#I just realized I haven't posted in almost a month-

[unfortunatish]

TRO fanart :]]

[quiescentdestiny]

slowly going insane trying to fix my computer.

the deepest of sighs. it was not the hard drive (though that certainly did fix some other things I didn't really realize were as bad as they were.. you know how if you have glasses, you remember that time you got them for the first time and went "oh shit, you are supposed to be able to see leaves on the trees? they're not just green blobs to everyone?" like that, except with how slow my files loaded :) )

p sure it's the graphics card though then, which is rather unfortunate.

[solradguy]

Unused pencils of Ky and Order Sol from Artworks of Guilty Gear X 2000-2007 by Daisuke Ishiwatari

[byanyan]

being friends with byan is so weird bc they say they want you to have the balls to be bluntly honest with them, but then the very moment you're honest about something they don't like, they're peacing out, all "lmao ok friendship ended byeeeee"

[feniverse-unfiltered]

Fen Fun Facts: Nicknames

Based on given name (Marlowe): Mar, Marmar, Marles, Mari, Marbles, Marzipan, Marz, Marmot, Marmalade, Marmatode

Based on last name (Holloway): Little Holloway, hide-away

Based on preferred name (Fen): Fenster, Fennel Cake, FenFen, Fenling

General: bug (doodle bug, snug bug, lil bug) , creecher, bug girl, moth girl, sprout, shy girl

No Goes: Fenny, LoLo, coin slot

[doobea]

WHEN THE SUN RISES - SAE ITOSHI

synopsis: You have doubts about your relationship. Sae provides reassurance.

contents: early established relationship, gn!reader, fluff, reader is a tad insecure, mentions of other couples and pda, talks about all things mushy with love word count: 1.1K a/n: waaahh cant believe i didn't post anything for my husband on his birthday im so terrible - this is something short and sweet ;-; i haven't posted anything in a bit bc I've been so tired lately LOL

You have doubts. 

Doubts about your work performance, test scores, your friendships, and sometimes the future — you know, the less important things. 

Your least favorite doubts are the ones about you and Sae. 

He’s not a bad boyfriend by any means. You’ve been dating each other for a while now, just shy of six months, and it’s been going well. Like any other college couple, you spend your free time together either marathoning a shitty reality TV show, studying, or eating at the local diners near campus once in a while for a ‘fancy’ burger and pizza date night (which Sae hates, by the way, but he goes because there’s nothing better around). You don’t blame him for these doubts because it’s just the way he is. You’ve always known this, along with everyone else around you. 

“Itoshi Sae? Yeah, he’s pretty cold and blunt.” They’d say in a hushed whisper. 

Another would agree, followed by an exaggerated shiver. “I heard even professors are scared of him.”

They’re annoying rumors and passing comments you've gotten somewhat used to. So you don’t blame the gossipers at your school either. Who you do blame are all the couples you would see, whether it’d be at school, at the grocery store, and sometimes even your own parents. Seeing things like holding hands, hugging, and even kissing each other goodbye sets something weird off in your chest.

And, well, you’ve known Sae for a while. You know that maybe he isn’t the type to be comfortable with these things, especially in public. And maybe you’re not going to guilt trip him into doing things that are out of his ordinary. But here’s the problem.

You do want to experience all of it.

“Sae?”

“Hm?”

“Do you like me?”

Your question throws him off just a tiny bit. He fumbles slightly with his flow of writing before catching himself and throws you a questioning look from across the table. 

It’s the midterm season so every floor at the university’s library is packed. All but the top floor, which is mainly reserved for graduate students, who are rarely even on-site. So you two manage to snag a booth in the corner by the bathrooms and water fountain. You’ve been studying for about two hours straight and the thought of going over the rules of the Krebs cycle again haunts you so you let your doubts take over. Hence, why you blurted out the question that’s been burning on your mind for the past week. 

“I do, why do you ask?” He doesn’t sound bothered by it, so you take that as a good sign.

But how do you go about asking him to show that? Maybe asking upfront would be too demanding right now. You decide to dance around the subject a little more.

There’s a moment in silence, your eyebrows creased in deep thought before you finally speak, voice clumsy and almost rough sounding. “When did you realize you liked me?”

He answers without missing a beat, eyes never leaving his notebook. “Dunno.”

Well, that wasn’t the answer you were expecting. 

“Huh?”

“What?” Sae breaks his focus and stares at you, as if you were the one who had said something weird. “You asked and I answered.”

“You have to explain with that sorta question, you know?”

In just the tiniest of motions, Sae frowns. He’s holding his breath for a few seconds in preparation and his eyes soften. “I’m not sure when I fell in love with you.”

Woah—wait love? This is also not what you were expecting out of this conversation either. Is it too late to go back to studying now?

Sae picks up the worried look on your face and manages a soft chuckle. “You know when the sun rises?”

You’re patting your face with your hands now, hoping to eliminate the burn on your cheeks. The sweat forming in your palms doesn’t help at all. And, frankly, you’re confused by his question. “Um, between six and seven?”

“Well, yeah,” he laughs again and you’re not sure if that was the answer he was looking for. “But it always rises, right?”

“Right,” you say slowly, still confused by what he’s trying to get at.

“I’m not sure when I fell in love but whenever the sun rises, it reminds me of you,” Sae explains with a leveled expression, ignoring the little surprised squeaks from your direction. “It’s been like that for a while now and brings me comfort whenever I do wake up early to see it rising.”

“Did you get that line from a K-drama or something?”

He rolls his eyes and fake scoffs. “Thought you wanted an explanation?”

“Well,” you bite back a giggle and continue, “you never struck me as a metaphor type of guy.”

“And you never struck me as the jealous type.” 

You grow hotter because wow guess you haven’t been that great at hiding away your feelings—or maybe your boyfriend is just that good at being perceptive as he is being a top honor student. “Was it that obvious?”

“When you’re looking at other couples and grumbling right after then yeah, it’s pretty obvious.” Sae’s tone doesn’t carry any ounce of tease and he gives you a fond look. It makes you feel slightly guilty and embarrassed. 

You shrink deeper into the booth, holding your textbook up to your face. “Sorry…”

The seat next to you dips and a familiar pair of hands gently snatches the book away from you, revealing Sae’s rare soft expression again. 

“Don’t be,” He reaches over to ruffle your hair before moving his laptop and notebook over to your side. “Plus, you shouldn’t worry that much, I’ll always be with you.”

A pause and then you decide to blurt out your other burning question because things are already out in the open at this point. “Would it be alright if we start doing more couple-ly things together?” 

“Mhm,” he’s about to dive back into studying but stops, humming in thought. “What should we do more?”

“Well, aside from me,” Sae deadpans and you straighten your posture. “Sorry, sorry, what I meant to say is I guess more PDA? Holding hands would be a good start.”

“Okay,” He says quietly and drops his pen, carefully interlacing his fingers with yours.  

Sae’s hands are warm, maybe even sweaty if you’re not mistaken. You look up and oh — his cheeks have the tiniest amount of red on them. Probably no different from the resurgence of warmth you’re currently feeling too.

“Better?” Sae asks and squeezes your hand.

“Yeah, better.” You squeeze back. 

[luna-lovegreat]

Wait...

It's November. It's November first. Yesterday was October 31st, so October is over. ...it's over. Is it over?

Inktober, artober, whumptober, flufftober, linktober, every tag ending with -tober that's been circulating for the past month... is it over? I don't know why it's just hit me but...

This matters. So I will try to get the message across, even though I'm not the best at it sometimes

Fanartists, fan writers, artists, fic writers, people making comics, every single one of you that has created art for the past month...

Thank you

This is my first October on tumblr. When I started seeing the "tober" tags, seeing the posts from artists with wips, saying they were going to make something every day to a prompt, making masterposts to update with each day, I thought "cool"

But every day this month, I have gotten on here and smiled.

And I don't mean smiled. I mean I smiled at least 20 times every time I got on the app because I saw all the art and fics. I got to see artists/writers connect stories through different day prompts. I saw people having the most brilliant ideas and creativity, flowing from their hands into their posts. I saw artists responding to continuous asks, telling them how amazing they are. I saw artists getting behind, and keeping going.

I saw Free. Beautiful. Emotional. Amazing. Original. Creative. Art.

Every day

I haven't committed to anything of this before, so I can't directly relate to what you guys were thinking and feeling. But I'm willing to guess; I think you probably enjoyed it, because most won't do such a huge project unless they enjoy it. I think you probably saw it as a challenge you were willing to fulfill, and an opportunity to grow and develop your skills.

... but I'm also willing to bet you did it for us. For people like me, who love art, but don't do this specific type, who are in fandoms, who love tracking and watching you art and sending you compliments, who take joy in your work. For the other artists (and writers!) who admire each others styles and love to learn from each other.

If anyone ever tries to tell me that humans are inherently evil again, I will strap them to a chair, pull up these posts and say look. Look at what these people did. Look me in the eyes and tell me these sorts of actions don't come from the most loving hearts. Tell me these people don't want to make others happy, that they aren't inherently good. And I will tell you you're wrong.

I have so much going on, yet somehow it slipped into my life that I was constantly looking at your art for the joy of it without me even noticing.

And how is it possible. That we have such a beautiful community of people here that we will share. And communicate. And exchange compliments. And literally do things and send asks solely for the purpose of making someone smile.

I'm almost crying by now. God I can't express it well enough! But I am so. So. Grateful

You guys brought me a month of joy! You gave headcanons, and art, and stories!

Even yesterday, Halloween, I was blown away. Because I had expected... I didn't expect anything. And then I log on and see people sending happy halloween asks, exchanging doodles of candy, and headcanons and gifs.

And some are still catching up to the schedule or whatever, and that's ok! But at the beginning of this post, when I was simply realizing it was November, I asked myself "is it over?"

Is it over?

... I don't think so. I've seen artists say they're going to continue and expand on a piece they made and especially liked this month. Some people are still continuing, catching up to a voluntary deadline. All those masterposts with your whump/fluff/link/ink tober art? I know many as well as myself will be going through, looking over your posts with smiles, catching up on some things they missed this month... it will continue in the people and artists I didn't know existed before, but now follow. In the skills and growth in creativity! In the community we've grown, and art you've made, and the art to come, at a normal rate like every other month, even if it's not October anymore!

But my artists, writers... thank you so much. I don't know if you guys know how valuable and amazing you are. How incredible it is that you exist! People say it's amazing we exist under a sky of such stars, but how incredible is it that you made a stranger on the internet smile every day! Your life is so. So. Valuable. I can't even express how grateful I am that you exist, that you somehow are selfless enough to share the most beautiful parts of yourself simply to create, and to create joy. Thank you so so much.

(And this applies to all artists, in any fandoms, not just mine. And I'm just as grateful to people who couldn't do something every day, or only one day! You still share your art, you're just as... incredible. You are incredible.)

Okay.

So I'm gonna do this, and if others want to do it in the reblogs that's great! I do not care at all about reblogging or likes, but I want to make the people that have brought me such joy some appreciation- I hope I can bring you even a smidgen of the light you have brought into my life. So I'm gonna tag all the artists/writers I know of/can think of that have done any sort of October challenge, all of you creators that have made me smile. If people wanna want to tag others in the reblogs or replies to spread love that's cool.

(Basically I don't know social customs or anything at all, so if you don't want me to tag or if I was supposed to do something different or something let me know I have no idea what I'm supposed to do)(if I like accidentally tagged someone who isn't an artist/writer or forgot someone I follow... sorry)

@skyward-floored @kikker-oma @adrift-in-thyme @blueskittlesart @zeldaseyebrows @smilesrobotlover @bahbahhh @soso-dedeck @lennsart @arecaceae175 @illcamp @breannasfluff @solarfire-art @26kabeuchi @cathianemelian @truffeart @scribbly-z-raid @uniquevoidflowers

To all the artists and writers out there: thank you so much!!! You are amazing and I'm glad you exist. Your life is precious, and you matter. Thank you so much for sharing your beauty with us, we love you too!!!!!

... yeah. Just want yall to feel loved... because you are. Again, thank you. Thank you so so much to my beautiful creators who create joy as well as art, who keep storytelling alive. Just... thank you.

:)

[harrystylesfan2686]

Pieces Part 3

Pairing: Azriel x Reader

Summary: the aftermath of the break up has different effects on both, Azriel and Reader.

A/N: yall I'm sick🥲 the updates might be late but I'll try to post as much as possible. Hope you like this one!

Pieces Masterlist

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It's been one month.

One month of Healing.

When azriel left, I told myself that I will not contact him until I'm ready. Doesn't matter how much I'm missing him or wanting him. I will not talk to him until I know I won't take him back the second I see him again.

I gave myself two days. Two days to sulk all I wanted. I spent the whole time crying and feeling miserable about myself. Before Az left at least, I wasn't by myself. At least I saw him once a day.

Now? Nothing.

I am totally alone. His absence hit me Hard. Everything I saw, almost brought me to my knees.

The kitchen where we would make dinner together, laughing and joking with each other that many times ended with us covered in flour and syrup.

The couch where we would sit cuddling and talking until we fell asleep, always waking up with strained muscles.

His office where he would sit on his chair in front of his desk, writing out reports and whatnot while I sit in his armchair reading my book. Just enjoying each others company and occasionally taking breaks to make out on the very deck, and then some.

After those dreadful days though, I called Feyre and Mor and had a very much needed girls night. We took out a wine bottle and I spilled everything to them. My mind was too drunk to think my feelings about Elain might offend Feyre but she genuinely felt sad for me and embarrassed about her sister. The poor girl even apologised to my about Elain's behavior to which I immediately told her it wasn't her fault.

When I told them how lonely it got being alone in a big house like this, they suggested maybe I should get a job or something to keep my mind distracted and promised that they'll visit me often. So I did juat that.

I found a part time job at a local library. I have to admit, I'm really enjoying it. I'm the second assistant to the sweetest lady, Hilda, who owns the shop. I don't do much, just help her in small things like adjusting books on self or helping in shipping books out or in. Layla, the first assistant, handles most of the work around the shop. My job is basically doing what she asks of me. The salary isn't much but I don't care because it's never been about money.

The first week was very hard. Everyday after I came home, the silence felt like a slap on the face, reminding me of everything I lost.

But, slowly, I became comfortable with it. Now it's doesn't hurt me as it did before.

There were many times when I think of Azriel, tears filled my eyes, but I never let them free. I sucked them in and did anything else that didn't made me cry, like taking baths, baking my favorite chocolate brownies, reading in front of the fire place while drinking hot coco or calling my friends to take me shopping.

And as time went. I started to heal. I started to feel good, happier with myself. And without even realizing it, I started to love myself.

-☆-

Azriel

It's been one month.

One month of regretting everything I did to my mate.

I've spent my whole month sulking in this room, crying and regretting everytime I chose Elain over my wife. I haven't slept at all since I came here, just enough to keep me functioning. My appetite is gone. I don't eat unless Rhys come and force feeds me like I'm some baby.

I told Rhysand and Cassian everything the first morning i stayed here. Which earned me a flick to head by Cassian and a very disappointed look from Rhys. Even though they didn't give me any scolding(which I very much deserved), the flick and expression said enough.

Rhys has refrained me of any work, handling it himself or having someone else do it. While I have been sitting around here and hating myself. It seems like even my mind has declared itself an enemy, showing me memories of everytime I dismissed Y/N and hurt her in any way at most random times, cutting a deeper cut in my heart everytime.

"Hey Az, I was thinking if we could go out for dinner tonight? There is this new amazing restaurant I saw while walking near Sidra. I really want to try it." She told me as I put on my coat, ready to go.

"I can't, I have a mission for today. Rhys told me it's important so I can't skip. We'll go some other time. Okay?"

"Ok."

I could hear the excitement in her voice when she asked me and the hurt when I rejected her and promised to go another time. The time never came. She never asked again. And I never noticed.

"Az, are you awake?" She whispers in the dead of night. Both of us sleeping on the bed. My back to her, hoping to fall asleep quickly because I have early training tomorrow.

Cassian is spending time with Nesta more, so Rhys has told me to go to an illyrian camp to check how things are going. I have to wake and go there early to catch them off guard to see what's truly going on.

I can't do that if Y/N doesn't let me sleep.

I didn't answer her that night, hoping if i dont respond, she'll think im asleep and doesnt call me again. She really didnt call me again. I prioritized my sleep over her. Her voice sounded so small. She needed me. And I didn't care.

"So, I saw a really cute baby in garden today and..." I drone out her babbling and try to quickly I can get out of here, I promised Elain to help in her garden today. She'll be disappointed if I show up late.

"Az? You're listening to me right?" She suddenly questions, I clear my throat and answer a small, of course, she nods and takes a deep breath, not saying anything anymore. I sign in relief of the silence.

I put my head in my hands and tug hard on my hair, wanting to feel hurt, hurt the kind that she clearly felt and I didn't care.

I hate myself more and more as memories flash through my mind. I can't even cry at this point. I wished she'd hit me when we fought. Slaped and paunched some sense into me. I don't blame her at all for not talking to me. Gods, I wouldn't even blame her if she left me. I deserve it.

How do I fix this?

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Taglist: @cleverzonkwombatsludge @crazylokonugget @going-through-shit @wallacewillow0773638 @kalulakunundrum @cat-or-kitten

[wifeofnatasharomanoff]

Asleep In Your Arms

WARNINGS: Natasha Romanoff has a dick, fluff, sleepy smut, slight groping, stomach bulges, breeding kink, soft sex, established relationship/marriage, they have a son

WORDS: 1.08k

PAIRING: beefy!Natasha x f!reader

A/N: omg i haven't posted a fic in sooooo long 😭

An infant's giggle awakens Natasha, your wife, from her deep slumber. She rubbed her eyes with her knuckles as she sat up on the bed, watching you in awe as you play with the baby in your lap beside her. “aww my little baby boy, oh, you're so cute! Yes, you are!” you baby-talked the little boy as he laughs, his stubby little hands grabbing at your face as you nuzzle your nose into his chubby cheek. “Detka..? God, what time is it?” you turn your attention to Natasha as you greet her with a soft, loving smile. “It's a little past 9 pm, darling.” she raised her brow at your words, “and you didn't think to wake me up?” you pressed a light kiss to her cheek. “You just looked so peaceful sleeping. Plus, you came back from a week long mission.”

“Babe, he's uh– Alex's biting your hair, krasivaya.” you look down to see the baby nibbling on your hair strands, your hands immediately untangling his gummy mouth from your hair. “What did mommy say about biting her hair?” you sternly asked Alex, as if he was able to understand you. “mm’o–” Natasha's eyes slightly widened at the baby's almost-spoken word, “Tasha did he just?” she frowned. “No, Alex, don't say mommy, say mama.” you nudged her side, “right, and who had to go through 9 months of pregnancy and 13 hours of labor. Because someone wanted a baby and got me knocked up.” she scoffed. “Excuse me, but you're the one who agreed—” she stopped herself, fully realizing that she had lost the argument.

“That's what I thought.” she huffed before snuggling up to your side once more, “we should make another one.” she mumbled against your waist. “...What?” she sighed as she held onto you tighter, “nothing.” you were about to respond when you felt the boy in your arms muscles relax and soft breathing heard from his direction. “Honey, is he asleep?” you whispered to the redhead, only to be answered with silence. You peeked down at her sleeping soundly, her arms wrapped around your torso. “Nat.. let go. I need to take Alex to his crib.” she muttered incoherent words as she turned to the side. You slowly got up from the bed and went to the nursery, setting down the infant with gentle hands.

Your heart ached with how cute your son looked sleeping, his chubby little face squished to the side of the soft mattress. You heard a quiet flick noise as the light of the hallway outside of the room turned on. “Natasha?” you called out and closed the nursery door behind you, peering out into the hallway. “My love, what are you doing out of bed..?” you pulled her back into the bedroom, “go back to sleep, Natty.” she looked down at you with groggy eyes. “Natasha..” you softly spoke, your hands moving to cup her face. She slid her hands down to your hips and pushed you flat on the bed. “Darling don't you think it's a bit late— oh!” she lifted up your legs and placed them on both sides of her waist.

Your eyes darted to the outline of her bulge prodding through her boxers, “you really want this, don't you, Tash?” she groaned as your smaller hand went to squeeze her clothed length. “Go on then, use me.” with your words something snapped in her, and she adamantly slipped your panties off and tossed them somewhere in the dark of the room. “’m gonna fuck you so good, baby..” she whispered, her voice raspy considering she just woke up. “Yeah? Prove it to me.” she peppered kisses trailing up your inner thigh, stopping at your wet cunt. She discarded her boxers, your gaze fixated on her girthy, long length springing free.

“Oh, fuck me.” you breathed out, she smirked as she aligned her bulbous tip with your entrance. “I'm planning on it, sweetheart.” you exhaled shakily as she inserted a few inches into your pussy. “Is– is it just me or did those missions make you more..” you admired her bite-able, muscular arms and shoulders with a lustful glint in your eyes. “More what?” you laughed silently, “oh.. nothing.” she slammed her entire cock inside your hole. “Oh God!” you moaned as she slid in and out of you at a painfully slow pace. “..Faster. Fuck me faster!” she sped up her thrusts with a harsh grip on your hips.

“Ah– mmngh you're so big..” you whined, already cock drunk over just a few movements. “You're so fuckin’ beautiful, Krasivaya.” her voice was strained, finding it unbearable to not release inside of you, your walls fluttering down on the sides of her dick didn't help either. “I- I can't t..” your words were breathless as you talked, you dug your nails deep inside Natasha's beefy shoulders as you felt her tip rubbing against your cervix. “Darling I'm.. I–” your skin felt as if it was set ablaze, heated and sweaty. “I need to– please let me cum!” you shouted as her relentless movements never stopped. You didn't want it to ever stop.

“Come on, make a mess all over my dick, baby.” she moaned loudly as she felt your walls clench around her girth. “Fuck! Nat– Nat.. Tasha- Natasha fuck!” You cried out in euphoria as you came crashing down all over her cock. “You did so good.. fuck. You're so pretty. My pretty girl.” she murmured hushed praises as she slammed back into your cunt. “mm..” you were too fucked out and tired to respond, just allowing your wife to have her way with you. “Oh, shit. I'm gonna cum.” she whined as she saw a visible bulge poking through your stomach, only driving her off the edge quicker. “Fucking hell..” her eyes screwed shut as she felt her reaching her peak.

“Gonna fill you up.. f-fuck– make you a mommy again. Hm?” you nodded feverishly, “y-yes! Cum inside me, Natty!” you softly moaned as she came deep inside you, keeping her position still without pulling out. “mmh..” she panted as her head rested on your chest, your hand lazily ran tender strokes through her red hair. “You tired big guy?” you felt a faint heartbeat and soft breathing against your chest. “What's with Romanoff's and sleeping..?” you yawned as her hold on your body grew tighter. “Goodnight, darling..” you pressed a light kiss on the top of her hair as you, too, fell asleep shortly after.

[amalthiaph]

I took an interest in The Bad Batch around the tailend of S2. It's not news to Tumblr that I almost slept on this show. And I cannot thank Caleb Dume enough for being the reason why I pressed the play button for this one. While I haven't been around for most of its active run, and I wish I had been, the last year has been among the best months of my life.

This show challenged my morals, and taught me lessons that I will forever take with me.

Tech taught me to embrace and take pride in who I am. I now think that I am not something that needs to be cured. I needed to be understood and accepted. He taught me that we deserved to be loved and be allowed to live the way we want to (as long as we are not causing harm to ourselves or to others).

Hunter taught me that at the end of the day, we're all still humans. We make mistakes. We fail. But we can learn from them, and we can strive to be better. And I should also take care of my hair bec I cannot accept that a man in a galactic war have better hair than me (Okay, did you honestly think I'm gonna be serious this entire essay?)

Crosshair taught me that at the end of the day, we really are still humans. Sometimes, we make choices that not everyone will understand or agree to. Sometimes, we don't even understand our own choices. But we can learn from them, and we can strive to be better. And that I should also go to therapy bec istg my hand shakes like hell I always need to rely on a pen stabilizer when doing my artworks.

Wrecker taught me that in this world where we can be anything, always choose to be kind. He is a great man who would always be there for everyone, and I hope that one day, I can be that person too. He is afraid of heights, but he climbs and go on high places anyway. Like him, I should also start conquering my fears. Dear Wrecker, I did try conquering my fear of heights last March 9 but I can't. I will try again.

Echo taught me to always fight for the greater good. Almost two years ago, me and a group of people campaigned for a great tomorrow. With pink flags and pink balloons, we worked on our little thing I like to call our rebellion. Sadly, we lost. At times, I am thinking of just giving up bec that's democracy and I cannot go against the people's decision, but characters like Echo and the rest of Rogue One taught me that nothing should ever stop me for fighting for the people's rights and that my love for my fellow citizens should always come first before hatred.

And lastly, Omega taught me to be curious, or more likely to not be ashamed for being curious. Learn about the world. Learn about lots of things. We never know when we need it. While I could say be good at strategy and win 30 grand on card games, nahhh, I'm not that smart.

I also learned to reevalutate myself as an artist. This show taught me integrity. I had ranted about this lately but these characters challenged me in terms of art. I knew that the creators aren't best at proper representation. While I could draw them as they are in the show, I choose to stand for what is right, and represent them as properly as my skills could. In the more technical side, I became good at drawing armors. And this little Actors AU Draw Series taught me to be responsible; I tried my very best to create and post them on time. This increased my productivity.

But enough about me.

There's something I realized two nights ago; we, the fandom, are Bad Batchers ourselves. We can consider ourselves a family, but not one of us is the same and we're all interesting, and capable in our own unique ways. We can have our own opinion and stand about something and still coexist. Like our favorite charactera, we embrace and celebrate our differences.

This show may end. No more Bad Batch Eves, no more cryptic tweets that cause us to hyperventilate, no more Bad Batch Wednesdays but it will live on, through us.

I know there will be a day where we decrease in number, one by one, little by little, but still, the show will live on through our actions, our opinions, our choices we make after May 1, 2024 because I know that all of us were changed in some ways by these characters and this show.

To the crew, your cryptic tweets caused me sleepless nights, but thank you so, so much. It is through your hardwork that we had this wonderful show. Thank you for making every second of the past year so worthwhile and enjoyable for me and for everyone.

However this show will end, whether happy or sad, I am glad it happened. However short my time was with them, I am happy I had been here. However short my time with everyone in the fandom was or if some of you leave one day, still, thank you so much for being part of my life; I am so happy I met all of you.

To Clone Force 99, thank you. I've never loved anything like this before. May the Force be with you.

[gotham-daydreams]

Chapter 3 'Sneak Peak'/Teaser 2

This is more of a teaser above all else, and the only real 'sneak peak' part of it is just a small scene that happens in the chapter, but from a different POV. Regardless, I hop you enjoy this little look, and just like the last teaser- this is all a glimpse that won't really be shown in the final chapter when I post both parts. Though more emphasis on the "you won't really see this outside of this teaser" part.

Nevertheless, enjoy :]

-----

The moment you went into the diner, he took a moment longer to watch you walk inside before quickly realizing his phone was blowing up. So, reluctantly, he turned his intercom back on, and was swiftly met with a tidal wave of voices - most of which were shouting at him. Even if he couldn't blame them too much, that didn't make the experience any less annoying or loud. So, so loud.

He tried to explain himself and calm them down like he usually did, and it did kind of work - even if a few jabs and venomous words were thrown his way in the process. Again, he couldn't really blame them, but that didn't make things better. Not really, anyway. Their words hurt, sure, but hey, on the bright side - he was still with you. No matter what they said could change that, with a little bonus being that, deep down, you were the reason why all of them kept away too, and haven't interrupted your little get-together — since there was an untold but very present fear that he himself still felt when it came to you, and that being the possibility that you hated them. That anything they did now, would only worsen whatever image you already have of them, and if it was bad already - well, they’d have to work extra hard to repair things, wouldn't they?

It's not the potential work ahead that frightened them per say – more so the thought that they had pushed you so far away that you couldn't help but despise them. That you'd refuse to come back home and have them back into your life – refuse their effort and how they were now trying, even if it may have been a month or so too late – that you'd put an end to whatever they were hoping to have now, and refuse them at every turn simply out of spite and anger. Even if it made sense, and you have all the right to be mad, the thought and possibility didn't hurt any less. They didn't want you to hate them – no matter how reasonable that reaction would be – and most of all, they don't want to know that they've hurt you to such a point. He didn't, anyway, but he didn't want a lot of things when it came to you.

It's not that he didn't want to hear you out or be made aware of his faults - for crying out loud, he basically missed out on your entire life! Of course he's bound to have hurt you, and you're bound to be mad about it, he knew that even if he still didn't like the idea. If anything, a part of him did want to know so he knew where he had to really shine. So he knew what he really needed to get done and work on when it came to you, but that wasn't the point.

He never wanted to hurt you, never. None of them really did, but he especially – in his mind – didn't mean to. So, in a way, he was almost afraid to have to face that outcome.

It wasn't the anger he was afraid of, but the pain coupled with it, since he didn't know how bad it was - none of them did. Each of them only saw pieces, some more than others, and even if he stood here knowing that, he dreaded seeing the full weight of it.

There was more, he could feel it, and he hated that more than anything. He hated not knowing, but also feared what he'd find – even if there wasn’t much he could do about that. Despite himself and the feelings he and the rest of the family seemed to share, he knew that whatever they got – they deserved it. He already knew that this wouldn't exactly go smoothly, and despite it only being a few minutes – he could already feel it. The rockiness, the edge that seemed to hang in the air whenever you spoke, the unease you felt, and the nervousness coming from you was beyond evident.

Even if there was clearly a long way to go, he still couldn't help but… hope. Sure, it was wishful thinking, and honestly not very realistic, but he couldn't help himself. As much as it hurt looking at you, it made him soft, and untangled the most messy parts of himself. He couldn't explain why even if he tried, especially because he was only beginning to feel this now, but all he knew was that it felt… good, and made him regret not trying harder sooner.

He had a lot of regrets since he saw those things in your room and learned what he did, but as time passed and the night continued on, he found those regrets growing and becoming bigger. Though this wasn’t about him – of course it wasn’t, why would it be? – it was about you, they all knew that despite themselves, and all they wanted to do to make up for lost time.

Speaking of, the shouts never truly stopped. Sure, some died down and tried to get some information out of him, and even if he did say a few things here and there to give the impression that he was paying attention, most of what he learned he sort of… kept to himself. He just couldn’t help it. There was something so… special, so good that came with knowing more about you than the others. That came with being able to pick up on these little, small things about yourself that the others didn’t have the luxury of knowing just yet.

Maybe they’d learn eventually if things go smoothly, he knew that much, but at the moment he was more than willing to take in this rare moment and opportunity. The fleetingness of it only making it more enticing, and worthy of taking.

Yet, when one of them mentions you again, and asks how you’re doing – he can’t help but look back at you through the glass of the diner, but what he sees isn’t what he expects and he pauses.

You both hold your stares for a moment, and he ends up being the first to break it as he looks away, unable to take the sight any longer. He didn’t like that look in your eyes, the look you gave him – the look of untold worries and concerns that he knew dealt with him or were about him in some way. Granted, he couldn’t read your mind, but for a moment he wished he could. For that moment, he wishes he could take even the smallest peak into your thoughts just so that he knew what made you give him such a look. So that he knew what he could do to take away that conflict in your eyes and ease whatever worries you had – so that he could try to make things better.

He doesn’t know what he did wrong, but suddenly, just from that alone, he finds himself growing antsy. Even as he talks to the others over the comm link, he finds himself becoming subconscious of everything he’s done up until this point, trying to figure out what he did to make you wear such an expression. Even if it was just a little thing, he can’t help but worry over it, especially considering what he’s here to do. The voices of the family fall into the background with automatic, lame responses leaving him as he falls deeper and deeper into his own thoughts. He’s usually so confident and sure, but with you he’s a mess and is suddenly worrying over all of the little things he didn’t think of before. Did he act too soon? Should he have tried to be more patient? Sure he was worried at the time, but if this was the consequence of those actions then they weren’t worth it at all. God, he knew he should’ve been more-

Then, suddenly, you step out of the diner, and all is right with the world. His head empties, and without even thinking about it, he turns his comm link off once again.

It’s just as he thought earlier. You made him soft, and undid even the worst parts of himself.

With you, it’s like nothing else mattered, and that the past was far behind him.

Yet, he failed to realize that it was only that. A feeling and nothing more.

[lovebugism]

Hi I am begging on my knees for more of your steddie x reader it’s so good I’m crying

BIZARRE LOVE TRIANGLE | baby fever

summary: steve's got a bad case of baby fever. it's not so bad until you start getting sick with it too. eddie has to come up with a solution before all of you fall ill.

pairing: steve harrington / f!reader / eddie munson

a/n: i just realized i haven't posted anything steddie related in almost three months. i am so sorry. this is a total travesty. please enjoy this 3k blurb and find it in your heart to forgive me <3

You squint at the grocery list scribbled on a bright blue sticky note. It’s a mish-mash of all your different handwritings. Some are certainly neater than others. “This just says crabs… I think...”

“It doesn’t say crabs, you loon,” Eddie laughs from where he mans the shopping cart beside you. He’s steering the thing about as well as his van. “It says cereals.”

“No, it says a bunch of gibberish that no one can read but you,” you retort with a giggle of your own as you follow him down the breakfast aisle. “And we just need one box of cereal, alright? Singular.”

He turns to you with a cartoonish pout on his lips. “But why?”

“Because you’re like a kid, Eds. You eat the entire thing in one sitting, and then you’re absolutely haywire for the rest of the day.”

And, just like a child, the boy stands in front of the vibrantly colored boxes of cereal with a wide grin on his face.

The local grocery store was smaller compared to the others in town, but they had every brand of the breakfast food known to man, stacked in neat rows from the floor to ceiling. 

Eddie’s got a twinkle in his eye as his gaze runs over them all. And even though you think it’s all boyish and hilarious, you let him have his fun. 

He grew up unable to enjoy all the goodness of overly sweet cereal because bills and food with actual sustenance were always more important. Now, he’s got a halfway stable job with Wayne at the car shop, and he’s living at his own place with his boyfriend and girlfriend, and he can buy whatever the hell kind of cereal he wants. 

So, as far as he’s concerned, everyone who said he’d never amount to much can suck it. 

And you know you’ll let him buy the whole damn grocery store out of their cereal if that’s what he wants. It’s the least you can do for the world’s best boyfriend — a title he begrudgingly shares with Steve The Hair Harrington.

You’d give him the world if you could, but for now you’ll have to settle for a couple of boxes of Lucky Charms.

“Okay, so the OJ’s we got last time tasted like absolute shit,” Eddie mutters, mostly to himself as he crouches to peer at the lower shelves. “I saw a commercial for Waffle-O’s this morning, and they looked pretty good. But I know you like Breakfast With Barbie and Steve ate a bowl of C3PO’s every day for, like, two weeks, so…”

You stand by the cart and laugh at his rambling. You turn to look behind you with a lighthearted joke sitting on the edge of your tongue. It dissipates when you realize Steve isn’t next to you. 

Instead, he’s still standing at the end of the aisle with his back to you and Eddie — like his feet forgot how to work when he caught sight of the family across the store. It’s a mother and a father, dressed in their mid-weekday finest, with a baby swaddled at their chest and a toddler bouncing in the seat of the shopping cart. 

And you know it’s got the boy totally lost in his own head. You know he's picturing you and him and Eddie as that happy family — the one fills every store you walk into with baby babbles and bubbly laughter. 

Steve told you his senior year of high school he wanted a baby, that he wanted six of them, and that he wanted them all with you. And you were just a stupid seventeen-year-old girl who would’ve done anything he asked you to, though you definitely drew the line at babies. 

But you’re older now, and far more settled than you had been all that time ago. Steve’s ready for a family, but you don’t think you’re anywhere close.

“How about we just compromise and get all three?” Eddie finally concludes with the boxes already in his arms. He dumps them into the cart and notices that your attention is elsewhere. He realizes then that Steve’s gone too because his attention is stuck on a nice family minding their own business. 

“Not again…” he murmurs to himself while you go rescue the boy.

“I’ve never seen someone so sick with baby fever in my life,” you laugh as you drag Steve back to the cart by his wrist.

“I can’t help it!” he defends weakly. “They were so cute! They were all matching and I couldn’t stop thinking about how I can’t wait to coordinate outfits with our baby. Doesn’t that sound like the cutest fucking thing ever?”

“It sounds very adorable, Stevie,” you nod understandingly and try to ignore the way your stomach twists at the thought of him and his baby girl wearing matching pastels every time they step out of the house. “And we can be just like them in five years—”

“Five years?” he gapes.

“Maybe even ten,” Eddie shrugs and nonchalantly tosses a box of Count Chocula into the cart.

“Ten years— You guys are insane if you think I’m waiting ten years to have a kid!” Steve protests with a pair of buff arms crossed boyishly over his chest. “I’m not getting any younger over here, you know that, right?”

“You’re twenty-five, Steve, stop being so dramatic. We’re just now trying to get settled. I’m still in school, you’re still working at Family Video, Eddie’s still… Eddie. Don’t you think we should have actual careers before we have a kid?”

Steve huffs and rolls his eyes, feigning annoyance even though he knows you’re right.

It’s not like he wants to keep working at the stupid store on Main Street. He keeps putting off the conversation with his dad about another job, because he puts off every conversation with his dad. He’s scared of what asking for a position at his firm will do to his pride.

“She’s right, and you know it, Steven,” Eddie tells him, then scoffs. “I mean, can you really imagine me with a baby strapped to my chest on tour?”

You and Steve both pause and tilt your heads to the side as you picture the sight, terribly in sync as always. You can imagine it, quite perfectly actually, tangible enough to touch.

“Well—”

“That’s the cutest thing I think I’ve ever heard,” Steve finishes your thought for you.

Eddie cowers at the sudden attention. “Okay, stop looking at me like I’m a piece of meat, alright? We are not having a kid right now. There’s no fucking way.”

Steve all but deflates at the rejection as Eddie pushes the cart down the aisle, desperate to escape the bubble of tension the conversation had created in the cereal section.

You smile sheepishly over at Steve and wrap your arms through the crook of his elbow, standing on the tips of your toes to press a kiss to his cheek. “He’s being grumpy about it, but he’s right… It’s just not a good idea right now— but it will be, okay? One day. Just not… to-day.”

┄

The day, for you, comes exactly seven of them later. 

You accompany Steve on his morning run and his routine stop for coffee. You’re not quite sure how he’s still mobile because your muscles are screaming, even after the warm shower you took to soothe them.

You left him alone for all of half a second to use the bathroom while he ordered drinks for him and you, and something extra for Eddie for when the boy decides to roll out of bed.

When you return, you find him bouncing a baby on his hip — a young thing, maybe three if you had to guess, with two buns in her hair like bunny ears and a sparkly pink dress to match the bows she wears in them.

Steve smiles down at her, talking to her in a baby voice and saying something you can’t hear because you’re frozen in place. You resemble him at the grocery store a week ago, when he was thrown into a daydream so suddenly that his body all but shut down. 

You look at him now, tickling the baby’s sides just to hear her giggle, and you see him with your firstborn — sleep deprived, covered in spit-up, and still the most beautiful human you’d ever seen.

You have to shake your head to remove the thought before it ruins you entirely. 

Freshly jostled from your stupor, you walk over to him. “Steve… Please tell me you didn’t steal someone’s baby.”

He laughs. “What? No! She was just a little fussy, and I offered to take her while her mom looked for something,” the boy explains. You look just behind him to see the woman bent over at one of the smaller tables, sifting vigorously through a large baby bag.

“She doesn’t seem very fussy now,” you observe, eyes flitting between his and the child's and noticing they’ve both got matching grins.

“She doesn’t, does she?” he smiles, softly scratching at her sides again to make her laugh. And she does, most enthusiastically so, tilting her head back and letting the giggles spill from an open mouth.

He turns back to you, with wide eyes and raised brows and a bemused grin. “I like she likes me.”

“Of course, she does,” you scoff. “Babies always like you.”

The mom returns with a snack in hand and a relieved smile. Steve passes the baby back to her with little effort. She whines at the loss of him, though the brightly packaged treat is quick to quell her sorrow. 

“Thanks for taking her,” the mother's grateful smile falters with exhaustion. “If I don’t give her the same snack at exactly the same time every day, she tends to go a little nuts.” 

Steve tells her that it’s no problem, that he was a part-time babysitter at one point in his life, and that her kid was better than those little shits combined. He censors himself before the swear slips out, though.

You go your separate ways when the barista calls out your drink orders and walk hand in hand back to your place.

“Did you get their names?” you ask him before taking a sip of your latte.

“The mom’s name was Maeve and the kid’s name was Harper—”

“Holy shit,” you mutter.

Steve snaps his head over to you because he thinks you’ve burnt your mouth. Instead, he finds you with a distant smile on your face.

“Those are the cutest names I’ve ever heard. It sounds like something out of a fucking cartoon or something.”

“Yeah…” is all he can say because his mind is preoccupied with a million other thoughts. He doesn’t tell you them, obviously, but you know they’re there. The sly smile pulling at his lips makes it obvious.

“…Why are you looking at me like that.”

“Because I’m totally gonna wear you down,” he grins and brings his coffee to his mouth, sipping through his smirk.

You only scoff in response. “Never.”

┄

It doesn’t take you very long to realize that Steve was right.

You spend the rest of the day thinking about it — about him with a baby and how perfect he'd be as a dad. The thoughts plague you far more than they usually do. They take up the entire frontal cortex of your brain and make it nearly impossible to think about anything else.

You’re self-aware enough to beat yourself up about it. 

You were just telling him that it wasn’t time yet, and you knew you were right. As far as you’re concerned, you still have another few good years before you’re ready to even start seriously considering it. 

But here you are, having to calm yourself down every time the thought of Steve Harrington with a baby, your baby, crosses your mind.

You wait until the boy heads to bed to talk to Eddie about it. You find him in the kitchen, eating handfuls of Breakfast with Barbie like a maniac. You’re too preoccupied to make a snarky comment about it.

“Steve wasn’t lying,” you warn him.

“..About what?” he wonders through the mouthful.

“About him not waiting ten years to have a baby! He wants one now!” you explain through a yell-whisper hybrid. “And he told me he was going to wear me down, and he was right.”

Eddie’s eyes go wide too, like he’s just learned you caught some sort of plague. You have. It’s called baby fever, and it’s only a matter of time before the entire house is afflicted. “Shit…”

“So you have to be the strong one, Eddie.”

“Oh, god,” he whines with pinched brows. “Why does it have to be me?”

“Because I saw him hold a baby today.”

“…And this is a bad thing?”

“Of course, it’s a bad thing! My hormones went crazy, okay? It’s like my brain stopped functioning, and I started thinking with my ovaries or something! All human instinct told me to lay down and procreate the second we got home!”

Eddie laughs to himself. “Are you sure it was human instinct, or was it just you on a normal Wednesday?”

“I’m being serious, Eddie,” you tell him, a sudden solemnity to your features. “You have to put your foot down whenever Steve talks about it because I will cave.”

“Alright, alright, have some Barbie cereal and settle down,” he tells you with a playful grin.

He offers you the box and you pout for a moment before sticking your hand into it and pulling out several red and purple butterfly pieces.

The boy wraps an arm around you with his free hand. He pulls you closer and noses at the crown of your head. You sigh as you relax into him. 

“I’ll take care of it, okay? I actually have the perfect idea.”

“I don’t like the sound of that,” you waver through a mouthful of cereal.

“Don’t worry about it,” he lilts with a grin, smacking a kiss to your forehead. “Let me take care of it.”

┄

You and Steve are tangled in bedsheets, both slowly rousing but trying desperately to go back to sleep. 

You’re laying on your stomach, face smushed into the pillow you clutch to your head. Steve lays halfway on top of you — his legs knotted with yours, arm splayed over your back, and softly snoring in your ear. 

Both of you noticed the lack of Eddie’s presence, but chose not to linger on it too much, figuring he must’ve gone for a breakfast run. 

He returns hardly a moment after the thought of him crosses your mind. You hear the door open and shut again, then the shouts of your names entwined with a muffled barking.

You groan at the intrusion on your sleep.

Steve huffs and shifts against you, voice gruff with fatigue as he wonders: “Why do I hear a dog?”

The mixture of confusion and subtle knowing has you both shuffling out of the bedroom and trudging into the living room.

You round the corner and find Eddie standing by the door with a rowdy goldendoodle bouncing at his feet. He’s trying hopelessly to undo its leash when the thing starts to squirm at the sight of you and Steve.

Eddie’s eyes flit to the both of you when he notices you standing across the room. A smile bursts like early morning sunshine on his face. “Surprise!” he beams.

The metal of the leash clicks when he finally gets it unbuckled. The dog dashes your way, all but jumping into Steve and then spinning in circles with excitement as it tries to figure out who to accept attention from. 

“You got us a dog?” the boy wonders, head cocked back to dodge the thing as it licks at his chin.

“You said you wanted a baby,” Eddie shrugs. “So, I got you a baby.”

“This is so not what a meant,” the boy grouses in response, though he’s got his arms wrapped around the dog like he’s hugging it. “I mean, it’s not even a baby— it’s huge.”

“The woman at the shelter said he was eight months old. And he is a he, so stop calling him it.”

You crouch beside Steve, scratching the dog behind his ear. He pants with his tongue sticking out, almost looking like he’s smiling. It makes you smile too. 

“We don’t even have dog food. Or toys. Or a bed,” you stress. “What are we even gonna name it?”

“Well, I took care of exactly one of those things,” Eddie lilts with a grin. “They only had that gross artificial shit at the grocery store, but they did have some badass collars and an engraving machine, so…”

You and Steve peek through the dog’s golden curls and find a black band with silver spikes dotted around the neck. “Super metal, huh?” you hear himEdiejoke as you reach for the dangled heart pendant handing around the collar.

“…Ozzy?” you recite.

“See what I mean?” he beams. “Metal.”

[captainofthedauntless]

When Life Gives You Lemons

Rise Donatello x Reader imagine

Info + Warnings: Reader's at the Lair to help Mikey in the kitchen. Mikey's caught up in something else. Donatello gives Reader a way to pass the time. No gendered language, pronouns, or Y.N used for Reader. Vague not-friends to might-be-friends with feelings. Set a few years post movie.

Commentary: He's much harder to write for than a certain blue menace. IDK if this even sounds like him.

It's easy to think Donatello doesn't care.

Well... that's not true. You've seen him unveil his latest and greatest inventions- he cares so much it's impressive.

But it is easy to think he's extremely (impressively) neutral on you.

It's a kind of intense neutral that you haven't seen anywhere else.

He's polite. Or his version of polite, anyway. It's not like he avoids you, he just is neutral in a way that somehow pulls on your attention.

You can't explain how or why.

You're just aware of it the same way you're aware of his family's fondness for you. His near-apathy has the same volume as Leo's jokes and Raph's warm support and Mikey's excited integration of you into their schedules.

You call it Hamato Intensity, in the privacy of your own mind, the way they all are. It's shapeless and beyond definition, and you really shouldn't think too hard on it because it simply is the way that gravity just is, but you almost can't help yourself.

They just have a presence.

Maybe it has something to do with that Ninpō thing Mikey and April tried to explain to you. It's like magic, but it's not magic, but it's kinda magic? But then Donnie had cut in to explain that it was absolutely not magic and he had a whole PowerPoint and everything got very derailed very very quickly.

You were more confused at the end than you were when the conversation had started.

So you try not to think about it too much. You get that they're glowy and dangerous, and it has something to do with ancestral connections, and you think April's haunted, and that's just going to have to be enough.

It's a lot like how you don't quite get Donnie.

You're pretty sure he doesn't dislike you. Over the few months you've known the family, you've seen him dislike several people, and it is always extremely clear. It's sharp and hazardous and can be a little (lot) intimidating- and he's never been like that with you. He's just dry. A little reserved.

The weird part is that it isn't really... awkward?

Like, it should be. It so should be. Right now, with you sitting at their kitchen table waiting for Mikey to get home so you can help him with his latest culinary adventure (per his request) and Donnie silently brewing coffee and typing away at his gauntlet, it should be awkward.

It isn't.

It's comfortable, in a strange way.

The realization is a surprise- one only trumped by the surprise of him speaking.

He says your name in way of greeting, and your head whips around like he'd screamed.

"Yeah?" You say, confused.

You think it might be the first time he's said it to you.

He stares at you for a beat like he's studying you, just long enough for you to start to feel out of place. "Still waiting for Michael, I presume?"

"Yeah," You repeat, no less confused. More confused, you think. "He's grabbing ingredients. Apparently Leo ate the end of something and Mike's making him portal them around to replace it," You explain (over explain? You can't tell) with a fond amusement. "Said they couldn't find it at the first place they tried, so they're making extra stops."

Something dings on his wrist, and he drops his eyes to type something into his gauntlet again. "Excellent," He says neutrally, still typing. "That leaves you free to assist me."

You blink at him, confusion growing. Again.

He seems to notice, his hand stilling on his keyboard for an almost imperceptible moment. "If... you are not otherwise occupied, obviously."

"Um, no. Nah, I'm free," You respond, finding your footing again and deciding that much stranger things have happened, really. "What's up?"

"I require an extra set of hands in the lab, to hold a circuit board in place while neither crushing nor breaking it, which- despite his best efforts and gentle demeanor- makes Raphael a less-than-ideal candidate," He explains, his typing hand coming up to twirl once in midair in a very Donnie motion of simultaneous acknowledgment and dismissal.

It occurs to you that this is the same lab that may-or-may-not have some sort of nuke tucked away in it, depending on who you listen to.

The thought is brushed away by the realization that your curiosity outweighs your caution (again).

You slip out of your chair, nodding at him. "Sounds... uncharacteristically simple," You say, testing the waters with a gentle joke at his expense.

It seems to pay off as he nods. "I assure you, the end goal is extremely characteristic," He says, and it takes you a second to realize he's- it's not joking, but it has a self-aware, playful edge to it. It's subtle, but it's there, and it catches you off-guard as two robotic arms reach out and pour a mug of coffee without him looking.

"Then lead the way."

He turns without a word, retracting one metal arm as the other brings the mug to his hands before disappearing into his shell.

You follow him to his lab, hesitating just outside as he slips right back into his element.

You've been in the lab before, but it's rare, and usually with the company of his entire family. Here, you have no cues to follow.

He glances back at you and raises a brow.

"Do I... need to take off my shoes or anything?" You ask over the synth and bass filling the room, only half joking. It feels like walking into an operating room, like you need to sterilize your entire being before you breathe on any of the impressive technology.

"No," He says simply, turning back to his workbench, "The floor is cleaned bi-daily by SHELLDON. Bi-daily, in this case, being twice-per-day- not every other."

You nod at his back. Of course it is.

You walk towards him, not quite able to resist the urge to look around. You settle for keeping it subtle.

"Here," He says, pulling your attention from an organized mess of cables and metal hanging on the wall like technologically-advanced macrame. "Hold this over here, at roughly a 59.6 degree angle."

Taking the circuit board- a foot square and heavier than you expect- you nod again, trying not to laugh as you step to his side and lift it up to rest against yet another unintelligible pile of technology. "Right. 59.6 degrees."

"Roughly," He amends, the start of a smile visible in your peripheral. He reaches out- into your space- and nudges the board into a sharper tilt, presumably finding that approximate angle for you as his metal arms grab things from the tool chest behind him.

"Like this?" You ask, trying to hold still as he pulls away.

Oddly, you almost miss his space in your own.

"Roughly," He repeats dryly.

That's alright. You aren't striving for perfection.

Roughly is fine.

You feel compelled to strive for perfection.

You swallow the urge.

He's back, hands full of drill and screws and metal hands holding more metal pieces that you can't quite see around his battle shell as he crouches slightly to look at the underside of the board in your hands.

"Slide it to the left- your left, not mine."

You nudge it gently.

"More."

You nudge it again.

"More- too much, back the other way."

You cock a brow at him- or more accurately, at his red-and-blue goggles, which show you your own reflection. You can't see his eyes, but he must see you, because he mimics your expression.

You nudge it back the other way.

"Adequate," He says in something close to approval.

It's nicer to hear than it probably should be.

"This will be an unpleasant sound. It will jostle the board. If it slides out of alignment, we'll have to reset you."

"Alright."

He's correct- as per usual. It's a very unpleasant sound, metal on metal combined with the whir of the drill, followed by clanging as his battle arms hand him extra pieces and parts.

He ends up entirely beneath the metal monstrosity, supported by the two metal arms as he leans back to look up at the machine's underbelly.

You end up in a long-abandoned rolling chair. You tell yourself it's just because Mikey isn't home yet.

Eventually, Donatello calls your name.

"Yeah?"

"Four-point-five millimeter hex key."

You glance over at the little work table he'd rolled over earlier, and spot a tray of neatly organized hex keys. A closer look reveals perfectly placed labels.

One reads 4.5, so you slip it out of its slot and roll forwards to pass it to him.

"Thank you."

You hum a little acknowledgment, and kick your chair back slightly.

"-and for some insane reason, he decided to catapult himself-" You wave an arm out in emphasis, mid-story as Donnie meticulously wires together the plates you had installed, and a third metal arm darts out to gently catch your wrist.

You stop speaking, and you stare at each other.

"Hotplate," He says after a beat.

You glance over your shoulder, and your hand is being held just shy of a metal platform on the desk behind you. There's a little red light on the front, and a bright purple sign plastered neatly below it, warning Hot. Do Not Touch. Do Not Use As Microwave.

"Thanks," You says softly. You can feel heat wafting off it now, enough to give you the impression that had he not interceded, you'd be nursing a nasty burn.

He hums and retracts the hand, tucking it neatly into his battleshell. "You were reminding me of Nardo's foolhardy ways?" He prompts, attention already returning to the project in front of him.

Eventually, you hear Mikey holler from outside the lab, calling you.

"I guess that's my cue," You say.

Donatello does not look up. "Agreed. I appreciate your assistance."

"Any time," You say casually.

As you turn to leave, you're absolutely dumbfounded to realize you actually mean it.

You've enjoyed your stint as his lab assistant.

"How was the lab?" Mikey asks, a little too playful for your tastes.

"Hazardous," You quip dryly, replaying the hotplate incident. "No wonder he's so protective of it."

You miss Mikey's response, mentally counting metal hands.

Donatello's battleshell has more than two.

You're pretty sure you've seen him with five before.

...So why did he need help?

"Hello?" Mikey asks gently, an innocent- too innocent- smile on his face.

"Sorry, flashbacks to my near-death experience." It's not quite a lie.

He doesn't quite buy it.

"I said if he asks you to test fit a helmet, say no," Mikey repeats.

You nod slowly. "Speaking from experience?"

"Don't worry about it," He chirps, slipping an apron over his head. "Speaking of experiences, are you ready for Angelo's All-You-Can-Beat Eggstravaganza?"

"Absolutely," You grin, happy for the change of subject.

And excited for lemon bars.

Win-win.

"You're telling me-"

"Nardo, don't-"

"I teleported all over New York and the Hidden City-"

"You are in the way-"

"So that you could get your wrenches passed to you?" Leo exclaims, the picture of incredulity as he stands between Donnie and the equipment you'd helped with. "That was your grand plan?"

"I had no grand plan," Donnie responds, stubbornly sidestepping his twin. "Michelangelo had a grand plan. I was a victim, dear brother, same as you."

"Oh, of course, of course," He says, hands coming up in dramatic surrender. "Because spending time with someone you have the hots for-"

Donnie taps at his gauntlet, turning his music up over his brother while sliding back beneath his newest baby.

"-Is exactly the same as stopping in thirteen stores-" Leo continues louder, undeterred- "for a niche lemon species you eventually start to think Mikey made up!"

"And did he?"

"He might as well have, for how deep into Witch Town we ended up!"

Donatello rolls his eyes sharply, adjusting bolts above himself.

They don't need adjusting.

"If you don't come out to try their lemon bars- and sing their fucking praises- I will come in here and haul you out myself," Leonardo proclaims, ducking into Donnie's space. Persistent, unyielding, obstinate. "And I will tell everyone- everyone, you heard me- about last month and the rollerskates-"

"You are a monster."

"And I will do so in detail," Leo finishes, a smug grin on his face.

Donnie glares at him.

"We're not kids anymore, hermano," He says matter-of-factly. "You've taken on supervillains, aliens, ancient mystic entities, and all of NASA's cybersecurity-"

"Allegedly."

"-You can handle a direct conversation without hiding behind your tech."

Donatello does not respond.

Leo pats the metal chassis they're hunched beneath in lieu of touching Donatello himself and takes his leave.

The kitchen is loud when you and Mikey present a tray of perfectly sliced, perfectly proportioned lemon bars, each presented in an adorable white paper liner and covered in a light dusting of powdered sugar.

It's loud and happy and sounds like love, and you find yourself marveling at that Hamato Intensity again as Raph and Casey bicker about the wrestling match they both watched the night before and Casey Jr excitedly asks Mikey all about the bars and April and Leo and Splinter sneak in closer to the tray, only freezing when Mikey fixes them with a dangerous glare over Junior's shoulder.

It's a lot. They're a lot.

It smells like citrus and sugar and coffee.

The coffee reminds you of the smell of steel, which reminds you of the clanging of metal, which reminds you of whirring drills and gentle nudges and self-assured sass from beneath a machine you still don't understand.

And then you're jolted from the surprisingly warm memory by Mikey sliding a lemon bar just under your nose, happily saying something about chef privileges, and the bars taste every bit as good as they smell and he's grinning broadly and your heart feels warm all over again at the happy sounds from the group you love so much.

Metal claws dip into your vision, dangling your keys in front of your face like a worm in front of a fish. "Missing something?" Donatello asks dryly, quietly, from behind you.

"Where were these?" You ask, cupping your hands beneath them and catching as the metal claw releases.

"Workbench," He says simply, his claw- and another- darting forwards and grabbing two bars by their liners. He drops one in your hands and takes the other, tucking his metal extensions away. "How did these turn out?"

"Why don't you try it and find out?"

"I like to know what I'm getting into."

"I'm biased," You shoot back, your voices similarly amused. "As a man of science, you recognize the issue here, no?"

"Touché." He takes a bite, chewing slowly, thoughtfully.

"...So?"

"It appears you are more-than-adequate in the kitchen as well," He says, and it feels like a compliment.

It feels like a big one.

You nod, playfully smug. "I'm happy to hear it."

You are.

The realization makes you feel a little brave. "If you find yourself needing an assistant again..."

"I'd have to be able to steal you away from Mikey."

"I think he can share."

"In that case," Donnie says, amusement in his voice as he speaks beneath the noise of his family, just to you, "I will keep you in mind."

It doesn't sound half bad, really.

[les4elliewilliams]

Ellie is away... // e.w

Chapter 5 – 2006, Senior year college

a/n: I'm so sorry this took me ages to post. it was actually ready I just kept forgetting to. this is the last chapter, BUT I'm considering making an alternative last chapter. why you may ask? figure it out on your own. MDNI.

cw;wc: 1.3k ; mention of alcohol, angst.

summary: a time before skype and facebook, windows xp just came out and Windows Messenger was the thing of the moment.

➥ part four

brickmaster has signed in

ynshere: babe hiiiii

brickmaster: hiii brickmaster: how's it going gorgeous?

ynshere: better now ynshere: i missed you :(

brickmaster: i know baby brickmaster: we’ll see each other soon, promise

ynshere: will you come over? ynshere: this weekend i mean

brickmaster: sorry baby, can't brickmaster: going out with Riley and her friends brickmaster: if that’s okay?

ynshere: oh ynshere: but you already hung out with her last friday…I haven’t seen you in a while

brickmaster: yn brickmaster: come on, i promise. next friday i'm all yours brickmaster: i really wanna go out, i am allowed to have fun once in a while… I study my ass off every day, i'm stressed as hell

ynshere: i know, i just miss you. that’s it

brickmaster: maybe you could hang out with us? I’m sure she won’t mind

ynshere: you sure?

brickmaster: yeah, positive

ynshere: if i'm not a bother then yeah ynshere: i just wanna be with you :(

brickmaster: you're never a bother baby brickmaster: see you this friday?

ynshere: see you this friday :) ynshere: call me later, maybe? If you got time

brickmaster: yeah, will do brickmaster: i love you

ynshere is typing…

brickmaster is away

ynshere: i love you too

brickmaster has signed in

ynshere: mi amor hiii ynshere: babe? ynshere: hellooooo???

brickmaster: sorry angel brickmaster: i'm here brickmaster: was chatting with Riley lol brickmaster: how you doing?

ynshere: yeah. Riley. of course i'm gooooddd ynshere: missing you tho ;(

brickmaster: me too, pretty

ynshere: wanna go out on a date this weekend? ynshere: just you and me ynshere: no Riley around… we haven't spent time alone in like forever

brickmaster: yeah sure brickmaster: what do you wanna do?

ynshere: hmmm not sure maybe go out for dinner?

brickmaster: sounds like a plan brickmaster: Riley almost got in trouble today in class

ynshere: it's always about Riley lmao what did she do?

brickmaster: basically she snuck alcohol in class brickmaster: she just put it in her water bottle and she goes around with that thing brickmaster: art teacher almost caught her today, we were literally crying brickmaster: i was laughing so much that my stomach started to hurt

ynshere: oh lol

brickmaster: yeah it was exhilarating, you should’ve seen her

ynshere: did you drink as well? ynshere: in class

brickmaster: just a bit..i mean everyone was, sooo

ynshere: you shouldn't drink in class Els ynshere: you don't have to do something just because everyone is doing it

brickmaster: please don't give me the mom attitude brickmaster: this is why i can never tell you anything

ynshere: :/ i'm just looking out for you because i care. you do you

brickmaster: yeah whatever, see you this weekend

ynshere is typing… ynshere: no wait i'm sorry i love you

brickmaster is away.

ynshere: where's my i love you :(

brickmaster has signed in

ynshere: baby ynshere: hi

brickmaster: howdyy

ynshere: howdy? lol is this Joel

brickmaster: lmao no, Riley says it every second brickmaster: I thought it was funny

ynshere: oh haha ynshere: happy 1 year and 5 months together :)

brickmaster: oh yeah shit brickmaster: i forgot. sorry, pretty girl brickmaster: happy anniversary-monthiversary brickmaster: i love you

ynshere: i love you toooo ynshere: i just realized i haven't heard it in a while :(

brickmaster: well yeah i mean you're not supposed to say it every second

ynshere: haven't heard it in months, El

brickmaster: oh please brickmaster: always so dramatic brickmaster:  anyways, i'm going out brickmaster:  i'll call you later brickmaster:  i love you!!!!!

brickmaster is away

ynshere: are you sick of me? love you too

ynshere has signed in

brickmaster: omg babe babe

ynshere: love of my lifee ynshere: what's upp

brickmaster: i'm going to a concert this weekend brickmaster: i'm so happy omg omg

ynshere: oh really? let me guess ynshere: deftones?

brickmaster: yes!!! Freaking Riley surprised me with a ticket this morning, i genuinely cried brickmaster: god she's the best

ynshere: what about me? that's so sweet of her :) ynshere: you think i can tag along too?

brickmaster: sorry babe, i doubt it brickmaster: thickets are all sold out

ynshere: aww shame :(

brickmaster: i knowww but shit fuck i'm so excited

ynshere: i'm happy for you Els ynshere: think it's okay if i come see you next friday? haven't seen you in a month

brickmaster: of course angel

ynshere: yay okay ynshere: my roommate needs my computer real quick ynshere: i'll call you later alright? i love you soo much

brickmaster: talk to you laterr, love you

ynshere is away.

brickmaster has signed in

brickmaster: babe hi

ynshere: hey

brickmaster: how's it going?

ynshere: good, currently studying for an exam. what about you?

brickmaster: just chilling in my dorm brickmaster: it's been a hell of a week

ynshere: right

brickmaster: hey, you sure you alright? you seem off

ynshere: i'm good

brickmaster: yn what's up?

ynshere: it's just ynshere: last week...when i hung out with you, Riley and her friends, i noticed you act so different around them ynshere: and i've been wondering which version of you is the real one

brickmaster: i think you're overthinking it brickmaster: i'm just me

ynshere: you're just distant idk ynshere: you seem more cold, like you don't enjoy spending time with me

brickmaster: it's not like that though brickmaster: you're overthinking

ynshere: alright then, forget it ynshere: i'm going out

brickmaster: thought you said you were studying?

ynshere is away.

brickmaster: alright then.

brickmaster has signed in

brickmaster: hey yn

ynshere: hey

brickmaster: how are you doing? brickmaster: it's been a while

ynshere: yeah i know, i’ve been busy ynshere: i'm doing okay though, thank you for asking ynshere: what about you? brickmaster: yeah me too

ynshere: got plans for tonight?

brickmaster: i think i’m going out with Riley

ynshere: ah cool.

brickmaster: what are you doing tonight?

ynshere: going out with Emma

brickmaster: that's nice

ynshere: yeah

brickmaster: Dina came to visit a week ago brickmaster: she asked me about you

ynshere: oh really? ynshere: what’d you tell her?

brickmaster: well, the truth brickmaster: that we broke up months ago brickmaster: i’ve always assumed she already knew

ynshere: haven’t talked to her in a while actually ynshere: i barely catch her online ynshere: and i'm always busy, so

brickmaster: yeah right brickmaster: i guess that’s why she asked about you

ynshere: most likely

brickmaster: i gotta go now, going out in an hour

ynshere: alright, see you

brickmaster is away.

ynshere has signed in ynshere: Ellie hi

brickmaster: hey

ynshere: how's everything going for you?

brickmaster: everything’s alright

ynshere: can you believe that college is almost over?

brickmaster: yeah it's crazy

ynshere: we’re almost adults

brickmaster: doesn’t feel like it’s been 4 years

ynshere: do you miss high school?

brickmaster: not really brickmaster: i’d rather not think about the past though

ynshere: well, okay ynshere: what are you doing after graduation?

brickmaster: probably moving in with Riley brickmaster: i don't know if i told you, we started dating a couple months ago

ynshere: ah congrats

brickmaster: sorry maybe it's too much?

ynshere: i'm still in love with you nah it's fine ynshere: was i too boring? was i not good enough? how’s your week been going?

brickmaster: it's been alright, just busy

ynshere: what’d you do today?

brickmaster: just school and now homework

ynshere: so, how’s school?

brickmaster: it’s alright. same old same old

ynshere: gone to any concerts lately?

brickmaster: not really, i've been busy with school you know

ynshere: will we ever be the way we were watched any good movies lately?

brickmaster: no, not really

ynshere: is this it for us? how’s Joel doing?

brickmaster: he’s doing alright, thanks

ynshere: i miss you that’s great :)

brickmaster: i think i’m going to go, yn. goodbye

ynshere: please don’t leave me okay, bye Els

brickmaster is away.

¡! daily click・palestine masterpost・do not buy any game from naughty dog, neil druckmann is a zionist・more daily clicks. ¡!

taglist: smelliewilliams onlinelesbo itsbecomeblue macaroni676 tearouthearts diddiqueen liasxeatt seraphicsentences 4ftergloww @benthoee liasxeatt satellitespinner tphmnv kaiilectric bready101 (sorry if i forgot to add anyone)

[ikeuverse]

SLOW DOWN — s.jaeyun

CHAPTERS: prologue | chapter one | chapter two [...]

PAIRING: illegal!jake x fem!reader GENRES: angst, smut, fluff WC: 5.6k+

WARNINGS: swearing, weapons, knives, blood, illegal things in general (drugs, racing, alcohol). suggestive almost smut in this chapter, physical and verbal fights.

NOTES: first chapter of this idea i had with jake. things may seem confusing at first, but i promise everything will fall into place as i post. i won't leave anything unexplained. i hope you like it!

TAGLIST: @yeonzzzn @alvojake @seunghancore @hoondiors @jakesbffie @cheerrxy @slutforsjy @lilyuwon @ramenoil @eneiyri @nctislifue @bluejay3m @srhnyx @brownsugarbaybee @nshmrarki lmk if i've forgotten anyone or if more people want to be added

masterlist

Jake didn't like things that were too colorful, but that lifeless white on the walls of that room made his whole body tense up. The only saving grace was a vase of yellow flowers that Sunoo had brought in a few weeks earlier.

Lounging in the armchair, he had forgotten how uncomfortable it was to sleep there without the comfort of a soft bed, silky sheets, and warm blankets. His salvation was a blanket that Heeseung had brought him before going down to reception to get something to eat. And as he thought about it, something seemed to click in his mind because his stomach started rumbling.

He laughed, wondering how long he had gone without chewing something since he had arrived. Jake didn't want to neglect his health, even more so after he'd recovered a little better from his last injury.

"What's up, bro?" Heeseung's whisper woke him up, making Jake sit up and raise his head.

He hadn't even realized that his friend had entered the room, one bag in his hands and the other holding the doorknob.

"Shall we eat outside? Get out of here for a bit…" Heeseung suggested.

Perhaps Jake wasn't going to take him up on the offer, knowing he barely left the hospital room when he was there. Rolling his eyes at the gurney and sighing as he listened to the relentless noise of the breathing apparatus. After noticing Heeseung's pleading look, Jake decided it was a good idea. Eating there wouldn't be as good as it sounded.

"Is anyone out there? To take care of him—"

"I've already arranged that," Heeseung interrupted a little too calmly, opening the door wider to show two security guards standing outside.

Jake seemed relieved by this, nodding to the men who entered the room just as he left with his friend to walk side by side down the corridor.

That path was as familiar as the back of his hand, the curves of the corridors, and some of the nurses who knew who Jake was and why he was going there. Knowledgeable and even painful looks as they watched him go further and further into the hospital. Jake didn't want to think about everything he'd heard so far, he just wanted to focus on why he was doing it.

"They only had salami sandwiches" Heeseung took a table in the back garden of the hospital, in a slightly more secluded area. He knew that's where some of the staff went, so hiding out while he ate wouldn't be so bad "Besides, I think it goes well with a coke. Better than that chicken sandwich from last week."

This made Jake laugh as he unwrapped the package and took a bite of the bread.

It was delicious and he would thank Heeseung later when they got home.

A long period of silence passed between the two of them as they ate their snacks in the comfort of each other's company. They exchanged glances a few times just to make sure Jake was okay or if he needed anything, even if he didn't say a word.

"So" he said after a while, picking up the can of soda to take a long sip and wet his mouth after his snack "Any progress?"

"None" Jake sighed, picking up his soda as well "The doctors said you haven't had a single movement since the last time."

Since the last time. Jake remembered that that was almost two months ago.

"And you don't think that—"

"No" Jake said, "I'm not going to consider that possibility."

"I wasn't going to say that" he said again, dropping the rest of his snack on the table and picking up his soda again, "I was going to ask if you don't think that… Well… Y/n should know about this."

"About what?" Jake chewed the rest of his snack a little harder. His jaw clenched after he'd finished, his fists half-clenched on the table and his legs dangling as he avoided looking at Heeseung "You mean…"

"Tell me why you need more money" by now, Heeseung had finished his soda and was looking away, not looking at Jake even though he knew his friend wasn't looking at him.

"What's that going to change? We're not together anymore anyway."

"Why didn't you tell her the whole truth?" Jake wanted to punch any of his friends who said that, but he knew Heeseung was right. "And because Y/n knows about medicine and all that stuff, maybe she could help."

"Of course" Jake laughed humorlessly "After everything I've done, I think she only puts up with me because I still work for her father."

"Okay, Jay's right."

Jake raised his head to look at Heeseung, not understanding where this was all going. Jay was right about what? Neither of them had mentioned anything involving their third friend.

So, running a hand through his hair and leaning back completely against the seat in front of Jake, Heeseung nibbled on his lower lip.

"That you're a complete idiot, and that we should throw you in one of the torture rooms until one of your neurons works again."

"Fuck you" Jake allowed himself to laugh a little, making Heeseung laugh too. As much as he wanted his friend to tell you everything, Jake's concern was clear.

That's why it was difficult to get him to share that secret – perhaps a burden – that he carried with him. Jake didn't want anyone to worry, no one to look at him with pitying eyes, but it was impossible to be strong all the time.

At least he had managed to share it with his friends, even if he wanted to share it with you. In that respect, Jake Sim still considered himself a great coward, and an eternal idiot for having lost you.

The first three buttons of shirts open, his sleeves at elbow height, but his hair is completely disheveled. This was how all the men who worked for your father looked after a full day's work.

Different locations assigned, debt collection, settling accounts, searching for drugs. After a busy time, it was time to gather in the main hall around the huge table that could easily fit thirty people around it. And it was almost that many if you counted everyone who had arrived almost at the same second to meet the man.

"Do the honors, Mr. Park" your father nodded to Jay, who threw the heavy suitcase of money on the table and pushed it towards the older man.

"A hundred thousand, like they said they would" Jay gasped and received a smile in response, without having the strength to smile back. He remembered how difficult the little negotiation had been between him and the men who owed your father money.

"Was it very difficult?" he asked.

"Nothing Jake and I couldn't handle," he looked at the boy next to him, who was just as tired as he was, and nodded to your father.

It was clear how proud he was to have chosen such skilled men to work with him. He became even more sure of his choices as time went on. Your father realized that he never had any problems after many years with his choice of team. Even when you and Jake struck up a romance, your father hadn't been adamant, let alone prevented Jake from getting involved with you. He just wanted extreme attention to everything that involved work, and in that respect, Jake Sim was very professional.

"Many injuries?" as he opened the suitcase, he just smiled without bothering to check, as he trusted what Jay had said a few minutes ago. Your father closed the suitcase and handed it to one of the men next to him, asking him to take it back to the office.

"Just two of our men, I think we can sort it out" Jay replied.

"I already know how to do that" without thinking too much, he took his cell phone out of his pocket and typed a few messages.

Jake felt an enormous weight on his shoulders, not because he knew who the man was contacting, but because of the looks on the faces of all his friends.

Jay moistened his lips in an attempt to hold back a smile, while Heeseung and Sunoo looked away so as not to laugh at Jake's despair. The only one who was indifferent – or at least seemed to be – was Niki, who tapped his fingers on the marble of the table and diverted his attention from time to time to the tablet on his lap.

The minutes that passed – almost like hours – were interrupted by faint knocks on the door. Your father muttered something that Jake couldn't even hear, only paying attention to your graceful figure entering the meeting room.

You always dressed in such chic clothes but at the same time so comfortable. You've always been so different from the way anyone might think a mafia boss's daughter would be. No arrogance in your tone of voice, no countless jewels or garments short enough to show all, or almost none, of your skin.

Your hair, loose and wavy in just the right way, made Jake nostalgic for when he woke up next to you, smelling your shampoo and hearing your mumble sleepily when you asked him why he was smelling your hair.

"Because I love the way you smell" he always replied, because he did. Jake loved everything about you, to be honest.

"Daughter, I need you to check on some people" your father's voice brought Jake out of his nostalgic thoughts and focused on what was happening in front of him.

You adjusted the large coat you were wearing, matching the pantaloons that adorned your body so well.

"All right" you replied. That tone being recognized by Jake that you hated it all, but only did it because – unfortunately – it was your job "Where are they?"

It was then that your father looked at the boys who had brought him that information. Jake and Jay.

"On the third floor" Jay replied "I can—"

"I'll take them to your office," Jake interrupted.

You wanted to protest, to say something to stop Jake from getting up from that chair and following suit. But he was one of your father's favorite men, so it would be your word against his, and nothing would change.

Sighing, you just nodded and let Jake get up to walk out of the meeting room.

"I'm coming with you in case anything happens," Jay whispered so that only you could hear as he stood up too. Your form of thanks was a sincere smile in his direction as the three of you made your way to the third floor.

There was nothing wrong with dealing with injured people during your time working for your father, but being together with Jake in the same room made your heart race. Not because you didn't want him around, but because you knew it always led to something: one of those things being a brief discussion about how the two of you were no longer together.

It was a vicious cycle and even thinking about it, you also knew that you were part of it. Because you could just let it go, and accept that there was no way you could compete with the work Jake was doing. Or forget about him altogether and look at him the way you looked at the other men who worked there.

Maybe it could be that way if he didn't make things difficult every time you thought of the latter option.

"Over here" Jay tapped you on the shoulder when you reached the room, showing that you were scattered the whole way and only paid attention when he called you.

You nodded and entered after Jake, with Jay following behind to close the door and look at the two men standing there.

"Miss Y/n" the younger of the two smiled in your direction without waiting for one of the others to say hello. Your eyes squeezed shut as your lips curved and you smiled back at him.

"Sungchan, hi" your greeting made him smile even more, looking at every part of his body until he noticed a cloth wrapped around his arm. From white, it was already turning red, indicating that it had been there for some time "What happened?"

"A bullet grazed me, I managed to hide in time" he bit his lower lip, trying to suppress a guilty smile, not liking being hurt to make you do even more work.

Sungchan was a sweet boy, you used to compare him to Sunoo among all the boys there.

"I think we need to go to my room to clean this up" you said, turning to Jake and Jay, but wanting to focus more on Jay and avoiding looking at the other "Didn't you tell me there were two bruises?"

"They've already taken Keeho to your room, y/n" Sungchan answered for them, grumbling quietly when he had to get up to walk with all of you together "He's got some cuts, I think he'll need stitches."

"Oh my God" you widened your eyes "What was the mission this time? You're all going to be patched up in a while."

"Looking like Frankenstein" Jay pouted at you, making everyone laugh.

Even Jake, who was always trying to be serious around you, had to have a moment of relaxation. He wanted to put the worries of the previous mission behind him, after all, everyone was fine. No one had been seriously injured or your father hadn't lost any of his men, so there was nothing to worry about.

As soon as you all arrived at your room, you entered to find a few more people inside. Like a flashback to the day Jake got hurt, two men were next to Keeho on the stretcher, but he was awake and looked a little better than Jake did at the time.

"Conscious?" you asked.

"Yes, completely" Keeho's voice broke into the room and you breathed a sigh of relief knowing it wasn't serious. All your father's men who went out and came back injured, you assumed the worst.

Although you'd never experienced any extreme case of someone dying in your living room, for example, you were afraid that something like this would happen.

There's a first time for everything, that's what you heard Chloe and Sunoo tell you every time their whining was heard. You didn't want it to happen, you didn't want anything tragic to reach your living room. That's why there were bigger hospitals and that's why your father had money, he could afford the best ward in the hospital to take better care of those who needed it. You only did things with minimal urgency, not a quasi-surgical case.

"I'm going to get stitches? Really?" Keeho's eyes widened when you had already prepared everything and were ready to take care of his injuries.

The boy looked at his friends and, finally, in your direction.

"You wouldn't take it if you stayed out of these stupid things, would you?" you didn't need to look at Jake to know that the message had hit him hard, even if you were talking directly to Keeho "Now I need you to take off your shirt, please."

"What?" Jake almost shouted.

Everyone turned in his direction. It had come out without thinking and now there was no way he could take it back, let alone stop Keeho's shirt from already being on the floor of his living room.

"Maybe I'll get him out of here while you take care of it, okay?" Jay grabbed Jake by the shoulders, under his protests, pulling the boy out of the room.

"I think he's going to kill me afterward, so the suture won't be anything" Keeho said.

Sungchan laughed and so did you, but your laugh sounded a little more nervous because even though he had a joking tone, you didn't know what Jake might be capable of. Even more so out of your field of vision.

You'd heard how jealous he was because Heeseung always let it slip every time some mafia guy commented on you. No one feared your father, but the famous and feared Jake Sim. He was responsible for the lowered heads and apologies when someone looked in your direction.

At first, you thought it was out of respect for your father, not least because some of your acquaintances and daughters of such powerful men said the same thing happened to them. Even Chloe talked about how respectful it would be to them, but after hearing Heeseung's stories you were sure that it was nothing like you had thought before.

After a long time tending to Keeho and Sungchan's injuries, you said goodbye to the boys and let them leave your office with the security guards they had brought. As they left the room, a long sigh left your lips.

It was tiring, your legs were aching and you just wanted to take a shower now. You could see the remnants of blood from Keeho's wounds under your fingernails, even though you were now standing in front of the sink scrubbing with all your might. It had to come off somehow before you could shower.

At least some of the dirt because you felt even heavier energetically knowing that that blood, even though it was from someone you knew, had been spilled in something extremely illegal. Because no one would hurt someone without anything in return. Especially your father and his men.

Another sigh left your lips, this time interrupted only by the sound of the door opening and then closing. The sound of slow footsteps inside the room didn't make you apprehensive because you knew who it was without even turning around.

"Do you have some time?" Jake's voice broke into your ears and you closed your eyes for a few seconds, wondering what to say or if you should answer. Pretending he wasn't there wasn't a good idea either, because you couldn't turn invisible or simply disappear.

"What do you need?" you finished cleaning up, thanking him for the countless times you'd been running that sponge over your nails, finally getting what you wanted off.

Turning to Jake, you looked at him standing in the middle of your living room. His eyes were glazed over and his expression was neutral.

"I need you to check something for me, actually" he said.

One more step towards you and you strangely didn't flinch, on the contrary. When Jake said that, you were intrigued and also took a step forward, already imagining that he might be hurt too, not least because he was with the boys on the mission your father had assigned.

You just hoped he wasn't as badly hurt as the two who had left your room a while ago.

"Sure. What do you want me to check?" you asked as soon as Jake stopped in front of you, too close.

It was then that you realized just how dangerously close he was to you. A slight lean and Jake would have his face pressed to yours and, worse still, he could even kiss you if he made a quick move.

For a long minute, which seemed like an hour, he was silent, just studying all your expressions during that time. Lips parted, eyebrows drawn together in something that looked like doubt mixed with concern. Your hands clenched at your sides and Jake realized that you wanted to raise them to him, maybe inspect him to see if he was hurt.

Jake sighed and raised his hands to the hem of the T-shirt he was wearing and pulled it completely off. Your breath caught in your throat as you watched him undress less than a few centimeters away from you. The air hits your face with the movement of the shirt, making your hair move in the process.

He moved closer again, bringing his hands to your wrists to grip them and move them up to his chest.

"Jaeyun" you called out when you felt the contact of his skin under your fingers. Jake's heartbeat was racing and he didn't care if you were feeling it.

Ignoring your call, he left one of your hands there and the other made a point of going down to his abdomen, right above the scar that was almost gone.

"I want you to see if it's healing properly" his voice lowered a few octaves to whisper that, pressing your fingers into his abdomen.

You bit your lower lip to prevent any sound from coming out, whether it was a scream, a moan or a swear word. Your eyes, which had previously been on Jake's face, drifted down to your hands, which remained pressed to his abdomen without making any mention of releasing them.

"Y-yes" you didn't even bother to check if you were right about that or not, even though his incident had been a considerably long time ago so that the scarring was already well done.

Both you and he knew that.

"Good" he said, releasing your hand from his abdomen, but keeping the other on his chest and interlacing your fingers "Now I need you to check something else."

"What?" you didn't want to sound so desperate to know what he wanted, let alone that your hands were trembling as he held you tightly between his fingers.

Jake leaned towards you without taking his eyes off your face, and looking like you were hypnotized, you didn't take your eyes off him either.

You wanted to scream, to ask him to stop coming closer and to get out of there. Your shift was over, you needed to shower and get a long night's sleep until the next day, but why couldn't you say anything? Where was your strength and anger every time you were in Jake's presence? You could push him away and say all the things you often say, pushing him away and not speaking to Jake for days until he needed to look after you or one of the boys made you two interact.

But what was happening took away any desire in your body to send him away.

So, taking the opportunity to still be so close, Jake leaned his forehead against yours and let go of your hands. Now he kept both of them holding your neck, one hand on each side.

"I want you to check if the absurd urge I have to kiss you right now is unique for me" he whispered, his thumbs gripping your chin to lift your face towards him, "or if you're feeling it too."

That couldn't happen. You couldn't give in to Jake and his charms, but you also couldn't fool yourself when your insides were screaming for him and his touch.

There was no way you could lie and delude yourself that Jake didn't know you well enough to know things, especially noticing how vulnerable you had become under his touch. This was the perfect opportunity for Jake to finally touch his lips to yours.

Experimentally, since he feared you'd regret it in the process, throwing anything medical in his direction and running him out of the room. But no. Contrary to what he thought, you returned the kiss, letting the pressure of his tongue on your lower lip be welcomed.

Your hands quickly grabbed Jake's waist to pull him closer to you, his fingers pressing a little harder on your chin to open your mouth so he could roll his tongue against yours. The perfect fit he felt as if for the first time in every kiss. The spark that radiated through his body with every touch and wet noise their mouths made as they kissed.

Jake let out a groan as he walked with you blindly across the room, leaning you against the pillar near the sink. Your back welcomes the cold concrete, in contrast to the skin of Jake's warm body pressed against yours. It was your turn to moan as he involuntarily pressed his hips against yours. It was clear to see the erection forming as he rubbed subtly against you, eliciting another moan that was muffled by his lips.

Jake didn't want to stop kissing you, and you wouldn't have let him if it hadn't been for the vibration in his pocket. That damn cell phone getting in the way of something he'd mustered up enough courage for, defying all the times you could have hit him just for trying.

"I think you need to answer it" you gasped against his lips, trying to grab Jake's hips so he'd stop teasing you.

Defeated, Jake pressed one last kiss to your lips before pulling his mouth away, his body still pressed to yours.

"Yes?" he answered the ringing phone, mumbling something you didn't even hear.

He answered vaguely while looking down at your lips, running his tongue over his lower lip and smiling at you every time he saw you roll your eyes. Probably thinking of some curse word as soon as he hung up the phone.

"You owe me five grand for the interruption, Heeseung" he finally said, turning off his cell phone and putting it back in his pants pocket.

"Do you have to go?" the sweetness in your voice was something Jake missed. He was used to a serious tone, with nothing affectionate in it.

He agreed with a sad nod.

"Niki needs to check some information, he called me, Jay, Heeseung, and Sunoo."

Jake looked around for the T-shirt scattered on the floor, not wanting to get away from you, but he had to. And as soon as he spotted the fabric, he quickly put it on, coming back to you and pulling you off the pillar against his body.

"We…"

"Jaeyun" you wanted to interrupt him, but you knew it would be impossible. Jake wrapped one of his arms around your waist and stole a kiss from your lips.

"Let me enjoy it while you don't get real and punch me for the rest of the week" he whispered with his mouth against yours, whimpering at having to pull away and leave "But can I see you tomorrow night?"

"You live here, so…" you laughed awkwardly, feeling his lips once again against yours. Giving in to Jake was easy for you, fortunately or not.

"No. I mean… see you, just me and you" Jake walked with you to the door of your room, assuming that you would leave too.

And he was right. You both left, but not before you locked the door to walk alongside him down the corridor.

"Do you want to come to my room, Sim Jaeyun?" you laughed.

"Is that an invitation?" he looked like a puppy with an excited look on his face and grinned like an idiot. You rolled your eyes at that, stopping in front of the elevator since he was going to get in and you were going to stay right there "Please, say yes."

Your silence seemed like it would kill him, but you weren't doing it on purpose. You didn't know what to think about it because something inside you still resented Jake for choosing the job.

And your sigh was proof that your thoughts were taking over too much, so he was quick to try and make it go away. Pulling you back against his body and leaving a kiss on your forehead.

"I'll text you, call you, anything" his lips trailed down your skin to your lips, "and I'll meet you in your room, okay?"

"Okay" you whispered in time to let him kiss you again, biting your lower lip just as the elevator arrived.

He broke away from you, entering and squeezing onto the floor he was supposed to go to until he waved and disappeared as the doors closed.

You slumped your shoulders and walked down the rest of the corridors, wanting to think that this shouldn't have happened between you and Jake. Thinking about how easy it was to let him kiss you and almost have sex with you in your living room.

But among all these conflicting thoughts, none of them were able to wipe the smile off your face.

You wanted to faithfully believe Jake's words from the night before. He'd show up in your room, the two of you would talk about something or you'd just miss each other. The last thought was more likely.

But as the hours passed, there was no knock on the door and no message. Zero calls from him on your phone, you knew.

You knew that, once again, Jake had chosen work.

His voice in your mind repeating that he needed that money, that he would do anything to get it. And you didn't even know why. Jake was never greedy, so why did he value money more than your relationship?

Looking at your reflection in the mirror, you let the air out of your mouth with a tired, sad sigh, but deep down you wanted to be happy. At least you wouldn't be staying at home.

Agreeing to go out with Chloe was the only chance you had of distracting your mind while Jake was doing anything other than texting you. If he preferred work, you'd rather go out with your friend and not even have time to get home.

You took one last look at your reflection to put the finishing touches on, leaving your room and looking down the corridors. Your father had left someone watching over your as he always did, but to your surprise the corridor was empty, so that would be one less person for your to convince that she could go out on your own. Even if it meant talking for long minutes, at most it would delay you a little from meeting Chloe.

"Where do you think you're going?" you jumped into the middle of the corridor when you met Niki's eyes in your direction. You stared at him seriously but tried to smile after you saw him put down his headset and stop chewing what he was eating.

"Why?" you asked.

"I asked you first" Niki retorted, making you roll your eyes at that. It was always a discussion – a healthy one – between you and him.

"I'm going out with Chloe."

"Have you told anyone about that?" he asked.

"Do I have to?"

Niki was about to answer, but at the same moment, you walked over to him, ruffling the younger man's hair.

"I haven't told my father or Jake, I don't think I need it" your voice was low, not quite a whisper as you walked past Niki. The boy made no move to stop you from going to the elevator "Not to mention the fact that I've been waiting in my room for hours. Your friend promised to visit me, did you know that?"

He knew. And he also knew why Jake hadn't arrived until now, the words dying on the tip of his tongue as the elevator reached the floor you were both on. You saw Niki swallow dry when you got in and pressed the button.

"Bye, Niki" saying goodbye to him, the door closed.

A strange feeling bubbled up in you because no one had stopped you from leaving. Normally Niki would have held you back or even thrown you over his shoulder and taken you back to your room. Or even one of the security guards would have been there to stop you from leaving on your own.

But no. Nobody had done anything and that gave you a little more energy to get in the car and drive to meet Chloe.

You just didn't know that Niki was tracking you, somehow the device connected to your car gave him your exact location.

The boy didn't want to meddle in your things, but it would be dangerous to let you go out alone and he would never forgive himself if something happened to you. All the more so because he had been assigned to keep an eye on your bedroom corridor and, caught off guard, Niki couldn't react when he saw you leaving. He could take you in his arms and lock you up until Jake arrived, couldn't he? Or call one of the boys and stop you from leaving. Maybe he could also call Chloe to the mansion and the two of you could stay there talking all night.

There were so many valid options that Niki couldn't even think of, he just let you go and opted to track your car and save the location for when Jake arrived.

Meanwhile, at the dance club that Chloe had sent you the address of, you quickly parked to get in.

"Finally" your friend greeted you, pulling you into a hug and taking you inside the dance club "I didn't think you were coming" she whispered the last part because of the crowd of people and the loud music.

You didn't think you'd make it either, but that would be a completely distant thought as the two of you made your way to the bar.

"Maybe we should have something really strong to start with" she said, leaning on the bar, her cleavage exposed to the barman who walked towards her to wave and take orders.

"May I suggest something tasty?" he licked his lips, smiling at her as Chloe returned the gesture "And it'll be on the house."

"What a gentleman" she winked at him, watching him walk away with a smile. Turning towards him, she slapped him lightly on the arm and laughed "Have fun! They'll be after both of us soon."

Having said that, you just agreed, not being shocked by Chloe's words because, deep down, you knew your best friend was right.

So you had to make the most of it until someone from your father's team showed up.

© ikeuverse, 2024. do not copy, translate or steal my stories.

[peachhcs]

the draft & the night everything changed

hughes!sister x will smith au

the night samy and will finally realize they both have feelings for one another at the nhl draft in nashville.

1.7k words

for the first real fic i’m starting with the draft which basically started samy & will’s relationship! the confessions will be its own separate post & again i’m open to asks and things you guys wanna see in this au! :)

au masterlist | part 2

with all the press and interviews, samy hardly got to see will or any of the boys before the draft. she sat with her family in their hotel room as all of them got ready for the very special and exciting night. will would periodically text her updates about everything he was doing making the brunette smile each time her phone buzzed on the table.

she smiled seeing a picture will sent dressed in his suit almost ready to head out into the seats. she loved the navy and pink combination—also loving that he took her suggestions when he sent her choices a few months back. samy quickly snapped a photo back of her own dress she was wearing. it was a simple pink and black with a small opening across her midsection. she wasn't sure if it was too little for what seemed like such a classy event, but grace quickly reassured her that she looked perfect.

her entire family experienced the draft three times already, so they knew what was coming and what to expect, but samy couldn't help the butterflies in her stomach for her best friend about to get picked in the first round tonight. will was one of the best players in this draft class and even though she's hardly seen him since they got to nashville, she knew he was feeling all of the emotions.

her phone buzzed again meaning will texted her back.

will

wow you look gorgeous

his text immediately caused a blush across samy's cheeks. her head spun around making sure none of her family saw her red face before quickly sending a text back.

samy

i'll see you out there :)

the nauseating feeling in samy's stomach had been there for days. anytime she thought about will, her heart raced. she started getting excited anytime her phone buzzed hoping it was her best friend texting her back. it was..it was a weird feeling. she's never felt that way whenever will texted. at least not since the beginning of april. she didn't know what it meant nor did she really want to know because maybe deep down, she did know.

after another ten minutes, samy followed her family into the arena. there was so many people pushing past them trying to find their seats or quickly interview the draft prospects before they got seated. mrs. hughes led the way in attempt to find anyone they were sitting with. samy's stomach was doing flips with the amount of people shoving and pushing past her. she knew the draft always went crazy, but she forgot just how crazy it really was. luke's draft in the comfort of their own home two years ago was much better than the chaos inside the arena.

"samy!" someone called her name. the girl quickly spun around trying to find the source when she saw gabe's tall figure waving his hands at her. she tugged on her parents' arms and motioned towards him.

he quickly pushed his way through the crowd until he reached the family. samy was immediately brought into a hug once she was close enough.

"hey, god, this is insane." gabe laughed a little as the rest of his family came up behind him.

"i know, how are you feeling?" samy wondered and admired his fun suit.

"nervous..really nervous." the dark-haired boy admitted.

the brunette’s face softened out as she brushed down his suit jacket. “whatever happens in there is meant to happen. it's gonna be good,” samy reassured.

"have you seen will or ryan yet?" gabe changed the subject.

"i haven't seen either of them since we got here two days ago." samy said with a small frown.

"will should be coming in soon. he was a few people behind me i think." just as gabe said that, samy spotted the familiar mop of blonde hair and will's infamous navy suit scanning the crowd of people.

"i see him." samy said and gabe whipped around to find his best friend.

the girl's feet moved faster than her mind as she pushed her way through everyone to get to will. he finally spotted her and also picked up his speed to meet her in the middle.

will's hands clasped around her back, pulling her into him. the two squeezed one another tightly, taking in the moment and the feeling of finally being together after not getting to see one another yet.

"i'm so glad you're here." will muttered into her shoulder. the girl grinned, rubbing his back in a soothing manner.

the two pulled apart, missing the knowing looks from their families watching them. samy went to hug grace while will hugged gabe.

"it's good to see you again." grace laughed as she exchanged her hug with samy.

"you too, gracie.” the brunette chuckled.

"i hate to break up the reunions, but let's get our seats." mrs. smith said, always rushing people to where they needed to be like always.

everyone nodded and will found his way back to samy's side. the girl wrapped her arm around his. “how are you feeling?" she asked.

"nervous for sure." the blonde laughed. samy smiled, rubbing his arm in hopes of soothing his nerves.

everything about will looked good. his hair was styled perfectly and his suit was pressed making him look clean and classy for the night. the feeling returned in samy's stomach as she gripped his arm through the arena.

the smiths and hughes broke away from gabe's family as they took their seats on opposite ends of the stairs. whatever order mrs. smith had for everyone's seating arrangements was thrown out the window when will insisted samy sat next to him. once again, the two missed the knowing glances from family as mrs. smith gave in and let samy sit next to will.

the absent touches, the closeness, the comments—it wasn't usual to samy and will. they had always been like that, but right now samy was seeing it in a different way. will's fingers brushing across her hand left sparks in its wake. her heart raced anytime he looked at her for longer than he usually did. she just kept telling herself it was all normal. they were usually touchy and close with one another, except this time around samy couldn't get out of her head that something was different. something felt different and she didn't know if will felt it too.

the adrenaline started rising in the room as they got ready to announce the first overall pick. will's hand clasped around samy's with a firm grasp. his face was set and focused, but samy knew he had a 100 different thoughts running through his mind.

connor bedard went 1st pick overall which was pretty expected. he was a very watched player this past year and everyone knew he was probably going first.

as the second and third picks were announced, will knew he was most likely going next. it was all based on the 2nd round pick and everyone held their breaths in anticipation.

“the fourth pick overall for the san jose sharks is pleased to announce will smith." the announcer said.

everyone immediately jumped up as a smile appeared on will's lips. he quickly brought samy into his arms before hugging his parents and sisters. his mom took ahold of his suit jacket as he took it off and made his way down to the stage. gracegrabbed samy's hand, a smile on both of their faces as they watched will put on his new jersey. blue was definitely his color and samy couldn't be prouder of her best friend.

ryan and gabe weren't far after will. samy exchanged hugs with both of the boys as she watched them make their way down to the stage like her brothers did so many years ago.

everyone knew the boys had a bunch of press to do, so they wouldn't ben seeing them until after. samy tried easing her racing mind by talking more with grace and ryan's girlfriend for the time being until she couldn't take her racing thoughts anymore and needed to use the bathroom.

the girl stared at herself in the mirror trying to make sense of why she couldn't stop thinking about will and why her heart clenched every time she saw him. she didn't get it. he was her best friend. she's seen him as a brother for as long as she could remember. why was she suddenly seeing him so differently? why did he make her heart race and her palms sweaty?

samy gained the courage to go back out with everyone. she made her way through the arena when someone called her name. the girl spun around, recognizing the voice from a mile away. will was racing towards her still in his new jersey.

she threw herself into his arms as they hugged one another tightly.

"so proud of you willie." samy said into his shoulder.

"god, this feels so surreal. i don't think i've even processed it yet." will laughed a little as he pulled back some but kept his hands on her waist.

"what did i say? i knew the sharks would take you." the girl laughed as she thought about her predictions for all the boys she made months ago. will smiled, a small blush forming on his cheeks.

"thank you for being here. it..it really means a lot." will said softly. samy smiled and that time as will stared at the girl in front of him, it all fell into place.

the two felt the pull. they felt the racing hearts and the touches. will's gaze never left samy's as her heart beat a bruise into her chest seeing him look at her like that. will's heart was doing the same as samy stared back at him, uncertainty crossing into her features as they stayed like that until someone else's voice broke them apart.

"will!!" it was grace racing towards them with their families hot on her tail. samy and will quickly broke apart just as his older sister reached him and brought him into another loving hug.

samy stepped back, smiling at the sibling’s exchange all while will never took his eyes off of her.