#I’m gonna spend the next week getting her and my game set up

[orphyd]

10 long and arduous days until Growing Together like-

[writing-makes-me-human]

🌊Love And Guests🌊

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Pairing: Aonung x reader

PART TWO: HERE

Summary: Aonung has put out your usual sass with his recent flirting and it’s driving you insane. When he finally gets to speak with you alone as he shows off his spear throwing expertise it gets heated quickly

Warnings: Sexual tension and heated word choices, no smut but it gets close, mention of genitals 

Word Count: 3.1K

A/N: No updates, I’m getting back into writing after months of breaks so I’m sorry if i’m rusty.  Also I feel like it goes without saying that Aonung is of age in all of my writing. I am not just writing about a minor, you are close in age. 19 years old.

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"I still don't know why you think it's better that I teach you instead of my brother", Tsireya warmly suggested as she handed you a beginner's spear to practice with.

"Because I want to learn from the best", was all you managed to say as you took the spear in your hands and inspected it with wandering hands.

The real reason you were so eager to meet up with Tsireya instead of Aonung was laughable. Aonung had been playing a dangerous game with your feelings, making you feel a way you shouldn't to fuel your thoughts about the chief's son. Avoiding the brat to the best of your abilities for weeks now was the only way you could fight the fact you were slowly starting to become infatuated with the boy that was growing into a young man.

He had become cocky now that he was of age, and while he still had a few years of learning left before becoming chief, it had become clear his training was making him more and more defined. The way his body moved with every hearty laugh or every faux wrestling match with his friends drove you up the wall, so you decided it was best to try and stop seeing him altogether.

However, this was becoming a challenge as he had recently decided to spend more of his free time harassing you than anyone else. It was very confusing, as you thought you had put this bullying behind you when you were children. That could easily be forgotten, though, as he was indeed still the next leader, and that could explain his rudeness, but what couldn't be helped was the blush that overgrew you every time he towered over you with that smirk that he didn't know affected you in such unforgiving ways.

"Well, thank you, I'm flattered", she giggled, then continued, "but Aonung is the top in the clan at spear throwing, and he's not gonna be happy if he finds out you asked me instead of him", she never felt bad for her brother. Still, when it came to the matter of his undying yet, painfully expressed crush on you, she felt merciful.

You scoffed, squaring yourself next to her as you looked towards the targets drawn on the ground.

The target range for spear-throwing was closer to the village than any of the other training areas because you needed the clear ground to allow a large windup for hurling the stick through the air. It was still private, which you enjoyed because you had a feeling this was going to be an embarrassingly miserable display of physical prowess.

The targets were set up in the distance and made up of 3 circles of fine white sand sprinkled in precise shapes on the ground. Tsireya had already collected the sand earlier in the day and laid out the rings in exchange for you to be the one that churned the sand into the dirt when you were done so the next person who came to train could easily set up the rings and get started.

"I don't think I could handle his smugness at having me asking him a favor", you smiled at her, holding up the spear like you had seen Aonung and his friends do when they came here to learn when you were younger.

It was the truth. Honestly, you wouldn't have been able to handle his smug looks or laugh or the fact that to teach you meant one on one time by yourselves. You would prefer being lectured by Ronal, and that was saying something.

She nodded, trying to copy you as she held up the pointed end of the spear into the air, getting herself ready to fling the wooden spike. The artillery was too large for her, and you watched in curiosity as she heaved it up a little higher with a grunt.

"Alright, so what you want to do is pull back and using your back leg, you want to push--" she was cut off by the sound of laughter in the near vicinity. Before she could resume her instructions, you heard the sound of foliage and leafs being broken as a group of four boys emerged into the clearing, each of them but one with their spears by their side.

Aonung was still laughing at something Rotxo had said, but when he looked up and saw you, with your arms still raised as his sister mirrored you, he felt his heart skip a beat and his face light up with delight.

You cursed under your breath and dropped the stick like it was a venomous snake, instantly turning around to hide your slightly tinged face.

This was so unfair! He hadn't even said anything so far. All he had done was smile and laugh! He never had this much of a hold on you when he was younger. As he got older and his hair grew past his shoulders, and his muscles became larger, you became less aware of what to do with yourself.

"I have to go", you mumbled, feeling the tinge fade as you turned to pick up the burlap sack you had brought with you and leave for the village.

"Well, what is going on here?" Aonung called out in the conceited tone he saved for when he was talking to you. His deep voice boomed around the clearing, forcing its way into your ears and silencing the chatter between his other friends.

You didn't respond and instead made your way in the opposite direction they had come from, but before you could escape, a few words were yelled out, making your face nearly melt off your skull and onto the floor below you.

"Somewhere to be, pretty girl?" Aonung called out while his friends spread out, tossing down their training gear and lunches they had packed in preparation for a few hours of training.

You turned sharply, trying to calm your breathing so the blood would move from the gathering in your cheeks down to your heart which desperately needed the extra help because the poor thing was beating overtime.

"Just remembered I have somewhere to be", you said rather awkwardly, not allowing yourself to come across as timid but not quite having the energy to yell back at him with the same enthusiasm.

"Oh, come on! You said you wanted to learn from the best, and he's right here!" Tsireya spoke. She lay down her spear next to yours and jogged up to you. She grinned as she gently tugged on your hand, coaxing you to come and stand to talk to the boys who were checking over their weapons.

You sighed, then gave in, dropping the sack and letting her drag you over to Aonung, who was still standing in the same spot. As you walked over, he had a proud smile etched on his face, and you wanted nothing more than to slap it off.

Your face dropped so you could look anywhere but into his eyes that would have caught you in his dangerous trap of good looks and gentle teasing and never let you go.

"Come on, teach her!" Tsireya was far too excited, nearly jumping up and down while her older brother rolled his eyes and crossed his arms over his chest.

"Who said I wanted to help?" He snarkly asked, then continued, "and next time you're thinking of using my spear, ask!" He spat, gesturing to the spike that was laid on the ground rather carelessly. That cleared up the question of why the spear had nearly tipped her over when she held it up.

She elbowed him roughly in the chest with her free arm causing him to bend down a little in pain and scowl at her, but no sound of agony came out.

He quickly straightened himself and snarled at Tsireya, but she gave him a pointed look before her eyes darted to you several times. After a few seconds, he finally got her unspoken threat and sighed, pushing past the both of you to walk over to collect his projectile.

You ignored the feeling of his hand burning on your shoulder as he pushed between you two, breaking the hold Tsireya had on you.

"Come on, pretty girl, let's see what you can do", he called out, not bothering to turn around because he knew you'd be following.

You looked over to Tsireya before you elbowed her yourself, questioning her with a look. She knew you didn't want to speak with him, yet here he was and instead of ushering him away, she had insisted he teaches you.

She simply shrugged at you and pushed you forward before running off to sit next to her brother's friends.

You passed by Rotxo and nodded to him in greetings which he returned before tucking into the fruits he had brought with him. He was chatting with his friends, who all found a spot under a nearby tree that was far enough away from the targets that they wouldn't hear you and Aonung's words to each other but still close enough that they could still see any funny failings.Your eyes settled on Aonung's back, and you took a deep breath, you didn't even have the shame to look away when he crouched down and picked up his spear, checking it over for dirt or marks.

"You watch me first, then you try", he said, glancing over to see you were watching him with eyes slightly wide at the idea of trying to copy his expert throw with an audience.

He smiled at you, which caused you to blush and break the stare you had been holding on his body, which only made him grin, thus continuing the terrible cycle.

"Eyes on me, nobody else is watching, so you can look at me as much as you want", he called you out with a smirk when you finally scowled, giving him a reaction that he couldn't help but chuckle at.

"I worry for anybody that enjoys looking at you", you hissed while taking a step back, knowing he would have to have some space to move when he threw the spike.

He didn't say anything this time but didn't have to. His eyes spoke for him as they shone like the sea on a sunny day.

"So she speaks! I was beginning to worry!" He watched you roll your eyes in amusement with a slight smile on your face, and he silently swore at himself in his head for turning so you wouldn't see his sly grin that he only got when he made you happy.

"Let's start", he wasted no more time and held the wooden stick over his head. You watched with slightly awestruck eyes as his body moved so purposefully.

He raised the spear, and using his other arm, he aimed to secure the direction he was throwing in. He could feel your eyes on him, and it made him cocky. He wanted to show off, to show you he was strong and worthy of praise.

He pulled back his left leg, then after taking a breath, he threw it with as much strength as it took to land directly in the centre of the target. They were far closer than he usually had them, but it was to be expected since you were a beginner.

The weapon shot through the air before the sharp spearhead dug into the ground with a thud, landing directly in the centre of the most petite ring. A perfect bullseye.

He leaned back with a satisfied grin. He turned to look at you with the hopes you would be at least slightly impressed. You were still staring, mouth open in an 'o' shape, struck somewhat by just how gifted at the sport he was, and it made a part of his internal body tingle when you turned with the look changing from amazement to an affectionate smile.

"I'll admit you aren't bad, I've seen worse", you couldn't help the smile anymore. He always had a way of killing off your anxiety, and right now was no different. His cocky grin made your heart speed up, but your mind just wanted to insult him until he dropped.

"If that's all it takes to impress you, I am afraid to know how easy it is to please you", he took no shame in his words, and your smile quickly dropped to embarrassed growls as you hid your face, turning to look over at his friends that were all talking to Tsireya about something at the same time. The discussion looked heated, and none of them paid attention to you two.

You watched, eyes as focused as ever. 

"Arrogant brat", was all you could get out as you looked down at your feet and kicked at the dirt.

"Oh, did I touch a nerve? I didn't know you were such a goody-goody", he didn't wait for your smart-ass answer and walked off to tug his spear out of the ground sharply. Your mind was reeling as you heard a soft grunt escape his lips as he yanked his prize out of the ground.

You shook your head and bent down to pick up the training spear you had been given, not taking notice of your position that had your back to the sky until you felt a hand smack into your backside harshly.

The slap was loud, making your face turn scarlet red as you jumped up, abandoning the spike to glare at Aonung with a death stare.

You were shocked, he had never been so bold with his teasing, and while it wouldn't have crossed a line had you been alone, you could feel the four pairs of eyes gawking at the back of your head.

"Don't", you gently warned. You didn't want to admit it, and you knew it was wrong, and the pompous imp should have been ashamed of himself, Aonung should have been on his hands and knees begging to be forgiven, but a part of your brain was fighting not to jump his bones right now and embarrass him in front of his friends.

And he dared to look proud of himself as he laughed at your face, raising his hand in a half-assed attempt to hide the smile while you geared up to smack him across the face.

He noted how livid you looked and sighed. He hadn't meant to offend you. But when he was walking back and saw how your ass was staring at him like that, he couldn't resist the temptation.

"All right, I'm sorry" he held his hands up in surrender as a beam of playfulness poured from his eyes as a flirtatious grin overtook him.

"If you want to touch my body, ask, coward", you bit back, letting yourself grin as he took his turn of letting his mouth go slack at your actions.

"What's wrong pretty boy? Need some help?" you chuckled, nodding your head south. His eyes followed yours with a confused quirk on his brow as he looked down, and his eyes widened as he nervously took in that he had a half chub under his loin cloth.

You took a step back from him, feeling the heat between your legs signal it was time to go before you made some terrible mistakes that led you both behind a tree somewhere doing things you wanted to make him wait for.

He couldn't take his eyes off you, and as you felt the roles reversing, you suddenly understood why Aonung found the teasing so fun.

He looked back up at your smug face and peeked toward the group behind you with a silent plea in his eyes. Don't drag their attention down to his excitement.

"You need to learn some manners, Aonung, it's not becoming of the next chief to be so blatant in public, you've really hurt my feelings", you gave a dramatic exaggeration of a pout to him while your hands came to lay on your heart.

He was blocked from the sight line of his peers by where you were standing, but one step to the left or right and even from this distance, it was undeniable that he was hard.

He hadn't moved to cover his crotch yet but he dropped the spear, staring at you with begging eyes. It seemed that your sudden 360 from being a blushed-out lovesick moron to a vengeful demon had done nothing to ease him down, if anything, you made it worse.

You leaned forward, taking great pleasure in standing on your feet a little to get even with his ear, your hot breath panted onto his neck and he couldn't do anything to stop you. One move, and you'd be exposing him to his closest friends.

"Compared to me, I think it's you that's easy to please", you smiled, and he hated how he could feel the heat from your mouth as your teeth came so close to his neck that it drove him mad.

You quickly pulled away and smiled when you saw his eyes were closed, he was focusing on his breathing like he had you doing from his actions so many times before, and it felt so good to see him like this. A grown man that was bigger than you in every way imaginable was trying to calm his breath over you and your words.

"Well, this has been fun, but I'll see you later, Aonung", you felt confident for the first time in weeks and slowly, you felt the old you coming back, the sarcastic you that had just as much bark in you as Aonung.

You turned to leave, but he grabbed your arm, pulling you closer to him, not quite flush against his body, lest one of the others looked up again and saw you two so close.

"Wait a few minutes, then follow me", he didn't give you the time to reply once again as he picked up the spear and finally had the dignity to cover himself with his free hand before walking off to go deeper into the forest without so much as a glance back.

Oh, you knew you shouldn't. You should turn around and leave, let the warrior get himself off in the forest like the animal he was acting like. Still, the heat that had signaled you to go nearly 5 minutes ago had grown, and you knew that even if it wasn't visible, your body was nearly 10x as horny as Aonung was.

You wanted him.

But you knew you couldn't mate here, and certainly not like this.

'Leave, leave leave', your mind screamed as your feet took step after step of their own volition after him.

You worried for a second that somebody would call out to you and ask where you were going, but a part of you knew that everyone had already worked out the nature of what was going on with you two. They had all been staring at you after he slapped your ass, so they must have.

"I'll just talk to him", you finally muttered to yourself as you set off in a faster pace, going off to find him.

[ultralightpoe]

Full House llll l -Eddie Munson

Authors Note: And with this final chapter we say goodbye to the Munson family. Thank you to everyone who has read this series.

Warnings: angst, mentions of ptsd and fear of suicide but not a lot.

Word Count: 10,129

Part One HERE - Part Two HERE - Part Three HERE - Part Four HERE - Part Five HERE -

(Thanks for the gif @spookynebula )

Enjoy! -Warning. This chapter had mentions of depression and ptsd. Reader hints at suicide-

It was insane how fast things escalated that night. 

Friday nights had become somewhat of a massive tradition in the entire group, since that was the one night that EVERYONE had off. It became a family dinner/ game night all around. 

Everyone brought over plates of food, the kids all got to spend time together and the DnD party got a night to catch up on their campaign. Anyone who didn’t want to play got some time to relax with friends. 

Tonight was an extra special night because everyone was celebrating Dustin and Erica’s son, Luke’s birthday. 

So the second you all got home from all the activities and clubs and meetings everyone got cracking and starting setting up. Ziggy cleaned the downstairs living room that became the kids play room with the help of Halen. 

You helped clean up the living room before leaving Eddie and Ozzy to set up their DND tables for their respective campaigns as you went to start the food. 

By 7, an hour earlier than her normal time, Motley comes in with a smile that has you on edge immediately. 

It’s not that she was a bad kid, you loved your daughter more than the world itself, you just didn’t like her current path. And you had gotten used to the coming in and stomping straight into her room  so this smile told you something was up. 

“Hey ma!” She smiles, moving forward to kiss your cheek. 

“Hi angel.” You mumble, making a kiss noise back as you focus on the food. “We’re doing chicken Alfredo tonight for everyone so-“ 

“I was actually hoping I could go to Samantha’s for a movie night.” She smiles, watching you pause and then look at her. 

“Again?” It had been a year since she had attended one of these family dinners since her and Samantha did movie nights. “Wait, I thought you were mad at Samantha for something. When I was doing laundry you were on the phone talking about her.” 

“You were eavesdropping?!” 

“No, I was doing your laundry and you were talking loudly!” You snap. “And I’m gonna have to say no to the movie night because it’s Luke’s birthday. A special event.” 

“And next week it will be Uncle Jonathan’s birthday and after that Sara’s birthday-“ a small smile spreads across your face at the mention of Sara, the cute toddler girl Mike and El had brought into the world. She was so sweet and reminded you of your kids back then. 

“That’s the thing about birthdays. They happen every year?” You mumble, confused on why you have to explain this as she curses under her breath. 

“I just mean it’s always something with this family.” 

“Okay. I already said no so suck it up buttercup.” You snap, turning back to the food. 

Eddie comes into the kitchen with an excited smile when he sees Motley home, and you already know what’s coming. 

“Hey Metalhead. You wanna see how cool I am?” 

“Sure.” She snaps, rolling her eyes at him. 

“People say I’m magic, cause I always have a few Twix up my sleeve.” Just as he says it he makes the Twix candy bar slide down into his awaited palm with such excitement. 

“Wow dad.” She sighs. “This is an all time low.” 

“Oh! Twix!” Halen snatches it and dashes to go fine his best friend. 

“You eat today?” Eddie asks Motley, trying not to let her mood get at him. “We have snacks set up already-“ 

“Why do you constantly feel the need to ask me if I’ve eaten?!” She snaps. 

“What?! I just want to make sure my daughter actually eats instead of that dieting smell a carrot bullshit!” 

“UGH! Just leave me alone! This house sucks!” She stomps downstairs and Eddie turns to you. 

“What’d I do now?” 

“I actually told her no to something before you came in so it was me.” You explain, using the spoon to pull out a noodle and move to feed it to him. 

And before you know it everything is packed with people. 

Steve and Nancy came in a bundle of hugs, Eddie making a tall joke to their tallest son which makes Vinny laugh nervously as he moves out of the way for his three younger brothers to come in. 

Vinny takes his spot at Ozzys table, getting his dice ready as two of his brothers join him while the third dashes to follow Ziggy to go play with Zeppelin. 

Steve takes a seat at Ozzys table as well, since he wanted to play but didn’t really know how he was playing Ozzys campaign to learn the basics of the game. 

Jonathan and his son arrive soon enough, Halen snatching his friend and they dash upstairs to play video games as Jonathan takes a seat on the couch where you Nancy and Robin always sit and talk shit about anyone and anything. 

Eddie tries to call Motley up for dinner but she doesn’t answer so he just shrugs and starts his campaign, missing the pointed eye roll Vinny had. 

“He prefers to be called Vince now.” Nancy explains over her wine. “And Steve found not one but 4 little notes from girls or guys asking him out. All unanswered and just shoved into his desk drawer.”

“I still can’t believe you’re raising a valedictorian. Any idea on where he’s applying to colleges?” Jonathan asks. 

“Oh come on.  The kid is tall, attractive, has amazing grades and an all around good student. Not to mention the star baseball player for the team. It doesn't matter where he’s applying because they are all going to be reaching out to him.” Robin scoffs, making Nancy smile. 

You hear a bunch of groans coming from Ozzys table and look over to see your son smiling just like his dad as the table is panicking on what to do. 

When you look over at Eddie you see he is already smiling from ear to ear as he watches before the sound of Zeppelin barking in the back yard pulls your attention. 

“What was that?” Mike asks, trying to look out the window. 

“Probably just heard a car door. Dogs on about everything lately.” Eddie sighs, focusing back up on the game. 

Then some more time passes and he begins to get to get more and more anxious. Motley hadn’t eaten so she should come up. 

“Hey Zig?” He calls. “Send your sister up please!” 

There’s a slight rustle downstairs and he hears Ziggy knock before swinging the door open. His first sign of trouble is when he doesn’t hear Motley immediately scream at her sister to get out of her room. 

But he thinks that maybe she managed to fall asleep, she did come from cheer practice after all. 

That is until Ziggy dashes upstairs and Eddie is met with her wide eyes that makes everything fall into a panic for him. 

“What’s up?”

“She’s not there.” 

“She’s not where?” 

“She’s not in her room-“ Eddie is zipping out of his chair to zoom downstairs and check for himself, barging into her room to find it empty. “You’ve gotta be kidding me-“ 

He moved to see that she had somehow shimmied out of the small window she had and he gets pissed. 

How long has she been doing that?! 

He storms back upstairs, snatching the phone angrily as you come closer, watching him dial Perez' number and wait. 

“Hello, this is Eddie Munson. I just need to make sure my daughter got to you house safely-“ he stops, heart thundering in his rib cage at the man’s response as you keep peering at him. “What do you mean she’s not there?” 

Vinny is watching you both, an annoyed look on his face as everyone’s mood immediately drops, once again for Motley. She ruined everything these days. 

“She’s at a party.” He sighs. “Her boyfriend Aaron and his best friend Henry are throwing a huge rager tonight.” 

“I thought she wanted to go to Samantha’s?” He asks you, confused since that’s what you told him earlier. 

“Her and Samantha haven’t actually been friends for months. Samantha is too nerdy now.” Vinny explains and Steve sighs. 

“Vin, why didn’t you say anything?” 

“She’s not my business. I try to stay far away from her these days-“ 

“Why?” You ask, getting defensive of your daughter. 

“Because they make everyone’s lives miserable. They just constantly bully Mickey about his stuttering. Samantha is bullied about her weight and all they do is walk through the halls making everyone miserable. And she just lets it happen with a laugh. She thinks it’s great.” 

Your heart breaks, imagining all the things he is saying as Eddie is losing patience.

“The party's address. Where is it?” He snaps, moving to grab his keys. 

“Eds..” you mumble, reaching out to stop him but the second he has the address he is out the front door. 

So you, and everyone else, wait. 

Sending all the kids including your twins down stairs to watch a movie as the adults and teens sit around and wait for Eddie’s car to emerge again. 

And when they do you already know it’s gonna be bad based on the way they both slam the doors. 

He’s yelling before they even make it to the front door. 

“I’m sick of this bullshit with you!” He shouts. “When’s it gonna stop, huh?!” 

“Fuck off!” She screams back, obviously crying. “You just ruined my life!” 

“No Motley, I just helped it!” He yells, opening the door. “I can’t fucking believe you.” 

“Why do you care so much?!” She screams as they both come into view. “IT WAS JUST A PARTY!” 

“YOU WERE DRINKING AND SMOKING!” He screams back, both red in the face. “I HAD TO PULL THAT FUCK OFF OF YOU! DO YOU REALIZE WHAT COULD HAVE HAPPENED MOTLEY?!

“Right. So you’re the hero once again right? You barge in and take control over everything and now everyone is gonna say what a wonderful guy you were and how my mom is so lucky she found you.” She sneers, tears streaming down her face and makes her eyeliner stain her cheeks. “Thank god for Eddie fucking Munson. My family was fine before she met you! We were fine without you!”

“I don’t know what you’re on about but you’re on thin ice tonight.” He warns. 

“Just fucking say it! Say I remind you of my dad! That’s why you hate me right?!” She snaps and his eyes widen. 

“Motley- you don’t. Wait-“ your husband tries, you see the panic on his face as he realizes that this situation was spinning out far too quickly. 

Meanwhile Eddie felt like he couldn’t breathe. He had just found his daughter half asleep with some jock on top of her at a party and he was freaked the fuck out. He was mad and stressed and scared but the feeling he was getting as she glared at him made him go cold. 

He had his tiffs with her, these days all he could seem to do was irritate her but this was something entirely different. 

“I’m Billys kid right? That’s all I am to you? I look and act like him! That’s all you see! Right?!” 

“You’ve had a lot to drink.” Eddie sighs, rubbing his face. “Maybe you should go get some rest.” 

“You talk all this bullshit about how it’s the people that raise us and not the ones we’re made from. But you know what I think? I think you’re lying because you know that’s not true. I’ll always be like Billy and you will always be like Alan.” She continues and Eddie feels something cold in his chest, a cracking feeling as his ears start ringing. He hears you shuffle closer already trying to diffuse the situation but neither of them look at you. 

When he doesn’t respond she keeps going, like a feral animal backed into a corner. 

“You think I haven’t heard the stories?! Huh?! Alan Munson arrested for drug abuse and manslaughter. Eddie Munson, the schools fucking freak that sold drugs and killed Chrissy Cunningham.” 

“I am nothing like him-“ Eddie snaps, skin hot and fists clenched. Alan was an abuser, who had hit Eddie more than he hugged him.  Eddie had never hit you, or the kids. He had never killed anyone, not even Chrissy and sure he sold drugs but he always made sure everyone was safe when using them. 

Is that how she saw him? 

“You’re just like him! Nothing but a low life fucking freak. You can take your cheap fucking necklace back, freak.” She sobs, tearing off the necklace he made her and chucking it at his chest. Some of the chain hits his cheek at how hard she threw it, and it falls to the floor beneath him with a clank. 

And just like that he’s back to nothing. All the hard work he’s done to run from his name and all the hard work he’s put into supporting people is gone. She’s right. He’s nothing but a freak. Always has been and always will be. 

Her face falls from one of pure anger to shock and sadness as she watches him. He doesn’t know what he looks like but by your devasted face it can’t be great. 

“I’m going to bed.” He announces, voice sounding bland and empty, kicking his mothers ring away from his feet and moving upstairs without another word. 

“W-wait dad-“ she gasps out, sobering up a bit. “Please just-“ 

He doesn’t hear. Or he just blatantly ignores her as the bedroom door slams harshly. 

“No. No no no.” She sobs, falling to her knees to try and find where the ring had gone after Eddie kicked it. Her fingers grasp around the chain, sobbing harder when she sees it snapped and broken. 

Ziggy comes into view then, eyes wide as she watches her sister scramble across the floor. 

“Ziggy. You need to go downstairs-“ you try and control the situation, moving your daughter to head back only to find that all of the kids were standing in the kitchen and had heard everything. 

“I think it’s time we go.” Steve mumbles, not looking at Motley as everyone begins to grab their kids and make their way out. 

She can’t breathe, she can’t breathe and she can’t find the ring. 

“Z-zig- help me p-please. I can’t find it.” She sobs, reaching her arm under the couch to try and feel for it. 

Ziggy doesn’t move to help her sister, and you can only watch with tears streaming down your face as your oldest breaks down. 

“Ididntmeanit!” She sobs. “Pleasebelieveme-“ 

“I think everyone needs to go to bed.” You state calmly. “Motley we will discuss all of this in the morning once we’ve all had room to breathe. Okay?” 

She nods, still violently sobbing as Ziggy walks away from her and storms downstairs. Halen has tears streaming down his own face as Ozzy grabs his arm to lead him upstairs, hearing nothing but silence coming from their parents room. 

You shuffle away too, trying not to look at her and trying not to cry. You had no clue what to do right now. 

She searches for a couple minutes before realizing the point was mute since she couldn’t actually see from her eyes anymore with how hard she was crying and finally she gave up, shuffling downstairs. 

At first she walks to her room, but the second she hits the door she realizes she doesn’t want to be alone so she moves closer to Ziggys door and knocks softly. 

Back when you first moved in, Motley and Ziggy were terrified to sleep in the basement, both so sure ghosts were real. Motley often let Ziggy in her room so they could sleep together. 

Now it was her knocking on her baby sister's door, chest aching as it opens a bit. “C-can I sleep with you Zig? I-I don’t want to-“ 

“Why do you have to ruin everything?!” Ziggy cries, shoving Motley away. “Why do you have to chase him away?!”

“Zig-“ Motley sobs but her sister doesn’t hear her. 

“You ruin everything! And he’s gonna leave because of you!” And then the door is slammed in her face once more. 

So Motley shuffles to the couch, curling into the cushions as she sobs. Eddie’s face stuck in her mind. 

She had never seen him look so…. Broken and empty. She did that. 

And he had never walked away from a fight with her. 

“I want dad…” she sobs, shoving her face into the pillow to sob. “I’m sorry dad.” 

- 

You were going to be sick. 

Never before had you seen such silence from your husband. 

By the time you made it to the room he was just sitting on the bench in front of your bed, just staring at the wall. 

“Eddie?” You mumble, moving closer to him and try to rub his cheek. “Do you want to talk about it?” 

He just shakes his head no. Not actually looking at you as he brings his hand up to pull yours away from him. 

There’s a crater in your chest as your husband pushes your hand away, this gaping hole just gushing out blood as you try and figure out how to fix this. But before you can think of something he stands and walks past you to go into the bathroom, locking the door and turning the shower on. 

-

You’ve thankfully passed out by the time Eddie gets the courage to leave the bathroom, he can’t look at you right now. 

He’s a coward. 

A freak. 

We were fine without you.

She thought he was Alan. She probably heard everyone at school making fun of her dad. 

Nothing but a low life fucking freak.

Freak. Freak. Freak freakfreakfreak. 

“You’re nothing Edward. You hear me boy?” Alan calls, watching Eddie dash to his room to hide. 

Later that evening his mother would give Eddie a buzz cut, the hair being the thing that got him in trouble in the first place. 

He could do nothing but stare into the mirror as she did so, looking at the deep purple bruise that covered most his cheek as she worked on his hair. 

Nothing.

Nothing.  

He didn’t mean to stay awake all night, sitting there staring at a wall. But he somehow managed to. 

So he unplugs his alarm clock before it can wake you, shuffling around to get dressed silently. He was used to doing chores on the weekends, for the yard or the family cars. 

Today he chose to head out for a bit. Leaving a tiny kiss on your forehead as he grabbed his wallet and keys before heading out.

- 

Motley wakes up to the front door closing, her neck aching from the spot on the couch she had slept on and her head blaring from crying so much last night. 

It takes her a moment to get up, shuffling upstairs half asleep until she is in the main part of the house, when she sees no one there she shuffled up the stairs to sneak into your room. 

Her heart plummets when she sees it’s only you, her anxiety and guilt heightening as she crawls into bed to lay with you, pulling the blanket close as you turn to cuddle your daughter. 

“I’m sorry mommy.” She cries. 

“I know.” You mumble, still half asleep as you keep her close. 

Soon enough the boys wake up, dashing downstairs, and you have to get up to go feed everyone. Motley stays close to you, sitting at the table awkwardly as you get the twins set up with cereal. 

They don’t look at her. Neither of them even look near her as they eat silently which upsets her more. 

“Have you decided what song you’re going to do for your performance, Oz?” She tries to break the tension, watching her brother shrug. 

“Dad and I were going over some stuff. Doesn’t matter.” He shrugs again, spinning his cereal around the bowl as you go downstairs to grab Zeppelin for his daily walk and wake up Ziggy.  

You rush Zeppelin out, the older dog excited as he is every morning and the second you leave the front door Ziggy emerges from downstairs. 

“Morning Zig.” Motley tries to smile, stomach clenching when her sister ignores her. 

“Hey Zig? Can I borrow your charcoal markers?” Halen asks, excited to see his sister. “I have this really cool idea to take my Halloween mask and make it look like the words are-“ 

Motley zones out watching all three of her siblings talk excitedly amongst each other. It had been a family tradition for as long as she’s known to have breakfast together on Saturday, just the 6 of them. A tradition she’s blatantly ignored in favor of spending time with her friends. 

“I have a new eyeliner, Zig, if you want to try it?” Motley offers, once again trying to break the tension. 

“I’m good.” Ziggys is quick to shut her down, moving to clean up her mess. “Remember guys. Dads birthday is coming up and we all gotta keep it a surprise what we got.” 

“Right.” Ozzy smiles, tossing his bowl in the sink before dashing off while Ziggy rushes downstairs. 

Halen is the only one left and Motley turns to him. “What’d we get dad?” 

“I don’t know what you got him. But we all chipped our allowance in for something.” Halen mumbles, hands clenched. 

“Why didn’t you guys tell me? I would have-“ 

“Why does it matter? He’s not your dad right?” Her brother mumbles out, getting up to slam his bowl in the sink as well. He stomps off soon after that, and soon enough the sound was mixed with the sounds of Ozzy practicing cello and Halen dashing around for his project. Ziggy playing music in her room. 

-

“DADS HOME!” Halen yells excitedly, dashing down the stairs to come into the kitchen where you were preparing lunch.  “I saw him pull in.” 

“Good.” You smile, some of the anxiety easing as the kids collect at the table around where Motley was sitting and doing homework. “We’re going to eat lunch together. No fighting guys.”

The front door opens and shuts and Motley stands up awkwardly, both of you waiting for Eddie to enter. 

When he does you are silent, eyes wide as he blinks at you slowly. “Y-your hair?” 

It was cut, short. There were still some curls at the top of his head but the rest was gone. 

“I….. yeah I thought I needed a change.” He mumbles, reaching a hand up to pull through it awkwardly. “Thought the mop head was a little outdated.” 

I didn’t want to look like a freak. You know that’s what he meant even if he didn’t say it. 

“Dad. I am so sorry about what I said. I didn’t mean any of it and I can’t believe-“ Motley begins, wiping her cheeks as some fresh tears roll down her face. 

“Hey hey hey.” Eddie stops her. “It’s fine. Okay? No hurt feelings Motley. You had some stress and needed to get it out. I get it.” 

She shakes her head. “I didn’t mean any of it dad.” 

“I know.” He nods. “I’m not upset at you Motley.” 

And that was settled. But he doesn’t move forward to hug her, he doesn’t even touch her, instead he shuffles to sit down and look at the others staring at him. 

“Does it look bad?” He asks as they all blink at him and his new hair. Immediately after he asks they all rush out to tell him no and that it looks good. 

Motley takes a seat again and so do you, everyone beginning to eat silently. 

Eddie had said it was fine, but everyone at the table knew it wasn’t. 

Eddie didn’t try to crack any cheesy jokes or pull you into an embarrassing kiss that would make them all gag. He didn’t ask about their plans or if they all wanted to hang out. Eddie ate in silence. And the silence was the loudest part of the meal. 

-

Things remained tense for the rest of the weekend and by the time Motley had to go to school she was tired and stressed. 

Her bad was still shut down, he tried not to be but he was. And things were just so…..wrong now. 

This morning was awkward enough. She had told Aaron she didn’t want a ride, and she really didn’t want her dad seeing him in general. 

But he left early for work and you had assumed she already had a ride so you took the rest of the kids, which left her to walk to school. 

She showed up drenched from the rain, bumping into Samantha by the door and dashing to the bathroom quickly. 

By the time she gets out first period is already over and the hallways were already packed with people moving for their next class. 

She just wanted to cry. She was cold and soaked and missed her dad. 

She broke her dad. 

“Motley! Hey!” Aaron calls, and she tenses, casting him a look before dashing down the hall and bumping into Vince harshly. 

He manages to catch her as her heeled boots slip, hauling her easily into an empty classroom the second he sees the tears rushing down her her cheeks. He closes the door and pulls the blinds of the window down. 

“Just take a moment.” 

“I have to get to class.” She sniffles. 

“It’s biology with Fitz. He barely takes attendance and we’ll be fine.” He tries to joke. “Just take a breather.”

“I can’t! I can’t catch my breath at all.” She snaps, and he moves closer to wipe at her eyes as she sobs before she is latching herself onto him with her face pressed into his chest as she sobs. “I’m sorry Vinny.”

“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have snitched on you like that.” He mumbles. 

“No. No. It actually was for the better.” She moves to sit down after breaking from the hug, sliding against the door and sitting with her back to it. 

He follows and they are side by side. 

“I’m thankful my dad showed up.” She admits. “There was a split second where I was so fucking happy he was there actually. I saw him when he tore Aaron off of me and I knew I’d be safe.” 

“Did Aaron….?” 

“Oh. It’s….. I was just too out of it.” She mumbles, trying to get comfortable. 

He moves slowly, unzipping her boot slowly to take it off and doing it to the other so it was easier to sit without the heels. 

“Then what happened?” 

“I…. Saw the look on my dads face when he dragged me out of there. And I just felt like….. Billy.” She admits, swiping the tears.  “I remembered what you said and-“ 

“I lied.” Vince blurts. “Motley you had to have known that I lied. Your dad would never say that.” 

“You lied?” 

“I lied. I was trying to hurt you because you…. I was being a dick.” 

She sniffles quickly, laughing a little. “Vinny.” 

“I’m sorry Motley.” 

“Oh my god.” She laughs and he can only blink at her from guilt. “I spent the past year bullying you with my friends and you’ve been holding back your punches.” 

“I just….there is no excuse.” He mumbles but she just keeps laughing with tears still springing down her face. 

“Don’t feel bad. I was…. Out of control and you ended up saving my ass.” She rushes out. “And then I just completely destroyed my life after.” 

“You didn’t. I’m sure this can all be fixed.” He sighs. “Your dad is one of the…. Best.” 

“He is.” 

“And he forgives my dad after years of king Steve’s bullshit.” He mumbles. “Now they are best frie-“

Before he can finish his sentence her lips are on his. Warm and soft. 

He can taste the salt from her tears, and his heart is beating through his rib cage as the girl he’s been dreaming about for years finally kisses him. 

But then he pulls back, blinking at her. “Sorry.” He blurts out. 

“Why are you sorry? I kissed you.” She blushes. 

“Motley.” He begins, not really knowing what to say. “You’re beautiful.” 

“I know.” She smiles, laying her head on his shoulder. “You are too.” 

- 

Family dinner was quiet, and Eddie spent most his time pushing the food around on his plate and everyone ate in silence. 

Motley leans over, elbow pressing into his as she whispers. “Have you eaten today?” 

A tiny smile breaks out, and Motley can’t tell if it’s real or fake. So she leans back and keeps pushing around her own food. 

“I think I’m gonna drop out of the concert.” Ozzy blurts, pulling Eddie’s attention quickly. 

“Why?” 

“I’m just…. Not really feeling it.” Her little brother mumbles, shrugging. 

Everyone turns to Eddie, waiting for him to talk Ozzy into it. This is what he did. A problem arose and Eddie was there to make them all feel better. He would talk Ozzy into the concert, get rid of all the anxiety and stress he was carrying about it. 

But it didn’t come. 

“Okay well….. just let your teacher know yeah?” He mumbles, picking up his plate to clean it before heading out of the room quickly. 

“I hate you.” Ziggy snaps at Motley, storming off. 

-

“EW! Absolutely not!” Motley snaps, slapping Vinny’s hand away which makes him laugh. “I refuse!” 

“Go fish. Go fish!” He laughs, waving the card in her face again. 

“No! I refuse!” 

“That’s the point of the game!” 

Motley and Vinny had been eating lunch together in the abandoned science classroom everyday for the past week. They did homework together and played card games. He told her about his mom and dads most recent fight where Steve had managed to break their bedroom door handle and trap them both in the room on accident. 

“No it’s not. I win.” She mumbles, shaking her head as he groans out. “Which means I deserve a victory kiss.” 

Whenever she won he had to kiss her. And whenever he won she had to kiss him.  Oh how miserable life was. 

He smiles, leaning forward to kiss her lips nervously which makes her giggle. When he pulls back he scratches the back of his neck. “So… the Sadie Hawkins Hawkins dance is coming up.” 

“Yes. I hear them announce it every morning.” She teases. “Who you gonna ask?”

“Oh ha ha.” He scoffs right as the bell rings. “I have practice after school. You good to get home?” 

“I’ll be good.” She smiles, watching as he stands up and heads out. 

- 

It was weird seeing Eddie like this, so bland and empty. It really scared you. 

He had never shut down like this before, and you were getting to the point where you had begun to hide all the sharp objects and pills. 

Today he sat on the bed, well more or less laid on the bed splayed out as he watched the ceiling fan turn slowly. It had been 2 weeks since that fight with Motley, and he had nightmares anytime he managed to fall asleep which wasn’t often. 

You knew what he was dreaming about of course, between his father, Chrissy or Wayne’s passing he always woke up calling one of their names in a panic. 

“Hey Eds?” You call, trying to get his attention. “Do you wanna try sleeping? I can lay with you.” 

“No.” He mumbles out, not moving as the bed dios while you curl into his side. 

“You need sleep.” You murmur, kissing his shoulder, taking your hand to rub circles on his stomach. 

“I just need…..” What did he need? You’d give him anything. 

“She didn’t mean it.” You whisper, tears beginning to burn your eyes. 

“I know.” He whispers back. “I just can’t shake it.”

“Maybe, we should look into some therapy.” Your whisper, watching as he finally switches to lay on his side facing you pushing until it’s his forehead against your chest. 

“If I start dreaming about them-“

“I’ll wake you up.” You promise. 

-

Eddie’s first therapy session falls on a Monday, so you drop the kids off at all their clubs before taking him and waiting in the car as he spends the next 2 hours in the session. 

You catch up on some of your book and when he gets back in the car you are happy to note that he seems a little better. Not a lot but he’s not too empty. 

“You haven’t eaten in a minute. Want to go get a burger?” You ask and he shrugs. “You wanna wait for the kids to eat?” 

“I just want to sleep.” He answers truthfully and you smile, because at least he was answering. So you turn down the radio and drive to pick up all the kids from their clubs. 

First are the boys, Halen still in his karate outfit and Ozzy without his cello. When you ask he simply mutters since he didn’t need to practice he was gonna leave it there tonight. 

Eddie closes his eyes like he is in pain when Ozzy says that, but no one says anything. 

Next is Ziggy, but you are shocked to find both sisters standing together outside of Ziggys school.

“Motley? Why aren’t you at practice?”

“They end at 5.” She answers.

“Then why did you keep coming home at 8?” 

She looks guilty as she shrugs, looking between you and Eddie as he keeps his eyes shut. “I’m sorry.” 

“Jesus.” You grunt, feeling like a crap mother. 

Later that night you knock on her door, and when she lets you in you shut the door, sitting her on her bed so you could have a long conversation about sex and boys. 

It was a little too late as you had come to find out. But she ended up telling you everything. 

-

Friday rolled around and it was DND night, but no one set up any campaign tables and no one bothered to get excited. 

Eddie helped you in the kitchen and Motley tried asking about any ideas he had for another campaign. 

“Have you ever done a dragon one?”

“Yes.” 

“Well maybe you can do a futuristic one then?” 

“I actually think I’m done for a bit.” He shrugs. “It’s a game meant for kids.” 

He shuffles off to the garage to grab the drinks for tonight as Motley looks at you. 

“Hey mom?” Ziggy asks, coming up the stairs. “I have this project I’m doing and it smells really bad cause of the paint. Do you think dad will let me work in the garage?” 

“I don’t care. Go for it.” Eddie snaps, walking in with the sodas. “Have at it. Take what you want.” 

He drops the drinks by the coolers before walking up the stairs. 

“He hates us.” Ziggy mumbles. “He hates us now.” 

“He doesn’t hate you. Enough of that.” You snap. “You two have absolutely no clue what he’s been through or what he’s done to be where he is now.  You throw Chrissy in his face and his father in his face and all he ever does is try to cheer you guys up constantly.” 

They both blink at you.  

“He’s upset. He’s gonna be upset from his trauma and it shouldn’t constantly be about you two. Have you bothered to ask if he’s okay ever?” You snap, irritable. “Go clean something.” 

They disperse quickly and you turn back to keep cooking, slamming everything as you go. 

“You okay?” Eddie asks, leaning against the door. 

“No I’m not.” You snap. “I’m so sick of everything. When did this get so hard and - and you’re listening to me complain again. Even when I’m stressed about you carrying all our burdens I still give you more.” You laugh bitterly. 

“I don’t mind taking in your guys’ burdens.” He sighs, moving closer. 

“This isn’t working.” You snap. “None of this is working.” 

“I know.” He sighs. 

“I think it’s time we take a look at the next step here.” You mumble, turning away from him. “Because I don’t think I can do this anymore.” 

“I don’t think I can either.” He whispers. 

“Then….” You can’t even put it into words, what are you saying? “I need to finish cooking.” 

He doesn’t say anything, just merely disappears again. 

-

“Divorce?” Robin scoffs. “You find out your daughter is a slut and this is where you end up?” 

“No. Not divorce. We just need another strategy.” You mumble, not looking in the direction that Eddie was sitting in. “It’s like playing tug of war through a brick wall. Whenever either of us begins to make movement the other just hits the brick at full speed.”

Tonight’s ‘family dinner’ was extremely different. It felt more like an awkward party than a family dinner. 

Motley sat on the stairs with Vinny, pretending to study as Ziggy sat in the corner sketching. 

No dnd, no fun conversations. Your family was truly beginning to crumble under pressure. 

“And I feel like absolute crap because how did I now see that my daughter had a sex life?” 

“I hear that Aaron kid is a jackass.” Robin sneers. 

“From Jonathan. His photography teacher.” Nancy clarifies. 

“What great intel.” You sneer and she sighs, rollling her eyes. 

You spend the rest of the night talking about Robins most recent girlfriend, and why it ended. By the time you said goodnight to everyone you truly thought you knew too much about her love life. 

You wave off her car, being the last to leave, and you shut the door before pressing your forehead to it with a sigh. 

When you turn around you are surprised to find Eddie standing there waiting for you and the kids still in sight watching you. 

“Goodnight everyone.” You mumble, locking the door and moving to start picking everything up. 

“I’m craving donuts.” Eddie blurts, making everyone look at him. “When’s the last time we had an actual Munson meal?” 

“What?” Ozzy laughs. “We had dinner together yester-“ 

“No no. I mean an actual Munson meal.” Eddie shakes his head. 

Ziggy catches on then, a smile spreading on her face as Motley soon gets it. 

“Guys, I’m tired so maybe we should-“ you don’t get to finish your sentence because Eddie is there, pulling you to the kitchen with the kids to prep for Munson dinner. 

-

A little while later you are all sat on the floor, knees connecting all of you together as you pass around the snacks and laugh. 

Homemade donuts and ham wrapped around cheese sticks. Sliced apples and peanut butter with grapes. Any snack you could think of was in the center of the circle. 

You all had pillows and blankets, and there was a cartoon playing in the background as Ziggy told you guys the story of how her math teacher broke his foot by dancing in class. 

You’re laughing too hard, tears streaming down your face as you try to breathe in while she imitates his crying. 

“Stop!” Motley cries. “He did the same dance thing when I had him!” 

“Do the dance one more time.” Eddie laughs. “I gotta see it.” 

So Ziggy does, looking like an absolute fool as she does but everyone is still laughing and having fun. 

Halen catches you up on his drama club, and how he got the old grandma as a roll. “It’s not funny!” 

“Its not!” Ozzy laughs. “But your costume is!” 

“Wait. Tell them about your concert!” Halen mumbles to which Ozzy shakes his head quickly. 

“What’s going on with the concert?” Eddie asks, leaning to snatch an apple slice out of your hand. 

“I…. They….. well they gave my solo up before I quit.” He admits. 

“What? Why would they do that?” You mumble, worry striking you. “Ozzy,” 

“They said I lacked control.” He blushes. 

“That’s not fair. You’re the best in that group.” Eddie snaps. 

“Every parent says that about their kid.” Ozzy groans. 

“Well yeah but I’m not just saying that because you are my kid.” He mumbles. “You’re fucking amazing Ozzy. And if they think you’re not then we need to look for another program.” 

“But-“ 

“Dads right, Ozzy. You play better than any of them.” Motley mumbles. 

“We’ll look for another program. Rather than the school.” You nod, and he shrugs with a small smile playing on his lips. 

“What’s going on with you?” Eddie asks. “How is life at school, you know after I….” 

“Life is better.” She cuts him off. “I actually…. I spend all my free time with Vince now and-“ 

She starts blushing, and Eddie and yourself are shocked by this image. It had been forever since you saw your daughter with no makeup and in her cheesiest pajamas. 

“Well I like all my makeup and outfits but there is no stress of how I look around him so I get to have more fun with it all. You know?” She’s getting redder and redder now. “And the Sadie Hawkins is coming up and Iwastryingtofigurrouthowtoaskhim.” 

She mumbles the last part out but everyone heard it, excitement jumping through the group. 

“Oooo. Motley and Vincent sitting in a tree-“ a pillow hits Ziggy in the face as Ozzy and Eddie are already talking over each other with ideas. 

“How about you write it on a baseball?” Halen asks, and everyone stops at his idea before Motley lights up. 

“That would be very sweet.” You smile. 

“I don’t have a baseball though.” 

“That’s easy. Send Zeppelin outside for 5 minutes and he’ll find one.” Eddie teases. 

“I have paint for it!” 

“Then we have a plan.” 

Eddie sighs, shifting a bit as he tried to conjure up what he needs to say. “I think we’ve been failing as a family lately.” 

“How so?” 

“When’s the last time we’ve actually talked? Actually sat down together and talked about life? We have all been so caught up lately that we haven’t made time for our best team and that needs to change.” 

“How so?” 

“I propose that we do family dinners like this from now on. Actually talk. Actually take time for each other and tell eachother everything.” He sighs. “But in order for that then there has to be complete honesty. And I have not given you guys that.”

It’s silent as everyone stares back. He reaches into his pocket and pulls out something. 

It takes you a minute to register it. It’s a bat tooth. 

“Who wants the truth about Chrissy Cunningham and my scars?” 

-

It’s around 3 am when you wake up, confused and groggy. 

Somehow everyone had managed to cuddle together on the couch, everyone connected somehow. You were all merged as one, sleeping in a pile, with Halen snoring loudly. 

You blink a couple times, wondering what had woken you up, so you sit up, making Halen stir a bit and try your best to sneak out. 

You limp to the sound that had been waking you up, tense from the awkward position you had been sleeping before you shuffle to open the window and look out at what was outside. 

A small laugh escapes you when you realize that you had left Zeppelin out and he was whining. “I am so sorry baby boy.” You coo, shuffling to the door quickly to let him in. He dashes to the couch to crawl his way into the pile. 

You catch Eddie staring at you, trapped underneath all the kids as he nods his head for you to come back. So you do. Finding your spot and falling asleep with your family once more. 

- 

“Would you just take a breath?” Eddie laughs, watching his oldest daughter rush around in a flurry of panic. 

He is standing in the center of the living room, doing his best to help her as she struggles to find her shoe. 

“Dad I can’t find it..” she mumbles. “He’s gonna be here any minute and I-“ 

“Just sit down a moment.” He mumbles, moving her to sit before he starts looking. He instantly finds, throwing it at her to catch easily before shuffling back to the kitchen to find you sitting with Ziggy as she shows you her most recent project. 

“How’s it going in there?” You ask, looking up at him for a second.  

“Found her shoe. I came to get you for pictures.” And within a moment you are up, kissing Ziggys head and dashing to find your camera for the photos. 

Eddie shuffles closer, snatching a chip from her bag as he looks at the oil painting. “Jesus. Did a teenage mutant ninja turtle possess you?” 

“Huh?” 

“You know? Micheal Angelo, Donatello-“ 

“Oh my god dad.” She groans as he picks up the painting. 

“This is really good. You're gonna submit it for something?” He asks. 

“My art teacher says I should compete in this art show thing.” Ziggy mumbles, watching him look at the painting.  “That one is called lifeline.” 

An extravagant oil painting with a blurry faced female holding a leather jacket. And when he tilts the photo he realizes that she had hidden bats into the jacket, using another paint so if it moved in the light you might be able to see the bats she had hidden. His bats. His tattoo but with them in a purplish paint hidden just the same were 4 birds. 

“You’re really talented.” He mumbles, fingers tracing over the birds. 

“Yeah yeah.” She blushes, snatching the painting back and shoving him away. 

“HES HERE!” Motley screams from the other room and Ziggy moves to go into the living room to watch Vinny park the car and take a moment to prep himself. 

He fixes his jacket and Motley is inside making sure all her makeup is set and perfect as he walks up the pathway. 

“Oh my god. Oh my god. Be cool.” She warns you and Eddie, trying to breathe. 

“We’re cool. You’re the one over there hyperventilating.” Eddie teases and she snatches a pillow to throw at him. 

The knock sounds at the door and Motley rushes to answer, tripping unceremoniously so Eddie has to catch her before she breaks an ankle. 

He helps her stand straight and moves to answer the door himself. 

“Vincent.” 

“Mr. Munson.” He smiles, already blushing. 

“Is there going to be drinking?” 

“No sir.” 

“Smoking?” 

“No sir.” 

“Sex?” 

“N-no sir.” 

“You know I can kick your ass if you hurt her. Right?” 

“My dad said the same thing.” 

“That he can kick your ass?” 

“No. That you could.” And Eddie can’t help but laugh, letting Motley pass. 

It’s another 30 minutes of you taking pictures and him giving her a corsage before they are taking off in his car, Motley smiling from ear to ear. 

“Wait…” Eddie mumbles, looking at you with panic. “Something is wrong.”

“What’s that?” 

“She’s leaving and I don’t feel that punching feeling in my gut.” He murmurs, looking genuinely confused. “I don’t feel the need to follow her and make sure she makes it there.”

“Yeah. Well if I trust anyone to protect my daughter it would be Harringtons kid.” You laugh. “Because we all know she will be the one throwing the punches and he will back her up.”

-

There was a nervousness in her stomach that she hadn’t gotten before, a blush on her cheeks as she does her best not to seem like she is going insane with panic. 

“I’m…. shit- sorry. I am really nervous.” He mumbles after messing with the radio awkwardly. 

“I’m nervous too.” Motley admits, smiling at him. 

“You? Nervous? What for? I am the one dating way above my natural league here.” He mumbles. Before she can respond he is pulling into the school parking lot. The Sadie Hawkins Dance. Hawkins High School went all out. 

There are balloon gates leading into the front doors and streamers covering the door itself. She kept a firm hold on his arm as they went to get the tickets, ignoring the way Aaron and his friends snicker when they see the both of them together. 

“Drinks first?”

“Lead the way.” Motley smiles. 

- 

Eddie lays on the couch, reading the eragon book that Ozzy and Halen wouldn’t shut up about, with your head on his lap as you doze off. 

You had spent the morning helping your daughter get ready, and now you were tired. So he offered to help you fall asleep, and you had taken the chance, letting him play with your hair as you closed your eyes. He made it seem like he was doing you some huge favor, but truth was you were doing him a favor. 

Laying on the couch with you was his favorite thing, well laying with you in general. Gone were the days of having to jump all over each other, now you both were getting to the part in life where you just needed to be near each other. You rooted Eddie to this earth and he needed you like a hurricane needed wind. 

He would be nothing without you or the kids. Would still be a freak, spiraling into the unknown but you had given him everything he never knew he needed. 

Soon enough he found himself dropping the book on the floor, focusing on you, doing his best to memorize all your features the best he could as you slept peacefully. 

He understood Ziggys painting now. Lifeline. You were his lifeline. 

- 

By the end of the night Motley and Vinny sat side by side on her front porch, laughing loudly as they shared a gallon of icecream they had stolen from the fridge. 

Her feet ached so she had taken off her heels and when he walked her to the door (he was very serious about Eddies curfew) but he hadn’t been ready to say goodnight yet so they decided on hanging out on the porch. She was technically home so her curfew was fulfilled. 

“Oh my gosh, Mr. Fitz tried to dance when the YMCA came on!” She giggles. “Smacked Margaret right in the face.”

“WHACK!” He laughs, imitating the slap. 

“That poor girl definitely left with a bruise.”

“And Aaron left with a bruised ego.” 

“HE DID!” Motley cackles loudly before covering her mouth when she realizes someone might hear her. 

“I should get going.” Vinny mumbles, watching her. “But I…. I have something for you.”

“Yeah?” 

“I…. well I found this the other night at DnD night…” He murmurs, digging into his pocket to pull out a chain with a really familiar necklace linked to it. 

“Oh my god.” Motley gasps, dropping her spoon. “Vinny-”

“I should have given it to you immediately but then I had this idea to- that was wrong wasn’t it? I should have just given it to you I am so sorry-” She leans forward quickly, kissing him before he could keep rambling. 

“That was the sweetest thing you could have ever done.” She whispers before hearing a thump from inside and pulling her attention to the door. 

“Goodnight.” He murmurs. 

“Goodnight.” She answers back, he kisses her again at the door before making sure she gets in without a problem and then walks to his car. 

Eddie is shuffling to the couch, eyes wide when he meets his daughters eyes. “I was not spying. I went to grab a blanket for your mother and I.”

Motley smiles, moving to hug him. 

“Did you have fun?” He asks, kissing the top of her head.

“So much fun. He was the perfect gentleman.” She whispers. “Goodnight dad.”

“Goodnight metalhead.” She moves to walk away and he calls out once more. “Your mother and I’s first date ended on the kitchen floor of that apartment you guys used to live in.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah. She had to get home to relieve the babysitter and I never wanted to let her go.” He smiles. 

“I’m glad you didn’t.” She smiles back before moving to go down the stairs. 

- 

Time passes, quicker than Eddie would like, and yet as slow as they can be. 

He wants so badly to see his kids grow up and yet he just isn’t ready to let them go, he wants to see every second. 

Motley and Vinny go to prom together, and Steve and Nancy all get drunk with you and Eddie that night after you say bye to them. 

Soon enough he was saying goodbye to his firstborn daughter as her and her nerdy boyfriend drove off to college. He cried, so did you. Steve sobbed. 

Ziggy grew into this very hippie lifestyle, most of her clothes looked like they came from Steve Nicks closet and she smelled of incense more than anything. She focused on art, excelling at it truthfully, and as she went through high school Eddie found that he didn’t need to be as worried about boys taking advantage of one of his babies since she seemed absolutely disgusted by them. 

She came out to him in her sophomore year, he had been sitting with her in the garage, helping her staple a new canvas that was bigger than his car. She had been panicking all day about something, even Zeppelin had been feeding off her energy and whining. 

But then she blurts it out, a quick and simple “I like girls.”

He stops, unplugging the staple gun to turn and look at her, watching her face pinch with anxiety. 

“You got a girlfriend?” He asks. She shakes her head no and he nods. “You got a crush on someone?”

There was a nod on that one and he smiled. “Well any girl that gets ya will be a lucky son of a gun. And I mean that, because you are a very freaking special Ziggy. Always have been.”

She hugs him tightly, crying into his chest that night. 

Zeppelin passes away two months later, and Eddie finds himself with the grief of losing a child. He tells the kids that it was time, time for him to move on and find Wayne. He is completely devastated by it, but he tries to keep a brave face for Ziggy since she just lost her oldest best friend. 

He keeps his collar on the fireplace right next to Wayne's ashes and a photo of all of them at the park.. 

Once the boys hit freshman year their biggest fight starts…. Over another boy. Well more specifically Ozzy makes a friend and Halen gets mad that he never sees his twin anymore. 

The fight led to physical blows, and soon enough Eddie had to move Ozzy into Waynes old room just to get them to chill out. 

Ziggy graduates, barely (his poor sweet baby), and gets accepted into an art school so he has to say bye to yet another child. He had a gaping hole in his chest. 

When everyone comes back for Christmas that year it's a time for shock. Eddie’s two biggest shocks? The hole in his son's face and the ring on his daughter's finger. 

Ozzy looked different with his new piercing, a new punk grunge look that Eddie tried to support. He really did. But the piercing looked so infected and gross. 

“Did you do that in the bathroom with one of your moms earrings?” He teases, trying not to laugh straight in sons face. 

“Yes?” Ozzy answers which makes everyone laugh. 

“Next time just let me take you to get it pierced.”

 -

For the boys’ 16th birthday Eddie takes them to get a tattoo. They chose something silly, shocker. Eddie however added 5 bird silhouettes by his bats to symbolize the 5 most important people in his life. 

The day Vinny and Motley get married he walks her down the aisle, kissing her head once they reach the end and handing her off to Vinny. They get married with a red piece of yarn, just like you and Eddie had. 

They move into an apartment in Hawkins, and have a baby girl soon enough and Eddie is ecstatic to be a grandfather. He is at the hospital the day she is born, and once everyone is allowed into the room they rush to see the new baby while he rushes to see Motley. Kissing her head and wiping the hair out of her face as she cries happily. (I saw a tiktok where it said ‘everyone went to see my baby  and my dad immediately went to see his baby and immediately thought of Eddie)

He gets to hold the baby girl first, which makes Steve complain loudly but Vinny decided that Motley pushed her out so she got to decide who in the family held her first. 

For the boys’ highschool graduation Ziggy comes home and everyone takes a picture with them in their matching cap and gown. 

Ziggy in her fleetwood mac outfit, smiling from ear to ear as she hugs Halen close. Halen had decided on a buzz cut that suited him well, with one ear pierced. He smiled, arms linked with Ozzy who was a spitting image of Eddie. Motley hugged Ozzy tight, and the picture had caught the moment she realized her baby brother had a snake bite piercing, everyone laughing as she cursed out at him. 

Baby Stevie sat on Eddie's hip, smiling happily at her grandfather as he cooed at her. It had been a constant running joke on whether Stevie was named after Steve or if Motley had just been following the rock theme. 

We all know the answer. 

Ozzy went to New York after graduation while Halen ended up getting into a college in michigan. 

The very first you and Eddie have in your empty house is spent on the kitchen floor, eating macaroni and cheese straight from the pot as you both cry softly. 

It seemed like neither of you could decide whether you wanted to be upset or happy for your kids. 

It became a habit with you two, to sit on the floor to eat side by side just as you always used to. 

- 

Stevie’s first Munson dinner happened the weekend of her first birthday. 

Everyone had come home for it, including all her aunts and uncles, and had chosen to stay in the house just like old times. This time with the addition of Vinny, who seemed so excited to be there in general. 

“Alright, you know the rules.” Eddie smiles at everyone, knees pressed to your own and Motleys. “I want to hear everything.” 

Stevie giggles in the center of the circle, tearing apart the muffin she had been given before marching over to where her uncle Ozzy was sitting and plopping herself in his lap which makes everyone laugh. 

Ziggy tells them about her classes at the art school, and all the paintings she had been selling. She talks about a new girlfriend and jokes about the time she got trapped in her bathroom for an entire day until her girlfriend came home from work. She talks about struggling with being so far away from the family all the time.

Halen talks about his classes, complaining very loudly about his grades before moving on to complain about his dorm mate that never stopped jacking off which makes Eddie laugh. He talks about wanting to drop out, and what he would do after. Eddie is quick to let him know they had his back no matter what, even if he wanted to sell all his stuff and go traveling around the world. 

Ozzy goes on a rant about the girl that lives across the hall. He rants about how he hates her hair and her choice in music, and how his roommate is constantly checking her out. He says she is the most annoying person on the planet and Eddie risks a knowing look with you. Smiles on both your faces as he continues to rant. By the time he is done he looks around the group as everyone holds in their laughter. “What?”

“You’re just…. So oblivious.” Vinny mumbles which makes Ozzy flip him off. 

“Says you!” Ozzy snaps. “You chased after my sister for years you whiny little-”

“Cuss in front of my granddaughter and I will end your life.” Eddie mumbles quickly which makes Ozzy roll his eyes while smiling.

Motley just tells stories about things that have happened with Stevie, which everyone loves. 

Eddie catches them up on his therapy sessions, and you catch the kids up on your health. The family close together once more. 

Eddie Munson was home, and he would have it no other way.

-And with that we say goodbye to the Munson family. I do have more Eddie works coming out. Let me know if you would like to be tagged and I truly hope you all liked the story. -

Taglist:: (lmk if you want to be removed)

@dontcrydaddy @valentine-ger @mariamayhemrsmunson @hippiefairy02 @alyisdead @thehuntresswolf @username199945 @peaches-roses-sins @bl1ssfulbaby @friendly-neighborhood-boricua @avenjames-anderson @nodont1 @bethanyzed @caseyqdilla @zooboomanfu @hazydespair @costellation-hunter @vanessav03 @r-a-d-i-0-n-0-w-h-e-r-e @kidd3ath @katzarantos @peaches-roses-sins @friendly-neighborhood-boricua @ilovetaquitosmmmm @emilyshortcake @jjsbongwater @morgthemagpie

[alchemistc]

goon | bucktommy | chapter two

check out the hockey glossary here (updated for chapter two) Prologue | Chapter One

Chapter Two

“That’s a very nice suit,” Josh says instead, phone between two fingers and tap-tap-tapping against his palm. “Also I need you and Buck to do an interview for me when we get into Utah.” Tommy and Eddie both shoot him looks, although Eddie’s is significantly less polite than Tommy’s. “Why.” He doesn’t really frame it as a question, but as they approach the stairs leading up to the plane Josh continues his backward walk, seemingly uncaring of the significant difference in their heights as he keeps pace. “Yeah, you haven’t won a face-off in a year and a half —” “I haven’t taken a face-off in a year and a half,” Tommy amends, but Russo either isn’t listening or doesn’t particularly care about the details.

When Tommy was eleven, three important things happened.

The first — the most important one, had been the birth of his younger sister. He’d spent the months leading up to it pressing his ear to his mothers growing belly, giddy with possibility, talking to her for hours and hours while his mom got pale and tired. He’d been eleven, though, and she’d done everything she could to hide that from him, always happy to wrap him up in her arms when he got home from school, always ready to throw on her game face when Tommy sat on the bed at her hip with one hand pressed to the bump as he told the baby all the cool things he’d learned at school that day, and the games they’d played during recess, and the thing Robert Duncan had said that had made Tommy laugh so hard his teacher had sent him off to the principals office for disruptive behavior.

The second had been the day his mom took him to the mall and bought him a pair of rollerblades — black leather with neon green wheels, even cooler than the ones Chris Harper had gotten for his birthday. He’d spent a month eating shit up and down the cul de sac until he was steady on his feet, and then the next six months spending every weekend with all the rest of the kids in the neighborhood, two nets set up at he end of Cherry Avenue, two streets down from Tommy’s house, borrowing Judy Green’s older brothers retired equipment, setting up pick up games and driving the whole neighborhood a bit mad as they all taught each other whatever arbitrary hockey rule they’d learned watching the latest Devil’s game before their parents sent them off to bed.

And then, at the peak of it all, the day after baby Abigail had been born, Tommy’s dad didn’t come home from the hospital with her or Tommy’s mom. In fact, he barely came home at all, other than to let him know his aunt would be by in a few hours to pick him up, and then he’d been gone again.

The third, as he’d found out six hours later, anxious and fretful in the passenger seat of Aunt Stacy’s station wagon, was his mom dying.

Eleven, and a week later he’d donned his first suit and tie, feeling sad and tired and worn and grown up, peeking over his aunts shoulder at the bundle of wrinkly baby in her arms. His dad had shown up to the funeral late, drunk, and angry, and Tommy — in his infinite wisdom, six days into a world without a mom — had tried to comfort him.

Eleven, and he’d gotten his first black eye to match his first black suit.

Tommy hasn’t worn a black suit since.

Diaz catches him halfway across the tarmac, fingers reaching out to pinch at the collar of Tommy’s burgundy plaid jacket. “Snazzy,” he says, tugging, wheeling his bag behind him and matching Tommy stride for stride, which Tommy finds a little strange until he remembers that Diaz has been keeping up with Buckley’s gazelle-legged pace for going on six years now. “And here we all thought you were gonna rock the henley-jeans combo until coach called you out in a team meeting.”

“I’m not a caveman,” Tommy rebuts, shaking his head to hide the grin. “But I do have to get all my suit jackets altered before I wear them. Not all of us have trim little waists and a forgiving shoulder line.”

Eddie pauses just long enough to twist his wrists and point two fingers at himself, grin a little wide. “Hey, if Buck tries to hand you one of his little cakes, just, like, take it and pretend you’ll try it,” he says, darting a glance behind him, no doubt looking to make sure the coast is clear. Tommy shoots him an amused look.

“What’s wrong with the cake?”

“He’s been trying to crack a gluten free dairy free cupcake. They’re... he hasn’t cracked it.”

Tommy bites his lip, rolls his tongue alongside the inside of his cheek, nearly runs into Josh Russo as he shoots his own look back to try to find Buckley’s mile-long legs amidst the group trailing along behind them towards the team jet.

When he reaches out to steady Russo, the man gives him the bitchiest fucking look Tommy’s ever seen, and completely ignores Diaz, walking backwards and turning his phone screen. “It’s fine, your profile in this lighting is gonna make people absolutely feral.”

It’s a good picture. Tommy doesn’t exactly have too many hang-ups about his appearance, but he used to, and this one is getting all his best angles. He holds up a fist for Josh to bump, and Josh stares at it for a moment like Tommy’s presenting him with roadkill.

He can’t decide whether or not Josh has clocked him, yet. There’s been a few instances where he’s tilted his head a certain way, or made an off-hand comment at the end of practice while he’s mining for content, that makes Tommy wonder if he’s seeing behind all the machismo to his soft underbelly and recognizing something of himself.

“You send me a single screenshot of someone on any social media getting thirsty and I’m shaving my head,” Tommy warns, just to watch Russo’s face flicker through all the stages of grief in about five seconds flat.

Tommy won’t ever admit this, but he’s never seen anyone crack social media interactions like a gay man in a toxic cesspool of a sport, and Josh Russo knows his shit. How often to post his stupid little thirst traps, what sort of questions to ask them when they’re sweaty and tired and ready for a fucking shower, which matchups the fans are most looking forward to, when to leak not-quite-secret shit to give fans a glimpse into the humanity of everyone’s favorite recalcitrant player.

“That’s a very nice suit,” Josh says instead, phone between two fingers and tap-tap-tapping against his palm. “Also I need you and Buck to do an interview for me when we get into Utah.”

Tommy and Eddie both shoot him looks, although Eddie’s is significantly less polite than Tommy’s. “Why.” He doesn’t really frame it as a question, but as they approach the stairs leading up to the plane Josh continues his backward walk, seemingly uncaring of the significant difference in their heights as he keeps pace.

“Yeah, you haven’t won a face-off in a year and a half —”

“I haven’t taken a face-off in a year and a half,” Tommy amends, but Russo either isn’t listening or doesn’t particularly care about the details.

“—and the first one you took as an Av resulted in a brilliantly stellar wrister from our star defenseman through, like, six men in front of the net —”

“Four bodies tops,” Tommy continues, even though at this point he’d be better just accepting that he’s going to be talked over.

“—and with the fight, too, the fans are abuzz, so I’m taking the initiative to lean into some new dynamics —”

“You’re pimping me out because I look good with blood on my knuckles.”

Russo pauses. Takes a deep breath. “Yeah, it was more the absolutely manic smile on your face all the way to the box, that people were talking about. On that topic, how do you still have all your teeth?”

Tommy considers popping out his partials to show Josh exactly how many teeth he’s actually missing, but then Josh will make a face, and Diaz will feel the need to antagonize him, just a little bit, and Tommy would really like to settle in his seat and decompress. He ignores the question entirely. “Can we do it tomorrow morning?”

Russo tilts his head back and forth, considering. He eyes the cut Hen’d taped up after todays afternoon game like he’s trying to decide if he can makeup it away before he remembers that that’s sort of the draw to late season hockey players cropping up for dumb social media shit. “I’ll ask Buck,” he commits, and Tommy sneaks past him up the stairs before he can wheedle any more favors off of him.

Inside the cabin, the broadcast crew is already settled in to their seats, and he takes a few spare moments to say hello. It doesn’t do shit, really, except show respect, but he’s been around the block enough times that acknowledging the staff of any given organization has become habit.

By the time he finds a seat, the rest of the team has already boarded, and Tommy settles in next to Panikkar, who looks about ready to pass out. He’d done half an hour on the bikes after the game while Tommy iced the bruise he’d gotten courtesy the crosscheck he'd received from Eberle while they battled in the corner for the puck.

Tommy pulls out his phone to find a new message waiting for him.

Nash says you’re sticking around, the message from Sal reads, and Tommy opens up the thread to take a look at the last few messages from one of his oldest teammates.

It’s a short turnaround of a travel day, Sunday afternoon game just finished and a quick flight into Salt Lake where they’ll pass out at the hotel (Buckley and Russo willing, anyway) and then be up with enough time for an early morning practice, lunch and a nap before they head to the arena. Tommy is realizing he’s hemmed himself in to a 5 am wakeup at the latest, if Josh is actually serious about mining Tommy’s temporary fame for content.

In the seat next to him, Panikkar mumbles something, already fully asleep in the time it had taken Tommy to fasten his seatbelt and scroll up to Sal’s last few messages, and Ravi’s head is already drifting toward Tommy’s shoulder. Tommy rolls his eyes, but he still ends up shifting his weight to allow for easier landing, when the inevitable trajectory of Ravi’s slumping skull meets its destination.

A year ago, Sal had sent him a random screenshot of the infamous Seguin tweet and a link to an Oliver Peck music video, and then, three weeks ago when the news of the trade broke: See you in a few weeks

Tommy’d replied with a selfie of himself holding up a middle finger, but at the time he’d been pretty sure Sal was right. That was typically what happened — Tommy was used to being the weight that shifted midseason when contenders wanted to make a big move and didn’t have the cap space to do it. It was early — early enough that most trades were still a glimmer in the eye of most agents, the All-Star break still looming, the perfect time to make a move that didn’t mean much, in the scheme of things.

Only that hadn’t happened. The Avs were undoubtedly the team to beat in the conference this year, so he’d expected maybe a week or two up and down the lineup before they shifted him off to Loveland, only playing up if someone was injured. He was a shit defenseman but he knew enough to move from his typical forward position, and he was used to that steady grind, easy to slot in if they needed to reassess an early season injury in the ramp up to playoffs.

And he was hanging it up at the end of the year, anyway, and the foothills of Colorado were a hell of a lot nicer than —

Not the point.

Only.

That hadn’t happened. Instead he’d hopped the first flight out and found a car waiting for him at the airport to take him directly to the arena. It’d been an off day, two days in to a three day stretch of them, actually, so even the team rumored to have one of the most strenuous practice schedules in the league was off that day, when he’d been escorted through the building and straight up to the GM’s office.

Sorry, Tommy shoots off, as the plane starts to taxi. I know you were looking forward to checking out my tits in the locker room, Deluca.

Ravi’s head finally touches down against the meat of Tommy’s shoulder, and he snuffles sneepily before nosing in, a bit. Tommy wishes he’d thought to grab one of the shitty pillows from the overhead bin: Panikkar’s cheeks are sharp.

Just the left one, Sal shoots back. Keep an eye out for 27, he’s had it out for Diaz since ‘21.

Tommy is aware of this. Perhaps a little more incidentally than he knows some of the conflicts Buckley has gotten himself wrapped up in, but he’s done the research on all the little shits on this team who like to chirp and then get their asses handed to them.

He closes out of the thread in time to catch liftoff, and an up close and personal serenade of light snores from the man who has, in three weeks, gone from passive aggressively mentioning all the routines he has in place to work on his speed to being comfortable enough with him to fall asleep on his shoulder.

Two rows up, Cameron has his overhead light tilted over his latest trashy pulp fiction novel, and up another three, Greenway is sulking. He’s been on the outs for weeks, now, and Tommy doesn’t know the exact details, only that he’d thrown a quiet little fit over Tommy’s sustained minutes (all seven a game) and that Chim hates him.

Quietly, Tommy suspects that he’s the piece the front office is trying to move out before the trade deadline, but he hasn’t said a word of it yet. Better to keep his mouth shut and his head down until he’s got better feel for the dynamics. And Christ are there a lot of dynamics on this team.

In the row next to him, Diaz and Buckley have their heads bent over an iPad, one earbud each and their eyes flitting across the screen with an almost disturbing synchrony — two halves of a whole, those two. He likes them both, and not even just because they are a large part of the reason he’s getting enough ice time to justify keeping him on the bench.

Tommy’s caught staring when Buckley flicks his gaze up and over, and there’s a moment where Tommy holds his breath, just like always — twenty-year career and no teammate has ever questioned why he doesn’t have a girlfriend, a bleach blonde wife popping out kids, he’s not about to lose that streak now over an intriguing birthmark and a megawatt grin.

Buck smiles, tilts his head a little, returns to his screen. They have multiple iPads, but these two are practically attached at the hip, and he’s yet to see them reach for a second one when they could just tilt their heads together over game film and discover some weakness they can exploit that even Karen Wilson hasn’t discovered yet.

Tommy, like an idiot, doesn’t look away. He’s got a snoring Ravi nuzzling into his shoulder and he’s still nursing the bruise on his thigh, too wired to sleep and too tired to realize how long he’s been looking at the side of Buckley’s skull until Buckley is saying something softly, and Tommy watches Diaz knock their shoulders together. Too late, he realizes Eddie is shifting, turning his head — he catches Tommy’s gaze with a raised brow.

Tommy feels caught out, but Eddie just tips his chin at Ravi wheezing against his shoulder, grin going wide.

He makes an aborted half-shrug of a movement, reeling it back halfway through so as not to jostle Ravi, and misses the moment Buck turns his camera on the tableau.

Behind Tommy, Chim is in the middle of one of his batty post-game cooldown routines, and he can hear the faint sounds of whatever ballad he’s currently listening to — Celine Dion, maybe? The air is on, and Tommy’s skin feels tight, and the ambient noise is doing nothing to help the squeal of tinnitus he’d never fully lost after his last fight with Deslauriers. He chokes down the urge to reach over and snatch the phone right out of Buckley’s hand — cheeses it up instead, knowing Buck’s snapped probably twenty pictures already.

He can’t prove it, but he’s absolutely certain there are pain inhibitors in Evan Buckley’s smile. When he lowers his phone and grins bashfully, the bruise on Tommy’s thigh fees a little less achy, and the buzzing behind his ears fades enough that Tommy barely notices it.

When Buck turns away again, Tommy makes a concentrated effort to focus on the pattern of the seat in front of him.

He doesn’t grin at all when his phone lights up with four notifications in row: Buck’s curated glamour shots of Ravi drooling on Tommy’s shoulder.

---

"You're good at those," Buckley says, skidding to a halt next to him at the elevators, and Tommy tips his head side to side, twists his neck just enough to catch his profile in his peripherals.

"Twenty years in the league," he intones, trying hard not to smile at how fucking antsy this kid is, shifting foot to foot as they wait for the doors to slide open.

"No, yeah, I just mean --" Buck shifts his weight, tips his chin. "You've got, like, personality and shit, in those. I always feel like a robot trying to figure out genuine human emotions when Josh asks me to do that stuff. But it -- I mean it was nice, to just... You made it easy, is all I'm trying to say."

"You didn't seem remotely like a robot, to me," Tommy teases, watching the numbers above the elevator doors drop. He's a little startled when Buckley smacks at his shoulder, but by the time he's had the chance to do more than blink about it Buck's already moving on.

"It's like you weren't even listening to me, I just said you helped me not be."

"I mean, if you did, it was very subtley implied, actually, so you can't blame me for the misinterpretation."

At his side, Buckley glances up at the numbers, too. "Do you want to grab coffee? I feel like we should grab coffee."

"Aren't you vehemently against caffeine on game days?"

Buckley looks both pleased he'd remembered, and a little bashful, which Tommy can't parse for a minute. "Everyone has cheat days. Besides, it's just Utah."

"Famous last words," Tommy warns, but he's already turning back in the direction of the conference room they'd just left, towards the Starbucks he's pretty sure is on this level. He checks his watch - if they mosey, maybe the place will even be open by the time they get there.

Buckley falls into step beside him and without missing a beat continues the conversation. "Sounds like there's a story to that."

Tommy can see him working through the math in his head. Kid's like a Roledex for NHL facts and stats, so it doesn't take him long to divide by two and get to the conclusion that they'd been playing Philadelphia at the tail end of their worst season on record.

"First full season in the league my team went on a tear. I'm talking barnburners every other night, fifteen home game wins straight — real mensch shit. We were on top of the world. But... season’s winding down, you know, and we didn't start out great, so we're chasing every point we can just to scrape a spot in round one." Buckley's eyes are sparkling the exact same way they'd been, all through Josh's weird word association game he'd had them do for warmups before actually getting into his little question and answer session. "And me — I'm playing fifteen minutes a game against guys like Sid and Ovi, I'm one hundred percent sure this streak is never gonna end. So - two games left in the season, we're scheduled to play the Flyers."

"Coach pulls us in for a huddle before pregame warmups and he tells us to keep our heads down, shoot for the net, get back to basics, don't underestimate them. But half their team are call-ups, at that point, a good third have never played at this level before, right?"

Buck chuckles, clearly already reaching the conclusion, but Tommy forges on ahead anyway.

"So I just say it. Come right out and say the words: Coach, it's just Philly." He gestures wide, hands out in front of him, like he can conjure up the words that had been painted onto the inside of his eyelids for a good four months, after.

"So what happened?"

"We got shut out. Five nothing. By their third string goalie. Guy’d never even been on the bench as a backup before, and he stood on his damn head all game.”

Buck laughs. It’s a sweet sound, echoing off the walls of the corridor they're strolling through, and Tommy feels the edges of his grin going wide, digging crevices into his cheeks as he shakes his head at the memory. They’d scraped the two-seed that year, and gotten slaughtered in the second round, and Tommy had spent the entire summer hearing it’s just Philly parroted back to him by every single member of his team.

“Eddie doesn’t believe in curses,” Buck admits, once his laughter has died down. “He’s the least superstitious person I know.”

“Hope he doesn’t get voted into the All-Star game, then. Sid might read him the riot act.”

Buckley stops dead in his tracks, eyebrows both dancing up his forehead. It brings his birthmark into stark relief against the shitty lighting of the corridor. He shakes his head like he’s clearing a thought. “I forgot you played with him.”

Tommy has to remind himself that Buckley probably knows every team all of his teammates, current and former, have ever played for. “For a year and a half, back when the jock strap was still mostly white.”

Buck grins, again, blue eyes gleaming as he twists himself sideways, sort of grape-vining down the hall for a few moments, body facing Tommy’s. “What’s he like to play with?” he asks, and Tommy barrels on ahead, desperately reminding himself that Evan Buckley is exactly like every other long-legged, bright-eyed, shockingly sweet attractive man he’s ever played with.

Off-fucking-limits.

[its-time-to-write]

i know now it’ll pass - ch. 4

Self control? I don’t know her😂

pulling heartbreak out of hats

It’s been three weeks since your conversation. You see Dr. Sharon twice a week, mainly because Jamie kept badgering you about setting up an appointment. It’s not easy, sure, but your sessions are at the end of the day so if you’re too emotionally drained to drive, Jamie takes you home. 

You’ve started going to his games. You kind of went before, but it’s different now. You’re invested in what’s happening and you’re in your Tartt jersey that Jamie dropped on your head one evening when you walked in the door.

He had been waiting for you at the top of the stairs, so he was ready as soon as he heard your key turn in the lock.

It made you giggle and he kissed you once he got to the foot of the stairs, shirt wrapped around your shoulders like a scarf.

“You’re gonna look so fucking fit with my number,” he had said between kisses.

So now you’re at a game with red and blue streaks in your hair, yelling as Jamie scores an equalizer. He’s doing a little victory lap with his tongue out, the rest of Richmond piling onto him. He’s blowing a kiss to the crowd, except it’s not to the crowd, is it? It’s at your section which means it’s a kiss for you, and you’re so happy you feel like you could explode.

You tell him that night when you’re out celebrating with the team.

He’s grinning and you’re grinning and he’s kissing you like there’s no tomorrow in the middle of a crowded club. Ted notices and wolf-whistles, catching the attention of the rest of the time who join in with the hooting. 

You’re not even a little embarrassed.

—

You’ve discovered you sleep better in a bed that has Jamie in it. He has a habit of washing his hands with warm water before climbing in next to you. It’s a habit you didn’t notice for the longest time but when you finally did, it felt like something inside you was snapping back into place.

His arms feel safe, and you don’t dream when he’s with you. Or if you do, it’s of something pleasant and indiscernible. 

You can’t be with him every night, which is why he shows up to your house one Saturday morning lugging a giant cardboard box with a bow haphazardly taped to the top.

“It’s for when I’m gone,” he says as you slice open the tape to reveal a fluffy weighted blanket. “Got your initials on it and everything.”

It was a great Saturday. You’d gone to the Green to kick around a football and “help” Jamie with drills. It mostly consisted of you yelling, “Faster, Tartt!” while he smiled and puffed. Your favorite was pushups, because you sat on his back and counted. On the way home, he’d held your hand and swung it back and forth while listening to you chatter about your sessions with Dr. Sharon. You’re getting better.

Life has slipped into a nice routine. You work Monday through Friday, go to Jamie’s matches on the weekends, and spend most nights together at his house. 

It’s still just sleeping and there’s still a part of you that doesn’t believe Jamie when he says he’ll take it as slow as you want. You tell Dr. Sharon which starts a whole discussion about trust and you leave feeling better, but as soon as you’re home alone the intrusive thoughts start again. You begin to wonder why Jamie’s even with you. 

—

Jamie can tell something’s off. Your smiles haven’t quite been meeting your eyes, and your hugs are less enthusiastic. He’s seen it before in past relationships, hell he’s been the one in past relationships. The one to lose interest. He can feel it in the way you’re never really listening to what he says, the way you decline dinner invitations, and avoid him at work. He tells Roy and Roy says, “Just fucking talk to her.” That’s too scary, so he tells Ted. Ted always has good advice. Ted says, “Just talk to her, son. Communication is key,” so maybe Roy’s advice was good and Jamie just needs to suck it up and bite the bullet. He decides he will because this relationship is worth it, you’re worth it; with the way you make him laugh and listen to him and actually care about things. Or, you used to. Whatever’s going on, he’s going to fix it.

—

You’re at Jamie’s house, picking at some takeout. He’s talking about the upcoming match but it just sounds like static. You’re preoccupied with thoughts of models, actresses, and/or singers Jamie could date. You’re sure Keeley could set him up with someone so he won’t be alone when you’re gone.

Because that’s what’s happening. Jamie doesn’t even get a chance to ask you what’s wrong because as soon as he finishes his story about how Dani and Jan Maas ate so many kebabs they puked, you’re telling him that it’s over in a monotone voice. He says, “I don’t understand,” and you say, “I know.”

He says, “I love you,” and you force yourself to shrug although your mind is screaming at you to say it back. To tell him that you’re just scared. That you feel you don’t deserve his love, and that you’re going to lose it eventually, so why not get it over with now?

“It’s just not working,” you say and Jamie asks, “What’s not working? I’ll fix it, just tell me what it is.”

You shake your head and say, “I should go.”

You don’t sleep that night. 

You don’t want to see Jamie, so you sit on the back steps instead of the front. It’s not the same because you can’t see the sunrise and it feels too grey, too sterile. You wonder if you should move.

Table of Contents

[lexxieannie]

hi i’m gonna yap about Five Nights at Freddy’s

cw abuse, murder

okay so i rlly am just gonna spill my noggin rn cause it’s late and im Thinking.

so basically i’m trying to rlly put together my au here, greg centric cause im soooo hyperfixated on him rn.

ik security breach is supposed to be set in the future or smth but im not having none of that no siree it’s either gonna be set in present day or time ambiguous with 80s-early 2000s vibes!! but also like the timelines so messed up just ignore it for now (for story reasons mike, will, evan, elizabeth, etc. are all here too alive in well. it’s kinda like a timeline splurge.)

greg grows up in a pretty unstable home. he loves his mom a lot even tho she’s distant and not the greatest. greg’s dad was abusive so she left, taking him with her. from there on she just kinda floats from guy to guy, a lot of them rlly abusive towards both her and greg. when he’s young, one of the men end up pulling a gun on his mom, greg’s only like 7 so he obviously goes to call the police but the man throws him out and locks the door. gregory spends hours pounding on the door trying to get back in. it starts to rain and he’s cold, hungry, and scared. enter everyone’s favorite william afton!!!

very much midnight motorist. the purple car pulls up on the road behind him. william gets out to lend a hand. he can’t just let this little guy sit here in the rain!!! greg’s not like the other kids, he’s cautious and jumpy and doesn’t talk to strangers. greg’s seen him around, heard stories.

will offers to give him a ride, a dry set of clothes, but it’s clear the kids not having it.

right as will goes to grab him, the neighbors come out. williams forced to hand him over, posing as a good samaritan.

he’s seen him before. he’s in evan’s grade. he makes sure to keep an eye on him, just doing his part!

gregory ends up going in and out of some pretty bad foster families, getting kicked out, sent back, etc. after a particularly bad run that left him with a lot of physical/emotional scars, gregory runs away.

he makes it a week. cold, tired, sick, and hungry before who other than good ol bill afton shows up!!!! gregory has no other choice but to accept his offer. will takes advantage of greg’s situation and background. he lets him get into the diners and plex free of charge, even lets him beta test some of the games!!! no wonder he gets such high scores :) wills given him so much, the least he could do in return is let him use his mind sometimes!!

basically from here the entirety of ggy happens, accept greg’s finally able to snap out of it before killing tony. afton/glitchtrap gives him a choice. him or tony. the next day tony wakes up in his bed with no recollection of the night before and greg’s desk at school empty. cassie calls tony crying, having heard her dad mention an “incident” at work. gregorys missing posters go up around hurricane days later.

sb takes place and gregory is missing a lot in his memory. he knows who he is, some of his friends, but that’s about it. he’s still living on the streets and since summer started he no longer gets school lunches and amenities so he sneaks into the plex.

okay this isn’t thru but i’m going to bed pls talk to me about this. greg’s got mad tism btw ok hit post

[whowantslovergirl]

Daddy’s Home

Gojo Satoru x influencer! reader (gender is not specified)

warnings: fame au!, gojo is a famous actor, HIS THEME SONGGG, established relationship (married), and that’s it hope you enjoy my lovers 🤍 miscellaneous masterlist 

Summary: Y/N teasing Gojo with his theme song

posted: September 22,2023

The first time you saw an edit of your husband to a song that has the lyrics of “daddy’s home” you laughed.

Then you started seeing more and more. His fans calling it ‘his theme song’ and Gojo had no idea this is happening.

So you show him.

_____

Gojo was on his way home from a day at work he couldn’t wait to see you and tell you about his day.

_____

You set up ur phone to the door so your fans can see the door.

“Ok so I’m teasing Satoru with his theme song for the rest of the week.” You laughed and you hear his coming through the gate.

“Oh my god he’s here!” You were rushing to get the song ready. Then you hear his keys.

Do your damn thing all I wanna hear

Is you say, "Daddy's home, home for me"

And I know you've been waiting for this lovin' all day

“What the hell?” He said closing the door.

You were playing the music so loud that you can barely him plus you were singing loud.

He motions you to pause it and you did. “Y/N what the hell are you doing? The fuck is daddy’s home?!” You were laughing at his reaction.

“I’m just playing a song Toru.”

“What the fuck?!” He went to his room with a shocked looked on his face.

After he left you stopped the video and posted it immediately.

After a few minutes the comments and likes came flowing in.

User1 BYEE HIS FACE IS KILLING ME 😭

Gojoiswifey “the fuck is daddy’s home 😰”

Y/nislife THIS IS TOOO FUNNY

User2 i love how he’s so clueless

User3 THE WAY HE DOESN’T KNOW HIS THEME SONG IS KILLINGGG ME 😭😭

_____

“Welcome to day two of teasing toru with his theme song.” You can hear his keys. “He’s here!” You say out of excitement.

He opened the door and sighed from disappointment.

Daddy's home, home for me

And I know you've been waiting for this lovin' all day

You know your daddy's home

Again you were singing from the top of your lungs and dancing all over the place.

He’s just standing there. With the look of confusion.

You paused it and looked at him.

“Hey daddy!” You say spreading your arms out waiting for a hug.

“Y/N!”

You laughed again and put your arms down. “What Toru?”

“Is this like an everyday thing now? Why are you doing this?”

“It’s your theme song Toru.”

“What theme song?! I don’t even know the song!” He ran his hands through his hair out of stress and walked to his room.

You started giggling as you ended the video.

hsydn BOY WAS STRESSED OUTTTT 😭😭

gojosoprettyfr he already had enough 😭

y/nistooofunny “i don’t even know the song 😰😰”

nina💅💋 THE SIGH OF DISAPPOINTMENT

User173939273903 THE SPEED WALKING BYEEEE 😭

_____

“Day three of teasing Toru with his theme song.”

When he came in the room he just looked at you and walked to his room. You paused it out of shock.

“Gojo! You’re not gonna say hi to me?!”

He came rushing back. “I found out your little game. Yea I called Nanami and he told me that people are making edits of my roles to this song.”

You just stood there letting him rant.

“We all have ‘our theme songs’ and mine is daddy’s home! And you liked the videos! So you’re not slick Y/N!” He went back to the room. And you went over to end the video out of shock.

no💋 HE FOUND US GUYS TAKE COVER 🫡

onechancey/n WHY ARE YOU STANDING LIKE THIS 🧍‍♀️

lover 🤍 THE LOOK OF SHOCK I CANTTTT

notthis 🥳 not him finding out 🫢

_____

The next day when you came home from running errands. You hear a specific song.

She’s maneater

Make you work hard, make you work hard

Make you spend hard, make you want all of her love

Your theme song.

“How do you like it?!” Gojo exclaimed.

An: DADDYS HOMEEEEE this was a random fic as well but until i post again my lovers 🤍 *hint: not the nate jacobs x reader 🤪*

[stusbunker]

Spotless: Eco

Chapter Eleven

Featuring: Dean Winchester/Reader, Dean/Bela

Other characters: Bobby, Bela, Dick Roman and Kobe Bryant mentioned (look, he wasn't supposed to be here but I did my research and well, he had to be), Anael, faceless paps

Word Count: 1683 with pictures

Warnings, etc: Mutual pining, tour planning, brunch and shopping with Bela, unbeta'd

Series Masterlist

“Okay, well the official schedule from the touring company arrived, so I have maybe a week to set up the promo interviews before they announce it publicly,” you said over the phone.

“Yeah, with Crowley it’s probably gonna be sooner. Annie’s gotta find someone to step in for the whole year with this so she’s already interviewing. Let me know if you need anything, because I’m just sitting on my hands until we’re actually rolling out,” Bobby replied solemnly.

The give me something to do, please, was implied.

“Check with Benny and his boys, I know the label is supplying some guys too, but I trust you to secure the crew and security schedules,” you said as you made another note on your ever increasing list of to do’s.

Two months may have seemed like a long time, but it was the shortest turn around you’d had for a tour since taking over as publicist for Phantom Traveler and you’d be damned if you fucked it up.

“With the holidays coming up, we’ll be in a pinch to get everything nailed down. But all the commotion with Bela and everything, people will be chomping at the bit to get actual news,” you added, staring unfocused at your computer monitor.

“And he’s got that interview coming up you said, just Dean for that one?” Bobby asked.

“Yeah,” you sighed. “I really hope Meg doesn’t eat him alive. But it’s his chance to give his side of things and for people to see where his head is at now.”

“The sassy little brunette, right?”

“The very one.”

“Is it going to be a tit-for-tat thing? Is Cas gonna be next for a tell-all?”

“Bobby, I don’t think Cas would do an interview and talk bad about Dean even if they paid him. He’s moved on.”

“If you say so, Dean didn’t exactly play nice.”

“He must have had hundreds of offers for the dirt since leaving the band. And everything I hear about him now is just about the kid he’s working with and how they’re creating something unique.”

“I just know how that reporter liked him— the last time.”

“I’m sure she’s going in with the bias against Dean here. Time will tell if she can be swayed,” you admitted. “Plus, Dean won't be alone. We made sure there'll be a few of us there to make it easier.”

“To keep him from making a damned fool of himself you mean.”

“Basically.”

Bobby sat on the other end of the line with his gruff silence before continuing, “you going home for Christmas?”

“Yeah, got the usual stuff with my folks for Christmas Eve then I’m helping Ellen on Christmas day. I’m flying so I won’t be gone more than a few days. Probably end up spending half of it at airports with my luck.”

“Okay, just checkin’.”

“You guys have any plans?”

“Just service on the night before and maybe something with Annie’s cousins. Might just be a train of open houses.”

“Wow, I’m impressed.”

“Hey, I didn’t say I’d enjoy myself.”

You laughed and wrapped it up with a promise to touch base before you left town. The next two days were a whirlwind of emails and phone calls. You put off confirming brunch with Bela for Sunday, but relented from guilt, as she now had regular visits from paparazzi outside her townhouse due to her and Dean’s night club-hopping. You finished up your Saturday errands and plopped yourself onto your stationary bike in a last ditch effort to fend off your restlessness until it was a reasonable enough time to crash.

God, your life was so exciting.

Bela poured you another glass from the endless pitcher of mimosas. “Anyway, I guess Dean got us tickets to the Lakers’ game tomorrow night, like I actually care about baseball.”

“Basketball,” you corrected, taking a sip.

“Exactly,” Bela smirked.

“How good are the tickets? He doesn’t really follow it either,” you continued, worried they’d be in an embarrassing section.

“I think he said something about getting the label’s box for the game?” She tried to play innocent.

You almost spit out your drink. “The entire box?”

“It’s not floor seats’ exposure, but it will be worth it at least. I think he said he called in a favor with Dick?”

“Dick Roman is giving Dean access to his exclusive luxury box at the Staples Center?” You were floored, you opened your phone and googled who they were playing. “Holy fuck, they’re retiring Kobe’s number tomorrow. It’s going to be insane. There’s no way that box isn’t gonna be packed, but at least you can bump elbows with the uppity ups.”

“Kobe Bryant, yeah? He was quite prolific,” Bela seemed pleased. 

“Uh, yeah, played his whole career here,” you added, but put your phone away. Unwilling to text Dean a ‘wtf’ text while you still had another hour of drinks and foodstuffs to get through. “What are you going to wear?”

Bela slid her most compelling face on. “I was hoping we could find something together. It’s been ages since we drunk shopped. Plus, it’s the holidays so I will need to be a bit tipsy if I want to deal with the crowds.”

You had literally nothing left to buy for Christmas, but drunk shopping was a time-honored tradition between the two of you. Plus, it was fun watching Bela work her magic and pull a stunning outfit together out of seemingly discordant pieces.

“Three stores and I’m getting my own ride home, missy,” you warned with a firm pointer finger.

“Of course!” Bela chuckled and tucked into her eggs, eyes flitting back to you with conspiratorial delight.

You finished off your mimosa and finally saw to your french toast.

Bela’s driver took you to all of her favorite haunts and naturally she weaseled her way in to see the best stylists, at least those who were actually on hand on the Sunday afternoon before Christmas. At Sister Jo’s boutique, the owner herself greeted Bela with a double cheek kiss and hug. 

“What are you doing here? Wait, don’t tell me, you need an outfit asap because your little rocker boy toy needs arm candy,” the woman, who was actually named Anael, teased.

“You know me too well,” Bela replied. “This is my dear friend, Y/N, and we’re a bit on the tilt from brunch, but I simply had to come see you. I need something casual and sexy. It’s for a basketball game.”

You waved as she nodded in your direction, not wanting to break the momentum.

Anael frowned and looked Bela over, with much consideration. Then she hummed before asking, “how do you feel about hats?”

Nearly two hours and a top off on champagne later (to keep your buzzes going), you and Bela walked out of the shop with a bag each and a receipt ensuring Bela would be back in the morning for the alterations on the remaining garments.  

“Well, I’d say that was a successful outing,” Bela said with pride, the pink in her cheeks the only hint of her lingering inebriation.

“I’d say,” you agreed, opening the back door of her pre-ordered ride. “I still can’t believe they had something that would work for me for New Year’s.”

Bela waited on the curb until she could slide in the other side, but continued your trail of thought. “Anael is good people, if she likes something, she carries it. Doesn’t matter the size or price, she is all about how an outfit makes you feel,” Bela explained.

“Well, it worked, because I just spent more on myself than I have the entire year because of how good it felt on, so I get it,” you said, patting the bag at your feet.

Bela confirmed your address with the driver and then hers, thanking them for going out of their way in a way that she wasn’t actually apologizing for being a burden.

“You got eyes on you lady,” the driver warned, pointing towards the corner where a camera lens was trained on the car.

“Ignore them, they’ll find someone else before they follow us very far,” Bela promised and you could see her almost glaring at the rearview mirror for the driver to get the lead out.

You sat on the couch in your robe and sleep pants, hair still wet and wrapped on top of your head. You had crashed for a late afternoon nap after shopping and had rebounded with a blissfully long shower and skincare treatment. Now you watched mind numbing television and plotted out your schedule for the coming week. Even though it was cut short with holiday travels, it was full-to-bursting with things to get done.

You sighed and dragged out your suitcase from under your bed, dropped it on the couch and unzipped it to start packing. At least you could watch something while you organized. 

Just after ten your phone buzzed with a text message. You ignored it for a minute until you could find the remote beneath your pile of socks and paused your Lord of the Rings rewatch.

You stared at the conversation with the movie still paused, dumbfounded. One, that Dean sent you a goodnight text of all things and secondly that he was going to willingly give Bela his phone to post on social media about them. Because it’s not official until they’re both posting each other, or so they say. This was going to be big for the fan girls. You already knew Becky would be emailing you the second she saw it. But as far as fanclub presidents went, she wasn’t the worst. Then again, she would be more than a little bitter if Sam and Madison were the ones flaunting their relationship.

You put a reminder in your calendar to cover an extra sweep of SM while you were waiting out Dean’s interview Tuesday morning and then you tossed your phone back amongst your clothes. You were done for the night and so you shoved your half-packed suitcase on the floor and restarted the movie.

Tagging:

@deans-spinster-witch

@mrswhozeewhatsis

@cosicas-cuquis

@fics-pics-andotherthings-i-like

@suckitands33

@ladysparkles78

@deans-baby-momma

@stoneyggirl2

@sassy-pelican

@leigh70

@globetrotter28

@winharry

@lastactiontricia

@rockhoochie

Chapter Twelve: Hook

[sunnynwanda]

Blind or blinded: Part 2

Part 1

It was not a date. Not in the conventional sense, at least. Rather, a business meeting. 

They decided to get a coffee to avoid suspicions. After all, two adults sitting in a book cafè without any coffee or books would look weird, right? So, while Hero ordered their coffees, Villain browsed the bookshelves, picking a random book for them to have on the table.

After their disaster of a blind date, they spent two hours each lecturing Anita on the horrible mistake she had made by setting them up. She apologised, of course. Even though the knowing smile never left her eyes. 

They met two days later to discuss the results of the ‘educational work’ only to conclude that their friend didn’t seem sorry, not in the slightest. Both knew they had to retaliate in some way as punishment. This led to the third meeting, in which they designed a plan and the fourth, in which they might have celebrated the successful implementation of said plan. 

The fifth time they had come across each other was more of an accident. One that ended up with them on a rooftop, talking over politics and agreeing that the mayor needed some jail time.

Villain stops for a second, hand mid-air in front of the shelf. This was the sixth time they were meeting outside of the usual Hero vs Villain dynamic, and they hadn’t killed each other. In fact, they were able to communicate quite well. 

They notice Hero is back at their table and walk over, a heavy folio in hand. The smell of cinnamon and caramel hits their nostrils, earning a satisfied yet puzzled smirk. "You know my order?"

Why can't you just smile at me? Hero wants to ask. Instead, they run their fingertips over the cover of the book handed to them. “You know my favourite book?" 

Villain shakes their head, accepting the rules of the game. Uncomfortable questions with no answers, it is, then. Will you go out with me for real?

"What did you want to discuss?" They opt for the safer option, taking a sip of their drink. The sweet taste warms their tongue. Hero mirrors the action, drinking their double espresso, no sugar. Villain thinks only absolute lunatics can drink something so sharp and bitter with such a sweet fucking smile. Quite fitting.

"Our plans for the next two weeks," Hero says, meeting their nemesis' eye. "Or rather, the absence of those." They elaborate. Villain has to stop the cup from meeting their lips to avoid choking. 

Oh, right. It’s December 20th. 

"I remember. You and Anita demand a Christmas vacation," Villain replies, attempting to sound disdained and failing miserably. "What am I supposed to do, though?” 

Die of boredom? Another uncomfortable question Villain’d prefer unanswered and unuttered. 

"That's what I wanted to talk about, actually," Hero finds themselves unable to look at Villain, shifting slightly to face the window. For some reason, they were even more nervous now, after five full dates that did not result in murder. “Do you have any plans for our impromptu holidays?”

“Not... exactly,” Villain admits, reaching for their backpack and pulling out a book of their own. Hero offers them the most charming irritating cheerful smile, so they hurry to add before their enemy has a chance to mock them. “I’ll just spend some time on my hobby.”

“Your hobby?” Hero struggles to contain their excitement, the stupid butterflies tickling their lungs. Villain, however, seems oblivious to the glint in their eyes, going for an offended tone again.

“Yes,” they retort, indignation filling their voice. When they agreed to go on a blind date with Anita’s second best friend, they might have suspected something. They might have chosen to act clueless about her scheme. They might have even accepted the possibility of seeing something more in their archnemesis. That was one of the two things Villain would never admit to. “What’s so surprising?” 

“I’m your hobby,” Hero claims, absolutely unashamed as they stare into Villain’s increasingly pink face. “Are you gonna spend some time on me?”

“That’s not what I...” their explanation is interrupted, but Villain fails to grasp the meaning behind Hero’s short comment. Their mind wanders towards their actual hobby, which does, in fact, involve Hero. For quite sometime now. And that is the second thing they weren’t willing to admit. 

“’Cause I don’t mind,” Hero claims, leaning back in their seat and emptying their cup in one gulp. The nerves are getting the best of them while the gorgeous nincompoop sits there, looking out of this world under the cold winter light.

“...meant,” it takes Villain several moments of silence and one teasing grin from Hero to register what their opponent has said. “Wait, what?”

Their brain positively short-circuits as they stare into negative space. Hero ignores that, reaching for their book to hide their trembling fingers. That blind date was the happiest accident that was granted to them by the universe, and Hero would be damned if they let the opportunity slip out of their hands. 

“You know what?” Villain starts, and Hero is about to apologise when Villain strikes them with the most ravishing smile imaginable, rendering them speechless. “I might just do that.”

With that, Villain leans back against their chair, opening the sketchbook on their lap. They watch Hero’s flustered expression turn ecstatic in a matter of mere seconds as the wheels spin harshly in their head. Now, this is a look they’ve never captured before. 

Their pencil barely manages to touch the clean page when Hero breaths out, half-choked. “God, I’m in love with you.”

Villain’s head snaps up as they drop the sketchbook, not noticing the pencil that rolls off their lap when they lean over the table, grabbing Hero’s chin and kissing them without warning.

Anita has to bite down her palm to suppress a victorious yelp as she walks away from the cafe with a jump in her steps. “I think it’s safe to say you both owe me one. Oblivious Idiots.”

Part 1

Masterlist

[hockeylovee12]

My Captains Sister-Adam Fantilli

Chapter One

Summary: After returning from a study abroad Lucy Moyle develops a crush on one of her brother’s teammates.

Lucy Moyle had just returned to Michigan after spending the first half of her sophomore year abroad and could not be more excited.

She loved her experience and wouldn’t trade it for the world but she also missed her family including her older brother Nolan Moyle who is currently captain of the University of Michigan hockey team.

She came home mid December and spent the last few weeks with her family but with the second semester starting up it was time for her and Nolan to return to Michigan.

Her parents flew out with the two of them a few days before the start of the new year to help her move all of her stuff into Nolan’s house where she would spend the rest of her year living at and a few days later she was all set and her parents flew back home.

Nolan and her are pretty close and he too couldn’t be more thrilled to have his baby sister back in town and living with him.

———————————————————————

Lucy had just finished her last class of the day and begins walking back to Nolan’s house. It was about a 20 minute walk but she made it and notices a few cars outside.

She ignores it and walks inside to see a few guys sitting on the couch with Nolan watching TV she recognizes a few of them as Nolan’s teammates from last year but some are new faces.

“Hey Luce these are just some guys from the team” Nolan says when he realizes she’s come into the house.

“You know Keato and Ethan and Mark these are a few of of the freshman that’s Adam and Luca Fantilli and Gavin Brindley and that’s Rutger McGroarty” Nolan introduces while pointing out the freshman.

“Guys this is my little sister Lucy” Nolan says there’s a few hi’s and nice to meet you but nothing else

“Hey we’re just finishing up a game then we’re gonna walk to the sports bar and grab some dinner wanna join?” Nolan offers

“No thanks I got so much homework and I should probably work on it” Lucy says

“ok good luck on it” Nolan says as Lucy starts walking to her room and shuts the door.

Nolan takes a seat back on the couch next to Keato and Gavin.

“I didn’t know you had a sister” the oldest Fantilli chirps

“ya she just got back she was studying abroad last semester” Nolan says he gets a few nods and then looks over at a few of the freshman who are sitting on the opposite couch “but she’s off limits so don’t even think about it” Nolan adds in a more serious tone.

A few of the freshman nod and put their hands up saying they got it and Nolan accepts it and the group goes back to enjoying the game.

Near the end of the game Adam gets up to refill his glass of water in the kitchen and finds Lucy as she’s filling up her water bottle.

“Hey Adam right” Lucy says

“Ya that’s me” Adam responds

“Nolan told me you played on the world Junior team for Canada you got the gold right?” Lucy asks

“ya ya I did it was an amazing experience” Adam smiles

“that’s seriously awesome!”

“Ya and I heard you just got back from study abroad how was that experience?” Adam asks

“it was amazing we went to like 7 or 8 countries around Europe it was fantastic”

“what was your favorite place?”

“my favorite was probably Italy I loved the culture and scenery”

“Really cool I have family in Italy and we went to visit for the first time this summer” Adam tells Lucy.

The two continue in a conversation about Italy for around 5 minutes before Keato walks in

“Adam the game just ended you ready?” He asks

“Ya all set” He says

“it was nice talking to you” Adam tells Lucy then tosses his plastic cup away and walks over to Keato.

“Don’t get any ideas Nolan is really protective about his sister” Keato warns

“We were just talking about studying abroad” Adam says

“alright I’m just telling you” Keato says before they reach the rest of their group at the front door.

———————————————————————

The following weekend the Wolverines hockey team had a two game home stand against the Wisconsin Badgers which they won by 3 on Friday.

Lucy went to the game on Saturday night with a couple of her friends and after the wolverines won 7-2 her friends asked if she wanted to go to a party with them.

Lucy although not usually the party type agreed and headed back to their place.

She was already wearing a pair of black ripped jeans and borrowed and blue top from her friends before the headed out.

She sent a text to Nolan letting her know where she was going to and he responded with be careful. She rolled her eyes at his protectiveness and entered the party.

Her friends got her a truly and they all made their way to the dance floor. After about 20 something minutes Lucy had finished her first can and gotten another fruity flavored truly.

Half way through her second Lucy had started to feel the buzz kicking in and felt a little nauseous.

“Hey I’m gonna be right back” she told her equally drunk friends as she stepped off the dance floor.

She made her way closer to the drink table and steadied herself with the wall.

“Lucy you ok?” A voice asks her from behind she turns around and sees the youngest Fantilli standing their with a red solo cup in his hand. “Adam” She says

“hey” she continues

“are you ok?” He repeats

“ya ya I’m I’m great!”She tells him taking another sip of her drink

“are you here with somebody?” Adam asks

“ya ya my friends are right on the dance floor” Lucy says pointing to the crowd of people

“alright just be safe tonight ok” Adam tells her she nods her head and watches as he walks away in the opposite direction of her.

Lucy shakes her head at the feeling of awkwardness that conversation gave her and takes another sip of her drink before heading back to the dance floor to find her friends.

The group of girls continue dancing and soon Lucy finished her second drink and had another one in her hand. A few sips in she starts to feel dizzy and before she can process what’s happening she’s being carried out of the party and is sitting outside the house on the sidewalk.

“Hey here’s a water” Someone says

“thanks” a second voice says

“should we call Nolan?” The first one asks

“ya ya we should I’ll stay with her” she hears footsteps retreating as her head tries making sense of what’s happening

“Lucy hey it’s Adam you need to drink some water” the second voice says her vision starts to clear and she sees him sitting next to her holding her up with an open water bottle in his hand. 

Lucy reaches out with her cheeks red and gently takes the bottle from his hand brushing up against his hand. Lucy takes a few sips of the cold water and shivers.

“Here take my jacket” Adam says taking off the black jacket and wrapping it around her shoulders.

Lucy starts to feel this tingling sensation inside of her stomach and something comes over her as she looks up at Adam and wraps her arms around him then plants her lips on him. It takes a second for the shock to set in but he kisses her back. Soon the world goes silent and the two of them sit there kissing.

“What the fuck!” A voice shouts the two break out of the kiss immediately and see a not so pleased Nolan who starts getting out of the white vehicle he pulled up in.

Adam immediately takes in the situation while it takes Lucy a few extra seconds to realize what exactly just occurred. “Nolan I I didn’t it’s not not what you think she she kissed me and it just happened I promise” Adam defends himself to his extremely pissed off captain while starting to get up.

Luca Fantilli who had called Nolan in the first place gets a good view of the situation from afar and starts rushing over to cool it down but doesn’t make it in time to prevent Nolan from sucker punching Adam in the jaw and then proceeding to rip the jacket off of his younger sisters shoulders and throwing it towards his bleeding teammate.

Luca checks on Adam as he sees Nolan practically drag his younger sister to the passenger seat of his white car and then drive off leaving the two brothers on the sidewalk.

When the pair of siblings arrive back at their shared home. Nolan practically carries a still drunk Lucy to her room and tucks her into bed before angrily shutting the lights and slamming the door.

———————————————————————

Meanwhile the Fantilli brothers had taken an Uber back to their shared dorm and the oldest Luca had some words to say about his brothers taste in make out partners.

“Dude” is the first thing to come out of Luca’s mouth when they step into their room.

“Don’t dude me” Adam says with a scoff

“You don’t go after someone’s sister come on man everyone knows this” Luca continues

“You literally dated Rutgers sister and she kissed me!” Adam yells

“That’s different Rutger literally set us up and Nolan explicitly said his sister is off limits! And you go and kiss her!”

“So I should’ve left her drunk on the side of the road called Nolan and been like hey your sisters drunk come get her and gone back to the party right” Adam says sarcastically

“No but you still totally fucked up like what we’re you thinking?” Luca raises his voice a little

“Right now I’m thinking I really wishing I was drunker because anything would be better than having this conversation with you!” Adam yells grabbing his keys off of his desk and walking out of the room.

———————————————————————

The next morning Lucy Moyle wakes up with a massive headache and no memory of the night before then proceeds to roll out of bed still in her clothes from last night.

She walks out of her room to see her brother who’s doing homework in the kitchen.

“Good morning” She says forgetting the events that occurred last night

“it’s noon” Nolan harshly replies

“geez what’s got you in a mood” she comments

“do you not remember what happened last night?” Nolan says in a louder tone

“no not really but I do have a headache so can you keep your voice down” She says walking to the medicine cabinet to grab two Advil

“how about I refresh your memory you got drunk at a frat party and Adam and Luca took you outside, Luca called me to pick you up and when I get there you’re making out with Adam!” Nolan yells Lucy’s face pales and her eyes open wide

“No I didn’t” Lucy asks appalled by the news of her drunken actions

“oh my god I have to apologize” Lucy says and starts rushing to her room only to be pulled back into the kitchen by Nolan

“Absolutely not!” Nolan raises his voice still with a firm but not painful grip on Lucy’s arm Lucy winces at the harsh tone

“Nol it wasn’t his fault! It was mine please I need to apologize” Lucy defends

“No you are not to see or speak to Adam again!” Nolan says Lucy rolls her eyes

“I mean it Lucy! You better stay the hell away from Adam!” Nolan says before walking towards his room and slamming his door.

A/N All images are from Pinterest

[cowgurrrl]

Going throw out some ideas for one shots for your Look for the Light series: Charlie's 1st birthday, one of their Christmas' (before or after she is born depending on the timeline), first time she rides a pony/horse?

I LOVE THE BIRTHDAY IDEA ps i'm so sunburnt and sleepy so idk if this works but HERE pps I’m gonna start tagging my songs in the titles so here

Sooner

Pairing: Joel Miller x fem!reader

Warnings: what is grief if not love persevering [1.1k]

Birthdays are hard in the Miller household. They always remind you that you've lived another year without normalcy or the people you loved. Joel didn't even tell you when his birthday was for the first few months you knew him, that September day looming large over all of you. You always try to do fun stuff during the day for Ellie's birthday, but the night is hers. Every year since you've settled in Jackson, she sits outside and looks up at the stars on the final hours of her birthday. The year she turned seventeen, you finally asked her what she does when she's out there, and she turned red before nervously admitting, "I, uh, talk to my mom." You never asked her about it again. Your birthday has felt unimportant since you were sixteen with a baby. It feels even more unimportant without Jane. But Charlie, Charlie's birthday is the best.

You spend weeks planning her first birthday, and it's a little stupid considering she won't remember it, but Joel doesn't try to stop you. It's in August, never too hot or cold, and all the kids are still out of school. You invite the Other Millers and a few friends you've made on patrol, and Ellie invites Jessie and Dina. On the day of her birthday, you, Ellie, and Joel spread flowers around two picnic tables, framing her little cake in the middle and setting up pitchers of water and homemade lemonade. Tommy and Joel grill while you and Ellie take turns with Charlie, who's wearing an adorable yellow dress and a hat that's only slightly too big for her head. You didn't expect anyone to bring anything, but sure enough, your friends and even Jessie show up with little wrapped gifts and put them on the table next to the cake.

It's a beautiful day. Bees buzz through the air, and a nice breeze rustles the leaves. It's a much better day than a year ago when you were in excruciating pain for several hours. You know you would do it all over again for how Charlie reaches for you or for getting to see her grow. She's started pulling herself up on things recently. It doesn't matter if it's a chair, the couch, or a table; she will grab part of it and stand on her own two legs. Her favorite is to pull herself up on the desk in the corner of the living room and point at the faded pictures of you and Jane and Joel and Sarah. In the pictures, Joel and Sarah pose for a camera at a soccer game, and you and Jane smile from your place on a curb. Charlie will stare at them for as long as she can stand, like she's trying to memorize the two faces that almost look like her.

It hurts that pictures and stories are the closest she'll ever get to knowing Sarah and Jane, but you do your best to tell her about them. You tell her about how Jane lived in your belly just like she did and about how much she liked music. You tell her that Sarah liked soccer and lived with her daddy before you met. You doubt she understands, but talking about them that way makes it a little easier to deal with their constant absence. You think about them as everyone starts singing Happy Birthday to Charlie, a single candle flickering in the breeze as Charlie bops her head to the words. You laugh and fight tears as you encourage her to blow out her candle, and before you can even "help" her blow it out, the wind picks up and extinguishes the flame all on its own. You and Joel make eye contact over Charlie's head and share a secret thought, smiling to yourselves before kissing Charlie's cheeks and cutting the tiny cake.

Then, you open gifts with Charlie on your lap and Joel by your side. Ellie sits across from you two on the picnic table, hands Charlie each present, and helps organize them in true big sister fashion. Jessie got her a hand-me-down book about the moon, a few of your friends knitted her blankets or hats for the winter, and Tommy and Maria got her hand drum which she immediately started banging on the second you unwrapped it. You thank everyone and clap Charlie's hands for her once you're all done, but Ellie slides a wrapped box across the table before you can move.

"Bel, you didn't have to get her anything." You say, and she shrugs.

"I wanted to," she says, and you look at Joel. "Besides, it's not just for her." You smile and reach across the table to grab her hand as you and Joel work together to open the box, Charlie reaching for the shredded paper as it falls. When you open the gift and see what's at the bottom, you gasp and put a hand over your mouth. Joel wraps an arm around your shoulder and sniffles as he pulls the frame out to look at it in the summer sun.

Inside the beautiful yellow frame is a drawing with Ellie's signature on the bottom. It's your family. Jane is tucked safely in front of you, a hand on her shoulder, as you hold Charlie on your left hip. Joel is to your right because he always is, and Ellie and Sarah are on either side of him—all six of you together for the first and last time. "I used the photos on the desk for the drawings, and Tommy helped, too. I hope that's okay," Ellie says as a tear falls down your cheek. You shift Charlie in your arms so you can walk over and hug Ellie tightly. Charlie kicks her legs excitedly at being so close to her sister, and you sniffle. "D'you like it?"

"Honey, I love it. It's so beautiful and thoughtful. Thank you." You say as you look at her. She smiles and wipes your tears away, making you laugh. Charlie wiggles her way into Ellie's arms while Joel comes over to hug Ellie. There, wrapped up in a Williams-Miller sandwich, Joel and Ellie say something you can't hear, but when they break their hug, both of them have tears staining their faces.

That night, you hang the frame in the living room so you can see it every day. Charlie kisses Sarah and Jane's frozen faces before you put it up and every day after that, she pulls herself up onto the couch so she can point at the picture of her complete family. Every once in a while, she'll blow kisses or bang on her drum before looking up at Jane as if she were there to coach her. You like to think that she is. You like to think they're both just in the next room over, whispering secret messages and leaving clues for you to find. You like to think they know and love Charlie in the way that you will always know and love them.

[emphasisonthehomo]

Where Waters Do Not Curve

An au where Danny is trans and a PI, and somehow gets all tangled up in Five-0. And Steve.

Part One:

Sewing on a Different Kind of Seam

Rating: T

“Initial consultation starts at $100.00 an hour,” Danny says, and hides a yawn behind his hand, faux casual.

Kelly’s expression gets slightly sharper, a little meaner, and McGarrett’s scowl deepens.

OR

Danny Williams is a Private Investigator.

It changes a lot of things.

Part Two:

If I had a Choice I’d Tear it Asunder

Rating: T

“I’m gonna offer him the job, I think. Williams,” Steve says.

“The PI?” Chin stares, “You’re serious?”

“He punched you in the face,” Kono says.

OR

Steve and Danny spend a few days being those assholes that talk in the library just a little too loudly.

Part Three:

Vertigo from the Mess You’re In

Rating: E

“You want me to introduce us to witnesses as Commander McGarrett and Mr. Williams?” Steve’s hands are on his hips and he’s starting to get a Face.

“Not everything needs a military style rank,” Danny points out reasonably.

OR

Danny's first couple weeks with Five-0 are a roller coaster.

Part Four:

Miscellany I

Rating: T - M

Steve clears his throat and then hesitantly says, “I have a beach.”

“… Excuse me?”

“There’s a beach, in the backyard,” Steve’s got this determined look on his face, Danny can’t fathom why, “You and Grace are welcome to it, if you’d like.”

OR

Miscellaneous bits and pieces from the series, including:

Steve meets Grace.

Danny at the gay bar.

The champ box.

Part Five:

A Fool for Playing the Game

Rating: E

Rachel meets Danny Williams at the beginning of the fall semester of her final year at university. She’s set to graduate next summer, and it’s her semester abroad.

He’s kind of short, but he’s attractive, with wide shoulders and a smile that spells the exact kind of trouble she’s looking for.

OR

Hitting someone with your car only counts as a "meet cute" if the marriage lasts.

Part Six:

Deep Inside Your Hands are Tied

Rating: M

“Do they know?” Matty asks, with a forced casualness that Danny has learned over the years means he’s dead serious.

“Does who know?” Danny replies, even though he absolutely knows what Matty’s asking about.

OR

The closet door gets thrown open.

Part Seven:

Miscellany II

Rating: T - M

“Anyway, are you up for a quick gender 101 course?” Danny asks, apropos of nothing.

“Uh. Sure?” Steve says.

OR

Miscellaneous bits and pieces from the series, including:

An HRT Crash Course.

Joe White makes an appearance.

Sometimes you don't actually want to know someone else's business.

Claustrophobia.

Part Eight:

(When You Hold Me) Press My Skin Until it’s Sore

Rating: E

“My contract’s up soon,” Danny says on a Saturday morning.

“You gonna renew it?” Steve asks, trying to keep his tone light because a small part of him is worried the answer’s going to be ‘no.’

“Yes,” Danny looks deeply insulted at even being asked, “Unless this is the point where you’ve suddenly decided I’m awful and you want to fire me.”

OR

Steve thinks things over, and decides to do what he shouldn't.

Part Nine:

Miscellany III

Rating: T - M

“It’s about time they put that building out of its misery,” Steve says dryly.

“Your irrational hatred of my apartment is, again, a moot point –” Danny starts.

“It’s a shithole, Danno.”

OR

Miscellaneous bits and pieces from the series, including:

I love you Danny thinks

Freddie has a vacation

[serpentinearchitect17]

Just a short scene I wrote because Zutara has been occupying about 90% of my thoughts lately 😅

Side Note: This scene diverges from canon after the end of the war because damn it, Zuko and Katara will always end up together in whatever context, scene, or story I write. I’m also still working on my full fledged fanfic! I don’t want to give away too many details, but it is a Modern-Day AU with Lunar New Year celebrations, and an extreme amount of fluff and pining. I can’t wait to finally share it! I’m hoping for a late spring/early summer release on AO3, but that may be optimistic because I write about as fast as a snail-sloth.

Anyway, without further ado…

*****

~Zuko’s Favorite Color~

Three years after the end of the 100 Year War, the Gaang meets on Ember Island to spend the week together. Before leaving, Zuko asked Iroh to take over his Fire Lord duties for the time being, just so he could spend his holiday relaxing and enjoying his time with his friends.

They’re all lounging on the beach at the night, drinking tea around a fire.

After slurping her tea and setting the empty cup aside, Toph turns to the group.

“Let’s play a game,” she suggests. “The rules are simple. All you have to do is guess Sparky’s favorite color. The winner gets to have all of their meals paid for by him tomorrow.” She slaps Zuko, who’s sitting next to her, on the back. With a wicked grin, she continues, “And the loser has to plant one on him tonight, with his consent, of course.”

Zuko chokes on his tea. “Hey, wait a minute! None of that is even remotely fair,” he protests, gesturing wildly. He glares at the world’s greatest Earthbender with a scowl. “Either I have to dole out money or I have to give out a kiss. How does any of that benefit me? And why in Agni’s name would we play a game where you all guess my favorite color? It makes so sense!”

Sokka laughs. “Dude, you’re just afraid I’m gonna win and you’re gonna have buy me food. You’ve seen the way I eat - you’ll be out of money by the end of tomorrow!

Snorting, Zuko shakes his head. “Buddy, I think you’re afraid that you’re gonna lose and have to kiss me.”

“Psh, you’d be lucky to kiss me! I’m a real catch, aren’t I, Suki?”

Suki kisses her boyfriend’s cheek and coos, “You sure are.”

Impatiently, Toph sighs. “Are you in or not, Fire Lord? C’mon, you’re among friends. No one’s gonna hurt you. You can back out if you wanna, but I think it’ll be fun.”

Zuko knows she’s right. It’s all in good fun. These are his friends - the ones he’s trusted time and time again. No one would be cruel. Plus, if he’s being honest, he’s hoping that he’ll get to kiss a certain someone tonight. Someone he’s had a crush on for a long time.

“Fine,” Zuko mutters. “Go ahead.”

Toph gleefully rubs her hands together. “Excellent. Does everyone consent to the rules of the game?”

A chorus of ‘yeahs’, ‘yeses’, and ‘yeps’ goes around.

“Sweet,” Toph says. “I’ll go first. Sparky’s favorite color is…blue.”

Sokka nods sagely. “Yep, it’s 100% blue, no doubt about it.”

Suki chimes in with, “I agree. It’s totally blue.”

Aang hums, stroking his chin. “I think blue would be the correct answer here.”

It’s Katara’s turn. She furrows her brows and frowns. “Why are you all saying blue? His favorite color is obviously red! It’s the color of his homeland, and every article of clothing he owns has some shade of red in it!”

Zuko’s cheeks flush to a deep crimson. He feels himself sinking further into the sand. “Um…” he trails off, scrubbing his hands over his face. He’s not even sure how to respond.

Everyone looks at him expectantly.

Toph smirks. “So, Sparky, what is your favorite color?”

He knows he can’t lie. He’s never been able to, and he doesn’t think he could start now. He decides to give in, resigned to his fate.

Peeking between his fingers, he mumbles, “It’s…um…blue.”

Toph laughs uproariously. “Called it! And we all know why! See, you love blue because everything about it reminds you of Sugar Queen.”

Sokka makes a gagging sound, but offers his own explanation. “Blue is the color of her eyes, which you’re constantly drawn to, by the way. Don’t think I haven’t noticed.”

Suki smiles. “Blue is the color of the clothing that she wears.”

Finally, Aang wraps up the conversation with, “Blue is the color of water, which is the element that she bends.”

Katara has been silent this whole time, her entire face highlighted in a lovely, rosy hue. She only has eyes for Zuko right now.

Quietly, she stands from her spot and crosses over to him, sitting down beside him. “Is any of this true?” she asks him softly, an unreadable expression on her face.

A shaky breath leaves his lips, and he nods. “Yeah, all of it,” he answers honestly, feeling his heart thump wildly.

Then, to his complete dismay, she gives him breathtaking smile.

Her ocean blue eyes never leave his as she murmurs, “Now might be a good time to tell you my favorite two colors.” She pauses, leaning over to brush the hair out of his eyes. “Red and gold because they’ll always be a part of you, Zuko. Every time I see those colors, I immediately think of you.”

His gasp is low, but an enormous grin overtakes his face. “Really?”

“Really.” She turns back to the group, who’s been watching with rapt attention. With a gentle smirk, she shrugs. “Guess I lost the game. And I’m nothing if not a gracious loser.”

Zuko hears Sokka snort, but only focuses on Katara.

“Do you really want to kiss me?” he asks nervously, hands clenching the bottom of his tunic to keep them from shaking. “Because I want to kiss you. Spirits, do I ever want to. But, your comfort comes first to me, always. So, we can forget this whole thing if it makes you uncomfortable.”

“I want to,” she sighs dreamily. “I’ve been waiting three years. Don’t make me wait any more.”

With that, they both lean and their lips touch. Finally.

As they continue to kiss, Zuko vaguely registers the sounds of claps, hollers, and an indignant whine of, “Dude, that’s my sister!” in the background.

Eventually, Katara pulls back to catch her breath, leaving Zuko in a dazed state.

She giggles, presses a light kiss to his scarred cheek, and says, “I think you may need to tap into the Fire Nation’s budget tomorrow. Your personal finances aren’t going to look so good with all of those mouths to feed.”

His eyes widen and dart to his friends, who all wave back at him smugly.

Groaning, he wraps his arm around her waist to pull her closer.

He addresses the group. “You’re all the worst. But…” he trails off to kiss the top of Katara’s head. “This stupid game was worth it.”

[fanby-fckry]

39, 35, and 33, for ask game

Yet another writing ask

Thanks for the asks! :3

39. Wildest AU scenario you have written?

I haven’t posted either of these, but it has to be either the A/B/O deconstruction I mentioned in this ask – purely on the basis of being an A/B/O – or the Rapunzel!Jaskier/Dandelion Witcher AU I’ve got set aside.

The Count and Countess de Lettenhove steal dandelions from a witch, who demands their unborn son as payment. The witch names him Dandelion and locks him in a tower for 19 years. Then, one fateful day, the Count and Countess hire Geralt of Rivia to go rescue their now 19 year old son.

Tangled-style hijinks ensue, including Dandelion trying to attack Geralt due to fear of outsiders, demanding to spend a day out on the town before he decides whether to stay with the witch or leave the tower for good, and breaking into random musical numbers – much to Geralt’s chagrin.

The working title is, Dandelion, Dandelion, Let Down Your Hair.

I’ve got a prologue and part of the next chapter written, but it’s on the back burner along with all my other Witcher WIPs.

35. Thoughts on writing challenges/contests.

I love them! Well, I love the idea of them. I think in theory, they’re great for inspiration, motivation, and getting involved in the community for a certain fandom/ship/character. I don’t usually do so well with actually participating in them, though.

I’m going to attempt to participate in Ace Alastor Week this April; hopefully the fact that it’s only seven days long and over a month away means I’ll be able to finish it, haha. 😅

33. Give your writing a compliment.

Oh fuck, again? You guys are gonna make me appreciate my own accomplishments. I don’t think I’ve done this much self validation in one day since the last time I focused on it in therapy, lol.

Ok, you know what? I do a good job writing Lilith.

I was particularly worried about writing Lilith. Men writing women is a meme and all, but I was legitimately afraid that I might start a “transmascs writing women,” controversy – that my Lilith could wind up two dimensional and over-sexualized.

Because the thing about Lilith is that historically, her sexuality is a huge part of her character. I couldn’t just exclude it entirely, especially not while writing from her allosexual husband’s POV. I needed to find the right balance, make sure I was writing her as a person who is confident in her sexuality, not a sex object or a person defined by her sexuality.

And I think I did a damn good job. Lilith is mischievous, intelligent, supportive, protective, vengeful, patient… And I believe all of those qualities show in her characterization, pretty much right from the start.

While UH3 – especially Bloodlust and Butterflies – tends to focus more on Lucifer and Alastor than on Lilith, I wrote her as a person. Not as an accessory to the main ship, not as a 2D plot device, not as a walking pair of boobs. And I’m proud of myself.

[joshscurlyhair]

☽ 𝕖𝕟𝕚𝕘𝕞𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕔 - 𝕛𝕠𝕤𝕙 ☽

Summary: Meet Willow, she likes to spend her time in cafes and read. She likes to be her own person and is mainly introverted, what happens when she unexpectedly meets Josh in a cafe. Josh can’t seem to take his eyes off of her, there’s just something about her that’s incredibly intriguing. Will he go up and talk to her?

Warnings: language

☾Join the Taglist!☽ : @jordierama @fangirl-problems-blog

Word count: 500

˚ʚ♡ɞ˚ ˚ʚ♡ɞ˚ ˚ʚ♡ɞ˚ ˚ʚ♡ɞ˚ ˚ʚ♡ɞ˚ ˚ʚ♡ɞ˚ ˚ʚ♡ɞ˚ ˚ʚ♡ɞ˚

“For Willow?!”, the barista yells in the air as I subtly jolt going up to the counter where he set it on. I gave a nod and a smile then sat down next to the window.

I got out my laptop doing some assignments typing away on a APA paper I needed to finish writing. I took a sip of my iced drink and began to notice that the cafe was getting a bit packed for a Wednesday.

Hmm interesting

I shrugged it off and continue to type away on my paper. I took another sip of my iced macchiato but couldn’t shake my gut feeling of someone staring at me. I looked up and locked eyes with a guy who had curly locks, facial hair that was placed above his lips and below his chin. He was wearing light brown khakis, white shirt with a couple of layered necklaces over a brown winter coat.

He’s definitely attractive

He smirked at me and I gave a shy smile and looked down due to nerves and began typing once again.

“For Josh?!”, the barista yelled out

Josh, that’s his name

You saw he took his hot coffee and turned around searching for where to sit. He began making his way towards me, I looked down.

Oh shit he’s coming towards me

I could hear footsteps come closer to me until I saw white converse on the floor. I looked up and saw him give a cheeky smile. “Hi! Is this seat taken?”, he asked pointing to the empty chair that was in front of me. “U-uh no go ahead” I said giving a smile and adjusting myself in my seat.

Holy shit holy shit

He took a seat and placed his coffee directly in front of him. He adjusted himself in the seat then gave another smile. “I’m sorry if I’m disturbing you-“, “Oh no not at all! I was just finishing up” I say lying through my teeth. I closed my computer and placed it in my bag then adjusted myself in my seat once more. He clears his throat, “What’s your name?” He asks as he sipped his hot coffee. “Willow, I’m guessing yours is Josh?”, “Ah stalker huh?” He raised an eyebrow that I found attractive as hell. I gave a chuckle, “No I just heard the barista shout your name”

He gives a chuckle, “I’m just teasing ya” he says giving a wink. I began to instantly blush as I looked down. “You come here often?” I looked back up trying to keep the conversation open ended. “Yeah, I come here maybe like three times a week”, “Hmm how come I never seen you around then?” I raised an eyebrow as he chuckled noticing I was mimicking his movements. “Well, when you usually come here?”, “Only Friday through Sunday”.

“Ahhh that’s why. I come Monday through Wednesday.. maybe I need to start coming Friday through Sunday then” He says giving another wink. I chuckled and bit my lip nervously. “Well, Willow what are your hobbies?”. There was a slight pause to me thinking and gathering my thoughts. “Well, u-uh I like to read, write and maybe draw sometimes” I say giving a shy smile. “Mmm your very enigmatic”, you chuckle “I suppose I get called that a lot”.

He stared at my lips then up to my face analyzing me. “Yeah but, you’re very intriguing. Like something is pulling me to you”. You couldn’t help but start to blush again. He kept the consistent eye contact and smirked

This man has GAME!

There was a ringing in the air

“Ughh one sec”, he grabbed his phone out. “What? I’m busy”, “Seriously? Okay I’m on my way”

He hung up and looked at me. “I’m sorry I’m gonna have to go, my brother somehow lost our music sheet that we need for our next practice”

He’s in a band??

“Look I do find you very intriguing and I think I would like to get to know you. Would you like that?” He asks placing his phone in front of me with the new contact screen showed up. I began to type my phone number then my name in the blanks. I pushed the phone to him, “Yes I would Josh”

[cynicalone94]

Ch. 12 Outside Income

When Intelligence gets pulled in to solve a case that another unit can't seem to close, evidence quickly begins to suggest that the gang they're investigating has man on the inside. But what shouldn't be a big deal, Intelligence is known for rooting out corruption, quickly becomes a very big deal when something goes very, very wrong.

Read on AO3 here.

Her partner is sleeping.

That much isn’t new. It feels like Jay hasn’t done anything but sleep for the last week and a half.

The good part is that he’s finally sleeping in his own bed.

There’s still an oxygen concentrator sitting in the corner, a cannula situated under his nose. It’s expected to be there for a while as his lungs continue to heal but they are healing.

Only time will tell if he’ll heal enough to resume the high intensity job that he loves but at least now they know that he won’t be confined to a hospital bed for the rest of his life.

It’s still hard to listen to him breathe, every breath labored and sluggish but it’s getting better.

Things are looking up, looking better all the time.

“I can hear you thinking from over here.” Jay rasps tiredly, eyes still closed.

“Sorry partner.” she says with a wry smile. “I’ll go think somewhere else.”

“And keep not sleeping?” he asks. “Come over here.”

“Jay.” she cautions.

“Just to sleep.” he says. “Not trying to make a move on you. But I know you haven’t been sleeping well. Just come lie down where you can hear that I’m still breathing and get some sleep.”

“You think listening to you breathe like that is gonna put my mind at ease?” she asks with a smirk.

It doesn’t stop her from walking toward the bed, toeing out of her shoes and then climbing up next to him.

“No better lullaby out there.” he mutters.

“You’re an idiot.” she tells him even as she rests her head on the pillow.

“And yet you’ve been standing there watching me sleep for at least forty five minutes.” he counters.

“Well yeah.” she says. “Cause you’re my idiot. Now go back to sleep.”

He still hasn’t opened his eyes but he offers her a tired grin, settling deeper into his pillow.

Within seconds he’s back asleep and she returns the smile, stroking her fingers through his hair and then settles herself onto the pillow.

Soon enough she’s off to sleep herself.

He makes it out to the couch the next afternoon, watching a game on the television while Hailey mills around in the kitchen, handling his meds and trying to put together something for him to eat.

Will is coming over after work to spend the night and she’s probably going to go home. Take care of some things around her apartment, maybe sleep in her own bed for once.

Though apparently she sleeps easier with Jay nearby, when she can hear that he’s still alive, still breathing.

“Hailey?” Jay calls out.

“Yeah?” she asks, racing into the other room. “What’s up? You okay?”

“I’m fine.” he assures her. “I’m sorry, I’m fine. Just… Did you guys figure out who the mole was?”

Hailey’s breath catches.

So this is it. The conversation she’d wanted so desperately to avoid is here.

“Yeah.” she says, sitting next to him. “We did.”

“It was Marston, wasn’t it.”

He’s not really asking and she sighs.

“Yeah.” she confirms. “It was. Jay, I’m sorry.”

“Why did he do it?” he asks. “Why does a guy like that, with a record like his, jump in bed with drug dealing gang bangers?”

“I’m not going to lie.” she says, reaching over to put a hand on his forearm. “I’d rather not answer that question.”

He lets out a long breath.

“Hailey.”

“He needed the extra money to pay for his dad’s cancer treatments.” she tells him. “He started looking the other way, giving them heads up on things. But they just kept asking for more and more and soon he was in too deep to say no.”

“And when we stole their drugs…”

“They told him he was going to help them get their drugs back.” she fills in.

“So he set me up?” Jay says, looking down.

“He says he tried to fight back.” she says. “That he argued against it, only agreed when they promised the cop they took wouldn’t be hurt but…”

“No way he didn’t know they were lying.” he says. “He was in too deep. Couldn’t tell them no without getting killed. Couldn’t get out of following through without admitting to what he’d done. So he handed me over.”

“Yeah.” she agrees. “He did. I’m sorry, Jay. I wish there was something that I could say that would make this better but… everything about it sucks. It sucks that you were taken, it sucks that they burned you like they did, it sucks that you were exposed to that gas, it sucks how much pain you’ve been in ever since. And it sucks ass that another cop willingly played a roll in it.”

He looks up at her, still pale face showing exactly as much heartbreak as she’d expected.

“I can offer you one small tidbit.” she says. “Voight chewed him up and spit him out like a pack of the shittiest bubble gum out there.”

He tries to smile but he can’t quite fake it and she lets her hand slide down over his.

“I’m sorry, Jay.” she repeats.