was something Giyuu lov- oh, wait, no. He might be ready to approach them, but maybe let’s take it slow…baby steps. Baby steps.

“Giyuu? I didn’t expect to see you here.”

Great, caught off guard, perfect way to start this.

Giyuu straighten his stance, now looking towards them with his usual stoic expression.

“Oh, I didn’t notice you had come up to me. My apologies.”

“No need to be sorry…may I ask why you’ve come to the Wisteria fields? I don’t blame you though, it is a very pretty spot, don’t you agree?”

And there was that flush, that feeling that went through him whenever they made conversation. He had never felt it before and yet, it felt good. Very good in fact. It was the reason he planned on telling his fellow hashira that he wished to spend more time with them. In a more…well more close relationship.

“I…merely wished to see the reason why you come here everyday…but I see why now. It is nice here.”

“It is really beautiful here”

Their eyes were fixed on the branches of the trees, while Giyuu’s were focused on the person standing next to him

“Yes…very beautiful. … Anyway, I did want to speak to you about something, important.”

“Yeah? What’s on your mind?”

He sighed before looking them in the eyes

“When we first met, I thought nothing of it. But when I first saw you caring for those girls at the butterfly mansion, then with Tanjiro and his sister. I knew something was different about you. And the more I learned about you, the more I wanted to know. You’re strong, sometimes I think stronger than most, or myself at least, because you can be a great fighter and yet still be so kind to people. I know you’re a good swordsman…but you’re also a good person.”

He looked up, taking a breath before continuing to speak.

“And not only are you strong and caring…you’re beautiful. …”

They looked at him, looking with wonder and surprise as this normally stoic swordsman laid what seemed to be his heart for them.

“I never thought of myself as a person who would ever want to focus on things like this, or did I think I’d find someone who makes me feel what you make me feel. …This is a lot harder than it was talking to Tanjiro about… what I’m trying to say here is, I would love to get to know you even more. And I would like to have a, closer relationship…if that is something you would want too?”

Moment of truth, it’s either they say yes or no. Oh what was he getting himself int-

“Yes, I would love that Giyuu, and thank you. I really didn’t know you felt that way. But, yes, I would love all of that.”

“Wait, really?”

“Really”

“oh…wow…would you mind if I held your hand?”

“Of course”

They took his hand in theirs…This was really happening. Under the Wisteria tree, Giyuu found the person he wanted to spend forever with, if fate let him. This felt, nice…really nice.

“Thank you”

They looked back at him, curious to what he meant.

“For what?”

Giyuu looked up at the Wisteria trees, once again watching the petals fall around them, the suns last rays of sunlight gleaming against the background. He picked one of the flowers and put it behind their hair before he continued.

“For giving me another reason to be strong…like you.”

[rheiple]

Attention Seeker

-OneShot

▪︎SUMMARY↦ Why is he following and helping you around with every chance he gets?

▪︎WARNING/s↦ None

▪︎CHARACTER/s↦ Eclipse, Reader

▪︎AUTHOR'S NOTE↦ Gago ang tagal ko nang hindi nagsusulat,, well anyways this the Eclipse wanting reader's attention, the first thing I needed to do at the poll.

I'm not really satisfied with the out come, but I wanted to post it not instead of letting it rot in my notes, and also I might not do the other fics I've planned at the poll, if i did write them then its gonna be for a long time

I've noticed that whenever i write, when I'm passionate about something I noticed that my writing looks good(?)

But when I force myself to write its basically shit, and this Fic is probably one of the few sjit fics I've written

So yea I hope you don't mind

“…It’s really dark in here.. Mind if you shine your eye lights over here bud?”

The sound of metal clinking represents the movement of your very tall and lanky companion.  With it’s big bright eyes, you’re able to be see the injured Helpy trying to move it’s way towards a vent.

Here in the storage room, it’s very hard to move and see with how many piled stuff are stored in this small room. You’re surprised that He managed to cramp himself inside here.

Eclipse, your ‘new' friend has been tagging along with you ever since your shift has started.

You don’t really know why- or maybe you do. Perhaps it’s because he’s still new with his surroundings in this Pizza Plex. Couldn’t really blame him, and it’s not like you mind his company anyways. You just found it a little strange.. and maybe cute.

You went to carry the small bear in your arms, you heard a little hiss coming from the taller one. You eyed him as you put Helpy on a table.

Noticing you making eye contact with him, he grinned from ear to ear, he lets out a creepy glitchy giggle. It’s like he’s drunk on something.

Honestly though, you want to have a taste with whatever he’s drunk with. It’d be a good stress reliever for at the moment. But oh well, no matter, you have at least 30 minutes until it’s your break time. You could pull this through.

Just like what you keep saying to yourself for the previous days.

Holding the hammer up high, you gave Helpy a little warning. Knowing he’s been given the ability to feel pain and all. It’s creepy and sad knowing this bot's cursed ability is used to train newbies. You also wondered how on earth are they able to program that.

“All right Helpy, I’m not gonna sugarcoat this and tell you it’s gonna hurt just a little. It’s actually gonna hurt really bad but I need you to be brave for me ok?”

He's shaking, but he nodded his head.

“…Ok, on the count of one… two…”

You aimed the hammer a little close to his knee.

“And…Three-"

Eclipse hold the back of the hammer.

“Wha- Eclipse? What’s wrong?”

He gently took the hammer out of your hand. His other hand softly patting your head.

And immediately slammed it on baby bear bear's knee.

“OH MY GOD!”

While Helpy screamed because of the sudden pain, you screamed in fright because of how loud and painful Helpy's scream is. Eclipse took care of the situation by putting some kind of mask that emits special smoke to calm him down, and put a bandaid on his knee.

His other hand went to give him a lollipop.

You only looked at him flabbergasted. And he only smiled at you.

“Work is over.. Break now..”

One of his hands took yours and led you to the cafeteria.

.

.

.

Well this is humiliating.

You ignore the stares of your co-workers, glaring at them if they ever so much as chuckled at your current predicament.

He held the spoon filled with fried rice and chicken, the lunch you packed for yourself and tried to feed you. He’s making you look like a baby god dammit! You glared right up at him and gently smacked away the spoon. “Eclipse, you’re kinda making me look like a fool here…”

The celestial robotic tilted its head, he slowly brought back the spoon close to your mouth. His other hand  holding your chin, trying to pry your mouth open. “…ahh”

You took a grip on his hand and lowered it down where he couldn’t reach your chin once again. He didn’t seem to mind, as he gladly took your hand and intertwined it with his slim fingers instead. He began to rub your hand with his thumb as best as he could.

With a sigh, you took the spoon and placed it on your lunch box. You look at Eclipse and hold his other hand. His rays slowly started moving at the initiated contact. “Look man..” You start off, letting out your thoughts and feelings was really hard for you. You’ve never thought you’d even do it to someone like Eclipse, considering he probably doesn’t know the most of what your saying unless you explained it but.. At least he had sympathy, you wouldn’t be able to find that in most people nowadays. That’s probably why you feel safe sharing your thoughts and feelings to him.

“Eclipse…You know I really really appreciate you helping me around stuff n all but. I kind of feel like you’re just… Babying me at this point.”

He emits a low mechanical whine, you could feel the slight tightness of his hands. “…Not intentional.. wanted to help you… get work done…”

“Awwe, thanks buddy.” You gently squeezed his hands and did the same thing Eclipse did with your hand earlier. “…But are you sure that’s the only reason? I noticed that.. You’ve been a little passive aggressive with the other bots.. Whenever I focus on them instead of you.”

With your confrontation, he looks to the side and whistled out some playful toons.

You confirmed that being rough with Helpy earlier was intentional on his part.

You let go of his hands to put yours on your hips. Giving him the all knowing stare, you called to him in a accusing manner. He only grinned widely at the mention of his name. You guessed that scaring a robot wouldn’t really work considering with looks alone, he’s the scary one than you.

“…Are you jealous?”

“…no..”

“You’re lying.”

“Not lying… only fibbing.”

You scratched your head and raised a brow. “But why? Why are you jealous?”

The tall robot leaned in to hug you. You went to sit on his lap. His faceplate rotated from left to right. “…love your eyes. Better on me.. than on them..”

You snickered and brought a hand up to your face. “Oh my god.. you wanted my attention?” You  seem to get the memo as he purred in delight at your question. “..Oh Eclipse.”

You pry yourself off to stand and look at him, cupping his face with your small hands. As expected he leaned in to your touch. “You didn’t have to go through all that way just to get my attention you know that?” Seriously, he really shouldn’t have.

He caused hell to the other bots, he’s scary when he’s jealous.

“If you wanted my attention, you could’ve just asked! You know I wouldn’t say no..”

He took a hold of your hand with his, and looked at you with bright purple eyes.

“May I… have your eyes on me?” You grinned and kissed his teeth. “Of course..”

He began to stand up, surprising you by picking you up. You didn’t know where your going, but you assumed in one of the dark places where no one could find you. You’re glad you play a vital role at your job, or else you would’ve been fired with the amount of time you’ve went missing during your working hours.

You didn’t noticed, but Eclipse surely did, of a certain robot hanging from the ceiling observing him with envy.

The moon themed animatronic crossed his arms. “…So this is what our star has been wasting their time on..”

‘No fair, no fair! Why spend time with a bootleg version of us?!'

It’s as if Eclipse heard their thoughts, one of his hands gave them the rude gesture from behind.

Moon clicked his tongue. “So…that’s how you want to play…”

He’s been playing unfair for the past few days! Always sabotaging their plans so he could have you in his arms! They tried so, so many times to get your attention. Like making so many messes in the Daycare for you to help them clean it, they made gifts so they could see your flustered face, and they even broke themselves for you to fix them.

Not only did the metal prick cleaned the Daycare, fixed them instead of you- which they much rather prefer,  he stole their gifts, lying to you that he was the one who made it instead of them! He is such a big fat liar! A phoney!!

He could imagine his Sunny counter part walking around and huffing in annoyance. ‘Oh the nerve of him to do that! When I get my hands on our star once again he’ll be begging us to let him see her! And even then it’d be over my shut downed body if he ever thought I’d agree!'

The lunar jester is pretty sure the Eclipse would just control their minds to scrap themselves up, before they could even think of hiding away their star.. As much as he wanted to, he and Sun knew it’d just make you sad if you found out they’re not on good terms.

So they’re the ones who tried to give them the time he needed with you but, they’re just abusing their kindness at this point. They need to hatch up a plan to have you back in their arms sooner of later.

The moon slowly backed away by crawling. “…Hoping to see that soon…” He went back to his patrols for now.

[pretty-red-garnet]

Happiness At The End Of The World

Daryl Dixon x Fem! Reader • Road/Prison • Fluff

A/N: First time writing for TWD. Excuse any mistakes please! I’ve never written for Daryl before, so I’m sorry if he’s out of character or anything like that. This was just for fun, but would anyone be interested in sending requests? Let me know and maybe I’ll write some more.

     You didn't know being truly scared until after the end of the world. Until now.

     Lori held Carl to her closely. Her ever growing belly was sticking out of the thick blanket she had herself and Carl cuddled under a little. Rick was off taking watch, he had grown distant and cold, but who can blame him.

     Everyone else was supposed to be sleeping, but from the freezing cold, you're positive no one is, just laying there with their eyes closed and hoping that was enough.

     This winter was bitter and freezing. Being out in the elements most nights certainly didn't help. Sometimes your group would find a cabin or warehouse to hole up in, but walkers usually took that from you quickly. The cold meant most animals were gone, causing walkers to wonder deeper into the forest looking for food. Nowhere was safe.

     You roll over on the hard ground. You couldn't stand to look at Lori and her son any longer. She wasn't going to make it much longer, everybody knew. As her belly grew, her face just got slimmer and slimmer. The thought of the poor woman having to give birth out here terrified you. You shivered a bit at the thought.

     A blanket being thrown over you startled you. You looked up to find Daryl looking back, fixing the blanket so it covered your back.

     "You're shiverin'," he whispers. You sit up a little.

     "Everyone's cold. I'm ok, take your blanket back." You go to take it up but Daryl pushes your arms down.

     "I'm goin' to take over for Rick anyway. Keep it." He walks away with that. You settle down again. Daryl was probably the kindest, most selfless people you had ever met, even if he could be a little... surly.

     He cared through actions, not words. This wasn't the first time he had given you his blanket, although you argued a little every time. He was also the first one to give up his food portions if he thought Lori or Carl didn't have enough, or give Beth his gloves if her hands trembled too much. He always put others before himself.

     It was what made you fall in love with him in the first place.

     Ever since the first time you saw him, you knew he wasn't what everyone else thought he was. You were one of the first at the quarry camp, having been picked up by Glenn during a run to the city. Daryl came after with his loudmouth of an older brother.

     Daryl was a hothead then, too caught up in what his brother wanted him to be, but you always knew there was something else there. Especially with the way he always provided fresh meat for the group, or was the first to volunteer for night watches so others could sleep.

     And then with Sofia, always looking for that little girl. He never lost hope for her. Even if it didn't go how everyone wanted it to, it gave Carol hope, which was what she really needed then.

     Daryl had grown a lot since then, since being on the road after you lost the farm. He became your best friend and someone everyone relied on. Your provider and hunter. It was a no brainer why you fell in love with the man.

     The next morning everyone was up and moving again. You were hoping to find some roofed shelter. Lori was maybe 6 months along now. She was getting bigger and couldn’t keep up as well anymore. You needed to hunker down.

     Luckily, the group had found some fuel for the cars. Hopefully you could get a little farther this way and find a good place to hole up for a while.

     But before you left, you went with Daryl to check the woods one last time. A few squirrels or even a rabbit could go a long way right now. You followed him with quiet footsteps, he had his crossbow in front of him.

     He suddenly stopped, so suddenly you almost plowed into his back. He turned around to face you and shook his head.

     "Nothin' out here, might at well head back. We're just burning daylight," he said, angry at himself. You nodded and tried to give a small, reassuring smile, but you were sure it wasn't convincing. He didn't say anything, but he grabbing your arm lightly to lead you back to where everyone was waiting by the road. You're used to the casual contact by now, but you still appreciated it.

     "You think we'll find somewhere?" You suddenly ask, voicing your worries. You always did around Daryl. "Somewhere for Lori to have her baby."

     "Mhm hm." He nods and bites the inside of his mouth like he always did. "We gotta."

     Simple as that.

Luckily, Rick had found a little cabin in the woods later that day. There were no windows, just boarded up wood planks, but they did an ok job at keeping most cold out. The fire was nice too.

Daryl was sitting on the steps keeping watch and you decided to join him. It had been a bit since you two had been together and talked, and you missed it. Missed his smile and how he blushed when you and Carol teased him. Everyone had been so stressed by the barren winter and Lori, the three of you didn't joke anymore.

"Hey," you said as the dropped next to him. He nodded as he took a drag from his cigarette. "Those will kill you ya know." You smiled at him. "I might just hide them from you."

He just shrugged, didn't smile either. He must've noticed your crestfallen expression because he gave you a lousy half smile afterwords. It didn't meet his eyes, so you didn't try to make him laugh again.

"Well you were right. We found somewhere." He scoffed.

"Not much of a place." He took one last drag and finally put out the cigarette, it was just filter now.

"It's enough. Has a roof, nice fire." You shrugged and rested your head on your knees, trying to stifle a yawn. He'd make you go inside if he knew you were tired, and you just wanted to be with him.

"Why ain't you inside then?" You shrugged and gave him the brightest smile you could muster up in your exhausted state.

"And miss all the fun out here with you? Never!" He just shook his head but he let a little smile crack this time. Your grin got larger at the sight. He nudged you with his shoulder. You went to nudge him back but instead of pulling away, you melted against his arm. He tensed a second but relaxed quickly.

"Falling asleep on me?" Daryl asked lowly.

"No..." you mumble, eyes slipping closed. The last thing you feel before slipping into unconsciousness was fingers lightly smoothing down your hair.

     You woke up slowly from sunlight in your face and nearly forgot where you were. You were warm and cozy and almost didn't move, until you realized you were in Daryl's lap. You got up with a start, blushing and embarrassed.

     "Daryl, you should've woke me up! God, i slept on you all night?" He nodded and his own checks were a little pink. He was biting his thumb.

     "You haven't been sleepin..." he said with a shrug. Your face darkened even more. He could be so damn cute without even knowing it. Being so caring and sweet like that.

     "You neither, no one has."

     "You looked comfortable... didn't wanna move you." He got up with a groan and outstretched a hand to help you. You grabbed it and smiled. "'sides, kept me pretty warm."

      You giggled a little and he dropped his head with a embarrassed smile. You turned your head to the sound of movement inside. Daryl's cheeks were still a little red when you looked back at him, but he tilted his head towards the door.

     "We better get inside before little Shane eats our breakfast." You smack him lightly on the shoulder and shake your head at him, but a smile cracks anyway. You missed this.

     It was another painful couple months before you found the prison. It looked like a castle now, a safe haven, protected from walkers with two rows of those beautiful tall fences. It took one afternoon to block off a section of the courtyard, and you were ecstatic. Everyone was grinning. This was the most room everyone had in months to roam free.

     The fire in front of you was warm and nice. It was cool tonight, comfortable after the hot and sweaty day. Carol had gone to bring Daryl some food because as she'd said, he wouldn't eat if not bothered. They were standing on top of a bus not far, you can see them laughing and chatting together. You smiled a little just watching, Daryl seemed a little lighter.

     They came back soon after to Beth and Maggie singing. Daryl dropped himself next to you and Carol sat down not far. You clapped a little and smiled at the girls when they finished. Beth smiled a little bashfully at you while Maggie cuddled up to Glenn.

     You leaned up against Daryl a little, watching Rick do laps around as Hershel mentioned that he would've found a breach by now. Lori went to talk to him. Daryl was fiddling with a loose string on the seam of your shirt.

     "You gonna fall asleep on me again?" He asks teasingly. You turn your head to face him and stick your tongue out a little. Your face falls when you notice just how close both your faces are. You turn away again and Carol catches your eye. She looks between the two of you quickly and widens her eyes in a 'do something!' manner.

     Daryl continues to play with the string, but he seems extra distracted, like he also was taken aback by the proximity. Maybe it was your imagination, you're pretty positive Daryl doesn't feel how you do, and that's ok.

     Your friendship was something you didn't want to risk, ever, even if both Carol and Maggie and even Beth at one point had tried to convince you to make a move.

“Daryl is too shy to make the first move, it's up to you!" Carol's voice rings in your head.

     "He's in love with you, Y/N. You just can't see it," Maggie had said before.

     But Daryl was too important to risk. A confession would either push him away from you or he'd play along not to hurt you or make things awkward. Neither sounded good. Your relationship with him was good as is, even if you wished some nights it was more.

     "You good?" Daryl asks.

     "Huh? Yeah, why?"

     "Looked lost in thought is all." He shrugs and leans back against the grass, causing you to fall back next to him. Most others were ready to sleep too, other than Rick who was taking watch.

     "Just... thinking."

     "'Bout what?" It took you a second to think of something to say. You couldn't exactly say, 'oh just about how I'm in love with you and how everyone is convinced you love me too. Nothing much.'

     "If we could be safe here." Daryl nods and pats your hand that was resting between you both. The contact wasn't anything new, but with your mind thinking what it was, it sent a spark to your heart.

     "We'll make it safe," he says finally.

     The next day is full of killing more walkers to empty out a cellblock. The thought of sleeping in a cell might have made you dizzy before the end of the world, but now it was the equivalent of a five star hotel. Safe and sound and away from walkers. It helped that you tried to forget it was a cell and thought of it more as just a room, just four walls.

     You dropped your bags down on the cell floor. It had blood smeared on the wall but the bed seemed clean... enough. It was right across from the catwalk, which Daryl claimed. It seemed he didn't think of the cells like you, instead refusing to 'sleep in a cage,' as he said.

     That night was more uncomfortable than you thought it'd be. You had grown used to having your group, who you considered family now, always in eye sight of you. It was strange not to have them all around you. It was crazy, they were in the same cellblock, but it made your skin crawl anyway. You had grown used to felling the familiar presence of theirs around you as you slept.

     If you leaned off your bed slightly and peaked out your door, you could just barely see Daryl's feet sticking out of his blanket. He was tossing and turning. Maybe he had the same problem?

     You crept out of the bed and made your way outside your cell. Daryl was staring at the ceiling and fiddling with an arrow, or bolt as he'd corrected you with a snap back at the quarry.

"Can't sleep?" You whispered lowly. He shakes his head.

"You neither?"

"No..." You rub your hands on your arms, trying to fight the chill going through you.

"You ok?" Daryl asks with a worried look on his face. He sits up and pats the bed next to him, and you quickly sit down.

"Yeah... it's nothing. It's stupid," you reprimand yourself. It was a little ridiculous that you couldn't sleep in your own cell, like a child. Hell, even Carl was ok in his cell.

"C'mon," Daryl prods and bumps his shoulder to yours. "Tell me."

"I guess I'm just lonely in there... I got used to having you and everyone around me." You shake your head and close your eyes in embarrassment. "I'm bothering you, this is so stupid. I'm sorry, get some sleep, Daryl."

You go to stand but Daryl is quicker, grabbing your arm lightly to stop you. You slowly sit back and see his face is reddened.

"Just... stop," he says quietly with red cheeks. "Ain't bothering me, you could never bother me. I care 'bout you. And you ain't stupid either, don't say that shit."

He looked like he wanted nothing more than the earth to swallow him, but he pushed through. Your face was just as red as his now. Daryl was a man of few words and didn't often say out loud how he felt for others. He just acted. So the sudden declaration surprised you.

"Ok..." you utter. You weren't too sure what to say, this is pretty much the most open he had been with you. "Sorry."

"Jesus don't apologize, just..." He stops and bites his lip, fumbling his hands together. "I don't know what I'm doin.'"

"What do you mean?" You ask with furrowed brows. Daryl looks at you, face flushed and trembling hands. "Daryl?"

"I fucking love you, alright?" He scoffs and looks away. "So... you ain't bothering me talking to me."

You're speechless. You just stare at him slack jawed and in shock. Daryl obviously takes your stunned silence as rejection, and gets up abruptly.

"Daryl, I—"

"Forget it," he mumbled and takes the steps two at a time to escape from you. You recover from your shock after a minute and stagger up, scurrying down the stairs to try and catch the man.

You look around outside, trying to find him in the pitch black. Finally, you spot him leaning against the railing of one of watch towers. You admire him for a second trying to figure out what you'd say once you get to him. You hesitantly walk up to the watch tower, climb the stairs and soon your staring at his angel wings.

You takes slow steps until your standing beside him. You don't say anything for a second, just stare out at the trees next to him. He's smoking but you can see his hands are shaky and he shifts his weight from foot to foot awkwardly.

"You don't gotta say anything. It's fine, just forget it," Daryl mumbles. You're a little surprised he broke the silence first, but it's welcome.

"I don't want to forget it," you say. Daryl glances at you shyly. "Can you look at me, please?"

Daryl does so, his eyes dancing all across your face anxiously. The muscles in his jaw are tense and clench with nerves. You slowly move a hand to rest one on his cheek. He watches closely, eyes bouncing from your face to you hand, but he let's you.

You stroke his face, along his stubble before brushing his hair aside a little. It's longer than when you met him, overgrown and in need of a trim. You smile at him softly.

"I love you, too," you murmur to him. "And i would've told you that if you didn't run away from me so fast."

He looks down guiltily, but you just smile and turn his head to meet your eyes again. His pupils are blown, cheeks flushed, and lips are parted. He's never looked as beautiful as he does right now.

"Can I kiss you?" You ask. He doesn't answer, but leans down to meet you halfway. His kiss is light at first, but you both melt together and soon it's hard to tell when you end and he begins. His hands are hesitant at first when they grab at your waist, but soon he's more confident. Pulling you closer and closer to him, pushing his lips to you harder.

You meet him every step of the way. Gripping at his hair and back of his neck, pulling at him so he doesn't let you go. Your back is pressed against the cold railing now, but you barely even register it.

The mind blowing kiss ends all too soon. You follow his lips for once last peck when he pulls away. He smiles and caresses your check ever so softly.

"I love you," you say to him again with a grin. He smiles timidly and dips his head down shyly to your neck. He nuzzles into your shoulder, placing little hesitant kisses to your neck and collarbone. You giggle and play with his hair, giving the top of his head some kisses of your own.

"Oh god damn it." A sudden voice from the watch tower makes Daryl just about jump away from you. You look wildly inside the tower to see Maggie. In your bliss, neither you or Daryl heard her come up. Daryl's face is bright red like a tomato, and you're sure you aren't better.

"Maggie! We uh, didn't hear you..." you say awkwardly. She has her arms crossed and tries to look mad, but her face is breaking out slowly into a grin. "So... what's up?"

Daryl beside you isn't doing better, wringing his hands and looking anywhere but Maggie. His hair is tousled around from your roaming hands and you bite your lip to stop you from curling into yourself in embarrassment. You can't believe you didn't hear Maggie coming up and she caught you like that...

"I lost a damn bet with Carol! I said it's be after the baby comes when you two would finally get together!" She shakes her head and fakes an angered sigh. "Anyway, I heard you two leave and wanted to make sure you were ok. You'd been gone a while."

Maggie's grin could rival the Cheshire cat's. She rises her brows up and down suggestively. You cover your face with your hands and she laughs.

Finally, Daryl, having recovered from his embarrassment quicker than you, grabs your hand and takes it off your face. He gives you a hard and sloppy kiss on the cheek and begins to lead you to the door of the watchtower.

"Better pay up with Carol then," he says and just about pushes you out the door hastily. You hear Maggie's near manic laughter behind you as you let Daryl's tugging hand lead you back to your cell.

Maybe the end of the world wasn't all bad.

[ssruis]

Hello welcome to yet another post that was 1) originally meant to be a short thing but it rapidly got out of hand 2) caters to me specifically 3) is all over the place because I kept finding more things I wanted to talk about

The way rui approaches emotions is so fascinating to me bc like. He approaches everything with a very rational/logical thought process instead of an emotional one and he tends to either ignore his emotions or view them as an obstacle/hinderance.

(From his gleaming stars card story)

If he acknowledges that he’s upset or unhappy he tends to just go “oh well. What can you do.” & then berates himself for not wanting to be unhappy. I feel like a lot of that can be explained by his childhood alienation from his peers.

In RMD his reaction to his classmates refusing to take part in his play once he explained the tree jump stunt & them calling him weird is to blame himself:

Little Nene: Rui, what’s the matter? Did something sad happen?

Little Rui: Nene… No. That’s not it. I pushed my show onto everyone and bothered them.

(From RMD - TL by Arven Oven)

Which is pretty telling. To Rui, the issue is that he asked for too much, that he as a person is something that must be tolerated by his peers.

But ultimately he still has faith that he’ll find his people.

Little Rui: …That’s right. People like you, Nene, who would say that they like my shows, surely exist out there. I want to make my own shows. But as of now - I think it might be a little hard.

(RMD)

And he *did* keep trying to find people who would accept him for a while - Wonder Halloween shows that he continued to try to reach out even after the stuff that happened in RMD, but eventually anyone he got a little close to would end up leaving & reinforcing his idea that he was too different from others to form relationships.

(From Wonder Halloween)

I’ve seen some people say him giving up on forming relationships was due to the events shown in RMD, but I think it was more of a result of him experiencing the same rejection over and over again. The definition of insanity is trying over and over again when the result never changes, and despite what his peers may think, Rui is not insane. I think he gradually lost faith in his parents assurance that he would find people who accepted him - he begins pushing Nene, the only person who hasn’t left him yet, away.

Middle School Rui: I’m working on a solo project… but I haven’t found anyone else like you that’s willing to help.

Middle School Nene: oh, I see…

Middle School Nene: then would you like to join the troupe I’m in…?

Middle School Nene: I mean, uh…

Middle School Rui: hehe. It’s nice of you to invite me, but there’s no need to pity me. I’m doing ok on my own, and it’s for the best anyway.

(From Wonder Halloween)

Why he pushed Nene away is sort of left up to interpretation - To protect her from himself? To leave her before she left like everyone else? - but I think the assumption that her invitation is out of pity show that at least part of his decision to push her away was out of the belief that she, like everyone else, was simply tolerating him. If he assumes everyone hates him/is scared of him right off the bat, he can avoid getting his hopes up and being crushed when he’s inevitably abandoned. It’s not unhealthy or detrimental to forming relationships he’s just recognizing a pattern and using it to predict the behavior of others (blatantly wrong).

Zombie Plushies: We can tell you’re just pretending to be friends! Deep down, you’re probably scared and disgusted by us too!

(…)

Zombie Plushies: We’ll never fit in with them anyway…

Rui: …! (Never fit in with them, huh…)

(…)

Rui: When I look at them… I remember how things used to be.

(WXS world link, TL by Haruka’s penguin)

He rationalized his loneliness with “I’m just incompatible with other people” which

1) ow.

2) if he’s incompatible with other people, there’s no reason to get his hopes up because he’ll never find people he fits in with

3) if nothing is ever going to get better, he should be content with being alone. There’s no reason to be sad over a fact of life. It is what it is.

4) being sad over this is inconvenient, unhelpful, and a distraction from following his dreams (on his own)

5) inflicting himself onto others is a selfish desire and he should just keep to himself. “It’s for the best, anyway.”

6) he’s perfectly fine on his own. He doesn’t need anyone for his shows, and he doesn’t need friends.

By the time the WXS main story takes place, he’s already fully convinced himself that he’s better off alone, and that Actually It’s Super Beneficial For Him & His Shows And He’s Fine Like This.

Middle School Rui: Solitude isn’t as bad as people make it out to be.

Middle School Mizuki: huh?

Middle School Rui: In fact, it has had certain benefits for me. It’s given me plenty of time to see plays and to think over ideas for shows, for example.

(Kamikou festival)

Rui: hehe. Unfortunately, we won’t be doing a show together.

Rui: you see, I like to work alone and with absolute freedom to stage any show I want.

Rui: as long as my shows fill my audience’s hearts with joy, I’m perfectly satisfied.

(WXS main story) (“I’m perfectly satisfied” me when I lie)

I feel like it’s overlooked that the only reason rui joined wxs was to get nene in the group. I’m probably going to talk about his continued pushing of Tsukasa’s limits/suggesting insane stunts and over emphasizing how dangerous they are at a later date - and how that was (imo) an attempt to find the point where Tsukasa would hate and leave him too -

(surely this is too good to be true, Tsukasa/wxs will be like all the others -> wait he’s not calling me a freak and leaving ok I guess I’ll go full throttle on the insane shit surely at some point he’ll get tired of me -> he got injured because of me and he’s still here?? what the fuck???? Well now I care about him & this group so I need to pull back I’m not going to get a second chance)

(Wonder Halloween)

- but I would like to briefly mention that Rui literally suggests risking Tsukasa’s life right off the bat & when Tsukasa is like “?? I don’t want to die???” Rui just goes “alright I’m out of the group I guess bye. have fun nene!”

Rui: Don't worry, the device can be securely attached to the stage in a way that will keep the audience perfectly safe. Please make sure you don't touch it or you'll die.

Tsukasa: what about keeping ME safe?!

(…)

Tsukasa: I’m not going to risk my life on-stage!

Rui: but you said you’d perform any role I gave you to, quote, 12000%, unquote!

Rui: I'm afraid that I have no choice but to step down as a stage director. Nene, good luck working with these people.

(Wxs main story)

Unfortunately humans are a social species & emotions don’t follow (faulty) logic so rui *was* unhappy on his own and he *did* want to have friends. Which I’m sure he continued to call himself selfish/greedy for feeling. Rationalizing all of this was a way he could accept/make peace with being miserable (because it must be this way, because this is how it will always be).

Rui: I was the same a long time ago… I gave up on fitting in with anyone.

(…)

Rui: If they don’t understand me, that just can’t be helped, if they disagree with the way I think, that just can’t be helped… I would think like that.

Rin: Rui-kun…

Rui: - in reality, I really did want to put on a show with someone else. But people didn’t understand the shows I was making. On a subconscious level, I convinced myself it wasn’t going to work out and gave up on the idea.

(WXS world link)

(Wxs Journey to bloom animation)

This added scene from the main story animation adds to this - why he leaves WXS did have to do with Tsukasa yelling at Nene, but the reason he doesn’t come back after Nene forgives Tsukasa is because Tsukasa’s self centered attitude is something that antithetical to a belief that Rui thought he’d given up on a long time ago: great shows *can’t* be made alone, no matter how many times you insist that you don’t need anyone else. As much as he denied it, Rui *did* still want to connect with people and be accepted - not just for the purpose of making shows, but to have a place where he belonged. For the first time in years Rui got his hopes up, started believing in what his parents told him, and Tsukasa proved to him that he never should have done so in the first place. Unlike the other times, though, Rui is the one to walk away first. & then tsukasa/wxs do the whole “true feelings” show etc etc we know how the main story ends.

That being said, I think that Rui still subconsciously believed WXS would grow to hate him and leave because he would finally be Too Much. Wonder Halloween showed him that this wasn’t true (Which is why it’s so important that the zombie plushies in the world link performed potato ghost to connect to the other plushies - it’s the show that was performed when Rui fully realized that wxs was not going to abandon him.) but I feel like that only cemented the fact that wxs would keep performing alongside him, not that they were his friends.

Rui also very clearly did not process or evaluate how his childhood impacted him.

Nene: When you talked about the old days, you seemed happy.

Rui: fufu. I don’t mind it anymore because it was so long ago.

(His RMD card story - TL by Rubilia Heartfilia) (me when I lie part two)

After so long by himself, with shows as the only thing he had, I think that having a connection to people *outside* of shows was completely unfathomable to Rui.

Which is why he’s kind of incapable of realizing why the idea of leaving wxs hurts him so much,

(Curtain call)

why he doesn’t realize why he starts holding back in wonder Halloween or why he holds back on the cheer squad,

(Cheer squad event)

And why he’s surprised that wxs cares for him not just as a director, but as a friend.

(Festival bathed in twilight)

I make fun of him for taking a year to finally be like “yeah tsukasa-kun and I are friends” but I think it’s pretty reasonable taking his trust/abandonment issues into account. Accepting Tsukasa’s offer to join wxs (twice) changed his life drastically - he realizes that he can connect to others outside of shows, that it’s possible for him to form relationships with people outside of wxs. Rui just needed to make the choice to accept the outreached hands - not changing the parts of himself that people previously deemed too weird or strange (not that he was ever going to do that anyways) but changing his attitude of “it’s just impossible for me to be accepted.”

Rui: I had always thought that I could never properly understand everyone around me.

Rui: as I started doing shows at Wonder Stage with everyone, my way of thinking and feelings began to change.

Rui: now, I am able to understand and connect with someone without relying on shows, and I’ve come to value the beauty of laughing alongside others

Rui: that’s why — tsukasa-kun. Thank you for giving me the chance to change.

(…)

Tsukasa: but… it’s not only just thanks to me, y’know?

Rui: eh?

Tsukasa: think about it. No matter how many chances I gave you, if you had refused to change, you would never have done so, right?

(Pandemonium, TL by Tsukasa’s #3 fan)

This is also why he tends to berate himself for having the very normal desire to hold on to wxs. He’s never had something like this before, where he has people who accept and love him as he is. He’s never wanted to keep something as badly as this. He’s asking too much of them, he’s imposing like he did with his classmates in RMD, he should let them leave. It’s the mature thing to do. He spent so long on his own, he should be fine going back to that, isn’t it selfish and greedy to want more?

(Curtain call)

(Talking abt wanting to keep doing shows w wxs and his actions in OHE) Rui: Now that I think about it, I’ve been pretty selfish.

(World link)

Rui: (…When the time comes, even I, too, will have to move forward.)

Rui: (…Moving forward, can I do that?)

Rui: (…Geez, I really lack a backbone. When will the time come when I find myself satisfied with the way things are?)

(…)

Rui: (While working to make my dream come true, together with everyone, I will make their dreams come true. A way to do that - let me think of one.)

Rui: (fufu, how greedy of me.)

(Curtain call - TL by Arven Oven & Tsukasa’s #3 Fan) (fuck you ensekai)

I think that, in future events, he’ll (hopefully) come to realize there are more people who will accept him (& get more trust ranks. Please.). I think it’s an impossible ask for him to be completely fine with wxs going their separate ways some day (and the same goes for everyone else in wxs), but I think when the time comes it will at least be bittersweet and with the knowledge that he can find other places to belong & that his relationships with the rest of wxs is strong enough to withstand not being in the same troupe. Things can’t stay the same forever, but change doesn’t have to be bad. Etc etc.

[starpirateee]

so I had a dream where Owen is drunk and outs himself to Curt...

do with that what you will.

Oh god 👀

Okay that could go a number of different ways, but fortunately, we all know how fruity Curt is, so let me try and take this in the least(?) Angsty direction that I possibly can...

Owen woke up on the morning of a bleak Sunday, with a headache perfectly tuned to the grey morning it had turned out to be, and a weight against his chest. At first, he thought it was a strange way the sheets had fallen over him, but then he came to realise that he wasn't actually in bed at all, but draped across the couch in the place he was temporarily sharing with his American operative partner.

And the weight on his chest?

Well… That was the American in question.

Laying on top of him. Fast asleep.

Owen startled, shifting so quickly out of this position— that was evidently comfortable for the both of them— that he managed to wake his partner up in the process. His eyes were wide, and he looked down towards Curt for an explanation, hoping to god that there was some way to rationalise how they had clearly slept the entire night.

"Mega? What the… hell are you doing?!"

He was beyond the point of words. There was something in the back of his mind that said he had done something last night that had led to Curt waking up on top of him, but for the life of him, he couldn't remember what. They were talking last night, weren't they? Trying to get to know each other a little better…. And there was alcohol involved, as far as the headache revealed, anyway.

But he'd always been so controlled. Ever since figuring himself out, and figuring out for himself the reason his agency would want to hunt him down if ever they found out, he'd made sure not to drink in the company of anyone he wasn't comfortable with. While Curt was a nice man, as far as these things went, and while the two of them had been professional partners on more than one occasion, Owen wasn't entirely sure whether he'd go as far as saying he trusted him enough to get drunk in his presence.

But apparently, that very thing had happened the night before, and it had left them here.

The two of them resumed a position on the couch that separated them, and Curt shot him an apologetic glance. "Must've gotten late…" He excused quickly, lacing one of his hands within the other and trying his hardest to avert his gaze. It was hard to do that, though, after what the two of them had gone through last night… He was making excuses for himself, of course, because it was clear that Owen didn't remember what they'd talked about, at least not in the immediate moment.

He tried to offer a kind of peace. There was little he could do to explain the fact that he'd woken up— and had, in fact, fallen asleep— leaning against his chest, without Owen having the proper context as to why. Once the blur of sleep had passed and he'd woken up a little bit more, they'd talk it over then, but there was really only one thing he could do while the tension was still this high. "I need to wake up before we dive into… That. Coffee?"

Owen scrubbed a hand over his face and nodded blearily. "Please." And god only knows he was going to need it, too. How had he let himself make a mistake of this weight? How had he let himself slip, if indeed that was what had happened… There was no other explanation for it, and it was barely something he could blame on the alcohol.

He stared at the mostly empty bottle of liquor that was sitting on the coffee table as if the two of them had only just finished their late night of boozing, wondering what had been said and what he'd done to end up asleep… with another man… on a couch.

===

"Nah, c'mon. I barely know anything about you! sure, the first couple times we've worked together was nothing more than a coincidence, but damn, they're making us do it again, and I think there's a point this stops just being chance…" Curt pointed out, leaning against the counter in his kitchen. Owen had been assigned to the states, and because he'd worked with Curt a few times before, Curt had offered to put him up for the duration of his stay, instead of spending the time in some cheap, shitty hotel room, where he'd have to break his back just to get a good night's sleep.

But then he'd insisted that they talk, and that was fine as far as these things were concerned, but it was when he suggested bringing out the booze that Owen got a little worried. Sure, his assignment wasn't until the Monday, so he had the whole weekend to sort himself out (since he'd arrived early), but the thought of participating in such an activity with a man who he'd previously only worked with sparked a little concern. "I'm not sure…"

"You don't hafta work till Monday, that's on you for getting here this early…"

"Yes, but—"

"What? You don't drink?" Curt looked him up and down, and shrugged. "I mean, that's fine and all…"

"No, I… Do drink, but—" He couldn't think of a good enough protest in time, because the moment that he admitted that he was, in fact, partial to a good drink, Curt lit up a little bit more.

"Sure you don't wanna?"

And after that, he'd lost most of the fight that may or may not have been present in him. It had been a long flight and a longer journey, and the lag was starting to catch up to him. He couldn't deny the fact that the warm flood of whiskey in his system would've made the deep tiredness settling into his very bones a little more manageable. He conceded with a sigh, and an all too naive declaration of "I suppose a drink or two won't hurt," to which Curt grinned.

"That's the spirit!"

===

Curt returned to the couch in a matter of minutes with two mugs of fresh coffee, and as soon as Owen had his in his hands, he was absently tapping his fingernails against the warm porcelain. Part of him didn't dare to ask what had gone down, in case Curt had a perfect recollection of what he'd said, and it was something he'd rather not hear. But, at the same time, he was curious as to how the two of them had ended up as they had been.

First port of call was coffee. That was a necessary step in both waking him up, and trying to jog his short term memory even slightly. Last night, he had arrived in America, and he'd taken up the offer to drink with a man who barely crossed the 'friend' boundary, and then a series of unknowable somethings led to the two of them falling asleep together. And he was a little unnerved in knowing those events happened in that order, because that likely meant they'd made mistakes, where mistakes shouldn't have been made.

It woke him up a little more than he expected, and it dawned on him that he wasn't entirely sure when the last time he'd had coffee was, given that it was often far too strong for his tastes, especially first thing on a morning. This was necessary, though. He needed the rush to better explain the happenings of last night.

Curt seemed a little more relaxed than he was. At least he was able to sink a little into the sofa as he nursed his own mug. The only difference was that he looked a little more uncertain, as if it was him who had set into motion this series of mistakes, and he was the one with something to say about it.

"Where do we start?" It was the only question that really mattered, the only one he could think to ask that made any semblance of sense. Owen felt the tension in his shoulders, resting dormant and adding that annoying slight of strain to his every move.

"How much do you remember?" Curt asked cautiously, turning so that the two of them were better facing one another.

This was a question to which Owen tried to genuinely find an answer. He was trying to assimilate his memories, and what little remained beyond the haze of everything, but there wasn't a lot that he would consider useful. "Not… As much as I'd like to, I'm afraid. I made it here around seven, perhaps later… And I'd barely been here an hour when you suggested we… How'd you put it, 'get to know each other'. You suggested bringing out the spirits, and after the flight I'd had, there was little in the way of argument, so… I took you up on the offer."

"That's… Awfully specific." Curt hummed. "Thought you said you didn't remember a lot."

"That's not a lot."

"What time was your flight in the morning? Where from?"

"Six thirty, from the fourth terminal at Heathrow," Owen answered automatically, without having to think about it. Curt laughed, and it was in that moment that Owen realised that their definitions of 'not a lot' were likely vastly different from each other.

"Good god."

"Okay… I see your point… Other than the specifics, I don't remember what we talked about all too well… It's a little blurred, I'm afraid."

Curt hummed, trying to think about this in a way that made sense to him. He didn't remember a great deal either, but it seemed Owen had him outmatched for exactly how much. He remembered a little of their conversation, and what had gone down that night, but it was clearly something that was going to take the both of them to figure out. "Okay, well, I'm not exactly clear either. We got to drinking, right? Must've had a few, I swear that bottle was nearly full when we started…"

"Really?"

"I think so… Anyway, it was all casual at first. I mean, the two of us are barely friends, right? And I just wanted to get to know you a little better, like you said. So, we just started talking about ourselves… Y'know, how we got into spying, why you were in America…"

"Oh, right. Of course." Owen nodded, following along. How the two of them had gotten into the industry made sense, that was a good place to start. It was always a decent point of conversation in a professional matter, and especially among two who were so similar in nature after all was said and done. "I remember you saying something about… wanting to do something for the people that wasn't what everyone else was doing. Wanting to stand out a little from the crowd, is that right?"

"Yeah, that's pretty much the exact reason I got into all of this… It's less about wanting to make that kinda impact that everyone else is making, when there's the option for me to do something better."

"Makes sense, I can't say I blame you for that."

"And you're in the country to uncover some kinda arms deal, yeah?"

"One hundred and fifty grand's worth of explosives and arms. Quite the quarry, if I dare say so." Owen recalled that much from reading his briefing file in any spare moment he could while he was still alone. It needed revising when he was less hungover, but that was a problem for a few hours time. Right now, there was a more pressing matter at hand.

Curt whistled, impressed. "It'd take most people an age to make that much."

"Tell me about it."

The coffee was doing something to clear his mind enough that he was starting to see how the conversation played out last night. As a matter of fact, they had started the night seated in different places, and Curt kept subtly adjusting himself into different positions on the armchair as the time progressed. He was right, they had both taken several drinks each, and their conversations had taken a rather merrier turn. "We didn't stop at the professional, did we? I seem to recall bringing up things we'd done in the past, and you mentioned how much you hate getting intelligence jobs."

"Mhm," Curt nodded, Owen's phrasing bringing this to mind in exactly the right way. "Yeah, I do. God, they always make you get with some girl you've gotta charm all the way to the bedroom, and then you've gotta pretend like you enjoy that part of the job while she's taking your shirt off, and all you want to do is find out what her associates are getting up to behind closed doors."

That was mutual. Of course, there was a reason behind that hatred on Owen's end, but it wasn't like that was something he'd ever told anyone. He'd always taken Curt— so long as he'd known him— for the type who seemed happy to charm a woman and take those assignments in his stride. But the way he'd talked about it couldn't be denied… If he was more passionate about it, Owen would've said that he outright hated it. But, that only led to further speculation as to the reason why.

The penny dropped.

There was only one real reason why someone wouldn't enjoy the passionate part of the job, or the part that involved waking up next to a slew of different women all because information was needed out of them. There was only one reason why someone wouldn't enjoy the thrill of being with a woman, even just for a night.

The penny clattered to the metaphorical ground in Owen's mind. His face heated up furiously, to the point where Curt took notice.

"Owen?"

"… I think I know what I admitted to last night."

Curt sighed, a little out of it still. This progression didn't look good, especially not with the way that Owen had reacted to it. His brow furrowed, and he almost dared himself to ask him to continue. That, as it turned out, was an unnecessary step, since it seemed Owen had also figured out how they had ended up spending the night on top of each other.

"… Curt, if I may ask, there is a reason you don't like sleeping with women on the job, isn't there?"

It was just the two of them, as it had been the night before. There was nobody else around, and the whole reason this building was classified as a safehouse was because nobody could infiltrate, either. So, they had gotten drunk. Curt had admitted to the reason why he didn't like sleeping with women, and Owen must've agreed. The two of them had fallen asleep that night under the alarming pretense that they were just the same, when all came down to it, in the strangest and most sudden solidarity that one could hope to experience.

Curt seemed to want to freeze up, like someone had caught him out for something they really shouldn't know, but then remembered that they'd clearly gone over all of this the night before. He let the tension drop from his shoulders— something Owen really wished was that easy— and gave in with a resigning nod. "And you too, right? There's gotta be a reason we ended up…"

"Yes."

"So you're…"

"… Yes."

===

"Yeah, no it's never been my thing to get in with a lady… 'M not into 'em." Curt shook his head, emptying his glass with a single tilt of his wrist.

"Not into… Women?"

"No." Curt answered, a little too quickly. "Never was, don't think I ever will be…"

Owen nodded, for to a revelation like this, he had little in the way of a better answer. He was in exactly the same boat. The two of them were one and the same, cut from the same cloth. That made them more alike than he'd realised. "Me neither," He hummed, because his mind was clouded, and he didn't have the chance to think it through, but he didn't care because finally— finally— there was someone just like him.

Curt's eyes went wide, and he leaned forwards again to see whether he'd heard Owen correctly. "Wait, hol' on, you… You're… Y'know— like me? We're—?"

"I s'pose we are."

"What're the chances..?"

"Wouldn't 've bet on it, 's for sure. Not good odds, finding 'nother gay agent."

[evelyn-is-eccedentesiasts]

ISTG, I just stumbled upon your page and I don’t understand how I didn’t find you earlier, one of the best pages I’ve EVER seen.

I was wondering if you could do Lloyd garmadon dating headcanons with the reader being the overlords daughter with darkness elemental???

@idfkeatdust Totally, I'll do my best anyway.

Lloyd Garmadon (Headcanons x Reader) {Overlords Daughter}

Confession

As the daughter of the Overlord, I doubt you knew you're parentage. But later found out. Unfortunately, it was right in front of your crush. The Green Ninja HIMSELF the same man that's already defeated your father once before. In that moment you probably see Lloyd's eyes darken. With a look of betrayal on his face. Part of him wants to hate you but yet he can't. It's too late..

In your defence you didn't know the Overlord was your father.

Although your powers should have been a dead giveaway looking back on it...

Purple energy spilling from your fingers. Tendrils of darkness pulling at all light around. The Darkness has a heaviness to it, it could suffocate and consume all that it touches. Yet it is kept in check by the swirling green coming from Lloyd's fingers and hands. His eyes are locked on yours.

You flinch as you expect harsh words, even accusations. But the words that fall from his mouth are.

"Do you like me? Please just tell me so I don't feel like a total idiot..."

Dating

Dating the Green Ninja can be a bit difficult. Afterall there isn't much free time to be seen. When you do have free time you're often flocked by a lot of people.

Which is why you and Lloyd will often dress in disguises when you go out. Incognito if you will, this assures that you and Lloyd could, enjoy your time together without being interrupted.

People are a little wary of you. But Lloyd ensures that you are never treated harshly by the city, and are not blamed for your Father's actions. In a way both of you are in the same boat, Evil dads but good kids.

If you guys aren't able to go out on dates, maybe due to time or something else. Lloyd will make sure to set up cute at home dates. Building pillow forts and cuddling in them, movie night, craft night, making food, or even dancing in the courtyard.

Jealousy

Lloyd probably isn't that jealous, but he is protective. If you're talking with someone that gives him bad vibes. He'll come over and put his chin on top of your head or shoulder. While making intense eye contact with the person. When the person hurries off. Lloyd will just shurg and say,

"Hm, he had to hurry off somewhere,"

The entire time he has a very innocent look on his face. As if he wasn't owl staring at, the person moments before.

Affection

Lloyd shows affection in different ways. He'll rustling your hair. Give you hugs from behind. He'll bring you treats from the kitchen when you're in your room. Cuddling in a pile of blankets is an absolute must.

[zablife]

Hi Lee! Hope you’re well! ☺️

Sooo….seeing your moodboard got me thinking about the lovely new John x Solomons!sister pairing and I was thinking………

I love their friendship and the bond that they’ve built off of banter but I wonder if there was ever a moment where things slipped into something more?? Like they were on a tough mission, or things got a little too close for comfort where one was almost hurt and they acted on the more promiscuous feelings that they’ve been otherwise teasingly (maybe they’re not teasing in nature, who knows) throwing around — like there’s so much emotion circulating between them because they’re so close with each other that they just slip … ??

And it could be a one off thing that they then dance around because they were caught in the heat of them moment, or it could be what tilts them into that realm — I’d be intrigued to read either way because I just love them.

Anyways…sorry for rambling…I hope what I’ve said makes sense! 😊

Shots Fired (Partners in Crime AU)

John Shelby x Y/n Solomons

Author's Note: Read previous parts Afternoon Tea and Co-Workers.

“Barney, wait!” you shouted, stumbling from the pub where you’d been celebrating Tommy’s win at the races. John had disappeared some time ago and you’d been looking for him ever since, hoping to win more of his money at darts.

“Y/n, is that you screeching like a bloody alley cat?” John asked, turning toward the sound of your voice.

Only the glowing end of his cigar was visible through the evening fog as you pawed for him to hold yourself upright. 

Grasping his coat sleeve you nearly toppled over as you giggled, “Would you look at that, I went lookin’ for trouble and I found him!” 

“You’re drunk,” John observed, pulling you to your feet.

“Your ma’s drunk!” you retorted with a snort. 

“Alright, I’m taking you home,” John said, steering you toward his car by your elbow. God only knew what you’d get up to if he left you by yourself in Sabini’s territory and he’d be the one Alfie blamed if something happened.

“Not if I escape,” you whispered loudly, and quite obnoxiously, into his ear. Then you broke free of his grasp and ran in the opposite direction as quickly as your wobbly legs would allow.

“Y/n! M not chasing you,” John warned, clenching his cigar in his teeth and shoving his hands in his pockets. As he lost sight of you he growled in frustration, kicking the pavement. “Fuckin hell,” he cursed under his breath as he tossed his cigar aside, knowing he would have to break his promise. 

He set out in long strides, looking out from under his cap with a scowl at the thought of playing hide and seek. Occasionally he heard the click of your heels or a peel of laughter echoing down an alley and he knew he was getting close. As he was about to call to you for the second time, gunshots rang out and his heart clenched in his chest.

Pulling his revolver from under his jacket, he pressed himself against the side of the building where he stood and cautiously made his way toward the noise. Tires squealed as a coupe raced away into the night and John broke into a run, a sick feeling of dread washing over him.

His suspicions were confirmed as he approached you, lying in a pool of blood under a street lamp. “Shit! Y/n!” He called out, sliding next to you to see where you’d been hurt. When you didn’t respond, he began removing your coat, hands roaming over your body for the source of your injury. 

When his eyes came to rest at the crimson stain blooming over your chest he began to panic, clawing at your beaded dress to assess the damage. He pressed his ear to your mouth to listen for your breath, but only heard his own frantic heartbeat jumping into his throat at the thought of losing you. 

At that moment your eyes fluttered opened and you gasped for air, sputtering, “You grabbin’ my tit?”

John fell backward from shock, landing on his ass. “What the fuck, Y/n? I thought you were dead!” he gulped, running a shaky hand through his hair.

You let out a strangled laugh, followed by a groan of pain as you attempted to roll over. “Jesus Christ!” you yelled.

John winced as he exclaimed, “Do you know you’ve got the loudest voice of any human being I’ve ever met?” 

“Happy to know my lungs work though, ain’t ya?” you asked with a weak smile. 

“What are callin’ him for anyway?” he mumbled, placing pressure on your shoulder as soon as he realized that’s where the bullet had entered. 

You wanted to say something clever in return, but the loss of blood was making you woozy, giving the world around you a dreamlike quality. The lamplight made a halo above John’s head and you blinked to right your blurry vision. “You’re an angel,” you remarked at your delusion, focusing on the fading glow surrounding him.

“Now I know we’re fucked,” he joked. “That’s the only nice thing you’ve ever said to me.”

Watching the edges of John’s face darken forebodingly, fear gnawed at you and you briefly wondered if you might die. Your fingers reached for him, needing comfort, but your arm stubbornly refused to move. “Might be the last,” you warned him before you passed out in his arms.

——————————————————-

When you came to you were in a hospital bed, John’s profile staring ahead as his hands twisted his cap nervously. Your arm throbbed with pain as you rolled toward him and he startled, offering hushed apologies. “I’m sorry, Y/n. I shouldn’t have let you go off alone like that. If anyone should’ve taken a bullet, it’s me,” he said, looking at you with red, watery eyes. The guilt had been eating at him as he sat waiting for you to wake, hoping you’d forgive him for not protecting you.

“No, I’m glad it was me,” you choked out.

“Hey, hey, don’t say that,” John hushed you, pushing the hair from your face. “You didn’t deserve any of this.”

You tried to sit up, looking at him incredulously. “I didn’t mean I deserved it!” you exclaimed, scrunching your nose in disapproval. “I meant cos you’re a fucking candy ass,” you chuckled at him. 

Irritated by the suggestion, John’s voice rose defensively, “You think you took a bullet better than me?”

“I know I did and I won’t be whinging about how it looks either.” Lowering your voice to imitate his low timber you continued, “Oh, me face! If it hadn’t been for that shrapnel in France…” 

Your chat was interrupted when the door to your room opened with a quick push and a nurse peeked in to check on you, her bright smile widening at the sight of John.

“You should fuck her,” you said a bit too loudly, the after effects of the morphine still clouding your judgment. “I ain’t his trouble, love! You fancy him?” you called to her, oblivious to the fact that the poor woman was now turning a deep shade of red.

“Alright, that’s enough,” John said, pushing you back against the pillows.

“He doesn’t have the clap….anymore,” you shouted as the nurse scurried away. John dragged a hand down his face. 

“That’s how you thank me for saving your life?” he asked wearily, raising his eyebrows at you.

“Pffft, can’t kill me,” you said dismissively. “You’re such a dramatic little cunt, Shelby” you added with a roll of your eyes.

John huffed out a laugh. “Good to see you're feeling like yourself again. Last night I was your angel, remember?”

“Well I was dying, weren’t I?” you said innocently, pulling your blankets to your chin.

“For fuck sake,” John muttered.

Read Part 4-The Runaway

[sillysistersusi]

Her Own Choice

Fandom: The Silmarillion

Summary: When Elrond sails to Valinor, he isn't sure how to tell Celebrían that Arwen isn't with him. So he avoids her. Luckily, Maglor is there to talk some sense into him.

"You should talk to her." Maglor said and even though Elrond was startled, he did not flinch. He had got used to having Maglor back by now. He had searched for him for years and had at last found him a week before he left for Valinor.

It hadn't taken long to persuade him to come along, but that was largely due to the fact that Elrond had left him no choice at all. Not after he had searched for his Atya for so long.

Elrond stared at the ceiling of his room, feeling incredibly young again.

They had only arrived in Valinor a few days ago, but instead of visiting relatives and friends like everyone else, Elrond had hidden himself away and hadn't seen the light for two days.

Because he was afraid. What should he tell Celebrían? After everything that had happened, she had certainly not expected Elrond to be incapable enough to not persuade Arwen to come to Valinor. He simply did not know how to make his wonderful wife, who had already been through so much, realise that she would never see her only daughter again.

But instead of giving a voice to all these feelings and explaining them to Maglor, he simply turned on his side, away from his father. For Elrond was sure that Maglor knew what he was feeling anyway. He was Maglor and he knew Elrond better than most.

He heard his Atya sigh. "Look, I know you blame yourself, but you did not do anything wrong." Maglor sat down beside him and began stroking his hair. "Arwen is happy and that is what really counts. Just like Estel being happy. If they need each other for their happiness and want to be mortal, then you cannot blame Arwen."

"I don't at all, Atya." Elrond said quietly. "Arwen has chosen mortality for more than just love. I have spoken to her at length and her reasons have made me very- " He swallowed hard and Maglor sucked in his breath sharply, for he knew what was to come. "Her reasons reminded me a lot of Elros."

"Finding out that one of my beautiful children is mortal was hard," Maglor admitted quietly, "but it was his choice, and my feelings would never stand in the way of his happiness. And from what you've told me about Celebrían, I do not think she feels any differently."

"Galadriel has probably already told her," Elrond said, rubbing his eyes. "But what- "

The problem was that Elrond did not know 'what'. He was afraid, yes, but especially-

Maglor realised it at the same moment, for he whispered, "You have not forgiven yourself."

Elrond pressed his lips together to stifle a sob but even then, no tears came. "If she is angry or disappointed- I - I do not know what I would do then, Atya."

Maglor's hand stopped briefly in his hair. "Yonya, if what you told me about her is true, then she won't blame you. Especially since it is not your fault."

Elrond turned slightly towards him and just looked at Maglor for a while, unable to believe that he was really there.

His thoughts briefly wandered to everything Celebrían and he had been through. Together.

"Maybe you're right. I - I go, in a few days - "

But Maglor shook his head. "I know you, Elrond. Do not put this off, or it will only make you more upset."

He wrapped an arm around Elrond and gently pulled him into a sitting position. "You can do this, Yonya. I know you can." Then he placed a hand on Elrond's chest, just above his heart. "And I'm sure deep inside you, you know you can, too."

~•~

Celebrían was even prettier than he remembered her. A memory was only ever half as good.

Her hair glittered in the sunlight as if it was made of precious jewels and her eyes were so full of love that Elrond wasn't sure if he hadn't just fallen in love with her all over again.

"Dearest Elrond," she said joyfully when she saw him, tears of joy welling up in her beautiful eyes.

He wanted to answer, so much, but a lump had formed in his throat. She would lose her joy if he told her that he hadn't managed to bring Arwen with him.

Or perhaps she already knew, and her joy at seeing him would be short-lived and would soon turn to disappointment.

Elrond felt his knees trembling and he looked around desperately for something to hold on to. But it was in vain, for they were in a meadow, far away from buildings or trees that could have served as support.

The last time he had felt so helpless was when Maglor and Maedhros had sent Elros and him away.

Without being able to prevent it, he sank to his knees before Celebrían had reached him. She stopped just right before him, arms outstretched, and it apparently took her a few seconds to realise what had happened.

She blurred before his eyes as he whispered softly, "I am so sorry." And finally all the tears that he had been holding back since he left Minas Tirith ran down his cheeks. His chest had always felt so tight, as if something had been trying to escape from it. He had lain awake at night because every fibre of his body seemed to worry.

He felt a hand under his chin, trying to get him to look up. He followed the movement and blinked away his tears as best he could.

Celebrían looked sad, but not in the way he had expected. "What are you apologising for?"

"Arwen." he said quietly, barely managing to hold her gaze as he said it.

Celebrían also sank to the ground and took his face in her hands. "It is not your fault. It is no one's fault that she made her own decision."

"But- " He sniffled and involuntarily pressed his face harder against her palms. "But I promised you I'd look after our children."

"But you did," she said softly, stroking his cheeks with her thumbs. "Arwen chose her own happiness. You would only have hurt her if you had forced her to come with you. And I think you know that."

Yes, he knew it. He had always known it. From the moment the fellowship had set out from Rivendell, he had known it. Deep down, he had probably always known, but it still made him so sad. Of course he was happy that his daughter was happy. But being happy for her and actually feeling happy were just such different things. Being happy for her and knowing that he would never be happy with her again was so hard for him to understand at times that he preferred to bury himself in self-pity.

"I miss her, Elrond," Celebrían whispered. "But I am happy that she has found and chosen her own path."

Elrond nodded, unable to say anything because he was sure that if he opened his mouth, all that would come out would be a sob.

Celebrían leant forward a little so that Elrond's head was soon resting on her shoulder and she could wrap her arms tightly around him. "I do not blame you, because it is not your fault. You acted in Arwen's best interests and I do not see how that could be a mistake."

Elrond sobbed quietly and clung to Celebrían. "I love you so much," he whispered softly.

"Oh, I love you too, dearest." She kissed his hair. "I love you too."

[fictionalcharactersaremypassion]

That Time Franny's Uncles Made Her Birthday Better

This does contain Debbie bashing. Anyway, carry on!

---

Lately, Ian was trying out new recipes he'd found online, most of which his husband grumbled about. Mickey had simple taste, none of which wanted anything to do with the healthier dishes Ian was wanting to incorporate into their diet. 

Unfortunately, time might have gotten away from him while trying out this one. He stared down at the pan full of charred chicken and vegetables in dismay. 

“Guess we're ordering pizza, Chef Boyardee?” Mickey drawled. 

Ian scowled, shoving the pan into the sink and turning on the cold water. 

“This wouldn't have happened if you didn't distract me.” 

As expected, Mickey wasn't remorseful at all. If anything, he seemed proud, smirking as he came around the countertop to stand in front of Ian. 

“Didn't see you trying to stop me,” Mickey hooked his thumbs in between Ian's jeans. 

Already sensing where this was going, Ian placed his hands over his husband's. “We can’t,” he mumbled, eyes closing automatically when his lips were captured in a soft kiss. They shouldn’t, not when they’ll be heading to Debbie’s apartment for Franny’s twelfth birthday party. But he could feel his resistance crumbling with the way his husband’s hands traveled up his back, the kiss deepening until he wasn’t sure which one of them had moaned out loud. 

“Tell me to stop, Red,” Mickey said, a wicked undertone that was too damn sexy for his own good. 

All of Ian’s common sense, pointing out that they were short on time, flew out the window. He shoved Mickey against the counter, the kiss rougher than before. His husband was steadily unzipping his jeans, and started to pull them down when the doorbell echoed, effectively interrupting the moment. 

“Fucking hell,” Mickey hissed. Ian reluctantly pulled away, making himself look presentable again. “If it’s that on site manager bitch again, I’m gonna fucking explode.” 

He threw open the door, and from Ian could see, all his anger evaporated right away the second he realized who was there. 

“Franny?” Ian said in surprise, coming around to stand with Mickey. 

Their niece smiled weakly at them, using the end of one of her sleeves on her oversized hoodie to wipe away her tears. “Is it okay if I crash with you guys for a bit?” 

They don’t hesitate to let her in. 

“What’s up, Kid?” Mickey asked after he shut the door. He wasn’t showing it, but Ian could see for himself how concerned he was. “Thought you’d be at home.” 

“I was,” Franny shrugged, taking in a shaky deep breath. 

The two men glanced at each other, wondering what could have possibly sent her over here at this time of day. The sun had already started to set and Debs’ apartment was a little further out than they’d want her to be walking to get over here. Just wasn’t as safe as it used to be for them-if it’d ever really been that way. 

“Why don’t you go wash your face?” Ian suggested. Her eyes were swollen, bright red, standing out against her normally pale skin. 

She nodded without a word, closing the door to the bathroom behind her. 

“The fuck is wrong with her?” Mickey had lowered his voice so Franny wouldn’t hear. 

“I don’t know. I just hope it’s not what I think it is,” Ian said, causing Mickey’s eyebrows to furrow in confusion. 

His sister and Franny were getting more argumentative lately. Some of it, he suspected, was normal mother-daughter spats. Franny was on the cusp of becoming a teenager, seeking out independence and being her own person. 

Not that it could all be blamed on that. Debbie was his sister and as much as he loved her, Ian knew very well that she wasn’t always the greatest mother. Not with her tendency to force her own interests on her daughter, completely disregarding what Franny wanted, or putting her happiness before that of her daughter. 

Ian put on a small smile when Franny came back out, quiet and avoiding meeting their eyes. 

“I didn’t know you guys were about to have dinner,” she was referencing the oven which was still counting down. Ian had forgotten to turn it off after taking out the ruined meal. 

“We’re not,” Ian shook his head. 

“Your least favorite uncle burnt the fuck out of it,” Mickey said, trying to lighten the mood. Franny didn’t react to it like he’d hoped. “Come on, little Red, what’s up with you?” 

It seemed like a switch had been flipped; Franny was hesitant, chewing on her lip. “It’s not a big deal.” 

“It’s big enough that you came here,” Ian pointed out. When Franny’s lip trembled, her eyes going glossy again, he guided her to the couch so she could sit down. He was next to her with Mickey plopped down on the arm. “You can tell us anything, Franny. You know that.” 

Their little niece buried her face in her hoodie sleeves that covered her hands, shoulders shaking when she let out a quiet sob. “Mom forgot my birthday.” 

A surge of anger shot through Ian, but he kept himself under control. He knew Mickey was just as furious, and placed a hand on his thigh to remind him not to explode right now. “She did?” 

Franny nodded, sniffling. 

“Who’s she fucking now?” Mickey demanded. 

Ian pursed his lips. That was another one of Debs’ problems. She went from woman to woman in search of a lifelong partner. Unfortunately, she had a habit of choosing the wrong kind of woman; the irresponsible kind who yearned for fun and recklessness and wanted no part in being part of Debbie’s life for more than a couple months. Or, she drove them away like she had with Sandy. 

She laughed humorlessly. “You’d think that was the problem, right? No, she’s just working a lot. Had some client she was meeting almost an hour away. She said there’s hot pockets in the freezer for me to eat if I got hungry.” 

Mickey was openly scowling by now.

“Does she know she forgot?” Ian asked. “I thought you were having a party later?” 

“I thought so too,” Franny muttered. “Guess not. I said something and then she remembered but she was already on her way out so...” 

“So you came here,” Ian finished. 

“After we...got into it,” Franny ducked her head like she expected them to scold her for it. 

“Eh, she deserved it,” Mickey shrugged. 

“Mickey,” Ian muttered, although he didn’t really disagree. 

“Don’t Mickey me, Gallagher. You know it’s true.” 

Franny laughed wetly. It was soft, brief but it was a good sign nonetheless. 

“You know what the worst part is? I kind of expected it. She’s been constantly working. I barely even see her anymore, not that it’s such a bad thing...” 

Her voice drifted off towards the end, sounding unusually bitter. 

“What does that mean?” Ian asked softly. 

“Nothing,” Franny clammed up, shaking her head. 

Mickey wordlessly got off the arm of the couch to sit next to her, his arm wrapping around her shoulders, and she instinctively leaned into his side. Ian’s heart warmed to see this. He loved the close relationship those two had ever since Franny was really young. 

“Not gonna work, kid,” Mickey told her. “You’re gonna have to spill eventually.” 

Franny wiped away the remaining tears on her face, she’d been calmer these past few minutes. She glanced up at him, suddenly looking much younger than she was. “It’s just...” She struggled to get the words out, “Mom doesn’t like my style.” 

Franny was a tomboy through and through. Ian had thought after the princess party went wrong, Debbie would have backed off. Sandy even mentioned sometime after that she’d admitted the whole thing had been for herself anyway. 

That was just the tip of the iceberg, he’d soon learned. 

Debbie continued to pick out clothes her daughter despised, clothes she would have worn at her age. She was desperately hoping Franny might change her mind and join in on the girly activities she tried to introduce to her. Ian didn’t think that was going to happen anytime soon. 

Franny much preferred her oversized t-shirts and ripped jeans.��

“She was nagging me about that pink sweater she bought me two weeks ago. She knows I don’t wear pink or sweaters!” Franny said, frustrated. 

With the arm that had been around her, Mickey ruffled her hair. “Give it to us, Little Red, We’ll take care of it.” 

“Really?” Franny looked up at him with hope. 

Ian was giving him a look as well. Really? 

“Really,” Mickey confirmed. “It’ll give us something to give to the brat two doors down.” 

Ian rolled his eyes. He’d agreed on their behalf to attend the woman’s daughter’s birthday party. “We need to start being sociable, Mickey.” 

“Fuck that.” 

Franny scooted closer to Mickey, seeking more comfort. “I just don’t get why Mom hates what I wear.” 

“Peppermint Patty has issues,” Mickey said with a shrug. “Don’t let it get you down, Franny.” 

“Kinda hard not to when she’s telling me how much prettier I could be if I tried.” And fuck, Franny looked defeated, like her mother's words were really sinking in. 

“There’s nothing wrong with how you look,” Ian told her firmly.  “And there’s nothing wrong with your clothes either.” 

“Yeah,” Mickey nudged her, nodding at her Black Sabbath hoodie. “You got some good taste. Surprisingly.” 

Franny rolled her eyes, a smile peeking out. “Uncle Mickey, have you ever even listened to them?” 

“Kid, I was listening to metal before you were born,” Mickey smirked. 

Ian observed them for a moment or two. He didn’t want to have to send her back to the apartment, knowing she would be there all alone and on her birthday no less. “Franny,” he addressed her, “why don't we have a party for you now? Just the three of us.” 

He looked past her, right at Mickey. His husband was on board immediately. 

“Really?” 

“Yeah,” Ian nodded. “You pick what you want for dinner and Uncle Mickey can go get you a cake. We already have your gifts. No reason why we can’t do this tonight.” 

The bright smile he got from Franny made him smile too. 

“Okay,” she said happily. “Cool. Uh...can we have pizza?” 

“You got it,” Ian said with a grin. “Chocolate cake okay with you?” 

Franny agreed. That was her ultimate favorite. 

“You guys are the best,” she said when Mickey grabbed his keys, preparing to leave. 

Twenty minutes later, their stomachs were full. Mickey, being the softie he was, had also grabbed two kinds of ice cream for her. God, he loved that man. 

Franny was beaming the whole time, dunking her pizza into the ranch, listening intently to one of Mickey’s less traumatic childhood stories. She thought I spy, you shoot was hilarious, and he’d looked back at Ian with visible smugness. 

Finally, it was time for her to open her gifts. 

It wasn’t hard to tell who had given her what- Ian’s wrapping was much neater than Mickey’s. 

Franny was ecstatic to find four books from that horror series she liked to read. Her excitement continued when she opened Mickey’s- a new black hoodie. 

“This one’s from both of us,” Ian pointed at the last one, a semi long box. 

“Oh my God!” 

Franny pulled out a skateboard. She’d been wanting one for a while now, eager to learn how to ride it. 

“Thank you! Thank you!” She shrieked, lunging at them, hugging them both tightly. “This is the best gift ever! I love you guys so much!” 

Ian laughed, kissing her on the head. “We love you too, Franny.” 

“Just remember this was your favorite uncle’s idea,” Mickey interjected, holding her for a few seconds longer. 

“It was our idea,” Ian snorted. 

Franny couldn’t stop smiling. It was stretched across her face. “Can I go ride it now?” 

“Sure,” Mickey agreed, already slipping on his jacket again. 

“Can you get a picture of me doing it, Uncle Ian?” Franny asked on their way out the door. “I wanna show my friends.” 

He’d deal with the fallout and Debbie tomorrow. He knew she’d probably bitch about Franny being but Ian couldn’t care less about that right now. 

“Sure, thing, Franny.”  ---

Might make one more chapter where Ian and Mickey deal with Debbie's wrath (and they lay into her for how she's treating her daughter)

[ivy-and-ivory]

I absolutely adore your Batman and Jason Todd fics!!! I was wondering if you had any fic recs? ♥️

Thank you Anon!! I’m so glad you enjoy my writing :D

There’s so much incredible Jason & Bruce fic out there and I’m more than happy to share some recs! I’m unfortunately not the best about remembering to keep track of fics I enjoy, so this is by no means a definitive/comprehensive list of my favorites, but I scrolled through my bookmarks and found a few fics that will hopefully satisfy your Jason & Bruce cravings :)

Stargazer by LemonadeGarden @lemonadegarden (47,656 words, Multi-chap, Complete)

Author’s Summary:

“Jason Todd is seriously injured during patrol one night, and is forced to stay at the manor to recuperate until his injuries are healed. To pass the time, he makes a list of things he never got to do before he died. Except there's one small problem: most of them involve Bruce, and Jason doesn't really think Bruce cares all that much about him anymore. This is a story about how wrong he is, but I made it sad anyway.”

Truly what can I even say about this fic. This is the story that made me fall in love with Jason Todd, and Bruce & Jason reconciliation fics, and Bruce & Jason destination/road trip fics, and basically everything I care most about in this fandom. I’d been a Superbat fan for a while before I started getting into the Batfam side of things, and around the time I read this I was only just starting to read stories about the Robins. This was the gateway fic. This was the one that caught me and made it stick. Formative, definitive, one of my all time faves.

this kind of weather by r_astra @heyy-its-skip (46,456 words, Multi-chap, WIP)

Author’s Summary:

“Jason’s at school when his mom dies, and that’s the only reason any of it happens. If he’d been home, if he’d been with her, he would’ve been in the wind before anyone else even knew. Even if they looked, no one ever would’ve found him. He’d have taken to the sewers if that’s what it took, man-eating crocodile guy and all.”

Ohhhhh this fic. Bio-parent Bruce AUs don’t always do it for me, but the fics that get it right get it RIGHT, and this is one of them. Possibly my favorite Jason joins the batfam late fic ever. I’m obsessed with the Jason characterization in this one. Like actually obsessed. Like he is rotating in my brain like a rotisserie chicken at all times constantly 24/7 obsessed. Cannot recommend enough.

Growing Like A Breeze by whaleofatime @cetaceans-pls (6,114 words, Oneshot, Complete)

Author’s Summary:

“April 27th isn't anyone's favourite date, but it's somehow worse than usual today when Bruce gets his car stolen. It's nice of Red Hood to come to his rescue. Nicer even that Jason keeps him company afterwards.”

If you’ve read my fics I think it should be a given that any Jason & Bruce fic tagged “Inexplicable Road Trip” is absolutely going to do it for me. But god, Bruce’s psyche in this one. The man has twisted himself up in more tangles than the Gordian knot. Really fantastic exploration of Bruce & Jason’s relationship and trying to move forward past the destructiveness of grief and blame. I will be thinking about the bumper stickers on Bruce's Hyundai Elantra forever.

through space and time by sparkycap @sparkysomething (6,334 words, Oneshot, Complete)

Author's Summary:

"When an Outlaws mission gets Jason sent back twelve years in the past, he finds himself in a familiar position: stealing something stupid and getting caught by a Batman who wants to give him a second chance. It’s a refreshing change from how encounters with his present-day Batman usually go."

I am a simple woman. Give me a fic where Bruce interacts with Jason without really knowing the significance of who he's interacting with and I will go feral, every time. Absolutely brutal interaction between a well-meaning Bruce and a hurting Jason in this one. Don't want to spoil anything, but there's one line of dialogue in particular that just. Ugh. Fuck me all the way up.

Clearly Calm and Keeping Terrorized by Batbirdies @batbirdies (258,290 words, Multi-Chap, Complete)

Author's Summary:

"Jason made a deal with Bruce, no killing, and there would be no more conflict between them. At least on patrol. Jason reasoned it would be easier to accomplish his goals without constantly fighting Batman along the way. It didn’t change anything, not really. Not until he found an old gift he never knew about and Bruce asked him to dogsit Titus while he and Damian were out of town. Not until the Lazarus Pit started bothering him again. AKA: My take on a Jason rejoins the family fic."

I am once again reccing a Bruce & Jason reconciliation fic (are you perhaps noticing a trend?) This one will break your heart and put it back together again. It's part of a series but can stand alone (though I've read the two works that precede it and highly recommend them as well). 250k+ words about a father and son and the rest of their family trying to figure out how to heal. Genuinely there is so much love in this fic. And trauma! Can't forget the trauma. But also so much love.

Code of Silence by JHSC @jhscdood (9,376 words, Multi-Chap, Complete)

Author's Summary:

"Willis Todd doesn’t die in prison. That doesn’t change much, until it does."

This one is less Jason & Bruce-centric than the others on this list (though Bruce still features, especially in the other works in the series) but it absolutely fits the bill for Jason & his dad content so I'm reccing it anyway. This fic utterly transformed the way I view Willis Todd. Incredibly thoughtful, emotional exploration of trauma and recovery and trying to heal. The whole series is gold.

Good Intentions and the Highest Hopes by rotasha (16,863 words, Multi-Chap, Complete)

Author's Summary:

"Bruce offers each of his children the chance to go on vacation with him, and they get to choose the destination. Jason chooses the one place he thinks Bruce will enjoy the least, out of spite. That’s how the two of them end up going to Disney World."

Another one that perfectly checks all my favorite Bruce & Jason fic boxes. Reconciliation fic? Check. Set in highly specific non-Gotham destination? Check. Bruce not quite knowing how to connect to Jason but trying his best anyway and Jason finally deciding to let him? Check, check, check. Jason's kind of an asshole in this one; I adore him eternally. And I love Bruce so so much in this.

There are so many more I could add but I'm going to leave it at that for now! Hope some of these are new to you & that you enjoy them! And thanks again for reading my work :D

[fishontumble]

Kinktober 2023 | Day 2 Inflation LawLu

Warnings: Smut, Luffy inflates his dick with his Devil fruit, top Luffy, bottom Law, riding, a bit of overstim, 18+ mdni

Summary: Law and Luffy get down and dirty on the Luffy-Go because why not?

Law needed his peace and quiet to collect his thoughts, and being close to Luffy would only create noise. To make a long story short, they were on the Luffy-go on their way to Zou and everyone was just too loud for Law’s thoughts. However, after their first dinner on the ship Law found himself sitting alone with Luffy on the deck, listening serenely to the sound of the ocean waves. Their backs were up against the railing and Luffy was looking at the stars in awe. It felt a little too quiet, and Law wondered what Luffy was thinking.

Law was surprised by his own voice, “They didn’t want to talk to you more? I’m sure they’re missing you inside.”

Luffy chuckled, “You mean Crest Head’s crew? Ah, they were drinking with Zoro and that’s not really my thing.”

“Oh. Okay.”

Law turned his head slightly to observe Luffy. His straw hat was resting on his back, and his black hair swayed gently in the wind. Only just noticing, the doctor noted that Luffy had pretty long eyelashes.

Luffy’s eyes met his, and Law immediately looked back at the ocean. Who could blame him though? Luffy was almost never calm, either yelling or running around or chowing down on food. This was a rare sight.

Softly, Luffy’s hand reached for Law’s brushing the back of his, before resting it on Law’s thigh. He squeezed gently and Law had to fight down a squeak. It wasn’t necessarily a surprise that Luffy was acting on the tension that they had built up between them since they met at Punk Hazard, but Law had no clue if Luffy had experience in this department.

When Law didn’t push Luffy away, Luffy took that as a green light. He wrapped his arm around Law’s waist and pulled him in for a kiss. It wasn’t gentle. After all they’ve been through, nothing between them was ever gentle. It was a starving kiss, teeth clashing and saliva mixing. To get more comfortable, Luffy slowly moved Law to be on his lap. Law was worried it might look weird considering how much he towered over Luffy, but the heated kiss blurred his anxieties. He let his arms wrap around Luffy’s neck and felt Luffy’s snake up his shirt.

When Luffy bucked his hips upwards to grind against Law, both of them groaned. Law pulled away from their kiss, leaving Luffy hungry for more. He tried pulling Law back but Law said, “Wait. Not out here.”

Quickly, he used his Devil fruit to teleport them to some storage room. It was stuffier than on the deck, but there was enough room for them to move around.

Luffy resumed the grinding over their pants. He was anything but patient though.

“Could you ‘room’ our clothes off?”

Law rolled his eyes, “That’s not what my powers are for.” But he obliged Luffy’s request anyways.

“Let me prepare first,” Law said, coating two of his fingers with saliva. He then reached backwards and began fingering himself. It was a pretty sight for Luffy, watching Law’s toned muscles flex and tense as Law worked himself up.

As both of them were only half hard, Luffy decided to take matters into his own hands. Literally. He placed his dick up against Law’s, who was still fingering himself on Luffy’s lap, and began jerking them off.

“Mugiwara-ya…” Law panted out, sweat heading down his forehead. He realized that Luffy’s dick was slightly longer than his, but Law had more girth on him which strangely felt like a relief.

“Hurry…” Luffy whined, precum leaking out of his cock, slicking his hand to create further friction. He wanted to make them both feel good as soon as possible, but didn’t want to cum until he was inside of Law.

Law nodded and pulled his fingers out. Luffy didn’t ask if that was enough, but if he did he would have found out that Law had been already playing with himself earlier in the day. Was it to the thought of Luffy? Who knows.

Luffy let go and let Law align his entrance with Luffy’s cock. He slowly lowered himself and took a few seconds adjusting for every inch that he took. When he bottomed out, he rested his hands on Luffy’s shoulders for balance. As he adjusted himself, he felt like he had underestimated the size of Luffy. Then it hit him.

“Are you making yourself bigger?” Law scowled and Luffy gave him his usual shit-eating grin. Luffy bucked his hips upwards into Law, causing Law to fall forwards onto Luffy’s chest. He held Law securely by his hips and started at a slow pace. Not being the gentlemanly type though, he quickly picked up speed and Law felt like he was being pounded into. He figured he might as well just give in since Luffy had proved many times already that he simply did what he wanted no matter what.

Law began bouncing backwards to create more friction earning a moan from Luffy. It was loud, and for a second Law could swear the commotion in the dining hall died down. He was about to say something but Luffy seemed to understand already and bit down on Law’s shoulder. He peppered sloppy kisses on the slight mark he left and sucked on Law’s chest. He then hesitated and pulled back.

“Sit up straight, Tra-guy.”

Still bouncing, Law managed to barely straighten his back and saw Luffy’s eyes focused downwards. He looked as well and could see Luffy’s dick slightly poking out. It made his own dick twitch and he would have been embarrassed if he wasn’t already riding Luffy. Luffy continued to help Law move with one hand, but let his other stroke the bump that was moving up and down.

“Don’t touch it!” Law said, arching backwards and feeling himself get close to climax. What made it worse was when Luffy took this opportunity to inflate his dick even further. It hit Law’s deepest spots, and it felt like his lungs were being crushed.

“Can’t breathe! Coming! I’m-!” He slapped a hand on his mouth to muffle a loud moan as he came all over the two of them. His ass tightened around Luffy, making him feel the outline of Luffy’s dick so much more.

Luffy pressed down harder on the bulge while Law was still riding out his high causing him to almost scream. He kept up the brutal pace not letting Law take a moment to collect himself.

“Wait- wait! I can’t-” Law hiccuped but Luffy shut him up with a kiss and he kept pushing himself deeper into Law. He had devolved into just a moaning mess and Luffy asked, “Can I come inside?” Law could only respond with incoherent garbling and Luffy decided it was alright.

After a few more thrusts, Luffy filled Law up, his cum leaking out onto their legs, making a big mess. Law stayed on his dick as both of them recovered, the bulge that was Luffy’s dick slowly going away as Luffy turned his dick back to normal. However, Law could still clearly feel the outline of Luffy’s half-hard cock.

When they both finally caught their breath, Law said, “Now I have to shower again.”

Still inside Law, Luffy flipped them so Law was lying down on the wooden plank and he was hovering over Law. He slowly began moving in and out, getting his dick hard again.

“Who said we’re done?”