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𝘽𝙍𝙀𝘼𝙆𝙄𝙉𝙂: 𝙄𝙏'𝙎 𝘼 𝙎𝘾𝘼𝙉𝘿𝘼𝙇!!
In celebration of reaching 3,000 followers on Tumblr, it seems ayyypee has decided to host her very first collab!!! The theme is Celebrity Scandal!
What are your favorite celebrity anime men, women or you (the reader) up to these days? New relationships? Maybe a nasty breakup or divorce. Cheating? Leaks, Murder, Cover ups?! There's so much to report on and so little time. But rest assured, The Jujutsu Journal will find out. Someone is always watching.
Status: CLOSED (Stories will be posted as they are received!)
𝙍𝙪𝙡𝙚𝙨
✩˚。⋆ This is an 18+ collab! Minors dni
✩˚。⋆ All characters portrayed must be 18+ (No aging up of minor characters pls, but if there is a canon timeskip, that's fine. Just write them as their adult selves.)
✩˚。⋆ It does not have to be only an x Reader pairing!
✩˚。⋆ Open to ANY fandom (Even though it says Jujutsu Journal lol)
✩˚。⋆ You can join with as many fandoms and as many characters as you wish
✩˚。⋆ Both NSFW and SFW works are allowed!
✩˚。⋆ If you use any topics that need a warning, please use warnings and tag appropriately!
✩˚。⋆ That being said, dark content is fine as long as it is not any of the following: Non-con, r*pe, beastiality, incest/stepcest, pedophilia
✩˚。⋆ No particular format or word length required. And you can even do art! Just let me know what you’ll be doing!
𝙃𝙊𝙒 𝙏𝙊 𝙀𝙉𝙏𝙀𝙍
✩˚。⋆ To join, please send me an ask, or you can dm me! Also I'm nosy so let me know what your idea(s) are! Like Stalker!Paparazzi Sukuna x Reader LMAO)
✩˚。⋆ The deadline for submission for the collab is July 20th
✩˚。⋆ I would also REALLY appreciate it if people reblogged this post so that it's boosted!
✩˚。⋆ Please tag me in your works and use the tag: #JujutsuJournal after you're done. I'll add it to my Masterlist and reblog it on my account! I know the tagging system is bonkers right now though, so if tagging doesn't work, you can just send me an ask.
✩˚。⋆ If you have any other questions, just let me know!
𝙈𝘼𝙎𝙏𝙀𝙍𝙇𝙄𝙎𝙏
𝙂𝙤𝙨𝙨𝙞𝙥 𝘾𝙤𝙡𝙪𝙢𝙣𝙞𝙨𝙩𝙨 𝙍𝙚𝙥𝙤𝙧𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝘿𝙪𝙩𝙮:
JUJUTSU KAISEN
@ayyy-pee
✩ LEAKED - model!shokoieiri x model!ioriutahime x videographer!reader
@tojiscumdumpster
✩ stalker!model!naoya x journalist!blackreader
@bungalowbear
✩ Subtle Curves - stuntman!toji x actress!reader
@lost-immortality
✩ EARLY 2000s CELEB GOSSIP BLOG ART
@lemonlover1110
✩ HEADLINES - actor!toji x reader
@xo2dee
✩ actress!yuki x actress!reader
@yasu-1234
✩ tailor!higuruma x movie star!reader
@fizee:
✩ Non Disclosure Agreement - ceo!naoya x femdom!reader
@toasted-ry3bread
✩ nanami x actress!reader
@pattycakes5516 -
✩ What It Takes to Win - probasketballplayer!suguru x criticalsportsanalyst!reader
@kentocalls
✩ manager!geto x idol!reader
✩ farmer!satoru gojo x actress!reader
@violetsaffron5
✩ nepo-babystalker!gojo x reader
@hyperfixationsporfavor
✩ Memories - actor!sugurugeto x director!reader
@brujawrites
✩ nepobaby!gojo x interviewpersonality!reader
@storiesoflilies
✩ cherry cola, cigarette kisses - guitarist!toji x singer!reader
@joontroverted
✩ WWE! Yuki Tsukumo
@senseifupa -
✩ Don't You Know Your Body Been Mine? - modernroyal!/socialite Nanami x Blk PSmodel! Reader
@ohheyjudesummers
✩ playboy!rockstar!suguru geto x reader/OC
@minimomoe
✩ Songs for You - rock star!satoru gojo x fem reader
@fushitoru
✩ provolleyballplayer!gojo x fem reader
©ayyypee, all rights reserved. DO NOT copy, reupload or modify my work to other accounts and platforms. please ask before translating any of my works!
Banner Credit: @benkeibear!
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Join "Ramshackle Isn't on Fire (Yet)"!
Hosted by @raguiras.
SHARING IS APPRECIATED! ♡
OUR BLOG: @riofy-ramshackle
In this timeline, there isn't one Yuu — no, there are MANY, and as a result, things never get boring at Ramshackle...
Applications open!
All about my Twisted Wonderland fan project under the cut!
First off, who am I?
I'm Mionn, a TWST-obsessed artist who recently started posting art here and is planning to make a ton of Twisted Wonderland content in the future.
Said content is going to include a fair share of comics and OC content, which is why I came up with this project.
I also have a meme blog, @twistedmionn, and a blog devoted to my Deuce x Allen ship, @spade-of-storms.
I love hosting projects, and I hope this will be enjoyable for everyone who decides to join!
What is the purpose of the project?
connecting with others in the fandom & making friends
sharing your own OCs and discovering the ones of other members
fun shenanigans with canons & OCs
developing OC relationships
I'm planning to make short comics based on this project, so your OC will occasionally appear in them!
there's going to be a Tumblr blog where I reblog content involving the OCs participating in the project (= serves as a "library" for the OCs)
What exactly is going to be done?
I'm going to make occasional short comics involving the OCs from the project, and they might also make cameos in my usual art.
Outside of that, this project is meant for making friends with fellow OC havers or strengthening already existing friendships! You can also build relationships between your OCs and the ones made by other members.
Additionally, we're going to have a Discord server that allows members to freely ramble about TWST and our OCs. If you don't have Discord, that's totally fine as well!
How do I join? What do I have to do?
It's easy! Send me a DM asking me to join the project and submit all the OCs you want to be a part of it. We will work on further important details then!
Who can join?
Anyone who isn't a proshipper/racist/anti-LGBTQ+.
If I join, do I have to draw/write/do anything for this project?
Unless you want to, not at all! It's meant to be a fun project, not a duty.
Does this project involve roleplay?
No! However, we will have an optional roleplay channel in the Discord server.
Do I need Discord to join the project?
It's preferred, but not necessary in the slightest!
Is there anything monetary about this project?
Nope! It's entirely for shits and giggles.
Can I submit Yuu/Ramshackle OCs only?
While the project is going to focus on the Yuus/Ramshackle students, all types of OCs (except for fandorm ones) are welcome!
How many of my OCs can be included?
As many as you want to.
Is there anything else of note? What's the plot?
Since there are going to be multiple Yuus, Ramshackle doesn't have an official prefect in this project.
None of the Yuus presently know why they're in TWST or what their purpose is.
Are there going to be ships canon to this project?
Yes, and they're actually fairly relevant!
Unless the owners of two OCs decide on making a poly ship, only one OC x canon ship is allowed per canon character.
For the sake of fairness, please submit one OC x canon ship only (maybe your Yumeship/the one that matters the most to you).
OC x OC ships are allowed!
OC x faculty ships are allowed as long as the OC is of age!
OC x side character ships are allowed, too.
Official OC x canon list
Riddle x Grace (@/cyn-write)
Ace x Ashi (@/ashipiko)
Deuce x Allen (@/raguiras / me)
Trey x Haru (@/vanrouge13)
Cater x Vizzie (@/symphonicmetal101)
Leona x Yuuta (@/bunnwich)
Ruggie x Ivy (@/cherrytreegrove)
Jack x Kiyuu (@/skriblee-ksk)
Azul x Taru (@/taruruchi)
Floyd x Yuhua (@/distant-velleity)
Jade x Celes (@/celestelunia)
Kalim x Spider (@/driedupeyeballs)
Jamil x Yulla (@/grimmxelor)
Vil x Bram (@/valy-gc)
Rook x Soleil (@/nyx-of-night)
Epel x Yuuma (@/ollieeyy)
Idia x Yume (@/comingyourlugubriousness)
Malleus x Reina (@/inkblot-mirror)
Silver x Yuukuro (@/beneathsakurashade)
Sebek x Thea (@/althea-and-alcestris)
Lilia x Via (@/galacticstationsblog)
Crowley x Tammy (@/miss-atena)
Crewel x Ezra (@/boopshoops)
Trein x
Sam x
Vargas x
Neige x Beiyuu (@/silksatinbonnet)
Rollo x Beto
Che'nya x Rem
Fellow x Polaris (@/nerdazzler)
Is there a deadline for submitting OCs? Can I join even weeks after the project starts?
You can join anytime or, if you're already a member, add new OCs! There is no deadline.
Can I leave the project?
I'd be sad to see you leave, but it's entirely your choice!
♤♡◇♧♤♡◇♧♤♡◇♧♤♡◇♧♤♡◇♧♤♡◇♧
OCs in the project
We currently have 100+ OCs made by more than 70 creators in the project. They include Yuus, NRC students, faculty, and even some friends from RSA! Join in on the fun and include your own OCs in the project. (✿◕‿◕)
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A Change to Everything
Summary: Marriage wasn’t an option for you. Bradley knew this and had promised you that what you had is and would always be enough for him. A few overpriced rings wouldn’t change that, so long as you promised to love him forever without one. But he buys you one anyway, and despite every promise you made to yourself, you wonder what it would be like if maybe, just maybe, you ever decided to put it on.
Pairing: Bradley Bradshaw x Reader (no use of y/n, so can be read as an unnamed OC)
Word Count: 4.7K
Warnings: Talks of a toxic marriage with hints of abuse, anxiety, canon-compliant near death experiences.
Note: I'm so excited to be posting for this fandom for the first time! I haven't written anything in over a year so I'm a little rusty, but it feels so good to get this out.
The biggest, biggest thank you to @roosterforme for all of her help with this! Em, you are the best sounding board a girl struggling to get back into the game could ask for.
_____
“I want to show you something.”
You looked up from the book you’d been working your way through. Bradley stood at the end of the couch, his eyes soft and focused entirely on you. The look on his face was one he really only used with you - open and unguarded. Trusting. One that came from years of knowing and loving one another.
Without a word, you closed the book and set it down on the coffee table. You adjusted yourself to sit up a little straighter against the throw pillows as Bradley sat on the edge of the couch beside you. One hand settled on your thigh as the other revealed a small, hunter green velvet box.
If it wasn’t for the soft squeeze of his fingers against your skin, grounding you like he was always so good at, you were sure you would have choked on the breath that almost got stuck in your throat. You stared at it, processing what you knew it was, heart thudding hard against your chest cavity.
There was a growing weight of dread and disbelief in your stomach. There was no point in hoping it wouldn’t show on your face; he could see you better than anyone, even when you tried to hide. Especially then.
“What is that?”
A small indulgent smile tugged at his lips. The scar near his mouth that you loved to run your finger over lifted with the movement. With one smooth motion he opened the box. Despite the anxiety, the ring you knew would be waiting for you took your breath away. It was a thin, delicate band, lined with small, shimmering diamonds. There was a stunning pear shaped stone snug in the middle. It sparkled under the dimmed light from the lamp in the corner of the room and the dancing flames of the candle you had burning on the coffee table. Even without trying it on, you knew it would fit on your finger perfectly. Once upon a time it was everything you would have wanted.
“A ring.”
“Yes. So I see.” Your stomach twisted, but you couldn’t look away. “Why do you have it?”
“I’m not proposing,” he clarified. At that, you finally lifted your eyes from the stunning piece of jewelry, and were relieved when you heard him snap the box shut. The same expression that was on his face when he approached you remained now, not deterred by the reaction you’d been having. Fleetingly, you thought you felt something akin to disappointment shoot through you, but that was an absurdity in and of itself, so instead you focused on the disbelief of his statement. “I’m sure that’s what it looks like.”
You nodded, still trying to catch your breath. The ball of anxiety that resided in your throat shrunk by a margin. He wasn’t proposing.
He wasn’t going to leave you when you inevitably said no.
The thought of marriage used to excite you. Like many little girls growing up, you had dreams of a poofy white gown and sparkling diamonds, a tall cake and dancing and standing in front of all the people you knew as you professed your love to the man you’d spend the rest of your life with. And that’s exactly what you got. For a moment, at least.
At 23 years old, young and not knowing any better, you married a man who swore that he loved you just as much as you believed you loved him. You had been dating for two years and you knew what you were doing. You got the dress and the flowers and a diamond bigger than any 23-year-old should be wearing and that only the old southern money he came from could buy. You got married in a church for a denomination you didn’t believe in but that his mother insisted upon, before God and everyone you knew and even more that you didn’t know.
Things were good. Great, even. For a little while. But only a few months into your happily ever after, things started to change. Outwardly, you were still the Cinderella that got her Prince Charming. But behind closed doors, Prince Charming wasn’t so…well, charming. He would always get a little too drunk. A little too loud. His suggestions for you became demands: wear your hair like this, have it be this color, dress like this, eat like this, hang out with these people, quit your job. Your decisions were no longer yours. You hadn’t realized that taking his last name was the same as signing your life away. You had never regretted anything more.
You spent five years in a continuous, vicious circle of your own hell. Getting out of it was the hardest, yet best thing you had ever done. You lost everything and everyone in the process, but you gained back your sense of self.
Now, you looked at marriage like a trap. It was a steel doored cage you would never, ever put yourself in again. You didn’t know if you would survive the suffocation again.
You met Bradley two years after you signed the divorce papers. He came into your life when you were finally learning to be confident in who you were and what you had to offer again. The smile he gave you that first day didn’t take your breath away; rather, it felt like it finally reinflated your lungs after so long of being deprived.
Three and a half years together and you knew you would be with him for the rest of your life.
You would do almost anything for him. But you couldn’t do this.
Bradley knew that. It was a conversation you had pretty early on, actually. He had told you about his parents and the marriage they had. It felt like bursting a bubble almost when you gently explained that marriage wasn’t in the cards for you again. He had taken it surprisingly well. You had never shied away from telling him your reasoning why. He had promised you then that what you had is and would always be enough for him. A few overpriced rings wouldn’t change that, so long as you promised to love him forever without one.
It was an easy compromise.
You hadn’t thought seriously on the subject since. Not when moving in together, or adopting a cat together, or when you picked up your life to move with him when the Navy decided it was time. It hadn’t been necessary to think on or discuss; the matter was a non-issue.
Bradley’s voice brought you out of your memories. His hand was a nice pressure on your leg, his thumb smoothing the skin on the inside of your thigh a comfort. Back and forth, over and over again, bringing you back into the present like only he could.
“Don’t get me wrong, I’d con you into marrying me in a heartbeat if you weren’t so much smarter than me, sweetheart.”
The smile on his face was playful now. His eyebrows were pulled together in mischief. You couldn’t help yourself; the smallest of smiles pulled at your lips, too.
“But I know your stance on the subject. We’ve talked about it, and I get it. Despite the absolute rager we would throw as a reception, we don’t need a piece of paper to prove how much we love one another.”
You didn’t, and knowing that only made you love him more. You and Bradley loved one another in your entirety. It wasn’t perfect, but it was a constant reminder that goodness exists. It injected a honey-like sweetness into your bloodstream. He made your soul warm, and the trust you had between you made you confident in the knowledge that you warmed him, too.
“So why buy the ring? It doesn’t exactly look like something you could get for cheap out of a gumball machine.”
“No,” he laughed, “that it wasn’t.”
He set the box down and grabbed your hand. You always loved how big his was in comparison, though small wasn’t how you felt.
Safe. Comforted.
“I bought it because….well….I guess because I’m yours. I’m yours, and you’re mine. I love you more than I ever thought I’d be capable of loving someone, you know? And you make me feel like I deserve to be loved like that in return, which you do with no hesitation. What we have…it’s special. So I guess I bought it because I want you to know that if you ever change your mind, I’m ready. You just gotta let me know. But ring or no ring, I’m gonna love you forever, baby, okay? In this life and whatever comes next. $50 for a marriage license won’t change it.”
You thought on his words for a moment before you nodded and held out your pinky. He was interlacing his with yours before he even knew the agreement, because Bradley would always follow where you lead. Ring or no ring.
“If I ever change my mind, I promise to go half on that piece of paper with you.”
“Deal.”
——
Bradley had been called back to Top Gun. It was an honor almost unheard of and even as a civilian you knew it had to be important. It was a 3-4 week deployment; nothing in comparison to what you had weathered together before, but something about it made those weeks feel like years.
He was the one who called you when it was all over and done with. From your shared bed in Norfolk, you cried as he recounted two ejections; one successful and one that never came. He was presumed dead for nearly four hours before the over-confident blonde you had only ever heard stories about defied every expectation of his callsign.
It had happened almost three full days ago and this was the first time you had heard about it.
“Why didn’t anyone call me?”
He was quiet on the other line but you heard what he wasn’t saying loud and clear.
You were his emergency contact, yes. The one that would be alerted should he ever wind up in the hospital or the first person they’d look for if he ever failed to report. But you were not his wife, and therefore you were not his next of kin. Your door wouldn’t be the one the United States Navy knocked on, despite it being his door too. A folded flag wouldn’t be placed in your hand as his casket was lowered into the ground.
You hung up after he promised to call you again when the sun was up, and with the reassurance that he’d be home soon.
Sleep didn’t find you again. Instead, you thought of Bradley turning around to fly after the man he hadn’t spoken to since his mother’s funeral. You could so clearly see him floating through the snowy trees with his parachute flying above him. You thought of them flying in a jet that hadn’t seen the sky in decades, pulling desperately at ejection handles. You squeezed your eyes shut when you saw that same jet explode into millions of little pieces of glass and metal, Hangman not making it in time to save the day.
Phoenix would have been the one to call you, eventually. The two of you were fairly close from when they were stationed together before your latest move and she would know that no one else would have alerted you, and as a friend, she would have wanted to check on you, too. You hated the thought of putting that responsibility on her.
A whimper escapes when you realize it would have been three days before you knew.
Throwing the comforter off of you, you flipped the bedside lamp on before making your way to the closet.
It was nearing 4am and you found yourself sitting on the floor in front of the fireproof metal safe that you and Bradley kept there.
It had been six months since you saw the ring. Bradley put it there that night after the two of you made love on the couch, and there it had remained. The green velvet box sat on top of both your birth certificates and beside the case where he kept all the medals that once upon a time belonged to his father. You had thought of it a few times in the last half a year, but hadn’t laid eyes on it again. You didn’t need to, really; you could still envision it clearly in your mind.
You didn’t move to pick it up. Just seeing the box it was kept in had tears welling in your eyes again.
You loved him. Oh, you loved him so much that it ached. He was your family and you were his. You were all other had in the name of it and all the other needed, too. You don’t think that you would recover if anything were to happen for him to be taken away from you. You would mourn him so deeply that you’re sure your fundamental state of being would be altered for good. That’s how he would deserve to be mourned, after all.
It made you angry that a piece of paper would delay that. The government would think there wasn’t anyone to miss him, that he had no one, but you were right here.
Bradley loved you enough to buy a ring that he knew you would probably never wear, so that he was prepared in the off chance that you ever changed your mind. He was just as happy for it to remain locked away in the back of your closet for the rest of your lives.
Why, suddenly, did that not feel like enough?
______
The Uranium Mission came with a lot of changes to your and Bradley’s life. A reconciliation years overdue. An adjustment of time zones and weather patterns brought on by a permanent move from Virginia to California. Having not just Phoenix around on a regular basis again, but a whole squadron of people you could confidently call friends after only a few weeks of knowing them. Suddenly, your found family of two was expanded.
Despite that, the feeling of something missing hadn’t gone away.
You didn’t tell Bradley about going into the safe that night and how the thought of losing him had you reconsidering every commitment you had made to yourself in the last six years since you started out on your own. He didn’t deserve a reactionary response from you for something this significant and you couldn’t confidently say that’s not what it was. Something that big deserved more than a pre-dawn rash decision. It deserved thought.
You pondered often what it meant. It was almost always in the back of your mind now. The ring, and all that it would hold.
You and Bradley couldn’t live on base. It was something you had dealt with in Virginia, but Norfolk real estate was definitely not the same as San Diego. Finding a place to live was difficult.
The joke was made after the fifth rejection on a house in the same amount of days. You had been living out of a hotel since you arrived two weeks ago and you were tired of being confined to the same four walls.
“Jesus, maybe getting married wouldn’t be so bad afterall. At this rate, we’re going to be moving into our storage unit.”
You could feel him staring at you. He didn’t speak, and you focused intently on trying to appear like you were still focusing on scrolling through listings on your laptop. Your cat rested on a pile of blankets in the corner of the small couch the room allowed, dozing the evening away. The TV played an old episode of Unsolved Mysteries in the background. Right when the lack of response from him was veering into awkward silence, Bradley snorted. The sound pulled a smile at your lips. He climbed on the hotel room bed, closing your laptop and stretching to set it on the bedside table. He settled on top of you. You never felt as safe as you did then when his weight pressed into you like this.
“Can I help you, Lieutenant Bradshaw?”
He nodded, his face reflecting the utmost seriousness. “We should take advantage of this room while we can, Sweetheart. Something tells me the ventilation in the storage unit won't be as kind to us.”
You were laughing when he connected your lips. The ring popped into your head again, only for a moment, before he made every thought disappear like only he could.
_____
You were wearing a fancy dress in an even fancier venue, surrounded by a sea of white uniforms. A promotion ceremony for all of those who partook in the mission that nearly took Bradley away from you. The thought still hurt your heart, but you were so damn proud of the newly pinned Lieutenant Commander Bradshaw.
You had been in North Island for three months, and had finally found and moved into a house six weeks ago. It was a two story home about twenty minutes from base with a fenced in yard you didn’t know you wanted until you had it. Something told you that you and Bradley would be enjoying sunrises, rocking together on the back porch for many years to come.
This was your first major event on the west coast. You had been introduced to more people than you could possibly recall. For the first time in your relationship, the process annoyed you. Not for the act itself, of course. It was how you were being introduced.
It had never bothered you before when Bradley introduced you as his girlfriend. When people found out how long you’ve been together, you often got asked when you were finally going to get married. Often, jokes were made on Bradley’s behalf about having the courage to “put a ring on it.” He always took it in stride, the both of you knowing it was really you preventing the progression.
You were an hour and a half into the night and going through the same conversation for the third time. This time, it was Admiral Simpson’s wife.
“Four years? My goodness, when’s the wedding?”
Bradley’s laugh was familiar and you knew what he would say before he said it because you had heard it so many times before. You had always let him handle these situations. A lighthearted response about not worrying because he knew how good he had it and that he wouldn’t be letting you get away anytime soon, followed by a subtle but effective change in subject. Before he could go through the motions, though, you found yourself uttering a response all on your own.
“Oh, maybe one day.”
It was poised, polite, and said in a way that made it seem like you said it all the time. Mrs. Simpson laughed, none the wiser to how you just went off script. Out of your peripheral vision you saw Bradley’s eyes snap to you so quickly that you momentarily worried about whiplash.
“How long have you and Vice-Admiral Simpson been married, if you don’t mind me asking?”
In for a penny, in for a pound, you thought to yourself. You were never one to willingly bring up anything dealing with marriage. Yet here you were, initiating an entire conversation about it. As she went on about their history together and the various moves throughout their 18 years together, Bradley’s left hand squeezed your hip where it had been resting.
You turned your head, meeting his gaze straight on. For a moment, it was just the two of you here in this room. His dark eyes were wide, earnest, but confused. You knew now wasn’t the time to discuss it. You hoped the look you sent him in return reassured him that you would and that there was nothing to worry about.
There was a barely noticeable nod of his head and he raised his glass of scotch to his lips as he turned back to the conversation.
His hand remained flexed on your hip.
You wondered what it would feel like if there was a ring on that hand to press into your skin and if you would be able to feel it through your dress.
______
There was a tension in Bradley’s shoulders on the drive home that night. He was keyed up in the way he always was when he didn’t quite know what to make of a situation. Anxious, hesitant and searching, but this time there was an underlying feeling of something that resembled excitement.
You settled your hand over his where it was placed on your thigh. When you came to a red light, you cleared your throat and he turned to meet your eyes. Even in the dim artificial light seeping into the front seat, he was the most beautiful man you had ever seen.
He cleared his throat. Once, twice. His voice still sounded just this side of rough when he spoke.
“You’ll let me know?”
You adjusted your hands so you could interlock your pinkies, bringing them up so you could place the softest of kisses against his. “Only if you’re still willing to go half on the license.”
You smiled at him and the sound of his soft laughter warmed you from the inside out. The light changed and he pulled his gaze from yours. You let your hands fall to your lap and he took the chance to interlock them together. He squeezed gently. You knew it was his way of acknowledging that yes, of course he would.
His thumb ran back and forth over the ring finger on your left hand for the remainder of the drive home, and you didn’t bother to smother the smile or the shiver that went down your spine.
If he noticed as he took it off of you that the dress you wore was the same shade as the box locked away in your closet, he didn’t comment on it.
_____
He didn’t bring marriage up again in the following few months, and neither did you. It had been over a year at this point since he first showed you the ring, and things had continued as they always had.
Sometimes, though, you would catch him looking at you. This was nothing new, of course; Bradley wasn’t shy about letting his eyes remain on you for longer than was socially acceptable sometimes. But the look in his eyes was different. There was longing there, a cautious sort of optimism that he hadn’t let you see before. You were surprised when it didn’t scare you away or make you feel guilty for putting it there. Before, it would have been nothing but false hope. Now, though, now it felt almost like an oncoming revelation.
You found yourself looking at him with that same look, but you were careful only to let him catch you sometimes. It didn’t matter what he was doing. Cooking dinner, doing the dishes, folding laundry, reading a user manual for a multi-million dollar plane he already knew inside and out. Even now, as he laid partially underneath you on the couch, his eyes trained on the mid-fall Sunday football game playing on the TV, something you were usually just as entranced by, you couldn't help but stare.
Anything Bradley did, you had a hard time looking away.
Despite swearing you would never, ever do so, you couldn’t help but to compare him to your ex-husband at this moment.
When you were married, you felt like you were a burden more than anything. A showpiece there to hold onto his arm, but only when he needed it. You were a pretty face and a warm body, micromanaged to the point where even a second out of line wouldn’t be tolerated, yet somehow he never cared about what you did, either. You were a caged bird afraid to chirp.
Bradley, though..he never let you feel like your voice and opinion didn’t matter - he never fought to silence you and instead encouraged the complete opposite. The love he showed you didn’t come with any stipulations.
Your ex-husband always made you feel small, while Bradley made you feel invincible. Protected, safe, supported, but like you could do anything you wanted all on your own. There was no reason to be afraid when you were with him.
The differences were vast, like black and white and oil and water.
Clarity washed over you slowly, then. It was a conclusion months in the making. Years, really.
Bradley was the best man you’ve ever known. He proved time and time again how different he was from the man you were with before him.
Why, then, should you think marriage with him wouldn’t be different, too?
“I’ll be right back,” you kissed his cheek as you untangled yourself from his arms and stood from the couch. By the time you were halfway up the stairs, you were taking them two at a time in your haste to get to the bedroom. You were almost panting by the time you made it to the walk-in closet. Your heart thudded in your chest so hard you could hear it in your ears as you entered the code to the safe. This was it. This was it and you were so excited. You barely remembered to close and lock it back after you retrieved what you were looking for. You practically sprinted across the landing and back down the stairs.
You were moving so fast and so hard that Bradley was already looking at you when you slid back in front of the couch, hearing you coming before you even hit the stairs. His eyebrows were raised in question, but you didn’t let him open his mouth to question your unusual behavior before you were breaking the silence yourself.
“I’ve changed my mind,” you said simply. His eyes were already widening as you tossed the ring box to him, as if he knew what you meant without the added assistance. You suppose, if he had thought about it even half as much as you had in the last year, that he did. “As it turns out, the cost for a marriage license in California is more expensive than in Virginia. But I’m still down to split it if you are.”
He jumped from the couch and then he was kissing you. He lifted you off the ground, spinning you happily. The green velvet box was digging into your lower back where he held you secure against him. You giggled against each other’s lips. When he set you back down, there was a lightness, a joy, that you hadn’t seen in his eyes before. There was a brief twinge of regret that you made him wait so long to experience that feeling; for you to witness it. If he was beautiful before, he is breathtaking now.
“I can do this properly,” he said, but you were shaking your head before he was even finished.
“Now is perfect. Just like this. If you want.”
“If I want?” He laughed, incredulous and gleeful. He dropped to a knee with no further prompting, popping the box open as he went.
“Baby…sunshine….love of my life…holder of my heart and happiness….woman who can get me going like no other in every innuendo of that phrase.”
“Bradley!”
You were both laughing and oh, this was so, so perfect.
“I love you so much. More than anything in this world and all the others. I’ll love you in this life and the next and the one after that, too. Marry me, baby.”
He didn’t phrase it as a question, but you answered it as one anyway.
“Yes. Yes, yes, yes.”
The ring felt wonderful on your left hand. It was enough that you felt it was there, but it didn’t hold the mental weight that the last one did. Instead, it brought a sense of completeness to you. A calmness you didn’t know you lacked. Your heart was so full it threatened to burst.
You couldn’t wait for Bradley to have one to match.
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Ending Note: AHHHH!!! I hope you all enjoyed reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it. Please leave any feedback you may have; it really does mean so much! I hope to produce more content for this fandom in the future. These Navy Aviators have a hold on me!
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