#Backup Solution Partners

[asmitasinghseo]

The Growing Role of Backup Solution Partners in Securing Business Continuity

In today’s data-driven world, businesses depend on information—customer records, financial data, project files—to run smoothly. But what if that data suddenly became inaccessible due to a cyberattack, system failure, or accidental deletion? The impact could be severe. That’s why more companies are turning to Backup Solution Partners in India. These experts design and manage reliable backup and disaster recovery plans tailored to each organisation’s needs. Their deep understanding of local infrastructure and regulations makes them invaluable in safeguarding business continuity and minimising downtime, even during unexpected disruptions.

In short, they’re the safety net modern businesses can’t afford to overlook.

Why Backup Alone Isn’t Enough

Many businesses still rely on traditional backup methods—external drives, in-house servers, or basic cloud storage. But backup is just the first step. You need disaster recovery: the ability to restore systems and operations with minimal delay.

Today’s solution providers go beyond simple data backup. They offer end-to-end recovery solutions, including system replication, automated failovers, and fast data restoration—on-premise or in the cloud. These services help businesses recover anything from a single file to an entire server, often at the push of a button.

The Value of Expert Backup Partners

Managing data protection in-house can be complex and time-consuming. That’s why more businesses are working with dedicated partners who bring deep technical expertise, advanced tools & round-the-clock monitoring. Experienced Backup Solution Partners in India provide tailored disaster recovery plans that align with your business goals and budget. They also help set clear recovery time objectives (RTOS) and recovery point objectives (RPOS), ensuring your business can bounce back quickly, with minimal data loss.

Flexible, Hybrid Solutions

One of the biggest advantages of working with expert partners is flexibility. Modern backup providers offer hybrid models that combine local appliances with cloud-based storage. This means you can restart your systems locally or in the cloud, ensuring faster recovery. The setup is secure, scalable, and fits into your IT environment. With pay-as-you-go pricing, even small and midsized businesses can get enterprise-grade protection without overspending.

Peace of Mind, Guaranteed

Data loss is not a matter of “if,” but “when.” A reliable backup and disaster recovery plan means your business can continue running, serving customers, supporting staff, and protecting its reputation. With the support of professional Backup Solution Partners in India, companies can stay resilient, reduce risk, and ensure business continuity in a world where downtime is no longer an option.

[rootedinrevisions]

Juice Boxes & Bedtime Stories

Summary: When a last minute babysitter cancellation forces you to leave your little girl in the hands of Lt Jake Seresin, you return home later expecting chaos. Instead you find warmth, laughter, and a glimpse of a future you never thought possible. 

Warnings: Mentions of Partner Loss (implied death but undefined)

Word Count: 3.4k

A/N: Based on the Superbowl Commercial Glen is doing for Ram. Gif credit goes to @kaizsche (the BEST blog for gifs!)

The soft clatter of toys echoed through the living room as you adjusted the strap of your dress, glancing up just in time to see your daughter wrapped in a fluffy blanket like a burrito pouting from her spot on the couch.

“But why do you have to go, Mommy?” she whined, dramatically flopping onto her side. “I want to have a movie night with you and Jakey!”

A chuckle rumbled from across the room. “Jakey, huh?” Jake stood near the kitchen, arms crossed, grinning in amusement at his new nickname.

Your daughter giggled, momentarily distracted from her sulking.

You stood, smoothing your dress with a smile. “Sweetheart, I won’t be gone long. And the babysitter is super fun, remember? She said she’d even bring that princess coloring book you love.”

“But what about my bedtime story! You always read me my story! And she always forget!” Your daughter pouted, lips pursed.

Jake immediately stepped in to try and help. He made his way over to her and crouched beside her, tapping her nose lightly. “Tell you what, kiddo. While your mom finishes getting all fancy, how ‘bout we build the biggest pillow fort ever?”

Her eyes lit up. “Bigger than last time?”

Jake smirked. “Way bigger.”

That was enough to pull her attention away. As she scrambled off the couch to start gathering pillows, you mouthed a thank you to Jake before slipping down the hall to your bedroom.

You grabbed your earrings and slid them into place as you took one last glance in the mirror. You didn’t get nights like this often. Time to be you, and not just "Mommy." 

You reached for your phone to check the time when a notification popped up. Babysitter: Hey, I am so, so sorry, but I have to cancel tonight. I’ve been feeling kind of sick all day and don’t want you guys to get it!.

“You’ve got to be kidding me.” You muttered to yourself. You immediately dialed her number, but it went straight to voicemail.

Okay. No big deal. You had other options. You scrolled through your contacts, calling the first backup. No answer. The next one was busy. One by one, your already limited options dwindled, and by the time you lowered your phone, a sigh slipped from your lips. There it was. Your long-awaited girls' night, slipping through your fingers.

You took a breath, pressing your fingers to your temple. Well, looks like I’m staying in tonight.

“Sweetheart? What’s wrong?” You turned to find Jake leaning against the doorframe, arms crossed, watching you with that familiar cocky tilt of his head.

You closed the distance between the two of you, stepping into his space and wrapping your arms around his torso. The moment your head fell against his chest his hands slid down your back resting there with a comforting squeeze.

He didn’t say anything at first, just held you. Let you take a second to breathe.

You let out a long sigh. “The babysitter cancelled.”

You felt Jake shift, glancing down at you. “Alright,” he said slowly. “Not ideal, but not the end of the world.”

“I called my backups. No one’s free.”

“Ah.” He nodded, like the picture was coming together. “So, what? You’re canceling your night?”

You pulled back just enough to look up at him, frustration flickering behind your eyes. “I mean, what else can I do? I can’t leave her here alone and I can’t take her with me.”

Jake’s response was instant, casual, like it was the simplest solution in the world. “I’ll watch her.”

You blinked. “What?”

He smirked. “I’ll stay. You go.”

You froze for a moment. You and Jake had been together for about six months now. And you had introduced them about a month ago. He was great with your daughter. He was sweet, playful, and patient in ways you hadn’t expected. But he’d never been alone with her before. And this was a whole night. Dinner, getting her ready for bed…

Jake must have noticed your hesitation because he let out a chuckle, squeezing your waist. “Come on, sweetheart. I can handle a tiny human for a few hours. How hard can it be?”

Before you could answer, the sound of little feet against the hardwood interrupted. You turned just as your daughter skidded into the doorway, her eyes wide with excitement.

“You’re staying with me, Jakey?!”

Jake grinned down at her. “If your mom says it’s okay.”

She gasped, spinning back to you. “Mommy! Please let him! Please, please, pleeeease?” She was practically bouncing on her toes, hands clasped under her chin like she was making the biggest wish in the world.

Jake arched a brow at you, the corner of his mouth twitching. “Well?”

You let out a slow breath, scanning his face. He looked so confident, so sure of himself. Your daughter adored him. And deep down, you knew you could trust him.

Still, you leveled him with a serious look. “Alright. But there are rules.”

Jake smirked. “Hit me.”

You started ticking things off on your fingers. “Bedtime is at eight. No more than one juice box. Snacks are in the pantry, but no chocolate after six.”

Jake held a hand over his heart. “Got it.”

You pointed toward the fridge. “Emergency numbers are on the fridge. If anything happens—”

Jake cut you off with a cocky little grin. “I’ll call you. But we’ll be just fine.” He leaned in, pressing a quick, warm kiss to your forehead before nudging you toward the door. “Go have fun, mama.”

Your daughter squealed, throwing her arms around Jake’s leg. “This is gonna be the best night ever!”

Jake laughed, ruffling her hair. “That’s what I like to hear, kiddo.”

And as you grabbed your purse and slipped on your coat, you couldn’t help but smile.

JAKE’S P.O.V.

A little later Jake leaned against the kitchen counter arms crossed, watching as your daughter stood on her tiptoes to peer into the fridge.

"Alright, kiddo. What sounds good for dinner?"

She spun around, her face scrunched in deep thought. “Mac and cheese.”

“Solid choice.” He nodded as he turned towards the pantry to go find the box of Kraft. “Anything else?”

A beat of silence. Then, with a completely straight face, she added, “With ketchup.”

Jake blinked. “With what now?”

“Ketchup,” she repeated, like it was the most normal thing in the world. She got the ketchup bottle out of the fridge and held it up like it was a trophy.

He squinted at her. “Is that good?”

She giggled. “Duh.”

Jake sighed running a hand down his face. “Alright, but if this is some kind of prank, I’m calling your mom.”

She gasped, clutching her chest like he’d just betrayed her. “No! You can’t tell Mommy.”

Jake smirked. “Why not?”

“Because…” She glanced around like she was about to spill classified intel. Then she leaned in, whispering, “She thinks it’s gross.”

Jake laughed, shaking his head. “Kid, I gotta be honest…she might be onto something.”

Your daughter gave him an unimpressed look. “Just try it.”

He sighed dramatically, pushing off the counter. “Fine, but if it tastes bad, I’m making you eat all of it.”

She beamed, already climbing onto one of the chairs at the kitchen table. “Deal!”

Jake got to work, boiling the pasta while she chattered away about everything that had been going on at preschool.

When the mac and cheese was ready, Jake slid a bowl in front of her, watching as she enthusiastically squeezed ketchup right on top. He tried not to wince.

“Try it Jakey!” She grinned, pushing the bowl toward him.

Jake hesitated, then took a bite. Chewed. Swallowed. And, to his surprise, it… wasn’t terrible.

Still, he scrunched his nose for dramatic effect. “Alright, I admit it’s…okay.”

She clapped. “Told you!”

He chuckled, ruffling her hair. “Alright, alright. You win this round.”

As she happily dug into her dinner she grabbed her juice box and started slurping away. Within minutes, it was empty. She held it up, shaking it a little. 

Then, with the sweetest voice she could muster, she turned to Jake. “Jakey…Can I have another one?”

Jake leaned on the counter, arching a brow. “What’s the rule?”

She pouted. “One juice box.”

He smirked. “Mm-hmm.”

A pause. Then, she tried again with big, pleading eyes, bottom lip slightly pushed out.

Jake sighed, shaking his head. “Kid, that’s cheating.”

She didn’t answer. Just kept looking at him with those ridiculously cute eyes. The ones that were just like her mama’s.

Jake groaned, rubbing his temples. With a sigh of defeat, he grabbed another juice box from the fridge and slid it toward her.

She gasped, grinning. “Really?!”

He held up a finger. “On one condition.”

She nodded eagerly. “Anything!”

Jake lowered his voice like it was a top-secret mission. “This stays between us. Don't tell your mom or I'll be in big trouble.”

Your daughter’s eyes went wide. Then she grinned, holding out her tiny pinky. “Pinky promise.”

Jake smirked, locking his pinky around hers. “Pleasure doing business with you, kiddo.”

She giggled, grabbing the juice box and sipping it like it was the best secret in the world.

And Jake? Yeah, he was pretty sure he was screwed. Because this kid? She already had him wrapped around her little finger.

A while later it was 7:50, and Jake was starting to realize your daughter was a master at stalling.

“Alright, kiddo,” he said, leaning against the doorframe. “Bedtime’s at eight. You ready to hop in?”

She gasped dramatically. “But I need water!”

Jake narrowed his eyes. “Didn’t you just have a juice box?”

“Yes, but juice doesn’t count. I need water.”

With a sigh, Jake grabbed her cup from the nightstand and trudged to the kitchen. When he returned, she took the smallest possible sip before setting it down.

“Okay, now you’re ready for bed?” he asked.

She shook her head solemnly. “I can’t sleep without my stuffy.”

Jake looked around. “It’s right there.” He pointed to the pink rabbit sitting by her pillow.

She frowned. “No, not that one.”

He sighed, hands on his hips. “Alright. Which one are we talking about?”

Her brows scrunched in concentration. Then she pointed. “That one.”

Jake turned to where at least ten stuffed animals were piled in a corner. He groaned. “Kid, you got options. Just pick one.”

She hummed in thought, tapping her chin. “Mmm… maybe the bear.”

Jake grabbed the bear.

“No, wait! The unicorn.”

Jake grabbed the unicorn.

“…Actually, the bear and the unicorn.”

Jake huffed, tossing both onto the bed. “Alright, final answer?”

She nodded, satisfied, and finally scooted under the covers.

He checked the time. 7:55. Not bad.

With a sigh of victory, he sat on the edge of the bed, grabbing the book she’d picked.

“Alright, let’s do this. The Very Cranky Bear.” He opened to the first page. “In the Jingle Jangle Jungle on a cold and rainy day…”

He barely got through the first sentence before she giggled.

Jake frowned. “What?”

“You’re doing it wrong,” she said.

“…Doing what wrong?”

“The voices!” She gave him an expectant look. “You have to do the voices.”

Jake blinked. “There are voices?”

She nodded like this was common knowledge. “Duh.”

He sighed, rubbing a hand down his face. “Kid, I don’t do voices.”

She gasped, sitting up. “But that’s the best part!”

Jake huffed, glancing at the book. “Alright, alright. Show me how it’s done.”

She cleared her throat, then dramatically deepened her voice. “‘GRRRR!’ roared the bear!”

Jake arched a brow. “Okay, that was solid.”

She beamed. “Now you try.”

Jake rolled his shoulders, took a deep breath, and attempted his best bear voice.

“GRRRR!”

Your daughter giggled, but then shook her head. “Hmm. That was… okay.”

Jake scoffed. “Okay?”

She shrugged. “It could be scarier.”

Jake groaned. “Tough crowd.”

She giggled again, flopping back onto her pillow. “Keep going.”

YOUR P.O.V.

Stepping into the house, you braced yourself for the worst. Maybe some crayon drawings on the walls, a kitchen disaster, or maybe even Jake waving a white flag of surrender.

But instead, as you kicked off your heels and followed the soft murmur of voices, you were met with something entirely unexpected.

Leaning against the doorframe of your daughter’s room, you found Jake perched on the edge of her bed, actually reading her bedtime story.

Well, trying to.

Your daughter’s arms were crossed as she huffed dramatically. “Jake isn’t doing the voices right!”

Biting back a laugh, you stepped inside. “Oh no. That bad?”

Jake scoffed. “Excuse me, I think I was nailing it.”

Your daughter shook her head, clearly unimpressed. “The bear is supposed to sound grumpy!”

Jake shot you a look. “She’s a brutal critic.”

Grinning, you slid onto the bed beside them, gently plucking the book from his hands. “Alright, let me show you how it’s done.”

Jake sighed in mock defeat, leaning back against the headboard. “Please do.”

As you started reading your daughter snuggled into your side, eyes drooping with sleep. What surprised you though, was Jake—his arm rested lazily around your daughter’s tiny frame, fingers idly playing with the end of her blanket. He looked so at ease, so comfortable with her.

You stole a glance at him between sentences, your heart doing something warm and ridiculous in your chest.

This was Jake Seresin, the cocky, self-assured aviator. The man who walked like he owned the world, who threw out one-liners like they were effortless. And yet, here he was, cuddling a sleepy four year old like it was the most natural thing in the world. Your chest tightened, something deep and achingly fond settling in your bones.

By the time you finished the story, your daughter was barely awake. You kissed her forehead, tucking the blanket securely around her. “Goodnight, sweetheart.”

Jake ruffled her hair gently. “Night, kiddo.”

Just as you both stood to leave, your daughter’s sleepy voice piped up.

“Mommy…you forgot to give Jake a goodnight kiss.”

You froze.

That smug grin spread across Jake's face as he leaned against the doorframe, arms crossed, clearly relishing this moment.

Your face burned. “Oh. Uh—”

Your daughter blinked up at you expectantly. “What if he has a nightmare cause you didn’t give him a goodnight kiss?”

Jake, ever the menace, tilted his head. “Yeah, sweetheart. Don’t want me to have a nightmare.”

You shot him a glare before huffing out a laugh. Cocky bastard.

With your heart pounding far too fast for such a simple thing, you leaned up on your toes and pressed a quick, feather light kiss to his cheek.

Jake’s smirk softened, eyes warm as he murmured, “Sweet dreams, kiddo.”

Then with a hand at the small of your back, he guided you out of the room shutting the door behind you. The second your daughter’s door clicked shut, you exhaled, pressing your back against the hallway wall. Your heart was still beating faster than it had any right to.

Jake smirked, hands sliding into his pockets as he leaned against the opposite wall. “So, how’d I do?”

You gave him a teasing smile. “Well, given that there are two empty ones on the counter I think you caved and gave my child a second juice box, let her stall bedtime for as long as humanly possible, and butchered the voices in the bedtime story.”

Jake chuckled, completely unrepentant. “Okay, but I got her fed, kept her happy, and had her in bed by eight on the dot.” He arched a brow. “I’d say that earns me at least a B-plus.”

You hummed, pretending to consider. “Fine. Solid B-plus. Maybe even an A-minus.”

Jake grinned, stepping closer, his voice dropping to that lower range that always made your breath catch. “Careful, sweetheart. Keep talking me up, and I might start thinking I’m the favorite around here.”

You rolled your eyes, but the warmth in your chest was impossible to ignore. With a shake of your head, you pushed off the wall, heading toward the kitchen. “Come on. You at least earned a beer.”

Jake followed easily, eyes twinkling with amusement. “See, now that is a reward I can get behind.”

You grabbed two beers from the fridge, passing him one as you both leaned against the counter.

For a moment, there was only the quiet hum of the house around you. It was a different kind of silence than you were used to. Comfortable. Familiar. Easy.

Jake took a sip of his beer, then glanced at you, something softer in his gaze now. “You know,” he said, voice thoughtful, “tonight wasn’t so bad. She’s a good kid.”

Your chest tightened, that warmth curling deeper. “Yeah,” you murmured. “She is.”

And then, before you could stop it, your mind drifted. To the past. To him. To the man you thought you’d spend your life with. The man who had held your daughter when she was just minutes old, who had whispered promises into her tiny ear, who had loved her with everything he had.

The ache in your heart was always there. Some days it was dull, a quiet hum in the background. Other days it was sharper, catching you off guard when you least expected it.

For so long, you’d feared that no one would ever be able to step into that space he left behind. That no one could ever love your daughter the way he had.

But tonight seemed like something changed. Just a little. Because Jake hadn’t just stepped in. He hadn’t just babysat or kept her entertained.

He had been there. Patient and warm and soft in all the ways you hadn’t expected. He’d let her win their little battles, humored her bedtime stalling, and held her close like it was the most natural thing in the world.

It wasn’t the same. It never could be. But maybe he could be something else for you and your daughter. Something just as important.

Jake set his beer down, rubbing a hand over his jaw. “I meant what I said earlier,” he admitted. “I can handle a tiny human for a few hours. I’d do it again for you.”

Your grip tightened around your bottle as you looked up at him, searching his face. “You would?”

Jake’s gaze was steady, unwavering. “Yeah.” He smirked a little. “Even if she is a tough bedtime critic.”

You let out a breathy laugh, but there was something else behind it. Something more.

Jake tilted his head slightly, eyes narrowing just a fraction. He wasn’t smiling anymore, not like before. He could sense it. The shift in you, the way your thoughts had pulled you somewhere else. But he didn’t push.

He just reached for you, his fingers curling lightly around your wrist before sliding up to tangle with yours. He gave your hand a small squeeze. And that was all it took.

A shaky breath slipped from your lips as you let yourself lean into him, pressing your forehead against his shoulder. Jake didn’t say a word. He held you. He was solid and warm with one hand pressed against the small of your back.

For the first time in a long time, the ache in your chest didn’t feel quite so heavy. It didn’t disappear. It never would. But standing there in Jake’s arms feeling the quiet steadiness of him, you thought maybe you didn’t have to carry it alone anymore.

Jake pulled back slightly, just enough to look at you. His smirk was gone now, replaced by something softer, something real.

“What?” He murmured.

You shook your head, a smile tugging at your lips. “Nothing.”

But it wasn’t nothing. This was him choosing to be here. Choosing you. Choosing her. And maybe you weren’t ready to unpack all of that just yet, but standing here in your kitchen, with Jake Seresin drinking a beer and telling you he’d do it all over again?

Yeah. You could feel yourself falling. Hard.

But before he could press you on it, you took a step closer and pressed another kiss to his cheek, slower this time. Your lips lingering just a second longer.

When you pulled back Jake was watching you with something unreadable in his expression. Something softer than his usual bravado.

Then, ever so quietly, he murmured, “A-minus, huh?”

You laughed, swatting his chest as you turned away. “Drink your beer, Seresin.”

And as he chuckled, taking another sip, you had the distinct feeling that tonight was just the beginning of something much bigger.

Something that, for once, you weren’t afraid of.

[rambling-at-midnight]

Guide Me Home

Pairing: Jason Todd x Reader

Summary: While walking downtown, you inhale fear toxin. It's up to the Bats to find you before your heart gives out.

Word count: 3.1k

Warnings: Scarecrow attack, (kind of) graphic hallucinations (only a small allude to blood though)

Fun fact: As I wrote this, 'quiet' started to not look like a word anymore.

You rub at your eye, muttering below your breath. Wind has been whipping through the Gotham streets all day, drying out your contacts to the point of discomfort.

The next time you blink, one flips up. Cursing, you cup a hand over the affected eye and blink until the stupid contact rights itself. Digging around your purse, you find your suspicions to be true: after the last time you needed to use your emergency backup contacts, you forgot to replace them. The small bottle of contact solution is missing, lost to the abyss of the purse or somewhere else. All you know is that it’s not here.

The only alternative is your glasses, and those are always a last resort. With an outdated prescription, uncomfortably heavy bridge, and scratched lenses, they’re far from ideal.

It’s fine. You’ll splash some water on your face when you get to the cafe and blink a lot. They’re fine.

Your friend is already sitting by the time you get there, but hasn’t ordered their drink yet. You haven’t seen them for several months, though you used to see each other every day during undergrad. They’re only here for a work conference. They live in Metropolis now, and are wearing an ‘I SURVIVED MY VISIT TO METROPOLIS’ shirt to show it. A couple Gothamites around them are actively laughing into their hands at the sight of it. After all, compared to this city, really nothing is worse.

After the usual greeting, hug, and exclamations over how long it’s been, you say, “Sorry, but my contact’s actually killing me right now. I’ll be right back.”

“I’ll watch your stuff,” they say cheerfully.

The bathroom’s about as good as someone could hope for in Gotham. The remains of scrubbed-away graffiti lingers on the wall around the mirror, and a paper towel with a suspicious red stain hangs over the edge of the trash can. Not quite the vibe this place is going for, judging by the painted ivy around the walls and the hanging plants, but oh well.

You blink, squeeze your eyes shut, rub them, and open them again. Much better.

There’s a drink in front of your friend by the time you make it back to the table they found, pushed in the back corner where things are a little quieter. “They have seasonal syrups,” they say, sipping the drink. “Though a lot of them are named after supervillains.”

You scoff and shrug off your coat. “Please. Clayface is hardly a supervillain. He’s just a washed-up actor.”

“That must be nice,” your friend says wistfully. “Did I tell you I had to replace my car last month?”

“No!”

“Yeah! Some alien dictator had beef with Superman. A lot of cars were thrown in that fight.”

“Ugh,” you say wistfully. “We had some good memories in that car.” They’d had it since undergrad.

“Gone but never forgotten,” they say, holding their cup up for cheers, and you both remember that you haven’t ordered anything yet.

Even though you’re on a bit of a caffeine ban—boyfriend’s orders—you order a coffee. One a day won’t hurt you, not when you were averaging at least four during the recent busy season. The pathology lab you work at always has a huge rush of biopsies ordered between Thanksgiving and New Year’s. Now that it’s a little into January, you’re not scrambling quite so much.

With your drink in hand, you head back to the table to keep catching up. Your friend started a new job with a much better boss than their old one. They’re thinking about proposing to their partner of five years. Their dog got into their family’s big holiday meal and they had to order last-minute Chinese takeout instead. And they can’t decide whether to cut their hair or keep growing it out.

Then it’s your turn. You’re four years into your job at the lab, kind of feeling like you want a change, but the generous Christmas bonus is making you think twice. Your apartment is okay but not nice. Your cat is healthy and happy and extremely spoiled. Your family lives across the country, all with separate plans, so you stayed in Gotham for the (surprisingly uneventful) winter.

“What did you do for the holidays, then?” your friend asks, their drink long since finished. Judging by their eyes drifting back to the counter as you speak, they want another.

“My boyfriend’s family celebrates Hanukkah and Christmas,” you say. “Nothing too fancy, of course, none of us are terribly religious. But it was nice to see each other on a regular basis for a week straight.” Jason would disagree, but only out of principle. “We’re all busy people.”

“And your boyfriend? Jason, right? How is he? What does he do for work, again?”

Here comes the hard part. No matter what happens in your personal life, you can’t talk to anyone about it unless they’re in the know. Keeping Gotham safe requires a fairly large system; you and several other scientists or similar professionals are able to contact the Bats through Leslie Thompkins, Lucius Fox, and Commissioner Gordon, but of that number, only a fraction know their identities.

Working overtime at the lab as a new hire, you were the only one Leslie could reach at midnight when Black Bat came in contact with a mysterious substance through an open wound. From midnight to eight a.m., you collected blood and skin samples with hands that shook under the scrutiny of Batman’s white-lensed gaze. Your treatment was a gamble but a success, and after that, the Bats started to come to you more and more. So many of their rogues use biowarfare, after all. Still, it took over a year for Black Bat and Spoiler to take off their masks around you. At that point, you’d only seen Red Hood once, when he brought Robin in and ordered you to never tell Batman that he’d done so. Months after that, he took off his helmet around you, but only because of a nasty cut on his neck, and the domino mask beneath it stayed on. You’d known each other for a year and a half before he spoke more than five curt words to you at a time. Analyzing a new street drug was the first time you two ever worked together, and it was fun. After that, he just kept coming back.

It took so long to gain their trust, and you won’t risk it. But there are so many secrets. How can you explain to anyone else that not only is your boyfriend related to Bruce Wayne—yes, the Bruce Wayne of Gotham, billionaire, CEO, activist, and philanthropist—but he is, in fact, the man’s very publicly dead son?

So you can tell people about your boyfriend named Jason. You can’t introduce him to anyone from outside Gotham; the jagged scar on his cheek and glowing green eyes tend to raise more questions than answers. You can mention that he has a large family. You can’t tell them who his family is. You can tell them that Jason works flexible hours, usually at night, so the two of you see each other often despite your busy schedules. You can’t tell them what Jason actually does for work.

“He runs a not-for-profit community service organization,” you lie, the words familiar and tasteless from how often you’ve had to say them. And he sort of does, but with a lot more violence and criminal cavorting than most other not-for-profits. “He’s really passionate about helping Gotham’s kids that come from low-income households.” The foster system reform laws passed last year were lobbied by Wayne Enterprises, but it was the Red Hood showing up in politician’s houses in the dead of night that really sped up the process.

“I talked to Avery the other day,” your friend says. “They’re convinced you’re making him up.”

You sigh. Avery is another friend from college. You two were in the same friend group for years, but were never particularly close outside of it. “We don’t like to take pictures together, okay?”

Your friend eyes you with a faint air of dissatisfaction. “Well, if you say so. I was actually hoping to meet him while I’m here.”

You try not to let it show how your heart leaps into your throat at the thought. Around the lump, you say, “I’m sure he’d love to, but he’ll be stuck all day at the office.” Lie. He’s at home right now, baking muffins and wearing an apron with the words ‘Kiss the Cook.’ Damian and Tim scribbled over the two ‘S’s with Sharpie to make it ‘KiLL the Cook,’ but the sentiment is still there.

“Right,” they say slowly.

The meetup doesn’t last long after that. At the end of it, you hug and promise to meet up more often, even though it’s unlikely. With a wave, they head off for their conference, and you’re almost out the door when you blink wrong and—

Half the world goes blurry.

You feel the contact fall down your cheek and onto the ground.

“Goddamnit,” you hiss under your breath.

Glasses it is.

You’ve been wearing contacts for so long that you can take out the other one without breaking stride. The wind hasn’t let up in the slightest, and it makes your nose run.

Sniffling slightly, shoulders hunched against the chill, you don’t see the pumpkin until it’s too late.

They’re after you.

It’s not safe, not for you, not for anyone, they want you, they’re grabbing you, hands on your shoulder, people screaming—screaming at you—for you to stop—no—for—for something to stop?

Something is wrong. Dimly, in the back of your mind, you know something is wrong, but your hands are shaking and your bag is ripping, someone is clawing at you, screaming, desperate, they want you to fall back so they’re safe (from what?) and someone else shoves you and you go spinning out, bag in one direction and you in the other and—

They’re changing, the person clawing at you, turning into a monster, and you scream.

They’re after you

(who is after you)

They want to hurt you

(why)

(what is going on)

And you can’t see, something is wrong, you hear glass crunch and then the whole world goes out of focus.

You can’t see.

They’ll get you if you can’t see, and now you can see them, the dark shapes rising from the shadows, claws out and maws gaping, hungry, hungry, hungry for you and your marrow and your heart and they’re going to get you—

You run.

You trip over something (or someone; something like a bone crunches) and your heel slides and your hands catch you but not really, chin clipping the ground so hard your teeth click, and your hands burn, and your chin aches, but they’re still behind you, behind and getting closer—

You run.

You run and they get closer and you see the corner of something dark and blurry, and maybe it’s another monster or maybe it’s a building, and you skid to a stop and throw yourself behind it.

It’s not a monster. It smells awful—a dumpster—and the ground is wet, you hope from rain, but maybe it’s blood

(you’re sitting in a pool of it)

(you’ll be covered)

(the monsters will smell the blood and come running and they’ll hear you shuffling, they’ll hear you panting, they’ll hear your heart pounding, pounding, pounding—)

You scramble to the farthest corner between the brick building’s corner and the dumpster—maybe their clawed arms will be too short to reach you—and hide your face in your hands—you need to stop breathing so loudly—you need to be quiet, quiet, quiet—

People continue to scream. The city, the city Jason and his family try so hard to protect, everyone is dying and you’re going to die and maybe they’ll die, too, or maybe they’ll survive, and maybe they’ll find your dead body and that would ruin Jason, or maybe they won’t and you’ll rot behind the dumpster, smelling just as bad as the trash inside it—

Quiet quiet quiet.

You can’t stop shaking, your teeth won’t stop rattling, and you have to be quiet quiet quiet.

But your heart keeps pounding, faster and faster. It hasn’t slowed down since the monsters came, it’s only getting louder and faster.

Dimly you think you might be having a heart attack.

Everything gets a thousand times worse when one of the monsters shouts your name.

How do they know your name?

Footsteps on the pavement and people have stopped screaming.

Dead, you think. And you’ll be next if you’re not quiet quiet quiet.

The monster shouts your name again. It’s louder—they’re closer. You curl into a tighter ball. They can’t find you.

Deep breaths. Deep breaths. Your chest hurts; your heart wants to jump out of it.

Jason, you think wildly. Jason will save you. If Jason finds you, he’ll keep you safe. Your hands fish at your side, but find empty air: your purse is gone. There’s no way to reach him, and he can’t even track your location through your phone.

The monster shouts your name again. It has a deep voice.

Another voice joins it, deeper, pitched lower. You can’t quite make out the words.

“They’re around here,” the first monster insists. “B, we don’t have long, this strain is strong—”

“They’re strong,” says the second monster. “Their heart can handle it.”

Something thumps and a third monster says, “Everyone else is clear. Signal had to take two people to the hospital, but they’ll be fine, don’t look so upset, B.”

“You have the antitoxin?” the first monster demands.

“Relax, Hood,” drawls the third monster. “‘Course I do. So you tracked them here?”

“Yeah, I just—” Again it shouts your name. It sounds almost upset. “Please, it’s me, I can help you. Come on. You’re safe. You inhaled fear toxin, I know you’re terrified, but it’s me. You know me.”

It’s trying to lure you in. You won’t fall for it.

You squeeze your eyes shut and hold your breath. Let them move on. Let them search somewhere—

“There you are.”

A hulking figure is blocking the light.

The monsters found you.

“Stop it!” you yell, trying to sound brave. “Leave me alone or—or you’ll regret it!”

“Please,” it wheedles, “I’m just trying to help you. Don’t you recognize me?” It reaches out with clawed hands and you kick frantically, but there’s nowhere else for you to go.

“Hey, aren’t these their glasses?” asks the third monster. “What happened to their contacts?”

“Don’t come any closer! The Red Hood will get you, I know him, if you hurt me he’ll kill you! Stop it!”

“I’m really sorry about this, honey,” the monster says, and its clawed hand latches around your ankle and you howl. The sharp points dig deep through skin into muscle and sinew, and it hurts and you’re going to die—

“Jason!” you shriek. “Jason, help me!”

“I’m right here,” the monster lies. “Please, I’m right here, look at me—”

You won’t. You won’t do it. You can’t watch while it kills you. “Jason, please!” you bawl again, but it’s too late. The monsters have you, you’re surrounded, he’ll never forgive himself but what could he even do against them—

Sharp teeth dig into your neck.

You’re dead.

“There we go, darling,” the monster says. Strong arms wrap around you—it wants to crush you to death—and you struggle, but there’s no use.

Except—

You can hear now, kind of, the rush of blood in your ears is receding a bit, and something heavy lands on your nose. This time, when you blink your eyes open, the world’s edges have sharpened. And the monster in front of you—

Well, you recognize the dark hair with a shock of white, and the brilliantly green eyes would be visible if not for the white-lensed domino mask, and the jagged scar on his cheek.

“Jay?” you murmur, hand coming up to touch it. He doesn’t flinch away. It took so long for him to stop flinching when you touch his face. Over his shoulder, you see Batman and Spoiler watching with satisfaction and slight worry. “What happened?”

“Scarecrow,” he says grimly. “He gassed the street, but only about twenty people were affected. I was patrolling nearby, and when I saw your purse on the ground—” He grimaces, then fixes you with a hard look. His two hands can span most of your head, and he takes it to press a firm kiss to your forehead. When he pulls back slightly, without looking away, “I want their heart checked.”

“The antitoxin—” Batman starts.

“I don’t care,” Jason snarls.

Your hands loosely hold his forearms, still shaking a little. “How’d you find me?”

“I tracked you,” he says softly.

“But my phone—”

“Honey,” he says gently, “of course that’s not the only one.”

Well. You should have guessed that, honestly.

“I’ll go check on the victims,” Batman says suddenly. “Come on, Spoiler.”

“Glad to see you’re okay,” Spoiler says to you, then dashes after Batman. In a whirl of capes, they’re gone.

“I’m so sorry,” Jason says in a rush.

“Jay—”

“I should have protected you,” he grits out, white lenses turning to slits as he squeezes his eyes shut. “This should never have happened—”

“You couldn’t have known,” you say softly, letting go of his arms and wiggling beneath them to wrap yours around his torso. Your nose wedges against his chest kind of uncomfortably, but now you can smell him, the familiar gunpowder and a little bit of sour sweat, and the faint tremble in his bones that mirrors the one in your hands. He clutches you close, head buried in the crook of your neck.

He croaks, “I’m so sorry, so sorry, so—”

“You saved me,” you mumble into his armor. “I knew you would.”

“I almost didn’t.”

“Jay.” You pull back to look at him seriously. “Even when I couldn’t think straight, I knew you would come. I’ll always know that, no matter what toxin’s messing with my head.”

Judging by the twist of his mouth, he doesn’t quite believe that. He’ll beat himself up internally for days, you know.

But you also know that while Bruce runs his tests in the Cave to make sure there’s no more toxin in your system, he’ll hold your hand the whole time. You know he’ll hold you tight in the bed you share tonight. You know, as long as Jason lives and breathes, he’ll always protect you.

“I love you,” he says thickly. “So much.”

“I love you too.”

“Let’s get you checked out.” He helps you up and holds you close and you know that you’ll be okay.

Jason’s here, so you’ll be okay.

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@evalynanne @mismatchsposts @cliosunshine @fictionalwhor3 @bellathecatastrophe

Let me know if there's anything you want to see from me. Inspiration strikes at odd intervals, and I get lonely.

[justlemmeadoreyou]

Serendipity*

Summary-Harry meets you at the most unexpected of places, and helps you like a knight in a wedding suit. It all starts at your best friend's wedding, where you find yourself in a predicament without an escort. As panic sets in, Harry appears, sent by the groom's brother to fill in as your last-minute companion. From that moment, a serendipitous connection begins to bloom between you both.

Words: 5k

Warnings: LOVE! SO MUCH LOVE AND SWEETNESS AND SOFTNESS IN THIS ONE! BUT ALSO-kissing, bathing together, p in v sex, a bit of cursing, loads of fluff.

♡~~~♡~~~♡~~~♡~~~♡~~~♡~~~♡~~~♡~~~♡~~~♡~~~♡~~~♡~~~♡~~~♡

You stood in the bridal suite, your best friend Amelia bustling around in her stunning wedding gown. The room was a whirlwind of emotions—excitement, joy, and a hint of nervousness. It was her big day, and you couldn't have been happier for her.

Months of planning had led to this moment, and you had been Ame’s right-hand woman every step of the way. The dress, the flowers, the decorations—you had been there for it all. Today was the culmination of her dreams, and you were thrilled to witness her marry the love of her life.

As the time for the ceremony approached, you could feel your heart beating faster. You had the honor of being her maid of honor, and you couldn't wait to stand by her side as she walked down the aisle. But there was one small hiccup—the absence of your escort.

Panic set in as you looked around the room, realizing that you were missing the crucial piece of the bridal party puzzle. "Where's my escort?" you asked, your voice betraying the tension building inside you.

Ames looked at you with concern. "What do you mean? Did something happen to your partner? He was supposed to be here long ago–"

Your mind raced, trying to figure out a solution. The best man was missing. Great. Now, you were left without a partner, the groom was left without the best man, and the thought of walking down the aisle alone made your stomach churn.

You fiddled with your fingers, heart throbbing in your chest as your mind reeled. This was a disaster. So many people couldn’t make it–most of them were supposed to be there for backup if anything bad happened and now, along with them,–your escort was missing too. You were beginning to think if you were the bad luck here.

“I’ll see if someone else is willing, the guests are already out there and I’ll look like a moron but I will–” you rambled, sweat forming on your forehead. This was a bad habit of yours. Panicking so much that you wore yourself down, and if you didn’t breathe and relax, your makeup and hair would be ruined and–

Just as you were about to leave the room in a haste, the door knocked. You all looked at each other with curious gazes, oblivious to who it was.

“Who is that? All of us are here and maybe it’s your dad–” 

You stood by the door, taking a deep breath, preparing yourself to explain it all in case they ask what is taking so long.

But, as you opened the door, you opened it slightly, just in case it was the groom, Eddie.

To your surprise, it was someone else–someone you haven't met before. He was sharply dressed, suit and all, piercing green eyes looking straight into yours.

“I’m sorry-I don’t know you” you asked, and he smiled.

“I’m Harry. I’m a friend of Amelia’s brother. Your escort wasn’t here and Eddie was freaking out, so he sent me here”

You searched his eyes, and they were so calm, so soft. Your heartbeat began to steady, and you walked out of the door, closing it shut, even though it was time.

“You’re sure you won’t mind? Or you're not taken by someone else?”

He chuckled, a sound that you know you will be longing to hear once again. 

“No-I’m not taken by someone else. That’s why I came here. To help you in case you need it. What’s your good name?”

You were lost in the way his lips moved as he talked, completely phasing out and not listening to a word he said. God, he was so pretty.

“Hello?” he asked once again, completely aware of how your gaze was fixated on him. He couldn’t lie, he knew he looked irresistible. But the way you were ogling him in the time of crisis–it was something he hadn’t seen before.

“Hello” he said again, waving his hand over your face to obstruct your view, and that’s what broke your gaze. You blinked rapidly, mumbling “Sorry” before asking him what he said.

“What’s your name?”

“I’m Y/n. But–what about the best man?”

“I am the best man. It was supposed to be Archie, I know. But this wedding was a last minute plan and he’s drunk as hell right now in Vegas.”

“Oh God. I told them not to get married one week after the proposal. But who would listen to me? I’m just the maid of honor after all. I swear if anything, anything happens, I will–” You were stopped by him, as he said,  “Y/n. The wedding”

“Yeah. sorry”

You pulled the door back open, Ames coming out, and Harry fawned over how perfect she looked. He was like a brother to her, and you never met this gorgeous, gorgeous man till now. How?

Her father came soon, ready to walk her down the aisle.

You look at her one last time, her face glowing and so, so pretty. Her hair, the dress, the veil–it’s all so perfect.

“Let’s walk you down the aisle.”

>>>

As you made your way down the aisle, all eyes were on you and Harry. You couldn't help but feel a little self-conscious, but Harry's hand on your arm gave you the confidence to keep walking with your head held high.

You could see Amelia and her soon-to-be husband at the end of the aisle, both looking nervous and excited. You couldn't help but smile at the sight of them, knowing how much they loved each other. The priest stood behind them , ready to commence the wedding.

As you reached the altar, Harry stepped aside and you took your place next to Amelia. The ceremony began and you couldn't help but feel emotional as you watched your best friend exchange vows with the love of her life. The rings were exchanged, and kisses and promises were made. It was the perfect wedding that she had planned, and you were so glad you would make it happen for her in such short notice.

During the reception, Harry proved to be the perfect replacement for the missing best man. He made everyone laugh with his witty jokes and kept the party going with his dance moves. After the dance of the bride and groom, everyone was slow dancing–even your father and mother, and they looked so cute together.

You were sitting by one of the tables, sipping water and looking at them all.

Harry appeared beside you, letting you finish up your water, before looking down at you, offering you his hand, “Can I have a dance?” he asked.

You smiled, wiping some of the drops from your lips carefully, and nodding happily.

“I would love to dance with you, Harry”

You held his hand and got up, letting him lead you to the dance floor. Once you stood in front of each other, you instinctively placed your arm on his shoulder, his coming to rest on your waist. You both held each other’s hands then–intertwining your fingers, and they fit so perfectly.

As the music started to play, you could feel Harry’s body moving in sync with yours. He led you gracefully around the dance floor, his steps confident and smooth. 

You couldn’t help but admire his movements, the way he effortlessly glided across the floor.

“You’re a fantastic dancer, Y/N” Harry whispered in your ear, making you blush at the praise.

 “Thank you, but I think you’re the one making me look good,” you replied, teasingly. He chuckled, spinning you around before pulling you back into his arms. Your chests collided, and you looked up at him, getting lost in his piercing green eyes. 

“You know, I could get used to dancing with you like this” Harry said, his voice low and husky, his words meant for your ears only. You couldn’t resist the urge to press your body closer to his, feeling the heat radiating between the two of you. 

“I could too” you breathed out, feeling your heart flutter at the intense gaze he was giving you. The two of you continued to dance, your bodies moving fluidly together as if you were one. You could feel the music pulsing through your veins, heightening every touch and every movement. 

As the song came to an end, Harry pulled you into a gentle embrace, his hand caressing your back soothingly. 

“That was amazing, Y/N” he said, his voice full of admiration. 

“I couldn’t agree more, '' you replied, a smile spreading across your face, and a blush spread across your cheeks. 

As the night went on, you and Harry found ourselves lost in each other's company. You talked about everything and anything, laughing and sharing stories. You found yourself enjoying his company more and more as the night went on. He was charming, funny, and easy to talk to. You couldn't believe you had just met him today.

But as the night came to an end, it was time for the bride and groom to leave. You both rushed back to the reception, saying your goodbyes to them before they left.

But before, it was time for her to toss the bouquet.

Everyone cheered as she came into view, holding the bouquet as all the single girls gathered behind her, ready to catch it and be the next to marry. You didn’t have a boyfriend, but you wanted to be there for her.

"Alright, here goes nothing!" Amelia exclaimed, her voice filled with excitement.

As the bouquet soared through the air, you watched in amazement, hardly daring to believe her luck. In a surreal moment, the bouquet seemed to be heading directly towards you, almost as if guided by fate itself. Without even consciously trying, your hands instinctively reached out, and to your astonishment, you felt the soft petals and stems of the bouquet in your grasp.

Gasps of surprise echoed around the room as you stood there, stunned, clutching the bouquet tightly to your chest. You quickly glanced around, wide-eyed, as the other girls congratulated you with genuine smiles, though perhaps tinged with a hint of envy.

Amelia, the radiant bride, beamed at you, her eyes shining with joy. "Looks like someone's next in line for love!" she teased, her voice filled with excitement.

You couldn't help but laugh, feeling a rush of happiness and disbelief wash over you. "I-I can't believe it! And I don’t even have a boyfriend" you stammered, voice shaky and still in shock from the unexpected turn of events.

Soon, it was time for them to leave, and as Ames and Eddie said their goodbyes, kissing and laughing as they sat in the car, ready to leave.

You hugged her for one last time, pressing a soft kiss to her cheek. Pulling back, he pulled her back, and they both got in the car, driving away.

It was all like a dream. A perfect dream that had come true.

You were happy, smiling as you watched their car disappear into the darkness, and it was after a while that you realized you had lost harry.

Panic started to set in as you searched every corner of the reception hall, but Harry was nowhere to be found. You asked around, but no one had seen him. Just as you were about to give up and accept that you had lost him, you felt a tap on your shoulder.

Turning around, you saw Harry standing there with a sheepish smile on his face. “Sorry, I got lost in the crowd, and then some girl came to talk to me, and I think she was trying to get my number, but I shrugged her off. I couldn't leave without saying goodbye to you,” he said, his eyes full of sincerity.

Relief flooded through you as he pulled you into a tight hug. “I couldn't leave without saying goodbye to you either,” you replied, hugging him back just as tightly. It was instinct, and none of you cared that you had hugged.

Pulling back, you stared into each other’s eyes for a moment too long. You wanted to say something, wanted to ask him if he was taken, but you were scared.

He definitely was taken. A charming British man who looked so good, made you laugh and was so perfect.

So, you decided to shrug it off, the feeling of wanting to hold him once again, pulling at the strings of your heart. He was perfect, so perfect. And so dreamy.

“So–you shrugged off a girl?” you asked, trying to lighten the mood, and to dissipate the thick tension in the air between you two.

“Oh–yeah” he chuckled, one which you were maybe hearing for the last time.

“Yeah, so was being a bit touchy, and I was uncomfortable, so I told her. And–then she asked for my number, so-”

“So?”

“I said no”

“Because–you’re seeing someone? Because if you’re not, that was kinda stupid–I think. Weddings are real meet-cutes.” you asked, raising your eyebrows at him.

“No–uh, um, I’m not seeing someone, it’s just–I didn’t want her number. I–I wanted yours.”

The words hit you like a brick wall. You were not expecting him to say that. The girl who approached him was probably pretty, and definitely prettier than you. Then why did he say no to her, and yes to you?

“Me–cool cool cool cool cool” you stammered, and looked down, blushing and having no idea what to say next.

He sensed your dilemma, and held your hand in his.

“Y/n–please, look at me”

But you couldn’t bring yourself to. He was so pretty and so perfect and here he was, standing in front of you, asking for your number after rejecting someone else.

And you knew, if you looked up, you would definitely fall in love with him.

Harry waited for you to look up at him, and when you didn’t, he lifted his right hand, holding your chin softly and lifting your face up, making you look into his eyes.

And it was over for you. You fell for him.

“Y/n–I really like you. And what we shared today–the dance, the talks, the laughs–it was so perfect. You’re so perfect. And I didn’t talk to that girl or dance or laugh with her. I did all that with you. And–I think I’ve fallen for you”

Tears welled up in your eyes, and you choked out a laugh. It was so unexpected, but it felt like it was meant to be. His hand was in yours, and he was holding it with so much promise. And on your other hand, was the bouquet. A promise. 

“Y/n–will you go on a date with me?” he asked, and you nodded immediately, wiping a stray tear that had fallen on your cheeks. You immediately pulled him in for a hug, holding him close tightly, never wanting to let go.

>>>

Your first date was a week later.

Harry called you to his house, and he had texted you his address. He didn’t say what he had planned for tonight. He wanted it to be a surprise, and you knew it would be beautiful.

As you arrived at Harry's house, your heart fluttered with anticipation. You had no idea what he had planned for tonight, but you knew it would be something special, just like him. Stepping out of your car, you made your way to his front door, excitement bubbling inside you.

Harry greeted you with a warm smile, his eyes sparkling with mischief as he led you inside. "I'm so glad you're here," he said, taking your hand in his. "I've got something amazing planned for us tonight."

You couldn't help but smile back, feeling a rush of excitement coursing through your veins. "I can't wait to see what you've come up with," you replied, your heart pounding with anticipation.

After a quick drive, you arrived at a secluded spot far from the city lights, where the stars shone brightly overhead. The air was crisp and cool, and the sound of laughter and music filled the night.

"What is this place?" you asked, gazing around in wonder at the vibrant scene before you.

Harry grinned, his eyes dancing with excitement. "It's a lantern festival," he explained, looking so happy. "I thought it would be the perfect setting for our first date."

You felt a surge of delight at the sight of the colorful lanterns lighting up the night sky. "It's incredible," you exclaimed, taking in the festive atmosphere around you.

As you wandered through the festival, hand in hand with Harry, you felt a sense of peace and contentment wash over you. Everywhere you looked, couples and families were gathered together, laughing and enjoying each other's company.

"We should release a lantern," Harry suggested, his eyes shining with excitement. "But what should we write on it?"

You paused for a moment, pondering the question. And then, a smile spreads across your face as an idea forms in your mind. "How about our initials?" you suggested, squeezing Harry's hand gently.

He smiled back at you, his eyes soft with affection. "I love that idea," he replied, pulling you close for a hug.

Together, you made your way to the lantern station, where a kind elderly man handed you a lantern and a marker. 

“This is so beautiful, Harry. Thank you for this” you thanked him, as he, with trembling hands, wrote your initials on the surface of the lantern. He smiled at you, finishing it up, and taking your hand once again, ready to light it up and set it afloat.

You reached the top of the hill, heart pounding in your chest as you stopped. He held the lantern, and you carefully lit the matchstick, lighting the tiny wick under it on fire.

With Harry by your side, you watched as the lantern soared gracefully into the air, its soft glow illuminating the darkness around you.

After that, there was a second date. And then a third, after which, you both started dating.

It was at dinner at a restaurant, and he had specifically naked you to dress up for it. You knew he was going to ask you to be his girlfriend. But that didn’t help calm your nerves.

You had worn a red dress, one that you had bought a long time ago. It still fits you well, and you couldn’t wait for Harry to see you in this. 

As you stepped into the restaurant, your heart raced with anticipation. The soft glow of candlelight danced across the elegant dining room, casting a warm and intimate atmosphere.

Harry's eyes lit up as he saw you, dressed in the red dress you had carefully chosen for this occasion. "Wow," he breathed, his gaze lingering on you, for a moment too long. That was exactly what you had wished when you put it on.

 "You look absolutely stunning." he complimented, finally lifting his gaze from the dress and bringing it to your face.

A blush crept onto your cheeks as you took in his handsome appearance as well, dressed in a sharp suit that accentuated his strong features. "Thank you," you replied, smiling shyly. "You don't look too bad yourself."

As you settled into your seats, the air crackled with anticipation. Harry reached across the table, taking your hand in his. "I wanted tonight to be special," he began, his voice soft and earnest. "There's something I've been wanting to ask you."

Your heart skipped a beat as you met his gaze, sensing the gravity of his words. "What is it?" you asked, barely able to contain your excitement.

Harry took a deep breath, his eyes shining with emotion. "I've enjoyed every moment we've spent together, and ‘m really happy when I’m with you," he confessed. "Will you be my girlfriend?"

"Yes, Harry, yes!" you exclaimed, throwing your arms around him in a tight embrace.

He pulled you close, his lips finding yours in a tender kiss that sent sparks flying. The world fell away as you melted into each other, lost in the sweetness of the moment.

After dinner, you made your way back to Harry's place, the anticipation building with each step. As you entered his apartment, the air hummed with electricity, charged with the promise of what was to come.

You kissed each other, hands pulling at each other’s clothes and pulling them off. You reached the bedroom, laughing and giggling,and locking the door.

You stood in front of Harry, your hands running down his chest, you couldn't help but admire the muscles that rippled beneath his skin. His hands traced the curves of your body, his touch sending shivers down your spine. “You're so beautiful,” he whispered, his gaze filled with adoration.

You felt your cheeks heat up at his words, a shy smile forming on your lips. “And you're so handsome,” you replied, your fingers tangling in his hair as you pulled him in for a passionate kiss.

His lips were soft and warm against yours, moving in perfect sync as your tongues danced together. You could feel the heat building between your bodies, the need for each other growing with each passing moment.

As you broke apart, gasping for air, Harry's hands moved down to your hips, pulling you closer to him. “I want you,” he whispered, his voice husky with desire.

You nodded, your own need for him evident in the way your body pressed against his. He led you to the bedroom, your hands never leaving each other's bodies. As you entered the room, the soft glow of candles greeted you, casting a warm light on the bed.

Harry gently pushed you down onto the soft sheets, his lips trailing down your neck as he peppered kisses along your skin. “You're so fucking perfect,” he murmured, his hands caressing every inch of your body.

You moaned at his touch, the sensations overwhelming you. His lips moved down to your chest, his tongue flicking over your nipple before sucking it gently into his mouth. Your back arched off the bed, your fingers tangling in his hair as you let out a soft moan.

He moved lower, his lips leaving a trail of fire down your stomach. Your breath hitched as he reached your core, his tongue tracing circles around your clit. You let out a low moan, your hips moving in rhythm with his mouth.

“Harry,” you gasped, your fingers gripping the sheets as he continued to pleasure you. He looked up at you, his eyes filled with desire as he added a finger inside you, making you cry out in pleasure. His finger was moving so well, hitting all the right spots. 

You could feel yourself getting closer and closer to the edge, your body trembling with need. “I'm going to come,” you moaned, your fingers tightening in his hair.

As you reached your peak, Harry's lips never leaving your body, you let out a cry of pleasure, your body shaking with ecstasy. He crawled back up to you, his lips capturing yours in a passionate kiss, his hand moving to pleasure you once again.

As he entered you, your bodies moved together in perfect harmony, the pleasure coursing through every inch of your being. Your moans filled the room, mixing with Harry's as your bodies moved as one.

“I love you,” he whispered against your lips, his thrusts becoming more urgent as he approached his own climax.

“I love you too,” you replied, your voice filled with emotion as you reached your peak together, your bodies trembling with pleasure.

You lay in each other’s arms, breathing ragged, but bodies satisfied and contented. He pulled you close, kissing your forehead and cheeks, making you feel so pretty.

“We should clean up. Have a bath with me?” he asked after a moment or so, and you nodded. He pulled you close, but your legs were like jello, so he lifted you up like a koala, and carried you to the bathroom, making you sit on the toilet seat in case you wanted to pee, and went to get the shower ready.

You both cleaned each other. Blowing bubbles and suds, throwing water at each other, gigging, and so happy. 

You threw some water at him, and a bit of soap got in his eyes. You panicked, immediately running the tap again and helping him wash it.

“Oh fuck—I’m sorry, Harry–I dodn’t mean to, I was just playing, are you alright?”

He started giggling, throwing his arms at his chest and laughing at you like you were a clown.

“Ahhh” you yelled, throwing water at him again, and yelling at him for making you scared. He pulled you close once again, kissing your mouth as you lay in there for what felt like hours.

>>>

The next few months of your relationship were a blur, each moment with Harry feeling like a dream come true. You both were incredibly compatible, sharing laughter, adventures, and countless memories together. But just as your love was blossoming, a job opportunity arose for Harry – one that would take him to another state for a year.

At first, the news felt like a punch to the gut. The thought of being apart from Harry filled you with an overwhelming sense of sadness and uncertainty. But as you talked it over with him, you realized that this was an opportunity he couldn't pass up. It was a chance for him to advance in his career, to chase his dreams, and you couldn't be prouder of him.

So, you made a promise to each other – to make the most of the time you had left together, to cherish every moment, and to stay connected no matter the distance. As the days passed, you cherished each date, each kiss, and each shared laugh as if it were your last.

And when the day finally came for Harry to leave, it was bittersweet. Tears streamed down your cheeks as you held him tight, unwilling to let go. But as you looked into his eyes, you saw nothing but love and determination.

"I'll be back before you know it," he promised, pressing a tender kiss to your forehead. "And I'll call you every chance I get, I promise."

With a heavy heart, you watched him drive away, the distance between you growing with each passing mile. But as the days turned into weeks and the weeks into months, you stayed connected through phone calls, texts, and video chats.

And despite the distance, your love only grew stronger. You supported each other through the challenges, celebrated each other's successes, and counted down the days until you could be together again.

>>>

The days apart seemed to stretch on endlessly, each one filled with a longing that seemed to pierce through the very fabric of your being. You counted down the hours, the minutes, the seconds until you would once again be reunited with Harry, your heart aching with the absence of his presence.

But even in the midst of the pain, you held onto the memories of your time together, each one a beacon of light in the darkness of your separation. You replayed the moments you had shared in your mind, savoring the warmth of his touch, the sound of his laughter, the depth of his love.

And then, at long last, the day arrived. You stood at the airport, your heart pounding in your chest as you scanned the crowd for any sign of Harry. And then, there he was, striding towards you with that familiar smile that melted your heart.

You ran into his arms, tears of joy streaming down your face as you held him close, unable to believe that he was finally here, with you, where he belonged.

And then, in a moment that felt like something out of a fairytale, Harry got down on one knee, his eyes shining with love as he held out a small velvet box.

"Y/N," he said, his voice trembling with emotion. "I never want to spend another day apart from you. Will you do me the honor of being my wife?"

Your heart swelled with love as you nodded, tears of happiness blurring your vision. Harry slipped the ring onto your finger, a perfect fit, just like the two of you.

And as you embraced, you knew that this was the moment you had been waiting for. This was the moment that made all the distance and all the struggles worth it. You were here, in each other's arms, and nothing else mattered.

"I promise to always love you," Harry whispered, his voice barely above a whisper. "To support you, to stand by your side no matter what."

"I promise to make every day with you an adventure," he continued, his eyes locked on yours. "To cherish and adore you for all eternity."

And as he leaned in to kiss you, you knew that this was just the beginning of your magical love story. A story that had been tested by distance and time, but had only grown stronger because of it.

And as you held each other close, you couldn't help but smile, knowing that you had found your serendipity – a love that was unexpected, yet destined, a love that would guide you through every twist and turn of life's journey, forever and always. You never knew that you had found the love of your life at that wedding, the person who was your last-minute escort would be the one you would marry one day, and love and cherish forever.

♡~~~♡~~~♡~~~♡~~~♡~~~♡~~~♡~~~♡~~~♡~~~♡~~~♡~~~♡~~~♡~~~♡

i love you all 💌tell me if you like this! please reblog or comment if you like, it makes my heart happy :)

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[laswells-ashtray]

Irritated Kate, irritated Kate

"It wasn't like I meant for it to happen."

John's voice is grating in a way that signals in the back of her mind that she's exhausted and should probably eat something. That doesn't make his gruff-sounding though admittedly sheepish attempt to talk himself out of Kate's irritation any less exasperating.

Her tone is clipped, face tight with barely restrained annoyance at their circumstances as she responds. "I'm aware."

John grimaces, glancing back at Nikolai in desperation as he looks for verbal backup. Nikolai waves him away, not a hint of sympathy on the Russian's face.

"I'll get you a new shirt." He offers up as a solution, turning his attention back to Kate, guilt weighing down his shoulders. Serves him right.

He and Nikolai were tasked with finding a man for later questioning and managing to subtly load him in the back of the car they were using. It should've been easy enough given the difference in size and skills between their target and the two men.

The only issue was neither of them had thought to anticipate that the man might have been carrying a blade instead of a gun. The wound on John's arm was shallow, child's play for a man with his history. The blood he had accidentally smeared across the cuff of the shirt Kate was wearing, however, would stain. Given that she had borrowed Sarah's favourite shirt in an attempt to look casual in the area they had picked up their target, the stain would be more of an issue than it originally appeared to be.

She narrows her eyes at the Brit, holding her forearm out to him and forcing him to look at the soaked material that clings to her wrist. "You know that won't help this situation."

She ignores Nikolai's snort of blatant amusement, as does John.

"I'll get Sarah a new shirt?" It's a question instead of a statement, if he expected to throw out apparent solutions until he was no longer the subject of Kate's ire then he'd be sorely mistaken.

Sensing the failure of his current tactic, he swiftly swaps to trying to guilt her. "You can't be pissy with me when I'm injured."

Kate stares blankly at him silently for a minute or two, remaining indifferent to his plight. "You just said that you've knicked yourself worse while shaving."

"He has."

Nikolai's attempt at instigating almost amuses her. Almost.

John grumbles under his breath, something about partners and betrayal as his tone becomes pleading, almost petulantly so.

"I'm sorry about the blood on the shirt, I didn't even notice it until you pointed it out. Kate, fuck sake, don't do this to me."

At the very back of her mind, she ponders just how many lunches she can get him to pay for by using this as ammunition.

[lilacgaby]

day three

~2.3k

chapter select!

she woke up right before her alarm went off.

she saw messages on her phone, some addressed from mirko telling her to "hurry the hell

up or get left behind." some from a new group chat called 'OPERATION [NAME]', and a couple from bakugo.

whatever, she'd look them over later.

she took her time as she showered, got dressed in a civilian outfit, and soaked in the early morning sun from her balcony.

everyone else had heroes who'd stop by later to pick them up in the afternoon, so [name] was pretty much the only person up.

she was startled by a loud noise at the door. she was hanging around in the common room to pass some time, but since she was lost in though she let out an audible squeal at the sound.

she figured it was just mirko was banging on it to get her attention.

and it was.

she opened the door and stepped outside. mirko was dressed casually too, and she was carrying her own bag of belongings on her back.

"be more considerate! people are sleeping!"

"it's only six a.m [name], they have to be getting up at this hour anyways."

"whatever."

"anyways, we have a train to catch so let's go!" mirko then grabbed her hand and started their trek down to the station. they could've got a car,

but they both preferred to walk.

after a bit of walking and sitting in a comfortable silence, [name] decides to get some details on the mission.

"so mirko, what exactly is this mission about?"

"oh, it's just another couple of villains, except these ones are rumored to have connections to stain."

"stain? the hero killer? but isn't he--"

"dead, correct. but his influence was huge. apparently this group of villains have actually killed a hero already."

"what?!"

"yeah, and that's why we're going in. don't worry though, we'll have backup, or i guess partners, that you'll love."

"what do you mean?"

"you'll see."

"...

okay, where are we going anyways? you never take me on trains."

"oh, i didn't tell you? we're going to tokyo."

"tokyo? for what?"

"oh,

i decided to take on a mission with best jeanist's agency. i told you you'd love it!"

...

"i'm going to kill you."

ꔛ𖤐˒˒

as she sat on the train next to mirko, her finger hovered over the notification from bakugo.

she had to face him eventually, and they had to talk, but she couldn't help but feel deeply embarrassed.

technically they did kiss.

her face felt hot.

"hey, who're you texting? your boyfriend."

"i'm not texting anybody and i don't have a boyfriend. stop asking questions when you know i'll answer!"

"okay okay.

...

so what're you doing then?"

"i'm debating whether or not to text katsuki back."

mirko's smug face took over as she snickered.

"shut up!"

[name] shoved her headphones on, maybe if she didn't hear her she wouldn't have to answer the questions.

the temporary solution did work, but mirko grew agitated that she wasn't answering her so

she took her phone right out her hands.

"mirko! hand it back!" [name] stood up immediately, her heart rate rising almost instantly as mirko held it in her iron grip. the headphones fell out her ears and her music was now blasting in the train,

she'd be publically embarrassed if they didn't have the car all to themselves, but she still just wanted her phone back.

"give it back mirko! i swear--"

"stop ignoring me, im your mentor y'know!"

they chased each other around the train car, [name] just barely behind mirko.

after about a minute of struggle, she tried negotiating.

"okay, just give it back-"

"no way-"

"why? is it because you're scared of me texting back your blasty little crush?"

"that's exactly why so hand it bac--"

they were cut off by a husky, sleepy voice.

"the fuck are you talking about?"

[name] eyed her phone in horror, and mirko did in surprise, mirko immediately threw the phone at [name] and ran to the other side of the train car.

[name] fumbled with it in her grip, until finally shakily holding the phone with one hand.

she was stunned into silence. this had to be a joke.

"hello? flower freak? you there?"

it wasn't just a joke?!

"hello? [name]?"

"i'm here-- fuck. i- uh-- gotta go!"

"wai-"

she cut him off as she declined the call. she looked at the duration of the call.

no way.

it went on for two minutes.

he heard her fight for her life over his messages to her for two minutes.

while she didn't explicitly explain who her crush was, mirko did.

[name] turned over to eye mirko, who was now sitting in a corner pretending to be nonchalantly whistling.

whatever. [name] wearily thought as she sat back down on a seat, picking up her headphones that had fallen out during the confrontation. she put on some music and mindlessly started hoping to anyone that'd hear her out that bakugo didn't hear mirko's remark.

the rest of the train ride wasn't that bad. mirko finally, begrudgingly, apologized for taking it to far, and promised to take [name] out to eat after the mission was over.

they sat next to eachother, mirko promising not to use the truth quirk against her again because of the incident that just occurred.

[name] appreciated the sentiment, but it wouldnt undo the months of late night pondering she'd have of this moment.

she got over it for the moment being, after about another fifteen minutes they finally were let out in Tokyo.

it was really pretty there, compared to musutafu, it was really lively too.

mirko guided them to a very fancy hotel where they'd be staying in one of the very highest floors.

they dropped their stuff off and got ready in their hero outfits.

they took a break to eat lunch, [name] laying out on the terrace of the huge hotel as mirko devoured a large salad next to her. she didn't know mirko meant they'd literally have the floor to themselves, but she wasn't complaining.

it was time for them to head out.

"okay, you ready flora?"

"yes i am prepared.

...

as ready as ever i guess."

"don't be like that! he probably didn't even hear-"

"we were yelling into the phone. he definitely heard."

"okay, and so what? he probably likes you back!"

"no way. just let it go mirko, we have to walk like two miles."

"fine, if you say so."

the walk to best jeanist's agency was actually fun for [name]. she got to walk through all the tourist traps, look around while mirko signed autographs, and even take a couple photos on her phone.

oh yeah, her phone. she had now twenty-two notifications from bakugo since the ordeal, including missed calls, texts, and even voicemails.

she didn't even open them, she knew she'd have to talk to him face to face anyways. she felt a pit of dread settle in her stomach, but looked up at the agency greeting both her and mirko.

they walked in.

⋆ ₊ ☽ ·˚𓍲 *⋆

They were greeted by one of Jeanist's many assistants, who guided them to a meeting room where a briefing was already taking place.

"we're late mirko?"

"yes, it's not my fault though, i did it all for the fans."

"...if you say so."

they walked into the meeting, [name] felt familiar red eyes following her as she settled into a seat next to mirko.

"okay, everyone's here. let's continue." jeanist declared, seemingly unbothered at mirko's tardiness.

[name] took a moment to look over the room. there were a couple other sidekicks, but the only U-A interns were her and katsuki.

she suddenly remembered she had to focus.

on the screen was a couple of locations marked in red circles, depicting different areas where heros reported being attacked by the group.

a lower ranked hero: blast-off, a hero with a rocket quirk, was murdered by said group, and his corpse was found in various places.

brutal. [name] thought.

"these villains aren't confident enough to attack higher ranked heroes such as mirko and i, they are currently planning on targeting another low-ranked hero on their route: genie." jeanist explained.

"what they don't know is that you will be waiting for them to attack genie, and step in as they reveal themselves. not even genie knows." an assistant added.

"wait, so they're basically bait?" [name] questioned.

"in a sense." jeanist replied. "if they knew, they'd likely act aloof and alert the villains. it's a necessary step."

"so, we set out tomorrow?" mirko questioned.

"no, you and i will go out patrolling the town discreetly. tomorrow we will go out accompanied by our interns, with my sidekicks on standby.

i understand you won't want your intern walking back to your arranged rooms alone, so after they go through some training here my assistant will make arrangements to take them."

"i'll go with them." katsuki finally spoke.

"it's settled then. mirko, please stay behind as we prepare for our afternoon scouting. dynamight, take flora to practice. do not push yourselves, understood?"

"understood." [name] replied, while bakugo grunted in agreement.

"dismissed."

everyone went their separate ways. [name] was doing her best to act causally as she and katsuki walked side by side to the practice room.

"so, uh.. nice weather huh?"

"why have you been ignoring me?"

crap.

"what do you mean katsuki? you're acting so crazy right now."

"no, i'm not. you didn't even try to talk about what happened yesterday with me, and then you randomly fucking call me at six in the goddamn morning. and i overhear some argument between you and that bugs bunny wannabe, just for you to decline on me, dick move by the way.

so, what's your deal?

you've been acting off around me since sunday."

he let out a scoff, and jokingly said

"what, you got a crush on me or something?"

"yes."

"what?"

both their eyes widened as the words left her mouth. crap, the whole operation was done for!

"was that a joke?"

"no."

she quickly located the practice room that was just around the corner, and tried to speed walk away.

"are you being serious right now? [name]? [name] we're training together you can't get away!"

she stumbled into the training room.

her life was over, but she still had to train, unless she really wanted her life to be over when she fought those guys tomorrow.

katsuki lightly grabbed her shoulder and made her face him.

"[name] fucking talk to me! stop being so shitty and confusing! why won't you just tell me the truth?!"

"because i'm scared of rejection!"

"i'd never-- i wouldn't reject you. just tell me the truth."

she sighed heavily. she didn't really process his last words, but she decided to tell him.

about the quirk at least.

"okay, so, sunday right? i took a hit for mirko-"

"you're insane."

"let me finish! i took a hit from mirko and got hit by this quirk. it basically makes you tell the truth whenever anyone asks a question, and it lasts a week."

"why didn't you tell me?"

"i was scared."

"who knows?"

"mirko, denki, kirishima, mina, momo, jiro--"

"so everyone except me, huh? damn. and the thing about your 'problems'?"

"a real bad lie from denki."

"so what you said earlie--"

"let's train. i don't want to answer any of that now. and, about what i said earlier..

can i talk to you about it after the mission?"

katsuki's face scrunched up. the emotion he was displaying was incoherent. disgust? anger? rejection?

but he understood her. he always seemed to. after a swift nod, he said

"fine. let's fucking fight though."

the tenseness between them disappeared, replaced by a competitive energy.

"you're on!"

they trained til' the sun went down. they were pretty even in quirk matches, but [name] definitely needed to practice her general strength.

still, in their last match she managed to pin him down.

"remember when we did this the first time?"

"shut up."

they agreed to stop for the day, and kept their wins in mind.

[name]- 8

katsuki-8

an even tie.

katsuki had opted to walk her home, so walk they did.

"if you're just gonna take a taxi back what was the point of walking me?"

"i just needed to talk to you, but we already talked it out earlier so it's fine i guess."

"oh. so, are you nervous for tomorrow?"

"nervous? why'd i be nervous? i'm destined to be number one, all these villains and missions and shit are just stepping stones to me."

"right, right. but they've killed like- pros. they hate heroes. and number one's like you."

"so?"

"so, they could be dangerous."

"i'll kill em' and i'll protect you, so don't worry."

she let a small smile escape her lips, why'd he always know what to say?

"thanks katsuki."

"yeah whatever. go inside loser, it's past my bedtime."

"okay, okay. text me when you get back."

"will you actually open it or leave me hanging like a dumbass?"

"i will, unless i fall asleep."

"fuck off. bye."

he got into a taxi back across town, she went into the hotel and felt butterflies settle in her stomach.

she knew the operation would take a complete one-eighy at the news from today, so to spare herself mostly, she texted that 'we should postpone the operation for today, i'm beat.'

everyone texted back their agreements, seems everyone was weak from the day.

she tucked into bed, and checked over her texts one last time.

katsuki had texted her.

allmightsolos01

yo

i got back to the agency

sleep well or whatever

read 10:37

flowered[name]

sleep well katsuki!

see you tomorroww

delivered

man this truth quirk stuff is so easy.

these last four days are just gonna be a blur.

prev | next!

taglist (comment to be added!): @cc1306 @reads-stuff-quietly @dazqa

[cicilychann]

HAIKYUU BOYS + THE REAL-LIFE “MAN ROLE” THEY TAKE ON (PART 2)

(These are the characters not listed in Part 1)

જ⁀➴⋆˚✿˖°₊ ⊹ᝰ.ᐟ જ⁀➴⋆˚✿˖°₊ ⊹ᝰ.ᐟજ⁀➴⋆

Tendou Satori

• Surprisingly observant, he notices the little inconveniences you deal with and finds creative solutions.

• Handles unexpected chaos well: flat tire? sudden panic? he’s already solving it while joking.

• Not your typical “manly man” but takes over social navigation, dealing with weird people, or uncomfortable situations.

• Never forgets details: meds, your schedule, even how you take your coffee.

• Reliable in ways you don’t expect, which makes him dependable when it counts.

Ushijima Wakatoshi

• Strong, quiet, dependable. The one you trust to lift anything, fix anything, call anyone.

• Takes on traditional provider roles: makes sure things are paid, working, and safe.

• Doesn’t speak much, but acts with full conviction once he understands what’s needed.

• Handles stress silently; never panics, always steps forward.

• Will stand in the cold holding your bag without complaint if it makes things easier for you.

Semi Eita

• The “I’ll handle it” guy who pretends he’s annoyed but still does everything.

• Takes over house tasks without being asked; trash, laundry, calls to the bank.

• Doesn’t like confrontation but will absolutely step in if someone’s being rude to you.

• Plans ahead financially, mentally, and emotionally even if he acts casual.

• A mix of protector and fixer, grumbles but gets it done.

Yamaguchi Tadashi

• Grows into responsibility, doesn’t act “in charge” at first but learns fast.

• Handles emotional temperature of the relationship quietly: he knows when you’re off and adapts.

• Will become the guy who handles all doctor visits, grocery lists, and medicine tracking.

• Not forceful, but dependable in day-to-day stress: the one who says “let me do it” when you’re overwhelmed.

• Emotional support AND practical backup.

Kita Shinsuke

• Textbook “husband material.” Pays bills early, cooks, fixes things, checks in with you regularly.

• Handles traditions, family expectations, emergencies, all without raising his voice.

• You never have to ask twice; he remembers everything and keeps routines running smoothly.

• Naturally steps into the calm, leadership role in any dynamic.

• No drama, no games, he does what needs doing before it becomes a problem.

Suna Rintarou

• Chill but scarily efficient when needed.

• Lets you vent, lets you cry, then casually solves the problem like it’s nothing.

• Takes over awkward social things or online orders without blinking.

• Handles messy things: returning stuff, booking hotels, getting refunds.

• Doesn’t act “in charge,” but you realize over time he’s the one holding things together.

Aran ojiro

• Protective but not possessive, always walks you home, always double-checks you’re okay.

• Makes sure the bills are paid, your needs are met, and the plan is clear.

• Likes being useful and shows love through consistent, everyday responsibility.

• You don’t even notice how much he’s handling until he’s gone for a day and things feel off.

• Grounded. Grown. A real partner. (WAKE UP PEOPLE, STOP SLEEPING ON HIM!! )

Bokuto Koutarou

• High energy but extremely responsible in relationships.

• Wants to do well for you, handles heavy lifting, errands, and stressy stuff with enthusiasm.

• Will call five places just to find your favorite food.

• Doesn’t “take charge” in the classic sense, but always backs you up fully, like a loyal soldier.

• Surprisingly dependable once his switch flips into serious mode.

Kenma kozume

• Doesn’t come off as “in charge” but ends up being the brain of the operation.

• Manages logistics like a pro: appointments, bookings, taxes, he makes sure nothing slips.

• Quietly anticipates your needs: extra charger, pain meds, water, you didn’t even ask.

• Doesn’t like emotional conflict but will shut people down with savage logic if they stress you out.

• His version of taking charge is “let’s not make this harder than it is,” but he’s always prepared.

Sugawara Koushi

• The emotional glue and household CEO. He handles your breakdowns and your taxes.

• Nurturing but firm: lets you cry, then hands you the list of things to do.

• Handles emergencies with unsettling calm. “I already called the plumber, we’re good.”

• Lowkey the dad friend of the relationship—always carries tissues, painkillers, and a power bank.

• You’d trust him to raise a kid and pay your bills on time.

˚ ༘`✦ ˑ ִֶ 𓂃⊹˚ ༘`✦ ˑ ִֶ 𓂃⊹˚ ༘`✦ ˑ ִֶ 𓂃⊹

(🌻: maybe i’ll make a part 3? not all the characters are here yet lol and even part 3 probably won’t be enough for all the haikyuu boys, so i’m just adding who i know + wanna include hehe, sorryyy! )

—⁠☆

[randomfoggytiger]

Mulder's Alien Baby Baby Trauma In-Depth (Part XXII): Keychains and Spaceships

We have reached the climax of Alone: Mulder, back-in-action, boots-on-the-ground as he chases down an X-File, the unknown once more filling his soul with wonder. By this episode's conclusion, he will have cosigned Scully's decision to hand over the Apollo 11 keychain; and the two will walk away from the files not out of resignation or bitterness, but as free agents.

TRAUMA'S SEEDS SLOWLY BEARING FRUIT

After Mulder feels the old wash of glorious wonder again (post here), he rushes to Stites's door and demands an audience, mistaking the suspect as the creature's creator rather than the creature itself. He sympathizes and forcefully insists-- Mulder in the full regalia of his old surety-- and threatens to bring in backup if Stites doesn't lead him to Doggett and Agent Harrison.

And here we arrive at the... questionable part of Alone.

Mulder, realizing that he's been had, backs up against the wall near the exit as Lizard Stites menacingly crawls towards him. Terrified, he licks his lips-- a tell this series has mentioned often: Mulder, unnerved and uncomfortable (in this case, afraid.)

Mulder does not, however, ask for Doggett's gun, demanding instead, "Get down! Aim at the sound of my voice." When the other agent rejects that idea, he insists, "You're not going to shoot me. Aim at the sound of my voice. I'll tell you when to fire."

As the Lizard Man makes its final leap, Mulder doubles down, screaming "Fire!" instead of changing course last minute.

Doggett, thankfully, is successful; and Mulder, slipping from the shadows with dramatic aplomb, gently reassures with a gentle (and purposefully climactic) touch to the arm. (Another... odd choice, since Doggett is still half-blind, tense, and armed.)

While this scene is clumsily executed, the obvious framing of these moments is... well, obvious: Mulder and Doggett becoming partners-- not just two people relying on each other to get out alive (Vienen), but two agents who not only believe in the files but have proven their trust in each other. As Scully told Mulder earlier, "You know, the entire time that I was down there I had someone to watch my back"-- and that, too, is what Mulder finds in the underground cavern: an ally during the tough times, a friend in waiting. The past three episodes have stacked experiences between these two men; and culminated in Mulder fully accepting Doggett as the torch bearer of the files and claimant of the Apollo 11 keychain.

However, this scene also picks up a few plot points Season 8 wove into the tapestry of Mulder's return-- all of which point towards the two-parter finale:

Mulder isn't acting rationally under stress (i.e. misjudging the nature of Stites's motivations and relying on an impaired man to do the shooting.)

Mulder is placing himself more and more in Doggett's hands, a progression from suspicion and anger (Three Words) to slow acceptance (Empedocles) to begrudging acceptance and reliance (Vienen) to annoyance and blind trust (Alone) to irrational trust and intrigue (Essence-Existence.)

Mulder is-- or could be-- slowly losing confidence in his ability to provide a solution, whatever its nature, through his own merits.

In Alone, he asserts that Doggett can "take care of himself", and follows Scully to the autopsy bay not to aid her efforts but to halt them. When her refusal to quit sends him into the field, Mulder locates Stites's and his partner's pendant with ease; which confirms (as previously discussed, post here) he's wrong on two fronts: Doggett didn't help himself (and the FBI couldn't help him), and Scully was more personally invested in her new partnership (and Doggett's well-being) than he'd hoped-- in fact, his gut instinct, not hers, is proven wrong. If that wasn't irritating enough, Mulder clocks that Stites is involved but completely miscalculates the scientist's intent, playing right into the man's hands and nearly dying himself. And to cap this sequence off, Mulder relies on a nearly blind man to shoot them all out of this situation-- a blind man who just happened to have filled in in his temporary absence, and just happened to be currently carrying on the work in his permanent absence.

Mulder, in short, has arrived at the new, subtler stage of his PTSD-recovery journey (as was explored in canon): having worked through his shame and found his place in the world, having tackled realigning his instincts and priorities, having rededicated himself to Scully's (and the baby's) side, having forged new alliances in unexpected places, and having rediscovered his wonder, Mulder has yet to thoroughly treat (or address on-screen) his underlying post-abduction trauma. This, in turn, is quietly beginning to build and build and build, eeking out here and there in irrational, from-the-hip responses to stressful situations. Case in point: in Three Words, he flew right into a trap to stop "them" from ever abducting and torturing another human ever again; in Empedocles, he threw up his hands and walked away from a case without much struggle; in Vienen, he jumped onto an oil rig, brutally knocked a man unconscious (i.e. was willing to beat him to death), and jumped into the ocean screaming from an inferno; in Alone, he backed up against a wall and relied on Doggett's blind instincts to save him from an advancing threat; and in Essence and Existence, he pulled Doggett into a Dr. Parenti investigation and trusted Scully's location to him and him alone. Three Words may have been a raw glimpse into Mulder's PTSD and erratic behavior-- with Empedocles through Vienen acting as a look into his progress since-- but Alone provides another peek into his tender places, and Essence-Existence an unfettered reopening of his healing wounds.

I don't believe this episode's finale was a miscalculation-- at least, with regards to its intentions: hammering home how trustworthy and steady Doggett is in a crisis compared to Mulder, and how aware Mulder is of that fact. It's why the latter inevitably participates in re-gifting the Apollo 11 medallion-- a clean break and a blessing, for both-- and it's why he drifts to the former's house when he needs back-up not too far in the future. The execution may be flawed, but is not altogether a flop.

Now: this is, admittedly, a small component in Alone. Mulder still walks away from the cave a victor, having guided Agent Doggett's trust and saved him and Harrison and escaped the situation unscathed and more tightly bonded to Doggett himself. But the seeds that Three Words planted are now being sunned in Essence's direction; and the writers are beginning to prune and shape the sprout with more definite focus.

NO ONE GETS THERE ALONE

At the Washington Memorial Hospital, Doggett dips into the hall just as Mulder and Scully turn around the corner. Misconstruing their intentions, he excitedly advances, pointing at his former partner's belly with an animated, "Is this it?"

Mulder and Scully do a swift head swivel, taking in each other's expressions with alert attention, faces locking as he looks from her eyes to her belly and back.

Their unspoken having assured them that nothing has changed, Scully self-consciously assures, "No, no" while Mulder loosens into a relieved, love drunk smile.

"We just came by to visit Agent Harrison," he clears up.

"How is she?" Scully adds.

Doggett replies, "She's on the same anti-venom treatment I got. Her eyesight's pretty much back, the doctors say she's gonna be fine physically."

"Skinner said she won't be returning to the X-Files."

"That was her choice. So it's gonna be me for a while."

Scully is thoughtful over this announcement; but no longer panicked, guilty, or ashamed. She's moved on (in yet another conversation we weren't privy to) and so has Mulder. Using the silence as an opportunity, he fishes out the Apollo 11 keychain and presents it to the new head of the files.

"I want to return something to you that I think you deserve to keep." Mulder's expression is humbled, but certain: a brewery of recalcitrant emotions he, perhaps, hasn't worked through but is certain they head down the same path: the files are no longer his, but they've been left in capable hands-- ones with his and Scully's best interests at heart.

Why did Mulder gift the medallion? While Scully handed it over as an indulgence-- a penance for her "selfish" departure-- her partner hands it over as an act of true freedom: Doggett is worthy of the files; Doggett is part of the team; Doggett has become a partner to Mulder too, in their own way. While Mulder had to leave the work or risk the files dropping into obscurity, he is ready to walk on ahead fully now-- the past behind him, but not shunned or turned away from with anger or regret.

But Doggett, smart man that he is, redirects Mulder's gift towards Agent Harrison. "I appreciate the gesture but if it's all the same to you, there's someone else who should have it."

And isn't that the best place it could be-- with someone who believes in and has supported the work from the very beginning, who is as invested in Mulder and Scully's legacy as they themselves could wish? As Harrison (a stand-in for the loyal fans, and namesake of the late Leyla Harrison) accepts the keychain, she glows reverently. "No way. This means, I can't tell you what this means to me."

Mulder and Scully are touched, and a little awkward: solitary creatures used to keeping to themselves, avoidant of outspoken devotion.

But Harrison's next question-- "Can I ask you something?"-- spurs their intrigue.

"Sure," Mulder responds.

"When you went to Antarctica to save Agent Scully from being taken by that spaceship and you ran out of gas in your snowcat-- how did you get back?"

And now begins the greatest "married" back-and-forth bicker of the series-- a cause and effect of their partnership in Season 8 (post-Three Words.) While rare for the viewers, it's at least a glimpse into the newer levels of freer communication and disagreement between them (as briefly touched on here, here, here, and here.)

Both are at a loss for words, but for different reasons: Mulder because he is working through a puzzle, choosing his words carefully-- perhaps wondering how that had been latched onto, or misconstrued, in the context of his larger adventure-- and Scully because she is glancing at her partner and preparing to intercept his spiel with her scientific quibbles:

"Um, well, first of all, it was never actually proven that it was a spaceship."

Mulder's train of thought is immediately derailed; and he turns to his partner, prodding at her answer with a quiet, "It wasn't?"

"Well, no, what happened was that we fell off of something that--"

"Something?" he interrupts, voice punctuating her flimsy descriptor.

"--that rose out of the ice."

Mulder, never one to back down, spells out, "Well, what do you think it was?"

And Scully, never one to completely concede even if backed in a corner, hedges, "Well, I don't know what it was. But we never got-- we didn't actually get to see a spaceship."

Warming to his frustration now, Mulder scoffs, "I can't believe that you're saying it's not a spaceship."

"Well, it couldn't have been a spaceship."

"'Course it was a spaceship."

"Well," Scully insists, spelling out her logic in turn for him, "we don't know it was a spaceship. But you don't have a picture of it or anything."

Mulder's annoyance peters out to amusement-- his partner, always willing to deny what isn't in front of her face. Mulder switches to baiting her now, cracking a small smile as he insists, "You know it was a spaceship. You saw it."

"No, no, no, no! Remember," she demurs, eyes wide and pointer finger punctuating the air, "I was unconscious. And when I woke up, there was no spaceship."

"Now, come on, Scully-- it was a spaceship."

"Mulder, n-n-n-no. And you were frozen, and I hugged you--"

And the audience loses track of the disagreement as the camera pans away and Alone draws to a close.

CONCLUSION

Wonder has been recaptured and new partnerships have been solidified. Mulder is on his way to a rather happy ending.

And yet... there are ghosts of his trauma still lingering in the corners, slowly reasoning away his trust in himself-- a trust that will completely erode when every decision Mulder makes seems to place his partner and their child in ever-evolving danger.

But that analysis is for a future post.

Thanks for reading~

Enjoy!

[residentdork]

I think T'Pring was absolutely brilliant in Amok Time by choosing Jim as her champion. Maybe this is already an explored concept in fandom or in extended media, but I'm gonna rant about it anyway. I've seen some people just be pissed at her and call her a bitch. Think she either doesn't believe in her man Stonn or that she's trying to punish Spock in some way by choosing his friend but I think her decision to choose Jim shows how much she cares about Spock.

Cause here's the thing I don't think she just worried that if she chooses Stonn, Spock would win and kill her boyfriend. I think she was equally worried that Stonn would win and kill Spock.

Other than not wanting to marry him anymore T'Pring is fairly cordial. And the two, while estranged, weren't broken up. It almost feels like she was willing to "be his maybe" or backup in case either of them hit pon far before finding a new partner. But the timing was bad and she was starting to fall for Stonn when Spock reached his time.

Now if she cares for both of them then either winning is a terrible outcome. And she can't just pick another Vulcan cause either they lose and she still has to marry Spock or her champion kills Spock.

Now enter Jim. A Starfleet Captain who morally and legally can't kill his own crewman but who Spock also clearly cares for enough to bring with him.

Jim is the perfect champion because either Spock wins and is pissed she made him kill his friend and refuses her anyway (which is the outcome) or Jim being not of this world has a chance to break the rules and find a solution that she can't without risking her position. (Which is also the outcome of the episode).

There's no scenario probably in her mind of Kirk outright winning because A) come on he's a weak little human B) even if he could he'd be risking his whole career and C) if she's heard anything about Kirk she knows he'd rather die than kill a crewman like this on purpose.

Even on the off chance Spock wins and doesn't deny her, he's killed a Star Fleet Captain. His career in Star Fleet is over and her biggest complaint on his character, that he puts his career before her and that that career has socially put them both in a weird spot, is mitigated.

Sure she would lose Stonn but maybe in this unlikely scenario, she and Spock might have a chance to work out some of their issues and come to an understanding.

It's not a perfect scenario but of her options she's picked a solution that allows her to win in some part in every outcome.

I love T'Pring, she's over here gaming the system and it just makes me so sad when fandom paints her to be this cold bitch who either bullies or hates Spock when clearly in her first appearance she's picked the only option in this weird violent part of Vulcan culture that keeps Spock alive.

Put some respect on her name!

[girls-alias]

Break - Sam Winchester P2

Title: Break - Sam Winchester Part 2 Words: 2,824 Relations: Sam Winchester X reader. TW: NA

Part 1

Prompt:

@animesnowstorm Requested Part 2.

Coming to Bobby's was supposed to be a short-term solution but 2 years later I'm still here. Bobby isn't getting any younger so to help the both of us, I've taken on some of his roles. I organised his whole house, every book had a place to sit where it was categorized and the whole main room turned into an intelligence hub. We were getting more calls from hunters needing information on creatures and soon became the hunter's help desk. Somewhere along the way, we began helping hunters find partners or if more people were needed for a hunt we were able to make a few calls and have hunters work together. It became a community more than a way of life that was lonely.

I wouldn't say that I avoided Sam and Dean but I didn't go out of my way to contact them either. I had avoided them at the beginning, Sam calling multiple times a day, and Dean texting me to keep me updated on their lives. But they eventually stopped. They didn't visit Bobby and I wasn't sure if it was because of me or because they were busy.

"You're up early," Bobby commented as he entered the room with tired eyes. I smiled, chuckling softly as I closed my book on Wendigo's.

"I'm trying to find someone to accompany Jacob, he's tracked a wendigo and needs backup but there's no one nearby and I've already called a few people and they refuse to hunt wendigos," I explained with a sigh knowing my headache wouldn't go away soon.

"Hardly hunters if they're picking and choosing what to hunt," Bobby rolled his eyes as he took a seat close to me. I chuckled as I nodded. I completely agree. "Why don't you go?" He asked curiously. I looked at him, shocked by his words. We haven't talked about me going back to hunting the whole time I've been here. Even when my wounds healed I was too busy helping Bobby.

It took a little convincing but I was eventually on my way to meet up with Jacob. I pulled up to the motel he was staying at. I got myself a room before introducing myself to him. I've talked to him over the phone enough times to know him but I've never actually met him in person. I knocked on the door to his motel room. Waiting as I heard him approaching the door.

The door opened to reveal a somewhat attractive guy. He's conventionally attractive but not my type. I smiled politely as he grinned at me. "Hey, I'm Y/N," I introduced but he chuckled.

"I didn't realise you would be coming, I didn't realise you were attractive, I would have called earlier." He complimented a chuckle in his tone. I giggled as I shook my head. I'm terrible at receiving compliments, they make me awkward but I always accept them.

"Thank you, no one else wanted to fight a wendigo so looks like it's just you and me," I shrugged but he smirked softly.

"Come in," He gestured as he stepped aside to hold the door open for me. I smiled gratefully as I walked in.

Bobby's POV:

I sat back, admiring Y/N's handy work, she's really made hunting easier for everyone and she did it without expecting anyone to thank her. She's amazing. If I was Sam and lost her I'd be devastated. I perked up as the landline rang. I answered with a 'yeah'.

"Hey, Bobby. It's Jacob, you got any books on changelings?" The voice called through the phone. My eyebrows knitted with confusion as I got up to approach the small bookshelf dedicated to changelings.

"Changelings? I thought you were hunting a wendigo, I just sent Y/N to you," I commented, wondering if she had lied.

"No. I don't hunt Wendigo. Y/N called and asked if I wanted to help Jacob F," He explained, my eyes widening and hands sweaty.

"Jacob Francis?" I asked, my voice slightly raised as I realised my mistake.

"Yeah, do you know any other Jacobs?" He asked as if it was a funny topic.

"I have the book but I'll call you back," I explained quickly before hanging up. I tapped away on my phone calling as I tapped my foot anxiously. Come on pick up! As soon as the phone stopped ringing I hurried to speak. "I messed up, drop whatever you're doing and get in the car."

Sam's POV:

My eyebrows knitted with confusion. "What are you on about?" I asked I hadn't spoken to him for months and now he was panicking telling me to leave. Dean lifted his chin as he looked at me confused, silently asking who it was. I pulled my phone away from my ear to put it on speaker. Dean moved closer to listen.

"Sam, I messed up. I sent Y/N to work on a case with Jacob," He explained but I was still confused.

"Is she okay?" I asked worried. How did he mess up?

"Which Jacob?" Dean asked seeming to match Bobby's panic. My eyebrows furrowed as I watched him. He was staring at the phone intently.

"Francis," Bobby's words had barely finished leaving his lips before Dean was on his feet and throwing his things in his duffel bag.

"What's going on?" I asked both of them, the panic completely confusing me. Who's Jacob Francis?

"Where are they?" Dean asked my question going unanswered.

"Michigan, Motel Bear Cove," Dean nodded at his words.

"Should be there tomorrow morning," Dean added but I looked at him confused.

"That's at least two days drive," I commented but Dean didn't stop packing his bag.

"If you drive it is. Pack your stuff, you're wasting time." His tone was demanding. I shook my head, following his instructions. "Thanks for telling us Bobby, we'll let you know when we're there," Dean explained.

I held onto my seat tightly. Dean driving like he was being chased by the police. "Can you slow down?" I asked panicked, the car lifting from the ground as he went over a bump. "Who's Jacob Francis?" I asked but Dean scoffed.

"He's basically me when you were in college," Dean commented but I was still confused. "He can make anyone fall for him, straight guys, gay women. Happily, married old couples fall in love with him." He explained. I looked at him perplexed.

"So, why are we rushing to him?" I asked, the connections not computing yet. He groaned, seemingly thinking I was stupid.

"Bobby's sent Y/N to hunt with him. If she's with him long enough she'll fall in love with him. She'll get over you and he'll break her heart so she'll never want to date again. If she falls for him, you don't stand a chance," He explained quickly, I paused to think. Bobby and Dean still think I have a chance with her? She left me, we hadn't talked since she said goodbye.

"It's been 2 years, she probably hates me," I explained sadly knowing I had given up hope on her.

"Yeah and for 2 years I've been talking to Bobby. She hasn't moved on, she misses you and she only stayed away because she's been helping Bobby. She's turned Bobby's into an intelligence hub for hunters. She's made a whole system and we were working on getting her back into hunting so she can come back to hunt with us but he sent her to Jacob Francis, a man who can get anyone," He rushed to explain, his words took me a while to process.

"She still likes me?" I asked, more to myself than to Dean.

"Yes but not for long if she's alone with him," He explained, it all made sense now. I nodded, jaw clenching. I held onto the chair tighter.

"Can you drive faster?" I asked, Dean smirked beside me before picking up the pace. I already lost Y/N once, I can't lose her again.

Y/N's POV:

I sat eating with Jacob as we looked over the books I brought with me. He moved closer to me on the couch to read the book I was showing him. It confused me a little but didn't mention it, he must be an only child if he doesn't know about personal space. I cleared my throat, shaking my uncomfortable feeling away.

"It can mimic voice, we have to be careful out there and stick together so it can't lure us into a trap," I partially read the extract as I explained. He nodded, looking at me and not the book. I faked a smile but internally groaned.

"Sounds good, no separating starting now," He tried, clearly flirting. I chuckled dryly.

"Yeah, no." I shook my head. "I don't know you, I have my own room at the motel and I am currently your colleague," I explained making it abundantly clear that I was not interested.

"Oh, I wasn't trying anything, I was just making a joke. Sorry if I made you uncomfortable," He explained genuinely. I watched his expression confused as I wasn't sure about it. Maybe he was joking and I read it wrong. I swallowed my pride, sighing slightly.

"Sorry, I guess I just read it wrong," I expressed but he smiled, shaking his head.

"It's okay, everyone does it," He smiled reassuringly. I smiled back. His smile turned to a grin before he sighed. "I do want to get to know you thought," He commented. I looked at him confused, a part of me was curious about his meaning, and another part of me thought better. "Maybe we could work a few cases together. As long as you don't have to rush back to the hub," He explained. I looked at him curiously as he looked deep into my eyes. I hesitated. Maybe he was more attractive than I thought. I smiled softly.

"I'll see how you do on this hunt first," I teased, he chuckled as he nodded. I watched as he licked his lips. I tried blinking myself into reality. He smirked seemingly recognising my reaction. I cleared my throat, forcing a smile. "We should get some sleep, big hunt tomorrow," I explained. He nodded agreeing. He walked me to the door, smirking as I turned back to smile at him.

"Goodnight," He commented. I smiled softly.

"Goodnight,"

I got ready for bed, my mind wandering as I considered going to Jacob. I bit my lip as I considered but as I was about to leave my phone rang. I picked it up to see it was Bobby calling. I smiled widely.

"Hey, Bobby," I answered with a bright smile.

"Hey, it's a good sign you answered so quickly." He commented but it confused me. I chuckled softly.

"We haven't even started hunting yet," I explained, figuring he was worried I was dead or injured. We talked for a while, and he let me know how things were going back there but he didn't seem to want to end the call. Any time I explained I was going to hang up he made an excuse to keep talking. I eventually fell asleep on the phone to him.

I woke up to a knocking on my motel room door. I rubbed my eyes as I checked my watch. I stretched, yawning as I wondered if it was Jacob. There's no need to wake me up this early. I approached the door, undoing all the locks and opening the door. My eyes squinted in the bright light behind the figure. My eyes adjusted to look at the hopeful-looking Sam in my doorway. I froze. Why's he here, how did he know I was here? Am I dreaming?

"Sam?" I asked, my mind not believing he was standing in front of me. He smiled brightly.

"Hey," He said simply. I continued looking at him confused. "Can I come in?" He asked, I blinked quickly, still in disbelief. I stepped aside to let him in. He came further into the room, standing in the centre as I looked out the door seeing Dean wasn't waiting to come in. I closed the door and faced him.

"Where's Dean?" I asked curiously but he smiled.

"He's getting us a room," He explained so I nodded taking in the information. "You're not staying with Jacob?" He asked. My eyebrows furrowed as he looked around the room.

"No, how did you know I was here with Jacob? What are you doing here?" I asked annoyance showing in my tone. I don't know why it bothered me but it did.

"Bobby said you might need some help," He shrugged but if that was true he would have mentioned it last night, I sucked my teeth as I thought. I rolled my eyes as it all seemed to click into place.

"I'm being set up," I commented, Sam winced at my words, only confirming it to be true. I nodded as I rolled my eyes, I moved to my bed, grabbing my jumper to put on as it was a little cold and I wasn't comfortable wearing a thin shirt without a bra in front of Sam right now.

"I didn't know until we were on our way," He explained but I was sceptical. I studied him, looking for a hint of a lie but there wasn't one. I sighed, rubbing my forehead as I thought.

"So, either you all don't trust me to be hunting again or you don't trust Jacob with me," I explained. Sam sighed, I have my answer.

"Dean said he's a player and can make anyone fall in love with him," He explained but I scoffed. Annoyed that they don't think I'm strong enough to not fall for his tricks.

"Oh, so you guys don't trust that I have self-control or you don't want me to fall in love with someone," I tried, my tone showing it was a trap. I need to know before making assumptions. Sam sighed recognising my trap. He seemed to fight himself before sighing.

"Y/N, I never stopped missing you, I know without a shadow of a doubt that even before you left I was in love with you, even after 2 years I still love you," He commented, approaching me slightly. Closing the distance between us. My breath hitched in my throat. We had never said the L word. We were barely dating. He licked his lips as he admired me. "If you don't feel the same, I'll walk away. I'll not bother you again and I'll wish you well. But if you love me, even a tiny bit then I'll fight for you," He explained, inching closer before he stopped just in front of me. I gulped. I looked up at him as I thought. He smiled softly. "Even a tiny bit," He repeated, looking deeply into my eyes. My eyes searched his as I knew the answer but didn't know if I had the strength to say it. He watched me closely, looking for a hint of my answer. I gulped, licking my lips as I parted them to speak.

"I-" I tried, my words escaping me. His face showed his worry about my answer. I smiled softly knowing I couldn't get the words out but I could still give him my answer. I reached for the back of his neck, leaning in as I pulled him down to meet our lips in the middle. He seemed relieved as he kissed me back. His lips moved with mine in sync as his hands hurried to hold me. I smiled against his lips, and he chuckled softly as he pulled my body against his.

His tongue graced my lips, soon giving him access and tasting him. We made out, hands hungry as we hoped for this one kiss to make up for lost time. A faint knock on the door interrupted us. We pulled away reluctantly, smiling as we admired each other. No one has ever looked as hot as Sam looks to me. His hands stayed on me as long as possible as I walked to the door. I pulled it up seeing a smiling Dean. I smiled brightly. AHHHHH my best friend!

"There's no blood, must be a good sign," He explained making me chuckle. I grinned widely, hurrying to hug him. He hugged me tightly, picking me up slightly to walk us into the room and closing the door behind him. "Too damn cold," He commented making me chuckle as he let me go. My smile never faded as Sam approached me from behind, he stood beside me, putting his arm over my shoulder making me internally squeal. I couldn't even dream of this moment being any more perfect.

Dean's smile beamed as he watched us. He seemed to celebrate like a teenage girl. Quickly hugging us both into a group hug. I smiled wanting nothing more than to never leave again.

Masterlist

[scrollwyrm]

IceWing Royals Plothole (and my solution.)

This plothole happens just before DarkStalker’s time. How did the NightWings steal Animus Magic? Isn’t it genetic? Snowfox could pass it on?! Here’s what I think:

At one point, when she was a young dragonet, Snowfox walked in on Diamond performing a second spell illegally.

Diamond was furious, but instead of killing the confused dragonet outright, she decided on a plan that would benefit the both of them-

Diamond would have a backup heir in case her son, Arctic, died. (Diamond hated and resented Arctic for having the chance at Animus greatness that Diamond ruined with her mediocre gift.)

Snowfox would be adopted by Diamond’s sister, Pristine, giving her access to the throne. Even if she wasn’t a ‘real’ royal, Diamond liked her better than Arctic.

Snowfox’s parents were killed in an ‘avalanche’.

Snowfox hated Diamond and wanted to be queen from that moment onwards, remembering everything Diamond hoped she’d forget.

She also disliked Arctic, thinking he was every bit as bad as his mother.

Feeling sorry for Arctic’s fiancé, she started a casual conversation with her at a party; and, (against her better judgment), fell hard for her.

Arctic’s fiancé, Snowflake, hated Arctic as much as Snowfox.

Snowfox explained the situation.

Arctic ran away, a plot orchestrated by Snowfox and Snowflake, who are wonderful evil lesbians btw and I love them.

then they ruled the Ice Kingdom after overthrowing Diamond and being adorable partners in crime and girlfriends forever <3

Snowflake’s sister took over when both queens died (peacefully), but neither of the families had animus magic, so the gene was dead.

by the way, Snowflake knew about Snowfox being adopted, but it only made her love her evil gf more because the less she has to be connected to Arctic the better. (Like Sundew and Nettle and Willow kinda.)

[expatesque]

Dear S, do you have any positive stories/experiences of people who have had kids outside traditional family structures eg: platonic co-parenting, solo parents with IVF, adoption etc? My partner has decided he doesn't want to be a parent and of course, there's nothing to say I 100% couldn't find someone to have kids with, but I'm now suddenly left considering 'nontraditional'' parenting options as I'd like to have kids within the next 3 years or so

Or course! I mean to start, my best friend is the product of lesbians. She knows her biological dad (a good friend of her moms who, as fate would have it, was living on the island of Lesbos at the time of her conception) and is now close with him but for most of her life, he was much more like a distant uncle. And of course, her moms are still her primary parents.

I also have several (4) good friends who are adopted or the children of a family that also includes an adopted sibling. This can be complicated, of course, but ultimately it's down to how the kids are raised.

And then there was an interesting case at school where a guy I knew was the product of a married couple that was a gay man / lesbian woman - they got married to help them get out of a former USSR country in the 80s. They raised two really interesting kids, and while I didn't know either of them well enough to get into the nitty gritty, it always seemed like a happy situation to me.

I don't know your details but the key things I would consider in a nontraditional family arrangement are: (1) how willing and able are you to do this alone, if your safety nets fail? (because backups are always important and the downside to nontraditional families is you're sometimes lacking the legal protections you'd get in a traditional family); (2) how much are you willing/able to trust your nontraditional partner(s) in this (because that should impact the role you expect them to have in the kid's life; my bff's dad was absolutely never intended to be a primary parent and that's fine, but knowing that undoubtedly influenced her moms' choice of him); (3) specifically for you, how willing/able are you to be with someone who it sounds like is uninterested in engaging with what will be a huge part of your life? (aka your kid, because no matter how elegant your nontraditional solution is, having a partner who is not willing to be there for what will be an essential part of your life is a huge flashing red flag for me. He/she might be a great person, and absolutely the right choice for someone else, but for you? Concerning to me)

[masllp]

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Yet, many businesses struggle to keep up with bookkeeping due to time constraints, lack of in-house expertise, or outdated processes.

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Online bookkeeping is a game-changer for modern businesses. It offers:

Real-time access to financial data

Cloud-based solutions for anytime, anywhere access

Cost-effective services compared to in-house staff

Scalability as your business grows

Increased accuracy through automated tools

Secure data storage with regular backups

By outsourcing bookkeeping to professionals, businesses can focus more on core operations while ensuring their books are in order.

Why Choose Mercurius & Associates LLP?

At Mercurius & Associates LLP, we specialize in providing online bookkeeping services tailored to your business needs. Here’s what sets us apart:

1. Experienced Professionals

Our team comprises skilled accountants and finance experts who understand the nuances of bookkeeping across industries. We ensure compliance with Indian and international accounting standards.

2. Customized Solutions

We understand that no two businesses are the same. Our bookkeeping services are tailored to suit your industry, size, and specific requirements.

3. Technology-Driven Approach

We leverage cloud-based platforms like QuickBooks, Zoho Books, Xero, and Tally for seamless and accurate bookkeeping. Integration with your existing systems is quick and hassle-free.

4. Transparent Reporting

You receive regular financial reports that help you track performance, manage cash flow, and plan strategically. Our detailed reports include profit and loss statements, balance sheets, and cash flow summaries.

5. Data Security

We implement best-in-class data protection protocols to ensure your financial information is secure and confidential.

Services We Offer

Daily, weekly, or monthly transaction recording

Bank and credit card reconciliation

Accounts payable and receivable management

General ledger maintenance

Payroll processing support

GST return preparation and filing

Financial reporting and analysis

Industries We Serve

Our online bookkeeping services are ideal for:

Startups & Entrepreneurs

E-commerce Businesses

Healthcare Professionals

Legal Firms

Retail & Wholesale Businesses

IT & Software Companies

NGOs and Trusts

Get Started with Mercurius & Associates LLP

Outsourcing your bookkeeping doesn’t mean losing control. With Mercurius & Associates LLP, you gain a partner who brings clarity, accuracy, and efficiency to your financial operations.

Let us handle your books while you focus on growing your business.

📞 Contact us today to learn more about our online bookkeeping services or to request a free consultation.

[crossatlanticsoftware-blog]

Top WordPress Website Development Services: Expert Web Designers & Developers Near You

These days, your website is often the first impression people get of your business—so it needs to look good and work flawlessly. In a world where everything happens online, having a strong digital presence isn’t just nice to have—it’s essential. That’s why so many businesses turn to WordPress. It’s reliable, flexible, and built to grow with you. Whether you’re starting from scratch or giving your current site a much-needed refresh, having the right team by your side makes all the difference. At Cross Atlantic Software, we’re here to help with WordPress website development services that are designed around your goals, your brand, and your future.Why Choose WordPress?

WordPress powers over 40% of all websites on the internet—and for good reason. It’s a powerful, flexible, and scalable platform that supports everything from simple blogs to complex eCommerce sites. Its open-source nature, combined with a vast library of themes and plugins, makes it a favorite among developers and business owners alike.

However, maximizing WordPress’s potential requires more than a basic understanding. It calls for professional WordPress web design, skilled development, and ongoing optimization. That’s where Cross Atlantic Software comes in.

Our WordPress Website Development Services

At Cross Atlantic Software, our comprehensive WordPress website development services include everything from initial consultation to post-launch support. Here’s what you can expect:

1. Custom WordPress Web Design

We understand that every business is unique. Our team of experienced WordPress designers near me works closely with clients to create custom websites that reflect their brand identity, engage visitors, and convert leads. Whether you need a sleek corporate site or a visually rich portfolio, our designs are tailored to impress and perform.

2. Expert WordPress Development

Our skilled WordPress web developers specialize in creating responsive, SEO-friendly, and lightning-fast websites. From theme customization to plugin development and API integrations, we ensure your website functions seamlessly across all devices and platforms.

3. E-commerce Solutions

Want to start selling online? We integrate robust WooCommerce solutions into your WordPress site to create intuitive and secure eCommerce stores. Our WordPress website development services include product page optimization, shopping cart setup, payment gateway integration, and more.

4. Maintenance & Support

A website is not a one-time project; it requires constant updates and monitoring. We offer ongoing maintenance packages that include backups, security scans, plugin updates, and performance monitoring to keep your website running at its best.

Why Work with WordPress Experts Near You?

Searching for WordPress experts near me brings you to professionals who understand your market and can provide more personalized support. At Cross Atlantic Software, we pride ourselves on our collaborative approach and transparent communication. Being locally accessible means we’re always within reach for meetings, consultations, or urgent updates.

What Sets Cross Atlantic Software Apart?

We’re more than just WordPress web developers—we’re your digital partners. Our team combines creativity, strategy, and technical skill to deliver impactful websites that drive business results.

Client-Centric Approach: We tailor our services to your goals, not the other way around.

Proven Expertise: Our portfolio spans diverse industries and project scales.

Responsive Design: Mobile-first design ensures your site looks great on all devices.

SEO Optimization: Every project is built with SEO best practices to help you rank higher.

Local Talent: Looking for WordPress designers near me? You’ll find them here.

The Benefits of Professional WordPress Web Design

Many small businesses start with DIY templates or free website builders, but these often come with limitations. Professional WordPress web design ensures that your site is not only visually appealing but also optimized for performance, SEO, and user experience.

Benefits include:

Brand Consistency: Custom themes aligned with your branding.

Improved SEO: Faster load times and proper on-page SEO structures.

Scalability: Easily add new features or pages as your business grows.

Security: Reduced risk of hacking with the right development practices.

Case Study: A Success Story with Cross Atlantic Software

A local fitness studio approached us in search of WordPress experts near me. They needed a visually dynamic and user-friendly website to showcase their services and handle class bookings. Our team delivered a stunning custom design, integrated WooCommerce for payments, and created a seamless user experience across desktop and mobile.

The result? A 60% increase in website traffic and a 35% increase in customer sign-ups within three months.

How to Get Started

If you’re ready to elevate your online presence, don’t settle for generic solutions. Partner with Cross Atlantic Software to leverage our end-to-end WordPress website development services and achieve your business goals. Whether you're looking for WordPress web design, development, or local support from WordPress designers near me, we’ve got you covered.

Schedule a free consultation today and see how our team of dedicated WordPress web developers can transform your digital presence.

Conclusion

Your website is your most powerful digital asset. With the right design and development partner, you can create a site that not only looks good but delivers results. Cross Atlantic Software, we combine technical know-how with creative flair to offer world-class WordPress website development services that drive success.

Don’t waste time searching endlessly for WordPress experts near me or wondering if your site is up to par. Let our experienced team guide you from concept to launch—and beyond.

Contact Cross Atlantic Software today and start building your digital future.

[bryantselectricalltd]

One Stop for All Your Electrical Needs: Residential, Commercial, Industrial & Emergency Services in Red Deer

When it comes to finding a trusted electrical service provider in Red Deer, look no further than Bryant’s Electrical Ltd. With years of experience and a team of licensed, skilled professionals, Bryant’s Electrical Ltd. is your reliable partner for a full spectrum of electrical solutions — residential, commercial, industrial, and emergency. Whether you’re managing a home renovation or upgrading your office’s wiring, their services are tailored to meet every need with precision and care. If you’re searching for a dependable commercial electrician in Red Deer, Bryant’s Electrical Ltd. delivers expert workmanship, safety, and efficiency at every step.

Residential Electrical Services: Powering Homes with Safety and Innovation

Your home should be a place of comfort and safety — and that begins with a secure, up-to-date electrical system. Bryant’s Electrical Ltd. offers a wide array of residential services to ensure your house runs smoothly and safely.

Key Residential Services:

Electrical Repairs & Troubleshooting: From flickering lights to frequent breaker trips, their team quickly identifies and resolves electrical issues to keep your home safe.

New Installations: Whether it’s a new build or a remodel, Bryant’s Electrical handles all aspects of home wiring, lighting, switches, and panels.

Panel Upgrades: Modern households demand more power. If your electrical panel is outdated, an upgrade ensures safe energy distribution and avoids overloading.

Home Automation: Integrate smart lighting, thermostats, and security systems with ease.

EV Charger Installation: As electric vehicles become more common, Bryant’s Electrical is prepared to install residential charging stations tailored to your needs.

Each service is carried out with a commitment to quality and adherence to current safety codes, ensuring peace of mind for you and your family.

Commercial Electrical Services: Empowering Red Deer Businesses

Business owners need uninterrupted power to keep operations running smoothly. Bryant’s Electrical Ltd. specializes in commercial electrical solutions for offices, shops, restaurants, and other business environments.

Commercial Electrical Services Include:

Lighting Design & Installation: From energy-efficient LED upgrades to custom lighting plans, they improve visibility and ambiance while reducing operational costs.

Power Distribution Systems: Proper load management is crucial for safety and performance. Bryant’s ensures your systems can handle your business’s energy needs.

Surge Protection & Backup Power: Protect your data and equipment with whole-building surge protection and emergency backup generators.

Security & Fire Alarm Systems: Ensure safety with professional installation of integrated alarm systems and security lighting.

Scheduled Maintenance: Avoid expensive repairs or system failures with routine inspections and preventative maintenance.

Bryant’s Electrical understands the unique demands of commercial properties, and their responsive service ensures minimal disruption to your day-to-day operations. Their attention to detail and flexible scheduling make them a top choice for any business seeking a reliable commercial electrician in Red Deer.

Emergency Electrical Services: Ready When You Need Us Most

Electrical emergencies are unpredictable — and dangerous. Bryant’s Electrical Ltd. offers 24/7 emergency electrical services in Red Deer to respond quickly when issues arise.

Common Emergency Services:

Power outages affecting only your home or business

Burning smells or sparks from outlets

Exposed or damaged wiring

Sudden loss of lighting or electrical appliances

Breaker panel overheating

Their electricians arrive fully equipped to diagnose and fix the problem promptly, restoring safety and functionality to your property. Whether it’s midnight or a holiday, help is just a phone call away.

Industrial Electrical Services: Powering Large-Scale Operations

Industrial facilities operate on a much larger and more complex scale than residential or commercial properties. Bryant’s Electrical Ltd. is equipped to handle high-voltage systems, custom installations, and ongoing maintenance for manufacturing plants, warehouses, and other industrial sites.

Key Industrial Services:

Heavy Machinery Wiring: Ensure safe and proper connection of manufacturing and processing equipment.

Custom Electrical System Design: Every facility has unique needs. Bryant’s Electrical creates tailored systems for maximum efficiency and safety.

Preventative Maintenance Programs: Regular inspections prevent downtime and keep your equipment running smoothly.

Hazardous Location Installations: Their team is trained in installing electrical components in high-risk areas in compliance with all regulatory standards.

Load Calculations & Power Upgrades: Expand operations with accurate load assessments and scalable power solutions.

In industrial settings, even a small electrical issue can lead to significant downtime and loss. Bryant’s Electrical Ltd. offers long-term solutions and rapid response to ensure your systems run safely and efficiently. If you’re looking for an industrial electrician in Red Deer who understands the intricacies of heavy-duty electrical infrastructure, Bryant’s Electrical is the partner you can rely on.

Conclusion

From small residential fixes to complex industrial installations, Bryant’s Electrical Ltd. stands out as the one-stop destination for all electrical needs in Red Deer. Their commitment to quality service, fast response, and expert solutions makes them the preferred choice for homeowners, business operators, and industrial clients alike. Whether you need a quick repair, an emergency fix, or a full-scale installation, their team is just a call away.

Choose Bryant’s Electrical Ltd. — where your power is always in good hands, whether you’re in need of a commercial electrician in Red Deer or seeking a skilled industrial electrician in Red Deer for large-scale operations.

[jollyperfectionfan]

RestoPros of Knoxville: Your Trusted Partner in Water Damage Recovery

Introduction

Water damage can wreak havoc on homes and businesses alike, creating an urgent need for effective recovery solutions. In Knoxville, RestoPros stands as a beacon of hope for those grappling with the aftermath of water-related disasters. Specializing in water damage cleanup and flood damage restoration in Knoxville, RestoPros combines expertise, experience, and state-of-the-art technology to provide unparalleled service.

In this comprehensive guide, we’ll explore the myriad aspects of water damage recovery, the essential services provided by RestoPros, and why they should be your go-to partner in times of crisis. Whether you're facing a minor leak or a catastrophic flood, understanding the recovery process can empower you to take decisive action.

Understanding Water Damage What is Water Damage?

Water damage refers to any destruction caused by water intruding into areas where it shouldn’t be. This can occur through various means, https://www.restopros.co/tn-knoxville/services/water-damage/ including:

Floods Leaks from pipes Roof leaks Overflows from bathtubs or sinks

Understanding how water damage happens is crucial for prevention and recovery.

Types of Water Damage

Water damage is often categorized into three classes based on contamination levels:

Clean Water Damage: This comes from a clean source like rainwater or a broken pipe. Gray Water Damage: Slightly contaminated water from sources like washing machines or dishwashers. Black Water Damage: Highly contaminated water resulting from sewage backups or floodwaters.

Knowing these distinctions helps homeowners and businesses determine the appropriate response.

The Importance of Prompt Water Damage Cleanup Why Timeliness Matters in Recovery

When it comes to water damage cleanup, time is of the essence. Acting quickly can make all the difference in minimizing long-term effects such as mold growth or structural issues.

Immediate Steps to Take After Water Damage Occurs

Here’s what you should do immediately after experiencing water damage:

Ensure Safety: Turn off electricity if safe to do so. Identify Source: Determine where the water is coming from. Call Professionals: Contact RestoPros for immediate assistance. RestoPros of Knoxville: Your Trusted Partner in Water Damage Recovery

RestoPros is synonymous with reliability when it comes to recovering from water-related disasters. With years of experience under their belt, their expert team employs advanced techniques to restore properties efficiently and effectively.

Expert Team at RestoPros

The backbone of RestoPros lies in its skilled professionals who bring a wealth of knowledge and experience to every project:

Certified technicians trained in the latest restoration technologies Comprehensive training programs ensuring up-to-date skills A commitment to customer satisfaction through superior service Comprehensive Services Offered by RestoPros