Tumgik
#IT WAS SO DRAMATIC TOO HE WROTE A LETTER AND CALLED ME HIS LOVE ??????
bugflies00 · 8 months
Text
9 notes · View notes
sorbetisfruity · 1 year
Text
Thinking about the song Take a Break from Hamilton.
Specifically that part where Angelica talks about how Alexander wrote My Dearest, Angelica and how it completely changed the meaning of the phrase.
For context-
My Dearest Malleus-very dear Malleus
My Dearest, Malleus-dearest out of all Malleuses
Tumblr media
❀❀❀❀❀❀❀❀❀❀❀❀❀❀❀❀❀❀❀❀❀❀❀❀❀❀
So, I’ve talked about how Malleus prefers to send letters rather than texting you, right? And when he writes you, it’s insanely clear how much he loves you, rightttt?
Well one day you reply to his letter, however, this letter looks and feels a bit different than the past ones.
And it’s all because of how you started it.
Usually you write:
My Dearest Malleus,
But this time you wrote:
My Dearest, Malleus,
And he freaks out because, oh my god, you must love him too, right?
Dearest of all Malleuses?
Him!?!
He thinks he’s about to faint.
He immediately shows Lilia, Sebek, and Silver.
Lilia is ecstatic!!! But also a little worried he might’ve misinterpreted it. He immediately calls you up and asks you about it. He doesn’t want Malleus to be all excited over a simple mistake:(
(And of course you meant it that way. Even though you’re definitely not as obvious as Malleus, it’s still clear you love him dearly.)
Sebek is flabbergasted, but keeps his mouth shut for once.
And Silver? Yeah Silver is sleeping through all of this. But when he wakes up (eventually) he’ll be happy for Malleus as well.
And that night, Malleus shows up at the dorm and knocks on your window eagerly. He must talk to you at once!! He needs to talk to you about your letter.
You blush as he speaks to you. He says that you must be in love with him and that he reciprocates your feelings. That he’s absolutely head over heels for you and would do anything for you.
“Child of Man, your letter…did you mean what you said?” He speaks softly, as if he’s worried he’ll hurt you.
“..what? What did I say?” You blush as you talk.
He looks absolutely radiant in the moonlight…
“My Dearest, Malleus. That’s what you started with. Child of Man, you meant that, right? Do you love me?” He grabs both of your hands, rubbing his thumb over your palm.
“Oh..you caught onto that? I was hoping you wouldn’t..” you laugh nervously.
You really should’ve known it wouldn’t have slipped by him.
“Of course I caught onto that. Gosh, you’re such a precious little thing…Child of Man, do you love me too? Please, tell me you do. I love you, I’d do ANYTHING for you..please tell me you love me as well..” he falls to his knees dramatically, making you giggle as he continues to hold your hands.
“Of course I love you as well, my dearest, Malleus. How could I not?”
And that night, you two talk and cuddle underneath the stars.
Yes you wake up absolutely exhausted, but there’s a gorgeous fae prince right by your side, snoring away.
So, who cares?
912 notes · View notes
ada7201 · 9 months
Text
what do the blue lock boys do for you on valentine’s day?(╹◡╹)♡
Shidou, Rin, Sae, Kaiser x reader (seperate)
→ part 1 ⭢ part 2 ⭢ part 3 on the way!
gn! reader, google translated German for Kaiser’s part
don’t forget to suggest me things if you have any ideas! happy early valentine’s day (๑>◡<๑)
Shidou Ryusei
he gets you a TON of sweets (which he eats half of)
Sae once told him that love letters were a common thing for valentine’s day, so he tried to make you one.
it was a piece of paper, which was poorly folded and drowned pink glitter glue. he used scented gel pens to write a few “i love you’s” and smiley faces… it’s the thought that counts?
wrapped a ribbon around his neck and called himself your valentine’s gift.
decided it would be fun to wear your lipstick and kiss your cheeks - staining your skin with kiss marks
for lunch, he brought you to the park where you both played around, and afterwards sat down somewhere on the playground and munched on sweets (of your choice!)
the two of you watched those romance dramas together in the evening and fell asleep on an episode you weren’t paying attention to
“come on sweets, it’ll be fun!” Shidou whined, clinging onto your arm like a monkey, smushing his cheek against your shoulder as he pouted. why wouldn’t you let him do your makeup? “im great at makeup! you know that! i’ll do a special valentine’s day theme〜”
“Shidou- no!” you groaned, attempting to pry the taller man off of your arm. “you will not do my makeup, and that’s final!”
“fine…” Shidou sighed dramatically, letting go of you and falling to the floor in a pathetic manner. “guess you just hate me… and you’d even do this on valentine’s day?”
you huffed. he could be such a pain sometimes…
“alright, you can do my-“ your voice was cut off by Shidou’s big hand on your lips, a grin on his face.
“no need to talk more, bae - let’s get started…” he’d chuckle, almost evilly, before pulling out your makeup bag from the pocket of his sweatpants.
“how did you—?” you were cut off once again by his hand, and that stupid smile on his face.
“ah-ah,” he’d wiggle his pointer finger, before poking your cheek.
“let me do my magic!”
by the end of that hour, your face was decorated with sparkly stickers and hearts drawn in pink lipstick. your eyeshadow was almost terrifying, with the way it was so bright - brighter than Shidou’s eyes.
“perfect.” he’d giggle, hand on his mouth as he tried to hold back from full on cackling in your face.
surprisingly, Shidou isn’t bad at makeup - he just wanted to be a little silly for you on valentine’s day!
he posted a photo of you and your makeup, along with cute photos of the two of you throughout the day - like one of the heart engraved onto a bench with your initials, or maybe the photo of you sleeping peacefully with a bow stuck to your forehead - totally not Shidou’s doing!
he also baked with you - but it didn’t turn out great so you both decided to order takeout instead.
takeout wasn’t the most romantic meal, but it sure best whatever you both made…
Itoshi Rin
poor baby didn’t know what to do at first.
he spent a couple weeks planning and brainstorming ideas in his free time - even considering asking Isagi for advice.
instead of turning to that lukewarm freak, he chose to go with what he thought you’d like the most.
he bought you a sweet and simple bouquet, assorted with flowers of your favorite colours and type.
he wrote you a card, and got a plus he’d toy with it too.
he placed everything next to you in the morning, since he wakes up considerably earlier than you do.
when you woke up, you were pleasantly surprised with everything. thanks Rin!
when he got back home, he made the two of you some lunch.
he didn’t want to admit it, but he had been waiting to use the cute little heart plates you had bought especially for valentine’s day.
“this bowl is so cute!” you’d smile, admiring the pretty white plate decorated with pink and red hearts. “is this the one i got you valentine’s day?”
he simply nodded, placing down his plate - and sitting on the chair opposite you.
posted a photo of the two of you holding hands, along with a pretty sunset you both witnessed on your evening walk.
he definitely wasn’t too embarrassed to include the photo he took of your plates! he just wanted to be the only ones to see them
yes, he took you out on a walk in the evening - and when he noticed you shivering, he was quick to wrap his scarf around you and drape his jacket over your shoulders - not realising he just exposed himself and the pink shirt you had gotten him.
his face turned the same colour as his shirt! cute!
“Rin, why is your face so pink? are you getting cold?” you ask him, worried gaze focused on the way his cheeks were pink. “do you want your jacket back—?”
Rin quickly cut you off with a small peck, cheeks blushing even more after the small gesture.
“i was just… blushing.” he mumbles, looking away from you as a teasing smile made its way onto your face.
“aww, you were blushing〜”
Itoshi Sae
bought you a bouquet of purple roses.
purple roses mean love at first sight. <3
he also got you a matching set of earrings, a necklace, bracelet, and an anklet.
along with jewellery, he got you a piece of fancy clothing that he saw you eyeing. (example: dress, suit, button up, tie, skirt, and more! your decision)
got you a pack of cupcakes as a desert for lunch (or any yummy food if your choice)
he spent most of the day taking photos of you and admiring how beautiful you were - even with morning hair, even if you were still in your cheesy pyjamas matching that Sae got you, even if you had your face stuffed with sweets - you were beautiful and Sae wanted to capture that moment. (this is a regular occurrence, but was feeling it a bit more today!)
either takes you to a beautiful and expensive restaurant, or hosts one at home with candles lit nicely.
this valentine’s day, he chose to eat out with you - and brought you to one of the newest and most expensive restaurants in town.
“wow, Sae! this is really nice!” you smiled, placing your fork down next to your plate before looking up at Sae, who was sat opposite you.
“you deserve 10 times more.” he’d respond simply, shrugging off your words with a slight blush on his cheeks.
he watched the way your smile grew. cute.
could it be the perfect time?
“y/n.” Sae said, almost quietly - before pushing his chair back and standing up.
his slim fingers reached into the pocket of his nice dress pants - and you couldn’t help but feel your heartbeat quicken. what was he about to do?
“i have loved you since the first day i met you.” he started, hand wrapping around a small velvet box, before pulling it out of his pocket - he wasted no time on getting down on one knee, eyes looking up at the way you stared back down at him. “do you think that… you could make me even happier, and marry me?” he asks with a small smile on his face.
im sorry, but i definitely feel like he’s the type to propose on valentine’s day!
on the drive home, you had to remind him to her his eyes on the road because he kept admiring the pretty ring on your finger!
bought you another pair of cheesy pyjamas - this time, they were pink cat onesies.
he took so many photos of you and your cute little smile!
he posted a photo of your hand with the ring, being held by his
it took him a good 15 minutes to decide what photo to choose for the ring photo
along with the ring photo, he posted a picture of the two of you in your onesies, a photo of his hand on your thigh as you were both in his car - along with some others of the two of you having fun
Sae was stood in the jewellery shop, looking down at each glimmering ring in the display case.
his cheeks blushed as he imagined each one of them on your pretty hands, how could he ever choose?!
he just could not wait to hold your hand, and look down at the ring.
“um, Sir?” the accountant could ask, waving a hand in front of Sae’s face - who was currently spacing out and fantasising about holding your hand.
oh, guess he got caught up thinking about you.
just then, his eyes caught the most beautiful ring. he could practically see the happy face you’d make when he presents it to you!
he wasted no time pointing to the ring, neutral gaze looking back at the woman.
“i want that one.” he says flatly.
no woman other than you deserves to even look at him. how dare that saleslady even talk to him?
(this wasn’t on valentine’s day, but he practically danced out of the shop when he finally bought the ring)
Micheal Kaiser
how bold of you to assume he’d get you something?
jokes!
he bought you a bouquet of blue roses (a little cliche, but you it’s his thing!)
like Sae, he bought you a lot of pretty jewellery.
got you the prettiest piece of clothing, one that would match an outfit he bought for himself.
he absolutely insisted that it was a coincidence.
for lunch, he brought you to a diner he knew you liked - but when you asked, oh you liked this place? he never knew!
made sure to show you off more than usual the whole day, saying things like “they’re the only person worthy of my love” and other egoistical love confessions, if you get what i mean
for dinner, the two of you dressed up in your matching outfits
he practically begged you to be able to do your hair. (he’ll never ever admit it though, not with his ego)
when you were both finally dressed, you went to a party that his team was hosting.
when the two of you got home, he basically fell asleep on you!
“i’m not falling asleep.” he’d huff, unconsciously nuzzling further into your stomach as her hugged your waist. he just … wanted attention.
“sure,” you’d tease, fingers threading through his hair gently. “is that why you’re cuddled up to me right now?”
“ruhig sein,” he’d huff. “or you’re sleeping on the couch tonight.”
ruhig sein = “be quiet” / “pipe down”
you simply giggle at his words, patting his head gently.
“i’m sorry.” you’d pout playfully, before leaning down to press a gentle kiss to his forehead.
Kaiser had always loved being babied by you.
it was somehow… comforting?
posted a mirror selfie of the two of you, and maybe, just maybe, a photo of your cute smiling face - if i felt like it!
The next morning, Kaiser woke up to his phone buzzing constantly - and you clinging onto his side. he couldn’t help but bask in the glory of being so famous. he had a pretty person next to him in bed and his post has most likely gone viral once again.
he reached over to the side table and picked his phone up, u locking it quickly to read the comments left on his newest post - which was of the two of you yesterday.
“best couple!” “they’re made for each other.” “y/n looks so pretty!” “they’re matching!?”
was very excited to have so many compliments.
he realised that he gets a lot more when he posts photos of you
299 notes · View notes
togenabi · 1 year
Text
with flowers under the stars
inumaki toge x fem!reader (royalty au)
Tumblr media
♡—Toge does his best to impress you, even when others might not want him to.
Tumblr media
previous♡— [PART 1]
word count♡— 4.1k words (oml)
genre♡— fluff, romance, royalty au
aged up characters♡— 18+
content notes♡— potential lovers to actual lovers, mutual pining, courtship, dating, everyone is a prince or princes, older brother!gojo satoru, no use of y/n, romance, very fluff, mentions of engagement and marriage, toge uses sign language, some characters may be ooc >&lt; pls forgive me
Tumblr media
author's note♡— after rising from the grave (I'm so sorry this took so long! buT! I'm graduating! AAA) I finally finished the sequel to my first toge fic. thank you so much to those who have appreciated my previous work! now that I'm back, I hope you enjoy this as well! (⁠ ⁠˘⁠ ⁠³⁠˘⁠)♡
Tumblr media
Exchanging letters with prince Toge occurred frequently before you finally met again. He talked about many things, but they all ended the same way: mentioning how lovely you are and how he wishes time could run faster so he could meet you.
Toge's kingdom was a week on ship and a day by train away, so visiting was saved for important duties or events. ‘Maybe I should ask your brother to appoint me an official position in the council so I can stay in the palace.’ He wrote to you once. You reply that he doesn't deserve it, since he wouldn't be working with the empire or its people in mind.
He writes back that he fell for you a little more, and you trace that line an infinite number of times before tucking the letter away.
When the day of the banquet finally arrives, Satoru notices that you appear a bit more lavish than you usually care to look during events.
“Why! My dearest sister! How stunning you look! And for my birthday, no less! I love that color on you, your taste has improved so much!” He suddenly gasps dramatically and loudly—so loud, that the maid helping you with your earrings flinches.
“Are those... the earrings I got you last year? But I've never seen you wear them! I would give you a hug if it wouldn't ruin your clothes!”
You ignore him the entire time he fusses over you. He looks nice today, you admit. His hair is styled down which gives him a softer aura, and his white suit with gold details looks pristine. A midnight blue cape drapes over his shoulders and flows down his back. It would be difficult for anyone else to pull it off, but you don't tell him that. Goodness knows he would never let you hear the end of it.
You sigh as you watch him through the vanity mirror, but he only becomes even more giddy at your silence.
“Hey, give me that.” Satoru says to the attendant holding your brush. “Leave us.” He says as he stands behind you to brush your hair. You stare at him in disbelief.
Satoru knows you love when he brushes your hair. Even if you never outright told him, it was obvious that you enjoyed it when he cared for you. But because you were embarrassed to ask him as you got older, he hasn't done it since you were children.
He's silent and focuses on brushing your hair gently. The moment feels strangely emotional, and your resolve to ignore him cracks a bit.
“So...” Satoru meets your eyes in the mirror, then winks. “You and Toge, huh?”
You tsk, letting your resolve fully break. “I should've known you would notice.”
He laughs and places a hand on your shoulder. “Well, he wrote saying his father wanted to trade silk from their territory, and that he would like to stay at the palace to handle the negotiations.”
“...Add that to the letters you're receiving everyday, and it wasn't too hard to piece things together.”
You groan and cover your face in embarrassment. You and Toge weren't exactly a secret, but you didn't want your brother to know until it got more serious.
“So what now?” You dread having to ask. “Are you going to tell me to call it off?”
“Nope.” Satoru says, smiling. “Besides, if you're anything like your dear old brother—which, you are! Don't deny it!—I'll end up driving you into his arms if I try to keep you away.”
His eyes suddenly turn serious as he considers his next words. “He's a good kid... Good enough for you, though? We'll have to see.” He places the brush on the dresser, and takes your hand to help you on your feet.
“But what's important is to know yourself and decide for yourself. Don't let anyone else make that choice for you.” He looks sincere as he places your hand on his arm. “Shall we?”
“Satoru...” You call him, touched. He grins and kisses your forehead.
“And of course, if you end up marrying him, that saves me and the ministers the work of looking for your match!” You slap his shoulder, but he only laughs harder as he escorts you out.
The ballroom was sparkling when you arrived. There were already plenty of guests partaking in the revelries as the event had begun half an hour before. Satoru had insisted on the importance of being fashionably late. Normally, you wouldn't have let him actually be late, but you caved only for today.
“Entering, their Royal Highnesses, The Imperial Crown Prince and The Imperial Princess.”
As you descended the stairs with Satoru, the people bowed and you took that as an opportunity to look for a head of white hair, a mask or a high collar covering half the face.
“You're being too obvious.” Satoru whispered. “He'll show up, don't worry.”
He led you to the center of the hall. You were so caught up on looking for Toge that you had nearly forgotten you were to share Satoru's first dance; as he still wasn't engaged. The both of you took your positions gracefully as the music started to flow through the air.
“I'll spin you a few times.” He was grinning. “Try to spot him.”
And yet, the song ended without you seeing Toge anywhere. After giving a hasty bow to your brother, you went on with your search once again.
Your eyes caught princess Nobara the same moment she did yours. You were about to go greet her when her eyes trailed off to something behind you. When her gaze returns to yours, she's smirking and it makes you turn to look at what she saw.
Toge takes your breath away as he walks up to you. He wasn't wearing a mask, or a high collar like he had been during the previous ball. His suit was pitch black and every bit as elegant as him. Your eyes were immediately drawn to his lips and you blushed when he caught you staring. All you wanted to do was to dance with him so that you had an excuse to be close.
It seemed that he picked up on that, as he bowed and offered you his hand.
“It's good to see you again.” You greet him. He kisses the back of your hand with a smile before sweeping you away to dance.
Suddenly nervous, your words get stuck in your throat as the beginnings of a soft waltz reach your ears. “I... tried looking for you when I arrived.”
Toge leads the dance as effortlessly as he did the first time. It almost amazes you how natural it feels to move and sway with him. He seems pleased to know that you were paying him as much attention as he gave you.
Not wanting to simply dance, you took to asking him questions. “Did your journey here go smoothly?” Toge nods.
“When did you arrive?”
‘Today.’ He mouths.
“Ah. I'll have to take you sightseeing then.” You grin up at him. “Would tomorrow be alright?” You get your answer in the form of Toge grinning back, and before you could prepare yourself, he twirls you around and catches you in an embrace as the song finishes with a flourish. A number of people around you started to clap, and you couldn't help but blush in his arms.
After settling at the less crowded side of the ballroom, Toge explains, ‘I also tried to find you. I arrived as early as I could, and yet you and your brother were late.’ He looks at you almost as if to scold you, but you see mischief in his eyes. ‘I thought that you might be by the window where we met... So I went to check.’
“Oh, I see.” You respond, a bit embarrassed. “I should have warned you about my brother's flair for dramatics. He tends to do that when he's the star of the event.”
‘Do you have any remaining commitments here at the ball?’
That makes you think for a moment. “No, Satoru's the one the people want to bother today. Why?”
Toge gives you a look that makes you want to agree to almost anything he asks. ‘Will you allow me to whisk you away?’
And so you were both running, hand-in-hand and laughing, on your way to that secluded hall with the stained glass window. It shouldn't have been possible, but it felt more magical than before to be with him here again.
Toge slows his steps when you both reach the window. You realize that despite coming to cherish this place, you never sought it out when he wasn't around. Something tells you that would have only made you miss him more.
Looking at you with a serious expression, he begins to sign, ‘I know I have been very upfront about myself caring about you... But I want to ask this properly, because you deserve nothing less than the best.’
‘I would like—if it is alright with you, to formally court you.’
The smile on your face glows before you can help it, and you throw your arms around him.
“I would very much like that as well, my dear prince.” You lean to kiss his cheek.
Toge looks dazed and happy as if drunk on something you had given him. Maybe he was.
The moonlight shining through the glass paints him in a kaleidoscope of colors. Before, the only colors on him were the purple hues in his eyes. And now he stood before you, bright and shining.
‘You look beautiful.’
He took the words right out of your mouth.
⋆。˚ 🌸 ˚。⋆。˚✨˚。⋆
Satoru came to find you the day after the banquet. Naturally, he entered your office without knocking, and unceremoniously dropped a heavy document in front of the one you were already working on.
“What's this?”
“Toge's proposal...”
The floor seemed to sink, your heart and your breath gone along with it. “What?”
“—for the trade negotiations.”
It took everything in your power to not throw the block of papers at him. “You're unbelievable.”
Satoru only hummed. “So is your boyfriend. I can't believe he's making me work right after my birthday! He should be kissing up to me, not giving me paperwork!”
“Last time I checked, he's courting me. Not you.” Nevertheless, you take a few moments to sift through the document. It was very detailed and efficient. You note that the length of the proposal was due to the many alternative plans Toge had prepared. This would certainly help the negotiations go smoothly. Satoru and the ministers merely had to look at the options.
Looking back to your brother, you couldn't help but raise an eyebrow. What was he complaining about, when all he had to do was select the best plan and tweak where it was necessary?
“We're to begin the negotiations in two days. I think his plans have potential—” You couldn't help but snort at that, from what you'd seen, Toge was already excellent. (You were not biased. Not at all.) “But, I don't think the older ministers will be kind to someone who acts like a know-it-all.”
“Toge doesn't—”
“A-ah,” Satoru waves a finger at you, as if you were a child being told what you did wrong. You scowl at him but he ignores it. “This will be a test for him, to see if he's able to win against those old goons.”
“You mean yourself, then?” His expression drops at that, and you don't bother to hide how satisfied that made you feel.
⋆。˚ 🌸 ˚。⋆。˚✨˚。⋆
As the weeks flew by, Toge ended up being a lot more busy than you both anticipated. Despite officially dating, lunches together turned to having tea during breaks; then that turned to catching him in the hallway for a few moments before he had to go.
You didn't understand why his workload only seemed to grow, no matter how much effort he put in. Once, when you caught him just before he entered his chambers, you had asked him if anything was going wrong with the negotiations.
Toge looked exhausted, and yet he gave you a smile that made your heart melt. ‘No, the talks are going well, I suppose I'm just having trouble adjusting to the empire's work culture.’
You must have looked unconvinced, because Toge suddenly leaned in and rested his forehead against yours. Mischievously, he stared into your eyes until you were too flustered to be worried anymore. He laughed when you had to push him away.
That night, he bid you farewell with a kiss to your cheek.
‘Good night, darling.’
The next time you had Toge to yourself for an entire day, it was due to a holiday celebration. Everyone was too occupied with the festivities to work. You were supposed to be at another banquet Satoru had hosted, but you were determined to monopolize Toge's time today.
So you showed up at his door at the earliest respectable hour of the morning, dressed for warm weather and a picnic basket in your hand.
“Will you allow me to whisk you away?” You asked when he answered the door.
You took him on a tour of the parts of the palace he hasn't seen yet. Your office, the private library, and even some of the secret passage ways. His eyes lit up with curiosity when you showed him one behind a portrait.
You had lunch in the gardens, under a tree that offers wonderful shade. A soft blanket laid across the grass, with a spread of the empire's specialty dishes arranged all over it.
“This one,” You show Toge a cookie with flowers piped on top. “Has been my favorite since I was a child. It has just the perfect amount of sweetness, and goes beautifully with tea.”
You move to hand Toge the cookie, but he doesn't take it. Confused, you're about to ask him if anything was wrong when he leans forward and opens his mouth expectantly.
Wordlessly, you raise the cookie to his lips. The moment feels oddly intimate as he takes a bite without removing his gaze from yours.
Toge hums and moves his hands to sign, ‘It's indeed delicious.’ He leans to you and opens his mouth again.
You push the half-eaten cookie into his hands and turn away to hide your blush. “If you're able to tell me what you think about it, you can eat it yourself.”
He breathes out a laugh. Smirking at you while he chews the remaining cookie.
It was so peaceful, just sitting there with him. And it seemed as though you weren't the only one who wanted to sit with Toge. A tiny white butterfly fluttered about before landing on his knee. He looked so enchanted by it. Staring close, but being careful that he didn't move his knee or disturbed it.
The butterfly flying away made you want to explore too. Getting yourself up, you look over your shoulder and gesture for him to follow. He offers you his arm once he catches up, and you rest your hand on it. Birds chirp and leaves rustle in the wind as you walk towards the shimmering lake at the edge of the gardens.
Bracing yourself on Toge's arm, you kick your shoes off. You set them aside to dip your toes into the water. “It's so refreshing!”
Toge feels his chest grow as warm as the sunlight kisses your cheeks. He gets down on one knee to untie his shoes when he's abruptly hit by a splash of water. Flabbergasted, he looks up at you, blinking away the water droplets in his lashes.
Of course, Toge isn't one to back down from a challenge. The result is the both of you shivering and drenched by the time the sun has set. Your maids fuss all over you when you get back to the palace, and the other staff almost faint at the puddles that trail after you and Toge.
It was useless to insist that you could walk alone and that you both should get cleaned up at the soonest. Toge didn't leave your side until you entered your chambers, your gazes only being broken by the door once it closed.
⋆。˚ 🌸 ˚。⋆。˚✨˚。⋆
You got the most dreadful fever after that day with Toge. Satoru, wanting you to rest properly, made you swear not to lift a finger for work related reasons until you got better. Which, you followed without complaint. You took a break for a few days.
Toge did his best to see you, but he only got busier. His eyes looked more and more tired, dark circles under them when you caught him in the library one morning. He stayed there to work overnight. You were barely able to convince him to rest.
On another night, one of your maids caught him trying to sneak in your room, screaming and kicking him out. You could have sworn half the palace had woken up to that, and you couldn't help but hide under your sheets due to the embarrassment.
What irritates you most, however, was that the first thing you heard when you get back is, “Oh. Finally decided to return to your duties, eh?” from a delegate who spent most of his time gossiping, and whose biggest contribution to the empire was refilling the inkwells in the conference room...
The conference room has five inkwells.
Those ministers and court members were proving more and more to be nuisances. You gave them an earful when they had assumed you were slacking off when you were sick.
Not to mention, you suspected that they have been making Toge do more work than he needs to. Even if he never complains, you don't fail to notice how some courtiers turn their noses up at him just because his kingdom was distant and smaller compared to the scale of the empire.
The thought of Toge being belittled makes you pause during work, frowning at a chart of kitchen expenses as if it's done something offensive.
Dropping your pen, you head out of your office with brisk steps. You had to speak to Satoru.
⋆。˚ 🌸 ˚。⋆。˚✨˚。⋆
“Overworking Toge? Why, dear sister, I can't believe you're accusing me of such a thing!” Satoru puts a hand to his heart as if he was wounded by your words.
“Maybe not.” You're not going to let him weasel out of this one. “But you let the other ministers and court members walk all over him! Is Toge supposed to just sit there and take it? He's a prince, damn it!”
“Listen,” Satoru leans forward, his elbows on his desk as he uses his hands while explaining. “The ministers are just a bit frazzled, that's all. They think he forced you to skip the holiday banquet, and that he got you sick. He's good at his work, sure. But in their eyes? He just looks like a bad influence on you.”
You scoff.
“Now,” Satoru interrupts before you can say anything, “They were going to try and match you with prince Megumi—”
“Megumi's already engaged.”
“I know, I know. And that's why they're planning on pitching you with prince Yuji or princess Nobara.”
“I'm already with Toge.” You say sternly. “And what happened to not letting others make my decisions for me?”
“As far as those old goons are concerned, Toge is only the third best for you. ‘For the greatness of the empire’ and all that.” It doesn't escape you that he dodged your question. “They're going to try to push you apart until you break up or get hitched.” He leans back, crossing his arms on his chest. “Whichever comes first.”
“Why don't you stop them?” Frustrated, you run your hands through your hair. “Tell them I really like him and that they should leave him alone!”
“Sweetheart,” Satoru's tone becomes deeper, and you hate how it instantly makes you shut up. “The thing is, if Toge isn't capable of handling this, or if he backs out of your relationship because of it, he's not worth your time.”
You stare at him, unlinking. The thought of Toge leaving you had never occurred to you before, and Satoru could tell.
“I told you I would test him.” He shrugged. “It seems I'm testing you too.”
Rushing back to your office, you grab a piece of parchment and your pen from your desk. Not bothering to sit down as you write: Meet me at the gardens, by the tree. Midnight.
You fold it and hastily stuff it into an envelope. Delicately melting wax, you stamp your seal onto it before calling for your most trusted maid.
Handing her the letter, you instruct her, “Deliver this to prince Toge and prince Toge only. If anyone hinders you or attempts to read it, report back to me immediately. Go.”
She bows, and exits the room.
That night, Toge arrived before you. You note that he has a penchant for being early as he reaches to squeeze your hand. He looks you over to check if you're alright, and despite seeing nothing of concern, he asks anyway, ‘Are you okay?’
“We need to talk.” You nervously purse your lips. “The courtiers, the ministers... My brother. They've been making your work difficult.”
He sighs. ‘You found out.’
“You didn't tell me!” You rest a hand on his cheek, absentmindedly grazing your thumb over the marks near his mouth. “Do you understand what they're trying to do?”
‘Testing me.’
“Yes.” A lump forms in your throat. “Satoru said it's until you give up on me, or if you... propose.”
Heart racing, your hands can't stop fiddling with things. His face. His hair. The fastenings of his suit. “I'm just so worried. I care a great deal about you, and I just wanted to ask if you're enduring this because you want to.” You bite your lip in thought. “If it's because you're sure about... me.”
You can't look at him. You suddenly feel foolish. You should have given it a night and slept on it to gather your thoughts. You should have—
Toge embraces you. Everything stops.
You take in the view of the gardens over his shoulder. It was dark, and there was barely any light save for the stars twinkling above. You closed your eyes and let yourself be held.
Pulling away, he doesn't seem as fazed as you do, if at all. He turns to you slowly, and after taking a deep breath...
‘Marry me, then.’
You choke on air.
“Wh-what?!” A warmth creeps into your cheeks. “What are you—”
He places his hands on your shoulders and stares into your eyes. He gives you a look and mouths, ‘Breathe.’ And you do.
Once you've calmed down, he begins to explain.
‘We can come forward and make a statement that we've been seeing each other with marriage in mind. Which...’ He pauses, suddenly shy. ‘I have. I've been thinking about swearing everything to you... Intertwining my future with yours.’
‘I know it's only been a few months, so we could have a long engagement if you want. For us to get to know each other more. And if—’ Toge's hands freeze, his movements are slow as if the next words pain him.
‘...If you decide to break off the engagement, I will not force you to stay with me.’
You immediately stop his hands, holding them tightly with your own.
“Toge... I wouldn't even consider this with anyone else,” You feel genuinely happy as you smile at him. “But I'm willing to try. With you. Only you.”
He glows in a way that reminds you of when you first met. His expression is soft as if he's melting, and he smiles at you brightly. You think of how lucky you are that he looks at you this way.
‘This isn't the way I wanted it to happen, but...’
Toge picks a small, white flower from a bush nearby. It faintly reminds you of the butterfly that had flown to him the last time you were here together. His eyes are focused and he frowns in concentration as he fiddles with the stem. Your heart stutters as he makes... a delicate ring.
He kneels.
You say yes.
⋆。˚ 🌸 ˚。⋆。˚✨˚。⋆
A letter from you and Toge arrives on Satoru's desk the next day.
‘Dearest brother,
Please approve this statement that prince Toge and I have been seeing each other, and that we have decided to get engaged. You will find the formal document stamped with our seals attached to this letter.
We expect your approval posthaste, and I will not consider any objections. Please let us know when you will be available to discuss the engagement ceremony.’
“Your highness, what should we do with these documents you had forged?”
“Oh. Hand them over.” Satoru waves a hand to dismiss the attendant after retrieving the files.
He gets up from his desk and walks to the fireplace. “I can't believe he proposed before I could falsely accuse him of treason.” He tsks and throws the documents into the fire.
His eyes find a framed photograph on the fireplace mantel. It was of him and you as children. Satoru was laughing after you ran to him for a hug. His gaze grows sad yet understanding... He won't be the first person you'll turn to anymore when you get married.
Sighing, he considers that he should be thankful you chose someone determined and true like Toge. But then Satoru grins.
“I suppose I can always mess with him as his brother-in-law.”
Tumblr media
⋆。˚ 🌸 ˚。⋆。˚✨˚。⋆
Tumblr media
© togenabi 2023 | see here to be added to my taglist ♡
474 notes · View notes
itendtothinkalot · 3 days
Text
confession 3.0
Summary: reader has suppressed her feelings for huening for so long, believing that she could manage without confessing. sooo how will she react when she discovers that kai had gone on a blind date.......
Genre: fluffy
Characters: huening kaix f!reader
Words: 6202
a/n: suUuUuper busy at work rn but i managed to write something rly quick today! i didnt rly proofread or edit this so i'm sorry if thrs errors! also stream #ggum!!!
Completed (oneshot)
Kai, It’s hard to find the right words when I’m about to say something that could change everything between us. But here I am, thinking maybe, just MAYBE, you would feel the same way. (Though, I’m on my period, so maybe I’m reading too much into it.) We’ve been best friends for as long as I can remember. You’ve always been my rock, through every high and low. Maybe that’s why it’s taken me so long to see you as more than a friend. But now, I think I’m ready to face the truth. I like you—probably more than a friend should.
It’s been two years since you wrote that letter. You and Kai had just graduated. Maybe it was the adrenaline from graduation, but you wrote it the night he kissed your cheek after you were named valedictorian.
“THAT’S MY BEST FRIEND!” you heard him yell from the seats. You rolled your eyes as you walked up to get your diploma, but you couldn’t ignore the look in his eyes as he mouthed the words, “I’m so proud of you.”
“The letter’s collecting dust,” Beomgyu teased, lying on your bed, reading the letter you wrote for Kai all those years ago.
“You come to my house, rummage through my memory box, and take out this hellish letter?” You glared at Beomgyu, who knew you were getting irritated. “What are you trying to achieve? If you want me to cry, just call me dumb. I’m on my period anyway.”
“TMI, but I’ll let it slide since I am a huge female supporter.” He chuckled, “But here’s a thought! Give him the letter.”
You snatched the letter from him. “And why would I do that?"
"Why not? It's cute!"
"Cute?"
"Yeah!"
"In what way?" You asked.
"It has like words. And stuff." Beomgyu paused. “Besides, you two belong together! Plus, I need some drama in my life. Ever since Soobin and Yeonjun went to study overseas, things have been so boring.”
"Are you insinuating that Kai, Taehyun, and I are boring?" you asked, deadpan.
"I'm not insinuating. I'm literally telling you that," Beomgyu chuckled, draping his arms over your shoulders like he hadn’t just insulted you.
"You’re an idiot," you scoffed, shaking your head. "Besides, I’m perfectly fine with how things are."
"Oh, you mean staring at him lovingly while he’s eating?" Beomgyu teased, widening his eyes and pouting dramatically, doing his best imitation of you watching Kai.
“I could kill you.”
“But you won’t.”
You stuck your tongue out at him, knowing he was right. It was cruel—the way you felt about Kai. Almost comically so. Falling in love with your best friend felt like a cosmic joke.
“Do you think he likes me back?” You sighed.
“How would I know?” Beomgyu rolled his eyes.
“Well, for starters, you three have guy’s nights.”
“We talk about games. Football. You know, guy stuff. Do we look like the kind of people who talk about feelings?”
“Kinda. Yeah.” 
The living room was filled with high pitched screaming (mostly from Beomgyu) as the four of you—Beomgyu, Taehyun, Kai, and you—were completely absorbed in a random game Kai had discovered in a video he had seen somewhere.
Taehyun, with a mischievous grin, leaned back on the couch. “Hey, did you guys hear the news?” 
“What news?” Beomgyu asked, his eyes still locked onto the TV.
“Kai has a girlfriend~” Taehyun sang, before getting elbowed in his stomach.
“Dude!” Kai said, his eyes shifted to you and then to Beomgyu. “It was just a blind date my sister set me up on. It was stupid.” 
Your fingers froze. You glanced over at Taehyun, still grinning as he played, and felt a sudden surge of jealousy. Your hands fumbled with the controller, struggling to keep your composure as your heart raced. You shot a quick look at Kai, whose focus wavered as his eyes were still locked onto your every movement as if waiting for a reaction.
"Why would you bring that up when we’re about to beat the last level?” Kai sighed, his brows furrowing in mild annoyance as his hands tightened around the controller.
Taehyun smirked, leaning back lazily against the couch. “Would you have preferred I brought it up on the first level?” he teased, eyes gleaming with mischief.
Kai rolled his eyes, exhaling in frustration. “It wasn’t a big deal,” he muttered, his voice casual, but there was a slight tension in his posture as if he wanted to brush the subject away quickly.
“So it did happen?” Beomgyu exclaimed, freezing his character mid-air on the screen.
“A couple of days ago,” Taehyun said casually, his attention still on the game. “I was surprised too. He didn’t mention anything about it, I only happened to walk past his little date at the cafe I frequent.”
Kai shrugged, trying to appear nonchalant. “Yeah, it was just a setup my sister arranged. It was... fine.”
You felt a pang of jealousy and frustration, struggling to ignore the growing lump in your throat. You shifted in your seat, trying to refocus on the game, but your movements became increasingly erratic.
Your fingers pressed random buttons, desperately trying to regain control, but it only made things worse. The game character on the screen flailed aimlessly.
“Stop dying! You’re pulling us down!” Taehyun yelled, clearly exasperated with your lack of focus.
The criticism hit a nerve, and you snapped, unable to keep your frustration in check. “Oh, sure, blame it on me, Taehyun! Maybe if you hadn’t brought up Kai’s stupid blind date, I wouldn’t be so distracted!”
Taehyun looked taken aback, his eyes widening in surprise. “What does that have to do with anything?”
“It’s just... annoying!” you shot back, your voice sharp. “I’m trying to focus, and all I can think about is how—”
You suddenly noticed the three boys staring at you with wide eyes.
Realizing you’d let your frustration get the better of you, you quickly backpedaled. “I mean—sorry. I was just distracted,” you said, your voice trailing off awkwardly as you tried to recover from the outburst.
Beomgyu, ever observant, immediately noticed the shift in your demeanor. He shot you a sideways glance.
“Hey,” he said quietly, leaning in a bit closer so only you could hear, “I know you’re upset. Just take a deep breath.”
You met his gaze and saw the empathy in his eyes. 
“Thanks,” you murmured.
Meanwhile, Taehyun was still chatting away about the date, completely oblivious to the tension. “So, how did it go, Kai? Did you have a good time?”
Kai shrugged again, looking a bit uncomfortable. “It was okay. We talked, had dinner. Nothing special.”
You clenched your jaw, trying to mask the jealousy. You had no right to be upset, but the idea of Kai with someone else was expectedly hard to handle.
Like you said, curse.
It had been a couple of weeks since you last hung out with Kai, and you'd been avoiding him, using work as an excuse. You hoped everyone bought it, though Beomgyu didn’t seem convinced. But you didn’t care. You had already turned down Friday night dinners twice in a row, and there was no way you could get away with skipping a third time. So here you were, back at their place, feeling a knot of nerves twist in your stomach.
You wouldn’t admit it to anyone, but you were terrified it’d be awkward with Kai. Ever since you found out about his blind date, your feelings had been gnawing at you relentlessly, making every thought of him more painful. You feared how being around him might make those emotions harder to suppress especially since you almost gave yourself away the previous time.
But when you arrived at his house, all your worries evaporated the moment Kai pulled you into a tight bearhug. "I missed you so much!" he exclaimed, his voice warm and genuine. You found yourself melting into the embrace, forgetting every ounce of awkwardness and jealousy. For a brief moment, all that mattered was the familiar comfort of his arms around you, and everything else faded away.
You loved being in his arms. Kai felt like a giant teddy bear, soft and comforting in a way that made you feel safe. You had thought about it many times before—if comfort could take the form of a person, it would be him. His hugs were the kind that melted away stress, and being close to him felt like home. No matter how anxious or upset you were, being in his arms always made you forget, even if just for a little while.
“I missed you too," you fumbled out, your voice softer than intended.
"God! It's been two weeks, but it feels like a year!" he laughed, pulling you over to the sofa. His excitement and warmth made you feel like you’d never been away. 
"I knew you were busy the last couple of weeks," he said, reaching for his phone and opening the notes app. "So I made a list." He grinned, scrolling through it. "Here are just some things you missed during our dinners."
"You wrote them down on your notes app?" you giggled, genuinely amused by the thought of him keeping track of everything just for you.
"Of course," he replied with a playful glint in his eyes. "I can’t leave you out."
You don’t think he realizes just how sweet he is—or how incredibly frustrating it is that he's constantly this sweet. You're pretty sure he has no idea how much you want to scream every time he makes you feel this way. It was maddening, really, how effortlessly he could make your heart race with just a few words or a simple smile.
It had been about an hour since Kai filled you in on the events of the past two weeks. From what you gathered, Beomgyu sharted in his pants when he had diarrhoea from eating at a place down the street and Taehyun got drunk and wasted $500 sending TikTok gifts to Yeonjun during a live dance stream.
It seemed plausible enough. You missed them. Two weeks had passed, but it was more than enough time for you to fully feel their absence. Sure, they checked in on you every day, flooding the group chat, but you didn't respond—afraid you'd accidentally reveal your feelings for Kai. You weren’t about to make that mistake.
Still, you were starting to realize that avoiding them felt incredibly immature. You had forgotten just how much you loved your friends—and how much they loved you. Every part of you wished they wouldn’t change, not even a little. You wanted them to stay exactly as they were, unchanged and constant.
It was possibly why you were so adamant about keeping your feelings for Kai to yourself. The thought of confessing felt risky, one wrong move and the most precious friendship you’ve ever had could shatter. You couldn’t bear to be the one who ruined that.
Still…you wondered, how long you could take before you finally cracked.
“Do you think… we’ll still be friends when we’re older?” you asked, your voice soft and a bit uncertain.
Kai tilted his head, considering the question. “Like Yeonjun old or like my dad old?”
You laughed, trying to clarify, “Like, y’know, further into our adulthood.”
“Like when we have kids?” he asked, his tone casual but with a hint of curiosity.
“We?” Your heart skipped a beat, suddenly racing. The idea of him envisioning a future with you was both exhilarating and terrifying.
“Yeah?” He paused, looking at you with a thoughtful expression. “Like when you have your own family and I have mine.”
You nodded either way.
Kai looked at you with a genuine, reassuring smile. “Why wouldn’t we be?” he asked, his eyes warm and sincere. “We’ve been through so much together. Why wouldn’t we stay friends?”
Sure, you took some sort of comfort from his reassurance but there was a part of you still grappling with the realization that your feelings might never align with his. 
You took a deep breath, forcing a smile as you met his gaze. “Mhm.”
Kai’s smile widened, and he playfully nudged you with his elbow. “C’mon. We’ll still be annoying each other, like always.”
You laughed softly, “I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
"We won't change."
As you looked over at him, your eyes began to well up with tears. You looked away, pretending that you weren’t actually about to sob. 
Kai’s gaze softened when he noticed the glistening in your eyes. He placed his hands gently on your thigh, as if sensing that something was troubling you, though he couldn’t quite pinpoint what it was.
“I promise,” he said softly.
“Right…sorry..I’m just–”
“It’s fine. I get it.” He nodded, cutting you off. “You don’t have to explain.”
You often wondered how someone who knew you so well didn’t have any idea that you liked him. The thought was both comforting and frustrating. 
“Anyway, there’s still like 3 more things on my list.” Kai said, showing you his notes app.
You nodded, “All ears!” 
Despite enjoying Kai’s animated recounting of the ridiculous things Beomgyu had done the week before, your mind was a tangled mess of thoughts about his recent blind date.
You tried to focus on the present, nodding and laughing along, but the image of him with someone else kept intruding.
You hesitated, your fingers nervously tracing patterns on the armrest of the sofa. You took a deep breath as you waited for Kai to finally finish his last story. 
“Hey, Kai, can I ask you something?” you finally managed to say, your voice barely above a whisper. Your heart pounded in your chest as you waited for his response.
“Sure, what’s up?” he replied, still looking relaxed and upbeat.
“So, about that blind date your sister set you up on…” you began, your tone more serious now. “How did it–um– go?”
Kai’s expression shifted slightly, and he leaned back, thinking for a moment. “Oh, that. It was... okay. We had dinner and talked a bit. It was nice, but nothing special.”
You tried to mask your disappointment, nodding slowly. “I see.”
Kai looked at you with a hint of curiosity. “Why? What’s up?”
You shrugged, forcing a casual tone. “Oh! Nothing. I was just–uh–curious!”
“Well, to be honest,” he started, “the date was actually kind of fun. She was really nice and pretty. We had a good time talking and hanging out. She’s been asking me out on another date, but I’m not sure if I should go.”
You felt a wave of jealousy bubbling inside you, but you tried to keep your voice steady. “That’s nice!” you said, forcing a smile. “You should go.”
As soon as the words left your mouth, you winced inwardly, realizing the absurdity of what you’d just said. Here you were, encouraging the guy you had feelings for to go out on another date.
You looked down at your hands, trying to hide the flush of embarrassment creeping up your cheeks. “I mean… it’s your choice. Do what you think is right,” you stammered, trying to backtrack.
You tried to shake off the discomfort, but the conversation with Kai had left you feeling unsettled. As your phone rang, you seized the opportunity to shift focus.
“Hey, Beomgyu. What’s up?” you answered, trying to sound casual.
“Hey!” Beomgyu’s voice came through the speaker. “Just wanted to let you know we’ve got a busted tire. We’re going to be home 2-3 hours later than usual.”
“Shit, you guys okay?” 
“Yeah, we’re fine,” Beomgyu replied, chuckling. “Taehyun’s totally losing it with his insurance company. It’s kinda hilarious. I’ll send you a video in the group chat.”
You heard Beomgyu laughing, and then Taehyun’s distant shouting.
“Fuck. He’s coming over to yell at me to delete it,” Beomgyu added quickly.
“Yeah, okay,” you said, trying to ignore the awkwardness from earlier. “I’ll see you guys later.”
You hung up and looked over at Kai, who was watching you with a curious expression.
“Well,” you said, attempting to lighten the mood, “looks like it’s just us for dinner tonight.”
Kai grinned, clearly unfazed by the earlier conversation. “Perfect. More time for us to catch up.”
Whatever he had just said did nothing to quell the storm of emotions swirling inside you. You couldn’t help but think, Curse you, Huening Kai, you perfect son of a bitch, as you watched him move about the kitchen, completely unaware of the effect he had on you. 
“Can you pass me the salt?” “Hey…” “Dude!”
You suddenly felt a flick on your forehead and snapped out of your thoughts, turning to Kai, who had been trying to get your attention for a while.
“Oh! Yep. You should!” you blurted out. “You should totally try a new hairstyle.”
Kai laughed, the sound warm and reassuring. “We’ve moved on from that topic.” His expression softened as he leaned in, gently placing his hand on your forehead. “You alright? Are you feeling sick?”
His hand was surprisingly warm against your skin, and if his touch lingered even a moment longer, you were certain your cheeks would be hotter than the soup you were drinking. You nodded quickly, trying to brush off the heat rising to your face.
“Are you sure? It feels like you’re getting warmer,” Kai said, his voice tinged with concern.
Embarrassed, you pushed his hand away, the warmth of his touch still lingering. “It’s probably just the summer heat.”
“You sure?” he asked, still looking worried.
You nodded again, trying to sound more convincing. “Yep.”
“Hold on, you have a little…” He leaned in and gently used his thumb to wipe a small crumb from your lip.
The unexpected touch of his thumb against your lip sent a jolt through you. Startled by the sudden closeness and the tender gesture, you fumbled with the bowl of soup. In your flustered state, your hand slipped, and the bowl tipped over. 
You abruptly stood up, wincing as a sharp, stinging pain shot through your foot. “Fuck,” you cursed under your breath, your voice tinged with frustration.
Kai’s face immediately filled with concern. He hurriedly rushed over to your side of the table, reaching for the spilled food and trying to help you clean up. “Are you okay?” he asked, his tone anxious.
“I’m good!” you said quickly, trying to push his hands away. You didn’t want him to see how flustered and embarrassed you were. His touch was warm, but right now, you just wanted to avoid any more attention.
You noticed a flicker of hurt in his eyes before you shook your head, trying to reassure him. “I didn’t mean to—I just—I should go get this cleaned up.” You quickly made your way to the bathroom, your heart pounding as you tried to escape the situation.
You heard Kai’s footsteps follow closely behind you. As you entered the bathroom, he called out, “The first aid’s under the sink.” There was a sigh in his voice, a mixture of frustration and concern. “You sure you’re okay?”
You nodded, even though he couldn’t see you through the closed door. “Yep,” you called back, trying to sound more confident than you felt.
Silence continued between the two of you as you carefully bandaged your scalded thigh. The faint rustling of Kai’s movements outside the door made it clear he was still there, waiting.
Then, you heard him whisper, almost too softly to catch, “There’s something wrong between us.”
You stayed silent, not trusting yourself to respond.
A moment later, his voice grew a bit louder as he repeated, “You sure you’re okay?”
“Yep.” You replied.
“You sure we’re okay?” Kai’s voice softened.
You didn’t answer, letting the silence stretch between you. Each second felt like an eternity, your mind racing as you tried to gather your thoughts. You could hear the faint rustling of Kai’s movements outside the door.
Finally, you took a deep breath and emerged from the bathroom, the bandage awkwardly wrapped around your leg. Kai stood there, looking at you with a mixture of worry and something else you couldn’t quite place.
“Sorry about that,” you said, forcing a smile. “It’s just a minor burn. Nothing to worry about.”
Kai’s eyes softened, though he still looked concerned. “It’s not just about the burn, is it?” He stepped closer, his gaze searching yours. “Something’s been off for a while now. I can’t help but feel like you’re distancing yourself from me.”
You felt a lump form in your throat, the vulnerability of the moment making it hard to speak. “It’s complicated,” you finally admitted, your voice barely above a whisper. “I’ve been dealing with a lot of emotions lately, and I didn’t want to drag you into it.”
Kai’s expression shifted from concern to understanding, and he reached out, gently touching your arm. “You don’t have to go through things alone. If something’s wrong, I want to be here for you. I care about you too much to let things stay this way.”
His words struck a chord, and you felt your resolve begin to crumble. The warmth of his hand on your arm, combined with the sincerity in his eyes, made it hard to hold back your feelings.
“I—” you started, but the words caught in your throat. You looked down, struggling to find the right way to express what you were feeling. “I just… I didn’t want to make things awkward or complicated.”
Kai shook his head slightly, his gaze never leaving yours. "Please,” he whispered. “Just let me share the pain you're going through."
You met his eyes, finally allowing yourself to be vulnerable. “I… I care about you a lot, Kai. More than I thought I could.”
Kai’s expression softened further, and he took a step closer. “I care about you too.”
He didn’t get it. He didn’t understand the implication of what you were trying to say—that you liked him. That you cared about him differently from how you cared about Beomgyu and Taehyun.
You forced a smile. “Thank you. Let’s get back out there.” You nudged his shoulder.
He shook his head. “No.” He gently pulled you back, stopping you in your tracks.
“Kai…”
“No,” he repeated, his grip firm but gentle, careful not to hurt you. He guided you to the wall and leaned you against it softly. “I don’t want to leave it like this. I don’t know what this is, but I don’t feel like we’re okay.”
“We are.”
“You’re lying,” he sighed.
“I’m not—”
“Your eyes,” Kai said softly, “they tell me everything I need to know.”
“Are they telling you anything else?” you asked, your frustration clearly showing. “Since you know me so well, can you read anything else in my eyes?”
“Why are you getting mad at me?” Kai asked, his voice getting slightly louder, confusion and hurt in his voice.
“Because!” you snapped, your voice rising with anger. “Because!”
“Because what?!” Kai shouted back, his own frustration surfacing. “It’s like you don’t even want me around anymore!”
“And who said that? Stop assuming everything about me!” you yelled, your voice trembling with emotion. “Stop acting like you know everything about me!”
“Don’t I?!” he exclaimed, frustration evident in his tone.
You scoffed, rolling your eyes. “You’re always going on about how much you know me, but do you really? You can’t even—” You paused, the words caught in your throat.
“Can’t even what? Notice that you’re avoiding me?” Kai’s voice was tinged with hurt and confusion.
The room was charged with tension. Your heart raced as you faced each other, your eyes locked with his despite your desperate urge to look away. His voice dripped with anger, and his eyes shimmered with a deep, wounded hurt. 
“Have you or have you not been avoiding me?” Kai asked, his voice dropping to a deeper, more serious tone.
“I wasn’t igno—”
“You’re lying.”
“I wasn’t intentionally ignoring you,” you admitted, your voice barely above a whisper, filled with apprehension.
Kai’s shoulders slumped in defeat, his voice cracking with vulnerability. “W-why? Did I do something wrong? Did I say something wrong? Listen, whatever I did, I’m sorry—”
"You didn’t do anything." You sighed, burying your face in your hands.
"Then... why have you been avoiding me?" Kai gently pulled your hands away from your face, lifting your chin so you’d meet his gaze. His eyes searched yours.
“I–”
"You don’t think I’ve noticed? How you've barely been texting me, or the group? We used to talk every day. And now, for the past two weeks, it’s just been me... constantly asking about you. And the only person who seems to know anything is Beomgyu. Not even me." His voice cracked with frustration. "It used to be us. Just the two of us against everything. But now—"
“I—I’ve been going through some things on my own. You don’t have to know everything about me, Kai,” you said, your tone sharper than intended.
It almost felt ironic, and just as infuriating, that he stood there acting as if he truly understood you, when he didn’t even realize the most important thing—your feelings. 
“We’re supposed to be best friends. What happened to being friends till we grow old?” Kai’s voice cracked, as if the weight of the words would somehow pull you back to him.
“Some of us don’t want that,” you snapped, your self-restraint finally shattering. The words left your lips before you could stop them, sharp and unforgiving.
Kai froze, staring at you in disbelief. The hurt in his eyes was unmistakable. Slowly, the grip he still had on your arm loosened, his hands falling to his sides, as though the very act of holding on had become too heavy.
“Kai—” you sighed, realizing your words had gone too far.
“No. I’m—I—” he cut you off, sighing heavily as he pushed his hair back. “I’m an idiot.”
“Kai—” you tried again, your voice softer, unsure of how to fix what had just happened.
He stayed silent, inching away from you slowly. Then, without a word, he knelt down to look at your injured leg. “Feel better,” he murmured, gently tracing the edge of the hasty bandage wrapped around your thigh.
He stood up to walk away, the silence between you growing heavier with each step. But just as he turned, your frustration finally boiled over, pushing you past the breaking point. You couldn't hold it in any longer.
With a voice raw and desperate, you shouted, “I LIKE YOU!” Your eyes were wide and your chest heaved with the effort of the outburst. The words seemed to crackle in the air, and your hands clenched into fists at your sides, trembling slightly as the intensity of your emotions took hold.
Kai froze in his tracks, his back still turned to you. The air between you crackled with the weight of your confession, the echo of your words hanging in the silence. You stood there, heart racing, unable to believe you had actually said it.
Slowly, Kai turned to face you, his eyes wide with shock and something else you couldn’t quite place—hope, maybe? Confusion? Possibly.
You swallowed hard, “I—I didn’t mean to shout,” you stammered. “But I’ve been holding it in for so long, and I just… I didn’t know how else to say it.”
Kai’s expression softened, his brows furrowing as he processed your words. “You like me?” he repeated, his voice barely above a whisper, as if he wasn’t sure he heard you right.
You nodded, “I just thought if I kept my distance, maybe it would go away… but it didn’t.”
He took a tentative step closer, his eyes never leaving yours. “Why didn’t you just tell me?”
“I was scared,” you admitted, your voice trembling as you spoke. Your hands fidgeted, fingers twisting nervously. “Scared that it would ruin everything between us. Scared you wouldn’t feel the same. And the blind date that Taehy—”
“It wasn’t even that serious to begin with, my sisters were just sick of hearing me complain about–well about you.” he interrupted, his tone gentle but firm. He took a step closer, his expression softening as he reached out, his hand almost brushing yours.
“Me?” 
Kai let out a breath, his shoulders relaxing as the tension between you began to fade. “I never knew,” he said softly, taking another step closer. “But… you didn’t have to be scared. I—”
He hesitated, his voice catching in his throat, before finally meeting your gaze. “I like you too.”
“Oh.” 
“Yeah. Oh,” Kai mumbled, awkwardly scratching the back of his head, clearly unsure of what to do next.
You laughed, the tension breaking slightly. “No one ever tells you what to do after… a confession.”
Kai chuckled softly. “I figured Beomgyu might know what to do. He’s been egging me on to tell you how I feel.”
“He has?” you asked, surprised.
Kai nodded, and a brief silence settled between the two of you, heavy but not uncomfortable. Finally, he spoke again. “I’m sorry.”
“What? Why?” you asked, confused.
“I should’ve told you sooner, when I had the chance. I didn’t realize that keeping it in would hurt you, and that was never my intention.” His voice softened, regret evident in every word.
“That makes the two of us,” you giggled shyly. “Well, I wasn’t exactly broadcasting my single status and going on blind dates, but still—” you teased playfully.
“For the record,” Kai said, scratching the back of his head with a sheepish grin, “my sisters were only sick of me complaining about how much I like you and how much of a coward I am for not telling you.”
“Oh. What exactly have you been complaining about?” You teased.
Kai’s cheeks pinked, “N-nothing. Nothing important.”
“Really? You do know I have Hiyyih’s Insta. I could probably just ask her myself,” you said with a mischievous grin.
“You wouldn’t.”
You nodded, a playful glint in your eye. “I absolutely would. So it’s either you give me a summarized version and keep the details to yourself, or I get the 100% detailed account from Hiyyih.”
“It’s not even—I just… you have to promise me you won’t laugh. Or make fun of me.”
“Promise.” You said, pretending to zip your lips with a playful wink. 
Your eyes were filled with genuine adoration for the man standing before you. His vulnerability was written all over his face, and it only made your heart swell. Your gaze softened, allowing the affection you'd kept hidden for so long to shine through. After years of bottling up your feelings, you could finally show them, even if only a little.
“Well, uh… this is so embarrassing,” he mumbled quietly to himself, taking a deep breath to steady himself. “I’d tell them how… uh… pretty you looked every time we went out together,” he said slowly.
“Uh-huh…” You nodded, encouraging him to continue.
“And I’d tell them how you didn’t deserve the guys you were dating. How they were all assholes,” he went on, his voice growing louder and more passionate as he gained confidence with each word.
“And I’d tell them how much you deserve someone who genuinely loves you, someone who knows how funny you are, how quiet you get when you’re overanalyzing something, how loud you become when you're passionate, and how loving and protective you are to the people who matter to you.” He gulped, his voice shaking with emotion.
“How… much I deserved you,” he finished, his gaze searching yours.
You stood there, feeling a rush of warmth flood your cheeks. Your mind raced, but no words came. All you could manage was a soft, hesitant “Umm…”
Kai’s gaze was fixed on you, a mixture of hope and apprehension in his eyes. Seeing your struggle to find the right words, he took a deep breath and gently took your hands in his. 
You hated to admit it, but Kai seemed to be winning the confession game you had inadvertently started.
As his words settled, you found yourself slowly leaning in, your heart racing with a mix of excitement and nervous anticipation. Kai’s eyes fluttered shut, and he met you halfway. His lips gently brushed against yours, the kiss starting soft and tentative.
Your hands gripped his, pulling him closer as the kiss deepened. You felt Kai’s arms wrap around your waist, guiding you gently against the wall.
“God, I like you so much,” he whispered into the kiss.
Just as you were losing yourself in the moment, the abrupt sound of the door slamming open ruined the moment the two of you had.
“WE’RE HOME!” 
Taehyun and Beomgyu burst into the room, their eyes widening in disbelief as they took in the sight of you and Kai locked in a kiss.
“What the—” Taehyun’s voice came out as a high-pitched yelp, his hand flying to his mouth in shock.
The room was filled with a jumble of screams—your and Kai’s shocked cries mixing with Taehyun’s and Beomgyu’s high-pitched shouts. The noise was deafening, with each of you trying to out-scream the other. 
“YOU’RE NOT SUPPOSED TO BE HOME!” you yelled.
“THE GUYS AT THE TOWING COMPANY SENT US HOME BECAUSE THEY LIKED ME! WHAT WAS I SUPPOSED TO DO?!” Taehyun shouted back.
“DO YOU EVER KNOCK?!” Kai yelled at the two of them.
“THIS IS A SHARED APARTMENT, YOU IDIOT!” Beomgyu countered.
“Enough about us! What the heck are you two doing? Spit-swapping in front of us like that?” Taehyun yelled.
You and Kai stood there, red-faced and speechless, your hands still intertwined but your mouths firmly shut. The embarrassment was palpable as you both tried to avoid eye contact, your cheeks burning with the sudden realization of being caught.
“We—uh…”
“We—”
The two of you glanced at each other, then back at Taehyun and Beomgyu.
“We…”
“Spit it out!” Beomgyu rolled his eyes, clearly impatient.
“We like each other?” Kai managed to fumble out, his voice trembling slightly.
At that moment, the room erupted into a new kind of chaos. Taehyun and Beomgyu, now visibly relieved and overjoyed, screamed with happiness.
“FINALLY!” Taehyun shouted, his voice a mix of triumph and excitement. “I KNEW IT!”
“Oh my god!” Beomgyu exclaimed, clapping his hands together in delight. “We can finally sleep in peace!”
“No more emo Huening Kai nights!”
“No more sad songs!”
Beomgyu and Taehyun grabbed each other’s hands, jumping in circles and celebrating for reasons you couldn’t quite grasp.
“Emo Huening Kai nights?” you asked, raising an eyebrow.
“Every time you went out on a date with someone, Kai would come home with this sad look on his face,” Taehyun explained. “He wouldn’t want to play any games or do anything fun.”
“He’d just pout, act like a baby, order Chinese takeout, and then moan about how the guy you were dating didn’t deserve you,” Beomgyu continued, trying to hold back his laughter.
You looked at Kai, who was now blushing deeply and rolling his eyes in mock annoyance. “Well, that explains a lot,” you said, chuckling.
“When you both explain it like that, it makes me sound pathetic,” Kai said, shaking his head.
“But it was pathetic?” Beomgyu asked, raising an eyebrow.
“I think it’s cute,” you said with a smile.
“Gross,” Beomgyu said, scrunching up his face in mock disgust. “Wait, does this mean we’ll have to see this more often? GROSS!”
“I can’t believe Huening found a girl before us,” Taehyun sighed, shaking his head in disbelief.
“It’s possible that the two of you lack a certain charisma,” Kai replied with a teasing grin.
“Oh, and you have it?” Taehyun laughed, raising an eyebrow.
“Well, I do have the world’s greatest girlfriend,” Kai said, glancing at you with a proud smile.
“Girlfriend?” You teased, your eyes twinkling with mischief. “Who said anything about me being your girlfriend?”
Kai’s face turned a shade redder as he stammered, “Well, I—I just thought—”
“Thought what?” you interrupted, a playful smirk on your lips. “That I’d be your girlfriend even if you didn’t ask? I’m not that easy.”
“I’m sorry,” Beomgyu interjected, “You’re a little confident right now. Aren’t you the same girl who messaged me about how Kai looked like he had the most pillowy, kissable lips you’d ever seen?”
Your cheeks heated up. “CHOI BEOMGYU!”
“Oh, and also that cute little private TikTok you did after you cried over Kai…? Really cute,” Beomgyu continued, his grin widening.
In a desperate bid to stop him from revealing more, you clenched your fists and lunged at Beomgyu. You jumped onto his back and covered his mouth with your hands, muffling his voice before he could spill any more secrets. 
Taehyun and Kai erupted into giggles, but Kai's laughter suddenly faltered as he realized, “Wait… what TikTok?”
“She did a TikTok where—” Beomgyu started, but you quickly shoved your hands over his mouth, pressing down firmly to silence him.
Unfortunately, Beomgyu was way stronger than you. With one swift move, he had you slung over his shoulder, your legs flailing as you tried to wriggle free.
“Fine. I won’t tell. Yet,” Beomgyu said with a mischievous grin.
34 notes · View notes
acrossthewavesoftime · 2 months
Note
Wait... are you saying that Simcoe was possibly a Bicon, in addition to being a hero of Upper Canada?
That, my friend, I am! Albeit with the usual caveats that there are some things we cannot say for certain.
I think there are hints pointing towards Simcoe having been possibly romantically, or even sexually, inclined towards men as well as women.
Apologies for my tardy reply, but this got a tad long, so please proceed under the cut:
Edward Drewe: "My Dorilas"
The first hint is the poem I was talking about, written by his fellow officer Edward Drewe, whom Simcoe knew since childhood. Drewe wrote the poem as a farewell to Simcoe upon being invalided back home to England early in the Revolutionary War.
For me, the repeated emphasis on the sorrow of parting in elborately dramatic scenes (such as imagining what would happen if Simcoe would die before also returning home, complete with a description of his "mangled corse" [sic, and a bit sick, too]) and particularly the repeated address of Simcoe as "Dorilas" seem to point in that direction.
The lovely and ever helpful @my-deer-friend was able to pinpoint a potential origin for the appellation "Dorilas" from the Tale The Loves of Dorilas and Euanthe, published in the Oxford Magazine in 1774.
Assuming the name is a direct reference to either this particular story or similar stories, due to the personal nature of the poem, my assumption would be that Drewe, complementing Simcoe's Dorilas, cast himself in the role of Euanthe.
This, by the way, is the last paragraph of the story:
Tumblr media
"[G]olden shafts" and Venus having "crowned the night when Dorilas the pride of swains enjoyed his beloved Euanthe" does sound quite... Well, they surely weren't just looking at is stamp collection together.
If the appellation "Dorilas" in Drewe's poem indeed does refer to Dorilas and Euanthe, I think that would be a very distinct hint as to how the relationship between Drewe and Simcoe might have looked like.
John André: "an officer whose superior integrity and uncommon ability did honour to his country, and to human nature."
Another man who was very important to Simcoe was John André. They knew each other, and enjoyed spending time together. They were of a similar age and had shared interests. Similarly to André, Simcoe could draw well and was a man not shy of conviviality.
When André was captured, Simcoe approached Clinton submitting a plan for André's rescue which would have included putting his own life on the line that was however refused by Clinton.
Now, I'm perfectly sure I have seen Simcoe's letter to Clinton somewhere, but cannot find it. It seems to exist, too, because the plan to rescue André was also known to Simcoe's biographer, Mary Beacock-Fryer, who makes mention of it, sadly without referencing the original (Beacock-Fryer, Mary: John Graves Simcoe. A Biography, p. 56.).
What I can provide you with however is the assertion, in Simcoe's own words, that he
[...] had given directions that the regiment should immediately be provided with black and white feathers as mourning, for the late Major Andre, an officer whose superior integrity and uncommon abiity did honour to his country, and to human nature. John Graves Simcoe, Journal, p. 152 (1844 reprint).
In his so-called Journal, a work he compiled in order to highlight his own role in the war and political stances which he wrote with the intention to serve as a stepping-stone for his (political) career after his return to civilian life (and half-pay) in England, there are not many hints as to how his relationship with André may have looked like, which, given its nature, makes sense.
He does however highlight, in his Journal and later private letters, how greatly André's death upset him, and allegedly, though I have never found any proof for this, André's self-portrait, drawn at the eve of his execution, was copied by Simcoe's artiscally gifted wife to give to Honora Sneyd, André's former sweetheart.
There are no concrete hints to any relationship in a romantic or sexual sense with André, in any case however, I think it bespeaks their close bond that Simcoe was willing to sacrifice his own life for André, and had the Queen's Rangers add feathers to their hats as a token of respect and rememberance to him.
Mary Anne Burges: Defying Social Expectations
Simcoe was by most accounts a person who was naturally jovial, affectionate and inclined to see the good in everyone; local stories and historical anecdotes about Simcoe highlight his approachable character.
One curious personal relationship was that with Mary Anne Burges, his wife's best friend; the two were a 'package deal', which he knew; legend has it that after she had accepted his proposal, Elizabeth Gwillim, the future Mrs. Simcoe, sent her fiancé to talk to her best friend and promise her that he would never come between them.
How much of this story is true will remain lost to history, but Simcoe had no issues with Burges moving into the vincinity and being a constant visitor. She even became, in the absence of blood-relations, an aunt of sorts to the Simcoe children who would help take care of the four eldest daughters while their parents were away in Upper Canada.
Mary Anne Burges and Elizabeth Simcoe were friends ever since their teenage years and Burges sometimes came to stay with her bestie, who was then living with her maternal aunt Margaret and the latter's husband, Admiral Samuel Graves, whenever her cash-strapped parents considered putting pressure on her to get married already.
Mary Anne Burges remained single for life, carved out a professional existence (albeit an at times precarious one) for herself writing for magazines, had a great interest in the natural sciences and even became a single (foster) mother to an orphaned relation. Here is what she wrote to Elizabeth when a gentleman decided to try his luck with her by way of a surprise proposal:
[...] so I wrote him word that I had more a determination to continue single all my life [...]. Mary Anne Burges to Elizabeth Simcoe, 8 June 1795.
Her refusal to the proposal had nothing to do with the particular gentleman in question; she was simply not interested in men in a romantic or sexual capacity, which she seems to have been very open about. In another letter to her best friend, shortly after the Simcoe's had left for Upper Canada in 1792, she gives an account of a spat between herself and the notoriously quarrelsome Margaret Graves, jealous of the close relationship between her niece and Mary Anne Burges. Margaret Graves mused loudly that friendships between married (Elizabeth Simcoe) and unmarried ladies (Mary Anne Burges) were very improper, because unmarried ladies might ask a married lady about advice regarding her lovers. Mary Anne Burges coldly replied that "[t]hat can easily be overcome by not having any lovers."
Mary Anne Burges remained a trusted friend close with the Simcoe-family for as long as she lived. Given that the Simcoes were very close, and Mary Anne had been around the Graves' house, too, I would guess that Simcoe would have known either from Mary Anne Burges herself or from his wife, that she was resolved not to conform to the common expectations held for women in the day. Despite that, she was allowed a close relationship not only with his wife, but particularly with his children.
To me, Simcoe's relationship with Mary Anne Burges evidences that he was more, for lack of a better word, open-minded than one would expect of an aspiring social climber with politically otherwise conservative leanings in the late 18th century, which may have influenced his view on and willingness to engage in romantic or perhaps even sexual relationships with other men.
Samuel Graves: Simcoe's upbringing
This open-mindedness likely stems from his upbringing between his mother's and his godfather's household. While I sadly know only very little about his mother, I know quite a fair bit about his godfather Samuel Graves.
Graves valued education (and scolded his older brother because he considered his nephews too little educated to successfully make their way in the world), was married to a member of the Bluestocking circle who believed that women should have more legal rights, especially regarding social mobility through education and vocational training as well as allowing married women to hold property in their own name, and allowed Mary Anne Burges to stay in his home whenver she required an escape from her home life.
Even more interesting is that due to a severe case of malaria contracted while serving abroad as a young man, he had grown infertile. He knew this, and was open about it to his family. Taking this into account, his marriages defy the contemporary socio-religious expectations somewhat as they could never produce any offspring; his two marriages were, from the pieces of evidence I have, likely for love.
His second wife, Elizabeth Simcoe's aunt Margaret, née Spinckes, appears to have been firm on never wanting any children of her own due to having watched her sister die in childbirth, which, coupled with her aversion to giving up her substantial fortune to a husband, had kept her from marrying so far; looking at her marriage to Samuel Graves, it seems that she not only trusted him with her property, she was also happy to have sexual relations with him, some light allusions to this apparently very delctable part of married life she left behind in letters.
Conclusion:
It was in this at the second glance rather surprising environment that Simcoe grew up in, and that may have influenced his personal development, and perhaps instilled in him an acceptance of people not conforming to social expectations, which may have influenced his possible relationships with men such as Edward Drewe and perhaps even John André.
Simcoe's acceptance of Mary Anne Burges as a close friend to his wife and daughters (and to himself, too), who by modern terminology would likely fall under the umbrella term "queer", shows that throughout his life, he was accepting of people who, especially regarding personal and potentially sexual relationships, defied social expectations.
How his own relationships with other men may have looked like concretely, and how the people involved would have perceived, termed and described them might sadly be forever lost to history; for a great analysis of terminology and (what we today consider to be) queerness in an 18th century context, I will link this excellent post by @my-deer-friend.
Especially Edward Drewe's potentially sexually underpinned poem may suggest that a relationship going beyond a romantic friendship between him and Simcoe may have existed.
I think that in Simcoe's case, no prior evaluation of his friendships with men of a similar age prior to his marriage has taken place yet because firstly, most scholarship on him was written in the 19th/early 20th century when queer history was, to put it mildly, not exactly a priority, and secondly, because his very happy, monogamous marriage (about which he wrote poetry containing such great lines as "[...] shall my Eliza with true passion burn") and eleven (!) children do not instantly suggest any attraction to other men on his part.
A further, more in-depth analasys would be a desideratum on my part, especially because I believe there is some basis for it meriting further research.
34 notes · View notes
lol-jackles · 4 months
Text
Walker review, episode 7 "Hold me now"
It's a beautiful golden morning and Cordell prepares to fix breakfast of egg and bacon for August but he's already half-way out the door. Come on Auggie, it's bacon, everybody loves bacon! Cordell puts away the egg and bacon and opt for cereal while he reads James' book on a serial killer. Cereal, serial, get it? I slay me.
Little did August know that morning would be the last time his dad would be there for him, and he'd going to wish he had stayed for breakfast.
At Ranger HQ, Cordell is leading the team search for the serial killer called the jackal who was previously dormant but now back and have killed 2 people. Cordell's first choice of suspect, a wife abuser, turned up to be a dead end but that doesn't slow him down. The following day he picks another suspect from the bottom of the least suspicious list, a former zoo keeper whose zoo was the closest site of the first victim. Nobody is on board with Cordell's theory so he's like, no problem, I'll check the defunct zoo myself. Cassie refuse to let Cordell go alone and Luna invites himself along.
The trio arrives at the creepy abandoned zoo and only the audience see the decayed corpse of an animal, a jackal with missing teeth, which is the killer's calling card. Luna and Cassie find a disturbing underground room filled with tools of the killer's trade. Cordell finds fresh tracks and chases a distant figure, who escapes after he ambushes Cordell and knocks him out. Though the killer remains free, the rangers are closer than they've ever been in years and his lair will provide much needed data for a profile.
Cordell is upset that he was so close to catching the killer and is more determined than ever to finish the job. He returns home to find Liam upset that history is repeating itself, Cordell is neglecting his family and Liam is picking up the slack. Cordell says he will make it up to his children and tells Liam to stop being so dramatic. (At this point I', convinced Ben is running the horse rescue.)
Both men are correct and there's no easy answer. A serial killer is on the loose and catching it is not a 9 to 5 job. There's an expectation that public service jobs mean some family times has to be scarified. I know a family that has 3 generations of firefighters, they never spent a single Thanksgiving and Christmas together as a family because the men are too busy putting out kitchen fires and/or fireplace fires caused by idiots. Mothers Day is the only holiday that most criminals take a break from their usual criminal activities.
Cordell goes to his study room filled with research on the jackal and it is revealed that he stole evidence from the killer's lair, a length of rope. Cordell tightly wraps the rope around his wrist as if he's trying to get into the mind of the killer and looking through his eyes. In an earlier scene, Cassie said zoo keeping isn't that much different from ranching and pointedly looks at Cordell.
Sidenote, Luna and Cassie finds the killer's note written in capitalized letters, which is the same style Luna wrote in his love note to Cassie. I really hope this is a red herring for Cassie's sake, her two previous dates literally tried to kill Cordell: for a cause and for revenge, respectively. Cassie doesn't need the third romance to turn out to be another psycho and also I need the three of them to go undercover at a Shadow Hawk convention.
Speculation #4: the Jackal is a member of the survivor network and encouraged people like Henry to blame innocent people. He knew Luna was undercover at the motel and learned his handwriting style to feed false leads to the survivor network.
Score: 9.7 out of 10.  We get to see why Cordell is the best ranger as the stakes are deepening. A point 2 deduction for the stalled necklace mystery, another point 2 deduction for Bonham and Abeline subplot about derailed retirement plans. Point 1 given back for August maturing and being a good kid.
Tumblr media
48 notes · View notes
neo404 · 6 months
Note
If you have the chance could you possibly continue Proud of you, buddy . Maybe it could be him asking the boy out and calling nick to tell him or him coming out to the family and nick just there supporting him through it ( also wanted to tell you that i love your stories )
Proud of you, buddy. Part 2.
Tumblr media
Summary: after talking with Nick, you stayed up all night thinking about confessing your feelings to Jackson, you decided that tomorrow (Friday) will be the best day to do it, since it will be the start of your summer break.
Tw: cursing.
I wanted this to be perfect. Last night I couldn’t sleep, so I made it Nicks problem.
‘’You know I am bad at crafts.’’ He said while folding the color papers I gave him.
‘’I know, but I need help. This paper bouquet won’t do itself.’’ Nick rolls his eyes.
‘’What are you doing anyways that you don’t do the bouquet for your boyfriend.’’
‘’He’s not my boyfriend, shut up. I’m writing him a letter.’’ I blush and look down at the empty piece of paper infront of me.
‘’Oh boy, teenage love is so cute, I feel like a grandpa right now.’’
‘’Yeah, ‘cus you are old.’’ I laugh and he scoffs.
‘’I won’t help you anymore, then. My hands are too old to be folding these tiny papers’’
‘’NO, it was a joke, you are as young as a baby.’’ he laughs and keeps folding the papers.
‘’Hey, I know it can be scary, just write what you feel, yeah?’’ I nod and let out a sigh. Starting to write on the paper.
We talked until it was too late, we laughed and he shared his experiences declaring to boys and things like that. I knew I was close with my older brother, but I feel like this brought us even closer. I ended up sleeping 3 and a half hours, the next morning I was looking rough, Nick woke up early to help me pick an outfit and to drop me off to school with dad.
‘’Remember buddy, breath and say what you feel.’’ I nod and he pats my shoulder. I walk into my first period which was chemistry, I have to wait until 4th period to talk to Jackson.
I talk with my friends; I laugh with them. But I can’t shake away the though of Jackson and what he might say. I take deep breathes on the halls as I change classrooms, 3rd period ends and I’m walking into my english literature class, I feel some arms wrap around me, I look besides me and see Jackson smiling at me.
‘’Hi, why didn’t you wait for me?’’ he asks me.
‘’Oh, shit. I forgot.’’
‘’You forgot about me? AUCH. My heart, I am dying.’’ He grabs his chest dramatically and puts most of the weight of his body on me. ‘’Carry me, I am bleeding out.’’
‘’I didn’t forget about you, I forgot to wait. I didn’t wanted to be late again.’’
‘’Again? We are late to english literature like… 4 times a week?’’
‘’Yes, and we have it 4 times a week, you dumbass.’’ He stands straight, one arm still around my shoulder.
‘’Right, I forget. What would I do without you?’’
‘’Probably die.’’ He laughs
‘’True. You are my savior.’’ We enter the classroom and sit on out places, which are next to each other, we share table because the teacher says Jackson pays more attention and gets better grades when he’s with me, I think it’s because he just copies everything I do.
‘’Good morning class.’’ The teacher enters the classroom with a mug of coffee on her hand and starts talking about what we will do today.
‘’Hey, Jack.’’ I whisper and punch him softly.
‘’Hm?’’
‘’Can we talk at the end of the day?’’ I ask trying to not sound nervous.
‘’Yeah. Why not now?’’
‘’You’ll see. Just pay attention to what she’s saying.’’
‘’All right, Mr. Favorite Student.’’
The rest of the day went smoothly, Jackson and I lunched together as always. I wrote to Nick on the bathroom because I was panicking. At the end of the day Nick told me he will be waiting for me with a giant ice cream container, to celebrate or just in case.
I was outside the building, on the quiet part, where people didn’t hang around as much. I looked at Jackson approaching with a wide smile on his face.
‘’Heyo! What is it that you wanted to talk about?’’
‘’It’s a bit complicated.’’ His smile fades and nods.
‘’It’s all right dude, whatever you need I’m here to listen.’’ He pats my shoulder and sits on the ground, his back against the school bricks. I sit beside him.
‘’Well, there is something I’d like to give you.’’ His eyes widen and smiles again.
‘’Bring it out man.’’ I take a deep breath and take out of my backpack the card and the little paper bouquet. ‘’Aw, dude, that’s so cute. Thanks. Is it our anniversary or something? Why are you gifting me flowers honey?’’ he jokes, as he often does. I shrug my shoulders and point at the card. ‘’Yeah right, I should read it.’’ He reads it quietly, he bites his lip while doing so, a small smile on his face, I look down at my hands and try to not cry on stop. ‘’Shit, you are such a dork.’’ I feel his hand grabbing my face and turning my face to him, he kisses my lips. ‘’I like you too, dumbass. Can I be your boyfriend?’’
‘’What? Really.’’ My brain feels dizzy, I’m trying to process what jus happened. ‘’YES, yes.’’ After I can keep rambling, he kisses me again. We break the kiss because my phone is ringing.
‘’Where the fuck are you?’’ Matts voice sound on my ear.
‘’Shit, sorry. I lost track of time. I’m on my way.’’ I close the call and give Jackson a small kiss on the lips. ‘’Bye, see you at the dinner.’’
‘’Bye. I will be there, wait for me.’’
I rush to the car, a big smile on my face.
‘’Damn buddy, what got you so happy?’’
‘’Matt… I have a boyfriend!’’ Matt looks at me dead in the eyes and blinks twice.
‘’That’s amazing, I’m proud of you buddy.’’ He gives me a small hug and starts driving home. ‘’Is he a good guy?’’
‘’Yes, he’s really kind.’’
‘’Does he know you have 4 older brother that can beat him up?’’
‘’Yes, he knows. He’s cool Matt.’’
‘’He better be.’’
We arrive home and I swing the door open, Nick is sitting on the couch, already eating some of the ice cream.
‘’HE SAID YES!’’ Nick stands up from the couch, his eyes wide open.
‘’OH MY GOD, YEEES!!!’’ he hugs me and we jump happily.
‘’What am I missing?’’ Chris who was also eating the ice cream looks at us confused. ‘’Matt, who the fuck said yes?’’
‘’Don’t ask me, the news are as new to me as they are to you.’’ He messes up my hair as he passes by Nick and I.
‘’Chris. I have a boyfriend.’’
‘’A what?...’’ he stares at me for a few seconds. ‘’DAMN, THAT’S NICE, BUDDY. Come here, hug your older brother.’’ He walks over to me and Nick and hugs the both of us. ‘’Be who you aaaare.’’
‘’To soon, Chris.’’ Nick mutters.
‘’Oh shit, sorry.’’ He chuckles. ‘’Proud of you, buddy. When will we get to meet him?’’
‘’He’s coming for mom’s birthday.’’
‘’Oh, that’s cool.’’ Nick says.
‘’Yeah, I think I’ll tell mom, dad and Justin that day.’’
‘’Sounds like a plan.’’ Chris says. Then looks at Matt that was sitting on the couch. ‘’Don’t be a grumpy fuck Matt, come hug your brothers.’’ Matt smiles and gets up to hug us.
‘’Thank you guys, you are the best.’’
‘’We are.’’ Nick says.
48 notes · View notes
quirkykaty · 2 years
Text
Busted
Pairing: Crowley x F!Reader Warnings: SMUT (the one and only I've written so far, so feel free to judge), bit of fluff, bit of angst, getting caught (duh) Summary: When the cats are away, the mice will play. Sam and Dean pop out for a few hours and Crowley decides to pop in for a visit. Wordcount: >1000 Author's Note: I can't remember when or why I wrote this but it still makes me grin when I reread it so whatever. Crowley is such an ass but gods I love him.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“Bye! Call us if anything comes up, okay?” Sam called out to you from the door of the Bunker. Dean grinned at you over his shoulder and winked as he dragged his brother out the door. You laughed as the door closed on them, shaking your head at the grown men’s teenage antics.
Spinning on a heel, you made a bee-line for the kitchen. With Sam and Dean off to chase down a lead on the English Men of Letters, you had the Bunker all to yourself for a few hours and that meant one thing. Booze and a movie marathon in your pajamas. It was going to be fantastic.
Within an hour, you were splayed out on the couch in a ratty shirt that was several sizes too big and a pair of fuzzy black socks, with a bottle of Jack in one hand and the remote in the other. Having the boys out of the Bunker meant you could pull your secret stash of movies, ones that you’d never live down if the boys found out. The first on the list was the Princess Bride, a guilty pleasure even you were ashamed of.
“Westley was a bloody idiot for leaving Humperdink alive, if you ask me,” a voice behind you drawled, the familiar accent making your face go red in seconds. You cut off the movie and leapt up, whirling to face the smirking demon that was currently leaning against the wall. “Hello, darling.”
“What the hell are you doing here?” you squeaked as you came around to the other side of the couch, frantically glancing across the room to the Bunker’s main room. The boys could be back at any time and if they caught you here with him, there’d be hell to pay. No pun intended.
“I heard that Rocky and Bullwinkle were going to be out for the evening and thought I’d pop in to see my favorite little hunter,” he said with a dramatic pout, pushing off the wall and striding toward you until he was right in front of you. “Miss me?”
You flushed slightly at the closeness, his rough voice only adding to the fire building inside you. “You.. You can’t be here, Crowley. Sam and Dean will be back soon. If they catch us…” you trailed off, biting your lip nervously.
Crowley simply smirked and hooked a finger under your chin. “Then I suppose we should be quick about it, hm?” His eyes smoldered their smoky red as they travelled across your face. He knew exactly what it did to you to see his eyes like that. Grinning smugly, he leaned toward you, not touching you, not kissing you, just moving far enough into your space to make your whole body tense with anticipation. “Dammit, Crowley..” you growled, grabbing ahold of his jacket and pulling him the rest of the way to you. Crushing your lips against his, you gripped fistfuls of his jacket and shuffled back until your hips were against the back of the couch.
Without missing a beat, Crowley wrapped his arms around you and pinned you to his chest, kissing back with a passion that never failed to make you go weak in the knees. His hand slid down your back and hooked under your thighs, hoisting you up and spinning around. With a thought, you were across the room, trapped between the wall and Crowley’s body as the two of you moved together.
You broke the kiss first, head falling back against the wall as Crowley’s lips moved to your neck, nipping and kissing here and there to drive you wild. Your legs came up and wrapped around Crowley’s waist, prompting him to grind up against you. A small whimper rose out of your throat and you ran a hand into his hair, tugging gently. “No time for teasing.”
Crowley grunted and tugged your earlobe between his teeth, smirking impishly as he rolled his hips against yours once more. The two of you vanished again, back to the couch, where he pushed you down, shedding clothes while you tugged off your panties.
Within seconds, he was on top of you, one hand under your thigh and the other trailing up your side, under your shirt. Your lips met in a desperate kiss as he pushed into you, drawing a moan from you and a faint hiss from him. He set a rough pace from the start, hands wandering, seeking flesh wherever they could find it.
It wasn’t long until you were both tumbling over the edge of ecstasy, your moans and his echoing off the walls of the Bunker. Panting heavily, he pressed his face into your neck as you both came down from the high. Your fingers traced shapes on his back while you caught your breath, chuckling weakly as you pressed a kiss to the side of his head.
Pushing up on a hand after a moment, Crowley gazed down at you, head cocked to the side as he gave you his trademark smirk. “Well, that was a rather rousing workout, don’t you think?”
“I’ll have to send the boys away more often,” you said with a giggle, leaning up to kiss him softly.
“When you do, make sure you find out when they’re coming home,” a third voice piped up from somewhere in the room. You squeaked and bolted up on the couch, moving so quickly you smacked your head into Crowley’s. He yelped and put a hand to his head as the two of you turned to see Sam and Dean standing in the doorway of the Bunker’s living room.
“Busted,” Crowley muttered, giving you an almost apologetic smile before vanishing from the room, leaving you to face the fallout on your own.
404 notes · View notes
forthechubbies · 2 years
Text
I Love him...and him♡// Skz! Aussie Boys Imagine 🔥☁️ Chubby Reader ♡ Warning! Me trying to write works in a aussie accent. I'm sorry in advance.
Tumblr media
"Big nose." Bam!
"Hot head!" Wam!
"Auss..ie? Aussie. Trash?" Smack!
You were taken aback by this next one. "Binnie?" The sentence said Changbin, but you call him Binnie. "My Binnie's muscles are better than yours....and that's why I'm leaving you for Binnie?!" You gasped at the handwriting, obviously not yours. "Chan, Is this really necessary? Can't you find a different outlet to handle your anger?"
You distanced yourself, hopping off his lap, to which he whined about you leaving his thighs to freeze, and stood back to get the whole picture. "I mean, you strapped yourself to a chair and forced yourself to listen this-" While holding it, a particular word caught your eye in bold letters. C***.
Your mouth hung open. " Did you think of all these yourself? It gets quite vulgar after the first fours."
"No, The kids helped out too." He confessed, loving that silk nightgown on you. " I bought you that, lover? I haven't seen it before."
"I bet it was mainly Lee and Hannie, but I can clearly see Binnie had a take on this too. " You shook your head. "Oh, your mother bought it as a wedding gift. It's been sitting at the top of the closet since-" You cleared your throat, blushing.
"Our honeymoon night!? You have had that little number since our honeymoon night!" Effortlessly, Chan break out the restraints standing erect before you.
The clipboard coated your gasp as Chan took up your personal space; you eyed the crimson imprints staining his biceps from the harsh leather.
"Your precious Felix wrote the cunt one."His accent stuns you before his lips attack your neck-wait what!?
You shoved chan's chest away, more so, Chan moving out on his own. "That's not funny, Christopher. Yongbok would never say such a thing."
Chan rolled his eyes to high heaven once his back was turned. "Is that right, Lover?" Chan is more than aware of your bias- Felix being the main one. He isn't sure how this little schoolgirl crush began, but he oddly doesn't mind. He thinks it's cute how you defend your little Yongbok, not knowing the duality of Felix.
"Did you say something, Chan?" You asked, scrolling downstairs with a starving husband hot on your heels.
"I said I want burgahs." He exclaims, dramatically holding his hand over his tummy. " I haven't had a nice juicy burgah in years." Chan snatches you in his arms, accidentally manhandling you like his kids.
Chan didn't note anything but his carnivorous growling in his stomach. The man needs meat! He's a big boy, and big boys need to eat.
You gasped, looking up at chan, sporting a startled expression. "I'm not a toy. You can't just-" You stopped after realizing he definitely isn't listening.
You can feel it when his large hands slide up and down and that dazed look on his face confirms it.
"Go get in the car," Chan demanded, yet he still felt the need to throw you over his shoulder.
You giggled at his severe yet playful tone, gripping the back of his shirt to keep you stable. " Chan! I'm still in my nightgown! Indecent exposure, remember!?"
He froze in the door frame. "What are you doing here?"
"I got locked out, and I have nowhere else to go-" Jisung cheeses at Chan, but mainly the ass on full display for his viewing pleasure. "Hello, Mrs. Bang!" He reached up, but Chan caught his wrist.
"Hi, Jisung!" You made sure to match his energy.
"I was going to kiss the lady's hand-" He sighed.
Chan lifted both his brows. "Just making sure, Your handsy when it comes to bums, like- um...I don't know, mine."
Jisung bypassed Chan stepping straight into your home but not before standing shoulder-to-shoulder with his hyung in a slight pause.
"That's because yours is my favorite, Hyung. And no one can ever replace you." He smoothes his hand over Chan's tight blue jeans and lands a smack so hard Chan tips forward.
You wheezed, having a front seat to the whole thing, the hand you were using to cover your hand was gently stolen from you and kissed sweetly by Jisung.
Silence, Your feet graced the floor once again; Chan hummed sweetly and purred, rubbing his nose to yours before his large back overtook your vision, leaving you to tilt your head around him to see Jisung.
You saw a twinkle in his eyes when you giggled; Jisung smirked, swiping away from Chan's keep. "Mine!" He ran a good distance before rubbing it in his hyung's face.
Worse, you had no choice but to wrap your arms around his neck as he held you like the stolen princess you were.
Heated, Chan pushed a not-so-friendly smile Jisung's way in an attempt not to scare you. "Alright. Alright. Very funny. Come on now." He was calmy, strutting over with wide arms to take you back.
Jisung dodged his arms and kissed your cheek. "Mwah!" His lips curved into a cheeky grin. You could see the steam coming out of Hyung's ears. "Jealous?" He purred against your chubby cheek.
"You should stop-" You cautioned Hannie, a worried expression written on your face.
Chris's smile was long gone, tilting his head. "I'm gonna break ya fingers."
When the smile drops, Jisung releases you to get on his knees. " I was joking! Joking! I'm sorry!"
While Chris dealt with Jisung, you escaped to the kitchen-The fridge was opened..weird it was closed earlier.
You pushed the door to close it-
"Ow! What the-" Yongbok popped up, closing the door, and the distance between you two. "What are you doing up so late, Buttacup?" He brought you in by your chubby waist, loving how soft and squishy you are- but out of respect, He doesn't let his hands squeeze you even if they are aching too.
You should ask how he got into your house!?
You gasped. "Chan was hungry-" You held your breath at Felix's cologne wafting off his adam's apple; he's so close you can make out each freckle on his rosy cheeks. "He-We umm." Goodness, look at those eyes.
You kept your screams in your throat and fangirling in your head, crafting the illusion that you were utterly sane in front of your crush.
"Burgahs?" Yongbok answered his own question via a missed text message for Binnie.
Why is it so hard not to stare? You watched his brows pinch, and his thumb typed away. His outfit didn't match his smile; the rocker attire fried your already mushy lovesick brain paired with this inky black hair color, a new style to you and hands down is a winner in your poor innocent heart. Sh! Pretend for the story! His Hands are immense...and kind of pretty. Ah! Yn, you greedy pervert, You should be lucky; chan even married you, and you have the nerve to look at another man...
"It looks like your hubby is cravin..."He whipped out a blue raspberry lollipop snatching off the wrapper before popping the candy in his mouth.
"Buttacup?" The boy ogled at your cute, zoned-out expression, a slight pout to those plump lips, and oddly enough, your stare tracked to his hand.
The nickname alone powered the heat overgrowing in your round cheeks but his voice...it's..it's
"Not fair." You gasped, covering your mouth. "Excuse me, My mind was somewhere else." You apologized for zoning out; He simply smiled and repeated- "It looks like your hubby is craving..." Yongbok wiggled his phone, displaying the message on the dim screen.
The blue raspberry stained his mouth as he kept the stick between his teeth. "Are you coming along? I know Chris hates leaving you unguarded if it isn't necessary." His smile failed to reach his eyes for the "Joke." punchline.
Yongbok brushed past you taking his leave into the living room; what you didn't know was Yongbok's eyes straying far too long at your exposed back.
Tell me if you want a part two.
381 notes · View notes
002yb · 1 year
Note
Jaydick and they are already in a relationaship with each other
but 12yo Jason wrote love letters to Dick and hid them in the library, adult Jason remember the corny letters, panic, try to find them, just to find out Dick found the letters years ago?
Pfffft, just imagine Jason waking up in the middle of the night and scrambling out of bed because out of nowhere he remembers those damn letters. Those sorts of details from his life before were never a pressing thing in the grand scheme of everything going on, but once the memory filters back into his conscious so much later, he's mortified. So, in dramatic Jason fashion, 0 to 100, he has to find every damn letter and burn them asap.
And poor Dick would start awake at the same time Jason throws himself from their bed. He's immediately up, too. Alarmed because 'are you okay? what happened? what??'
Meanwhile Jason is struggling to throw clothes on - almost an afterthought as he trips on his way out the door. And Dick turns on the light because seriously, what the hell? And there's his darling boyfriend, haphazardly dressed and sat on the floor with the sweetest blush staining his cheeks and oh.
Jason knows the smile that would pull at Dick's lips. It promises nothing but wickedness and no, nope. Not a chance. Go away, go to bed.
They end up at the manor together. Jason offers absolutely zero details, just that there's something he needs to sneak out of the library. Dick's an indulgent boyfriend, so he goes along for the ride. Hell, he makes it a date. They've both got keys, but forget that. They'll see if they can sneak in undetected. Might be fun to have a go in the stacks, right? That seems like Jason's sort of thing (and Dick's, because it's exciting to be relatively in the open //3///). It is Jason's sort of thing, but Jason huffs that this isn't the time. This is a pressing matter for Jason, so focus.
Neither of them focus very much because their impromptu mission slash date is more fun than the situation calls for. Sneaking in isn't so much a problem as their laughter giving themselves away. It's when they get into the library that Jason gets serious though.
Dick tries to help, but Jason adamantly refuses. If Dick wants to help, be look out.
(The only thing Dick is looking at is Jason's ass as Jason starts tearing through books - stopping only to glower at Dick, lips pursed as Dick shamelessly drags his gaze up to meet Jason's and smiles).
And yes. Jason scavenging for those letters. Only they're not carefully tucked away between the pages of all his favorite books.
The dread that would settle in him would be crippling. Jason would freeze in his spot, thoughts racing through worst case scenarios. What if Bruce found them? That might actually be the best worst case scenario. Bruce was always in denial of Jason's feelings for Dick, so he'd probably burn them. Or return them to Jason. Alfred definitely would have returned them.
His heart stops. Tim. The rat bastard. Probably saving them for blackmail material. And what the fuck, what if Tim shared them with Steph? Jason will never recover.
The possibility that Damian might have found them crosses Jason's mind, but there's no way that brat would have kept his disappointments over a lovelorn child's love letters because Jason is still Jason no matter how old or tragically dead he was for a spell.
'Let me help,' Dick would tell him, a gentle reassurance as Jason spirals. And Jason would slowly look at him and that blush would be back - only this time it's because Jason is actually genuinely worked up with embarrassment and upset.
The letters are stupid, but they're his. They were his to keep, his to give away. They're the most gentle reminder of one of the softer things from his life before - physical proof that his life wasn't all miserable, that he was young and dumb and hopeful.
'There were letters.' Jason would admit, head tucked into his knees, hands clasped around the back of his burning neck, 'I wrote you letters and they're gone.'
And Dick would be surprised, then endeared. He found the letters years ago during that period where Jason was lost to them. Alfred found the first - Dick looked through every book after for the rest. They helped him through one of the worst periods of his life; he's held on to them even after all this time.
'You were going to give them to me?' He'd ask, crouched beside Jason, bumping against him to draw Jason's attention.
It would take Jason a moment to recover, but eventually he'd look up and glare at the bookcase in front of him while admitting, 'No, I was definitely going to burn them.' All sentiments be damned, they're embarrassing as fuck.
Not to Dick though, hahaha. He'd love those letters like Jason loves him. 'But they're so sweet!'
Of all the worst case scenarios, Jason wouldn't have even fathomed Dick finding them because fuck. Fuck. The horror of his present situation would metaphorically turn Jason to stone. Just - pure mortification and betrayal.
Ensuing would be an argument of Jason wanting them back and Dick refusing - they were for him, after all. To which Jason would argue they were never sent, so no. Only Jason wouldn't really care in the end, because of all the things that stayed the same when he came back - it was this damn crush of his. Dick isn't a stranger to how Jason feels. Even when Dick knew [about the letters] (a whole other thing to be mortified by), he never teased Jason for it, either.
Because Jason asks, Dick still shares those letters with him later. Jason sits reading them with Dick glimpsing them over Jason's shoulder and when Jason looks -- Dick's smile is brilliant. Hopelessly endeared, helplessly in love. So warm and affectionate that Jason can't help but fluster, shuddering at the gentle press of a kiss to his shoulder as they reminisce together and laugh over times long past and the future they're building together, one day at a time.
Fun fact: this ask actually inspired another thought, but it was a little off the mark (because I honed in only on Jason writing love letters as a boy), so if you're reading this please know that a future dickjay thoughts is thanks to you, hahaha. Thank you, thank you~ this was fun!
142 notes · View notes
ruinedbylanadelrey · 1 year
Text
Tumblr media
Trying
bbf!Frankie Morales x F!Reader ficlet
playlist
masterlist
based off 'this is me trying' by taylor swift. summary: Family friend Frankie Morales coming home for good gets the news of the death of his childhood and military best friend. He sees how broken the girl who he always thought as a little sister and tries to bring her back to herself.
wc: 4.5K
warnings: 18+, Minors DNI, brother's best friend, OC BROTHER, talk about addiction and suicide, mention of killing in the military, alcohol, drugs, survivor guilt!, sibling loss, grief, reader calls Frankie 'Frank' a lot, mutual pining, mention of disordered eating due to alcohol, vomit, a lot of crying, PTSD, angst if you squint, hurt/comfort, kissing, smut, mental health decline due to grief, frankie becoming a real man, parents, quiet love
Tumblr media
The Morales family was your family's first friend when your parents moved out to the suburbs of Florida. You were just born and your big brother, Ethan was merely 3 years old. Frankie met his best friend at a young age. You were always around them, playing soldiers or playing on the gaming console. Frankie was always the one to make sure you were involved since it was just you and your brother. His kindness made you develop a crush on him.
Your parents thought it was cute that you had a crush on Frankie, it just showed how well his parents raised him. As you got older, the crush became something more but you would deny ever having a crush on him because he was another brother to you. Always so bad at lying. 
You fell hard for Frankie when he showed up to your graduation with your brother since they had joined the military together.
"It wouldn't be fair if I didn't show up to yours since you showed up to mine, bebita" Frankie jokes while you sit in the backyard together looking at the stars hiding away from your family at your graduation party.
"I think I wouldn't be able to survive today if you weren't here, Frank," You laughed and rested your head on his shoulder.
"Can I ask you for a favor?" You ask, Frankie looks at you and nods.
"Keep Ethan alive and yourself too," Your words rattled in his brain every single day of deployment. 
Frankie felt his heart try to crawl out of his chest when you looked at him that night. He had to keep his promise. He didn't want to let you down, he kept wondering why was he doing this. He kept such a big promise that could blow up in his face. He wanted nothing more than to keep you smiling and not worrying about what goes on when they leave the country again. When Frankie left your life once again. 
You wrote letters to Ethan and Frankie, but letters stopped returning when your brother was medically discharged and Frankie was in the Delta force. You felt relieved that your brother was home but still filled with anxiety not ever hearing from Frankie. His parents seemed fine and content with hearing so little from Frankie. They knew that on a random Wednesday night, Frankie would call and ask to hear about home. Hearing about Ethan is once again in rehab in the psych ward. You graduated college and now working for a large marketing company and you still haven't found a husband. Always the dramatics with them. 
A couple more years of radio silence gets interrupted when Ethan takes his life. You moved back home with your parents. Frankie comes home for the final time and he's there to stay. Your family and you shut out the world for months, trying to process the death of a son, of a brother. You were completely torn apart and had nothing left in you. Nearing 30 and having to be the adult while your parents grieve over the loss of their firstborn. Your emotions are being pushed aside. 
The silence was officially over when you walked out of the liquor store with a bottle of whiskey and almost dropped it when you bumped into a man entering the store.
"I'm so sorry-Frank?" Your blood ran cold and your body froze when Frankie's gaze met yours. His hair is grown out, facial hair all over but patchy in some spots, the beard graying at his sideburns but his hair still a dark brown curling over his beloved cap.
"Bebita!" Frankie shakes his head and does a double-take.
"How are-"
"Ethan is dead,"
"you?" Your and Frankie's words overlap and both of you stop talking for a second. 
Frankie felt the wind knocked out of him as he stared at you. Your eyes are just dead and not sparkling like they usually are. Your face breaking out from not caring about self-care, your hair thrown up in a ponytail, your cheeks a bit hallow, heavy under eye bags from crying and not sleeping. Grief has become you. You feel like you walk around with half of your identity gone. A part of you is dead. 
"I-I'm sorry for your loss," Frankie comes to and could feel the tears threatening to escape his eyes. You saw how the news broke him, the change in his face, his eyes fell dull. You thought you drained the life out of him. Guilty. Plaguing everyone you talk to.
"Frank...don't shut down like that," You touch his arm, both of you still standing in the doorway. 
"You lost him too," you sniffled not realizing you had been crying since the moment you looked into Frankie's eyes. He drops his head down and quickly wipes his tears with the sleeve of that tan jacket he's had forever.
"How did he?"
"Overdosed...purposely," You said it like it was so normal, always trying to stay strong even around those whom you can be vulnerable with.
A deep 'excuse me' comes up behind you, Frankie takes your hand and pulls out of the liquor store and to his truck. A swing of the passenger door and Frankie helps you into the cab of the truck. He quickly runs to the driver's side and gets in. 
You could hear Frankie breathing heavily and deeply. You watched him fist the steering wheel and a sob breaks from his lips. You slide along the bench and softly rub his back.
"I should be the one comforting you, bebita," Frankie leans back and takes your hand off of him, intertwining your fingers with his. Your heart rate kicked up, something you haven't felt in years since the last time you saw Frankie.
"Frank, he's childhood best friend, a family friend, you grew up with him, don't minimize your relationship with him-"
"I failed you..."
Frankie cuts you off, your forehead scrunched in confusion and you look at him.
"I tried so hard to keep him from ever doing drugs...I tried so hard but what's fucked up is that he only started because he found my stash of coke...I tried!" Frankie wanted the earth to swallow him whole. You knew what was happening overseas Ethan didn't sugarcoat anything when he would tell you things.
You know of the people he's killed, that Frankie has killed, how drugs were quite accessible in other countries.
"Frank...his addiction was not your fault. Not his fault either." You never saw Ethan as his addiction, you always looked at him like the little boy you grew up with.
You were the only person who didn't blame his addiction for the way he led his life. You were always there to get him to help, going through the many detoxes, the many nights of him doped out and pissing himself, but it drained you, you can only help so much. That is the harsh truth, you can only help those who want the help to get clean and stay clean. 
"I was stupid and in my 20s thinking, I could stop anytime...I did but he kept going..." Frankie continued to spit out whatever came to his mind. Not thinking about what came out of his mouth.
"You asked me to do one thing...to keep Ethan and myself alive..." Frankie could still your words from that night. You remembered what he was talking about, your heart fluttered at the fact that he did keep his word. Frankie did it just for you. 
"That was selfish for me to ask...life doesn't like to play in anyone's favor," You laughed at how naive you used to be. How you painted Frankie as this strong and self-assured military man, your soldier, the knight in shining armor.
"It wasn't selfish," Frankie tucks the piece of hair that refused to join the ponytail. You wanted to melt into his touch, how his touch feels different. It was charged. Magnetic to your skin.
"You should hate me..." Frankie's voice cracks, You never thought you see the day that Frankie cries. He was always so stoic. 
"I don't. No one does. Because it's not your fault." Your tone made Frankie tense up, your honeyed voice was turned to ice. You didn't want someone else to feel any guilt. You already take on so much of it, you might as well take it all on. Frankie cleared his throat and saw how your eyes were still soft.
"I'm sorry for your loss, Frank...come by the house tomorrow...I miss you," You softly whisper, you wrapped your arms around his right arm and rested your head on his shoulder. You felt his head nod in response. You sat up and kissed the tears staining Frankie's cheek. His body shudders when your lips graze his skin. 
"Noon, I'll make us lunch and we can talk with my parents." You forced a smile while you gathered your purse and the whiskey bottle for the night. 
-
You drove home and thought you were selfish for grieving in front of Frankie who just got the news about the person who truly knew who he was. You parked the car in the driveway that getting overcrowded by the weeds that Ethan has taken care of since your father has gotten older with you.
Another thing to add to the list of many things you have to do before moving back to the city, get a landscaper. You reached for the bottle and opened it. You bring the whiskey to your lips and let the burning amber liquid sit on your tongue before you open the door and spit it out on the asphalt then bile comes up and burns your throat. Your nose running from crying and vomiting all over the ground like you were 8 years old again and getting extreme motion sickness. 
You walk into the tomb of your childhood and the living room TV playing some infomercial, your parents still having cable whilst having almost every streaming service. Your mom is asleep on the recliner seat of the couch, your father in his big recliner that was the perfect size for him,
You would always sit in it with Ethan on Saturday mornings watching cartoons and eating the bowl of Lucky Charms that opened poorly and you both know your mom is going scold for opening the box of cereal wrong. Working as a team to get the bowls down from the cabinets and helping to pour the milk so it doesn't spill all over the countertops. 
You search for the remote and click off the TV then walk to your old bedroom that only had a full-size bed, walls decorated with movie posters, pictures of friends, and your old vanity mirror that had a Polaroid of you standing between Frankie and Ethan at your graduation. You picked the picture to study it again for the thousandth time.
Frankie and Ethan dressed in their ceremony uniforms, you remembered your breathing taken away seeing Frankie in uniform for the first time, thinking 'It's true, everyone loves a man in uniform'. You felt your face twitch noticing how you were smiling at how Frankie's clean-shaven look was the awkward stage he never went through as a teenager. 
The smile on his face was everything, just a smirk curling up the left side of his face. You thought it was so boyish and charming. You sat the picture down and went to the bathroom to wash out your mouth before falling asleep. A dreamless sleep beside flashes of memories of you and Ethan as little kids. The flashbacks are always when you are both kids never as teenagers or young adults. 
-
You wake up with your heart racing, shot up in bed with your hand on your chest panicking more over the fast heartbeat. You glanced at your phone and it was 6 am. You're wide awake and you can hear your father's snore downstairs. The door to your room is pushed wide open and your eyes land on the furball of a culprit.
Ethan's cat 'Prince', because Ethan said he is royalty and should be treated as such. The cat sits at the foot of your bed with a mouse made from an old army shirt that Ethan wore all the time you special ordered for the cat because of how sick he got when Ethan passed away. You thought if you could help a cat process grief you could forget about yours. Always running from it, but grief and love to loom around corners you don't turn down often. 
The cat drops the mouse for you on the bed and walks out of the bedroom. He thinks you can't feed yourself. You laughed in your head but started to think about the last meal you ate that wasn't on a drunken binged that would puke out your guts an hour later. You stuff towels at the bottom of the door to muffle your cries and gags. Stuffing the towels at the bottom of the door that isn't to keep the smoke from weed you had in high school. 
You get out of bed and go down to the kitchen to feed Prince. As you prepared his lavish breakfast your body and mind were instantly drained. You needed to shower and start to clean this house before Frankie arrived, that meant getting my parents up and about. You had no energy to do anything for yourself, if it's not for Ethan why even do it? 
You sat in bed and stared at the ceiling for an hour before you started cleaning up the whole house as if Frankie was going to be in every single room. Your parents left for the store to buy lunch and dinner for the weekend at 10 AM meaning they won't be back until 11. Your sweat drips down your forehead and goes into your eyes making them sting. Your ears roar with blood rushing to your head, clenching your jaw and not breathing.
Your fingernails were bleeding while you scrubbed the bathroom sink. You yelp as the cleaning product gets between your nails, and you scold yourself for not putting on the rubber gloves. You started to cough when you took too deep of breath. Quickly turning on the water to wash away the cleaner from the sink and your skin. The tips of your fingers slightly burned, you could feel the tenderness. 
A small fit of laughter came from the hallway, you wiped your hands on the sweats you had put on to clean in. You entered the living room and saw Frankie sitting with your parents in the dining room adjacent. You gazed at the clock on the cable box, at 12:15 p.m. Did you blackout while cleaning?
"Mama, Frankie is here..." Your mother sees you with bloodshot eyes and sweating all over your face and body. Frankie turns around in his chair and looks at the mess you become. You could feel your face get even hotter as he gave you his stupid smile but it was strained a bit maybe forced. 
Frankie looked at you and saw how wrecked you were. His heart could feel tendrils of the beating muscle tear apart when he finally saw you completely exposed by emotion.
"I'll be back, I need to clean up," You mumbled wiping away the sweat mix with tears off your face and heading to the shower. Turning it all the way to icy cold water comes out, and chilling your entire body. You looked up at the running water practically washing your eyes out. 
You pull yourself away from the shower and put yourself back together. You walked back downstairs in shorts and an oversized sweatshirt, your hair wet and pulled back into a ponytail. Frankie saw how fresh-faced you looked. He could still your baby face in your drained adult face. Your eyes are still always so wide and big making him swim in the chocolate waves. You took a seat across from Frankie while your parents rambled on about what they were making for lunch. You adverted your gaze from Frankie. You were embarrassed about how he's seen your grief. 
"I showed up and no one answered the door, I went around back and saw that the backdoor was wide open and the cat was meowing. I was worried that something happened to you. I followed the damn cat and saw you heaving over the bathroom sink. I called your name several times. Your parents came home and they were happy to see me and I lied to them and said you let me in while you finished cleaning,"
Frankie whispers after he turns to look to see if your parents were out of earshot. Frankie reached across the table to hold your hand. But you flinched as your tender fingers touched his calloused hands. You winced while he examined your hand. 
"I blackout too when I start a task. End up always overdoing it." Frankie says, softly holding your hand, trying to somehow heal you, skin to skin. You nodded not knowing what to say because you don't trust your voice to sound like you've been crying. "I'm trying to pick up everything and put it back together," You cleared your voice still laced with uneven breaths. 
Lunch was served with a Long Island iced tea and talking about Ethan. Laughing with tears in your eyes. Your parents retire to their bedroom not hungry enough for dinner, just proud that they ate at least lunch. You and Frankie went to your bedroom, he loved how it was still set in the past with a mix of your office set up to work from home. "I never thought I would ever be allowed in here," Frankie said picking up a stack of CDs from the 90s and a mix of early 2000s. 
You giggled thinking back on how the 'no boys allowed' sign made a big impression on Frankie.
"You are an exception," You continued to watch Frankie look at your room, he made note of the different movie posters and even an HBO show poster, 'Band of Brothers' Ethan's favorite show.
"Has that always been the case, Bebita?" Frankie smirks at you, moving the bed and sliding next to you. The tension in the air hit the air when you could feel Frankie's body heat radiating off his body. The sun was just setting and the natural light hit the light pink walls giving the room a romantic hue. 
You rolled your eyes and looked away from him.
"I know you used to have a crush on me,"
"Jesus Frank-"
"I thought it was adorable." Frankie chuckles, sitting up against the headboard to wrap his arms around you. The feeling of his sturdy body against yours made your skin hot and break out in goosebumps.
"I thought you were cute but you know best friend's sister is off limits," Frankie sighed, thinking about when you entered high school and he was just barely a junior. You grew up overnight to him. You started to really put time into your appearance. To Frankie, you just highlighted your beauty. But Ethan told Frankie when they started middle school that his sister was off limits. 
But now here you are both adults, both have jobs, and both secretly in love with each other. Was the rule only when you were all horny teenagers?
"Are you saying you had a crush on me too, Frankie?" When his name fell off your lips it made him forget the looming grief over the both of you.
"Never stopped," Frankie was being bold, life is too short to not say anything after years of wasting time. You looked up at Frankie and couldn't believe anything he was saying. Was it just to make you feel better since you know your brother is dead? 
"Nooo...that's not true Frank," Deny, deny, deny. How could he ever love you? There's nothing left in you anymore.
"Bebita, why do you think I stuck up for you when we were kids? Because I needed to protect you and care for you because I've loved you for a long time," Frankie cups your face, and his thumb runs across your bottom lip. You swear you were on cloud 9, the warmth of your love for him and his love for you radiating through the lightest touch.
"Frank I think that you have been feeling a lot of emotions the past day. I'll let you say whatever you want and not hold it against you." You wanted to believe him. You know he's being truthful. 
"I meant what I said, I want us to try, try to be there for each other," Frankie rests his forehead against yours, his finger brushing through your hair. It was nice to be held. Especially with Frankie.
"I'm trying," You sobbed out, fisting Frankies t-shirt and pulling him closer to your body. His words opened the floodgates and you couldn't stop the tears overflowing from the waterline. Frankie lays down holds your head to his chest and lets you cry. 
-
Frankie came to your house every single after that. He started to do yard work with your father, you would bring something to drink and eat. The funeral happened after months of arguing with the VA about where Ethan could lay to rest. Your parents wanted him at the family plot but the VA said he had to be buried at the fort, that it was clearly stated in his will when he joined the army, so everything would be simple and easy, and not anyone would spend a dime but the government it's money.
Your parents started to go back to their normal lives enjoying retirement. You and Frankie started to see each other every Friday night, going out for dinner and getting tipsy. You would go home with him and spend the weekend at his apartment, enjoying living without your parents walking around. 
The first hookup was when he came over to work on the mow the lawn for your parents since they were going to be out of town. You had completely forgotten about Frankie coming over when you walked out the backdoor in just a thong and t-shirt letting the cat out for the day. He was opening the shed in the backyard when he heard you murmur 'Oh my god' and quickly turned on your heels and ran upstairs. Frankie blushed deeply not remembering what he was doing for a second. 
You tried to pretend that Frankie didn't see you half-naked until he was at your bedroom door, rushing you and pinning you against the mattress. His lips hungrily locking with your soft lips. His mustache and beard rub against your soft skin. Tasting the lemonade you had made for him to go with his lunch. 
"You're just too pretty, bebita," Frankie grunts as you bucked your hips to grind against his growing bulge. You loved how your clothed cunt rub against the denim jeans.
"Frankieeee, t-touch me, please," the sweetest whine left your lips, Frankie looks down your chest, he pushed the shirt up toward your collarbone to admire your plump perky breasts and how they swayed with each grind of your hips.
Frankie propped himself next to you and traced the outline of your body, not missing caressing your breast, and lightly tracing your nipples making them harden. You were whimpering at the teasing touch. Frankie pushes aside the thong and dips his finger down your folds to your entrance. 
"So wet, is that all for me, sweetheart?" Frankie deepens his voice an octave. You nodded and bit your lips to stop yourself from moaning.
"Words, bebita" Frankie purs, you gasped as his fingers slide inside your cunt and curling them, hitting the sensitive spot that makes you see stars.
"F-fuck, yes Frankie! All for youu" You cry out as his thumb rolls your clit while fucking his finger into you, curling them every few thrusts. Your pussy clenches tightly around his digits.
"I-i'm closeee" you whimpered, Frankie lowers his head and takes in a nipple into his mouth, first licking it then sucking as hard as he could. His mouth on your body and his hands doing magic on your wet cunt. 
You felt your release gush out of you and coat his hand. Your moans were coming out without any hesitation.
"Fuck me, Frankie," your hands undo his belt and going straight towards the zipper and doing the button very last. You dip under the waistband of his briefs. Your hand cups his hard cock and strokes him until he is fully hard.
Frankie rolls on top of you pushing down his jeans and underwear just enough to free himself then kicks off the rest of the jeans while you pull off his shirt. He pins your hands above your head as he thrusts into you in one go. You screamed out the pleasure that you got from the stinging stretch of his thick hard cock sliding along your velvet walls. Frankie moans in your ears as he drops his head in the crook of your neck, enjoying how wet and warm you feel around him. Taking him so perfectly. 
"You feel so good, babyy," Frankie bottoms out and grinds into you, his cock hitting your cervix.
"So big, Frankie, fuck you feel so fucking good," You gritted through your teeth when Frankie bends you in half and drilling into your aching pussy.
"I-I need you! I need you!" Frankie chants, and you could see the tears falling down his face, and you couldn't help but cry yourself. You wanted Frankie to feel whole. He's always been the one. Took care of you when you hit rock bottom with grief. He helped bathe you and helped you brush your teeth and brushed your hair when you dried your hair. Getting you dressed every day. 
You didn't put up a fight. You needed him. He needs you. You're falling in love.
"I'm yours! Ah-all yours, Frank," You grunted as his harsh thrust became harder when you proclaimed that you are his. You fell into the pillowy high of orgasm number 2.
"All mine, and I am yours, amor" Frankie moans as he flips you on your stomach, hiking your hips just enough for his cock to fuck your aching hole.
"I love you, Frankie!" You cry out as another wave of bliss warms your body down to your toes.
"I love you, bebita!" Frankie gives the same passion back, while he paints your walls with his load. Your eyes rolled back from being so full with his cock and his cum dripping out of you and making your thighs sticky. 
You both lay there, touching each other, exploring each other bodies. Years of messing around to make up for. Allowing grief to bring you to your person. You can't be mad anymore because now to you life is worth living again. Frankie had the world around you make sense again. 
51 notes · View notes
Text
Welcome Home Website Update Reaction Notes (7/22/2023) Part 1 (SPOILERS)
Hey guys! Today I'm gonna show you my reactions to the Welcome Home website via my notes on Google Docs. I wrote 5 pages and spent around 5 or 6 hours exploring the website lol. Hope you enjoy it! Here's Part 1!
NEW HOME ART
The little Home doodle is so cute omg
FRANK AND BARNABY’S VOICES IN “ANSWER” OMG
Barnaby’s voice is honestly like a mix of Rowlf and Fozzie from the Muppets which matches well with his personality
Frank’s voice is like a mix of Gonzo from the Muppets and Gyro from DuckTales (the 2017 one)
THERE’S A GLITCH AT THE END WHAT
The Frank and Julie sprites on the FAQ page is so cute
THE STICKERS ARE SO CUTE
THE SEASONAL BANNERS
Wally and Barnaby (Winter), Frank and Eddie (Spring), Sally and Julie (Summer), and Howdy and Poppy (Fall/Autumn)
I just realized the golden flowers on Home’s sticker give me Undertale vibes
The Frank and Julie sprites on the News page is so cute too
Question Answerer seems sus
THE NEIGHBORS HAVE AUDIO WITH TEXT TRANSCRIPTS I REPEAT THE NEIGHBORS HAVE AUDIO WITH TEXT TRANSCRIPTS
“That’s the most!” Awww Wally
The drumroll on Barnaby’s audio and his little awkward laugh I love him
Yes Julie let’s play a game with a pogo stick, a bowl of pasta, and a pair of roller skates and cause chaos in the Neighborhood lol
I swear I will be depresso if Frank, Eddie, and Howdy get hurt or die…Those three are on my top 3 favorite WH characters (in no specific order) :(
I should make a list of favorite Welcome Home neighbors lol
Anyways
YES FRANK YOU ARE PERFECT JUST THE WAY YOU ARE
I love Eddie’s Southern accent and the way he talks sorta reminds me of Launchpad from DuckTales (the 2017 one)
Awww Eddie is scared of a bug and he wants Frank’s help awww
Eddie doesn’t want his paper chains to be ruined :(
I realized the Frank and Eddie one is also called “answer” and so far the two videos mention bugs and Frank is in each video
HOWDY’S VOICE
He definitely sounds like one of those people working on radio stations
I feel like if he’s not a shopkeeper, he would definitely work on a radio station
Howdy’s Radio Podcast when???
Sally’s voice is so dramatic and I love it
*insert scared Poppy chicken/bird noise*
Also is Poppy alright? I’m kinda worried :(
The voices of the neighbors are fantastic so far the voice actors did really great in their roles :D
Poppy and Frank = best cooking/baking duo
I wonder what those seed things taste like…They probably taste good
Frank mentions Wally eating with his eyes
The third “answer” video with Poppy and Frank mentioning butterflies
I love the Sally and Howdy sprites on the Merchandise page
The “duet” page with Wally on the phone is kinda eerie
Wally sounds dead inside
I love you too Wally lol
The rimshot and horn honk on Barnaby’s phone audio lol
Don’t worry Barnaby your jokes always make me laugh
I love Barnaby’s little “Buh bye!”
I reread "It's-For-You!" Talking Telephone Toy page, I thought it said “Mario, Inc.” instead of “Marlo, Inc.”
Super Mario is canon in this universe jk
Julie’s voice is freaking adorable
I wanna listen to Frank’s bug facts everyday
Frank freaking slanders Barnaby
I love Eddie’s jingle
I wanna get some school supplies from Eddie now lol
I love Howdy’s laughs lol
Protect Howdy at all costs
I love the “ta-da!” jingle from Sally
“…I said ‘Hellooo!’ That’s your cue!” Sally radiates theater kid energy and I love her
Poor Poppy doesn’t know how a phone works :(
*insert more scared Poppy chicken/bird noises*
Howdy’s and Frank’s letters to Wally are so wholesome
I love the insect sketches
Sally calls Julie “Juliet” that’s a cute name
Eddie is the most OP character lol
But can Eddie beat Goku tho???
I think Howdy is OP too but who knows
Julie asking Eddie to catch him is basically the “If I run and leap at Terry” scene from Brooklyn Nine-Nine
Also I actually don’t watch Brooklyn Nine-Nine btw I just know the memes
Anyways
When Frank said “Oh my”, I imagine them blushing asdfghjkl
I forgot to put this here but I love when Frank calls Eddie “Mr. Dear” that’s so cute
I love Julie and Frank’s besties dynamic in the “answer” video
PUPPET WALLY’S REFLECTION ON ONE OF THE RECORDS
I wanna buy every single merch if they are real lol
The live interview reminds me of those Muppet and Sesame Street interviews and it’s quite charming ngl
“Oh no, I don’t know. I love everyone. I love my friends.” Wally poly confirmed???
The interviewer’s name is Rick (and Morty asdfghjkl)
Miss Beagle is mentioned!!!
“I tell ya, we got a neighbor who's got an arm like a professional baseball player! It’s not easy!” Is Barnaby talking about Julie or Eddie?
I want to watch the "Julie-rella" segment so bad
Also Fairy "Dog"-mother lmao
Hopscotch To The Max wtf hahaha
“It took us an hour to get you down off Howdy's roof, and we still don’t know where the green chalk went…” Julie, you played hopscotch on Howdy’s roof???
I love Frank’s and Julie’s singing voices
I love how Barnaby just barges in and Frank is like “wtf”
I love Barnaby’s singing voice too
“Aw. I wanted to learn the colors.” Awww Wally is so adorable
“Wally, don’t look! He’s INDECENT!” That actually made me laugh even as I’m rereading the transcript and typing this down
A wild Howdy appears! *insert Pokemon battle music*
Also some of the “Just So” song demo seems to be distorted…That’s sus
The concept art of Julie’s “Just So” Bowling Dress is so cute
I also love how Frank and Julie wear outfits that match the games they play that’s so wholesome
Howdy’s laughs cure my depression
I love Howdy slapping the countertop when he laughs
Sole and Lyco awww
Awww Frank’s little “thank you”
“I’m sorry, I’ll see what I can do.” AWWW
I love when Julie translates to what Frank’s plants are saying it’s so wholesome
Eddie: *talks about the entire plot of Jack and the Beanstalk which involves Jack climbing up the beanstalk, encountering a giant, and cutting down the beanstalk with a big ax*
Poppy who is dressed as the beanstalk: Haha. I’m in danger.
Wally’s puppet hands are holding some yarn in “answer” but he seems that he’s not moving…
I can barely hear Poppy and Howdy’s dialogue in the videeo since I don’t have headphones on but I assume it’s a friendly conversation as usual since I can hear Howdy’s laugh lol
Wally’s hand trying to grab the cup of tea??? coffee??? in “answer”
Poppy and Sally talking about plays as usual lol
A human hand??? With a glove???
I don’t know who this human is but I’m pretty sure she’s a Howdy fan lol
I’m answering the Welcome Home worksheet because why not lol
1) Barnaby 2) Sally 3) Poppy 4) Julie 5) Wally
Now where’s my prize/j
I’m guessing that Wally replica puppet is going to come to life lol
I wanna go to this exhibition so bad if this is real lol
Awww the Poppy and Barnaby sprites…
I accidentally clicked the “Hello” doodle on the Guestbook and I’m scared
The page is called “Find”
Wally??? Wally you ok???
32 notes · View notes
liminalpebble · 7 months
Text
Eddie's Education, Chapter 30
Minors DNI
Masterlist link
Chapter 30
“I wish the Ring had never come to me. I wish none of this had happened.”
“So do all who live to see such times, but that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us.”
Eddie paused his dramatic recitation, hastily marking his raggedy paperback edition of The Lord of the Rings with a dogeared corner. He thought for a moment that he saw her stir, begin to wake, anything...but he was just seeing what he wanted to see out of the corner of his eye. It must have been the hundredth time he checked.
He reached over to hold Leia's hand. He didn't like seeing her lovely arms tangled up in tubes and medical tape and the mask strapped over her mouth, it looked a little too much like Vecna's trap. The memory was still fresh; literal and figurative wounds still raw.
His big coffee-colored eyes welled up, and his throat ached as his gaze shifted to the pile of books he'd brought to read to her. The same ones always called out to him from the bottom of the stack each time he looked; The Haunting of Hill House and The Silmarillion.
Her books, he always thought to himself (although she had given them to him). Books that had traveled with her all her life, smelled like her perfume, and contained handwritten letters to him on their front pages. Eddie couldn't bring himself to read them yet. To do so felt like he would be admitting her absence was permanent. It felt like giving up on her.
When she wakes up, she'll tell me herself. She'll look into my eyes and smile and tell me all the sweet things she wrote and she'll tell me her dreams for our lives together now that all this is over and I'll get to kiss her again and hold her again and...
Eddie put his head in his hands, rubbing roughly at his red eyes in frustration, nearing tears, when he heard a stern voice.
“Edward Munson.”
He looked up to see two of Hawkins' finest in their uniforms and buzz cuts staring him down.
He swallowed and heaved out a heavy sigh, disguising his feelings with a veneer of annoyance. “It's 'Eddie', Brad. You know that. We went to high school together.”
“Watch it,” Brad said in a warning tone, “it's Officer Vernon now.”
Eddie rolled his eyes then plastered on a shit-eating grin as he said, “and what can I do for you this fine day, Officers?” dripping with condescension.
The other one, whose face was still pock-marked with acne and looked like he belonged in gym class, not on the force, said, “I guess we should cut to the point, right? Officer Vernon and I have been putting some things together about you, Mr. Munson.”
Eddie raised his eyebrow in mock-surprise. “Such as?”
Brad spoke up louder, annoyed that it was taking this long, “That two very strange deaths have occurred in the last week...John Ferguson and Sam Huxley. Now, looking into things, it seems your new little girlfriend over there rubbed both of these guys the wrong way. AND...their autopsy reports look a whole lot like Chrissy Cunningham's...remember her, Eddie? You should, since you were the last one to see her alive.”
Eddie stood up, getting right in Brad's stupid pig face and said through gritted teeth, barely holding himself back, “Leia didn't do anything to anybody, and neither did I. You just want some easy targets and to get off on some little power trip. If you have rude bullshit to say about me, or especially, about her, you're not going to spout it off here, Barney Fife! Have some fucking respect.”
The piss ant one who looked like he was 14 said, “Why bother? She's in a coma.”
Eddie grabbed the front of his uniform with a wild look in his eyes, vibrating with rage.
Just then a burly cop with thick gray hair, a goatee, and a permanent scowl sauntered up behind them, looking over his glasses and holding a mug of coffee. He bellowed out, “Hey. What the fuck, guys? I'm months from retirement and you're here to pull this stupid bully act? What are you, 12?”
The two officers turned around. The young one looked ready to piss his pants. Brad squeaked out, “Chief Hopper!! Sir.”
Hop just shook his head and looked to Eddie. “Easy, kid. Let's talk.” He looked back to his subordinates and commanded, “and you two....fuck off, will you? You don't go anywhere near either of them again or I'll have you on desk duty for the rest of your lives. Learn some respect. Is that clear?”
“Yes sir,” they mumbled, slinking off with their tails between their legs.
When they were out of earshot and out of view, Eddie slumped out of his aggressive stance to land heavily right back into the plastic chair, head flopping heavily back into his hands. Hop pulled up a chair next to him and patted him on the shoulder. After a long moment, Eddie sat back up with a deep inhale and said, “I thought in 15 years Brad would have grown a brain cell or two. Guess I was wrong.”
Hop gave a deep chuckle and said, “Sorry about that. If it's any consolation, I didn't hire them.”
Eddie chuckled. “Thanks for the save, Hop, but I'm not a kid anymore. I'm 35.”
Hop grunted in affirmation and blew on his coffee. “Yeah I know, but when I look at you, I still see that scared kid with a good heart stuck in a holding cell. You had a whole lifetime's worth of tough breaks by the time you were 18...not to mention a complete asshole of an old man.”
Eddie smiled faintly at the memory. “You helped me out. I don't think you know how much. I still owe you for that.”
“No, you don't,” Hop said, with a soft shake of his head, “this town owes you. You were a hero and it never even knew. All it's ever done is take from you and beat you down. You and I know the truth of everything..all this unbelievable weird shit that's gone on in this godforsaken place...it's a lot to live with. I hope you and that nice girl leave Hawkins in the dust some day soon. You deserve better...a place where you can breathe easy.”
Eddie turned, blinking in disbelief and said, slowly, meaning it from the depth of his soul, “Thank you, Hop.” Old Jim was usually a man of few words, so this heartfelt monologue came as a real shock.
Hopper cleared his throat. “What um...What's the prognosis?”
It took Eddie a long time to respond. “They...uh...they have no idea. None of it is anything they've seen before. The upside-down does weird things to....they..they don't know.”
He trailed off, and Hop figured it was time to change the subject.
“Have you slept at all? It's been three days....eaten?”
“Um. I think? Here and there,” Eddie answered in a daze, aware of his own body for the first time in half a week. He tested the waters of this awareness by stretching his back gingerly, which gave up a loud crack of complaint in response. He looked down at his arms and saw his own collection of bruises and cuts. They looked painful, but he hardly felt them. All he could think about was her, and how he was determined to be by her side when her eyes opened, even if he had to sleep in that chair another week, another month...another year...the rest of his life.
They both looked up, as they heard the click of approaching dress shoes. Eddie groaned and tapped his head back against the wall, whining, “Oh Jesus, what the fuck now?”
Two men and one lady in severe black suits made their way into Leia's room. Eddie scowled, and quipped “Sure, come right in. Make yourselves at home.”
Hopper was relieved to see El (his adopted daughter) trailing closely behind them. Maybe she could explain all this. He had an idea of where they were from and it made him uneasy, but El had dealt with these government types so many times (was raised by them, even, before she ran away). She would know who and how much to trust.
Eddie squinted for a moment, digging into his foggy recollection of those early days after his extraction from the upside-down. “You...I know you.”
The lady smiled, but not warmly. “Yes, Mr. Munson. We were the ones who helped get you well again. We've been studying this other dimension since it's discovery...”
“You mean, since your people tortured and tested children in a laboratory to bust into it and make it everyone's problem.”
The man next to her huffed, but she responded coolly with an amused grin. “Yes. I suppose you could frame it that way. However, medical techniques from our research are what saved your life and they're going to be what saves hers. But, of course there are conditions.”
Eddies brows shot up. “Conditions? You're willing to withhold life-saving medical attention, which she needs because of your project gone haywire in the first place, if we don't agree to your 'conditions'?” He scoffed, “What is wrong with you people?”
“Hear us out, Mr. Munson. If you don't, she will never wake up again,” she stated bluntly.
All he could do was gulp. They knew exactly where they had him, pressing a blade right through the most devastatingly vulnerable rend in his armor...his love for her.
“Alright...I'm listening.”
@sweetsigyn @veemoon @elegantkoalapaper @little-wormwood
7 notes · View notes
fe-fictions · 2 years
Note
Any more Claude????
(Claude coming home to his wife and babies...!!!)
You were standing by the front gates before the sun was even up, which proved to be worthwhile. You spotted Claude’s wyvern in the sky, a brilliant spot of white that quickly grew as Claude seemed to be speeding towards the monastery.
In a single movement landed the wyvern, jumped from its back and scooped you up, spinning you in his arms.
“I’m home, By.”
“I missed you.” You replied with a kiss, Claude more than pleased to capture your lips for the first time in weeks.
“Gods, you’ve got no idea how bad I missed you, too.” He whispered to his wife, holding you a moment longer before you insisted it was time to head inside.
“I think I've got an idea.” You replied, hand in his while you started up the steps of the monastery. “You wrote an awful lot of letters talking about how upset you were that you had to stay longer.”
“Of course I was upset. You think I want to be away from you and the twins? I can barely stand it when I’m gone for a few days, let alone two whole weeks!”
“14 days isn’t that bad, Claude. You’re just being dramatic.”
“Dramatically filled with love for my family.” He huffed, but grinned all the same. “I’m sure I’m not the only one who felt that way.”
“You weren’t.”
“Why do you sound so unconcerned?”
“I wasn’t.”
“Really feeling the love here, By…” He chuckled weakly, trying not to let his wounded pride show.
“Oh, I wasn’t talking about me, Claude. I meant the children.”
“The twins?” He immediately brightened back up, “Aww, were they worried about me?”
“They were upset that their favorite playmate disappeared.” 
“That makes more sense.” He laughed bright and joyful, “I hope they like the presents I brought them.”
“More presents?” You glanced back at him with a slightly annoyed expression, “You’re going to spoil them worse than Seteth did.”
“It’s only natural! I have to out-spoil him since I’m their real dad. Can’t have them thinking their caretaker likes them more than me. Besides, I figured they’d really like these.”
“What did you get them?”
“Just a couple little-”
“PAPA!!”
You both started at the shout from the top of the massive staircase, finding a pair of children that looked far too much like Claude to be mistaken for anyone else’s children.
He beamed at the pair of little ones, barely older than four, who were now barreling down the steps.
“Careful, you two!” You called worriedly, knowing toddling feet were far less balanced than grown-up ones. Your worry was for nothing, though, because they rocketed down the steps so quickly you couldn’t even think about catching them.
No, instead they blew straight past you and they barreled straight into your husband’s open arms.
He had crouched to the ground and dropped his satchel just in time to receive his son and daughter, both of whom clung to him and were shouting all sorts of nonsense that they just had to catch him up on.
“There are my two favorite people,” He peppered their faces with kisses, “Oh, Papa missed you both so much!!”
“I missed you, too!”
“I missed you more!”
“Nuh-uh, I missed’im more!”
“No, I did!!”
“N-no, I did!!”
“Okay, okay, there’s plenty of me to go around.” Claude chuckled, separating the children onto each knee and hugging them close. “I’m just glad someone wants me around.”
“So dramatic.” You scoffed, though you both knew full well you’d be letting him know he was sorely missed, as well.
“And not to worry, there’s plenty of love to go around.” Claude added as he retrieved his bag, “I’ve brought some gifts for you both.”
“Presents?!” They gasped, grabbing onto his tunic and tugging excitedly. “Presents!! Presents!!”
"Whoa, now- slow down.” 
You giggled as you watched him attempt to wrangle the two children that were assaulting him and trying to bust into his bag. He held them in place on his knees long enough to reach inside, and give them both their presents.
Little fingers quickly worked at the parchment wrapping paper, tugging off the twine and wax to reveal two little toys that would wind up on the floor of their bedroom like the rest of their trinkets.
“Whoah, a toy!!”
“My toy is not like yours!”
“I like your toy and my toy! I wanna play with both of them!”
“I’m glad you like them, children. Anything you want to say to your Papa?” He prompted them, his grin wide and expectant for the shower of affection and thank you’s.
Instead they both wiggled from his lap and tumbled towards the stairs.
“I play with my toy and you play with yours- then we trade!”
“I don’t wanna trade!”
“No no, just for a second! Then you play with my toy and I play with your toy! Then trade back!”
“You promise?”
“I promise!”
Claude looked even more defeated than when you shut down his teasing, earlier. You held your hand out to your husband, helping him to his feet.
His shoulders remained drooped, his defeat apparent.
“It looks like you were wrong, once again…” 
“‘They only want me for my gifts…” Claude sighed sadly, hiding his face in your neck. You patted his back somewhat sarcastically.
“There, there.”
“I can’t believe it...I-I feel so used…”
“Can you blame them? You bring them a souvenir every time you go off somewhere. You’ve trained them to expect toys to come home, instead of you.”
“Why not both?” Claude faux-sobbed, looking up at you with those massive puppy eyes. You almost felt bad for him.
“There’s only one solution, Byleth- we’ve got to have another child.”
Almost.
“Come again?”
“I need another chance- if I can have a fresh start with a new baby, I can teach them to love me and want to be around me, since I’ve clearly been abandoned by my wife and other children.”
“I don’t think having another baby will solve that problem for you.”
“We won’t know ‘til we try, though, right?” He looped his arms around your waist, leaning into you so closely your foreheads pressed together. “Come on, sweetheart- don’t tell me you haven’t thought about having another baby. One that I get to be around with, this time.”
“It’s crossed my mind a few times…” You admitted, “But I think your lack of intimacy with your wife has clouded your judgement.”
“You’re not wrong- two weeks without you under my blankets has been an absolute torture. It’s been impossible to endure ever since I had to go back to Almyra all those years ago. Why do you think I avoid taking long trips, nowadays?”
“Oh, I knew the reason. I was just hoping it’s because you missed your kids, and your wife for completely innocent reasons.”
“Of course I do, that’s not a question at all.” He snickered, kising your cheeks and your lips. “But baby, if you think that’s the only reason why I miss you, I’m afraid you’re terribly mistaken.”
“And you’re just terrible.” You grinned at him, before you nodded your head up the steps. “We’ve got a few hours before dinner. The twins have their toys. I think we can make something work, real quick.”
“I don’t work quickly, Byleth-”
“Don't worry...I've already set plans for just the two of us, this evening.”
He was unable to fathom just how lucky he was that you were his wife.
“I am so incredibly glad that you do.”
53 notes · View notes
asamis-jodhpurs · 3 months
Note
*ailing orphan child voice* please sir, just a scrap of bwtr act 4
Fun fact! I'm actually going to post the next chapter this week! Crunch season hit me before I could post it with the "Hey Crunch Season Is About To Hit Me" hiatus note, but I'm on the last scene as we speak! In the meantime, have them being cute and funny because they finally figured it out:
“You will not insist upon sleeping on the floor this time, I suppose?” Terence asked, his eyes glittering, and Dion stifled a whoop of laughter in the crook of his shoulder.
“A pallet could be arranged,” Dion said. “If that is your will.”
“It is not,” Terence told him, and Dion could do nothing but kiss him, too awed by his good fortune to fumble with words.
Terence’s room was unchanged since the last time Dion had visited it. The wood of the nightstand gleamed so brightly Dion could nearly see, reflected in its surface, Rebecca wielding a feather duster with the same resolve with which her brothers bore their lances.
“I have only seen it once,” Terence said, “since we were last here together.”
Since Terence had dried Dion’s tears and held him through the night and called him, for the first time, my prince.
“I would have had you stay,” Dion said.
“Your letter spoke otherwise,” said Terence, and Dion scoffed, indignant.
“It did not! I told you I was quite resolved to my lot and that I wished you safe.”
“My prince,” said Terence, “the boy I was in love with wrote to me telling me that I alone knew him and that he planned to die without seeing me again.”
“I was not half so dramatic,” Dion said, flinging himself onto the bed.
“Of course not, my prince,” said Terence, and he settled beside Dion. “Twice as.”
4 notes · View notes