#Maybe later I'll come back to this and try to clarify a few things

[justabeewithapen]

Twiddling my thumbs. Would Doey draw bella and Lucas on the walls of safe haven, perhaps

This actually made me realize that in the in-game Safe Haven art the two bigger heads right in the middle look an awful lot like a Bobby and a Kickin

Lost Files AU Canon?!?!?1?!? (Silly!)

Anyway ehehe

Yes, he would, but not apart of the main mural. Up above the area are office spaces, not particularly useful supply wise and not nearly as protected, but generally empty and left alone. He has a corner up there where he keeps his sadness.

Even before becoming the only caretaker of Safe Haven left, Doey was always very quiet and secretive(?) reclusive(?) with his mourning. In a sort of "selfish" (put in quotations bc obviously it is very nuanced) he does not want to share these memories, particularly this sadness with anyone else. Not many things are *his*, not even his own thoughts or feelings. The wounds are so raw and fresh when Safe Haven is established and anyone those he might have learned to entrust this with disappeared/died off one by one (like everyone in his life). A few bigger bodies did know, even just sorta, and a few toys probably were vaguely aware of Lucas and Bella, but it wasn't something ever talked about. Then of course Safe Haven became his responsibility, fully, and obviously he can't put that on anyone else!

I'm having a hard time articulating it almost, my poor boy who has so much going on in that doughy body,,, As he gets comfortable in Safe Haven he becomes willing to share his feelings with everyone, but they aren't always real or full. He'll be mopey or grumpy, heck I'm sure some of the snark leaks through, but they're like... one note if that makes sense? The depth of his feelings are kept to himself.

I don't think it is particularly different from how we see Doey act in game, I think about he talks about Poppy's plan and there is a level of casualness that feels so controlled...idk! I suppose one advantage of his botched creation and being trapped in an even more dire position of responsibility for a decade is he is very aware of what is going on inside and he has a very tight leash on it. Mm maybe I got off topic a bit, I have to get back into the groove of explaining my thoughts again ^^;!!

[penkura]

You want ideas, I'll give you ideas owo I know you like Zoro too, so best of both world I assume. Reader got hit during an attack and when reader wakes up she can't remember anything/anyone at all. Zoro/Sanji is in a realtionship with reader and feeling unsure if reader forgot it as well. Reader is super shy/nervous and interested in some else. (If you go for Zoro as bf, maybe reader is interested in Sanji and the other way around) Another idea: You've been dating for a long time and Sanji still hasn't proposed. One evening you get impatient and are completely drunk and proposed to him. He loves you but reject it, cuz he believe that this is a "Man's job" to do.

Of course this would work for others as well if you don't see Sanji in this kind of scenarios :) If you need more inspiration/prompts (especially Law/Penguin/Shachi) hit me up. My mind is overflowing with ideas right now.

Take care of you <3

I love the second prompt and may have to come back for the first one later on. 👀

For now though! Sanji gets more attention from me, and I made this one in a modern setting, hope that's okay! 💚

It’s very rare for you to indulge in alcohol as much as Zoro normally does, but for once you’ve let go and decided to have more than what you usually do. It’s not your fault that you’ve been seeing your friends get engaged or married lately and it makes you feel like you and Sanji are way behind the rest of them. You two have been together for a few years, but he still hasn’t proposed or even asked you to move into his apartment with him, what’s the deal? It’s been so long, you just want to know you aren’t wasting your time with him.

Okay, maybe it is all on you, since you haven’t even voiced this to Sanji, only to Nami and Robin, the two looking concerned when you cried over your drink to them, before they started to drag you to Sanji’s place for the night. You sleep over there enough as it is, you really should just move in already, even Nami has said that multiple times.

Sanji isn’t even expecting you that night, you’d told him you were going out with Nami and Robin, so he’s surprised when they bring you buy and you’re a crying, drunken mess when you see him and you’re shoved into his arms. For a moment he worries someone did something to you, he’s ready to find out which bar you’d gone to and fight whoever upset you, before Nami just sighs.

“She’s upset with you, so you better hurry up and make it right.”

He’s confused, but Sanji doesn’t question Nami as she leaves, instead turning to you when you whine and snuggle your face in his shirt. It makes him smile and kiss the top of your head, before you push yourself off him and give him a glare that doesn’t really work with you being drunk.

“My love, are you all right?”

“No……I’m mad at you…”

He tilts his head, especially confused when you lean against him again. Sanji takes that as his cue to lead you into his kitchen and start making you some tea, after he gives you a glass of water. He’s got to start sobering you up, it might be the only way he gets an answer out of you as to why you’re upset with him. While he works, Sanji has you set at the table with a glass of water, but the tears in your eyes while you watch him don’t go unnoticed, he gives you a slight smile that makes you try to glare again.

“What is it, love?”

“I wanna marry you…”

“O-oh…yeah?”

You pout with a nod, as Sanji goes back to making your tea. It’s like he doesn’t even care, you just you want to marry him. He should be happy about it right? But he just ignores you almost, and it makes you even more upset.

“Sanjiiii…”

“Hmm?”

“Will you,” you hiccup a bit which makes him smile, “will you marry me…?”

Taking a breath, Sanji waits a moment before he responds to you, wondering if you even realize that you’ve said. You’ll probably forget by morning, but he should clarify things for you.

“No, my love, I can’t accept that proposal. “

“Why nooooot?”

“Because it’s my job to ask you that.”

You stay quiet after that as Sanji finishes making you both some tea and brings it over to you. You don’t touch your drink for a few minutes, Sanji asking if you were okay while you look at him still with tears in your eyes.

“…why haven’t you asked me yet?”

Another deep breath, Sanji sighs and places a kiss on your forehead, causing you to lay your head on his shoulder. He hopes you’ll sleep quickly, but you put your arms around his shoulders and just look up at him, though he can tell you’re starting to doze off so he doesn’t push for you to drink more of your tea, instead picking you up and taking you to his bed to tuck you in.

“Because,” Sanji makes sure you’re properly in bed and asleep before he smiles to himself while he watches you, “It’s not your birthday for a few more weeks. But I promise, I’ll ask you then.”

[summer-nights19]

Omertá prologue

Romeo Scorpius Lucci x reader

Preface: Just to clarify, the reader in this fic isn't the mc from tkdb.

The canon age of the characters isn't clear, so I've gone with around university age (early 20s).

Before you begin, I should probably warn you that if you're sympathetic to the Catholic Church as an institution, especially its allegations of corruption and attitudes towards queer people, this fic probably isn't for you, as I plan on including major criticisms of it in later chapters

Part 1

Napoli, 18 years earlier...

The full moon shined through the window and cast a dim glow in the dark corridor before you. Trying your hardest not to make a sound, you tip toed to the door on the other side of the corridor and pressed your ear against the wall. From the other side of the door, your father's voice rang out loudly as he discussed something about "shipments", "partnerships" and "profits," with two other men. At the time, you understood none of it, but your father's work had always been a source of intrigue to you, like forbidden fruit. Even though you were young, you'd noticed how everyone tensed up as soon as it was brought up, and you didn't really understand why. According to your mother, it was dangerous and it didn't concern you, but curiosity always got the better of you in the end...

You'd always been taught to keep to yourself and be quiet, especially when your father was conducting business in his private study. According to Nonna, that was serious grown up stuff that your brothers would become in charge of when they grew up, so it would never concern you in the slightest. Whenever she'd say that, you'd ask her what your job in the family would be, and she'd tell you it was to "support". She never told you what you would be supporting exactly - she usually lost her patience with you before the conversation went that far - but if there was one thing you could remember about your childhood was having a lot of questions and very few answers.

There was muffled laughter and the clink of wine glasses coming on the other side of the door. Maybe your father was hosting a party ? It wouldn't be the first time, but parties were normally earlier in the day and required a lot of preparation. They were quite boring, really... you'd only be allowed to eat a plate of food before being dismissed along with your younger brothers while the adults "discussed business".

"Y/N ? What are you doing still awake ?"

Suddenly, you heard the door unlock with a metallic click. Your father came out with a smug grin, his business associates trailing in his wake. His eyes widened, and he frowned slightly as soon as he saw you.

Before you could reply, your father kept talking.

"It doesn't matter. You're lucky I'm in a good mood. I'll finish things up with Mr Lucci here and then I'll accompany you back to bed,"

Mr Lucci ... you'd heard the name before several times. He belonged to another very influential family in the city, and, underneath his fashion brand, he had a very different business going on. Recently, he'd done a lot of business with your father, whatever that meant. If you remembered correctly, he also had a son around your age who you'd seen at functions a few times.

Your father turned back to Mr Lucci.

"I look forward to working with you. May our partnership be mutually beneficial for both our families,"

Mr Lucci gave him a nod and shook his hand, cigarette hanging out of his mouth.

"I'm certain it will be. I'll be heading off then, Mr L/N. I wouldn't want to intrude on your family any further,"

Your father smiled at him, and something about it sent chills down your spine, before leading him out of the corridor and to the front door across the living room.

"Nonsense, my associates are practically family. We take care of each other,"

Mr Lucci met your father's smile with an equally unsettling one before nodding in agreement and walking out of the door to the parked Lamborghini waiting in front of your house. The windows were blacked out.

As soon as Mr Lucci left, your father walked up to you and took your hand in his own, the smile that had been previously disfiguring his face replaced with an almost tender expression.

"I'll let your snooping around slide for tonight, but don't make a habit of this, Y/N, or there will be consequences. Let's get to bed now,"

Masterlist

[aurorafables]

From the Grey, Chapter 18.

Hey! The new chapter is here, I hope you will like it :)

“What was it like? I mean… was it different than with the girls?”

“Of course it was different. If it hadn't been obvious, Noah is a boy.” My sister laughed out loud, then extinguished her cigarette in the ashtray on the windowsill.

“You know I didn't mean it that way.”

Pairing: Noah Sebastian X Nicholas Ruffilo

Warnings: 18+, Explicit, Angst, Past character death, Suicidal thoughts

Tags: M/M, M/F, Slow burn, Childhood friends, Friends to lovers, Family drama, Band fic, Masturbation, Accidental Voyeurism, P in v sex, Hand Jobs, Oral Sex, Anal Sex

Word Count: 3.6k

Cross-posted: AO3

18.

"Miss you," I read the message on my phone screen.

Just two words, nothing more, but it was enough to immediately put a smile on my face. I lifted my head and looked around the table. Mom was talking to Chris and his girlfriend, Adeline was typing on her new phone she got for Christmas. Luckily, everyone was busy with something, only Danielle was grinning at me mischievously, cake fork in her mouth. 

“You’re more enchanted than usual,” she leaned over to me. “Mom, we’re going out to talk to Nick for a bit,” she said much louder. Mom nodded, then focused all her attention back on my brother and his new girlfriend. Danielle jumped up from the table and waited impatiently for me. I rolled my eyes, but I followed her, smiling.

We put on our jackets, and I immediately fished a cigarette out of the pack.

“I'll have one too,” she turned to me, and after I had lit both of our cigarettes, I looked at her expectantly. “We have nice weather today,” she said, looking at the front yard shining in the winter sun. “It rained all through Christmas. But I guess things were better in California.”

I knew she didn't want to talk to me about the weather. I smiled as I blew out a puff of smoke.

“Okay, what do you want to know?”

Danielle laughed and spread her arms.

“Everything, of course. What happened during the few days you were there?”

I felt like it was all a bit much, but I still wanted to let her in. I needed to talk to someone about this, and I knew I could trust my sister.

"We spent hours in the studio. Wrote music and talked a lot," I replied. "We finally managed to clarify our feelings." 

Danielle turned to me thoughtfully. The thumb of her cigarette-holding hand ran across her lips, her gaze as if trying to read me. I raised my eyebrows.

"What is it?" I asked her, laughing. "Come on, just poke it out."

I flicked the ash off the end of the thread and waited patiently. Danielle took a step closer to me and asked quietly, making sure no one else could hear.

“Did you two kiss?”

I bit my lip and looked into the distance with a small smile. Then I turned to my sister and leaned my shoulder against the wall of the house.

“Maybe,” I said, and Danni playfully kicked my leg. “Maybe we did other things too,” I replied, glancing up at her from under my eyelashes. I only found out later that she had managed to get more out of me than I initially wanted to reveal. 

Danielle made a little excited noise, then continued to smoke, still looking at me.

“What was it like? I mean… was it different than with the girls?”

“Of course it was different. If it hadn't been obvious, Noah is a boy.”

My sister laughed out loud, then extinguished her cigarette in the ashtray on the windowsill.

“You know I didn't mean it that way.”

"I know..." I sighed. "And to answer your question... It was incredibly different. Oh my god, it's hard to even put into words how different the two things are." I shook my head and continued, buried in memories: "It was like... like I finally found my home in his arms. Like I always belonged there."

I thought back to the days we spent together at the house, where we had created our own little bubble. In the three days since we broke up and I flew back to Virginia, I had closed my eyes at night and I could recall the caresses, the kisses Noah had showered all over my body so powerfully that I felt like he was with me. Of course, it was all just an illusion, but the fact was that he was inside me again on the morning of the flight home, and I could still feel him inside me the next day. Plus, there was a sensitive spot on the side of my neck, just under one of my tattoos, a reminder of a more intense kiss from the moment he came. 

"I've always been impressed by the bond you two have," she admitted, glancing down at her shoes. "I was jealous because I've always wanted a friendship like that. But then I realized why I need a friend when my brother is also the best friend in the whole world."

I tilted my head to the side and looked at my sister with heavy emotion. My heart filled with love, I walked up to her and pulled her into my arms.

"You can't imagine how much I adore you," I kissed the top of her head. "And how nice it is to have someone to talk to about all the crazy things that bother me."

Danielle looked up at me, determination gleaming in her huge gray eyes.

"I would kill for you. I hope Noah knows that."

I laughed to myself and pulled her head back onto my shoulder. It was only then that I noticed Chris had joined us and was already pouncing on my cigarette pack that I had left on the windowsill.

"What about Noah?" he asked, a cigarette pressed against his lips.

I looked down at my sister, a little desperate. I wasn’t ready to tell anyone about all this, even though Christian and I had always had a good relationship, but it wasn’t nearly as close as with my sister. Danni pulled away from the hug and turned to our brother.

"I resent the fact that he keeps stealing Nick away, and sometimes we don't see each other for months while they're on tour," Danielle replied with mock indignation.

"You're leaving soon, right?" my older brother asked with a smile.

I was relieved that the conversation had shifted to a more general topic. 

"Yes, to Europe. We'll be there for a few weeks," I replied. "I'll be home for two more days, then I'll fly to Los Angeles to join the guys."

"We could go bowling tonight. Just the three of us," Chris suggested, eagerly awaiting our response.

"I'm in," I said, glancing at my sister, who was also nodding enthusiastically.

“Then let's meet at our old place at seven.”

Spending time with my siblings was always fun and went by too quickly. It was almost midnight by the time I got home to my mom's house, while Danni and Chris had both gone to their own apartments. As I entered the foyer, I saw that the living room was still light. Mom was sitting on the couch with a tablet in her hand, she wrapped under a colorful blanket, probably reading something.

"Hello, baby," she smiled at me as I walked over to her and dropped myself down next to her. "Did you guys have a good time?"

"Danni beat us both at bowling. Twice," I replied, laughing softly as I rested my head on the seat. Adeline was probably long asleep, so I was careful not to be too loud. 

"That's right," Mom chuckled. "Danielle's a very clever girl, she wouldn't be able to deny who her mother is. Tell me, how have you been lately, Nicky?"

As we sat there in the near-darkness, Jerry, my cat, jumped onto the couch next to us. He moved in with mom months before so I began to pet him remorsefully when he lay down next to my thigh.

“Everything is fine. It's a lot of work, but we're enjoying it, after all, we get to do what we love the most. Noah will talk to his psychologist again, at least that's what he promised. He's under a lot of pressure... much more than any of us, but he's still handling the situation professionally. He says this is what he's always wanted, but…” I shook my head. “I'm a little worried about him.”

Mom was looking at my face from the side, the tablet screen still lit up in her lap. I saw her smile.

“Nick, honey, I understand if you're worried about your best friend, but I just asked how you're doing.”

When I understood her words, I felt all the blood rush to my face. Could I be that easy to read? I couldn't deny that Noah was on my mind day and night.

"I'm fine," I replied quietly, uncertainly.

“What about your old job at the tattoo salon? You've gotten over what happened with Maya?”

I sighed. To be honest, at least with myself, Maya hadn't even crossed my mind in the last few days. I could see why Noah hadn't told anyone about his breakup.

“Maya, we… Maya and I haven't gotten along for a long time,” I told her the truth. “It's better for both of us that we're not together anymore, and that's why I haven't regretted my decision about her for a minute. And the salon… I don't have much time for it these days, but I'm not complaining. I'll definitely come back to it later.”

Mom studied my face for a moment, then gave a barely perceptible nod. 

“I'm glad that you and Danni are so close, just like when you were kids. You know, it's wonderful for a mother to see and feel that her children get along well and support each other in everything.” 

"Danni is always there if I need anything," I agreed with Mom, digging my fingers into Jerry's black and white fur again.

Mom leaned her shoulder towards me and looked at me lovingly.

“Don't forget that I'm here too.”

For the second time that day, I thought about telling them, the rest of my family, what was going on with Noah and me. And for the second time, I felt guilty that I didn't have the courage to tell them. I have no idea what was holding me back. Maybe I was afraid that their opinion of me would change? That if they found out I was gay and I was dating my best friend, they wouldn't love me the way they did before? Of course, if I thought about it logically, using reason, I knew that my mother loved me unconditionally. And that this was the kind of love that Noah hadn't had as a child. I had a supportive family by my side, and I just couldn't tell them what was really going on with me, which only made me feel worse.

I slid down the couch and rested my head on Mom's shoulder as she continued reading the e-book. Jerry crawled onto my lap shortly after and curled up like a cocoa slug, and maybe I dozed off for a while. Then I decided it was time to go to sleep, took a deep breath, kissed Mom on the cheek, and walked towards my room, holding the cat in my arms.

I had been home for five days, and on the last day of the year, I felt Californian soil under my boots again. I walked excitedly through the airport, eager to get my big suitcase off the conveyor belt, as I was only minutes away from seeing Noah again. I got a message that they were already in the parking lot, and Jolly and he arrived just as I walked out the photocell door. Jolly started toward me, grinning, and Noah followed behind, his face unrecognizable under his sunglasses and hoodie. 

"Hello again!" Jolly hugged me first. "I guess you couldn't wait to see our dumb faces."

"And if that weren't a big problem in itself, we'll be locked up for weeks together," I replied with feigned boredom as I patted his back.

I turned to Noah, who had his arms crossed over his chest and was watching the passengers pouring into the airport. I stepped forward, a little apprehensive, and asked him carefully:

“Can I get a hug?”

Noah looked at me and finally smiled, but I wished I could see his eyes. He opened his arms and pulled me into a quick but pleasant hug. I barely had time to soak in his scent, his touch, I had to end it because I didn't want Jolly to get suspicious. Noah grabbed one of my suitcases and started pulling me towards the exit. It was then I realized that we had at least another hour of driving ahead of us.

“Guys, before we leave, I'm going to go to the toilet.”

Jolly nodded immediately, but Noah hesitated for a moment, as if he wanted something.

“I need to pee too,” he turned back to Jolly, as he had already joined me. We left my stuff with Jolly and walked with big steps, following the signs to the toilet. Noah was unusually quiet and reserved, which made me feel uncomfortable. What happened? Did he regret what we did at Christmas? Maybe he realized that he didn't really want anything from me when he could have almost anyone? Those few days were everything to me, but what if he didn't think so? I was so immersed in these thoughts that I was completely caught off guard when we entered the bathroom and I found myself smeared on the closed door. I let out a soft gasp of surprise. Before Noah leaned in to me, he pulled the hood of my jacket over my head to make it harder to recognize me. I moaned between his lips and pulled him closer, gripping his waist as our tongues met. It had the taste of some sweet fruit, with a flavor that only belonged to him hidden underneath, and I had been craving it desperately for the past few days.

“I missed you. I really…” a soft kiss on my chin “I missed you so much. You have no idea,” a little bite on my neck “how much.”

“I can imagine it now,” I laughed out of breath. A middle-aged man chose this moment to come out to the sinks, where the two of us had been. We scattered like birds and pretended to wash our hands. Noah glanced sideways and smiled at me from under his sunglasses, then tore off a paper towel to wipe his hands. I looked in the mirror and noticed how flushed I was, and my eyes were unusually shiny. The green iris was almost completely obscured by the dilated pupil, and my lips were red and slobbery. I licked my lips and noticed Noah staring at me, completely mesmerized. How were we going to keep ourselves away from each other for weeks around the others?

"I will hurry," I nodded towards the other room that opened from the hallway, towards the urinals.

Noah grabbed my hand and pulled me close so he could whisper in my ear.

"I'd rather wait outside. I don't know what I'd do if I saw you take your dick out."

Like a hurricane. Noah completely swept over me, then slipped out the bathroom door. My heart rate was probably sky high, my legs were shaking, so I had to hold on to the sink for a moment as he left me alone. I had only been alone for maybe a few seconds when two young boys came in, so I decided it was time to pull myself together. I quickly finished my business, washed my hands again, and then joined Noah in the hallway. When we got back to the exit, Jolly made some funny comments about where we had been for so long, to which Noah just shrugged and said we had a hard time finding the bathroom.

I wanted a lot of things that night, but a small house party that got crazier by the hour wasn’t one of them. Everyone we knew from the neighborhood was there, but around midnight I started to feel like Jesse and David had brought everyone in from the street also. The sounds of breaking glasses, booming bass, and laughter were all around me as I sat on one end of the couch, a cider in my hand. Noah and Jesse were playing darts, Jolly was hooking up with some chick in a dark corner, and I was thinking about going up to my room to rest after midnight. Although I had no idea how I was going to manage to rest in such a noisy environment. Noah raised his arms dramatically to the sky while Jesse laughed out loud. I think their darts match was over, and I could have guessed for sure which one of them had won. Noah walked towards me, shaking his head, displeased, but as he got closer, his grin grew wider. He was wearing a white, long-sleeved T-shirt with tight pants that showed off his butt and thighs too well. He had some kind of colorful drink with him, and I immediately suspected trouble. Cocktails have become his absolute weakness lately. 

Before he could cross the living room, a young girl, I think it was Katie, an acquaintance of Orie’s, grabbed his arm to get his attention. Noah smiled at her and stopped in front of her. I saw Katie looking him over, raising her glass to her lips and smiling at him, fluttering her huge false eyelashes. I drank my drink with a bitter taste and continued to stare at the pattern of the carpet. It was so much simpler when Noah and I were dating girls. So much simpler, and yet, in some inexplicable way, so much lonelier. Maybe I’m a masochist, but I glanced up at them again, watching their body language. Katie was desperately trying to keep Noah’s attention, but he kept glancing at me, half-turning away from her. Katie was laughing at something, but Noah just smiled politely, and then he grabbed her arm. He pulled her into a quick, one-sided hug, then left her alone.

He plopped down next to me on the couch and rested his chin on my shoulder.

"I lost," he shouted over the music. I pulled away a little because it was louder than it should have been.

"I'm sorry," I told him with a smile. "You'll definitely have better luck next time."

"I lost because you weren't there with me," he continued, leaning closer to me again. At first he tried to get me to go with them, but I had no desire to stand there while they played. He pursed his lips, and I felt his hand slide down my waist.

"Like a mascot?" I asked him.

Noah nodded, eyes sparkling. 

"Yeah, like those sexy women that rich men take to casinos," he agreed.

I raised the bottle to my mouth and took a sip, while Noah's words left a painful impression on me for some reason. I looked at the people and tried to completely ignore Noah.. But he definitely wanted to make things difficult for me. First he left a kiss on my cheek, which I just smiled at, then his lips slid to my chin, then to my neck under my hair. I flinched because he caught me by surprise, and at the same time, what he did was too good. However, it was enough for me to notice that Jolly was looking straight at us, and I immediately pulled away from Noah.

"Are you crazy?" I hissed at him through my teeth as I turned towards him.

Noah blinked innocently at me, his eyes sparkling with alcohol. He leaned in again, and I thought he was going to apologize, but that wasn’t the case.

“Let's go up to my room.”

I sighed in frustration.

“Everyone would be looking for us. We have to wait for the midnight toast.”

"I don't care about anyone but you," he said, looking into my eyes.

"If you weren't on your third cocktail, you would think differently," I replied without considering my words.

Now Noah's face contorted in pain as he stirred his drink with the small wooden stick.

"Since when have you been in my consciousness? You talk as if I'm so drunk I don't even know what I'm doing," he muttered.

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. He was right. It wasn't like I didn't long for the two of us to finally be together.

"I'm sorry," I apologized. "I meant that you’re less concerned about the consequences right now. I just... don't really know how I should behave with you when other people are around."

Noah considered my words, then nodded. He brushed his hair back from his eyes and rested his elbows on his knees. He mumbled something, but I had to lean closer because I couldn’t hear anything over the music.

“Huh?”

"I wanted to shake Jolly down at the airport. I didn't want him to come with me," Noah said a little louder. "I was upset because I couldn't. And then because I felt guilty about trying to manipulate my friend so I could completely own you."

I could see on his face that he really was hurt by his own behavior, and I wanted to hug him, but I didn't want to draw attention to us. Maybe I was paranoid, who knows, because I would have done it without thinking. But when Noah put his free hand between us, I immediately laced our fingers together without realizing it.

"It'll get better with time," I promised him, because I thought that at the beginning of a relationship, everyone is completely crazy about their partner, which will slowly subside. I naively didn't take into account that we would be so close to each other so often, but not enough, that this nerve-wracking state would only fuel the fire between us. Noah nodded, wanting to believe me. The other option seemed too scary, so we didn't even mention talking to the others about what was between us.

[thg-prompts]

ello, i have no idea, if you're taking requests lol (if not feel free to ignore this!) but do you have some idea's for cato (x clove) prompts?

i'm in desperate need of ideas for either cato or him and clove😭

yes of course! now, i feel i should clarify i haven't read cato x clove before, so lmk if the prompts are not what you were hoping for and I'll try again!

🖇 cato (x clove) prompts

cato's father is a harsh, abusive man. he beat it into his son that the games are a privilege, a chance to make their district proud. being a victor means everything. a few days before their games, after training— when cato is changing his clothes, clove gets a glimpse of some old scars on his back. she has questions.

one of them joins the rebels, and they have to fight on opposite sides. but when it really comes down to it... they choose each other.

cato and clove have always been best friends— their friendship genuine and strong, a rarity in their district when everyone has a 'fend for yourself, be the best' kind of mentality. but when cato gets reaped and then later returns a victor, clove fears some things might have changed between them. that maybe all this new attention cato's getting is pushing her away from him.

they've been rivals all their lives. for as long as clove can remember, her and cato have competed for the first place— at school, at trainings, at stupid dares their teenage minds have come up with... but the day before the reaping, when they're both supposed to volunteer, he has some confessions to get out of his chest.

cato used to have an older brother that mysteriously disappeared one day. he never really knew what happened to him, and everytime he tried asking one of their parents, they got this angered, disgusted expression on their faces. one day, he gets a crypted message to meet in the woods.... and it might be his only chance to get answers. (it could be that his brother is one of the very few rebels from cato's district or something else, that's up to you.)

[weresilver]

My, my, looks who's alive! Another fic of mine has been consuming my thoughts. I just finished the first chapter for that one at a little over 6k words. Fun stuff. I want to post that one for Halloween (though with the Steddie big bang, who knows), but we'll see. I might hold off on that one and try an focus on this one once more? We'll see. For now, enjoy! Oh, if the @ tags don't work, or if you just don't want to be tagged like that, I'll also be using the "Pin a String fic" tag :)

[Part 1] – [Part 11] – [Part 13]

@madaboutmunson @xxfiction-is-my-realityxx @dijkstraspath @spectrum-spectre @epiclazershark @redheadchimechild @steddie-there @gayngerthings @manda-panda-monium @goodolefashionedloverboi

Pin a String to My Chest – 12

The reunion

Wayne had been coming to work as usual during the week Eddie was missing, confident that he'd show up fine, returning from an improvised trip he and the older boys from the club decided to go on. Nevermind the fact that Eddie hadn't called; he'd never failed to let Wayne know where he was before.

He knew Eddie wouldn't have killed that girl, maybe someone just broke into their trailer—

A full week after finding her body in the trailer, he got a call from the hospital, saying that Eddie had been admitted during the night. He spent the rest of that day as well as the night there. The next morning, the press announced his kid's innocence — to some people's surprise, apparently, if the nonsensical noise he heard from the TV was anything to go by.

They went on about a man called Peter Ballard, obsessed with the Creel murders and determined to recreate them. He chose their targets, stalked them, and killed them a few days later. Chrissy Cunningham happened to be most vulnerable when she decided to reconnect with an old middle school acquaintance.

Wayne didn't pay much attention to the TV after that. He made the calls he had to in order to stay with Eddie in the hospital, but he'd still have to work some nights. Not many, but some.

He met the people who claimed to have helped Eddie, and despite the insane story they all told him, he found he believed them. Hopper coming back from the dead — or wherever he was taken to, he supposed — and confirming it all helped. A little.

The Henderson kid was there as often as he could, often doing his homework next to Eddie's bed and talking about it as if Eddie would reply to him at any moment, tired of all the science talk. Wayne worried about the kid, but he didn't know what to tell him, especially not when the first thing he did was hand over Eddie's necklace.

Dustin was there. With him, the Wheeler girl had said. Wayne couldn't imagine what that must have been like.

Eddie had been admitted ten days ago. This was the third night Wayne had to go to work since then. He'd been doing his best to ignore the guilty looks as much as the disbelieving ones, and so far, no one had tried talking about it all in his vicinity. Now, he knew people were talking elsewhere, but as long as he didn't hear it, it should be fine.

Wayne shouldn't be here. He knew that, his coworkers knew that, his boss knew that, but apparently he didn't have a choice.

The call came close to 4 am, about two hours before the end of his shift. One of the supervisors, a man he could never remember the name of given how rarely he saw him, called out for him, saying there was someone on the phone.

"It's from Hawkins General," he clarified softly once Wayne was close enough. "Didn't say much, but I assume it's about your nephew."

Wayne was quick to thank him and walk into the office. He picked up the phone with a deep breath.

"Hello? This is Wayne Munson."

"Mr. Munson," a woman answered, sounding too chirpy for the hour. "It's Linda." Right, Eddie's nurse every other night. She was one of the nicest ones he'd met so far, always a kind word and gentle touches where his nephew was concerned. "You might want to get here soon, Eddie just woke up."

She had promised to call him if anything happened, personally. Wayne's heart was racing, at first for the fact she was calling at all, but then for the fact that Eddie had woken up. She spoke some more, though he wasn't sure he absorbed much of it.

He hung up with a promise to be there as soon as possible. He spoke briefly to his supervisor before the man was waving him off.

"Just go, I got this."

He never drove so quickly in his life.

Linda was waiting for him at the front desk, her smile widening when she saw the state he arrived in.

"I told you he was tired, Mr. Munson," she said, turning to walk further into the hospital without preambles. "You could have taken your time driving."

Wayne shook his head even though she couldn't see it. "You said he asked for me? No way in hell I'm keepin' him waiting."

Linda didn't try making small talk after that, leading the way to Eddie's room. Not that Wayne needed directions after spending most of the last ten days here, but the sentiment was nice.

She opened the door gently, letting Wayne step in first. Eddie seemed to be asleep, but it was clear he had woken up at some point; the thin blanket covered only half of his uninjured leg, the other slightly elevated with a pillow. It looked like Eddie had tried to move around. His left arm was in a sling, probably to keep him from stretching the wound on his chest and shoulder.

"Let me know if you need anything," Linda said from the door.

Wayne nodded absently as she closed the door. He moved the chair closer to Eddie's bed, the scraping noise enough to make his nephew's face scrunch up.

"Hey, kid." He kept his voice soft, not wanting to disturb Eddie if he wasn't awake but letting him know he was there just in case.

"Wayne?"

God, the kid's voice was rough. He gently patted Eddie's forearm, avoiding the bandages, and kept his hand there.

Eddie's eyes fluttered open, face creasing in drowsiness and confusion. "You…?"

"I'm here, Eddie," he reassured. He was probably smiling a little too wide for what Eddie was used to, but he didn't really care. Wayne helped him drink some water from a cup left on his bedside before asking, "How are you feeling?"

Eddie moved to shrug a little, but grimaced in pain. "Achy," he said, with a scrunched up expression that told the discomfort was a little deeper than that. "What happened?"

Wayne shook his head. There wasn't much point in talking about it when Eddie looked on the verge of sleep once more. If Eddie had actually forgotten the circumstances of his injuries, he guessed having the rest of his little monster slaying group around would help more than Wayne talking about it could.

"We'll talk when I'm sure you won't forget it."

Eddie hummed, nodding slowly. "Stayin'?" He asked, slipping into an accent that didn't come out often. His eyes slipped close, head slightly turned to him. "Missed you."

"I missed you too, kid." He squeezed the arm he was still holding. "I'm not goin' anywhere, go back to sleep."

Wayne made himself as comfortable in the hospital chair as he could, not once letting go of his nephew. The kid seemed relaxed, though that might be the work of the painkillers; Wayne had been told the state Eddie arrived in, and he guessed the painkillers would be needed for a while.

Minutes passed in silence, as Wayne watched Eddie breathe. It had become routine, making sure his nephew was still there. It was because of that routine that Wayne saw his face contorting into a frown right before he groaned.

"Eddie?" He asked, leaning closer to him. "Are you okay? What's wrong?"

"Thinkin'," he mumbled, slurring with sleep. "Not goin' to the concert next week, huh?"

"That's, uh, that's tomorrow, actually." Eddie let out a questioning noise that sounded awfully confused. "It's…" He trailed off, glancing backwards at the clock on the wall. "It's almost 5 am on April 7th, kid."

Eddie was staring at him, confusion clear in his eyes despite the low light. He looked away after a moment, turning his gaze forward.

"Oh," he whispered. He took a deep breath — as deep as he could, all things considered. "Okay."

Wayne couldn't help but raise a brow at his non-reaction. Eddie had been excited for this concert for weeks, going on rants about the concert whenever he lay eyes on the tickets that Wayne was safekeeping. Metallica and Ozzy. Eddie had learned a song or another from one of them, Wayne couldn't tell which one. He'd spent so much time practicing it…

"Don't look at me like that," Eddie mumbled, frowning. "Can't do shit about it now." He pulled his arm free of Wayne's hold and slowly rubbed his eyes. "Should've just—"

"Not been attacked?"

Eddie froze. So he did remember. He slowly turned to look at Wayne, who wanted to grimace as the movement seemed to stretch the bandage on Eddie's neck. His eyes were wide, looking afraid in a way Wayne hadn't seen since Lauren brought him over at 7 years old.

"I—I didn't…" His breathing picked up, and his hand pressed against the bandage on his chest. "I didn't do it." He shook his head, grimacing. "I wouldn't—"

I wouldn't hurt them.

Eddie couldn't finish his sentence, but the desperation in his eyes made it clear what he wanted to say. Wayne knew he didn't do it, that he would never hurt anyone. He knew who the actual murderer was.

"Eddie, son," he grabbed his hand, one of the few areas free of bandages. "I know, okay?" Eddie's gaze was fleeting between his eyes, looking for a catch he wouldn't find. "I need you to breathe, Eddie, as deep as you can."

It took a couple of minutes and many repeated words before Eddie was breathing easily once more. He was frowning, clenching his hand around Wayne's fingers.

"There you are," Wayne said softly. "Your new gaggle of friends made sure I knew what was going on."

Eddie's expression didn't change, but he nodded. "You… You believe 'em?"

"Got no reason not to." He shrugged. "Hopper coming back from wherever he was sure helped."

Eddie opened his mouth to question it, most likely, but all that came out was a tired sigh. "Sure, whatever."

Chuckling, Wayne patted Eddie's head, making a bigger mess of the kid's hair. He was sure that Eddie would demand a wash soon.

"Get some rest, son, I'll be here."

Eddie hummed and, surprisingly obedient, closed his eyes. He moved a little to adjust himself on the bed and was out almost as soon as he got comfortable.

It wasn't long before Wayne fell asleep as well, more tired than he'd realized after a nearly full shift.

[stagmalinay]

Session 02 part 1

There's a lot to unpack here, but I'm finally starting to feel a little more comfortable in this new realm.

So, I do not wake up in the tavern like I expected to. Instead, I wake up just before the suns have come over the horizon in a bed and room I've never seen before. I've no idea how the tiefling lady managed to move me without waking me up, but I find I'm uncomfortably warm under this blanket. I tear it off and find breakfast on the side table with a note. I grab the note, remember "oh yeah, I'm not in Thera anymore" and write "thanks" back in Theran.

Maybe she'll get that I couldn't read it.

I head out and do my morning routine, like usual. It's nice to do my own thing without anyone stopping me and asking questions while also getting a good layout of the village. I mean, I don't know what anything is, and it's definitely not Solara, but it's not bad.

I come back to the room and eat breakfast, which is also interesting. It consists of a white, grainy soup, some bread covered in sauce, and some berries. I explore the room a bit more, but there's really nothing here. Except the blanket. It's still warm, and not just been slept in warm, but like it's producing its own heat. Super nifty!

After I mess with that a bit, I go through my things and sort them out. I drop all the shiny gems into the coin purse thing but as I drop the last one, I realize it doesn't make any noise. I peek inside and find it completely empty. I turn it upside down, but nothing comes out. I've no idea how much I lost, but I hate the idea that I have to pay for things anyway so... I decide it's a bad item to have and bury the coin purse somewhere deep in my bag and head out.

I make my way to the old guy's house and place the lantern on the porch before inspecting the fence. Seems like Mugen and Dirt Guy finished it without me. How in pitch black darkness, I've no idea, but whatever, it's done. Looks fine to me. Then I forget where the guard guy said he'd be. Figure it's a good time to check out Mugen's home and see if they can show me where the guard's place is.

I run into Mugen on the way and ask him where the guard's place is and he shows me. He tries to hide from anyone that passes by, so I pretend he doesn't exist when that happens, entertained that he's trying so hard to hide. He takes me to the guard place where the guard hands me some shiny grey stones for the fence job. I pocket the stones and ask what else he has for odd jobs. He motions towards a wall covered in papers that I, no surprise, can't read, and tells me to pick something. So I just kinda look around and pick a random one and slap it down on the table.

"How about this? What is it anyway?"

He kinda stares me down for a while, confused, and says that it's some sort of wanted poster. So I clarify that I don't have to kill the guy to get the reward, which is the plan. I don't kill people. I'll fight with them, but I won't kill them. Unfortunately this means I need a sword. Generally people don't like to get taken in so easily.

The guard explains that the guy should be in the next closest town and I'll want to travel there. I remember the tiefling saying that people don't really travel around here, so I figure I'll want to talk to Mugen and Dirt Guy about it to see if they know how we should get to the next town over to catch this guy.

I take the wanted poster, a map, and leave.

Since we're missing a party member, Mugen and I return to his house to go and collect Dirt Guy. We get there and Mugen claims that Dirt Guy isn't there, without ever checking the house. I don't really believe he can just know that and barge in searching for him. I check all the rooms and find a few secret passage ways that lead to darkness, but no Dirt Guy. I get confused and check all the rooms with closed doors because I distinctly remember keeping them open after checking them. I find out the problem a while later after I must've circled the house a few times. Mugen's been closing them behind me! So I finally give it to him. Fine, Dirt Guy left and he just sort of "magically" knew that.

We head back to the front door and find Dirt Guy pathetically banging against the door. Apparently Mugen locked him out even knowing Dirt Guy wasn't home. These guys are gonna give me a headache.

Dirt Guy asks for food and checks out the kitchen, where he finds nothing. I take this opportunity to make my way back to the tavern where tiefling lady said she always works. We make our way there and the two sit down at a random table. I check the bar for her, but she's not there. The only people seem to be two passed out drunk guys in the corner.

I head towards the back area and call out for someone. A woman answers, clearly half asleep, and I ask her for a couple plates of food. Mugen yells for it to be four, so she gets up and starts making food. I ask her where the tiefling lady is and she informs me that she's out at her other job. Of course she is. I'm a little disappointed, wishing she meant that she was always working here, but that's fine. She'll come in eventually.

I tell the boys that food'll be out soon and return to the room I'd stayed in to fetch the note. I come back and ask the cook what it says. She seems pleasantly surprised that the tiefling left me a note and then uses a notebook to read it. I guess I'm not the only one that can't read in this realm. 😅 It says that I fell asleep and that the room is free of charge. Also that the breakfast was for me. I mean, I'd assumed that, but I'm glad it didn't say something like "I'll be right back, don't eat my breakfast".

The food comes out and I pour myself a glass of water from the pitcher on the table while Mugen and Dirt Guy eat. Apparently all the tables have pitchers of water. I don't remember them being there last night, and it tastes a little different what I drank before. Mugen helps himself to three of the plates once I let him know I already ate and once they're done, I pull out the wanted poster.

"So this is our next job. Any ideas on how to go about this?"

Neither of them answer. Dirt Guy doesn't surprise me, but even the monologuer is quiet. I show them the map too and ask them how we travel, if we need weapons, and just nothing. It's then I realize that I'm the leader of this group and I don't like it. I don't know shit about this realm. This is not what I signed up for.

At this point, I really want to talk to the tiefling because she's clearly the only one that knows anything around here. I head back to the cook and ask her how long it'll be until the tiefling returns. About a couple hours. Great. So I head back to the table and ask them if they'd like to go and do another job before we meet my friend, because it'll be a while. Dirt Guy decides to join me and over to the guard's place we go!

I ask him for another job that'll only be a couple hours and he brings up mucking the horse stalls. I have so many questions... But I take it. Did you know you could ride animals here? I'd never heard of that, but I was excited to meet the horses.

We go to the horse stalls run by a guy named Steve and he explains what we need to do. It smells pretty bad in there, but it's fine. It's decent work. The horses are amazing! They even let me pet them without running away or trying to attack me. I'd never been able to freely pet something before.

At one point, I get a huge whiff of the shit I'm dealing with and shake my head to get rid of the smell. But then I remember the coin purse. Out of curiosity, I pull it out and dump a bit of crap into it. It disappears like the shiny rocks did and reluctantly, I go to smell it.

Nothing.

I literally have a magical bag of disappearing! I drop a little more in there and sniff it again, smelling nothing, and offhandedly wonder what would happen if I pissed inside of it, but then Dirt Guy comes back with an empty wheel-barrel so I put it away and get back to work.

Dirt Guy and I are sufficiently mucked up when we're done, but the good news is the tiefling should be back by now. Dirt Guy heads into the tavern and I go back to the room to change my pants so I don't stink when I see her again. I get another idea with the coin purse and see if I can stuff the pants into it so my bag doesn't smell like shit. Like everything else, they go in, and disappear. I decide it's best to not stick my penis in there when I go to pee in it. I'd hate to lose it and I just might. Who knows how this magic works.

I make a mental note to not stick my fingers in there either.

I return to the tavern and spot a spotless Dirt Guy sitting at the table. I look him up and down and ask "how the fuck did you do that?" He looks at me confused and I wave it off. I didn't think they had similar magic to Thera, but maybe they do. Wish I'd have known before I stuffed the pants into the coin purse. Now I don't have a backup pair.

Mugen seems entertained by the drunk guys who've made their way halfway across the bar, but are still passed out drunk. I get up and smell one of the water jugs, but it smells different, like alcohol. I get yet another brilliant idea and grab the coin purse so I can see if it holds liquids. I'd hate to find out it doesn't with pee.

I pour it in and the whole jug's worth of tampered water just disappears inside. I shake the coin purse upside down again and smell the opening.

Nothing.

I literally have a magical, bottomless, disappearing coin purse. I grab yet another jug and dump that in there too. Suddenly, I hear a familiar voice screaming in the back. I quickly glance around and notice Dirt Guy isn't in sight, but he shortly storms out from the back followed by the tiefling. She does not look happy. However, she's the reason I'm here and she's currently chasing after a very determined Dirt Guy out the tavern. Confused, and slightly worried, I follow them out. And thru the village. And then past the edge of town, growing more and more hesitant the further we get. It doesn't seem like a good idea to travel out of a village, unprepared, from a village people generally don't travel out of.

I'll tell you more tomorrow, but don't worry, the story gets infinitely better.

Author note: Stag does not know that there's only one sun and one moon on this planet. It doesn't have multiple suns and it wasn't a typo, he just doesn't know any better.

[microwavetoaster-selfships]

Okay. Honestly not as drastic as a change as I anticipated, but my pinned post and carrd are both now all touched up, I think I added a handful to my carrd, my pinned post edits was mostly just clarifying some things! I might come back later and add dividers and maybe some more colored text to my pinned post like I mentioned previously, but the main important information has all been plastered around there. Might go back and add a few things to the little section in my pinned where I rattle on about things I like, just because I like people being able to get a flavor of who I am.

Okay, here we are. Little Kane turning point that the big wide world is getting to witness. Square one but it is square one of a separate chapter. All my stuff is here now!!! All of it.! No more. Separate blogs(aside from. Things that actually qualify as separate blogs like my main and the daily selfship questions one). I think I will try and chalk up some selfship tags for the F/Os that don't have ones yet and I know that I will be talking about(the rest can be done as I mention them) just so I can satiate the part of me that still demands some sort of organization. Truthfully, this might actually have me talking a little extra about some of the sillies from other casted away blogs that I haven't mentioned in awhile because it isn't me posting on some barren land of a blog now. I will probably also go into my carrd and things and list out all the F/O tags that I will at least for now have and update them as I go. I might just stick with my name and heart emoji theme, I'll worry about revamping those some other day if I ever decide to.

Going to. Try and push myself to an extra extremity of not hiding away on my own blog, truthfully I almost ponder if anyone at all will actually notice a difference in my posting or what I'm saying, which I will find super funny if I'm like "ahh!! I have been posting so much and revealing so much more and being more unfiltered.." and everyone here is just like "What. Are you talking about this is just your usual." And by being more unfiltered and revealing more I am entirely referring to having about five more tags at the end of each post where I mumble some incoherent things and saying an added extra two or so sentences on my posts where I let myself be publicly romancey sappy and mumble some cheesy sorts of comments of praise or compliments about my F/Os publicly.

[forestcat000]

My friends keep asking me if I'm in love with them, it's really weird. Like I call my friends honey, cutie, beauty, sweetie, love and babe (those last two are reserved for my bestie) and apparently that's weird? I'm a very outwardly loving person, I desire to give as much of my affection to those I love as possible. I'm very hugy, I give kisses (not on lips), I like holding hands, I've always done these things but sometimes my friends act like I'm trying to flirt with them even after I clarify I'm just being affectionate. I'll ask if they want me to stop but they say no, but then when I say it they'll all call me weird and tease me for it.

Well except my bestie, she's so nice and likes when I'm affectionate.

Though once I wrote her a letter for her birthday and then a few months later we were coming up with a prank about her fake ex boyfriend (aka me) writing her love letter to get her back and she said we could use my letter for it with some minor editing, when I asked why we would do that she said my letter could pass as romantic because it was so sweet, so maybe I'm just in love with all my friends.

There was no purpose to this post besides me rambling

[amazing-spiderling]

For the ask game: 5 14 16 31 49 50

Do you have any works where you refuse to reach a certain relationship landmark, for one reason or another?

Huh. This is kind of a strange question- I mean, I think when I start writing something, I have a pretty good idea of where I want things to end up. So if I'm not choosing to get to a certain "landmark" it's because it just wasn't right for the narrative, not because I'm choosing not to go "that far". I guess I don't often write about characters having children, either because it's not write for the story at the time/doesn't make sense, or I'm not interested in inventing some just for the sake of it. I don't have a problem with children and babies being in stories- I love to include Ellie in Spideypool stories when it makes sense, and I like the idea that Peter would be good with her.

Are there any relationship dynamics/tropes you want to write in the future, but haven't yet?

Ah, so- I have a little idea simmering in a pot. It's certainly one of those, "If no one else is gonna write it I guess I have to do it!" kind of things- that's *sort* of an enemies to lovers thing? More of a rivals to lovers thing, but also with plenty of misunderstanding and identity shenanigans, so there's plenty of familiar things for me to pla with as well.

Are there any relationship dynamics/tropes you enjoy reading about, but wouldn't want to write yourself? Vice versa?

To answer the latter question first, I don't really spend my time writing anything I wouldn't want to read. The closest I have come is writing fills for other people in events that are maybe not my setting/plot of choice, but it's still going to be tailored to my tastes, otherwise there's just no way it would get done. As far as tropes I like reading but wouldn't write? Hum. I don't mind a little bit of a sharper edge of cruelty/ adversarial nature in earlier chunks of a story that can get worked out as the story progresses, but I think I have a hard time channeling that myself, so I mostly worry it would fall flat. I dunno, I'm kind of a never say never person for this sort of thing.

Are there any songs that remind you of [clarified in DMs to be mattfoggy]? Are there any songs that remind them of each other?

I was kinda in my feels about "Heather" by Conan Gray while making a playlist a while back, which I think would be a decent pick if you were trying to make a mix about some serious pining, and it could probably go either way tbh. I have also been reading a lot of the older DD comics lately (80's ish I think?) where Matt is literally involved with a Heather, and Foggy and Natasha (yes, that Natasha) conspire to break them up. It all goes very poorly! Especially for poor Heather.

"I'll Still Have Me" is another song that hits me just right, and I think it's the kind of song that would have Foggy SOBBING during S3 (or y'know, any of those periods when Matt is faking his death or whatever.)

Everybody knows I'm upset, they don't even have to ask it They know I believed in us last week.

What's your favorite relationship dynamic that you've seen in another work of fiction? Has this influenced your writing at all?

I don't think I got terribly involved in shipping until, oh, college or maybe even a little after that. I consumed a lot of media that I think is popular for ships (Sailor Moon, read GO in high school, other various 90's anime, comic books) but I was always pretty content to accept whatever relationship was presented on screen or not really think about it much at all. But one of my long-time friends and I first bonded over X-Men and the buddy relationship between Wolverine and Nightcrawler, and a few years later he showed me the tanker chapter to Metal Gear Solid 2, telling me "I think you're going to like these two guys" because of my penchant for buddy bro relationships. At the time I was content to be like, "YEAH WHAT GOOD BROS" but obviously that didn't last. XD Since then, nearly all of my ships have followed the pattern of friends-to-lovers, and obviously that shows up a lot in my writing and art. (Although weirdly, while I totally GET Logan/Kurt as a ship, it just doesn't do anything for me.)

Free space! Brag on yourself! Advertise your writing! What are you most proud of recently?

Oh gosh. Well, I recently wrote a stupidly fluffy little fic for a friend called, "Keep It Simple" which is a very silly college MattFoggy story about Matt struggling to confess his feelings to Foggy while Foggy does everything he can to... help him confess. (It makes sense in context, I promise, haha.) That was a fun one to write, mostly because I got to come up with lots of silly things for Foggy to say, and I love getting to write about him being a good bro.

I'm also charging ahead with a co-writer to work on "Home's Around the Corner (It's a Long Way There)" and hopefully chapter 4 will be out before too long. (You know how it is with edits.) We only had a general idea of where we wanted the story to go when we started, but as we've written more, some interesting wrinkles and turns have cropped up and I'm having a good time with it. I think the end result will be pretty satisfying all around. :3

[localwebslingers]

It was hard to fight to keep the hurt out of his features at the news, it was impossible to and Peter wasn't sure he had it in him to try very hard either. Not on top of everything else that had happened. No memory about what had happened with Venom, and maybe even with the symbiote as a whole, that he could swallow easily enough. That was what, a week? Maybe a little more than that? It was hard to say when he was bouncing between universes but that sounded right. That would be easy to help fill in the gaps. What Harry was describing, the details and fragments, was so much more than that and Peter wasn't sure there was anyone who would hear that news and be happy about it. Not fully, not deep down.

But...there were those details. Remembering laughing or cooking things together, Harry didn't know him but he still read him just fine by the sounds of it. Even if it was based on instinct from the familiarity of it, he could, "So...you don't know me, but you do." he said slowly, watching Harry a moment in case that explanation needed corrected or added to, before he nodded slowly, "Okay..." Peter took a slow breath and swallowed, "It...isn't great to hear, I'm not going to lie, and I'm sure it's even worse and more stressful for you, but okay." because even if it wasn't fast, even if it was only scraps right now, it was still something.

It was still a reasonably good chance that, with some time, more would come back and sort itself out.

Peter wasn't going to hide that it hurt, but that didn't mean he was going anywhere, "Then...I guess I should clarify a few things that I kinda assumed that you already knew?" he tired carefully, watching Harry a moment and pointing towards him, "Like, you can read the frown I have and what it means, and I know what that look you have right now actually means." that guarded, careful look he'd seen come down slowly with time, and eventually watched hold one moment with others and fall completely when it was just them. If Harry couldn't remember him, and more importantly if that slow to trust nature was still at the forefront and it seemed like it was, then it seemed only fair to tell him that for as well as he could read Peter, the same could be said the other way around.

"But most importantly right now," he continued, "at least I think it's the most important part, is me coming to see you here. Right now I'm sure Norman is on his way over here because someone called him to say I got in here, that I even found it at all. Becuase I don't think he hates me, but he might not be my biggest fan either." Peter cracked a small smile, "I might have very carefully told him to back off more than once and the impression he gave about it was a mixture of respect that I would but also how dare I." which really was probably the best result he was going to get. Peter was in a pretty good place for it.

"He'll probably insist I leave when he gets here, or just demand I do, I'm not really sure. But I won't...unless you want me to." he tilted his head to nod back to the door out of the lab, "You say you want me to leave, I'll go right now. If when your dad gets here, you decide that's too many people and you want me to go, then I will, but I'm not going because he wants me to. I'm here for you, not him, so as far as I'm concerned you're the one who can ask me to go. And I'll come back, maybe later today, or tomorrow, or in four days if that's what needs to happen, but I will, Harry. I promise you that."

|| @inhcritance ||

He'd woken up with nothing but the bloodlust in his veins, at some point. He'd seen nothing but fear and confusion and the need to lash out, to heed those whispers. They had been all-consuming, at first. And that had felt like a dream, in a way.

Then he'd woken up, and he'd felt a bit more human. He'd felt like the most basic shape a human mind could have, and some things had come back. Some things he'd gathered, from what he'd listened. And some things, he was just trying to piece together from sensations and dreams of senses and little more than that, and it was as frustrating as it was terrifying, to someone who had been used to hoarding knowledge in search of opportunities. And he could remember that, just like he could remember a dozen thousands of disjointed moments.

Just like he could read the shifts of Peter's weight, the way his face showed emotion. It felt familiar, it felt true. It felt also a shade wrong, because he was not fond of the worry, nor of the conclusions Peter was likely reaching. Because without his memories... what was Harry?

"It wasn't easy, from what I've been told." He conceded, his smile a shade mournful. Because he could recall so little about it, and he knew they were trying to keep it from him, and he didn't know if it was worth trusting their criteria.

He was not too good at trusting, he was finding out. He wished he knew what had led him to that. Or maybe it had just been part of who he was, enough to survive what had happened to him.

But then Peter reached the right conclusion, and Harry did not need to consider it for long, before he nodded. Because there would be little point in going back on his choice now.

"I remember the sound of your heartbeat, and the smell of cooking pancakes. I remember your laughter, and that little frown in your face." He settled on. And then, "I remember a thousand little details, each one sharper than the previous ones. But that's it." He admitted, shrug nonchalant, almost easy. A familiar lie, in a way.

The kind of lies he used to protect himself when he felt he was about to be hurt, and wanted to keep himself safe. Alas, good liar that he might have been, he wasn't sure it would be enough.

"Some things are coming back." He sighed, in the end, before sitting on the bed himself, managing to at least walk back without the screaming getting worse. "But it's not... fast."

@localwebslingers

[green-ville]

They are not getting the attention they deserve, so this happened. I don't know why but I love writing these types of characters that are just sass x sass. So I hope you enjoy!

Minors DNI, 18 +

Summary: Phoenix and Hangman have known each other a long time. There was no doubt in either of their minds that what they felt for each other was hate, loathing, and disgust, and only that. Right?

Warnings: hate sex.

_______________________

It started in the Academy.

"What's your name sweetheart?"

"I'd stop now if I were you."

"Oh ho ho, she bites?"

"No, she scratches."

"I'd play nicer if I were you sweetheart. It'll pay off later to be on good terms with the top of the class."

"The only thing you'll be on top of is a table after a few too many drinks."

"So that's how it's gonna be?"

"That's how it's gonna be."

"Then I'll see you later. If you make it."

It continued well into their Academy days.

"I'm surprised you've made it this far Phoenix. Credit where credit is do," he had an infuriating grin and she wanted to take that toothpick in his mouth and jab it into his neck. "You deserve that name birdbrain."

"How long'd it take you to come up with that bagman?"

He whistled. How the hell did he do that with the toothpick? "Five seconds."

"I'm not surprised you're quick."

He gave her a low look, eyes dragging down, height towering over her. He had his hands in his pants. The pockets, that is. It was important to clarify in regards to him.

"Funny, I've never had that complaint before. It's always, 'no, please, not another one, I can't handle another one, God – no – stop –.'"

"Yes, please, stop. My ears are bleeding."

"Don't worry Phoenix, all you need to do is ask and I'll show you the same good time."

"Oh, you'll leave?"

"If you want me to leave you to your own hands, sure. I'm just saying, maybe if you finally got with a guy that could make you cum your flying might actually be decent."

He turned with that infuriating smirk and left.

She couldn't stop watching him during class. When they flew. Afterwards in the gym. Payback commented on it once with a sly wink. She elbowed him in the gut and scoffed, saying she did it for entertainment. It was like going to a show and watching a show pony prance.

That's what she said. It didn't change the fact that she watched him an unnecessary amount.

His beiges fit well. His workout clothes fit even better.

Natasha Trace had never been one for horses, but she had been thinking about riding a lot lately.

She thought she was saved from this when they had successfully made it through the Academy. Her ego was bruised, she was furious. Jake Hangman Seresin was top of the class. Her only redemption was that she'd never have to see the infernal man again.

Of course she still celebrated getting through the Academy. It was hard as shit and she had got second place. Even if she didn't get top of the class, she had beaten most of the other pompous asshats that thought she'd flunk out.

They went to a bar and her plan was to get wasted. With her ever growing tolerance of alcohol, that would mean a lot of drinks so she forwent the beers and headed straight for a round of shots.

One, two, three, four, who will I score?

She used to have a nonperverted mind. Then she joined the Navy.

She slammed the final shot glass down and turned to her friend Payback, arms raised and they clapped hands, cheering.

"God I hope I don't remember tonight."

"If that's the goal then another round!"

A chuckle brought forth the bane of her existence. An arm wrapped around her shoulder and she was squeezed into a strong side. Immediately her grin wiped off her face, replaced by a displeased line.

"Well if it isn't Phoenix and Payback. Payback, I gotta warn you. If you're trying to get with Phoenix, I'd bark up a different tree. This one doesn't play nice."

She elbowed him in the side as hard as she could. He was laughing as he backed off and when the bartender came with another round of shots, she all too eagerly grabbed that first one, knocking it back to get through the conversation.

"Funny, she played very well last night."

Phoenix winked at Payback. "C'mon Payback, you know how I feel about my business being shared. And even though I know Bagman would be all too interested because it's the closest action he'll get, I'd prefer it stay between us."

Nothing had happened between them.

"The closest action I'll get?" Bagman laughed, snatching up one of Phoenix's shots. He drank it slowly, unaffected by the burn that had Phoenix drinking them quickly. His Adam's apple bobbed. He didn't spill a single drop and she wished he had had a reaction. She wished he'd wince or something just to make him seem human and not perfect.

But no.

This affected her in a way she would never admit.

"Phoenix, I hope you didn't expect me to wait for you to finally state the obvious. A man has needs." He plucked out a toothpick from thin air, sticking it between his teeth with that cocky grin that probably got him everything he wanted.

"And I need to get out of this," Payback responded, throwing back a shot in hopes of clearing his mind of hearing their conversation. He grabbed his final shot, having done two more when she wasn't looking, and parted ways.

Hangman took his place, leaning against the counter with a grin.

She could smell his cologne. It didn't help the situation.

"You've departed my company."

"If you had just played nice we could've had a civilized conversation."

"Please. You tried to get in my pants right away with your comments. Think pushing away Payback will help? Think again."

"I would but I don't second guess myself. Maybe if you're ever top of any class you'll learn to trust your instincts."

"My instincts say to knee you in the balls for stealing my shot."

"I care about you Phoenix. Lightweights like yourself can't handle all of this otherwise you'll be on the floor passed out before nightfall."

"What a saint. You were actually just looking out for me. How can I ever repay you?"

"Tell me my eyes are pretty?"

She snorted and grabbed her next shot. Hangman grabbed the final one. He held it out to her and against her better judgement, she clinked together.

Phoenix never turned away, continuing to stare him dead in his green eyes that had her stomach knotting, and she suffocated all her tastebuds as she slowly drank that shot. It burned and she wanted to wince but her pride was too great. As slow as he drank, so did she.

She swallowed slowly too, making that refreshed sound afterwards.

They set their glasses down together and she noted that he hadn't spilled a single drop even with that stupid toothpick in his mouth.

Her confidence was faker than reality TV. She set money on the counter.

"Bye bye Bagman." She grabbed the toothpick from his mouth, staring him dead in the eyes, and stuck it in her own.

The power she felt in that move? The power she felt as she walked away, knowing he didn't stop watching her? The power she felt at having the last words?

Indescribable.

Her annoyance at seeing Jake Hangman Seresin again after the Academy? Indescribable.

She had been called back to Miramar. She'd never pass up that chance, you kidding?

Life was kidding because when she walked into The Hard Deck, there he was. All six foot whatever, blond, green eyed, man.

Natasha Trace had gotten over him. She was already annoyed that there was something she had to get over. It took a few people but she succeeded. He was no longer the thought that helped her fingers out at night.

And now he was back in her life, clearly returned for the same mission she had returned for.

"Do my eyes deceive or is that little Miss Natasha Trace?"

He wore a grin to accompany his toothpick. His gaze lowered and rose, just missing her own observations.

Her lips flattened, arms crossing over her chest. "Fanboy," she addressed one of the men behind her. "This here is Bagman."

"Hangman."

"Whatever. Be careful of his flying," she continued. "As Payback will attest, he likes to leave people out to dry."

He gave a low whistle. "You're off your game Phoenix. Where'd they put you to soften you up so much? Laundry room?"

"Clever. Fanboy, do you wanna know why Bagman is such a remarkable guy?"

Hangman's brow arched. As if he needed to be any more infuriating.

"Educate me."

She grinned. "He's the only guy I've known to ever brag about finishing first."

His grin dimpled his cheeks. There was snickering behind her. "And by that she means, I finished first in class."

"No, no I meant exactly what I said."

"You are practically begging for a lesson, aren't you?"

She wore a grin to match his. "What can I say, I love to learn. Now I just have to go find an adequate teacher."

That was their last conversation together, last night, which brought them current.

"You'd think they'd give the avian callsign to an aviator that actually knew how to fly halfway decent."

He was trying to piss her off. She was walking away, more like storming off. Their workday had finished and he, Bob, and her had just finished their 200 push-ups. Her arms burned, her shoulders were tight, her stomach was taut. She was hot everywhere and she wanted a cold shower.

Phoenix scoffed. "That's rich coming from someone that abandons their wingman 'just because!'"

"I won't always be up there to protect you sweetheart," even his voice boiled her blood. "You need to be able to fly without someone watching over you."

"I can fly solo perfectly fine jackass, but when I have a wingman up there and he just decides to not help me, that's where I get pissed."

"God," he smirked, an action she didn't see but she did hear. "It's so easy to rile you up."

She spun on her heel and jabbed a finger into his chest. He had been directly behind her, rendering her action smooth and sharp. She glared up at him and his brows rose, surprised she was facing him.

"Guess what hotshot, you're playing the wrong game. You think Captain Mitchell wants someone like you flying the mission? No. He cares about everyone coming back and you continuously prove that you are incapable of caring about your teammates."

She smirked. "Sweetheart."

Natasha Trace thought that was the end of their conversations for the night. She got to the locker room, she showered, she changed into non smelly clothes, and she seethed on her bed, staring up at the ceiling. It wasn't an uncommon position for her to be in.

The anger wouldn't ease out of her muscles. She was all rigid and begging for an object to punch. She desperately wanted that object to be Hangman.

Sure. She would admit it now. He was a good pilot. But this mission required teamwork and he wouldn't know the meaning of the word even if it blew him off. That was saying something considering it was probably his favorite pastime.

He was just trying to throw her off her game by insulting her. She had five older brothers, she was in the Navy; she could handle insults. She was furious that his got to her so easily.

God she wanted to –

There was a series of knocks on her door.

Two, pause. Two, pause. Two, pause.

It fit him too well for it to not be him.

She shoved off her bed, a scowl on her face, an unquenchable desire to sock him in the face balling her fists. She opened the door with every intention of committing some form of assault.

The intention flew out the window right away. She didn't even have a window.

He was looking down at her and there was just something.

He had just come from working out, wearing a shirt that was so well fitted he had clearly bought it a size smaller. His hair was sweaty, swiped away from his face. His cheeks were flushed and his brows were knit. His shoulders were wide and strong and his veins were prominent on his arms from dehydration. To top it all off?

Those damn green eyes.

Neither would later admit to making the first move. This was because they both stepped forward together. He grabbed her and brought her up, she wrapped her legs around his waist and fisted his hair.

The kiss was all force and heat and anger. Blindly she shut the door and he wasted no time shoving her up against a wall. Pressed against the wall and him, it had a fire burning its way straight down.

"I hate you," he said between kisses, hands groping her ass with the intent of leaving bruises.

She pulled at his hair, bringing his face half an inch away from hers. Her head tilted, both of them sharing ragged breaths. "I could watch you die and not bat an eye."

His mouth was on hers again and her legs brought him closer. She didn't stop pulling his hair, teasing that line between pain and pleasure she knew, she just knew, he'd like to frequent.

His tongue was in her mouth and her thoughts spiraled out of control. One hand grabbed her chest and her breath hitched. She ground down as best she could with her hips and he pulled away, going to her neck.

Hot kisses along her clean skin. Sharp nips of his teeth she'd end up screaming at him tomorrow for. He kneaded her chest and she scratched his back, nails just long enough where he'd have marks of his own tomorrow.

"I hope you're better in bed than you are in the air."

"I hope you understand teamwork better in bed than you do in the air."

"I understand teamwork in bed very well Phoenix. There may not be an 'I' in team but there sure as hell will be a me in you."

She scoffed, rolling her eyes. "It's no surprise your flying is shit. Your balls are so blue from not getting laid with pick up lines like that."

"You say that and yet, here I am, picking you up."

Literally.

She rolled her eyes with a lack of snippy answer.

"Awe, no sarcastic response?"

"I'm taking pity on you Bagman. I mean, you looked so desperate standing there at my door. Did you workout to try and get me out of your head?" She taunted, frown faux and antagonizing. "How long have you been thinking about me Bagman?"

His head came in close, his lips ghosting up her neck until they found her earlobe. They nipped and her eyelashes fluttered.

"Since you took my toothpick and put it between your lips baby."

Her arousal shot to an unholy amount. The only thing that could save her now was a bath in holy water. A long bath.

That was well over a year ago.

"I thought about picking you up and taking you against the bar right then and there, but you walked away," a chill ran down her spine and it sure as hell wasn't from being cold. She was so far in the opposite direction that the heat was crawling up her chest and leaving her flushed like she had run a 5k in full gear. "Do you even know how hard that got me Natasha?"

He knew what he was doing. Damnit he really did. She should've laughed at his weakness in thinking about her but it had the exact opposite effect. He was admitting it to get her riled up and it worked.

He sacrificed a pawn to checkmate her king.

Her nails scratched their way up into his hair again. He had called her by her real name and that could've been a sin by itself.

"You gonna show me or are you just gonna leave me hanging like you did at that bar Seresin?"

The bar, not earlier today in the air.

He chuckled. "Don't tell me, did you want me to follow you?"

"I did take your toothpick Seresin. How much more obvious can a girl get?"

"You little. . ."

She kissed the side of his jaw and whispered into his ear, "ruin me Lieutenant."

"Mother –" he cursed and they were turning. She attacked his neck, grinning as she pecked and nipped. Her eyes were shinning and then her back was on her bed again. He boxed her in on top but his hips stayed attached to hers and he rolled into her.

Her hands found the hem of his shirt and they stopped kissing just long enough to remove that layer of clothing. They reattached and her tongue slipped into his mouth this time, her nails dragging up and down his muscled back. She felt the chill that ran down him and grinned into the kiss.

He pressed more into her and she tightened her legs around him. His size was expected and she wished he'd hurry it up already.

One hand found her chest again and he grabbed her through her shirt. He kneaded her and thrusted at the same time, and her breath hitched, kiss breaking.

"You gonna take off my shirt anytime soon?"

"There's a process sweetheart." His lips ghosted her neck again only this time they trailed down. To the front of her throat. To the top of her chest, the part uncovered by her tank top. Her breathing was shallow, her nails in his hair and scratching. Messing it up even more. "A manner in which to do this to get you absolutely shaking beneath me."

"You're setting quit the expectation Lieutenant."

"And I have every intention of delivering, Lieutenant."

Alright, him having a rank kink made sense. She didn't realize she had one too. Maybe it was just because it was from him and never in a million years did she think he'd actually call her by her title. Of course, he had unsarcastically used her first name earlier already, so really. . .

His hand left her chest, slipping down. Fingers featherlight and leaving a trail of tingling nerves. Further down. The waistband of her shorts. Eyes directly on her as they slipped beneath. It was an unbreakable look as his fingers found the band of her underwear. Ignoring them. Finding a wet mess.

And he grinned.

The bastard grinned.

"Ask 'who made you this wet' and I kill you right here right now."

"Why would I need to ask when I know? It's hard to miss how you look at me."

"And how do I look at you?" He had found her clit and rolled it between two fingers. Her cheeks were traitorously hot.

"Now now, don't play dumb Phoenix, it doesn't suit you."

Her next words died in her mouth when he moved down and those two fingers went inside her. Pushing all the way in. His thumb finding her clit and adding pressure.

"You look at me like you want to fuck me."

"Wanting to fuck you and thinking fuck you are two different things."

"And you blur the lines beautifully." His fingers curled and then they were gone. His hand retracted entirely from her shorts and her tank top was being pulled up, above her head. She didn't sleep with a bra on. Her hips rose as he took off her final two pieces of clothing, rendering her naked and him half dressed.

He pressed into her fully, arm slipping beneath her waist, and she didn't understand what he was doing as he rolled them over. She finished on top and he was grinning up at her, hands settling on her hips.

"Well what are you waiting for? Scoot up sweetheart."

Oh.

He slapped her ass to move her along.

Words failed her again and she scooted up. She was sitting over his chest. His arms moved around her thighs and moved her the rest of the way up and then she was sitting over his face.

He brought her down and his tongue found her quickly. One long, slow lick down the middle.

She had been eaten out before, that wasn't the thing. It was the position. Who the position was with. The build up to getting into this position.

His hands were tight on her to keep her still and her breathing was shallow. Her stomach curved in beneath her ribs and her hands pressed against the wall to keep her up.

Two fingers returned inside of her and her eyes shut. They pushed in and out languidly. He sucked on her clit and scissored her. She clenched around him and he chuckled, the vibrations only aiding the process.

It was slow. He was taking his time. Building her up until breathing was a necessity she struggled with. Her forehead was knit and the sounds that came from her mouth were shutters, whispers, curses.

She wanted to move her hips but he was too strong. She wanted him to speed it up but an eerie blissful peace had settled in, clashing terribly with the growing desire for the knot to break and allow her release.

Then it started. A flicker in her abdomen. She clenched and cursed, whispering that she was close. Whispering for him to keep going, just like that. Her hair fell and stuck to her forehead and when it hit, her back curved, her head moved back, facing the ceiling, and her muscles tensed like she was going to slam her fists into the wall.

He kept her where she was, sucking as she came, fingers never stopping their lazy ministrations.

She cursed when it was over and finally relaxed, stomach puffing out. She moved down and kissed him right away, hands on his face before they moved into his hair, pulling. Her tongue pushed into his mouth and this time he fought back.

Natasha pulled away first, kissing his neck as she scooted down. Her nails trailed down his sides. She kissed his chest. Right above his waistband.

She pulled those down with his underwear. They were thrown off and she grabbed him in her hands. She spit on the red tip, locking gazes with him up until the point she downed him. His hips jutted and she held him down, gently squeezing his balls with her other hand.

He cursed and she hollowed her cheeks. She pulled back and downed again. He reached her throat and she pressed her tongue against him. This time as she pulled back, her tongue trailed his length, following a vein.

Her hand moved from keeping his hips down to grabbing him, twisting up and down, squeezing, circling the top.

Seeing him like this made her thighs flex. The v of his hips. The largeness of his arms as the bent, hands resting behind his head. The veins that weren't going to stop being prominent until he drank some damn water. If this was what she got from it, then she hoped he never drank a glass again.

Her mouth enclosed the tip, her tongue swirled. Her hand was right beneath her and they went to the base together and held. Remaining perfectly still. Slowly, dragging, she pulled off him again and repeated that process, only she went slow to the bottom as well.

He cursed her name and she didn't change a damn thing until he was coming undone in her mouth.

He grabbed her hair and pulled her up. They flipped again, this time his hands on her wrists and forcing them above her head.

Another action that made sense.

He moved to holding her with one hand and she could've resisted, really, but for the moment she complied. He lined himself up. One leg hooked around his lower back.

He thrust in and she jolted forward at the force.

Her lips were parted and her throat was burning. Her eyes were shut up until the point he told her to look at him.

Ordered it between those sharp and fast ruts that could very easily alert the entire hallway of what was going on.

He stopped moving and she whined. His hand grabbed her jaw and forced her to look straight ahead. She opened her eyes now, finding his burning down at her. She clenched and his pupils blew.

"Look at me when I fuck you."

"Sir. Yes. Sir."

Pointed. Articulate. Every synonym in the book and he rammed into her, the words feeding into his ego in a manner she'd regret later, but was grateful for now.

Having an egotistical man in bed was fantastic, really. They had a lot to prove if you knew the right cards to play. You had to feed a little while also coming off as unaffected other times.

It resulted in great sex.

She'd be sore tomorrow but she'd be satisfied and she could feel it building already.

"Let me touch you," she breathed out, the words cut off each time his hips reconnected with hers.

"No."

"Let me touch you, please."

"Fuck."

Her wrists were let go and her nails were on his back. His body hovered closer to her and her other leg came up, wrapping on top of the first. It angled her hips up and drove him deeper and that was where the spot was. The great spot that had her gasping and digging her nails into his back.

Her body was on fire. She felt like she had just come out of the shower again, dripping wet only this time with sweat. And other things.

It flickered again and a half smile was on her face. Elated, euphoric, ease washing away her age lines. His head hung into her shoulder as she clawed his back and he was beginning to stutter.

"C'mon, c'mon, right there, fuck, that's it Jake."

The use of his name had been intentional. She had saved it for right at this instance and she had never loved her timing more than now.

When she came again, it was to hard and fast thrusts. It was to a mouth biting down on her neck. It was to her legs tight around his narrow waist and her nails indenting his muscled back.

When he came it was the same way, seconds behind her. Following through with her.

His breathing slowed down and brushed over her hot skin. Her legs uncurled and he slipped out of her.

He plopped down beside her, a feeling of fullness settling in.

Her heart pounded. The sweat laid thick on her and she wanted a shower again.

She said as much.

"Shower?"

"Now Natasha, if I recall correctly, I said you'd be shaking, and you're not shaking yet. That means we're not done. If you must shower now, understand this. You'll be taking several showers throughout the night then."

And she rolled her eyes. "Egotistical cocky prick."

"You flatter me sweetheart."

[carmillas-vampiric-rage]

Modern!Silco x Reader, two single parents...

Silco x Biracial Female!Reader.

Warnings: None. Unless you count Reader getting scared shitless by Silco's voice, then yeah. Also pretend I know how PTA meetings work I'm not a parent, and this is a drabble I'll Google it later lmao.

Fatherhood slapped this man in thee face like YEET YOU ARE NOW A FATHER!!!

Got this idea from a @sweatandwoe ask about Modern!Silco dating or loitering and hunting for single moms in the store, and I just got inspired!! This is just a drabble for now but I'm planning to go back to this and make it a full story with chapters and shit, but I gotta focus on one full story at a time lol. Stuff is also subject to change so...

I'm kinda happy with this, it's cute omg.

___________

"I swear to god Juru, if you don't stop running around-" your half hearted threat didn't do much as your son dashed around the pizza isle, his princess doll in hand as he made her fly around the cheese pizzas. You were debating between thin or thick crust, and also trying to respond to a text at the same time, another parent teacher meeting was coming up, it felt like you'd just had the last one.

"You don't know what fun is, mom." He said as he continued to run.

"You're not gonna be having much fun once you run into a freezer door, dear." You said half distracted as you wrote out your already too long text message.

Juru only laughed as he continued to run about making a woosh sound as he brought his doll into a nose dive.

You sent the text and were now reading it over, wishing you'd clarified a few things, texting really was just as much of a nightmare as calling. Your eyes then flicked to the freezer of pizzas and you still weren't any closer to deciding then you were a minute ago.

"Ru, what kind of pizza do you want?" You asked without turning.

A loud cry then the scrape of someone falling onto the ground made you turn. Juru stood over the fallen girl, his doll still in his hand.

"Oh my god I'm so sorry I didn't see you." He began. "I'm sorry I'm sorry, are you okay?"

You rushed over, putting a hand on your son's shoulder as you looked down at the girl.

"Are you okay, sweetie, I'm so sorry, I told him to stop running around." You gave Jaru a playful glare and he immediately started smiling. The girl, who didn't look upset in the slightest, only shrugged. "I've been pushed a lot harder by my dad's second in command." The girl said as she brought herself to her feet. You let out a surprised laugh. "Well I'm glad your okay, again I'm sorry." You said.

The girl smiled at you, strands of her long blue hair in her face, she seemed to have been running around too. "Oh it's okay, it was an accident." She looked at Juru. "Don't feel bad." "Okay" Juru responded shyly.

"I came to get some pizzas, my dad and his workers eat like a lot." She said running over to one of the freezer doors. "We're getting some too." Juru said as he ran up next to her. "But it's hard to decide."

Your phone dinged and you took it out again.

"I know, there's so many choices, and it makes it more complicated when you have to decide thin or thick crust."

Juru nodded. "Decisions decisions."

The girl thought for a moment before speaking excitedly. "I got it, we got thin crust last time, so we'll get thick crust this time, you should do the same!"

"Okay!" Juru agreed, then he turned to you. "Mom, we're getting thick crust!"

"Alright, dear." You said, mostly distracted as you looked at your phone.

The girl opened the door and began to take stacks of pizzas out. Juru looked at her in total shock. "Woah, how many people you feeding?" He asked.

The girl sighed dramatically. "Oh a lot, my dad has at least a billion workers."

"Woah..." Juru exclaimed.

She looked at him over her stack of pizzas. "How many will you be getting?"

"Oh probably only like three or four, maybe five if I'm lucky, it's just me and my mom though, my mom doesn't have a billion workers."

"I see, oh by the way, I'm Jinx, it was nice bumping into you." She said cheekily, smiling wildly.

"I'm Juru, that's my mom," he motioned to you, still distracted on your phone. "It was nice meeting you too." He looked at all the pizzas she held. "You sure you can carry all those."

Jinx scoffed. "Oh for sure, plus my dad and Sevika shouldn't be that far away."

"Who's Sevika?" Juru asked.

Jinx rolled her eyes. "My dad's second in command, she's the worst!!"

"Ohhhh..." Juru responded with wide eyes. You didn't have a second in command, he noted.

You sent the final text and vowed to put your phone on do not disturb for the foreseeable future. Putting your phone back in your purse, you almost jumped out of your skin at the voice behind you.

"Jinx..." The low voice called from behind. You turned around quickly, a man, in a very fancy coat -you noted- stood at the start of the isle, a tall woman stood next to him, her eyes narrowed and looking quite grumpy.

You turned back to your son and Jinx, who both peered around, you couldn't help but let out a small laugh as the girl peered around her large stack of pizzas.

"Oh, I got to go, that's my dad and Sevika, see you around Juru!" She called as she literally sprinted with the stack of pizzas toward her father.

"Byeeeee!" Juru called back.

"Bye Juru's mom!" Jinx said to you as she passed. You laughed again. "Goodbye."

Juru immediately turned around and began taking stacks of pizza out of the freezer.

You watched for a moment as the girl ran up to her father and the woman, explaining excitedly what had just happened. Her father listened intently, as the woman took the stacks of pizza and put them in the cart.

"...And then he ran into me and I fell," Jinx laughed. "he felt so bad." You heard her say. Her father looked up, his eye meeting yours, as you noticed he wore an eye patch, it was covered in bright scribbled colors and you just knew his daughter had done that. You smiled awkwardly as you turned back to your son.

"What are you doing?" You laughed, as Juru held a stack of pizzas.

"Well, you never know when you'll need to feed a billion workers and a second in command." He said.

"What?" You laughed.

"What Jinx said, it really spoke to me." He glanced at her to emphasize his point and you turned again as you spotted the trio walking away.

"Jinx, how many times do I say bring the cart with you when you go get things, you're gonna drop everything one of these days." Her father said as they walked away.

"I can handle it!" Jinx argued.

"Well I'm sure we only need like five" you said gently, turning back to Juru and beginning to take half the stack of pizzas and returning them back to the freezer.

"Awwwww." Juru whined. As he slumped to the cart and put the measly five pizzas in.

You laughed again. "We'll get enough for our army next time." You agreed.

"Yes!!!" Juru explained, jumping up. You brushed your hand over his head and shook yours. What was this boy of yours even talking about?

[thestarrynightslover]

I'll Make It Okay for You - Part 1

Pairing: Harvey Specter x Reader

Word count: 3,666

Warnings: Discussion, yelling, some angst, mentions of drugs, and drug abuse. 

Summary: What happens when (y/n) (y/l/n), Harvey’s secret crush and a junior partner at his firm, openly defies him in front of everyone?

You can find Part 2 here.

Disclaimer: I don’t own the show Suits, or its characters, also not associated with it in any way or know anyone involved with it.

A/N: So, this is my first Harvey Specter fic and I’m obviously quite unsure about it, lol. This might’ve ended up like one big mess, cause I tried to combine a bunch of Harveys I wanted to see. The perfect recipe for disaster, right? Anyways, I hope it doesn’t suck too bad and, please, feel free to give me feedback, cause I’m also here to learn!!

(y/n) = (your name) (y/l/n) = (your last name) (y/n/n) = (your nickname)

| masterlist |

You’d barely stepped out of the elevator when you were met by your secretary that morning. That couldn’t mean anything good.

“Morning, (y/n/n). You’ve got an emergency meeting with Jessica today. Gonna give you the schedule on the way there.” Lucy stated, leading you on the opposite way to Jessica’s office.

“Oh, I got the memo; company’s under attack again. She wants me on the frontlines this time. Louis is probably running around saying ‘We’re at war, people, war!!!’, or something like that. But why aren’t we headed towards the boss’ office?”

“Apparently, uh, she wants y’all to convey at Harvey’s office.” She said hesitantly, as if afraid of your reaction.

“Are you kidding me? It’s the first hour of the morning and she wants me to go see that smug face of his?” You pouted childishly.

“Smug and hot, you mean.” Lucy corrected you, getting an outraged look from you in response, as she usually would by saying anything positive about Specter.

“Shush,” You said, motioning for her to stop talking, “ one shall not praise Harvey Annoying Specter around me.” You stated full of obstination, but the younger woman just laughed you off and said:

“Well, here we are. I guess I’ll just have to send you an e-mail with your schedule, since, once again, we spent our schedule minutes of the day talking about “the enemy”.” She mocked with gestures and everything this time. That Lucy really was a piece of work, she timed the whole thing perfectly, in a way that you couldn’t even repudiate her insinuations because you were already standing in front of Specter’s office door.

Not long after you had entered and Jessica had officially started the strategy-meeting, though, all eyes in the room turned to you, as your phone started ringing in your back pocket. "Shit! I'm- I'm so sorry, guys, I guess I-"

"Can you please take your job seriously for once in your life, (y/l/n)?" You heard Harvey Pain-In-The-Ass Specter rudely remark, as you tried to swallow your embarrassment.

“Well, like I was trying to say, I’m sorry. Gonna turn it off right now, won’t happen again.” You said, directing your apologetic look to Jessica.

“You should just go ahead and answer it, could be something important.” She calmly told you.

“Especially now that you’ve already interrupted our work.” Specter chipped in again, which just gave you more fuel to answer the goddamn phone.

“Hello, yeah this is her.” You confirmed to the man on the phone, while taking a few steps towards the corner of the room. “What??? Are you sure? Oh my God! O- okay, just tell me which one and I’ll be there as soon as possible! Right, thank you.” Everyone’s eyes were on you, trying to understand what made you look so distressed. Except his, of course.

“Wait a second. Are you leaving right now?” He asked with a mix of annoyance and irritation in his voice.

“Yes, I am. I’m sorry, Jessica, but this is a family emergency. I have to go.”

“Well, I just hope you know that this doesn’t look good for you, (y/n).” She said, voice inexpressive.

“I do and, honestly? I couldn’t care less about that right now.” You firmly told her, while hoping your career wasn’t over by the next morning.

“I hope everything goes well for you and your family, (y/n). If you need anything, and I mean anything, just let me know.” Louis told you with that childish smile of his. Jesus, even in a moment like this, he tried to flirt with you.

“Thank you, Louis. That’s very kind.” You faked a tiny smile.

“Unbelievable.” 

“What?” You asked, turning back to face Harvey.

“Your firm is under attack and you’re leaving because of some stupid family crap?” Was he even serious?

“Precisely. And I don’t really care what your thoughts are on it. Our priorities are clearly very different.” Who the hell did he think he was to say anything about your family’s issues?

“Well, that shouldn’t matter because, the minute you walk in here, through those elevators out there, you’re supposed to leave all things personal behind.”

“Oh, right. I’m so sorry that I’m not some heartless lawyer like you, who’s just in it for the petty fights in the name of money-making.” Shit. You needed to get the hell out of there before you said something else to make Specter wanna kick you out himself. So you did. Stormed out like there was no tomorrow, leaving nothing but the very shocked Donna, Jessica, Louis, Mike, and Rachel behind. Oh, yeah, and a very pissed-off Harvey Specter.

Okay, maybe you were a little too harsh, but given the place you needed to go, to do what you needed to do, you didn't care about Harvey, your job, or anything else.

---

It was much later on that same day, around dinner time, that you heard a soft knock on your door. But how could someone be at your door, if the doorman downstairs hadn't announced any visitors? Were you dreaming? Well, the day had been so tiring that that wasn't exactly impossible… Nonetheless, you made your way to the door, whilst holding your very needy three-year-old nephew in your arms. Not that you could blame Henry after the day he’d had.

Since you weren’t expecting anyone, it was reasonable to believe that, whoever it was, was going to be a surprise. But not in a million years would have you ever guessed that Harvey Specter was the one knocking at your door. Especially considering what had happened at the firm earlier. How did he even know your address?

“Hi, (y/l/n). I didn’t know you had a kid.” He stated with a bit of surprise of his own, pointing to the little boy you were carrying.

“No, uh, I don’t have any.” You managed to say, trying to control your shocked expression. “This is my nephew.” You clarified again, a little more at ease this time.

“My name’s Henry. What’s yours?” You heard your nephew ask with his cute child-voice.

“Harvey. It’s, uh, it’s very nice to meet you, Henry.” Harvey told the boy, holding out his hand for him to shake, as a sweet smile came to his lips.

“Is he your friend, auntie (y/n/n)?” Henry asked you hesitantly, before making a move. The Don’t Talk to Strangers Rule must’ve kicked in his mind. 

Before answering him, you hesitated a little bit yourself, though. Was Harvey your friend? Obviously not, but if he came to your apartment in the middle of the night like this, it was probably because of something important. Work-related, of course. Which meant you’d have to let him in, so you settled for what would be the easiest classification for a three-year-old.

“Yeah, bud, he is my friend from work.” Hearing that, something in Specter’s eyes changed, you didn’t really know what, though.

“Well, then, can he come play with us?” He gave you such a cute look, that you almost said yes right on cue. But you obviously couldn’t. 

“You’d have to ask him, but I’m sure he has a lot of other, more important, things to do now.” You tried to explain to the little boy, giving Harvey a look. But you didn’t get too far, as the lawyer quickly said:

“Of course I wanna go play with you! That is if your auntie’s okay with that…” Now he was mocking you, that was the only explanation.

“Can we play with him, then, auntie (y/n/n)? Please, please, please?” God, what horrible thing could’ve you possibly done to deserve this particular punishment?

“Um, I guess... If he really has nothing better to do-” Harvey didn’t even let you finish your sentence.

“I really don’t.” He said, shooting you and Henry a bright smile that you’d never seen before.

“Okay, then, come in. Please disregard the mess, I got this stuff to make dinner, but someone just won’t detach, right, mister?” You asked your nephew with fake annoyance in your voice, as you tickled his sides a little bit. He just laughed at you. Though what really caught your attention was the fact that Harvey, too, was chuckling lightly at the scene, as he started picking up your groceries’ bags from the floor. “What are you doing?”

“Helping you, what else?” You gave him a weird look because, well, it was a weird situation. Maybe he noticed your discomfort because he added: “You look tired, so I’ll help you by making dinner and putting the rest of these away.”

“You’re kidding, right?” There was no way in hell that the All-Mighty Harvey Specter was gonna get domestic for you, of all people. Since he didn’t bother to answer, you went on: “First of all, what was it that you really came here to do, hum? And, second, I don’t need your help with anything.” Normally you tried to be kind to everyone, but, then again, Specter wasn’t exactly your normal kind of guy.

“Well, first of all,” he started in a tone of mockery, “that was rude! Look at the example you’re setting for little Henry!” Oh God, as much as you hated to admit it, he was kinda right, because you had completely forgotten about the little boy still cradled in your arms. “Second, we can talk about the reason why I came here later,” after your nephew’s asleep, was implicit in his speech, “third, it looks like you do need some help. And, for your luck, I happen to be a very good cook when I want to.”

“But-” You could barely begin your sentence, as Harvey sharply cut you off:

“You see, buddy,” he started, motioning to Henry this time, “the quicker we get your auntie on board with the game plan, the quicker we’ll get to eat and go play together!” Son of a bitch! Using a child to get to you…

“Can we please, auntie? Please?” How could you not crack after that pleading?

“Fine, but I swear I’ll make you pay if we wake up with food poisoning tomorrow, Specter.” You told him playfully, trying to lighten the mood after all of your bluntness.

“Oh, trust me, (y/l/n), you won’t. This will be the best meal you and the young man here will ever have in your entire lives.” He said cockily, but without the usual arrogance level, if that even makes sense.

A few hours and a really great dinner later, you and Henry couldn’t help but snicker shamelessly at Harvey’s ridiculous faces, as the three of you played a game on your living room’s floor. Trying to catch your breath from your giggles, you glanced up at the clock and realized that it was way too late for your nephew to be out of bed like that. So you broke up the game, announcing:

“It’s bedtime for you, Mr. Henry.” You watched the faces of the pair turn into ones of pure disappointment, as they prepared to pout.

“Just a little longer, auntie (y/n/n)! please!” The little boy started.

“Yeah, auntie, just a little longer! Please?” This time it was the grown man, one of the toughest Wall Street lawyers.

“As moved as I am by your synchrony, guys, the answer is a big no. C’mon, bud, let’s go brush your teeth. And then straight to bed. So say bye to Harvey, and thank him for being so nice to us tonight.” He looked between you and Specter as if still hoping for a hail Mary of some sort.

“Bye, Harvey.” He sounded so sad, but then he smiled brightly again, as he repeated what you’d told him to say word by word: “And thank you for being so nice to us tonight.” Hearing that, both you and Harvey chuckled lightly at the young boy, who quickly added: “Will you come see us tomorrow too?”

“Uh, we’ll, uh, we’ll see about that, okay, little man?” He tried to let Henry down slowly but, watching the boy’s expression become a sad one instantly, he added: “It’s just because both your auntie and I have a lot of work ahead of us tomorrow, but I’ll do my best, okay?” That was definitely a side of Harvey you’d never seen before, he had even bent down to be on your nephew’s level.

“Okay.” Henry said quietly, seeming to be a little happier, too.

“Okay, then let’s just go upstairs already.” You took the boy’s hand to guide him towards the spare bedroom’s bathroom, all the while shooting Specter a look that told him to wait for you a little longer.

“I’ll wait for you down here.” He said, proving he understood what your eyes tried to transmit.

So you headed upstairs with your nephew and, after a good fifteen minutes of brushing Henry’s teeth, helping him into his PJs, and tucking him in, you finally managed to come back to the living room, where you found Harvey looking through some of your photos displayed on the sideboard. For a minute or two, you just watched him. It wasn’t that you liked what you saw or anything. It wasn’t. It was more like postponing the weird conversation you two were bound to have, because, after all that had happened in those few hours, the atmosphere was, at very least, a strange one. But, almost as if he’d felt your gaze on his back, the lawyer in him was switched on, and he interrupted your thoughts by saying:

“Ah, you’re back. Good, because we need to talk.” You just motioned for him to follow you into your home office. But both you and Harvey looked so informal to be in that kind of environment, that you just indicated the small couch on the wall opposite to your desk for you to take your seats in.

“So, uh, before you even say anything, I wanna thank you for being so kind tonight,” a small smile came to your lips, as you remembered, not only the evening but how your nephew had used almost those exact same words, already imitating you, a little earlier. Specter smiled too, you noticed. “and I also wanna apologize. If you came here to talk to me… I must’ve made you waste a lot of time, huh?” You tried with a half-smile this time, as embarrassment started taking over you.

“What? No, of course not! I'm pretty sure that I told you I didn't have anything better to do, didn't I?" He calmly asked with a smile.

"Yeah, but I'm not buying it. You're Harvey Specter, isn't that what you're always saying? And Harvey Specter always has something better to do, isn't that right?" You shot back in a mockery tone, regaining your confidence.

"Well, maybe. But, not today. So don't apologize, and don't thank me. I'm the one who should be thanking you, I had a really good time tonight." Okay, now you were shocked. He had a good time?

"Uh, okay, um, so... What was so urgent that you had to come here in the middle of the night?" You nervously ranted, while tugging your hair behind your ears. He just stared at you, so much so that you almost repeated your question.

"Um, yeah, about this morning… That's why I came here…" You were already guessing that that would come up eventually, but it was the topic of your conversation? "I know that you and I always had our differences, and maybe even some rivalry-"

"Some rivalry? Dude, I'm just a junior partner, and ever since I started on that firm you've been persecuting me-"

"I wouldn't say persecuting…"

"Oh, you wouldn't?"

"Not since you made junior partner anyways. Now it's just a healthy rivalry between work friends…" He tried to use what you’d told your nephew earlier. 

"Oh, so you do admit you were persecuting me when I was an associate, huh?"

"Shit." He muttered quietly, as you watched him with a victory smile on your lips. "You know what? Hell yeah, I did persecute you when you were an associate." Hearing that blunt admission of guilt, you just couldn't find anything to say. “You wanna know why? I did that because, from the first time I saw you doing your job, I saw this very thing that I see now: you kicking ass, you think I wanted to admit this to you? I’ll answer it myself: no, I didn’t. The only reason why it happened is that you led me to it.” He blurted out, completely knocking you off your socks.

“So, um, you treated, you treat me like shit because, um, because I’m good?” You asked, still unsure of what to think about his confession.

“Well, that was part of it, sure. So, you see, I could understand it when you weren’t particularly thrilled at the perspective of working with me. But, this morning, you said that I’m a heartless guy who only cares about money… Is that really what you think of me?” This time he sounded genuinely sad? When Harvey said that he’d come to your apartment to talk about that morning, you thought he was gonna reprimand the shit out of you for disrespecting him ⎯ your sort of boss, a senior partner ⎯, but, apparently, he was asking about it on a more personal level. A level you’d never really thought played a part in your relationship with him.

“Oh, Harvey…”

“Be honest, please. I don’t want your pity. You don’t even know me all that well, so don’t try to minimize anything. I can take it.”

“That’s not what I was gonna do. And, trust me, you’re probably the last person in the world I’d pity.” You told him with a sly smile. “You’re right. I don’t know you all that well. Or, at least, I didn’t this morning. But I do know that you’re not heartless. Also, I was really out of line then, I’ve seen you fighting tooth and nail for a lot more than just money in that firm. You’re loyal to your firm and friends like no one else and, tonight, I watched you sitting on the floor and playing with a little boy. And, trust me, that meant more to him than you’d ever know, especially after today… Anyways, what I’m really trying to say is that I was so damn wrong and that I’m sorry. I’d gotten some pretty nerve-racking news beforehand, not that that’s an excuse but...” You told him, meaning every word and trying hard to show how much you regretted your previous actions.

“Wait, what news?”

“Ah, it’s nothing for you to worry about, really.” You tried to brush him off.

“Oh, c’mon! You said all those nice things about me, but when it comes to your life and your problems you still don’t trust me, isn’t that right?” His tone was sharply inexpressive, but his eyes showed he was actually hurt.

“What are you talking about? Oh my God, Harvey! I’ve relied on you for a number of cases that I really cared about! I let you in on my apartment! I let you spend an entire night around my nephew! Of course, I trust you!”

“Then what the hell is the problem? You think I’m not gonna give a damn about your family issues? Is that it? Because I am literally begging you to tell me about them!”

“I don’t wanna tell you because I don’t want you, or anyone else on the firm, to think that I’m some pathetic little girl who uses her family issues as an excuse to get out of a tough fight.” You confessed in a lower tone, slightly embarrassed, just hoping he would understand and stop poking. “Things are very different when you’re a woman, you know…”

“I would never think that about you. Family is important. Especially if it’s made of people like Henry…” He said, reassuring you, even though there was a hint of sadness in his voice. “Besides, you said you trust me, so you need to trust me when I say that I wouldn’t betray you by telling people about your problems. I’m not here as your boss, (y/n). I just wanna help you.” He sounded so sincere and, if you were being honest with yourself, you kinda really needed to vent.

“Okay, um, where to start? I have two sisters: Henry’s mother, Kat, and a fifteen-year-old, Lisa. I’m the older one of all three of us. Lisa’s sick, like very sick, so my parents, who are both retired, are with her at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, to try and get her better. In the meantime, Kat was supposed to go to college, as well as care for her son, between my parents and me, she wouldn’t even need to provide for them or anything. But, a while ago, she overdosed for the first time. That’s when we found out about her addiction. We’ve already tried a million different things but nothing works. So, my parents and I threatened to make her lose her parental rights over Henry, hoping that it’d be a wake-up call for her, but it backfired. She just took the boy and disappeared, then today I get that call, from the police department, saying that she was in custody for drug distribution and endangering the well-fare of a minor. They asked me to go pick my nephew and, maybe, get Kat a lawyer.” And, just like that, you’d told Harvey Specter, of all people, everything. Tears rolling down your cheeks and him pulling you into a hug.

If anyone had told you that that was how your night was gonna go, you would have definitely laughed them out of the room. But now, just sitting there, being held and caressed by Harvey, as you let your armor down, it was finally beginning to look like things were gonna be okay. 

[neechees]

Im the reading anon and i would like to apoligize, i didnt meant to use your inbox as confesional i was trying to ask for help but english is my second language and something went wrong with my ask (i think) but i promise i only asked for advice, it was not meant to upset you or make you uncomfortable. Im so sorry it wont happen again

I forgive you, then. & it's not that it made me uncomfortable necessarily, I just don't know how to reply to asks that aren't questions & aren't relevant to anything posted recently on my blog, so I don't know what people want me to say. And I tend to get quite a few of those every so often, some from people who want to try start shit on my blog without dealing with any notes or backlash since it's anonymous (like, some people will leave hot takes in my inbox waiting for me to react somehow. Or bait that might inspire discourse).

But, since you've now clarified you're asking for advice, I'll respond that way.

It honestly CAN get hard to get back into reading, I go through those moments every so often & feel uninspired to read. I guess you just gotta try different things & see what works for you, or maybe a certain book will reinvigorate you. Recently "Sharp Objects" by Gillian Flynn got me out of a reading stunt because I liked the pacing, & the style of prose the author gave, even though I'm not usually into murder mysteries. Sometimes re-reading old books I liked & haven't read in a while gets me inspired again. Some people also try audiobooks & listen to them while they're working or doing chores. You could also try reading a book together with other people or joining a book club!

If you don't mind getting spoilers, I'd suggest listening to a podcast episode or a video essay or even watching a movie adaptation (or maybe a few or all of these!) of a book you've thought about reading first: that way you can get a feel for what the book contains & sometimes this can inspire you to read it for yourself. Some people say that listening to other people's interpretations or opinions of a book before you read it first can too heavily influence & ruin your later opinion of the book when you read it yourself, but I don't necessarily think this is always true. I've done this many times & still come away with my own interpretations & opinions completely seperate from that of others', & disagreed with them on certain things.

I know it can be scary, but honestly I think there's hope & not as impossible as it seems. There are so many books to discover, and I don't think people can truly ever grow out of reading if it's something they really enjoy. But good luck!

[randomshyperson]

Left Behind - Chapter 8 - Fine Line

Gif was made by my friend @abimess

Summary: The one where you lived in the apartment under the Maximoff family in Sokovia, or, your journey as a Sokovian civilian to Avenger.

Warnings: (+16) Violence, fighting, cursing, civil war environments, abuse of power, assault, torture, underage kissing, psychological torture, substance use, mention of assault/fighting of children, smut, kissing, teasing, insinuation of sexual and moral harassment, verbal offenses.

Words: 4.183K

A/N> I have no idea. Good reading.

All Works Masterlist || Read on AO3 || Series Masterlist

//-//-//-//-////-//-//-//-////-//-//-//-////-//-//-//-//

Chapter 8 - Fine Line

As soon as the jet landed on the compound, things started to change.

Nick Fury was waiting for the Avengers at the entrance, and you exchanged a look with Natasha as you walked alongside everyone.

"I would like the twins to attend this meeting." Nick asks as soon as Steve leads the team into the office. You sit down next to Bucky on the couch in the common room, and he looks at you, as if wondering if you were going to contradict the other man, but you are looking at the Maximoffs.

Wanda and Pietro nod in understanding, and you try to give a reassuring smile when the girl looks at you, but it doesn't seem to help much as she just looks away and walks inside with her brother.

"What do you think they're talking about?" You ask a few minutes after you and Bucky are left alone. The winter soldier sighs lightly.

"Ultron, of course." He says. "Nick will want to know everything the twins have on him since they were working together. And I think some legal questions about them being here, like we did with you."

"Do you think they will want to become Avengers?" You ask a moment later, twiddling your fingers anxiously. Bucky gives a little smile.

"Depends on how much Tony talks."

You laugh, leaning back against the armchair.

"Maybe that will take a while, wanna eat something?" Bucky asks next, and you glance at the meeting room door before muttering, "Sure."

You and Bucky stand up toward the kitchen counter and he reaches into the cupboards, pulling out some ingredients as you prop your elbow on the counter.

"I'm going to make my secret recipe." He comments with a smile, taking two plates and placing them on the wood. "Grab some cheese for us?"

"Sure." You reply as you walk over to the refrigerator.

For the next few minutes, you watch Bucky prepare what resembles a cheese sandwich, but which he calls the Barnes secret recipe, but which is only different about the tomato and the fact that he heats the bread with oregano.

"Are you sure about that?" You ask as you watch him put on even more oregano. Bucky laughs lightly and then closes the bread, handing you one piece and taking the other.

"Come on, tell me what you think." He asks and you grimace uncertainly still biting into it. It is surprisingly good tasting, but deciding to tease him, you don't smile and the man looks at you wide-eyed.

"Dammit, pal, I don't think that turned out so good." You start and he takes a quick bite of the sandwich, and realizing you were joking, he nudges you lightly as he chews, making you laugh.

"Idiot." He grumbles but ends up laughing too.

You are in the middle of laughing when the meeting ends. Distracted by the interaction, you don't see the Avengers leaving the room, much less notice the way Wanda quickly catches the scene of you and Bucky laughing, and misinterprets it all.

"Barnes' secret recipe? Do you still have any for me?" Steve asks as he approaches, and you look at the Avengers who have entered the kitchen, scanning around for Wanda, but she is looking at the floor.

"I'll make one for you." Bucky says as the captain sits down on one of the stools. "Are you going to tell us what happened in there?"

Steve smiles, propping his elbow on the potty.

"For the current time, you guys are looking at the new two members of the Avengers." He counters and you widen your eyes, looking immediately at the twins. Pietro matches your excitement, but all you get from Wanda is a quick, almost annoyed look.

You leave your unfinished sandwich on your plate, and thank Bucky before walking over to the twins.

"Can we talk?" You ask them half-heartedly.

"Of c-

"Are you sure you're not busy?" Wanda interrupts her brother halfway through, crossing her arms. You frown in confusion, but Natasha approaches you.

"Why don't you show them the compound, Y/N?" She suggests with a smile. "They're going to be your door-mates too."

"Okay." You agree and exchange a look with Pietro before waving the direction where they should follow you.

It takes a few minutes to show them around, but you ensured that if they ever got lost, all they had to do was call out "Jarvis" who was already restored to the compound, plus there were maps in every corridor.

And then you led them to the hallway of rooms, and Pietro was the first door.

"I guess that's you." You say, and Pietro takes out the magnetic key he must have gotten from Fury in the briefing room to open the door.

You let the twins in first, and then follow them with your hands in your pockets, smiling at the impressed hiss Pietro gives.

"I know, it's fancy." You comment and he gives a short laugh, looking around.

"I never thought I'd be under the same roof as Tony Stark." He speaks and you bite the inside of your cheek, looking away to the floor.

"Yeah, me neither."

Have a moment of silence as they look around until Wanda, who is standing with her arms crossed and beside her brother, looks at you.

"Did you talk to him?" She asks. "About... Sokovia?"

You sigh lightly.

"I kind of did." You say. "Tony is... difficult. There' s not much to say about it if you ask me. I learned about how he had no idea that Stark Industries bankrolled the war, because he was busy spending his own fortune."

"Great guy." Pietro mutters and you give a weak little smile.

"Yeah, I know." You continue. "I'm sorry about that. I know you guys always wanted to find him and make him pay, but he didn't even know about the whole thing."

You shift the weight of your feet, and then sigh. "I know that doesn't change anything, but he apologized. And then he made me a suit, and let me stay here."

"You're right, it doesn't change or fix anything." Wanda retorts, but her gaze softens, "But, it's a start."

"And now we promise to help defeat Ultron." Pietro adds and you shake your head.

"What did Nick Fury say to convince you guys?" You ask with mild amusement and Pietro laughs, exchanging a quick glance with his sister.

"Your name." Wanda replies and you stop laughing because you feel your heart race, and your face heat up at the intensity of her gaze. Pietro seems to find the whole interaction amusing.

"W-what?"

"It doesn't matter. Can I see my room now?" Wanda asks quickly, already walking away to leave. You exchange a quick glance with Pietro, who just shrugs and then follows Wanda down the hall.

"Is this the one?" she asks as she stops next door and you shake your head.

"No, I'm in the middle." You clarify. "Yours is next."

She gives a smile as she looks at your door.

"I've never been in a room that was yours."

"That's because I've never had a room of my own before." You comment with a chuckle. "Wanna take a look?"

Wanda glances at you and then nods. You move closer to open the door, and try to ignore the way your heart races and your hands tremble because Wanda doesn't move aside and you have to lean in to open the lock.

She walks in as soon as the door opens, and you follow her in silence, trying not to look so affected.

"I think I just have the stuff the Avengers gave me here." You explain as you watch Wanda look around. "Not that I had anything in Sokovia."

Most of the rooms in the tower had a pattern of furnishings, and colors. As they became more comfortable, the team members would add their own personality to the room. In the short time you stayed with them, the most you had were sweaters with the team logo all over the place, or training shoes. There were also, however, drawings. And Wanda noticed.

"What are these?" She asks as she reaches for the small notebook on the armchair. You ran your hand through your hair shyly.

"A hobbie, I guess." You count with a smile. "It's new, it's...therapeutic, I think that's the word."

Wanda looks at you curiously.

"Since I've been here, I've had some trouble getting relaxed." You explain and Wanda frowns slightly. "So Bucky suggested finding a hobby of some sort."

"Who is Bucky?"

"The guy with the metal arm." You say and continue talking, not noticing the way Wanda squeezes the sketchbook a little too hard. "Since we've been through similar experiences, he figured that what his therapist taught him would probably help me too. He cooks, and I draw."

"Got it." Wanda murmurs, shifting her gaze to the notebook again. She opens it and looks at the pages carefully, smiling at some of the drawings. "When you say, similar experiences, what do you mean?"

You hesitate. Wanda doesn't know all about it. Everything you went through to get there. You wonder if you would like her to know.

"Maybe that's something for another time." You say as you look away and she looks upset.

"You used to tell me everything."

"Maybe there are things you don't need to know."

Wanda stares at you with her jaw locked. You look back, not sure what it is exactly that you're trying to hide.

You give in, with a soft sigh. You have waited so long to see them, only to have this strange nervous tension between you two.

Running a hand through your hair, you gesture to Wanda to return your notebook.

"Let me take you to your room..."

"No need, next door right? I'll be fine." She interrupts angrily, tossing the notebook into your hand.

"Wanda..."

But she's out of the room before you're done. You take a deep breath, staring at the notebook in your hands. Wanda never got to see the drawings you made of her.

Figuring that you should give them time to settle into their rooms, and take a shower after a mission like that, you return the notebook to your desk and decide to do the same.

With luck, you will be able to talk properly to each other in no time.

//-//-//-////-//-//-////-//-//-////-//-//-////-//-//-////-//-//-////-//-//-////-//-//-//

Wanda and Pietro joining the team, seemed to have been the essential advantage for the Avengers to be ahead of Ultron.

Once you were back in the common room, Natasha handed you a mug of coffee while making a joke about Tony bragging about deciphering Ultron's entire plan, and you just laughed when she commented that it was easy to decipher when the twins had already shared the key information.

"We're going to Korea early tomorrow morning." She counters. "I think Steve wants to know if you're still going to be a part of it."

"Why wouldn't I?" You ask confused and she raises an eyebrow.

"You found your friends." She retorts and you sigh.

"Oh, yeah." You say. "B-but I can still help. I...I still want to"

"Is this about Ultron manipulating your friends?"

"Maybe."

Natasha laughs lightly.

"Well, the captain is in the conference room organizing everything." She says.

"I think he will be pleased to know that you are not heading off to Sokovia."

"Yet." You retort with a smile making Nat laugh as you take the coffee mug back.

When you arrived at the conference room, Steve was distracted by some paperwork, and you knocked on the door before entering.

"Hey, kiddo." He said as he turned his head to look at you quickly before returning his attention to the papers. "Everything okay?"

"Sure, Steve." You replied approaching, deciding to stay on your feet. "I wanted to let you know that I can still help."

Steve looks at you with a mixture of surprise and amazement.

"I thought..."

"Yeah, I know what I said before."You interrupt with an almost embarrassed smile. "But I want to help. I don't know what Ultron is planning, and I thought this was not my fight. But then..."

"It affected your friends." He concludes and you nod. Steve sighs and leans on the table, crossing his arms as he looks at you. "You know, I think I should give you a speech about how being a hero is about helping everyone, not just the people who matter to you."

You laugh humorlessly, looking away. You were going to contradict, but Steve quickly adds.

"I'm not going to do that." He says. "I won't because you grew up in a war that wasn't yours, with no one to fight for you. So you three were the only heroes you ever knew."

"We weren't heroes, Steve." You retort with a sigh. "We were just orphans trying to survive."

"My point is, I'm in no position to lecture you." He clarifies and you cross your arms, waiting for him to finish. "Your motive for fighting is nobody's business but your own. What matters is that you will be helping."

"Thanks, Cap." You grumble and Steve smiles.

He grabs a clipboard, and starts telling you about them finding out that Ultron had intention to create a better body made of Vibranium, and how they would be going to Korea to stop that and get the scepter back with the stone.

He is in the middle of the sentence about putting you on the support team when you can hear his heartbeat.

The sudden noise startles you and you frown in confusion.

"Everything okay?" He asks as he notices your expression, before you can say anything, your head starts to spin.

It's not just his heartbeat, but all the blood circulating in his veins that can be heard next. You suddenly find it hard to breathe, and just as you notice Steve's full molecular presence, you're able to know Natasha is in the next room, hear Tony chew in the basement, or feel Clint scratch his back.

It is oppressive and overwhelming and you stumble back in despair.

"W-what's happening?" You ask trying to breathe normally.

"Hey kid, breath, are you okay?" Steve asks worried, approaching you with his hands raised.

His heartbeat accelerates because he's scared for you and you gasp, covering your ears because you feel your head is going to explode.

"Please stop it." You ask in desperation, feeling your eyes fill with tears with all that information at once. "It's too much. please..."

"Tell me what's wrong." He asks but you just sit on the floor, burying your heads in your knees, and covering your ears as you try to breathe. "I'll get help."

Even after he leaves, you can feel his presence in the other rooms.

And it gets considerably worse when all the Avengers are around you, worried and asking what's wrong. Their heartbeats feels like it's going to pop your eardrums, and you want to scream.

"Hey Y/N, I need you to focus on my voice." It was Bruce, kneeling in front of you. "It's your powers increasing, remember how we talked about that? Try to focus on me."

"I can't. " You cry. "Please Bruce, it's too much. Tell them to be quiet."

"This will help." He says and you feel a sting in your thigh.

Little by little, the sounds become muffled, until they disappear. You get a taste of iron in your mouth, and you look up to see the whole team looking at you with concern, and Bruce in front of you, giving you a short smile.

"I'm sorry." You mumble awkwardly, feeling exhausted.

"Do not worry kid." Bruce says. "Can you stand?"

"I think so."

Bruce helps you anyway, one hand around your waist while your arm rests around his shoulders.

"I think you'd better lie down for a while." He says and then you are walking. "Guys, let's give her some space, alright?"

Bruce asks the team and they stop following you two. Bruce takes you to his room, and helps you to bed.

"Here we go." He murmurs as soon as you lie down completely. "How do you feel?"

"Exhausted." You respond weakly, feeling your eyes grow heavy. "Thanks for help."

"Any time." He says. "Rest kid, we have a lot to talk about when you wake up."

You want to tell him you'd like to know what's going on now, but you're falling asleep right away.

You don't know Wanda is standing at your door with a pounding heart.

//-//-//-////-//-//-////-//-//-////-//-//-////-//-//-////-//-//-////-//-//-////-//-//-//

Waking up is surprisingly unpainful.

You expected at least a headache, but your powers do the job right.

"Good Morning." Bruce greets you as soon as he notices you fidgeting with the sheets. You frown.

"Morning? How long was I gone?"

"Thirty-eight hours and twelve minutes." He responds by placing the tablet he was holding on the table beside him. You widen your eyes in surprise, sitting up quickly. "Hey, take it easy."

"B-but the mission..."

"Do not worry about it." He says as he approaches your bed, sitting next to you at knee level. Bruce assesses you quickly and then sighs. "Are you feeling something? Any dizziness?"

"No." You say. "Where are the others?"

"The twins also went to Korea if that's what you want to know." He responds while looking away to fiddle with his jacket. He takes out a small lantern and holds it close to your eyes, examining something in them as he mutters to himself.

"What was wrong with me?" You ask as soon as he puts the object away. He adjusts his glasses.

"Don't talk like that." He asks. "There's nothing wrong with you."

"I was out for two days, doc." You retort with irony and he gives a short laugh.

"Yes, because you were exhausted." He says. "Don't worry about it, it's not a bad sign."

You mutter, crossing your arms. Bruce clears his throat as he reaches for the tablet on the table and then hands it to you.

"I did some analysis while you were sleeping." He says, and you stare at the graphics without understanding much. "They are good news."

"What did you inject in me back there?" You ask then, handing the tablet back to him.

"An alternative to Hydra Serum." He clarifies. "Without the obeying part, just the controlling of your abilities."

"Thanks, I guess." You mumble. Bruce locks the tablet before looking at you again.

"I'll ask Bucky to cook you something to eat, and then we'll go to the lab." He warns you. "We have some things to talk about."

"Whatever you say, doc."

//-//-////-//-////-//-////-//-//

After eating, and thanking Bucky for the favor, you returned to the lab.

Bruce set up a kind of glass room that made you frown.

"I have a cell now?" You joked and he grimaced.

"It's not a cell." He retorted. "It's a training room."

"It looks like a cell."

"It is not."

"But it looks like."

Bruce sighed and you giggled, crossing your arms as you look at the glass in front of you. He walked over to open the door through the holographic lock and you took a closer look.

"Why did I get a training cell?"

"Your training room is special." He says entering the glass box. You follow him, and as soon as he enters, you notice that the glass muffles all outside noise. When the door closes behind you, you can only hear Bruce. "I needed something that could block out everything else when your powers awaken again."

"But I don't have super hearing, Banner." You retort. "I don't understand why an anti-noise room is the best option."

"That's not what it's for."

You tap the glass with your fingers while Bruce fiddles with the tablet. And then the glass gains a new layer of protection, which glows golden before becoming practically invisible.

"Cool." You whisper and then turn to him again. "But what is it for?"

"Well, as I said earlier, I did other tests on your blood." He counts. "By my calculations, and from your little scene two days ago, you're going to be showing an immediate growth in your healing abilities over the next few days."

"Okay..."

"Shield tries to classify the enhanced humans as best as possible, and after working with Maria, we put you in some of those categories." He counts and with a flick of his fingers, a hologram comes out of the tablet into the air in front of him.

It was your file, and lots of texts and some photographs that you thought were images from your time in Hydra. Those were Shield's files on you.

"Of course we'll just have to wait for it to happen, but you're already classified as an enhanced beta level with biotherapeutic skills."

You looked around the files, surprised about the pics of your young self that Shield managed to recover. Even images from your childhood.

"For now, you've only demonstrated cell regeneration and close-range healing manipulation."

He narrates. "And two days ago, you had a small episode."

"I could hear everyone's heartbeats." You clarified still looking at the files. "I felt them in the next room."

"I understand." Bruce grumbles as he writes something down on his tablet. "This is called biomolecular detection. Depending on how you evolve, you might be able to detect injured people meters away."

You frown in surprise. Bruce is thoughtful.

"Not only detecting the injured, but also being able to tell exactly where the wounds are." He says. "It's impressive."

"You forgot the part where I couldn't breathe and I curled up on the floor like a scared child." You mock.

"That's what this room is for." He retorts with a smile. "You need to learn to handle your powers in a controlled environment."

"Are you sure this is a good idea?"

"It's better than putting you in the middle of the fight, I'm sure of that."

You sigh, crossing your arms.

"What else does Shield have on me?"

"You want to look at childhood pictures, don't you?"

You laugh, shrugging.

"Obviously."

After showing your files, Bruce also explained how the room was designed to block, at a molecular level, your ability to sense other people outside the room.

Since the team wasn't in the tower for the next few days until the end of the mission in Korea, Bruce and Bucky would help you practice with your powers.

And as soon as the serum Bruce developed started to wear off, you felt your powers come back with a vengeance.

"I need you to focus on my voice until we get to the lab." Bucky asked worried as he found you on your knees at the living room floor, hands over your ears. You muttered weakly, feeling him help you to your feet as you heard the air rush in and out of his lungs. He started humming a song, and you whimpered, trying to concentrate, but everything was overwhelmingly noisy.

It seemed to take forever, but then everything went quiet next.

You look up to realize that Bucky has left you in the room, and then close the door.

"Thank you, buddy." You say, adjusting your balance by leaning against the glass.

"Don't worry." He says giving you a gentle smile. "Do you feel better?"

"Fuck, yes." You grumble as you quickly wipe your tears. Bucky watches you carefully.

You sit on the floor, closing your eyes. It takes Bruce a few minutes to get to the lab, but when he does, he looks worried.

"Sorry for taking so long, I was all the way downstairs." He clarifies as he approaches the glass. "How do you feel?"

"It happened again." You count. "But as soon as I got in here everything was quiet."

"Well the room works, that's great." He says and you laugh weakly. "I think we can start your training then."

"But who will train her?" Bucky asks confused.

"I thought you could do that." Bruce retorts and Bucky looks at him in surprise.

"What? I thought you were going to do it."

"I don't know how to train anyone, I'm just a doctor." Bruce argues.

"Well I'm a sergeant who was brainwashed for eighty years, I'm not the teacher type."

"But you're a still a sergeant..."

"I was never a drill Sergeant..."

"Jeez." You grunt humorously, clearing your throat to stop the argument. "I have an idea, as clearly none of you are in the mood to train me, I suggest Bruce give me some more of the special serum until Natasha or Steve get back."

"We can do that." Bruce agrees. "I'll get the serum. Hopefully you'll learn to control this soon."

"I hope so, doc."

/-//-//-//-////-//-//-//-////-//-//-//-////-//-//-//-///-//-//-//-////-//-//-//-////-//-

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