#The whole thing was like- the brother missed the flight so the sister had to keep his room until he got there i think

[haunted-mlm]

so called 'free thinker' Jay haunted-mlm remembering the twelfth night retelling play hosted at a college about two at ''war'' holiday hotels and I think I saw it in highschool? possibly late primary school? and the count orsino was the most prettiest boy ever with white floppy hair and the most puppy-dog attitude ever. I think about him a lot.

[topherwrites]

SNOWFLAKES IN MY STOMACH WHEN WE'RE KISSING

summary - spending the holidays with jake's family isn't always smooth sailing, but little else matters when you're grossly in love. (also - jake dresses up as santa for his nieces and nephews, you're real into it.) pairing - jake seresin x (fem!)reader word count - 2.7k rating - nsfw content, 18+, mdni! content warnings & tags - no use of (y/n) / mostly fluff / jake being super in love / jake's family celebrates christmas / very brief angst / me being incapable of giving jake a good childhood / brief mention of childhood abuse / swearing / alcohol consumption / dash of smut / fingering / lmk if i missed anything! a/n: a little belated christmas one shot for you all. reblogs, comments, and likes super appreciated! TOP GUN MASTERLIST / LIBRARY BLOG

Heat audibly blasts through the vents, the entire house sweltering. A solid summer day indoors. His mother won’t even let anyone touch the thermostat. In her defense, she grew up without a lick of snow on the ground and now it’s fifteen degrees in December, a real white Christmas.

Which isn’t exactly ideal for Jake considering he’s been roped into wearing a Santa suit for his young nieces and nephews. The suit is all red polyester—the least breathable material known to man—and thick faux fur cuffs. It’s causing him to start perspiring where sweat simply shouldn't be, his white undershirt clinging to his back and his crack.

“It’s too goddamn hot in this thing.”

Unbuttoning the jacket, he airs it out, the relief near immediate. 

Over his shoulder, he catches sight of you lounging on the guest bed—the one his mother oddly insisted that you could share—odd because that’s been a hard and fast rule for all the non-married seresin kids since his older sister began dating.

When she’d pointed him to the room, he’d paused, waiting for her to tell him which room would be yours, separately. Exactly like the sole previous time a girlfriend had stayed the night, way back in college, he figured you’d be placed in the room past his parents so no premarital shenanigans would occur. When that moment didn’t come, he’d stood there stupefied till you bumped his hip, nodding in the direction of the room.

Then he found out that with his brother and sister, their spouses and kids, and a few stray cousins and aunts staying, every other room was already occupied tenfold when he showed up with you in tow. 

He wasn’t sure if he would actually come down until a few days before, on the fence about spending so much time packed together with his family. But you’d volunteered to go along with him, meeting everyone besides his mother for the first time. Offering yourself up as a buffer.

It gives him pause less and less, just how much you care about him. Warmth spreads through him at the memory.

He was thankful that you had a bunch of airline credit banked, otherwise booking so late during the peak holiday season flights would’ve cost an arm and a leg.

Your feet kick back and forth as your eyes drag up his back, not put off in the slightest by his melting-like-frosty-the-snowman state, meeting his gaze with a heat you don’t attempt to hide. His irritation at the outfit dispels at your attention, melting away into something far sweeter.

“Is this doing it for you?”

“Oh,” your voice strained, “yeah, absolutely.”

And while there’s a bit of humor to the whole situation, what with the whole ‘being dressed as Old Saint Nick’ thing, your attraction to him isn’t a joke in the slightest. Sweaty, sunburned, exhausted. You seem to take a liking to any form Jake comes in. 

You continue, twirling your finger in a slow, instructive circle, humor alighting in your eyes, “Do a little twirl for me, baby.”

He laughs but gives in to your borderline indecent direction, turning steadily on his heel. He does a slow three-sixty, letting the jacket fall to his waist so your eyes can freely roam. Turning back to you, he takes you in the sight of you before he closes the gap, crawling over you to give you a kiss.

Things are so simple with you, you never make him work for your affection, it’s always present, even in your teasing. He doesn’t feel that pang of being inadequate that his father instilled in him when he was young—the pang that he let drive him for far too long into his adulthood. He can breathe right around you, loosen his tongue, soften his words. He can be a good man, not just a good pilot.

He loves you. You love him. Everything is right in the world.

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The kids love the whole theatrics of him dressing up like Santa, faux beard, and all. He answers their inquiries into whether or not he’s their uncle Jake with a falsely grandiose tone, handing them their presents—you’re not sure if they fully buy into it, but they all seem to be having fun.

Sipping on a mug of coffee, warm in your palms, you watch him from afar as he juggles holding two of his nieces, one dangling off of his arm like it's a monkey bar and the other calmly being held on his hip.

Ainsley and Avery—without judgment, you wonder what the reasoning is to name all your kids with the same first letter, like Pokemon evolutions.

“He’s always been good with them. Kids.”

Ah, the dreaded (potential) future mother-in-law ambushing you about kids part of the day. You had that penciled in for sometime around… now, generally. You look over at her. She looks back at you with a familiar glint in her eye. God, Jake looks just like her, same straight nose and dimpled smile and hooded eyes.

Mae doesn’t mean any ill will. You’re aware. But it all still settles ominously on your shoulders. The breadth of the unknown, what the future could hold, kids or not—whether or not you and Jake will even get that far, you hope so.

You nod slowly, calmly noting, “That’s not surprising.”

You see the way he is with them, how much they adore him. It’s a nice picture. But you're both still undecided on whether that’s one that you want of your own.

She seems to detect that you’re not going to humor her about the subject, dropping it. She looks at your empty mug, “Do you want a refill?”

────────────────────────

You casually gesture to the sprig taped to the doorjamb above you, “Is that what you were up to earlier?”

You note the little red berries, the toothed leaves, and the bush-like appearance.

“Maybe.” With a self-satisfied smile, he shrugs. His large palms grip at your waist, gently pushing you against the doorway.

You scratch at your cheek. “You know that’s not mistletoe, right?”

Holly. It's a frequent mistake, mostly from movies that wanted something to hang with a little more visual pop than actual mistletoe. He sighs, head falling back as he glares up at the traitorous plant. You’d never pass up the chance to poke a little fun at him, but now you want to bring the smile back to his face.

You poke at his side, bringing those pretty green eyes back to you, “But I suppose I can spare a kiss regardless.”

A smile creeps onto his face, warmth clear in his gaze. He leans his weight into you, not enough to crush but enough to let you feel all of him. Tilting his head, his voice drops as he questions, “Oh, will you make an exception? Bend the rules? For little ‘ol me?”

Breathing the same air, his nose nearly brushes yours. Everything but him, every sound and sight is extraneous—it all just turns to static.

You hum in agreement, “For you.” You brush the pads of your fingers along his cheekbone,  intentionally gentle, enjoying the way his lashes flutter at the gesture. “Now give me a kiss.”

Like the ever-dutiful soldier he is, he dips his head in assent, “Yes, ma’am.”

He takes the green light, gently molding his mouth to yours.

────────────────────────

His sixteen-year-old nephew, Sam, heckles him across the dinner table, quietly calling him a “fucking simp” as he hands you a refill of eggnog with a quick peck—that becomes two or three at his insistence, his lips chasing yours. His tone isn’t cruel, just an attempt at embarrassing his uncle.

He gets a smack upside the head from his dad—Jake’s older brother, Matt—for the language at the table, quick and sharp. Recycled material from their own childhoods. He tries to suppress the instinctual flinch, annoyance burning in his chest at how years later his heart is still sent racing. Jake wonders if he too, will become like their father. If it’s unavoidable. Something built into him. The apple didn’t fall far from the tree with his brother.

He knows that he has the capacity for cruelty in him and though it doesn't come as quickly these days, he still has to make an active effort to not be a dick sometimes, especially with Bradshaw.

And then, a hand, warm and stabilizing, slides across his thigh, squeezing tenderly. His eyes bounce around the table, everyone pointedly looking at their plates, just like when they were young and his father thought that one of them needed corporal punishment for acting like a kid. 

Except for you, whose eyes are focused on Jake with so much understanding that he can’t help but knock his boot into his brothers.

“Don't do that shit.”

A tense moment follows. The clatter of forks stop, drinks pause at lips, and everyone’s eyes plant on him, perplexed that it’s been acknowledged in the slightest. Matt levels a stare back at him, and he wonders if he’s going to hear their dad’s signature line come out of his brother’s mouth—don’t tell me how to discipline my kids—leveled at anyone who ever expressed concern for the way their father treated them, teachers, other parents, their own mom.

His brother is the one to blink first, dropping his eyes down to his plate as he stabs at a piece of asparagus. The festivities resume around them. Quieter. 

It’s not a real acknowledgment. But he’s drawn a line in the sand.

Sam continues looking at him for a few more moments. He wonders if his nephew knows just how similar their childhoods were, why his father is the way that he is. Not that it would make it better, but it might help him to know that it’s not him, some fault of his own. 

Jake always thought that it was him. He knows a little better now.

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After all the kids have been bundled up in beds and the adults break out the liquor, it doesn't take long for Jake to crash. Sprawled on the couch next to you, his arm draped around your shoulder becomes less of a pleasant weight and more of a log hanging around your neck. 

You tap his stomach, softer and less-toned after the holidays—at your insistence that he actually eats some sugar for once and doesn’t, under any circumstances, wake you up at five am during your vacation so he can go for a run. You’re glad that he’s taken the threat seriously, that he’s taking it easy and actually relaxing while you’re here. He grumbles at your touch but barely stirs, about eighty percent tired, twenty-percent drunk.

“Christ, when did he become such a lightweight?” His brother directs his jibe disguised as a question to you.

Rolling your eyes, you sigh, standing up. You pat his thigh, holding your hands out. “Up and at ‘em, lieutenant.”

His eyes peel open at the use of his rank. Blinking awake, he flops his hands into yours, not taking a strong grip. You're thankful for the fact that he barely relies on you to help himself stand, swaying minorly as he does so. You’re not particularly eager to see what’d happen if you had to haul all two hundred pounds of Jake upright on your own.

You both trod up the stairs. His hand caressing the silver tinsel wrapped around the banister as you go, the Christmas lights hung from it setting the staircase in a warm glow. With your arm looped around his waist and his looped around yours, you make slow progress towards the room at the end of the hall.

He toes off his boots as you shut the door to the bedroom, flopping backward onto the bed. Eyes fluttering sleepily, a hint of a smile on his face, he sighs out a breath. Voicing his inner thoughts aloud, his voice is gentle, “I'm so happy.”

The statement settles sweetly in the air.

Taking hold of your hand, he pulls you on top of him. His eyes heavy, he isn’t particularly conscientious about where you’re going to land, so you have to catch yourself before you knee him in the dick. Straddling him, you find your place in his lap. Affection, as it always does, blooms in your chest at the sight of him.

“Are you as happy as I am?” His question is gently curious, none of his old insecurity laced through.

You slowly nod, hands smoothing over his chest as you lean over him. “Yeah, I really am.”

Under your palms, you can feel him huff a pleased sigh.

Large hands land on your thighs, smoothing up and down the bare skin under the hem of your skirt. His eyes roam over your figure, from your legs, your waist, your chest, finally landing on your face, “You look so pretty. Have I told you that?”

Suppressing your smile, you squint as you tilt your head, imitating deep thought. You hum, “Mm, about twenty times today.”

“I think you could stand to hear it one more time.” He sits up on his elbows with surprising swiftness, his nose brushing along your cheek before his lips settle next to your ear, “You are so pretty.”

He pulls back just enough to kiss you, lips gliding softly over yours. He tastes like rum and vanilla. Under you, you feel him grow half hard. It’s one of the things that you never really expected from him, just how needy of a drunk he is.

He slips his tongue into your mouth, large palms squeezing at your hips as he guides you to rock over him. His breaths mingle with your own as he pulls back, panting, “You wet for me?”

Rucking up your skirt past your hips, his hand slips into your underwear and he swipes two fingers through the wetness collected there before you can—for the sake of his sleep schedule—gently turn him down. You fold over him, smothering your moan into his shoulder as he pushes in, his palm immediately harshly grinding against your clit. With your own buzz sliding through your body, you melt into the pleasure, task entirely forgotten. 

Burning heat spreads through your core, your cunt clamping down around his fingers. It’s so good—it’s always this way, like he’s read the manual on your body.  Slick sounds echo in the otherwise quiet room; your gut twists, high building.

Just as you're about to fall over the edge his movements slow, and the peak he was working you to begins to dissipate. But you're left on the edge as his brain seems to intermittently connect to its previous task, working over your pulsing clit. Your hips kick into his palm, the not quite enough stimulation tortuous. You try to roll off of him, but the arm around your back stays put. He grumbles for a moment. You nearly yelp at a shift of his palm shoots electricity up your spine.

You shake his shoulder, “Jake, Jake.”

“Mm,” he hums, “no, no.” He blinks himself only half-awake, eyes still drooping, “Second wind.”

You reach behind your back, sliding his arm from around you, pressing it to his chest. You draw his hand out from under you, the drag of his fingers sending waves of heat through you. Pressing a kiss under his jaw, you whisper, “Go to sleep.”

Eyes still closed he slides the fingers that were just inside you past his lips, casually cleaning your arousal off them. You have to pretend like that doesn't make your cunt pulse with need. He rolls onto his side, then mumbles into the pillow, “Fine, but I’m going to rock your world in the morning.”

You pat his stomach, placating him—sure that in the morning he’ll remember that he’s surrounded by his parents, siblings, and their offspring, that the walls are a little too thin for what he wants to do to you.

You collapse on the bed beside him, already nodding off.

You're proven wrong in the morning. He sends you over the edge twice with his head trapped between your thighs and his palm sealed over your mouth. And at breakfast, you have to play off the flush he carries as the AC putting out too much heat, smiles barely suppressed.

e/n: thank you for reading!

tagging those who liked the teaser: @mamachasesmayhem @pricelessemotion @sorchathered @dizzybee03 @always-and-forever-at @ofstoriesandstardust @sunlightmurdock @withahappyrefrain @aworldwideapart @shamelessghostwagonwobbler

[blubffsd]

— THE SISTER THAT I NEVER HAD.

summary: where the reader wants to spend a whole day with Ethan to make up for missing his birthday.

note: writing this i realize how much i wanted a little brother

This year you decided to spend the holidays with your family in Montpellier since you hadn't seen them for a long time and you wanted to spend time with them. You would only stay for Christmas to be able to spend the New Year with Kylian and his family and you would return on December 27, to be present for Ethan's birthday. But your grandfather got seriously ill the day before Christmas and was in the hospital until the afternoon of December 29: Ethan's birthday.

You felt very guilty for not being in Paris with him, you had promised him that you would return before his birthday but you didn't expect what happened to your grandfather, who fortunately was fine now.

You sent Ethan thousands of text messages apologizing for not being there and assuring him that you would be back as soon as you could. He told you not to worry, that he understood why you didn't come back and that everything was fine.

You knew your little brother-in-law too well to believe his words.

The conversation with your boyfriend didn't help you calm down at all, so after hugging your grandfather many times, you said goodbye to your family to go to the airport and try to get a flight to Paris.

Luckily there was a flight available in an hour and a half so you sat patiently waiting listening to music.

You hoped you could make it up to Ethan but you didn't know how. Although you thought of many things to do with him and places to visit together you wanted to get a second opinion, so you decided to ask Fayza what to do.

You quickly received a notification of an incoming call from Fayza.

—Hi Fayza, long time no talk –you heard your mother-in-law's laughter over the phone.

—Something bad happened?

—No! It's just, you know, since I wasn't there for Ethan's birthday today, I'd like to make it up to him somehow, and I wanted to see if you could suggest a place to visit or something he wants to do.

—Oh, honey! that's so sweet of you. Of course i will help you.

You let out a squeal of happiness and smiled completely excited.

—Thank you so so so much! I don't really know what to do.

—Don't thank me, it's a pleasure. Ethan mentioned something about an amusement park that opened recently, if you want I'll give you the address.

—Yes, text me the address, it'll be fun, I'll take him there.

—Okay honey, I'll do it. Y/N, really thank you very much.

You frowned slightly without understanding.

—Why?

—For doing this for Ethan, you really mean a lot to him. And also for always being with Kylian, my children adore you and I couldn't be happier that you are the one with my son.

You smiled slightly feeling the tears in your eyes about to come out, it made you very happy to hear her say that.

—I'm going to cry. It makes me very happy to hear that, all of you really mean a lot to me and each one of you has a very big place in my heart, thanks to you.

—I think I'll cry too –you laughed slightly– Y/N, I have to hang up, Ethan and Kylian are making a mess in the kitchen. Have a good trip, see you in the new year, honey.

After the call with Fayza you kept listening to music until it was time for your flight and you were finally on your way home.

The flight was pretty quick so you didn't have time to sleep, but you did have time to finish planning what you would do for Ethan, it wasn't anything fancy, but you were sure he would love it.

You went by taxi to your shared apartment with Kylian, you didn't want to call him because he was probably asleep since it was half past two in the morning.

But surprisingly he wasn't asleep when you got home. He and Ethan were in the living room playing FIFA.

They both looked at you surprised and you immediately had them both hugging you with no intention of letting you go.

—Amour, I thought you would come tomorrow. Why didn't you tell me? We would have gone for you at the airport.

—Sorry, I just thought you were asleep. Nevermind, I missed you guys so much.

You broke away from the hug to kiss Kylian on the lips and hug Ethan again.

—We missed you too, sis. I really wanted to celebrate with you.

You moved away from Ethan a bit so you could look him in the eye.

—I know and I'm sorry. I also wanted to celebrate with you but you know why I couldn't come, although I promise to make it up to you.

You saw your brother-in-law look at you somewhat confused but interested in knowing more.

—Really? How?

—Would it be okay for you to spend a whole day with me?

Ethan couldn't hide his big smile or his excitement, he really missed those days with you and he was happy to do it again.

—One hundred percent yes, i want the funny days back.

—"Funny days"?

Your boyfriend, who had been watching the entire interaction between the two of you with a smile, had a completely confused frown.

—Let him, he doesn't have to know. –Ethan let out a giggle and he said goodbye to you and your boyfriend to go to sleep in the guest room.

You took your boyfriend by the arm and dragged him into the room while you listened to his complaints because he wanted to continue playing FIFA.

—Amour, please a few more minutes, I promise I'll wash the dishes tomorrow.

—You were going to do it anyway.

Kylian gave up and lay back on the bed with his arms folded like a little boy.

—You would have let Ethan continue playing.

He pouted his lips and you lay down next to him laughing.

—Oh, my baby is mad and trying to make me feel guilty so he won't admit he's upset?

Your boyfriend looked at you and chuckled knowing you had figured him out.

—I just want to know what is the funny day.

On the afternoon of December 31, you and Kylian were driving to your boyfriend's family's house to celebrate the New Year.

You were very excited since you loved visiting them and you felt very comfortable with them.

Also, "the funny day" (as you and Ethan liked to call it), started tomorrow morning and you couldn't wait any longer.

Once you got to your destination, Kylian parked the car, opened the door for you and took your hand, then you both walked to the door and he rang the bell.

Fayza opened the door for you and gave you both a hug, inviting you to come in.

When you entered the house you saw Ethan with his nephews and cousins ​​playing with the toys they had been given for Christmas, as soon as they saw you they ran to hug you.

—Y/N! We miss you so much.

You smiled completely touched by the treatment of the little children and gave each one a kiss on the cheek.

—I miss y-

—Hi guys, I'm here too by the way. –your boyfriend interrupted you with sarcasm in his voice, pretending to be angry.

—Uncle Kylian! –now everyone was hugging your boyfriend and he was more than happy with it.

You knew that he pretended to be annoyed that the children were with you and not with him because he liked the attention he got after that. He loved it.

—Look at his triumphant smile, he loves the attention.

You chuckled slightly and you looked at Ethan, who was standing next to you.

—Ready for tomorrow, little boy?

—Of course, I'm excited too.

You hugged him by the shoulders pulling him a little closer to you.

—It's going to be the best day of your life.

The rest of the day was pretty nice. Playing with your boyfriend's nephews, giving love advice to some of his teenage cousins ​​without your boyfriend and brother-in-law listening. With Ethan hugging you throughout dinner fighting with Kylian since he wanted your attention too. Almost crying with the speech that Kylian's father gave during the toast and watching the fireworks hugging your boyfriend in the yard of the house.

It was a good way to start the year.

You woke up with the sound of the alarm indicating that "the funny day" had started.

Between you and Ethan, there was no telling which of the two was more excited.

On the other side of the city, your brother-in-law was getting out of bed just like you, unable to erase the excited smile on his face, he had really missed the funny days.

Your boyfriend was still sleeping since he asked you not to wake him up since he couldn't handle knowing that you would abandon him and he wanted to take his time to take it on.

Or in other words, he was very tired and wanted to sleep late.

You complied with his request, so trying not to wake him up, you gave him a kiss on the forehead as a goodbye. Then you took your car keys and left the house going to pick up your brother-in-law.

The day's schedule you made was: first go to Starbucks for breakfast since Ethan loved it, take him to buy his gift, have lunch at his favorite restaurant, amusement park and movie night.

You arrived at your in-laws house and saw Ethan waiting outside. When he noticed that you were there he smiled and quickly got in the car.

—Hi, E. How are you? –you smiled at your brother-in-law as he put on his seatbelt.

—Hi, sis. I'm fine and hungry to be honest.

—Let's have breakfast then.

Ethan nodded happily and turned on his phone's bluetooth to listen to music.

He put up the playlist that you two created called "yeaiIwidjs" (you guys couldn't think of any names so you opted for random lyrics), it had everything, from songs from Maroon 5 to Whitney Houston.

You two screamed with happiness when you heard the intro of Levitating by Dua Lipa.

—IF YOU WANNA RUN AWAY WITH ME, I KNOW A GALAXY AND I CAN TAKE YOU FOR A RIDE. –you started to sing/scream.

And of course Ethan did the same.

—I HAD A PREMONITION THAT WE FELL INTO A RHYTHM WHERE THE MUSIC DON'T STOP FOR LIFE.

—GLITTER IN THE SKY, GLITTER IN MY EYES, SHINNING JUST THE WAY I LIKE –now you both were singing/screaming.

You did the same thing with every song you heard until you got to Starbucks.

You guys might have a sore throat for a whole week, but it was fun.

You ordered your coffees with some rolls that Ethan liked and you were talking about the same old things, your job, your relationship with Kylian, how Ethan is doing in football and how he feels about it.

Maybe they were the same conversations as always, but you weren't bored at all, you were really interested in what he had to say, even if it was the same as always and he felt the same with you.

You guys finished breakfast and went back to your car, this time going to the mall.

You guys didn't want to sing/scream this time because a couple of people recognized you and you didn't want to see yourself on the internet yelling the lyrics to All Too Well by Taylor Swift.

Now instead of singing you played to imagine the life story of people walking down the street.

Ethan believed that the man with glasses and a blue suit who passed in front of us while the light was red was a lawyer who was frustrated with his profession because he really wanted to be a policeman and now he is dedicated to defending criminals to make it difficult for them to work.

But in my opinion that man was an accountant, who was happily married with 4 children, who works in what he loves and now went to the flower shop to buy a bouquet of daisies for his wife because today is their anniversary.

—I just don't understand why you think he was frustrated with his profession.

—I saw it in his eyes! Don't you always say that the eyes are the soul or something like that? That man hates his life, I know.

You continued discussing for a few more minutes about the profession of the unknown gentleman and entered the mall.

—Y/N, please tell me we're not here to buy you clothes. –you laughed when you saw his panicked face.

—No, we came to buy you something, whatever you want.

Ethan looked at you excitedly, thinking about all the things he once told his mom he wanted but she said no because he didn't need them.

Quickly, your brother-in-law took your hand and began to drag you around the mall looking for something he liked.

After searching for about 20 minutes he was about to give up, until he found the perfect gift.

Headphones.

Good headphones to listen to good music.

—Oh, do you want those? –you pointed to the headphones and saw Ethan nod– Good choice.

Ethan wanted to pay for it but you obviously told him no as it was a gift. So even though you told him it wasn't necessary, he bought you some headphones too.

So you two left the store with a new pair of headphones.

—Thanks for the headphones, Y/N. And for spending the day with me. –Ethan hugged you by the shoulders as you walked.

—Thanks for the headphones too, and you don't have to thank me for wanting to spend time with you, it's my pleasure. –you winked at him making him laugh.

—Okay, can we go for lunch? I'm starving.

—But it's been just a while since we had breakfast, Ethan.

—But I'm hungry, please let's go to McDonald's, order takeout, and walk around or whatever, but i want some food.

—Okay, let's go, I'm hungry too.

You decided to obey your brother-in-law's requests, so in less than five minutes you were back in your car ready to go order food.

There's not much to tell about lunch, you two were so hungry that you didn't speak to each other until you finished eating, and you only talked about how good the food was.

You decided to walk a bit through the streets of Paris to take some photos and talk about the outfits of the people you saw, you always do that. It's a funny day tradition.

—Y/N, when you and my brother gonna get married?

Ethan's question took you by surprise and you stopped walking, causing him to look at you in confusion.

—Why did you stop?

—Not at all, it's just that your question surprised me.

—Oh, okay –your brother-in-law nodded and you continued walking in silence.

You were sure that you wanted to marry Kylian and start a family together. But he wanted the same? Why would Ethan ask that? Is it too obvious that you want to get married?

—Why did you just ask that?

—Why did I ask you about the marriage? –you nodded– It wasn't for anything special, it's just that you guys have been together for five years and it would be nice to have the same last name.

—Yeah, it would be nice to officially be family. –you laughed and saw Ethan nod.

You kept walking around talking about anything but the marriage, but inevitably it was still in your head.

Then you went back to where your car was parked eating ice cream at Ethan's request (yes, he's hungry all day). He also insisted on going to the amusement park early because he wanted to stay there all afternoon, obviously you listened to him and drove there.

—Do you think they would recognize us? –you heard your brother-in-law ask before entering the place.

—No, I don't think so.

You guys walked into the amusement park, Ethan completely fascinated and you completely scared.

You wanted to ignore the fact that 90% of the rides in those kinds of places scared you because you knew Ethan was excited, so you took a deep breath and faked your best smile.

—We could get up there, look. –he pointed to the roller coaster.

There's no way I'm getting on that thing.

—Alright, let's go there.

Ethan took your hand and dragged you toward the waiting line.

Fortunately for Ethan and unfortunately for you, there were only 4 people waiting. There are always waits of more than an hour, and today, when you're there, it's only 10 minutes.

—Ethan, I have to go to the bathroom.

Liar.

—Oh, it's fine. I'll wait for you so we can ride the roller coaster together.

This can't be.

You smiled slightly and you almost ran to the women's bathroom trying to mentally prepare yourself for what you were about to do.

You stayed there for a few minutes until you decided to go out and face your fear, but you saw Ethan, who was waiting for you outside the bathroom.

—Hey, I thought you would wait for me on the roller coaster.

—Yeah, let's go to another ride or something, when you came here a guy coming down from the roller coaster was throwing up and I was eating all morning and I don't want to repeat history.

You smiled with extreme happiness knowing that you were no longer at risk of fainting in front of hundreds of people.

The rest of the afternoon was spent going from ride to ride. Ethan ate everything in front of him, from cotton candy to hotdogs. You took thousands of photos, but most were with Pooh, the teddy bear that your brother-in-law win in a game.

Pooh Mbappé was a new member of the family and Ethan and you couldn't be more proud of that.

It was already close to seven in the evening and you two were too tired.

So you three (Pooh wanted to be included) went back to your shared house with Kylian, who wasn't there since he told you in the morning that he couldn't deal with loneliness and that he was going to his parents' house.

You and Ethan sat on your couch completely exhausted, Ethan rethinking his decisions of eating so much and you in how you could have won your own teddy bear too if you had a good aim.

—Now comes the best part of the day, E. –he looked at you expectantly– movies night!

Ethan smiled happily and celebrated a bit, he loved watching movies with you.

You went to your room to find a couple of blankets and cushions to be more comfortable and put them on the sofa.

—Okay little boy, what movie?

—SpiderMan: No Way Home –he responded almost immediately. That movie meant a lot to you two, since one of the things you shared was your love for spiderman you went to see the movie at the cinema together, it really was an unforgettable day for both of you.

It was pretty funny remembering how you two went into the movie completely excited and came out wiping your tears.

You put the movie on and Ethan rested his head on your shoulder.

—We are so lucky to have you in our lives. –you look at him with a smile.

—I'm the lucky one to have you.

ethanmbappe

liked by yourusername, k.mbappe and 435.690 others.

ethanmbappe Pooh Mbappé, the best of the funny day. Thank you for this, love you always @/yourusername

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yourusername LOVE YOU ETHAN

k.mbappe give me back my girlfriend kid

ethanmbappe @/k.mbappe never

mbappeandyn: i love that Y/N and Ethan get along so well 🥺

kykyswife: POOH MBAPPE IM DEAD

kylvsyn @/kykyswife SAME GIRL IS THE CUTEST THING I'VE EVER SEEN

You were lying next to your boyfriend lying on his chest talking about whatever came to mind.

—And that's why I think pineapple pizza is delicious. –you heard your boyfriend talking, but you hadn't paid attention to him at all and he noticed it.

—Amour, what's happening? You've been like this since Ethan left here.

You sighed taking courage to speak, it was now or never.

—I want to marry you.

[callumsgirl]

ONE SHOT

or: Buck has some problems in the first weeks back in the States after the war and writes a letter to Bucky.

It's my first time to write some post war fear and fluff. Please let me know if you want a second part

I feel like I'm drowning

Casper, Wyoming

It was so quiet here in the States, in Casper. He had been travelling and somewhere else for so long that Casper somehow felt strange and not really like home anymore.

It had been a few weeks since Gale had been back from England. It had taken him days to be able to eat proper meals and sleep kind of peacefully again. Everything around him felt so intense and dull at the same time. He didn't even know how to describe everything he was feeling.

He was aware that something was wrong with him and that it would probably take quite a while before much, if not all, of it would be okay again.

The hugs, the tears of joy - everything felt constricting and somehow suffocating. When his mother and sister had hugged him tightly and for a long time, crying bitterly, he had simply remained silent. Gale had waited, and then waited even longer…and then at some point it was over again.

The salty tears had dried and the hugs had disappeared. He had felt his chest expand again so clearly that it felt like a thousand pinpricks on his skin.

He hadn't wanted to talk about England or the flights or the many dead friends. Not even when his younger sister asked him about John. Something about songs sung out of tune and whether he had someone at home waiting for him.

Just me, Buck thought quietly. But of course he couldn't say that in front of his little sister. What would she think? Her brother who loved a man and almost broke. No, he couldn't say that. Gale didn't know how to explain it either. During the war it had somehow… just happened. Bucky and he had somehow - he couldn't remember exactly when it had started to change - got caught up in a maelstrom of emotions and the next thing Gale had noticed was John's soft, full lips on his and from then on everything had been somehow clear.

Gale had just shaken his head mechanically and mumbled in a raspy voice: "No, there's no one there."

As the words left his lips, dark fangs had tightened around his chest and neck. The pressure inside him had risen further and when he thought he couldn't breathe because he missed Bucky so much, he stood up loudly and stumbled out of the room. "I'm going away for a few days."

…and that's exactly what Gale had done. He had stuffed some clothes into his rucksack, summoned Meathball and got into the jeep and set off that very evening.

He wasn't sure exactly when or how he'd ended up at his uncle's log cabin, but when he unlocked the door and stepped inside, a huge weight fell from his shoulders.

Gale was only vaguely aware of everything around him. He stumbled further into the house, lit candles and ended up lying in bed with Meatball in his arms, crying loudly and unrestrainedly. His tears soaked into Meatball's soft fur and as he gasped repeatedly, it somehow felt like he was back in Stalag III.

The uncertainty of what would happen to him and whether he would ever see Bucky again had almost completely consumed him.

Maybe he felt so lonely and numb because it was the first time he hadn't been with John in a while. He could hardly remember a day when he hadn't had him around. They hadn't been apart since basic training and fighter school, and the fact that they were now scared Buck to death.

It was warm, completely calm and he felt wrapped in cotton wool. Buck woke up slowly and when he opened his eyes, fluttering, he felt momentarily disorientated.

Then a wisp of a thought flashed through his mind and he groaned softly as he realised the slight buzzing headache throbbing behind his temple.

He missed John, blockhouse by the lake, Meatball, he felt like he was drowning….er missed John.

He buried his face deeper into the pillow and squinted. His whole body felt cramped and as he slowly turned from side to back, his tendon and ligaments rebelled.

"Hmmm," he grumbled and rubbed the bridge of his nose with one hand. It briefly helped to push back the buzzing headache a little, but as soon as he dropped his hand back onto his chest, the buzzing in his head became louder again.

Gale lay there for a few more minutes, staring out of the bedroom window. He watched as the pink and red colours in the morning sky blended into a beautiful sunrise and thousands of grains of dust flew around in the air.

Lost in thought, he stroked his chest with the flat of his hand and as his fingertips brushed his dog tags, the corners of his mouth twitched gently.

He slowly closed his eyes and was carried away by a warm and sweet memory.

It was the beginning of July. The first weekend pass since…forever, and Bucky had surprised him with a few days in London. It was the first time since their first kiss and since everything between them had somehow become closer, more intimate and meaningful that they had been able to spend time together.

Warm rays of sunlight tingled on his bare skin and Bucky's rough, warm fingers traced lifeless patterns on his back. Their clothes were all over the floor, all jumbled and crumpled, but it hadn't mattered.

They stayed in bed together for a long time. Covered in white, rose-scented sheets and living a dream. Gale still remembered that weekend as intensely as if he were reliving it.

He smiled and stroked his thumb over his dog tags again. Flashes of memories flashed before his eyes and he inhaled deeply and slowly, then exhaled. A pleasant shiver ran through his entire body and he sighed softly.

Gale had felt so sexually inexperienced that weekend. John's every touch made him tremble and he felt like he was burning up. Every gentle caress of his fingertips, every soft, panting and passionate kiss, every suck and lick on his neck had aroused him and he had come almost instantly like a teenager in his black boxers.

But Bucky had only smiled reassuringly and whispered dirty, sweet things in his ear. He'd taken the pressure out of everything for Gale and Buck had been so damn grateful that John hadn't pushed him to do more…more.

So they'd spent hours kissing, making out and touching each other. It had been perfect, and as a new wave of warmth and tingling rolled over his body, he opened his eyes again.

The duvet rustled as he sat up and swung his legs over the edge. He stroked his blond hair with both hands and rubbed his eyes. The wooden floor felt cool under the warm soles of his feet and he walked over to the desk. Gale sat down and reached for a pile of paper and a pen. Then he licked his lips and wrote:

Dear John,

I can't stop thinking about you.

I grabbed a few things and left with Meatball. Do you remember the house by the lake? I told you about it on our first weekend in London. It's peaceful out here and I needed a break.

To be honest, I don't even know why I'm writing to you…but actually I do. I miss you and everything feels so strange without you.

After I left the barracks, I visited my mum and sister. If I told you that it was happy, nice and warm, I would probably be lying to myself. It was…overwhelming and it scared me, John. What if I can't handle all this? This life after war, you know. This living on, and smiling, and being happy…it feels like a curse and a blessing at the same time, and when I have nightmares again, Stalag III feels like the greatest place of peace in some strange moments.

I think I'm losing my mind…people keep asking me how I'm doing, and every time I smile and reply: "I'm fine. Everything's okay."

But not once did I mean it that way.

But if you look at me, you already know everything that's necessary to know before I've even said a word. You know me, Bucky, and to sit here now and be alone…

Gale hesitated and smirked slightly, salty tears stinging his eyes again. He glanced at Meatball, who was lying on the carpet at the end of the bed, looking at him through half-closed eyelids. "That is so dumb, isn't it Meatball?," Gale laughed hoarsely and sniffled.

Meatball raised his head slightly and looked at him silently. Then he stood up and came stomping over to Buck. He rubbed his head against Gale's thigh and Gale felt himself burst into tears once again. He sniffled and wiped the tears away before clearing his throat, "You're right…I should pull myself together."

Then he frowned and continued writing.

...scares me. I feel like I'm drowning and there's no water anywhere in sight. Every time I close my eyes, I see all these burning aeroplanes and a shiver runs through my body. I can feel the icy, biting cold in my bones again. My fingers get cold and then slowly numb and then there is all this darkness.

You know I hated the dark as a child, but now…it's somehow even worse. It's dark and cold, and all these shadows are wrapped around me, robbing me of air to breathe, and there's nothing I can do about it but hope it passes quickly.

There were times when all this darkness was limited. There was still hope and light. But now it feels like there's only darkness left and I don't know what to do.

My mum thinks I need a distraction. A bunch of girls or something…I just need to find one that's worth it, she says…and then there's Ginger. My sister keeps asking me where you are Bucky. If you're single and I want to shake her and scream at her to keep her mouth shut. I want to tell her that you're with me, but everything in me resists saying it. It would be so loud and final, and I don't know if she and Mum could take it.

My mum told me about a young woman. Her name is Marge and she's sweet, really. But she's not you, John. All I want after this god damn war is you. Why is nobody asking me what I really want?

When I think back to London, I think of you, me, sweet kisses, wandering hands and crumpled clothes on the floor.

God, you looked so good with your brown, soft, tousled hair and those bright blue-green eyes. I think I nearly had a heart attack the first time you kissed me, John.

Before the kiss, everything felt kind of conditional and wrong. The flying, the burning and crashing aeroplanes, our dead friends, none of it made sense to me, but then you kissed me in that London hotel room...everything suddenly felt good and right at some point.

I think that's what happens when you're in love. No matter how much the world is on fire, as long as you're okay, I'm okay too. Nothing really matters anymore, and don't get me wrong all the blood and death was aweful, but I still had you by my side.

Right now you're not with me and I'm wondering where you are and what you're doing.

I wonder if there will ever be a time when you and I can be free. Being with you feels like flying and jumping without a parachute at the same time. Everything is tingly and exciting, and yet there is a sense of security that I can't explain. It's simply because it's you, John, and nobody else.

I love you. I always will.

Gale

[pagemasters]

Fantasies He…

BABY’S FIRST FIC!!!

Author’s notes: So after reading so many for years I thought maybe it’s my turn to take a crack at it. There’s I think 3 parts to this, with the first one having basically no smut and mostly platonic fluff between Az and Feyre, but part 3? Can’t say the same thing for the middle Archeron sister lmao

I swear this started out to be one part but the story told me otherwise, part 2 is fully drafted I’m just revising and editing

I’m a very visual person, so enjoy the floor plan of the nursery and a rough sketch of what I think her mural would be and the star! I am a painter if it wasn’t obvious so the whole portion on starfall stars is actually based on how Bob Ross paints his northern lights, just with modifications BUT I haven’t tried it myself for this specific purpose. Also the colour of Feyre and Rhys’s stars are the colours of the first ones that hit them during Starfall btw! I love the platonic relationships between the inner circle and we don’t get enough of it

If you enjoyed it I would love u forever if you let me know!! :)

Ps. Omg dialogue is so difficult to make realistic but also in character, none of that “hey big brother” etc. shit you see in tv shows where you’re like who tf says that to their sibling ?? Ps.ps. I haven’t taken an English writing class for 5 years so if punctuation was wrong let’s pretend it wasn’t LMAO

I CANT FIGURE OUT HOW TO DO AO3 LINK BUT IT’S ON THERE WITH THE SAME USERNAME LOL SORRY

Summary:

Azriel spends the day with Feyre, only to get caught in the rain on the way home. Good thing the townhouse is empty. Or is it…

CHAPTER ONE: DAYDREAMING

The rain finally decided to make its appearance as Azriel stepped out of the River house. Taking a deep breath, he let the soothing scent wash over him as he relaxed his wings. 

The meeting with Rhys was short, just a weekly update on the goings around the other courts and allies, nothing that required the full inner circle to make an appearance. Something he knew after centuries of this work should be a good thing, but it doesn’t stop the pang in his chest at the missed opportunity of seeing her. 

Not that he didn’t try to catch a glimpse of her. He did take a walk through the beautiful home his brother had built for his mate after seeing him, the smell of cedar and masonry long since faded from the construction days; replaced with flowers and candles and the dinner his shadows whispered Nuala and Cerridwen were working on. The scent of paint lingered though, and he discovered the reason why as he got to the residential wing. His High Lady wasn’t in her studio, but he found her nonetheless with a brush in her tattooed hand. 

“I think you missed a spot.” Az said from the doorway, trying to repress his smile at her startled reaction. Even though Feyre and Rhys opted for doorways fashioned with wings in mind, he kept his drawn in tight, not wanting to risk smearing her paint as he stepped inside. 

“Rhys won’t let me use the step ladder without him holding it. And me. And the bump.” Feyre twisted to look up from her spot on the floor and smiled in greeting before lowering the brush to pat her stomach in emphasis. She gave her mate’s antics an affectionate eye roll and shake of her head before releasing a heavy sigh, glancing back at her work. 

“If I remember correctly,” Az teased, “you are prone to falling quite spectacularly.”

She let out an indignat squawk so loud he had to bite his lips to prevent laughing, her body spinning so fast to face him fully that paint ended up splattering from her brush to the white drop cloth. 

Their flying lessons had ceased for the most part since the war, so watching her fly into a tree or eat rocks wasn’t as common an occurrence— but that’s not to say that still doesn’t happen. Knowledge he happens to be privy to not just as her flight teacher, but as the spymaster, something she’s very aware of if the narrowing of her eyes and mouth hanging open are any indication. 

It’s hard not to notice the similarities between the sisters, when even with your eyes closed the cadence of their speech was also similar. But it was never so apparent between youngest and oldest Archeron as when Feyre’s eyes pinned him in place, the expression of mock outrage was so much like Nesta’s it was almost comical. 

“Ruuuude,” she said, drawing the word out in a whine with pouted lips, no doubt remembering the amount of face plants he’d witnessed when she first began to fly. “I see how you treat your High Lady, Shadowsinger. Just wait, it’s not too late for me to paint a little something in your bedroom.”

“And here I thought pouting and grumbling was beneath royalty, at least you can say you’re a tree hugger.”

She gave him a gesture that was certainly beneath royalty, and he didn’t hold back his chuckle this time. 

“What gave you that idea, have you even met Rhys?” 

“Oh trust me, you should’ve seen him when we were kids.” He said, grabbing her hands to help her stand. “He discovered in a book that while bat wings look identical to ours, the anatomy of their wing is labeled similar to that of the hand. So for them, their talons are their thumbs. After that, he took it upon himself to hang upside down in silent protest whenever he was mad, but didn’t want his mother to wash his mouth out with soap for swearing.”

“He did not.”

“Mhmm, until his faced turned purple.”

“And where were you and Cass for all this?” Feyre said through her giggling, a wide grin of unrestrained joy plastered on her face. 

“He couldn’t have done it alone, a thumbs down by yourself would look stupid.”

“Ah yes, because the three of you hanging upside down like overgrown bats isn’t ridiculous.” She cackled, “How long until he gave it up?”

“A few weeks. After Cassian passed out in the middle of camp and we all got broken capillaries on our faces. Still, a better alternative than the awful tasting soap in Illyria.” 

“What, as opposed to other tasting soap?” He just shrugged, smiling. 

Rhys’s mom’s reaction to warriors dragging them across the rocky ground home was as lively in his memory as she was when she berated them when her son fessed up. She was less thrilled to hear the real reason than Devlon was having passed out children strewn about the place, but she never did call them out on the lie they fed to Devlon about it being a dare when he came banging on their door. That night though when they were more lucid, she brought them on foot to one of the mountains surrounding their outpost and stood them at the opening of a cave. He still remembers the eyes he felt on them, the warning bells ringing from his shadows as she gestures her hands out and said, “If you want to act like bats, you can join them; or you can toughen up, learn how and when to pick battles and what hills are worth to dying on. Because there will be more people who will piss you off, but this is not an option when you’re leading armies. So,” her hazel eyes meeting each of theirs, “What will it be? Do you want to stay here or take the soap and fly right on home.” Needless to say they bolted home with the taste of pine tar suds coating their mouths like a film no amount of water could rid them of the taste. He could still feel the eyes of whatever was in that cave the entire way home, but thank the cauldron he could fly at that point. His heart ached at the memory of the female, the one he knew picked a low cave for him to make her point, just in case. The one his shadows caught a few times after that upside down on the couch after a rough day when she thought she was alone. 

As Feyre’s amusement continued with eyes glazed over—no doubt having a silent conversation with Rhys—Az cleared his throat, his shadows pulling back as he gestured to their surroundings and asked, “So how’s the nursery coming along?” 

“It’s going great,” she replied after a moment, her laughter subsiding as she surveyed the mural.  “I know it’s not geographically correct, and that Starfall and the time when our courts insignia’s stars show don’t overlap, but I couldn’t not include them. I want  him and any possible future child to see the night court as I did when I first fell in love with it and their dad.” 

Indeed, while he knew Rhys was already in love with her, he got to watch Feyre love him back as much as he deserved in real time the longer she was here. And the way she captured the land they all loved so much here was… breathtaking. 

On the wall that held the doorway he just stepped through lay the mountain with the moonstone palace atop it. The first place she saw here. They both knew where the doors to Hewn city rest below, but it was covered by the landscape. As if there were no room for nightmares in this room, even if it was a court this babe may one day rule. 

“I have no idea how you made that mountain so realistic,” he said to her in awe, pointing to the painting adjacent to the wall they just looked at. 

“The crib is going to go right below it when the rooms done. I want it to watch over him.” She replied almost reverently as she looked up. 

The mountain was the tallest of the three she painted, and it looked just as it had on his trek up there with his brothers during the rite. Physically it was practically stone for stone, those three stars lines up overhead perfectly, but the energy differed. Instead of the cold and foreboding thing he remembered on the way up, it seemed almost… euphoric? As if the wild joy and love Rhysand, Cassian and he felt as they made their way to the top and won seeped its way onto the painting. Like the unyielding strength from that mountain and what it brought out of them would guide and protect him, just like it did for the three winged dots surrounding the monolith at the tip. How that was even possible was beyond him. 

He could barely tear his gaze away, but snickered as he saw the tiny but recognizable building at the base of it to the right. “The cabin, huh?”

“Of course, gotta prep him for one day kicking all of your asses during your snowball fight.” She added, blushing. “I put few snowballs flying just for good luck.”

Though he knew the other reason the cabin was significant to Feyre and Rhys, the thought of his future nephew joining their game warmed him. But It did make trying not to focus on other non-winged and winged babies that could one day join in the snowball fight impossible. Children have always been an abstract idea, a figment he knew existed but besides Rhys’s sister, he wasn’t around. And after what happened to her… He thought for a long time he would never have one of his own, but that sentiment start to change in recent years. He could avoid it most days though, but being surrounded by the baby stuff made the hypothetical harder to ignore. The thoughts on if he’d have his own little ones propped on his hip and curled into his chest with their chubby cheeks and inquisitive eyes. If they would have his hazel or her golden brown ones, or something different if they adopted. Would their little hands or clothes or hair get caught in the scales of his armour just like hers did when he took her on her first flight to the town house from the House of Wind, when he held her for the first time. Would Elain… Az paused, stopping that train of thought before it just twisted the knife even further, seeing more things he can’t have. 

His shadows began to circle him, and if Feyre noticed she politely didn’t comment on it before pointing out what she was working on when he interrupted her. 

To the right of the cabin and right were she was sat Velaris, and it really did look like a city of starlight with how she painted the glowing nightscape. He could make out the four markets that were the heart of the city, with extra emphasis on where the town house sat along with the new residence they were currently in. Bisecting through it all, the Sidra River looked so realistic he could probably skip a rock across its surface. It flowed like a living thing, reflecting the lights from the buildings on its edge and even the stars above. Two of which weren’t normal stars. 

Above the city proper and even the flat topped mountain that held the House of Wind was the beginnings of starfall. 

“How-“Azriel could barely get out, “how is this even possible?”

“Perks of now being immortal; plenty of time to practice. And having a husband with wings who takes you to get aerial views.” She simply said gesturing to their city, as if she didn’t create magic with swipes of colours. 

“The green one is mine, and the light blue one is Rhys’s. I’m planning to get everyone to add their own star to the wall.” Now looking him, she smirked. “Which means you came at a perfect time, Shadowsinger. Your turn.”

He gave her an unbelieving expression, shadows instantly vanishing. “You can’t be serious.”

Her eyes twinkled with mischief, “if I trust Cassian with a paintbrush, you’ll be fine. He’s coming by in a few days when he gets a free moment, Nesta and her two friends are keeping him busy with training.” Nesta is keeping him busy with more than just that, it’s a wonder he even has energy to train them. 

But looking at Rhysand’s mate, Azriel saw her glow in a way different from her powers. Feyre radiated joy as her hand cradled her stomach despite barely showing, not caring about paint getting on her already splattered clothes. For his brother, for the friend beside him and his nephew in her womb, he removed his jacket and let out a resounding sigh in defeat. “What do you need me to do?” 

So Feyre excitedly brought him over to her pile of paint tubes on the drop cloth. She grabbed the white and as he selected the colour phthalo blue she went off to prep the clean, dry brushes and a fresh palette for him. 

“So pick the area of the sky you want your star to be, I’d like to keep the inner circle’s additions mostly above Velaris, but I’ll add tiny ones fading out once everyone is done. Amren and Mor are away, Cass is busy and who knows if or when Nesta would want to contribute. That means besides Rhys and I, you have the pick of the litter.”

“What about Elain?” He asked, trying to keep his voice and face as neutral as possible when she handed him a 3 inch brush already dipped in his blue. 

“I’ll drag her in here after dinner when she gets in from the garden. The colour of the sky is already dry which is the important part, so there’s no time constraint on when everyone adds theirs besides my due date.” She gave him a knowing smile which he dutifully ignored, along with the disappointment in his chest as she confirmed Elain wasn’t in. “Now I want you to cover a large area of where you generally want the shape of the star to go, it doesn’t have to be perfect but cover much more than you think you’d need to.”

He hesitates, “won’t this cover up your sky? It’s a dark colour.”

“Just trust me.”

He followed her instructions, cringing as his brush made contact with her beautiful wall and went over the faint background stars she had already done, but relaxed when he saw they were still partially visible. 

Az looked back at her, seeing his shadows lazily inspecting them, as if they wanted a part in the activity their master is occupied with. Feyre playfully eyed the curious one that grazed her hand as she took his current brush from his scarred hand to switch it. “Now with this fan brush, I want you to coat it in the white paint. And as you do so, get a feel for how the bristles bend and move.”

Doing as High Lady said, he got her guidance once he brought the loaded brush to the wall, being sure to dab, not swipe the white in a near full coverage circle followed by a line over the shade of blue he had no idea how to pronounce. 

“So this is where the magic begins,” she stated when he finished and passed a third brush over, a flat paddle one identical to the first and this time a cloth. “You see that perfectly clean teardrop you made? You’re gonna ruin it.”

At the alarmed look he gave her, she just cackled. “I knew you’d make that face, Rhys did the exact same. I want you to very lightly swipe the brush starting at the largest end of the teardrop and out towards the tail of the star. That’s the only motion you’ll be doing. And after each swipe you can gently wipe off the brush before starting again. You can also practice the strokes around the mountain until you feel ready like Rhys did, the sky there is also dry.”

With a deep breath, he took a step away and tried it until he felt like he got the technique she wanted down. This was for his family, he reminded himself, he will not let his nephew down. And despite getting her nod of approval, he still felt like he was going in blind as he did what she said and his jaw dropped. 

Well shit. Now he understood why she wanted him to put down the colour he chose first. 

“The blue is actually transparent; so while it looks dark in the tube, it blends out much lighter. Especially with white under or overtop. You’re doing wet-on-wet blending.” What was once just a bright blob over blue so dark you couldn’t see it on her perfect walls, he could now see how the white faded. How the light and the dark mixed until they became one. So Az wiped the excess off his brush, and continued on and on until it looked similar enough to what she and Rhys created. They fell into a rhythm, Feyre handing him back the fan brush to brighten or a new one with bristles so impossibly soft as they worked as a team. She barely had to tell him what to do now, so with next to no pressure he feathered it out vertical rather than the almost horizontal strokes from before, until only a streak of blue light remained. They could’ve been at this for minutes or hours, he had no idea. He didn’t even question her instruction to use a densely bristled tool he could’ve sworn was a toothbrush to flick on watered down white paint for the star trail. 

“This is incredible, Feyre.” He stated, stepping back at last.

“That wasn’t me, that was all you my friend.” She grinned at him. “Once everyone’s is dry, I’m adding a sheer shimmery paint to make them pop, but even without it you did a beautiful job.”

He felt heat rise to his face, and inclined his head in thanks without removing his eyes from the wall. 

“You certainly have an eye for this, Az. Care to quit and become a painter? I could use an assistant.”

A chill went through him, and he started to turn in her direction before the window caught his attention. Dusk must have fallen along with the rain who knows how long ago. About to rub his temples, Feyre squeaked out a warning before he remembered the task at hand and looked down at himself. The plain black long sleeve shirt covered in splatters didn’t matter, he goes through them like water for work but the paint coating his skin made his stomach drop the same way her jest did. Much different than the red he was used to seeing there, all the blood he still couldn’t wash away.

He can paint a picture with his knife, but nothing like Feyre’s ability of creation. Each slash he makes as delicate and precise a dance as any Nesta favours, but instead it’s to a symphony of screams. And unlike Elain… the only soil he sees is grave dirt. If the bodies make it that far. 

His work is never meant to been seen by others, it’s means to and end, a way to protect his family and his court. Unlike their work, where it would be a crime to hide it from the world.

“Tempting offer, Cursebreaker,” Az murmured, swapping the dirty cloth for a damp one his shadows brought him. Paying close attention to his siphons and not his scars, he still didn’t feel clean enough no matter how hard he wiped the paint from his skin. “Sadly, I don’t think your mate would be too thrilled to have to hire someone else to feed the creatures in Hewn City.”

She snorted, making a lighthearted comment about at least no one had to feed Byraxis, for now… The forced tease in her voice didn’t fool him as she realized she must’ve hit a nerve, but he appreciated her effort anyway.

“I do have to head out, but I’ll pop by soon to see the progress when I drop off paperwork.” He told her, his lips pressed to the top of her head and shockingly made contact with her hair in a brief farewell. Rhys must’ve lessened the shield knowing Az was with her, but not by much considering both her and the babe’s scent was still concealed. 

Feyre did invited him to stay for dinner which he politely declined. It wouldn’t be served for an hour, but he needed space and to fly to clear his head—still feeling like if he looked down he’d be dripping blood that didn’t belong to him as he made his was out. He did try not to rush out as he walk through the maze of supplies strewn about the covered floor, keeping his wings high even as his shadows tugged at him, but he had a feeling she knew his reason for leaving. Well, at least the other reason. 

Lightning cracks through the sky, snapping Azriel out of his memories. Damn, He must be more tired than he thought. If breaking one of the cardinal rules of flying—also known as “PAY ATTENTION JACKASS!” by his brothers when they taught him—wasn’t enough, he’s not even going to the right place. Despite not living there for years, he’d been heading towards the town house and not the House of Wind. 

The storm just seems to be picking up, but at least with the downpour he no longer felt the warm spray of blood coating him rather than the paint, he just felt nothing at all. Well, nothing besides wanting to get the fuck home. Az really didn’t have the energy to fly up a mountain or winnowing through this even if it wouldn’t be his first time. But considering how often lightning hits the rocks rather than the surrounding city, crashing at the town house is easiest. It’s for the best, with it sitting empty now. At least he’d be alone. 

Az pauses mid-flight though, when he notices the lights already on inside. And the smoke rising from the chimney only to dissipate in the rain.

What the hell? Who would be dumb enough to break into their high lord and inner circle’s home? It’s not like it’s broadcasted who owns the house but it’s pretty common knowledge after this long. 

At least storms can be a great tool for his field of work, it’s almost a blessing in disguise he plans to use to its full advantage. Landing atop the roof as gently as possible, he ensures his wing beat blends in with the rain like it has hundreds of times before. Using his siphons to unlock the door and slipping inside, the creak of the hinge merely just a gust of wind as he shuts it behind him. 

That’s when the smell of jasmine and honey hits him so strongly he has to bite back his moan. But it seems like he was the only one who did. 

Because mixed within that scent ingrained in his brain, is Elain’s arousal. 

And she’s…

Oh fuck. 

Fuck fuck fuck fuck

[leslovesfatties]

Pt. 2: first flight

BHM/FFA fiction. I like a slow burn, in case you couldn’t tell.

Leslie

“Oh fuck,” he muttered.

“What’s wrong?”

“I can’t believe I forgot again. I need a seatbelt extender.” He noticed after I’d fastened mine.

“I got it,” I unbuckled the latch and stood before he could protest.

“Excuse me,” I shuffled past the middle aged woman and asked a flight attendant for one. She looked confused and I explained it was for my friend. I noticed her start to follow me so I mentioned “oh, he knows how to attach it. You don’t have to show us.”

“I’m sorry, but it’s our policy. I have to make sure it’s secure.”

I tense up knowing that he’ll likely be embarrassed, but at least I’m here this time.

His eyes darted from me to the flight attendant and I squeezed myself close to him, handing him the extender.

The flight attendant plastered on a smile while explaining how to attach it. Before she finished her sentence, Ian already had it attached.

“Ma’am? Ma’am! Before you go,” the older woman caught her. “Is it safe to fly with…passengers this overweight?” My blood began to boil and I put my hand on Ian’s leg.

The attendant smiled. “He’s perfectly fine, thanks for your concern.” At least she was good about it. “Well, can you move my seat to an available one?” The haggard woman tried shooting him a dirty look and I willed my eyes to burn a hole into her skull.

“You’re not even next to him,” I spewed. Ian’s face was pale and he didn’t say a word. I placed my hand in his and he squeezed as if to say he was okay.

“I’m sorry ma’am, but our flight is entirely booked. Have a nice flight.”

There we sat, hand in hand, his heart probably racing from embarrassment, and mine from rage. But neither one of us let go. My hands were clammy from my heart rate skyrocketing but I didn’t want to let go.

“You okay?”

“I’m fine.”

“Do things like that happen a lot?”

“More often than I’d like. This is my first time flying in two years,” he confessed.

“I’m so sorry.”

“It is what it is.” He replied matter of factly.

“Hey, it’s okay. I’m used to it.” He noticed my exasperation and he tried to cheer me up, but that last sentence wasn’t very reassuring.

“I always thought the movies exaggerated that sort of thing. Like, people can’t be that rude, can they?”

“You’d be surprised.” He scoffed.

We continued getting to know each other. He has two dogs, Macy and Dill (named after the pickle), works in software, and has an older brother and younger sister. He’s been bigger his whole life but recently “let it get out of control,” in his words.

“Will you take me to one?” I asked after he’d explained he had season tickets for hockey.

“Take you to a game?”

“Yeah! I want to see you again.” Even I surprised myself with my boldness.

“You do?” He tried making eye contact but I looked down to play with the strings on his hoodie.

“Yeah, I mean…I don’t know? Do you?”

“Of…of course.” I breathed a sigh of relief and looked up to see him smiling. I wrapped my arm around his middle, feeling his belly gently shake and sway with the turbulence. It was pure ecstasy.

“I want to see you before my trip ends.”

“I can make that happen. Where are you staying?”

“With my friend. If I tell her about you she’ll think I’m crazy,” I laughed to myself.

“I know. I can’t believe this is actually happening.” He sounded giddy which made me smile.

“We have to see each other again.” He stated.

“Yes. Let’s plan it! Right now.”

“Okay,” he let out a chuckle at my excitement.

There he was, sitting at the bar with what I guessed to be an old fashioned in hand. He was impossible to miss. Biggest in the room by far. He looked around for me and back at his phone.

“Hey big guy,” I tried to maintain my composure but my heart threatened to beat out of my chest. He swung around so fast.

“Hey!” He stood up to hug me properly. I’m pretty sure I saw stars.

“I can’t believe you’re here!” He yelled over the live music and I nodded eagerly.

“Me either!”

“Here,” he offered me his seat and called the bartender over. “Put it on my tab.” I smiled up at him, still in disbelief he was right here. I placed my hand on his side and he smiled.

“Oh my god, I missed you.” His words were like velvet.

“I missed you too,” I breathed. It was just as amazing as seeing him for the first time. He was just so big. He took up so much space, and damn if he didn’t look good tonight. Navy blue button down with the sleeves rolled up, khakis, and matching blue vans. His hair was slicked back but pieces fell in front of his face. He belonged on a cover of a big and tall magazine…are those a thing?

“You look amazing,” his breath was hot on my neck, leaning close to make sure he was heard over the music.

“Thank you. I was just thinking the same about you.” The lights were dim over the bar but I bet he blushed.

He placed his hand over the small of my back. “Wanna go outside? It’s a little quieter.

“Sure,” I nodded in agreement.

We found benches which were perfect.

“Cheers,” I initiated and we clinked glasses. “I’m still so nervous,” I confessed.

“You?! No, no, no.” He shook his head. “The gorgeous and fit one doesn’t get to be nervous,” he joked and it was my turn to blush. He put his arm around the back of my side of the bench and I used it as an excuse to scoot closer to him, our thighs barely touching.

“God, I feel like I look even bigger next to you.”

I marveled at it. He was massive. He took up so much real estate on the bench. Four people fit on the one across from us, but there was just enough room for the both of us on our side. It was a dizzyingly hot realization. His thigh was bigger than both of mine put together, and his belly hung low enough to force his legs apart. He leaned back and his belly splayed out in front of him, spilling over the waistband of his pants and sat prominently in his lap. From the front, there was no telling whether he had a belt on or not, but from the side, you could see a small sliver of brown which matched his brown leather watch on his thick wrist. His fat love handles squished out above his belt and went around his back. I’d wished he’d worn a lighter color so I could see and appreciate the curves, rolls, and slopes of his fat more.

“What?” He asked as my eyes lingered on his body for too long.

“Nothing.”

“Tell me.”

I leaned in to whisper “you look so good.” He scoffed. “You mean fat?” I felt my face flush immediately and he let out a true laugh.

“Really? That’s all it takes?”

I felt shy now and didn’t know what to say.

“It’s okay. I looked it up.” He what?

“You what?”

“Oh, I um, since you said you like bigger guys…I - I looked it up.” He started, waiting for some type of response. I nodded, silently urging him to continue.

“Well, I looked it up and-“ he hesitated. “Well, there’s a lot of stuff out there.” I nodded again, encouraging him. “There’s a Wikipedia page on fat fetishism. Is that, that’s a thing. Is it one of your…things?” Again, I nodded furtively. “You get off on fat guys?” He whispered. I almost laughed at how he worded it, but it was true.

“More or less, yes.” He paused to consider.

“Do you have a limit?”

“No, not really. As long as you’re mobile and active enough.”

“Am I…your type?”

“Are you kidding?! To a TEE!” He smiled broadly, cheeks turning a light shade of pink.

“Do you want to know how much I weigh?” I nodded, words escaping me.

“Too bad,” he deadpanned and I swatted his arm.

“That was mean, you tease!”

“I’m kidding!” He put his hands up defensively. “Last time I checked…” he glanced around to make sure no one was within earshot. “Four hundred fifteen.” I gulped. Fuck. Something about not knowing the exact number makes it even hotter. “I can’t believe I’m telling you this.” He said almost to himself.

I discreetly grabbed his side where his fat rolls over his waistband “oh my god,” was all I could muster.

“And I checked a while ago. I’m probably bigger now.” He said it so nonchalantly I genuinely don’t think he was trying to turn me on. He’s so preciously naïve and new to this.

“Oh my god. That’s so hot.”

“I can’t believe you think so.”

We were definitely a sight. My petite, athletic frame next to his obese body. I loved it. We sat in comfortable silence for a moment.

“Baby…” he whispered and I felt a wave of emotion wash over me.

“Baby” I leaned into him and we just sat there together. It felt right. His arm around me, my small frame settling into him. It felt like the thing I’d been missing had clicked into place. We held each other like this for a little while. His whiskey soaked breath soaking into my hair as I leaned against him. His large, pudgy fingers drawing figure eights on my arm. I draped my arm over his middle, still shocked at the size. My friend texted me:

I snuck in to snoop and make sure u were ok. You both look so happy. Text me when ur done. ily.

I smiled and showed Ian. “That’s a good friend. And I’m glad she thinks we look cute.”

“She said happy.” I teased.

“Same thing.”

“So I was thinking…” he started, ready to gauge my expression.

“Hmm?”

He shifted in his seat. “Quite frankly, I’m not ready for tonight to end. Maybe we get a hotel?”

I glanced up to make sure he wasn’t kidding, but his tone was serious. Butterflies started swarming my stomach.

“Really?”

“Only if you’re comfortable with it.” I pondered it. I could share my location with my friend and I wouldn’t be at his house; I’d be somewhere more public. “You don’t have to answer right now,” he assured.

We continued talking and laughing, and as it got later, the more I dreaded leaving. We looked up available hotels and I called my friend to let her know.

“Is this really happening?” I ask. I feel like I’m still dreaming as we close out our tab.

“I can’t believe it either.” The bar is busier the later it gets and I’m standing in front of him, his belly slightly pressing into my back. It feels heavenly. I turn to face him while we wait for the check and he steps back slightly. I must’ve frowned because he asked what was wrong.

“Come here.” I reached for him and he chuckled, stepping forward just enough so his belly barely touched me.

“Sorry, I’m still not used to that.”

I felt like the only two people in that bar, despite conversations tumbling around us and bar orders being barked. I put my hands gently on his sides and he drew me into his arms.

“Hey” he whispered.

“Hey,” I looked up, mesmerized. A few seconds (that felt much, much longer) later, he tilted my chin up and his thumb caressed my cheek. I leaned into it like a dog being scratched and placed my hand over his.

“You’re so beautiful.” Now bashful, I looked away. When I looked up, he held my gaze.

Two people left and offered us their seats, which Ian was happy to take to get off his feet. I placed my hand on his thigh and he stopped bouncing it.

“Sorry.”

“Stop saying sorry.” He smiled.

The stools were so close to each other considering two average sized people were previously on them. His huge leg touched mine and I leaned in slightly closer. He moved so he was facing me and tucked a stray hair behind my ear. This is it, I willed it to be. The next moment, his hand gingerly crept up the back of my neck and cradling my head, he drew me to his lips. Our lips found each other’s and I saw stars. It was a soft, furtive, meaningful kiss. Alcohol lingered on our breath as we stopped, foreheads pressed together, hearts racing. Tender, yet electrifying. It was a kiss that shut the world off as if we were the only two in the room.

We both sat there smiling like two kids sharing a first kiss.

He thanked the bartender and left a considerable tip, and with that, we left hand in hand. He opened the car door for me like a perfect gentleman and heavily plopped himself into the drivers seat, his belly just grazing the wheel. Once we’re buckled in he leans over to kiss my cheek.

“God, I’m so happy,” he sighs. My mouth immediately curls into a smile in return.

“Me too.” I still can’t believe this is real.

He puts directions in for the hotel and pauses.

“Should we - should we stop at McDonald’s first or something? I don’t really know how this works.”

“How what works?”

“Oh, um,” he licked his lips, struggling to elaborate. “You know, since you like…do you like…?” And it clicked. He was doing this for me.

“Oh, oh! Um, well I’ve never actually been with a bigger guy before.”

“You what?” He asked incredulously.

“Yeah, well, it’s hard finding guys who are my type.” And he laughed.

“Wait really? This is your first time ever?” He emphasized “ever,” clearly still having a hard time believing me.

“I mean, with a big guy, yeah.”

“Are - are you sure…do you think you’ll like it?”

“Of course!” I practically yelled. “But I don’t know what I’m doing, either.” I confessed and we both couldn’t help but laugh.

“I want to make your fantasies come true.” He looked at me seriously. I didn’t know what to say. He was serious; I could tell.

“What’s something you’ve always wanted to do?” I could feel my face flush. He was willing to try, despite not sharing this kink. I took a second to gather my composure. My gaze found his belly.

“Can I…?” I watched him for a reaction as I slowly reached over, placing my hand on his belly. He didn’t respond so I kept going. I gently tugged at the fabric of his shirt to expose his belly, but it was stuck under his overhang. He helped pull it so his pale belly was slightly exposed.

“This?” I nodded, my hand rewarded with soft flesh.

“Wow,” I murmured to myself. He looked around to make sure no one was leaving the bar as his belly was on full display now. I gently began pressing my fingers into the soft adipose, still gauging his reaction. He still gripped the sides of his shirt in hand in case he quickly needed to cover back up.

“This is so hot.” He stifled a laugh.

“I’m glad you think so.”

“McDonald’s?” I asked, and he smirked.

Ian

I sped out of the parking lot, Leslie’s hand grabbing a handful of my stomach, or belly, as she affectionally calls it. I pull up to the McDonalds window and ask Leslie what I should get.

“Oh, I get to choose?”

“Sure, why not?”

“Just a moment,” he relays through the speaker.

Leslie scans the menu meticulously and whispers “do you like nuggets or burgers?”

“Both.” She smiled coyly at my response.

“Okay…Big Mac meal. A quarter pounder. Hmm. Nuggets.”

“How many?” I cut her off.

“Twenty? Is that a lot?” I smiled. She had no idea how much I could eat.

“Sure.”

“An extra order of fries. Large. Oh, and a milkshake or something…large.”

“Is that all, baby?” I watched her cheeks turn a light shade of crimson.

“I can eat more,” I pressed. She nodded, unable to speak.

“Uh, do you like chicken?” I nodded.

“A McChicken and another cheeseburger. Double cheeseburger. Double cheeseburger meal.”

I obliged and ordered everything she’d asked me to. I was nervous but excited to see her reaction. They handed me two bags filled to the brim and handed me two large cokes and a large chocolate shake. I just about drove away when they handed me another bag just for the fries.

“Jesus,” I mumbled under my breath.

“I hope you’re hungry,” Leslie purred.

“Oh, I bet you do,” I retorted.

On our way to the hotel, Leslie pulled out the bag with the fries. “You don’t want them to get cold,” she held a few towards my mouth and I opened willingly.

“Oh God, that’s good.” I didn’t mean to turn her on, but she looked at me almost as hungrily as I looked at the fries. She continued feeding me until we parked at the hotel.

My heart started banging in my chest, realizing this was actually about to happen. We didn’t have any bags besides the McDonalds ones. Were we just supposed to bring them in?

“Um, I guess I’ll check in if you want to wait in the car and we’ll bring the food in after?” I tried devising a plan, and she nodded in agreement.

“Cool. Be right back.”

Nervously, I fumbled for my ID and credit card and handed it to the front desk clerk. He handed me the cards and I met Leslie at the car which smelled of greasy fast food.

“Hey.”

“Hey.”

“You ready?” I opened the car door for her and she handed me the bags stained with grease marks.

“Ready.” My free hand held hers and my other arm bear hugged the food. We ushered past the front desk and the energy was electric. Once inside the elevator, Leslie pressed her arm around my middle and I kissed the top of her head. I almost dropped the keycard in my excitement trying to open the door. Leslie flicked on the lights with her free hand and I let go of her other hand to set the food down on the desk.

“Hey,” she whispered.

“Hey,” I returned, heart racing. I gently grabbed her waist and she tried wrapping her arms around me, getting nowhere close.

“Your food’s going to get cold.”

“Right.” I sat down at the desk chair, the metal creaking under my weight.

“So, how do we do this?” I asked innocently.

“I don’t know,” Leslie admitted, chuckling.

“Come here,” I outstretched my arms for her to sit on my lap. There was hardly any room with my belly overflowing onto my lap, but she sat daintily to the side on one of my thighs and placed her hand on my belly.

“Do you want to…feed me?” I asked timidly. She nodded, reaching for a bag. Unsure, she unwrapped the double cheeseburger and held it to my lips. Our eyes carefully watched each others’ reactions.

“Oh, that’s so good,” my words muffled by the mouthful. I opened my mouth after I’d finished the first bite and she delicately brought the burger back to my lips. Methodically, I chewed and swallowed, still trying to gauge her reaction. She gently placed her free hand on the side of my belly and I placed my hand on top of hers, letting her know it was okay.

“Would you be more comfortable on the couch?” She suggested.

“Sure,” I heaved myself out of the chair and followed her lead. The couch was much more comfortable, and she straddled me this time.

“Oh, hey.”

“Hi,” she barely squeaked, burger in hand. I opened my mouth again and took a bigger bite.

“Is this okay for you?” She asked. I nodded, mouth too full to speak.

She began rubbing my belly, then gently squeezing my love handle which spilled over my waistband. I’d never been touched like this before. My body sought after, craved, a sensual morsel ready to be devoured.

“Can you…unbutton your shirt?”

“Oh” I was caught off guard. “Sure.” She put the burger down and moved to the chair across from me, eagerly watching. I started at the top, pudgy fingers struggling to unbutton it.

“Dammit,” I muttered under my breath. I looked up and she was still intently watching.

First one, then the second, finally the third. My eyes carefully watching hers, glued to each button. My chest was out on full display and my heart rate quickened with each button I undid, hoping this is was what she had hoped for. I finally reached the last button and my belly pooled into my lap, well over my waistband.

“So, yeah…” I didn’t know what to say. Her eyes scoured over me, taking in everything. Suddenly, my face went hot and I felt self conscious. My body had never been scrutinized like this before.

“Oh my god,” she said to herself. “You’re perfect.” I’m sure my heart skipped a beat in that moment. She stood up and knelt on the floor between my legs, softly scratching my belly with her nails. I was frozen. Normally I’d try to suck in or pull my shirt together, but I was stunned. Her nails traversed over my body and she opened my shirt a little wider. I sat up off of the back of the couch so she could more easily manipulate the fabric.

“Is this okay?” I felt nauseous for a second.

“You’re fucking perfect.” She pried her eyes off of my body to look me in the eye. “This is amazing,” she sounded awestruck and I couldn’t move, could barely breathe. “Your body is perfect.” Her nails dug into my fat sides and I winced.

“Sorry,” she pulled her hands away and I put them back.

“It’s okay.”

Leslie

I felt like I was going to pass out. How long was I holding my breath for? Oh my god. This can’t be happening. This isn’t real. I don’t want to wake up. But he’s here, in front of me, shirt wide open, flabby belly on display. Utter perfection. Evidently my brain had stopped working, but my hands hadn’t. The sensation of his fat under my my hands was enough to push me over the fucking edge. No amount of daydreaming could have prepared me for the sensation of soft fat squished between my fingers.

“Are you okay?” He looked flushed.

“Yes,” he managed.

“What do you want?” I asked.

“I - I want you to touch me.”

I obliged, happily. It was slow, intense, uncertain, and briefly nerve-racking. Each of us trying desperately to read the other.

“What are you thinking?” I ask.

“That I can’t believe this is happening,” he replied. Yeah, me either.

A smile crept onto my lips and I maintained eye contact as my lips descended to his belly. Pure ecstasy. My lips were met with the softest, doughiest, most sinfully pleasant feeling. I pressed in hard, kissing his belly with fervor. His breath hitched and I shot up.

“Is that okay? I’m sorry.”

“No, don’t apologize,” he sounded like he just caught his breath. “I like it.” He guided my lips back to his belly. I couldn’t stop adorning it with kisses, pressing my lips into the fattest parts, feeling his fat bounce back. My hands instinctively found his love handles and squeezed, willing his body closer to my lips. I wanted all of him. He pressed my face in further, soft moans escaping now and then, making me even more ravenous for him.

“Take off your shirt.” I commanded when I came up for air. Without hesitation, he shrugged it off and grabbed me, pulling me on top of him, hesitation out the window. He kissed me hard and we were both breathless, moaning quietly into each other’s mouths. His hands crept up and unhooked my bra as my hands lifted his overhang and squeezed mercilessly.

“God, you’re so fucking fat.”

“You fucking love it.” I moaned in response. In my stupor, I started grinding onto his belly and he pulled me in as if trying to get me closer. He picked me up and threw me onto the bed with ease. I scooted up to give him ample room and reached for him, his belly hanging over me. The bed creaked and groaned in protest of his weight which only turned me on more. “God, yes,” I was a breathless mess. He struggled to hold his own weight up over me and he began sweating, his breathing almost a wheeze. I doubt he’s exerted himself like this in a long time.

“I can’t…hold myself up like this…for long,” he struggled.

“Crush me.”

“What?” He paused.

“Crush me. I want to feel your weight on me.”

“Baby…that, that might hurt.”

“Please,” I arched my back, trying to force my body into his more and clawed into his back. He scoffed.

“You’re not that strong, baby.” He teased. “Are you sure?”

“Yes. Please, I’m begging you.” He got up from all fours and sat up, looming over me. His pants were still on and stretched dangerously in this position.

“Okay…but tap me or something if it’s too much.” I nodded, silently promising.

He slowly eased himself on top of me and I saw stars from a combination of his weight and from being so hopelessly turned on. He quickly came back up.

“Was that okay?” I gasped, filling my lungs with the air he’d squeezed out.

“Amazing,” I was surprised I could even speak, my hands again reaching for his fat back, squeezing his fat love handles and attempting to push him on top of me again. He rolled onto his side, more like collapsed, a bead of sweat rolling down his forehead.

“Sorry,” he breathed. “I’m so out of shape.” Again, I was voracious for him. I practically lunged for his fat. Laying on his side, his belly spilled out onto the mattress and covered my leg.

“That’s so hot,” I bit my lip, unable to contain myself. I grabbed his fat roll just below his moobs and squeezed it, his eyes searching mine to make sure it was still okay. I couldn’t keep my hands off of him. Every inch of fat begged to be touched, prodded, squeezed, appreciated, reveled…and there were so many inches. I squished my slim body against his as we laid facing each other, the sensation of his soft, warm fat against my toned body driving me absolutely insane. We were feral. When he’d finally have enough strengths to buck his hips, his fat belly rippled and jiggled into me. He tried desperately to hump me but his giant belly was in the way. He kept trying and it added to my desperation for him. Lying on my side, I cupped his belly and forced it onto my clit. We were both so ravenous we hadn’t even finished taking off our clothes. I sat up and quickly tore off my jeans and shirt. He, on the other hand, took a bit longer. Sitting up, his belly covered his pants and he lifted his belly with one hand, searching blindly for his belt with the other. Immediately, I came to the rescue. He lifted his belly while I yanked his belt and finally managed to undo it.

“Fuck, come on,” he was getting impatient, but I was relishing in it.

“So fat you can’t even take off your pants without help.” His brows furrowed with concentration as he felt for the button. His pants must’ve been tight because once the button was undone, the zipper instantly unzipped.

He spat on his finger and instinctively pulled my thong to the side.

“I just want your body,” I moved his hand away and he nodded.

“You’re that obsessed with my body, huh?” He teased. “Gonna cum from my fat?” I nodded madly. “Do it, then,” he challenged, lying down on the bed. I climbed on top and straddled him, shocked at how far my legs had to spread to allow for his massive body to fit in between.

“So fucking fat,” I moaned, gripping his fat moobs as I bucked my hips on his belly overflowing with fat. Somehow he was still sweating despite me being on top. His hands gripped my hips and pushed me further into his belly, urging me to cum.

“That’s…right…baby,” he was utterly breathless, fat swaying and jiggling mercilessly as I rocked my hips on him. “Use my fat body to make yourself cum.” It came out almost as if it was one word, too much exertion being used up for more important things, like shaking his fat body.

I bit down on his fat roll to silence my orgasm, squeezing his fat love handles mercilessly.

“Oh my GOD.” We were both panting and my legs shook as I rolled off and beside him. “Such a good fatty,” I breathed into the mattress.

“Oh my god,” his chest rose and fell dramatically and he rolled over onto his side, fat belly pooling over me. I couldn’t help but laugh. Holy shit. That just happened.

He removed his glasses and rubbed his eyes.

“I can’t believe you just came on my belly.”

My cheeks reddened. “Me either.”

He held me for a moment and I whispered “your turn,” to which he propped himself up.

“Oh yeah?”

“Yeah, but you have to finish eating.”

He looked at me deviously and placed my hand over his belly. “Only if you feed it to me.”

[mrssoapmactavish]

fight or flight

"you know what they say about stress responses, right? fight or flight reaction, and all that?" "knowing you, it's fight, flight, or fuck." "you're not too far off."

this will be a multi-part fic, all based in the stranger things universe! my writing style may make some of the characters be a bit... off, but i promise you, i'm trying my best for this!

as always, the only thing i claim to own in this planned series of works is the writing itself. i do not own any of the characers!

consider this basically a prologue, an intro for the whole shebang.

hawkins sounded like a bad idea from the get-go. obviously, she never wanted to leave her home in the first place, but she'd reckoned that leaving with her family would make things feel a bit more palatable. if her family didn't consist of her dad, her step-mom, her brother, and maxine, maybe that would've been true.

her and billy only had a year apart between the two of them, meaning that she's always been close to william hargrove, but they couldn't be any different. billy's been masking his anger with their dad with parties, popularity, and endless drinking and smokes. herself? she drowned out the sounds of shouting and anger with heavy drums, intense guitar solos, and gravelly-voiced singers who screech out prose.

in california, they were called 'bonnie and clyde' as siblings. now, though? she wanted nothing to do with him. the only things they have in common, in her opinion, are their last name, and their drive to drown their daddy issues in tail. on the drive to hawkins high this morning, all she wants to do is open the car door and jump out.

max and billy are bickering– at least max got the family temper, it keeps her on the same level as her and billy– and she's just trying to touch-up her mascara in the side mirror, making sure she looks somewhat presentable.

"keepin' your eyes glued to yourself that long, might as well figure out how you can marry yourself," billy snarks over, looking at his sister who merely glares at him. the boy gives a cheeky grin, knowing his sister like the back of his hand, as if he hadn't just parroted what she'd said to him much earlier before leaving the house, when he had been styling his hair properly.

"oh, please, billy boy," she sighs, scrunching her curled hair to maintain the boisterous volume that she had given it. "you would marry yourself, if you could. you'd need a good divorce lawyer, though, with how much you sleep around." she can feel her brother's glare burning holes in the side of her head, but she knows he won't do anything. it's one of the benefits of looking so much like their mom; pour on the honey-sweet tone, dial up the niceities and he'll be unable to do anything but grumble to himself.

billy, in fact, opens his mouth, ready to retort and snap back at his sister, but they pull up to hawkins high before he can even say a single word. it's already a lot, really; she can close her eyes and picture being back in california, walking into school, hearing the airheaded blondes and the sophomore year-peaking boys who think they're nothing less than gods.

as strange as it is, she misses home. misses the bright warmth and the sun, misses the malls and busy streets. anything to get away from the smell of cow shit, empty plains, and the fall chill that she's definitely needing to adjust to.

before she gets out of her brothers car– max has already slammed the car door, huffing and barking back at billy for telling her to come straight to the car afterschool– she puts on a new layer of her bright red lipgloss, the kind that used to have boys melt and bend at the knee, and would occasionally end up smeared on their cheeks and necks, if they were the lucky ones.

slinging her bag over her shoulder, she finally gets out of the car. she can feel all the envious eyes of girls standing against their boyfriends vehicles already looking at her brother like a piece of meat. it irritates her, even if she knows the men are doing the same, and billy no doubt has the same anger bubbling up inside him.

"keep that skirt on and no hands sneaking under it," her brother grumbles, right before giving the ladies his signature grin, the one that she had always referred to as his 'lure' grin. the one he'll give a girl to drag her home, rock her world, then never talk to her again. the one that leaves a trail of broken hearts and dropped panties in its wake.

"keep your pants on and your fly up, then," she snaps back, already making her way forwards and into the school. she can hear all the wolf-whistles and all the endless chatter from the boys about how short that skirt of hers is, how she'll freeze to death if she doesn't 'huddle up' with them, not to mention how many are already talking about how easy it'd be to creep their way closer to her.

sure, sex is great and all, but something about being trivialized as some trophy is... sickening. so, obviously the girl is keeping her wits about her, ignoring all the comments for now, even if each pair of eyes should be ripped form their heads for looking at her so lowly. she knows her own value; she's been called a goddess in bed before, and that was by some half-drunk loser in california, but it rung true. she is that worthy of praise, worship, devotion.

one set of eyes, however, doesn't go down to her skirt and stay on her legs. it doesn't even stray past the leather jacket on her shoulders– her brothers, she admits, but she'd never been one to even acknowledge her brother being able to have things for himself– and she finds it.. oddly satisfying. rewarding, almost, like there's at least one person in hawkins high not ogling her.

it's an entirely new kind of attention, to be quite honest, and she has no idea how to really react to it. whether she's meant to lash out, cry against the world for being oh, so cruel to her angry, warped soul to have someone eye her with something other than envy or pure want– or if she's meant to fawn, to gravitate towards the only person treating her like a human being, and to get herself involved in some hallmark whirlwind highschool romance.

either way, she sees who the gaze is connected to, and she'd be lying if she said she expected the person to be. he's one of the pretty boy types, she deduces; popular, on some kind of school sports team most definitely the captain, the air-headed kind to ignore between classes and pray she'd never be paired with for an assignment.

though, the soft, big, doe-eyes that seem fixated on her are quite the sight, and the strong jaw, defined nose, the smattering of birth and beauty marks across his face seem to give him this uncharacteristically human trait, compared to the very stereotype she's predicted.

she narrows her brows, giving a cold, hardened gaze; she aims to show she's not socialized, so to speak, that the black and red composition of her outfit reeks of femme fatale, a black widow type, engage at your own risk. but there's no such luck, as the fluffy haired tom cruise type makes his way towards her, confident and quick in his gait, even if there's a lack of spcial awareness reeking of a clumsy demure.

"hey there, little lady," the boy hums, gaze staying on her face, almost as if calculating how she's reacting to him, but he quite obviously doesn't know that she's well-versed from the years of torment and anguish at home to keep her emotions to herself, off of her face. "you're new here, so welcome to hawkins high. you need a tour guide, you just look around for steve harrington, i'll show you all around."

so he can't take a hint.

"mm," is all she responds with, very openly and shamelessly eyeing the man up and down, as if sizing him up to intimidate him. the man shifts from one foot to the other, hip cocked and head quirked; he's not picking up on the fact that she's trying to dismiss him.

"saw you with that guy in the camaro and the red-head, you guys look like quite the family," he continues to talk, prying, to see if she'll do more than just vocalize around her. alas, she just rolls her eyes at him, and he still doesn't seem offended, taken aback, or even remotely disinterested. so, she relents.

"i'll find you if i need you, harrington. name fits that crown of yours," she tells him. the way his brows raise is subtle. he's surprised, but not off-put. another comment about the hair, water off a duck's back, it seems. "i'll be fine figuring it out myself for now."

trained to follow subtle hints in body language from years of cowering, blocking out the sounds of her older brother being treated like no better than a dog, she notes the slight drop in his shoulders. not entirely, a momentary defeat for him, but he still holds out hope.

"yeah, alright," he responds, hands removing themselves from his hips, posture straightening, eyes going over her shoulder to look around, looking for his friends no doubt. "i'll be around–" the pause, an expectant gaze.

ah, right. names, such a fickle things, things she would prefer to not share, like pleasantries, pillowtalk, and whatever cheap shit booze she can sneak from her dad.

"you can stick with hargrove for now." she tells him, and god forbid the smile that graces his face. so that's what he is– a classic soft, popular guy. layers of issues, no doubt, but far too many to point out in particular, at least for now.

with a quirk at his lips into a somewhat playful smirk and a flick of the single coif of hair dropping into his face, he decides to push once more for now. "cherry it is, then. cherry hargrove."

a twinge of anger, at least that's what she can place it as. this man has no idea what he's getting into.

[lostdreamr-blog1]

Double Trouble Seresin Sister Part 2

Warnings: swearing, mentions of the past, typical Hangman

Pairings: Bradley “Rooster” Bradshaw x Reader, Jake “Hangman” Seresin x Sister Reader

Word count: 1.6k

Summary: Y/N “Nyx” Seresin is called back to the one place she never thought she’d go back to, Top Gun. You had zero idea what was so urgent that needed not only you, but the other best pilots to come out of the academy. Mixed feelings came about when your brother, Jake, is also called back. Being MIA the last year put a strain on your relationship, but a certain pilot is there to help you through it all.  

A/N: Hi everyone! Apologizes for the delay in getting part 2 out. I have so many ideas for this story and cannot wait for you all to read it! As always, my inbox is open for requests, questions, or a simple “hello”. Thank you so much for reading!!!

Part 1

Bradley met you outside the locker room and one look told you he knew exactly what went down out there. You brushed past him, narrowly missing his shoulder, “I don’t want to hear it.”

He threw his hands up in surrender, “Didn’t say anything.” While he was technically correct, you could read him like a book. It was day one and you and your brother were already going at it. Something he told you to avoid.

You went to open the door of the women’s locker room, but stopped and asked, “Can we go for a drive?”

His face softened at the request, and he nodded his head, “Of course. I’ll be right out here.”

Back when the two of you were stationed together, you found yourselves going on drives regularly. It first started out when you had a particularly rough day and he wanted to get you out of there before you started swinging at people above your rank. But it slowly morphed into an activity the two of you shared.

Good days and bad, being on the road with Bradley cleared your mind and it was something you were eternally grateful for.

 After changing out of your flight gear and taking a quick shower, you found yourself walking out of the base and into the old Bronco.

“How is this thing still running?” A simple question you knew would rile him up.

“I will drop you on the side of the road if you continue to dis my car. You know I keep her in perfect condition.” It was true. You knew men liked their cars, but Bradley took it to a whole new level.

The pair of you drove in silence for a good while, but you knew you had to break the silence eventually. Bradley was giving you time to work whatever it was out but knew he would be expecting an explanation soon.

“I didn’t think it would be this hard seeing him again.” Your focus was out the side window, but you saw his head turn towards you at your sudden admission.

“The two of you were close before, right?” You sighed at his question and nodded your head.

“We used to be best friends.” You knew his next question without him having to ask.

“What happened? You never did tell me much about your family when we met.” You turned and smirked at him.

“I didn’t think you would want to hear about my brother.” He chuckled and shook his head, “Well now something is clearly bothering you and I want to know how to fix it.”

Your heart swelled at what he said, and you had to turn your attention back to the window to hide the blush that crept up.

“I’m not the socially perfect southern bell my ma wanted me to be. The high-class social events were never something I wanted to be a part of. Don’t get me wrong, she supportive of my job and anything I did growing up, but she doesn’t get it. Not like my dad does. But at the same time, my dad is very old school and even though I’m his little girl, I’m in a man’s job and that caused a few issues between us. So, between my sisters being what my ma wants and Jake being what my dad wants, I’ve always been on the outside. But Jake was always there for me. He always made a point to include me in everything he did and even when I got into the Navy, he helped me through my rough patches. I can’t even begin to tell you the number of late-night calls he got due to me freaking out over something so small. But he never once made me feel like I was below him.”

You stopped to take a deep breath, trying to find the words to explain this next part. “You saw what happened last year. If Jake ever found out, I feel like his view of me would change. His baby sister went through hell, and I don’t know if it would lead him to hurt or disappointment.”

Bradley shook his head, “Why would he be disappointed? It wasn’t something that was your fault.”

You closed your eyes and leaned your head onto the seat behind you. “Because I’ve changed. I’m not the same person I was before that mission, and you know it. I just don’t think I can deal with my brother knowing that fact as well.”

Bradley huffed out a breath, “So pushing him away is the answer?” It wasn’t the best option, but how can you deal with disappointing someone when you don’t give them the chance to? You were already an outsider to the rest of your family. You couldn’t live with yourself if Jake distanced himself on his own terms. This way you save yourself some of that hurt.

You were pulled out of your thoughts when a hand grabbed yours and squeezed. “Let me ask you one more question and then I’ll drop it. Do you think your brother is going to let you walk away from him?”

You knew he wouldn’t let you. No matter how hard you try to keep him at arm’s length, he was going to keep pushing forward.

You both arrived back at the dorms well after the sun went down and parted ways. While being back at TopGun opened some old wounds, being back with Bradley was something you weren’t going to take for granted. No matter how short of time it may be.

You managed to slip back into your room without running into anyone from the team and you sent up a silent prayer for that. After the day you had, you didn’t have it in you to keep your walls up. It was one thing living up to your last name on a normal basis, but having your brother here meant you needed to work harder. An exhausting task to say the least

Rushing through your nighttime routine, you were able to get into bed before midnight, having sleep take over in seconds. And as much as you were thankful for the quick onset, you were awake a few hours later.

Nightmares were a normal occurrence for you this last year. But waking up drenched in sweat, gasping for air was not something you would ever get used to.

You fired off a quick text to Bradley to see if he was awake. After your accident in Guam, the two of you were stationed together during your recovery. Which allowed you to quickly find comfort in the pilot. You wouldn’t admit it out loud, but Bradley was home. And in this moment, you were craving any kind of comfort you could get.

A few minutes went by, and your phone showed no signs of life. You knew if you called him, he would wake up. But with training starting so early, you figured it would be too cruel to do that to him. No matter how many times he said it was okay.

Resorting to plan B, you got out of bed and headed out of your room to the kitchen to find any sort of warm beverage. At home, you always kept tea packets with you for these exact moments. But with the last-minute call back, you didn’t have time to pack any, leaving you to hope that someone brought a box.

You searched through the cabinets as quietly as you could but came up empty handed. Your anxiety was starting to creep back in from your nightmare and knew you needed to do something soon or else you would have a full-blown panic attack. With little to no options, you found yourself walking back down the hall, knocking on a door that was a few down from yours.

It didn’t take long for the person to open it and find you standing there, puffy eyed and trembling.

“Y/N, what happened? What’s wrong?” Your brother looked absolutely terrified in that moment, not knowing what to do.

“I-I just need a distraction. Or to not be alone.” His panic slowly changed into understanding as he opened the door for you to walk in. The second he closed the door he pulled you into a tight embrace.

It didn’t take long for the pent-up emotions to work their way out. Tears started flowing down your cheeks and you clung onto your brother for dear life. One of his hands was in your hair, holding your head against his chest while the other one rubbed slow circles on your back.

“Let it out, sweetheart. I got you.” It was those simple words that made your heart ache. Growing up, you always went to your brother when you were hurting. Whether it was after a nightmare or a bad day, you always went to him for love and support.

You stood there and cried over many different things. The nightmare you can’t ever seem to run away from. Selfishly pushing your brother away for the past year. And the possibility of causing irreversible damage to the relationship with the one person who has always been there for you.

What if things didn’t go back to how they were before the accident? What if after opening up to your brother, he resents you for not telling him sooner? In your moment of weakness, you managed to either take a step in the right direction or start the downward spiral of losing your brother for good.

Thoughts? Comments? Thank you for reading!!

-Chelsea

Tag List: @mrsjobarnes

[starkandthewaynes]

Bengal & Lynx

Ch. 1

"Kyo, I think this final is gonna drive me insane." Lennox says to her cat, who looked at them and then just bit their laptop. "I know, you don't like it either." Lennox says as they get their phone out for a picture. They quickly took to Insta, but just shook their head.

Jason was right only 3 more days until Kyo and them were on a plane to Gotham City, New Jersey. They couldn't wait. Last time they had seen Jay, he hadn't died. When he did die, Bruce hadn't known what to do with Lennox so he shipped them off to boarding school in London, England. Yeah, that hadn't been a fun time for anyone. Dick had reached out several times, but it had turned into more of an annoyance than a help.

And when Jay did return to the land of the living, and re-joined the family, Lennox had also changed. They had always been able to see shades and ghosts, but when they moved to London, it had gotten worse, and this side of the pond the best person they could call was John Constantine. That had been a fun phone call.

"No way kid, I am not teaching you magic, I didn't even teach your brother, I ain't teaching you." John had said on the phone, but then they'd replied with; "Uncle Johnny, please, I keep seeing shit in the teacher's lounges. I need help." Who knew Johnathon Constantine, Hellblazer, Laughing Magician, Conman had a weak spot for kids who had supernatural gifts.

Lennox shook their head, thinking about the past was not going to help them study for their last final, or help them pack for summer. Luckily they didn't have to pack up the whole flat, Bruce had bought it for them. Nah, they were just heading to Gotham for the summer, before they came back for their senior year of college. Sure they were graduating early, but they had a plan for after school. They we're gonna help run the Bengel & Lynx foundation, a subject of the Martha Wayne Foundation that helped impoverished areas get help for local theatres and libraries. It's why they were triple majoring in Theatre, English, and business, while also minoring in art and history. Or They will once they pass these finals then two more semesters.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Lennox was checking everything to make sure they had everything. Kyo was already in his little bag ready for the flight. He was so cute and ready. They took a picture. They couldn't help it, their Instagram page was practically dedicated to Kyo, at this point they really should just make it his page, but then all the press would get uppity. The only bad thing about having Wayne attached to Pierce was the press.

Lennox laughed. They had met Steph when she, Duke, and Cas had come over to London with Tim on a business trip. Or at least that was the official public story. The real reason was Spoiler, Orphan, and Signal had a joint case. It was still a fun trip where Lennox had gotten to meet their older sister and younger brother and pseudo sister.

Lennox took a cab to the airport, just because their family had money doesn't mean they needed to use the private jet. As soon as they were through security and on the plane, they could finally relax. They pulled out an old warn copy of Treasure Island, a comfort story.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Lennox liked Jay's, duke's and Tim's tweets as they picked up their bags, and looked around for Jason. They heard a loud engine and saw a pretty badass bike show up. They driver skided into park, got off and held up a sign. Lennox couldn't help but cackle as they read it. In Jason's chicken scratch blown up were the word's "Welcome Home, Lynx!" They loved and missed their twin so much. They couldn't help it when they ran into his arms. "Bengal!" They shrieked as hepicked them up, careful of Kyo, and spun them around. "I missed you so much, Lynx." He whispers as the two just stand in one another's presence. "By the way, do you know how to ride a bike?" Jay asks, grabbing their bags. They chuckle. "Yeah, Bengal, I know how to ride a bike; Dickie made sure of it." So did working with Cinstantine, made for quick getaways. Lennox adds in their head. "Right." He says, handing them a spare helmet.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------"You totally forgot Bruce had all of us on twitter, didn't you?" Lennox asks, Jay, Dick and them are in the family room. "I tried getting him to stop, but he was being Jason." Dick whines, as three of the oldest Waynes sigh. "How long you think we got?" Lennox asks, as Dick looks at his watch. "Well, Bruce tweeted that 30 seconds ago, so I think we got probably-" "Twins! Dick! Study now!" "Now, we got until now." Dick sighs, getting up. On the way there they passed by the others, who were snickering. They weren't in trouble.

"You three wanna tell me something?" Bruce asks, as the three kids rock back and forth on their toes. "I'm graduating next winter?" Lennox tries, as the three men stare at Lennox. "You have been working hard huh?" Jay asks as they shrug. "Got myself a plan Bengal, and Tim's been helping me get a jump start." Lennox says, as Bruce nods. "I wanna hear when we're done here, Lynx." Jay says as Lennox nods. "

Yes, well, firstly I wanna know how old you all were." Bruce says as Lennox smiles. "Well, Bengal and I weren't here that's for sure." Lennox says as Jay turns wide eyed. "What are you doing?" He hisses as Lennox just smiles. "What?" Bruce asks, as Lennox nods. "Yeah, it's what happens when you grow up in the Alley, cigs are just apart of the ambiance. So yeah, Jay bought us our first pack three days before you picked us up, we we're celebrating that we had gotten ourselves a job." Lennox says as Bruce stiffens up, just like Lennox knew he would. Bruce doesn't like to be reminded of how hard some of his kids have had it. They walk out of the study, and all their siblings are staring. "Check Twitter." Is all Dick says

Yes this is another new batfam smau I need to spice things up sometimes leave everyone on their toes (PS if you saw this earlier no you didn't)

Next

Masterlist

[lustheavens]

For Both Our Sakes part 3 - Vincenzo Ricci x reader

Summary: After everything that happened with your now deceased boyfriend and the fight with your brother Vincenzo the day is finally here to escape the threatening grasp of the Salieri family. Having taken your brother’s advice very seriously to get the hell out of Lost Heaven, you are now minutes away from your goal. However, the mafia always seem to be one step ahead and in this case…it’s your own flesh and blood.

Warnings: Angst.

A/N: Hello! So I finally got around to finish the last part of a previous fic that I made where Vincenzo’s sister was dating Sergio Morello. I really wanted to do my best but at the same time it’s been sitting in my drafts for so long so I kind of just wanted to finally post it. So sorry if it’s a bit rushed 😵‍💫 Anyway, hope you enjoy!

You throw one last look over your shoulder to reassure yourself that nobody has been following you before jumping into the taxi that will take you to Lost Heaven Airport. As you’ve put your seatbelt on you lean closer to the front seat row to make sure the driver hears your properly. “Lost Heaven Airport, please.” You say, the words coming out a bit more rushed than you had hoped. So many things are currently running through your mind making it ten times harder to focus on one thing at a time. “It’s urgent.” You add. The driver nods his head and before you know it you’re being escorted out of the city. You try to get comfortable in your seat hoping to find some kind of consolation in the scenery passing by outside the window. You let out a deep sigh while unconsciously biting on your nails nervously. This will be it. You promised your brother to leave Lost Heaven for good and never come back - that is if you want to stay alive. A part of you can’t help but worry about your brother. What will they do to him? There’s no chance they’d be as ruthless towards him as they would be to you if you got caught, right?

Before your thoughts can wander off any further you are interrupted by the car coming to a stop. “This is your stop, miss.” The cab driver says before exiting the car and opening your door for you. You give him a slight smile before getting out of the car yourself while trying to keep your head low in case someone would recognise you somehow. The cab driver opens the trunk of the car and gets your bags out for you before putting them down on the ground. He looks at you with a polite smile. “The ride has already been paid for. Have a safe flight.” He says before getting back in the cab and driving off. You furrow your eyebrows in confusion for a quick moment before shaking the thoughts of who could possibly have paid for your fare off. You hastily pick up your belongings from the sidewalk and throw another quick glance over your shoulder before making your way into the airport, picking up speed the closer you get. Once inside it almost feels like a relief - almost. It seems like the whole city has decided to travel today which makes the perfect cover for you as you quickly try to navigate to the help desk without coming off as too suspicious.You hastily make your way over to the lady standing behind the help desk, dropping your bag with a thud on the floor. You grab onto the edge of the desk while trying to catch your breath for a moment. The lady looks at you with slight concern. “Can I help you, miss?” She asks, leaning forward slightly. You nod and pull out your plane ticket from your coat before handing it to her. “I’m flying to England. Do you happen to know where I should go?” The stress of someone connected to your brother’s gang possibly having spotted you starts to catch up to you and it takes every ounce of your strength not to throw glances over your shoulder every ten seconds. The lady behind the help desk nods before trying to guide you through gestures. “If you follow this corridor straight and then take a left you should see the exit doors which leads you to the hangars. Big glass doors, you can’t miss it.” You give her a quick nod and a smile before making your way in the direction she showed you.

“Flight 306, destination London, England, now boarding!” You quickly act upon the announcement and get in line to board the plane. You know it’s too early to let out a breath of relief but you can’t help but feel as if maybe there’s a chance of a new start, a completely new life. Considering everything that has been happening lately, and the bare fact that the Salieri family wants you dead, there is absolutely no chance for you to stay in Lost Heaven. And the painful memory of the disappointment in your beloved brothers eyes when you got caught having a romantic relationship with Sergio Morello...

You’re pulled back into reality when the flight attendant asks you for your plane ticket. You quickly pull it out of your coat once again and hand it to him. He clips the edge off before handing it back to you, motioning for you to enter the plane and take your seat. However, the moment you sit down you feel a light tap on your shoulder. You look up and see the flight attendant standing there, motioning over his shoulder with his thumb. “Miss, someone requests your attention.” You try to catch a glimpse of who wants to speak to you but to no use. “Who?” You ask, an unsettling tingle spreading throughout your body. What if Salieri’s men finally caught up with you? The flight attendant shrugs his shoulder. “They wouldn’t say. They only requested to speak to you urgently, in the main building.” You swallow hard and nod before standing up, your legs slowly turning into jelly. “You have 20 minutes before take-off.” You take a quick look around before making your way to the back of the plane where the exit is. With heavy steps you walk down the ladder and make your way back into the airport waiting area, the place still bustling with people. You scan the room carefully as the panic starts to rise. Your breathing gradually becomes heavier and shorter and within seconds your feet start moving on their own, back in the direction of where the plane is waiting for you. You have to get out of here. You promised your brother that you would disappear. Going back now would not only imply a broken promise to Vinny but also to yourself. The only way to get out of this alive is to leave. Now.

You quickly pick up the pace as you hurry along the waiting hall not caring anymore to look if anyone’s following you. Suddenly you feel someone gripping onto your upper arm tightly, pulling you into a secluded room and away from the loud noises and curious eyes. Your breath gets caught in the back of your throat and instantly you start flailing your arms around in a fight-or-flight response. A hand is brought up to cover your mouth as you scream in panic. You can’t figure out who it is since the whole room is pitch black, but you’re certain it’s a man. Despite your protests he starts dragging you along the floor until your back is pushed up against a wall. “Shh, shh, shh...” the man softly hushes you, the slight shakiness in his voice quite prominent. “It’s going to be okay.” You don’t say anything but in a strange way you feel a little bit comforted by the man’s words. Suddenly you hear clicks and clanks when suddenly an ice cold surface presses against your temple sending shivers down your spine. “It’ll all be okay.” The man’s voice cracks and you instantly realise who it is - Vincenzo. Your eyes widen and the panic once again strikes you. “Vinny?!” He hushes you again, this time with a much sharper tone. “Please,” he begs, his voice softening up a little. “Don’t make this more difficult than it already is.” His voice is low och faint, his words coming out as more of a whisper than anything else. He lets go of you before standing up, leaving you a hopeless mess on the ground. Your legs are weak but even so you try to stand up as well, leaning against the wall. You watch as your brother walks across the room in silence, a tear starting to roll down your cheek. “Vinny...” you say more gently this time, his name rolling off your tongue slowly. “What is going on?” you ask, the silence killing you inside. His head hangs low as he squats down, his back still facing you, with his hands covering his face. You hear him take a deep breath before he stands up once again. “I’m so sorry...”

Click, click, bang.

You suddenly feel yourself slide down the brick wall, your breath completely caught at the back of your throat. An incredibly warm sensation spreads throughout your chest but before you can look down to see what’s causing that feeling the world around you becomes blurry, very blurry. You hear rushed footsteps getting closer but even the noises around you starts drowning out slowly but surely. The bullet hit you right in the center of your chest but the adrenaline already running rampage in your system causes the injury to feel less serious than it is. You’re shaken out of your blurry thoughts once you feel Vincenzo grab onto you, his strong embrace holding you as close to him as physically possible. Your eyes meet his gaze which is full of regret. “It’s all my fault.” You mumble in between moments of your consciousness fading in and out. He shakes his head as you catch a tear stream down his cheek. “This would have never happened if I took my responsibility as your big brother.” He says, his voice strained as he fights back the tears that are threatening to fall. “My choices and decisions caused all of this.” You reach one hand up to stroke his cheek with your thumb. You manage to let a slight smile appear on your lips. “And it’s been one hell of a ride.” He looks at you in disbelief, probably thinking you’re crazy for finding humour in anything right now. “You could say that.” His grip tightens around you as he noticed your presence slowly decreasing with each passing second.

“Vinny?” He instantly looks at you, brushing a couple of hair strands off your face. “Do you think I’m a bad person for…you know?” His eyes widen slightly and you can literally sense a piece of him breaking at your question. He keeps brushing his fingers through your hair, faint sniffles escaping every now and then. “I could never. You’re my baby sister and if anyone’s a bad person it’s me for letting all of this happen to you.” More tears roll down his face as he moves one hand over to stroke your cheek instead. You use the last strength in your body to reach up to grab his wrist. “I forgive you.” The words come out as a whisper as the world around you gradually turns white, your eyes closing in the process. “I’m so tired.” You whisper faintly. Vincenzo lets go of the tear stream he’s been trying to hold back all this time once he realises that he’s losing you. He plants a long kiss on your forehead, squeezing his eyes shut as he hears you take your last breath.

“I’ll see you on the other side. I promise.”

[xmasterofmunsonx]

Got Your Number

Summary: Steve Harrington’s older sister is back in town. She had moved away after school with her long time boyfriend, but when things didn’t work out and her older brother Steve told her about all of the happenings of the upside down she decided it was time to move back to Hawkins.

Warnings: 18+ (minors DNI), possible season 4 spoilers, angst, etc. as more chapters are written I will edit the warnings for the chapter. Probably some drinking, mention of drugs, language. Mentions of past not good relationship, and panic attacks (not detailed)

Pairing: Eddie Munson x harrington!reader (eventually 😈)

A/N: This AU takes place in Hawkins, some time has passed after Season 4 where things ended a little differently. Also, it’s been a while since I’ve written but this stupid character has made me come up with this story I can’t get out of my head.

Chapter 1

The car ride home from the airport was quiet, but comfortable. Steve had missed his shift at the video store since your parents were out of town on one of your dad’s business trips. “I can’t believe how quick they cleaned this place up.” You said, breaking the silence.

“I mean, it’s not every day your whole ‘cursed’ town cracks wide open and becomes the headline on every news channel. Good ol’ Larry the Mayor pulled some money out of his tight ass to get everything fixed pretty quickly to avoid anymore attention.” Steve snickered as he looked out the window at some of the town’s new refurbishments that had happened over the last six months. “Do you mind if we stop by the store? Robin’s stuck with the new hire and I feel bad abandoning her.”

“Yeah, that’s fine.” You sat back in the passenger seat, trying to get comfortable after the long flight. You had moved away with your high school sweetheart after graduating in ‘83. It was now the fall of ‘86, and you hadn’t been to Hawkins since, save for one Christmas. Steve had only told you about his involvement of the Upside Down happenings after the town was on national news, and you weren’t buying his bullshit stories on the phone anymore.

“We’re all good here.” Your brother said, exhaling a deep breath. “Just a huge earthquake.”

“In Indiana? Hawkins? What’s all of this about Munson-”

“He’s not a murder weapon like they said. He’s actually a hero but they won’t recognize it.”

“A hero? During an earthquake? What’s with all of the fire and brimstone looking shit?” You sat on the couch, and took a sip of your mixed drink as you cozied up under the quilt you had stolen from home.

“Yeah, he really saved Dustin’s ass. I mean, he distracted the-”

“The… earthquake?” You questioned. You knew your brother was lying. He had been trying to keep something from you for the last few weeks but you just didn’t know what it was. “Spill, Steve. I’m your sister and I know you’re lying.”

“How much time you got?” He chuckled into the phone.

“Charlie’s gone. He’s not coming back. Like for good. So I’ve got all night. Spill it, brother.”

After Steve told you everything over several drinks and the longest phone call you had been “allowed” to have, that night you decided to come back home. You were tired of the empty promises, lies, and newly discovered betrayal from your fiancé. You had some loose ends to tie up, moved in with a friend, and started coordinating your move back. And here you were, September of 1986, looking out the windows of your brother’s car at the streets of Hawkins, Indiana.

“You heard anything from him?” Steve broke your thoughts as he pulled up to the stoplight.

“A few weeks ago was the last time he called. He said he found something of mine at the house, but I said he could shove it up his ass.” You rolled your eyes, “or his girlfriends for all I care.”

“I still can’t believe he made you uproot your life, move halfway across the country, then he’s the one who fucked up. Who is the girl?”

“Well, according to Kelly, there’s a new one. Some young blonde girl he found at a bar, while waiting for Michelle. I’m such an idiot. Falling for the ‘it’s just a work trip’ excuse.” We both snickered, remembering the arguments our dad’s “work trips” had caused over the years.

“You’re not the idiot.” Steve put his car into park as he unbuckled his seatbelt. “You can come in and say hey to Robin if you want.”

You nodded, hopping out of the car and stretching a little. You owed it to thank her for handling the store by herself so Steve could come get you. You were both greeted with a chipper “Hi!” and wave, “oh my God, your hair. You both have the hair!”

You chuckled, “He wasn’t the first to be called ‘the hair’ Harrington.” You shoved your brother who was looking around the store for any imperfections. “Thanks for letting this dweeb pick me up. I’m sure Friday isn’t the best day to be short staffed but with dad’s last minute business trip I would’ve been stranded at the airport.”

“No prob! The new kid is catching on quickly. He’s on his break right now in the back if you wanna go check on him, Steve.” Steve nodded and walked back to the employee break room. “So, are you two throwing a party tonight or tomorrow night?” Robin wiggled her eyebrows, rubbing her hands in excitement. You didn’t know her well, but had heard about her and Steve’s friendship, and you remember her vaguely from school- Steve was 2 years behind you in school and the town was small enough that you knew almost everyone.

“I’m really not that person anymore.” You leaned on the front counter, remembering the Harrington House parties you used to throw your senior year of high school, before you left town.

“You mean… not a Harrington? Come on. Everyone’s talking about you coming back.”

“Yeah, exactly. I really don’t want to associate with people who are just going to look at me like another failure who moved to a big city and had to come crawling back to work at her daddy’s law firm.”

“I heard you were doing some pretty big things at your old job, all while you were in school too.” She was stacking the returned movies into neatly organized piles.

“Yeah, I mean. I was… But now I’m back here, and not really in the mood for a party.”

“Yet!” Steve’s voice piped in. “Come on, we haven’t been together in years, please. Tomorrow night? Kids are coming over tonight.”

“Kids?” You asked, realizing your idea of a quiet night in was not going to happen.

“Yeah, uh. All the kids are coming over tonight.” Steve scratched his head. “Around 8, or so…”

“It’s 6:30!” You looked at the clock on the wall.

“They come over every Friday! We let them use the basement.”

“Use the basement? For what?”

You heard Robin holding in laughter, a snort escaped her nose. “Oh Steve. You’re in some deep shit.”

“Hellfire Club.” He answered as you jaw dropped to the floor.

“Are you serious? Please say you’re joking. Please.”

“Yeah, ever since Eddie and the older kids graduated in May, I offered up the basement for their Dungeons and Dragons game since mom and dad are always gone. They know, and they don’t care.” He said with some sting in his voice.

“Can we go home?” You asked, not wanting to put on a show in front of Robin and the few customers inside of Family Video. “Thanks again Robin, I’ll see you soon!”

“Glad you made it safe, see you tomorrow night!” She waved from behind the counter.

You waited until Steve had been driving for a few minutes before you spoke. “You really could have told me before now.”

“I knew if I did-”

“You knew if I did, what? I’d be pissed off? I’d yell at you?” You took a deep sigh, “You could have at least mentioned it. How do you tell me about this entire second life you’ve been living but leave out the fact that our house hosts Hellfire Club? Do you even play? Do you even care about the game? Why our house?”

“Because! The kids needed somewhere safe to play, and I knew our house would have the perfect space for it. Eddie wasn’t ready to let go of it yet, and the drama teacher quit letting them use the theater room since he graduated. And no, I don’t play that stupid game.”

“Do they know you think it’s stupid?”

“Uh, yeah. Judging by how I just sit around and hang out waiting for one of their characters to get kicked out to start hanging out, they know.”

You pinched the bridge of your nose, “Do any of them like… know about me?”

“Just Eddie, Gareth, and Jeff. And they haven’t mentioned it.” Steve threw his hands up in surrender. “No one expected you to come back, and I didn’t know that a Friday night would ruin your life. Stop being so dramatic.”

“I’m not playing.” You spoke as you pulled up to your house. “I’m hiding up in my room after I say hi to everyone.”

“Sounds good to me.” You grabbed your bags from the trunk of your brothers car, he grabbed the 2 heavy suitcases, and you grabbed the duffel bag.

The front door of your house swung open- yells of “Welcome back! Surprise!” Filled the air. All of the kids you had heard Steve tell stories about filled the living room, along with the old members of the Hellfire Club. Most of them already had a beer in their hand, you were offered one from the tall, long haired one you recognized the most.

“I don’t drink beer anymore, but thanks. I’ll be up in my room.” You shoved the beer out of the way, then climbed up the stairs, dragging your bag with you. You closed the door to your childhood room and fell against the door, trying to steady your breathing.

You didn’t want these kids here, basement or not. You wanted a quiet night in, a movie, with just your brother. You were overwhelmed by being back home, and didn’t want a fucking welcome home party with people you hadn’t seen in years, most of which you had no relationship with at all, and the others you hadn’t spoken to in even longer.

A soft knock on the door interrupted your anxiety attack. “What?”

“It’s me.” Eddie spoke softly. “You okay in there?”

You closed your eyes and sighed. “I’ll come back down in a minute. Just need a breather.”

“I’m out here if you need me.” His kind voice spoke through the door. “Everyone went downstairs to the basement to eat before the game starts up, so no one is down there if you want to grab something to drink. I told your brother this wasn’t a good idea but he just knew you wanted to see the kids he’s been babysitting for the last few years.” He let out a soft chuckle to himself as you heard your suitcase handles click.

It was 10th grade, and your best girlfriend had talked you into cheerleading tryouts. Shockingly, you both made the team. Even more shockingly, you were actually really good.

“It’ll be so fun, we can wear our uniforms to school all the time!” She spoke over the phone.

“But I won’t have time to study.” You whined, “I have to get into a good school. I have to get out of Hawkins.”

“You’ve got the brains. Come on, we’ve only got three more years together. I know you don’t want to be known as the freak anymore, this is your chance. And if you’re on the cheer squad, you’ll be on Charlie’s radar.”

Her words were harsh, but you were sick of being known as the freak girl who played dungeons and dragons with the weird Munson boy and his friends. You wanted to make a name for yourself, and you knew this would be your way in. It felt like now or never.

You pulled at the dragon necklace around your neck that your best friend had given to you in 7th grade, “Yeah, you’re right. Fuck it.”

Your thoughts were pulled from you once again as you heard the doorknob turning, “Harrington? You good in here?” You sat forward then slowly stood up as Eddie stood in the doorway, your two suitcases beside him. “You went quiet on me.”

His smirk hadn’t changed a bit. He had some fresh scars on his face and neck, but you expected that from what Steve had told you.

“I heard you graduated.” You quipped back at him.

“That, I did. Barely. Made it out with some new scars, but I was only a few years behind you, Miss Smarty Pants.” He stepped further into your room as you started to unpack a few things to busy yourself.

“Listen, Eddie, I know we haven’t talked since high school, but-”

“Save it, kid. It’s alright.” He put his hands up. “You got sucked into the popular life and didn’t want to be known as a freak anymore.”

“I was the worst friend to you, and you’re standing here being nice to me. Thanks for bringing up my suitcases.”

“Yeah, well, I’m not sure if you remember but I’m not as scary as everyone says I am.” He scratched the back of his head. “Now, you- you, on the other hand.”

“I’m just going to apologize to clear the air, and then we’ll stop talking about it. I’m sorry for being a bitch to you and calling you a freak in 10th grade in front of the whole school. You were my best friend, and I froze and didn’t know what else to do. The cheer captain dared me to as some dumb induction into varsity cheer because she swore you were going to cast some spell on me- that’s her idea of how you got me to join Hellfire.” It all came out quicker than you could even think about what you were saying.

“Join Hellfire? Did she not know you started it?”

You shrugged as you tucked away some shirts, “Apparently that never crossed her mind. Not sure how, but no, she had no idea. I guess her daft brain didn’t care to get to know me anymore. Never played a single game after that day, either. I felt entirely too guilty for treating you like a piece of shit when you had been nothing but kind to me, always. I hated being in the cheer squad, I hated being popular.” You plopped down on your bed. “I still don’t know why I did it. I’m really sorry. I felt like I had to become this popular girl to set the path for Steve so he could have a reputation before he started high school, maybe he’d have a chance at making something of himself. As if being cool was all that mattered.”

“Except he didn’t have the brains you had. Damn, you were smart.” Eddie paced around your room, admiring your academic awards that had collected dust. You noticed the contrast of his black boots and jeans against the soft colors of your room.

“Still am. But I’m pretty sure dad thinks we’re both failures. Poor Steve. I know he’s been so hard on himself after not getting a full ride to college and having to work at Family Video.”

“I think you turned out alright. Didn’t you get a job at your dad’s firm? I heard your parents talking about it last week when we got here for the game.”

“Yeah. But I’m back in Hawkins… Not really the successful future I was hoping for.”

“Charlie boy crying himself to sleep since you’ve been gone?” Steve twirled a piece of his curly hair around his lips nervously while looking at you, still sitting on the bed.

You snorted as you looked back up at Eddie, “Honestly, if we’re going to talk about this, I need a drink.”

“I knew I never liked that prick. After you, my lady.” Eddie gestured towards your door and you led him down the stairs.

The kitchen was empty, and you reached for your parents liquor cabinet pulling out a bottle of gin and tonic. He handed you a glass with some ice, and watched as you eyeballed the ratio.

“Gin and tonic, are you an old lady now?”

“No, just like a simple drink to get the job done.” You took a few sips and topped it off with more gin before sitting down at the counter to catch up with Eddie, feeling the tension between your friendship grow less and less as you opened about what had happened with Charlie.

———————————————

“Steve, you could have told us your sister was like, the best at D&D!” Dustin yelled at Steve who was lounging on the chair.

“It wasn’t my secret to tell! She’s the one who acted like it was suddenly the most uncool thing ever and never wanted to speak of it again.”

“And I also told you I wasn’t playing! But look at me now.” You said as you rolled the dice.

“The best?” You heard Eddie say from the head of the table. “That hurts, little Dustybuns.” He dramatically clutched at his chest. We continued playing for a few minutes as Eddie played out his storyline.

“Yeah, you should let her be dungeon-“

“Don’t even say it, Mike.” Eddie interrupted. “She’s been gone for years, she can’t just take over.”

“I mean, if I remember correctly, even in 9th grade her campaigns were really fucking sick.” Garett piped in.

The room was silent, “Well, friends, I’m going to make another drink. I’ll be right back.” You climbed the stairs from the basement to make my third drink of the night.

Steve followed quickly behind you, “Sorry about earlier. I know how anxious you get and I shouldn’t have. I just wanted you to feel welcomed back and not lonely. These people are great and I just wanted you to have some friends to be around once you were back home.” His words sounded like one giant run on sentence, and you could tell he was genuinely sorry about the situation.

You hugged your brother, “Thanks. I shouldn’t have acted like that. I was just really thrown off by who it was, you know? Last time I spoke to Munson it was in 10th grade, then I told him he was a freak in front of the whole school, and I never apologized for that.”

“Yeah, he uh, had a pretty hard time apparently. We’ve talked a lot and high school was rough on him. Especially after your friends all ganged up on him, it just carried on even after you left and he was held back.”

“I don’t need to be guilted anymore, Steve. I apologized, I don’t know what else I could do to make it up to him.”

“You could hand me another beer, seeing as how you’re blocking the fridge.” Eddie had quietly appeared in the kitchen, listening in on the conversation with a small smile on his face. “I told you kid, it’s all good now. We’re going to be seeing each other a lot, so might as well let the dust settle and let your freak flag fly. Join us for Hellfire every Friday night, you freak.” He tipped the top of his new beer bottle at you and winked as he cracked the lid off, and you rolled your eyes back in response.

“We’ll see.” You said as you and Steve followed him back down to the basement.

———————————————

“So you just, like, haven’t talked to anyone from Hawkins since you left?” Eddie asked as the others had finally left after the game. Garett and Jeff had left first, leaving the youngest kids behind- Eddie and Steve usually split up driving them home but Eddie had had a few too many beers, and apparently he had made the habit of crashing in our basement when that happened.

“Nope. I wasn’t really… allowed to? Charlie would monitor my calls so I just decided it was easier to not contact anyone. They weren’t my real friends anyway. He’d get mad if I talked to Steve too long. But never my parents. They had the money I was living off of for the most part- my job was great but didn’t pay shit when I was providing for both of us for the most part. He never wanted me to come home to visit either. The one Christmas I did come back home we ended up getting in this huge fight over something dumb.”

“What was it?” Eddie asked, sipping yet another beer.

You sighed, feeling blush rise to your face. “I wouldn’t fuck him in my childhood bedroom. We had just gotten engaged, and he was getting too handsy in bed that night. I felt like it was really disrespectful to do that in my parents house with Steve right next to us. I don’t know, it creeped me out and I told him no, and he still tried to. I kicked him out of the room, he slept on the couch and we barely talked. When we flew back and made it back to the house he acted like everything was fine and he went on one of his business trips and came back oddly happy. Then I started connecting the dots just like my mom did, and I realized I was turning into my mom, and I told him he could fuck off and I was done. So, here I am.” You gestured to the red couch you were sitting on.

“I’m really sorry. You didn’t deserve that.” Eddie placed his hand on your knee and squeezed it.

“Yeah I kind of-“

“No, no. You didn’t.” He shook his head, “No woman deserves that. And especially not you.”

“God, Eddie. I’m sorry.” You felt so guilty for all of the years you dropped and ignored him, the comments you made you knew were wrong haunted your mind everytime that he looked in your eyes tonight.

“Sweetheart, stop it. I’m over it. I survived being attacked by fucking demobats, I’m just trying to get my friend back.” He squeezed your knee again, a little more gentle. “If you apologize one more time-”

“You’ll what?” You heard the door at the top of the basement stairs shut quietly, but no footsteps followed- Steve must have been back already. “Well, apparently we’re having a Harrington house party tomorrow night. I guess you’re invited, I don’t even know who’s coming. It’s way past my bedtime and I need some sleep.”

You stood up and stretched as Eddie’s hand fell from your knee, “Yeah, Steve invited me already. We’re playing a gig tomorrow but we’re just opening, so I should be able to make it before the party gets too interesting.”

“You’re still playing?” You turned on your heels, “Where?”

“The Hideout. We used to play Tuesdays. But now we draw such a big crowd we got promoted to Saturdays. We start at 7. I don’t think your party starts until 8:30. I can give you a ride?”

“Sounds like a plan to me.” You walked up a few steps before stepping back down, “‘night, Munson.”

“‘Night Harrington. Glad you’re back.” You heard the last part mumbled as you made it up the stairs and shut the door, a slight blush creeping up towards your fsce. Steve was standing in the kitchen eating a bowl of cereal.

“Fuck, you scared me!” He jumped.

“Playing real life Dungeons and Dragons didn’t make you any less of a scaredy cat?” You pulled a clean glass from the cupboard and filled it with water. “I’m going to see Eddie play tomorrow night before the party you already planned at the house.”

“That’s not the only thing I planned.” He winked as he placed his bowl in the sink. “Goodnight, sister.”

“Goodnight, Steve.”

He was halfway up the stairs before you heard him stop, “Oh yeah- one more thing.”

“Yeah?” You asked, stepping into the hall where the stairs were to the bedrooms.

“Glad you’re back.” He batted his eyelashes, you knew he was mocking Eddie’s comment to you that he somehow heard. You chased up the stairs after him like you were kids again, and he shut his door before you could get to him.

———————————————

“What a charming place you’ve brought me tonight.” You said, sitting on one of the couches in the bands makeshift dressing room.

“Only the best!” Eddie plopped down beside you, handing you a drink he had retrieved from the bar. “A gin and tonic, for the old lady. If you get anything else tonight tell them you’re with the band- you’ll drink free all night.“

You blushed as you took a sip, and tried to hide your smirk. You and Eddie had fallen back into the friendship you once had so quickly.

“That was a killer campaign. You must have put so much work into it.” Eddie put his arm around your shoulder as you walked out into the parking lot, where your older friend was waiting in her car to take you back home. Eddie usually caught a ride with one of the older Hellfire boys that had been recruited by both of you.

“Yeah, I mean it’s nothing.” You kicked at some rocks, feeling your pace of breathing pick up. “Listen, Eddie, we need to talk about something.”

“What is it? I could tell you were off tonight.”

“So, I tried out for cheerleading and I made it. Like, I made the team. And I’m actually really good. And games are going to be the same night as Hellfire, and it will look better for college scholarships if I’m involved with something not called Hellfire Club…”

“What? You’re quitting?” He mumbled your name, “you can’t just quit. You helped start this up.”

“And I’m passing the torch on to you.” He stared at you for a few seconds.

“She did this, didn't she? And Charlie? He wants you so bad but won’t date you if you’re seen with the freaks.”

He knew. How could he? “No, that’s not it.”

“Yeah it is. You can’t lie to me. I can see it all over your face. You know what, just quit! Quit and run, like you always do. Like we always do. Fuck it.” Eddie turned away quickly and let out a huff as his hair blew in the wind from his speed walk to the car that was there to pick him up.

“Kid, you good?” He nudged your cheek with his ringed knuckle.

“Yeah, sorry. Just keep going somewhere else in my head. So you and Steve are like, good friends now?”

“I mean, yeah. We kind of kicked ass in the Upside Down together and he let me crash at your house until my uncle got his new house set up after losing the trailer. I can’t believe what a softie he is compared to the dick he used to be in high school.

“You and me both. I’m glad Nancy broke his heart and brought him back down to earth.” You sipped on your drink as you watched the boys pass around a joint, Eddie offered you a hit with a simple raise of his eyebrows. “Why not?” He raised the paper to your lips as you inhaled, held it in then blew it out without coughing once.

“Damn, you’ve still got it.” You watched his smirk as he took a few hits then passed it back.

“Do you get nervous before shows?” You asked him and he shook his head no. You felt yourself relaxing more into the couch as you kept an eye on the clock. “I did see you once that Christmas we came back, you know?”

“No fucking way. How’d you get Charlie to let you off your leash to come see us play?” He asked, stunned.

“Steve had briefly mentioned you guys were playing here. It was the night before Charlie proposed, he and my dad had gone out for dinner and drinks so I knew I could sneak in to see you play.”

“Well, now you get to see us again! We’re goinf on in 5, so grab another drink, and go sit your ass at the reserved bar table and prepare to be blown away by how metal we are.” He joked, standing up and pulling me up off the couch. I could feel my drink as I stumbled up, getting a little too close to his body.

“See you out there, kid.” You shot his nickname he used for you back at him and he winked back in response, pointing his fingers at you like little guns.

———————————————

“Late to your own party, Harrington.” Eddie tisked as he pulled up as close as he could to your own house that had cars parked everywhere- the street, driveway, yard, anywhere a car could be there was one.

You were already drunk, and a little high. You had a few more drinks at the bar and had stayed after Corroded Coffin was done playing to smoke with the band in the back alley. Eddie had only smoked and you trusted his driving. You stumbled as you hopped out of his van and he was quick to come to your side to help you walk past the few houses to get to your own.

“Jesus Christ, Steve.” You muttered, cursing your brother. “I don’t even want to go in there.”

“Honestly, me neither.” Eddie blurted out beside you as he lit a cigarette.

“I mean, I can’t ditch my own welcome home party, can I?” You asked, turning around to face Eddie, as you started to walk backwards. “I don’t even like these people. He just wanted an excuse to throw a party to make himself relevant again and find himself a girlfriend.” You blurted out, a little too honestly.

“I mean, you could totally ditch your own party.” He lunged forward as he grabbed both of your hands to keep you from falling as you tripped backwards over a rock. “But let’s get you inside and maybe a water before you have anything else?”

“That um, sounds like a good idea.” You looked up at Eddie who was smiling down at you. You turned to start walking but didn’t let go of both of his hands, you only dropped one. The pair of you continued to walk down your driveway, him rubbing his thumb against your hand more quickly the closer you got to your house.

You could hear the music and party blaring from the outside of the house as you approached, no one even acknowledging your arrival as you two walked in. You noticed a few faces you recognized, but no one worthy of stopping to speak to. Eddie helped you up onto the kitchen counter as he fixed you and himself a glass of water.

“Still want to ditch?” He stood beside you, his hip leaning into your leg.

“Eh, maybe later we can sneak out. This isn’t that bad.”

“There’s the woman of the hour!” Steve came bolting around the kitchen corner, his cheeks red from alcohol. “About time you showed up to your own party.” You laughed as he gave you a hug, Eddie taking a step away from you. “Are you high?”

“Are you drunk?” You asked him. “I’m a grown ass woman, I can get high if I want. I had to find some way to make it through this ‘party’ you decided to throw for me.” You air quoted, adding a little whine to it.

“Come on, you used to be the party queen. What happened to her?” He slapped you on the arm and you faked that it hurt you a little more than it really did.

“She’s old and tired.” You heard Eddie chuckle beside you.

“You! You got her high!” Steve pointed at his friend, “And you’re the reason she’s late!”

“Wow, Y/N, are you sure Steve isn’t the brainy one of the two of you?” Eddie snickered, putting his empty glass in the sink and reaching to the fridge to grab a beer. Steve rolled his eyes and walked away to go socialize some more.

“Grab me one too, I don’t want anything too strong.” Eddie furrowed his brows as he snaked his way back over to his spot beside your legs that were still dangling off of the kitchen counter tops. He used his shirt to help open the beer bottle, handing it to you and then opening one for himself.

“God I hate parties.” He tipped his beer back and chugged half of it in one go.

“I’m gonna go have fun. Come on!” You hopped off the counter and pulled him by the hand through the crowds of people. Some of them noticed you, saying hi, but you wanted to make your way outside to get away from some of them.

You found yourself swinging on the swing set that your parents never took down, Eddie leaning against one of the posts holding his beer bottle in his hand. “This is your idea of fun?”

“Yes! These are the best swings in Hawkins! Steve and I used to see who could go higher when we were kids. One time he almost flipped upside down over the top. He got in so much trouble after I told on him.” You looked at your dimly lit backyard, looking over the crowd of people who were standing outside of the party. Most of them were smoking in a circle, or sitting around on the random lawn chairs that were rarely used.

You heard a squeak beside you and realized you had a partner on the swings. Eddie was holding onto both chains on the swing, trying to pump his long legs as fast as he could to get as high as he could.

“Watch it, Munson!” You yelled at him, “I’m not sure they can take what they used to.” You giggled as you watched the grown boy beside you swing like a kid again for a few minutes. He got about halfway up in the air then started to slow down. He came to a slow speed, then turned to look at you with a serious expression on his face as he kicked his legs to keep moving back and forth.

“Did Steve tell you everything that happened down there?” You nodded. “It was so fucked up, Y/N.” You weren’t sure what to say, or what made him change the subject so abruptly. “I mean, we saw fucking Vecna.” His eyes were blown wide, like he was seeing him in front of him again.

“We don’t have to talk about this, Eddie.” You matched his swinging pace.

“No, I know. I just can’t stop thinking about it sometimes. It wasn’t that long ago, you know? I almost fucking died. And I get reminded about it every day when I look in the mirror. When I take off my shirt I have to look at how ugly my skin looks now. And your brother- your brother, man.” He was shaking his head as he was talking, almost to himself. “I can’t believe those poor kids went through all of that. Several times. I’m just glad it’s over.”

“I’m glad you’re still here.” You said, reaching over and resting your hand on his. He jumped, the simple touch bringing him out of his trance. “Are you okay, Eddie?”

“‘m fine. It just hits me sometimes that that really happened.” You could see he was pained talking about it, his big heart caring so much for everyone involved.

“You wanna go watch a movie in my room or in the basement? Away from everyone? I’m fine to sit out here for a little while but I’m not sure how long the party will last.” You suggested, sensing your friend’s change in mood. “We can smoke in the basement if that’ll help you relax some and get your mind off of it.”

“That sounds nice. I’ll run to my van and grab my things and meet you down there.” You watched as Eddie disappeared into the dark of the front yard. You walked through the back door into the party, hoping to find Steve to let him know you’d be in the basement for the rest of the party.

Instead you bumped into your old best friend from Hawkins, who greeted you in the fakest way possible. “Oh. My. God! It’s you! I can’t believe it! I heard you were here but hadn’t seen you all night. Where were you?!” You didn’t know if she meant tonight, or the last few years so you decided to keep it simple.

You hugged her back quickly, “The Hideout. Went to a show there, and came back after. Haven’t really been here that long and I’m actually still pretty tired from my flight yesterday.”

“We have got to catch up ASAP! I can’t wait to hear all about the wedding plans. Your parents told mine all about them- when’s the date again?”

“Oh we uh, called it off.” You answered shortly.

“No fucking way! Y/N, are you an idiot?! Charlie- you and Charlie broke up?!”

You sighed, sipping your beer that was only a third of the way empty. “Yep, sure did.” You weren’t surprised your parents had left out the split. Your mom was well known in the community and she didn’t want anything else tainting the Harrington name. “He was cheating on me.”

“Ugh, that’s so disappointing. I can’t believe you’re back. Have you heard from him? What’s he doing now?”

“No, I haven’t. And I really, really don’t care to. I’m better off without him.”

“But you guys were like, the couple of Hawkins High! I really thought you’d be the ones who had babies and who would live in a perfect little house and-”

“Yeah, well. Life’s not perfect. So…” You looked around, hoping to see Eddie in the crowd. His dark curly hair wasn’t hard to pick out.

“Your mom must be so disappointed.” Your shot your “friend” a look. “I mean, in him. Not you.”

“I guess.” You rubbed your arm, feeling another anxiety attack sneaking up on you.

“Found you.” You felt a pair of hands on your shoulder and a familiar voice in your ear- goosebumps appeared on your neck as he leaned in, “had to watch you suffer from afar for a minute before I decided to come steal you away.”

“Munson- didn’t you almost die?” Your “friend” had a disgusted look on her face at the appearance of your actual friend. “What are you even doing here, shouldn’t you be playing your board game with those kids?”

“Listen, we were just going to leave, so I’ll see you around, maybe?” You spoke as Eddie guided you out of the situation, not giving her time to answer you back. “God, I can’t stand you. Why would you leave me in there to suffer like that?! I needed rescuing.” You muttered as Eddie closed and locked the basement door behind him. You gathered blankets as he turned on the tv and grabbed two more beer from the fridge you had down there. “Fuck, I didn’t even tell Steve-”

“I ran into him on my way back in, told him you were having a panic attack and needed to get away so we’d be locked in the basement watching movies if he needed you.” He had picked a movie and put it in the VCR player already.

“Steve’s in charge of cleanup in the morning. I’m going to have a killer hangover, I don’t need another beer.” You spoke out loud as you plopped down on the couch. You watched Eddie light up a joint he pulled from behind his ear. He opened the small window and blew the smoke out, taking a few more puffs then outing the joint.

“Yeah, yeah. Poor old Harrington can’t hang like she used to, can she?” Eddie kicked his shoes off and climbed onto the couch with you, grabbing a blanket for himself and leaning into your side.

“You never even partied with me.” You laid your head down on his shoulder, focusing on the movie.

“No, but I heard the stories!” You settled into the couch more, and into Eddie. He didn’t seem uncomfortable with the close contact, you felt his chest slow down its movement the longer you stayed tucked into his side. Slowly you changed positions, into a slightly more cuddling position, wrapping your arm around his waist loosely. He brought a hand on top of yours and squeezed it. “‘m probably going to fall asleep here tonight, so if I doze off soon, goodnight sweetheart.”

“‘Night, Munson.”

You could have sworn he kissed the top of your head, but maybe it was just your imagination as you drifted off to sleep.

[ngray192]

I have one more idea for yasammy.

Yasmina meets Sammy's family for the first time.

Yaz ran faster than she had in a long time. All she could hear was the rhythmic sound of her feet beneath her.

She tore through the ribbon, throwing her hands up in victory.

"And the winner is Yasmina Fadoula!" The announcer called.

Yaz looked into the stands to see Sammy's bright face cheering, loudly. Beside her was a whole group of people who looked a lot like Sammy; her family.

When Yasmina had heard that she would be racing in her girlfriend's hometown, she was more than excited. But, when Sammy offered for Yaz to stay at her ranch and meet her family, she was terrified.

She got changed and met Sammy in the parking lot, quickly grabbing her hand tightly.

Sammy chuckled, "Relax, they're gonna love you!"

Yaz awkwardly approached the van where some of Sammy's family was standing, they came to watch Yaz race. She held her hand up to greet them, but was quickly crushed in a bear hug from the entire family.

Yasmina melted into the hug.

They all piled into the van and went back to the ranch. Yaz had heard about the ranch on her calls with Sammy, but it was so much better in real life. She could envision Sammy feeding the animals, swinging on the swingset behind the barn, playing hide-and-seek with her siblings.

--

They sat around the large table for dinner, Yaz sitting between Sammy and her father. The conversation flowed easily, Yaz was already apart of the family.

"You were so fast, Yaz!" Sammy's little brother, Peter, told the track star. Yaz smiled as he went back to eating his mashed potatoes.

Sammy's father nodded, "Sammy didn't lie when she said you were the fastest on the team."

Yasmina looked at Sammy, "You talk about me?"

Sammy's oldest sister, Delilah, answered for her, "Way too much. She won't shut up about you."

The family laughed as Sammy hid her blush behind her hands.

--

Later that night, Yaz helped Sammy's mother with the dishes. "You don't have to help, Yasmina, you are our guest!" She kept insisting, but Yaz wouldn't let her do the dishes alone. "I am very glad Sammy met you," Mrs. Gutierrez says unexpectedly.

Yaz smiles, "I am too."

"Thank you for saving my baby girl, she's told us all about the things you did on that awful island."

Yasmina's smile wavered slightly, she hated thinking about the island.

--

"You have everything?" Mrs. Gutierrez asked with tears in her eyes.

Yasmina nodded and thanked her again. "I'll visit soon, I promise." The family hugged her tightly one more time before Yaz, Sammy, and Mr. Gutierrez climbed into the van.

Yaz was going to miss the Gutierrez family. Being an only child, she wasn't around that many people at one time often, but it made her long for a big family.

She was excited to see her mom, obviously, but she would miss this time with Sammy and her wonderful family.

Sammy walked her into the large airport. Yaz held her hand tightly, sad to let go. They stopped before security, where Sammy had to leave Yaz to go on her long flight back home.

They hugged tightly. Yaz smiled at her girlfriend, "I'll call you when I land. This week was so much fun, Sammy. Thank you."

Sammy smiled widely, "Of course, Yaz! My family loved you, I've never seen Alex that happy to meet a new person. Maybe someday we'll come visit you!"

"I'd like that." Yasmina checked her phone, her plane was boarding in less than an hour, she had to go. "I have to go, Sammy."

Sammy hugged her again, "Alright, I love you, Yaz. Call me when you land, please."

Yaz let go and smiled, "I love you, too. Please tell your parents I said bye." Sammy nodded and began walking away, back to the doors where her dad was waiting.

Suddenly, she turned back around and smiled, "When we get married, they'll be your parents too." And she kept walking.

Yaz stayed flustered the whole plane ride back.

[fiapartridge]

You said will and daisy are mine by Taylor swift coded how so?

omfg i've been waiting for this ask

You were in college, working part-time, waiting tables Left a small town, never looked back I was a flight risk, with a fear of fallin' Wondering why we bother with love, if it never lasts

daisy has always been scared of love (even though she has so much to give). her parents didn't really express their love as they always expected the best from their kids in everything they do: in school, in athletics, in being a good person in general - so she didn't want to be in a relationship where it would just end up in heartbreak

that's why she was so reluctant to be with will (she hated him for a while, but after hanging out with him without gabe around 24/7, she realized that he wasn't that bad - and that she really liked him)

I say, "Can you believe it?" As we're lyin' on the couch The moment, I can see it Yes, yes, I can see it now

daisy and will confessed their feelings during the summer before her senior year (+ the summer before will's 1st year at college -> they confessed their feelings at the draft) & they officially got together (in secret) during her senior year & they went public during her first year at bc.

they were hanging out in will's apartment the day they went public and they were holding hands and cuddling on the couch & it was the first time that they could be affectionate without hiding anything. "can you believe it?" daisy beamed up at will, her hands raking through his blonde hair. "we don't have to hide anymore." will smiled softly before leaning in to kiss the happy girl. "i'm so incredibly happy that i can call you mine."

Do you remember, we were sittin', there by the water? You put your arm around me for the first time You made a rebel of a careless man's careful daughter You are the best thing, that's ever been mine

daisy's always been careful. she watched out for herself. her sister, lili, was one of her best friends but she barely hung around the house anymore after she left for college, and her older brothers, jeremy and jacob, were there sometimes, but she never felt close to them - there were no similarities, nothing that bonded them other than the fact that they lived under the same roof and had the same parents. gabe was her protector. he made sure she was safe and careful - he never let anything bad happen to her. they bonded over music artists, movies, and their weekly drives to the lookout only they knew of.

gabe and lili protected and cared for her because her parents weren't there to do it. yanic perreault cared for one thing and one thing only: hockey & 4/5 kids fell into that category. the last kid was long forgotten, only added into conversations when they asked her how her grades were doing and if she was still doing well in ballet.

hell, they never even went to her ballet performances. she would book out a whole row for her family and the only face she would see in that row was gabe's- every single time.

so daisy was careful. because if she wasn't careful, who was going to remind her to be? gabe was going off to college so he wouldn't be there as much and lili only came home every couple months. if daisy was lucky, she would see lili 4 times a year rather than the usual 3. so if no one was there to check her, she had to do it herself.

she never went out past midnight, she never missed out on an assignment, she never went to any parties - at one point of her life, she was sort of floating through the motions.

but when she hung out with will, it was like all of that was gone. she didn't care about coming home at 2 am, or sneaking into closed beaches, or going to parties and having a drink. when she was with will, she felt alive - and she wanted to feel that way everyday.

Flash forward, and we're takin' on the world together And there's a drawer of my things at your place You learn my secrets and you figure out why I'm guarded You say we'll never make my parents' mistakes

she has a box of her things at will's apartment: extra clothes, a toothbrush, a loofa, a hair brush, all of her snacks are in the kitchen - will's bedroom isn't just his. you can see daisy in there, too.

will understood why she was so reluctant to trust him, to be in a relationship and admit that she's fallen for him - and he was okay with it. he didn't need her to be ready at that exact second. he would wait for her - because she was someone worth waiting for.

And we got bills to pay We got nothin' figured out When it was hard to take Yes, yes This is what I thought about

will was daisy's first bf. she didn't know what she was doing or if anything she was doing was right. but will promised to her that they would figure it out together.

And I remember that fight, two-thirty a.m. 'Cause everything was slipping right out of our hands I ran out, crying, and you followed me out into the street

Braced myself for the goodbye 'Cause that's all I've ever known Then, you took me by surprise You said, "I'll never leave you alone"

when will told daisy that he was moving to san jose after his second year at bc, she was already bracing herself for heartbreak so when the time came, it wouldn't hurt so bad.

she expected him to break up with her. to realize that he didn't want to be with a girl that wasn't there for him 24/7, that was across the country, that wouldn't pack up her whole life to be with him. but when he told her that he wasn't just going to leave her alone, that he wasn't going to give up on their relationship, she realized that he was the kind of guy you don't let go of, that you don't let out of your grasp no matter how hard the situation is, that he was the best thing that's ever been hers.

[razorblade180]

Recovery

[Post Twin Snowflakes Finale]

About three months after the blizzard crisis in Atlas, life had gotten back on track for the citizens of Atlas. School was back in session, buildings completely repaired, and new ways of life had begun to feel normal for the heroes most involved with the Shiva catastrophe. However, a new predicament poked its head out at the worst of times. A challenge Summer had not prepared for; common sickness.

“ACHOOOO!” Sneezed the sniffling girl who laid on the couch under covers. “I think I’m actually dying this time guys. Nick, I’m sorry for everything.”

The elder twin blinked slowly as he looked down at his sister. “ It’s the common cold. Shut up.” He dropped a box of tissues on her lap.

“There’s nothing common about this cold. I swear this is somehow Shiva’s last laugh.”

Her dramatic antics were ignored by her brother as he walked over to their family. He had gotten really good at that. Then again, they were dealing with a slight issue. All of them were dressed elegantly for a gala event in honor of Atlas’s restoration. Normally they wouldn’t all entertain something like this, the gathering doubled as an award ceremony. With how many of them contributed in Atlas’s time of need, attendance was all but mandatory as well as a smart way to show things are in fact going smoothly. Naturally, Summer didn’t receive an invitation for any noteworthy contribution but was invited out of principle. Now she couldn’t even show up at all!

“Nick, why are you even going?” Summer groaned. “You’re not getting an award. As far as the public is concerned, there was no grand life or death battle. You were in the hospital.”

“That’s exactly why I’m going. This event is televised and since school and other activities are just starting again it’s not like anyone really knows how well I’m doing these days. I wouldn’t be surprised if people thought I was dying if I didn't show myself tonight.”

Summer pouted. “Hmm, kinda sounds like you don’t want to hang out with me?”

“That too. Being sick sucks.”

Well at least he was honest with her. Summer looked at Valerie getting dolled up by her parents while Winter straightened Sparrow’s tie.

“And why is he going exactly?”

“I still miss him.” Winter said bluntly, reaching for Qrow’s arm. “Miss this idiot too.”

“We love you too.” They said in perfect unison.

Summer looked at Ruby helping Ruth put on her sparkly shoes while Whitley fixed Ruby’s hair. No point or desire to nag the new family. Summer was more jealous how Ruth looked excited about the whole thing. Galas are kinda slow for the most part but watching Ruth get excited made Summer wish she was going.

Weiss came by and gave her daughter an extra pillow. “How are you holding up?”

“My bones ache…”

“Sounds about right. It’s been so long since you’ve been sick that I didn’t realize it was possible.”

“You and I both. Look, I know it’s actually not that big of a deal illness wise, but I’m seriously going to be left here watching you guys on tv?” Summer pouted.

Jaune kinda laughed to himself. Looks like Summer was just as needy as Weiss whenever she got sick. “We will try to be back as soon as possible.” He said with a smile. “Besides, you won’t be completely alone.”

As he said that, a knock came from the front door. Ruby dashed over to open it and let her fellow teammates in.

“Look who finally showed up!” Ruby teased.

Yang flicked her sister’s forehead “Hey! We don’t control the weather. We flew as quickly as possible. Well, most of us.”

Penny came darting in all dolled up for the event. “I didn’t want to ruin the dress.” She said, quickly hugging everyone before speeding towards the living room to see Summer. “Salutations!”

“Well, well, well.” Summer squinted. “If it isn’t my doctor who left me to wolves! I presume the other runaway has joined you?”

Oscar came walking in casually. “Yep. Good to see you Summer. It’s been awhile.”

“Didn’t have to be. Can you imagine my surprise when I came home asking if your flight landed, just to be told you didn’t get off!?”

“Hehehe…” He rubbed the back of his neck. “I did, technically. I had to get clothes.”

“Blake me.” Penny said. “I was concerned that the altitude might harm Veronica’s ears, considering they were still injured at the time. I wasn’t about to leave Oscar so I asked him to make a round trip.”

“A round tr- ya stayed!”

“Well we weren’t expecting Veronica to ask for therapy and further medical attention! Also it’s not like we don’t video call you for your scheduled appointments.”

Summer puffed her cheeks out. She wasn’t actually upset at anyone. It was just so unbelievable that within the hour of her telling Veronica to seek professional help, the girl pouched both therapist and doctor from under Summer’s nose.

“Speaking of the thief, how is she?”

An extra pair of footsteps came walking up from behind the couch. “The thief can hear you.”

Summer looked up to the faunus girl staring down at her. Veronica gave a rigid wave then walked over to the other couch to lay on it. Unlike the others, Veronica was dressed in her normal clothes.

“That’s a little casual for a gala, don’t you think?”

“Yeah. Good thing I’m not going?”

“Excuse me?” Summer said quickly, looking at Weiss.

“Veronica volunteered to look after you while we’re out. Hopefully this event won’t drag out.”

Penny did a quick scan of Summer’s vitals. “Hmm, even if it does she’ll be fine. It’s a little funny how your slight fever is the normal temperature of a person. You have nothing to worry about. It’s accumulating by the looks of it.”

“Cool.” Summer said not really concerned about that at all as she looked at Veronica. “You volunteered?” She didn’t get a verbal answer. Only a thumbs up.

Weiss gave Summer a kiss in the head and proceeded to leave along with everyone else. “Veronica, call if you need anything.”

“Yes ma’am.” As everyone left, Nick turned towards her to give a smile and wave as he exited. Such a little gesture brought a small smile to Veronica’s face. She put her attention on Summer and stood up. “Need anything?”

“Yeah, an answer. Why aren’t you going with them? If I got an invite then you had to.”

“I did, but it was customary.”

“What? But…you helped dozens. You’re not getting an award?”

“Nope. It’s not like dust infused clothes didn’t exist before I made more, or as if people really knew I was making more. I stayed in my little workshop so often. Even I don’t know if everything I made actually functioned as intended; nor would people tell the difference if they were layered up. Aside from the things I made for our family, that is. My crowning moments are in the final fight which as far as the public is aware, never happened.”

“That’s…I’m sorry to hear that. You worked so hard.”

“Eh. Can’t say I care too much. Not like I wanted to give a speech or anything. The crowd wouldn’t take too kindly to that anyways if you ask me.”

“Still…” Summer frowned, “You deserve recognition.”

Veronica went silent for a moment. All she could do was shrug, choosing not to think about it too much. It is what it is after all.

“How are your ears?” Summer asked, noticing them. They looked as perky as they were before instead of tapped down.

“I’m not deaf, so that’s swell. Last thing I need to be is a faunus that can’t hear or see well. Enough about me though. You don’t even sound like you should be talking. Do I need to grab a pitcher, meds, or-”

“ARF!!” Came a high pitched cry from the main hall that made Veronica jump.

What came next was the pitter patter of tiny paws on tile that made its way onto carpet. From around the couch, a tiny Dalmatian puppy with perfect spots under his eyes came waddling towards Veronica with a wagging tail

It let out its tiny yet mighty bark again. “ARF!” He nibbled on the tip of Veronica’s worn sneakers.

“N-No.” Summer stuttered, patting the couch cushion to gain its attention. “Dunce, leave her alone. I’m sorry, again.”

“You named them Dunce?”

“Our old dog was named Dolt. I don’t see the problem. Oscar suggested a therapy animal and I chose this little menace. Dunce! I need you to be smart for three seconds and come to mama.”

“It’s fine.” Veronica bent over and picked up the little guy. “Hey Dunce. Smelled a cat did ya? Good thing I don’t spook like my mom.” Veronica watched as his tiny tongue licked her nose before the puppy yawned. “Me too.”

Summer was a little bit shocked seeing Veronica react so casually. Now that she was thinking about it, Veronica overall appeared…low on energy compared to her typical attitude. Her tone was laxed and her gaze held a neutrality to them, but it didn’t feel natural.

“Are you…on antidepressants?” Summer hesitated to say. Veronica raised a brow at the question. Suddenly there was a bit more light behind Veronica’s eyes, but only a bit.

“I mean…I was for a bit, but not anymore. They…they kinda made me worse.” Veronica said in a disheartening voice. “Uh, does he have a cage I put him in? Dogs can catch human diseases y’know?”

“Yeah.” Summer pointed towards the main entryway. “Cage is outside the kitchen door.”

“Is that hygienic?”

“It’s not in the kitchen or right next to it. Keqing it there makes it easy to put him inside when we have to. He listens to microwave beeps more than me.”

Veronica snickered then left to put him away. Summer couldn’t help but feel the awkwardness between them. Maybe it was all in her sick brain, but Veronica’s words felt rather dry. The typical wittiness and snap back wasn’t there. Almost as if her mind was somewhere else. The girl in question came back in with bottles of water and two extra covers. One was draped over Summer.

“Oh. Th-Thank you?”

“I could tell you were shivering.” Veronica used the second cover on herself and turned on the tv. “Ceremony won’t start for a while. Not that it’s gonna be interesting. You should get some rest while you can though.”

“Okay…” Summer said meekly, resting her head. She couldn’t take her eyes off of Veronica. Somehow she looked more tired. “Hey, are you okay?”

“Jet lag. Menagerie isn’t exactly the closest spot to Atlas.”

“That makes sense. Although, if you had no real interest in the gala then why come all the way here in the first place?”

“It’s not Menagerie.” Veronica laid her head down and put her arm over her eyes to block out light. “Sorry, but I need a bit of rest myself. Don’t worry though. I sleep lightly.”

Now she was even apologizing. Something definitely changed over the months. Well…a lot has actually changed. Could it be that Veronica was forcing herself to help as a way of trying to make things better between them? Summer remembered their final conversation. It was messy and complicated, but it wasn’t as if Summer came off as resentful. Maybe Oscar had spoken to Veronica in one of their sessions recently and it really hit home so now she’s contemplating? Whatever it was, Summer didn’t have the energy or intention to force a conversation. Veronica was right about her being tired. The two girls shut their eyes and let rest settle in.

xxxxxx

It was about an hour or so before Summer woke up again. As her vision cleared, she saw Veronica sitting in the corner of the other couch watching tv. Summer looked down to find her water bottle and noticed that beside it was cough syrup and a melted ice pouch.

“Your fever broke in your sleep.” Veronica said casually. “Do you remember waking up to take that medicine?”

“Not in the slightest.”

“I thought as much. Anyways, how you feein?”

“Actually…pretty good.” Summer sat up. Her body still had a little fatigue but there was no headache or sore throat. “Sorry if I woke you.”

“I’m here to take care of you. Besides, I got decent rest I suppose.”

Summer wasn’t too convinced about that. Veronica did appear to have a bit more energy but her overall demeanor and even her slouching posture told a different story. There had to be a way to break the ice. Fortunately, Veronica also had things to say.

“How’s school? It’s back in session right?”

Summer nodded. “We actually did a bunch of online classes not long after you left, but a month ago the entire school was up and running again. Normally I’d be pissed but it looks like summer vacation will happen. They’re even considering extending it since some students were trapped in Atlas.

“You guys have already made up for four months worth of work?”

“Atlas has problems. Education isn’t one of them. Especially in a combat school. Not to brag but we’re kinda awesome.”

“I know four of you are, but I never got that impression from your peers.”

Summer blinked twice. If she wasn’t mistaken, Veronica called her awesome. Sure, she mentioned Val, Nick, and Eliza, but she included Summer among them.

Veronica noticed the silence. “Something wrong?”

“N-No! Just uhh…” Summer trailed off. “Anyways, I’m more surprised the field is repaired. You all really set it ablaze.”

“That’s putting it mildly. I set off an inferno that could’ve killed us.”

“Abou that…has that shaken you up or anything?”

“Huh? Not particularly? Sure it was scary but so were a lot of things. Why?”

“Just asking.” So that wasn’t what was bothering her. Perhaps Summer went about this the wrong way? Veronica could be feeling general unease? “Speaking of summer vacation, I actually wanted to talk to you about something.”

“I’m all ears.” Veronica wiggled both pairs of them.

“I was hoping you could help me with a swimsuit?”

Now that was a question Veronica hadn’t expected. She gave full attention to Summer. “Why me of all people?”

“What do you mean why?” Summer pulled the covers halfway up her face. “You look good in everything and know fashion. I wanna look hot.” She muttered.

Veronica felt a flutter in her chest. “Oh, thanks.” She wasn’t expecting such a brutally honest response. “I’ve actually never made a swimsuit before. Not that I couldn’t learn to work with the fabric but it would take time. Can’t guarantee it would hold up against something professional.”

“That’s alright. I more so wanted to pick your brain than have you suddenly make me one for scratch.”

“I can do that. Are you well enough to stand?”

“I am.”

“If you go change into a sports bra and some shorts then I can give my thoughts now.”

Summer squinted. “What makes you think I own sports bras?”

“Because you’re the same girl who walked around in oversized school uniforms and would get away with sweatpants any chance possible.” Veronica said bluntly. Maybe a little too blunt. Summer started to pout. “Shit, I uuh didn’t mean for that to sound-”

Summer stood up and left the covers on the couch to reveal she was already in shorts. The girl huffed while removing her oversized Pumpkin Pete’s t-shirt to show Veronica her black sports bra.

Veronica threw her hands up in disbelief. “So you were just being difficult?”

“Nobody likes being called out so accurately.” Summer crossed her arms defensively. “Let’s make this quick. I’m still cold.”

Veronica got on her feet and got to inspecting. First thing she immediately noticed Summer’s skin in general looked healthier than last time. Not to mention she sounded better internally as well.

“You’ve been eating healthier.”

Summer’s eyes went wide. “You can tell at a glance? I mean it’s not as difficult considering Shiva is gone. I don’t have to worry about making her more capable. I’ve even stuck to the diary suggestions you gave me.”

“You don’t have to follow that. You do realize that, right?”

“I know, but I kinda like it now.”

“Whatever floats your boat I guess.” Veronica looked at several scars imprinted on Summer’s body. It was obvious this desire of hers had more to deal with self confidence than basic attractiveness.

Though her body wasn’t flawless, most of Summer’s scars had healed remarkably well over time; many had faded and naturally gotten smaller as the girl grew up from the accident that was more than a decade ago by now. There were a couple under her right rib cage and left thigh that noticeably had heavier scar tissue but that was fine. Veronica looked at Summer’s face again. Even the slight scar across her cheek and chin were difficult to notice. Her arms obviously had a couple scars from punctures, but once again, they healed pretty well.

“Did you have any ideas in mind? High waisted, strapless, over the shoulder, or basic?”

Summer shrugged. “I don’t know. It’s why I’m asking you. I want to try being more comfortable with myself but any time I go shopping…it all becomes a chore.” She sighed.

“Well since you’re asking me, go with a one piece.” Veronica watched Summer try to stop her face from scrunching up. “What?”

“Isn’t that a little…I don’t know, childish?”

“Only if you’re thinking about a school’s one piece, maybe. Summer, you do know you can’t really pull off what I would pick for myself, right?”

“Yes Veronica. I’m painfully aware of that.” It was hard not to sound jealous. Belladonna and Xiao Long genetics are the ultimate slap in the face in this specific case. “The hell is your dairy diet?”

“Stop crying over nonexistent spilled milk. You are also the daughter of a very beautiful woman who I highly doubt has ever looked ugly. Weiss Schnee might be the definition of beauty.”

“I think you’re underselling how gorgeous your parents are.”

“Oh I’m fully aware people drool over my parents. One more than the other at times. Doesn’t change what I said. Showing more skin doesn’t automatically make you feel more attractive or give off the perception you’re aiming for. You have to learn to work with what you have instead of what you wish for.”

“And what would that be?” Summer asked earnestly, receiving a tap on the leg with Veronica’s

“Like I said, you’re your mother’s daughter. Short torso, but long elegant legs. A one piece Will compliment that while also covering a few scars because let’s be honest, that’s what’s bugging you. Take it a step at a time. Hell, pick a one piece that shows a little of your back if you think that’s manageable. Alternatively, high waisted bottoms are a bikini top that’s more like a crop top or vest. You can feel hot and be modest.

Summer listened to every word. Veronica had gotten so caught up in her craft that she was speaking normally again. Not only that, but what she said felt more than personal advice. It was clear Veronica pulled from personal experience. A mixture of care and stern lecturing. For some reason, that made Summer smile.

It didn’t go unnoticed. “What’s with the grin?”

“I’m relieved. The awkward tension isn’t as bad as earlier. Thanks for the advice. I’ll keep it all in mind.”

Again with the compliments. Veronica wasn’t sure she would get used to them. She walked back to her seat. “You can put back on your shirt now before you catch another cold.”

“That would suck.” Summer returned to her comfy clothes and blankets. “Gotta admit I’m a little surprised you’ve never worked with swimsuits. Haven’t covered it in fashion class yet?”

Awkwardness came back again. Veronica turned her gaze towards the tv to see the countless citizens in extraordinary outfits as ceremonies took place. She rested her head in her left hand.

“Veronica?”

“Don’t know. I never went back.” Her ears dropped down.

Summer’s heart sunk, her body leaning back in shock. “Never went back? What do you mean you never went back?”

“I missed a lot when I left the first time. Granted it wasn’t anything I couldn’t make up with effort and my talent, but I didn’t really have one of those. Regular school is hard enough, now I had to fight in order to keep a spot nobody wanted me in to start with. Between my terrible record with fights and whatever bull shit they came up with, I didn’t have the energy. I’ve barely been going to school at all actually.”

“But…you love making designs.”

“I also loved gymnastics and a bunch of other things. Don’t get me wrong though, it’s not like I’ve given up on it. At this point it makes more sense to finish school and then go to design school somewhere far from home. Coco Axel herself thinks I have talent and recommended a few schools, so it’s a win.”

Veronica turned to Summer to smile at her humble brag but saw the girl frowning. A twinge of pain hit her chest and the smile she tried to wear didn’t show up.

Summer spoke with genuine concern. “Why don’t I think you believe that?”

“I mean…” Veronica clenched the bottom of her skirt as she held her head down. “I’d be lying if I said I’m not a little disappointed in myself. By all rights, this plan is more favorable than things have been; yet it feels like I broke a promise to myself. As if they won by kicking me out.” Her voice trembled.

“I-”

“Can we please not talk about this?” She said quickly.

There it was, the frailty from before. Summer took a breath before speaking calmly. “Are you forcing yourself to interact with me because not doing so feels like running away?”

Veronica raised her head with urgency. “No, that’s not…” she sighed, feeling exhausted. “I don’t know why I’m doing what I am anymore. I only know doing nothing isn’t going to fix anything.”

“What are you trying to fix?”

“….Everything?” Tears spilled over that Veronica quickly wiped away. “Myself.”

“I can’t really speak much on school since I don’t have room to talk about the best way to handle it, but don’t think you have to force these things. Especially between us. It’s like you said about my swimsuit. Go at your own pace.”

“If I don’t push myself then I don’t want to move. I know that healing isn’t this linear process but these setbacks and plateaus keep…scaring me. I know I don’t deserve pity for a lot of things I’ve done but these lows are so-”

“Who told you that?” Summer asked sternly, spooking herself a little. “Who said you don’t deserve pity or empathy? I most certainly didn’t and I know nobody who has your best interest said that. Vee, in case you haven’t noticed, not once since you’ve been here have I done something fucked up like guilt trip you or come off as passive aggressive. So you showed up today because you feel guilty? Half the things I’ve done for my family had personal guilt attached to it. That’s all the proof you need that you’re holding yourself accountable and have compassion, but don’t think you have to act on every urge. I see that you’re trying. You got a therapist immediately after I told you.

“I thought you were upset over that?”

“Not literally! I was just being bratty because I’m not fan of sharing. I’m not actually mad you took my advice to get therapy from the person you trust. Cut me a little slack.” Summer gave Veronica a gentle smile. “Have any interesting breakthroughs you’re comfortable with sharing? Oscar has a way of making people cry.”

Veronica wiped her face again. “I don’t know if I can really call them breakthroughs. They’ve been things I pretty much knew about myself but never wanted to admit verbally. Apparently I have a fairly decent understanding of myself. It’s putting in the work positively that sucks.”

“Gotta admit that makes me a little jealous. That man sometimes peels back a layer I didn’t know existed.”

“Heh, well, I guess the closest thing to that is despite my low tolerance and expectations for people, I persist in being close to see if I’ll be proven wrong.” She sniffed. “It’s a big reason why I like Nick. Not sure if that’s a good or bad thing.

Summer can understand that. All of their family is kind and caring but people like her brother and Penny aren’t related to Veronica. She’s so used to being written off by others that she expects it’ll come eventually. However, the truth is that’s not gonna happen with those two. Even in Veronica’s ugliest moments, they never thought less of her or believed she couldn’t be better. Now that Summer thought of it, Veronica most likely thought similarly about this situation.

Summer reached out her hand. “Not to change topics so suddenly, but I’m still cold.”

“Oh, okay.” Veronica removed her own blanket. She wasn’t actually that cold anymore anyways. She walked over to Summer to give her the extra layer but was caught by surprise when Summer grabbed her by the wrist. “What are - ahh!” A firm tug sent Veronica falling forward.

Summer caught the girl in her arms and fell back gently onto the couch with Veronica ensnared. They landed on their sides and Summer kept the girls face close to her chest. “Aah~That’s better.” She didn’t push her luck by rubbing her head.

Veronica squirmed and grunted. “Grr, Summer! I’m not in the mood for-”

“Then use your semblance or punch me in the face to escape. I’m not letting go of you.”

Veronica’s tail swayed back and forth as she tried wiggling side to side before giving up, her body going limp. She wasn’t going to punch a sick person.

“No semblance?”

“…I’m too exhausted to deal with falling.”

“Guess you’re stuck then.” Summer didn’t really believe that was the full reason, she let Veronica get away with it.

Silence built between them for at least a minute as the sound of a clock ticked and the sound from tv not being watched played in the background.

“Why are you doing this?” Veronica finally asked.

“You’re warm and I’m cold. Chalk it up to fulfilling your duties as my temporary keeper.”

“….Why are you really doing this?” Veronica sunk into the embrace.

“….Not sure. Maybe this is my version of tough love? I don’t like seeing you so down on yourself and walking on eggshells around me. Can’t tell if I’m concerned or if it ticks me off.”

“Beats me.” She said dryly.

“Back to what you said, I can empathize a little. There were many times I felt like I was giving every reason for people to let go to the waste side. Even so, my family never let go. I felt like dead weight and yet they still chose to hang on to me. I never really understood why, but maybe there isn’t much to understand?”

“It’s love. The type that feels unconditional and dangerous for everyone involved. Especially the person who doesn’t believe they deserve it.”

Summer felt Veronica tense up. “Not that I’m giving you my blessing or anything like that, but take it from me, Nick does whatever the fuck he wants. His answer to participating less in contests and overseeing school affairs was to get a part time job for crying out loud.” She snickered, “He’s so bad saying no he literally had to give himself an excuse to deny people.”

“Does he work at the cafe he likes so much?”

“Could you smell it on him? Heh, it’s not a terrible scent by any means but man is it a lot to deal with. Anyways, don’t be afraid to be real with him. And if you feel too reliant, bring it up. You could also make my day and fall for someone else.”

“No offense, but do you even know what it’s like to fall for someone? You kinda bask in the limelight.”

“Nope.” Summer said without a second thought. “I’ve been attracted to people but generally all guys I’ve met look disappointed and mundane.”

“Do you think that has something to do with the fact people like Oscar, your father, and Nick set the bar high by sticking by you through medical, physical, and emotional crises? How can any normal guy treat you that tenderly?”

Summer felt like her entire world hit pause. Now she knew for sure Veronica did sessions with Oscar, because not only was that delivery so blunt, the monotone nature of it hit her in the face. That had never crossed her mind!

“Let’s keep the focus on you okay?” Summer said, not wanting to acknowledge that new box of horror right now. “I asked earlier but I’ll ask again. How are you feeling? Are you okay?”

Veronica felt her own heart beating faster. Despite her deep breaths, it wouldn’t calm down. “…It’s not jet lag.” She said on the verge of tears. “I’m so tired all the time. I can sleep for hours and gain little rest. I feel like a bundle of nerves because I don’t know if I’m angry with myself or everyone else. I…I am so lost in it all. I don’t know if I’m doing anything right anymore. Maybe I never was. It feels even shitty to complain like this to you about my problems when yours actually tried to kill you.”

“…..So are yours. They pushed you.”

The words echoed in Veronica’s head. “Ah…I guess I never looked at it like that. Ya know…I would always get so angry hearing someone said ending your life is the easy way out. There’s nothing easy about letting all hope inside you fade and believing nothing gets better. It’s pure torture.”

“What does not giving up mean then?”

“That’s not easy either. It takes pure strength to hold onto hope for a better day.”

“If that’s the case, Veronica, you’re the strongest person I’ve ever known.”

Summer gently combed through the girl’s hair with her fingers. So much has happened in so little time. Perhaps everything was leading to this moment? Then again, it was nice to think they both reached this point by never giving up instead of believing in something as mysterious as destiny. All Summer knew for sure is whenever she thought about Veronica recently, she only wanted good things to happen to her and for them to talk. Not only about big and serious things, but the silly little topics that no normal person would get hung up on. Not everything in life can be mended and things that are might not be quite the same. Even so, Summer knew in her heart there was one thing she could- no, that she did mend and wanted to share.

“Veronica…?” She said softly.

“Hmmm?” The girl hummed, barely mustering the energy.

“….I forgive you.”

Three words. That’s all it took to undo some of the immense pressure that weighed heavily on Veronica. She couldn’t even question if it was said out of pity or earnestly. The simple fact that she hears what she never believed would undid the rest of her composure. Her arms wrapped around Summer to hold on gently.

No more words were exchanged. Summer continued to play with Veronica’s hair and keep her close as the girl cried into her chest, her body trembling. Summer never found herself as particularly kind in comparison to others she knew. However, right now she couldn’t believe her brother might’ve been right. After all her protests and feelings of disbelief towards her own qualities, here she was, holding on. Maybe there truly was something everyone saw in her and Veronica that the two of them had yet to notice at the time? Summer had to admit that now she wanted to see it too.

xxxxx

Night settled in and the esteemed guests had returned to the manor exhausted. Not so much though that Weiss did them all a favor by having a human-sized Gigas carry the awards and baggage.

“Is it too much to ask for those things to be fun and brief?” Sparrow sighed.

“Yes.” Everyone said.

Ruby held a passed out Ruth in her arms. “One of us had a blast. Out like a light.

Weiss smiled. “Then it’s worth it in the end. You two and Whitley could’ve gone straight home if you wanted to.”

“Nah, Ruth likes Veronica. I was thinking we all might crash here for tonight? There’s definitely enough rooms.”

Nora’s eyes lit up. “Then in the morning we get treated to the most wonderful breakfast by Ruby, Ren, Jaune, Winter, and Yang!”

Sparrow clapped. “Amazing idea.”

Blake however took slight offense. “Are you saying the other half of us spouses are the inferior cooks?”

Weiss, Whitley, and Qrow looked at Blake. “That’s because we are.”

“My cooking is great!”

Yang patted her back. “It is, but let’s be honest. My breakfast brings your parents over.”

While Valerie was busy getting distracted by Dunce’s adorableness, Nick followed Oscar and Penny to the living room to hopefully find it in one piece. Immediately as they walked in they came back out waving everyone over silently but frantically. The curious bunch made their way over.

Everyone had to restrain their gasps before smiling. This sure wasn’t expected. Both girls were completely knocked out on one sofa holding one another. Empty water bottles were everywhere and there were a couple empty snack bowls as well. Summer looked rather pleased in her slumber while Veronica was in a deep sleep. A soft purring could be heard coming from her as she leaned into Summer’s embrace.

No one had the heart to wake them. As they left, Weiss turned off the tv, Yang and Blake grabbed the trash, and Jaune put a cover over them that had fallen off. Nick however, grabbed something a bit more memorable; a quick photo to show them later if the need arises. Would they threaten his life? It was possible. Would that make him any less correct? Absolutely not.

[callofthxvoid]

Please welcome BEATRIX "TRIXIE" VOS (SHE/HER) to Huntsville, WV. They are a 32-year-old VISITOR who lives in TOWN. You may see them around working as a NURSE AT HUNTSVILLE HIGH. They are looking for FOX VOS, their BROTHER, and CHANDLER VOS, their SISTER. Poor unfortunate soul. We'll see if they survive.

quick facts

Title: The Flight Risk

Name: Beatrix Kendra Vos

Nickname: Trixie

Date of Birth: November 22, 1991

Age: 32

Place of Birth: Definitely Somewhere

Hometown: Also A Place That Exists

Languages: English, Spanish

Faceclaim: Emily Bett Rickards

Pronouns: She/Her

Sexuality: Pansexual

Relationship Status: Single

personality

Myers-Briggs: ISFP - The Adventurer

Enneagram: Type Four - The Individualist (4w3)

Moral Alignment: Chaotic Good

Occupation: Nurse at Huntsville High

Role: Gatherer

[+] adventurous, generous, empathetic, patient [-] conflicted, inconstant, thrill-seeking, self-sabotaging

Character Inspirations: Dr. Emma K. Kurtzman (No Strings Attached), Elaine "Lainey" Dalton (Sleeping With Other People), Bridget Vreeland (The Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants)

background

TW: Alcoholism, Parental Neglect

Born the second of three children to neglectful, alcoholic parents, Trixie has spent her whole life feeling torn between two sides of herself that seem impossible for her to reconcile with each other. On one hand, her early childhood was defined by being the careless, accident-prone little sister who always needed help from her big brother Fox, because she was always the one messing up. On the other hand, she simultaneously found herself stepping up to be the responsible, nurturing older sister to her little sister Chandler—especially after a blowup between their dad and Fox resulted in the former getting arrested and the latter being going into a second chance program.

At the time, Trixie was barely going into high school, and the rest of her teenage years played out in much the same fashion. She had good grades, but she spent way more time in detention than any other honours student at her school did. She refused to drink or take drugs, but she was almost notoriously promiscuous, known for rarely (if ever) saying no to a hookup. After graduating, she attended community college to get an associate's degree in nursing, while she made a living getting paid under the table to work at a dive bar that was a popular concert venue for underground bands.

Trixie was on the precipice of having her life together when her older brother went missing during a job. At the time, she had just qualified as a nurse, was working her first job at a local hospital, and had been in a committed relationship for a little over a year. Her boyfriend was a nice, stable person from a nice, stable family, and while he was incredibly good to her, she always felt like there were things that she couldn't share with him—like she always had to hide her messy side, or the parts of her life that weren't as pretty. When he proposed, she had a small meltdown about the whole thing, freaked out and turned him down, and has not been in a serious relationship since.

Life carried on, and she continued working as a nurse while making friends from all walks of life. Among them was Lance Cerulli, whom she met while directing him to an AA meeting after he was admitted to the hospital she was working at; so when he told her that he was going to Huntsville for a fresh start, and she realised that was the same area that Fox had gone missing in, she had no qualms about deciding to accompany him on the road. And yet, despite having now spent two years in a place where her old problems hardly seem to matter, Trixie finds herself stuck in the same dilemma she has always been in—torn between the part of herself that wants to grow up and settle down and the one that recoils at the very thought of doing anything like that.

misc

She classifies herself as straight edge and has xXx tattooed on her left wrist.

She is an avid runner. She will figuratively and literally run from her problems.

[i-did-not-mean-to]

Dear brother...

For the last prompt of this week, I present to you my husband's prompt "Victorian AU - Balin", featuring not Balin but Dwalin. Anyway, I am knee-deep in that whole Regency/Victorian AU swamp.

(If you like that kind of thing, check out the newest endeavour-> here)

Words: 963

Characters: Dwalin & Balin

Prompt: Postcards

Warnings: Nothing, just a breakfast and a letter

"M'lord?"

A young servant girl appeared on the threshold of the morning room where Dwalin was just breaking his fast, a silver tray in her pale hands.

Surprised, the Lord of the small estate looked up impatiently; it was not like her to interrupt him during these quiet few moments before he had to attend to his usual business and duties.

"What is it?" he asked, conjuring up a pained, apologetic smile when he saw her flinch.

He had an important meeting with Lord Thorin, master of the sprawling manor on the hill overlooking the town, later in the morning and he had already been mentally preparing for it.

"Beg pardon," the girl said in a muted voice, "but I thought you'd like to know right away. Your brother has written."

His astonishment full-wrought, Dwalin got up from the perfectly upholstered chintz chair and threw the paper he had been perusing onto the richly laden table with careless precision.

A grunt of disapproval escaped him as he thumbed through his correspondence quickly in search of his brother's missive.

Balin had—after much convincing by his family and friends—finally agreed to leave the smoky, industrial town to take the waters in a picturesque village on the coast.

In the name of his recovery, he had been encouraged by everyone not to reach out to anyone to inquire about the daily sorrows and problems they encountered.

"I hope, for him that is, that he is only writing to tell me how well-rested he feels and how wonderful the sea air is," Dwalin grumbled as he tore open the plain envelope.

In truth, he missed his brother terribly and did not envy him for the way he had ever carried the weight of their name and their responsibilities on his broad shoulders diligently and quietly.

Had he known how difficult and tiring the upkeep of a proper household in the absence of mothers and wives was, he might have thought twice about going gallivanting for so many years, leaving his older brother to deal with all of it without ever complaining.

"I so hope Master Balin's complexion will benefit from the wholesome climate," the girl whispered fervently and gave Dwalin a shy smile.

He returned it with as much grace as he could—indeed, try as he might, it was impossible for him to resent her for overstepping the boundaries of professional distance when it was so evident that she deeply cared for her employer and was sincerely worried about how haggard and weary Balin had looked these last few months.

"I shall let you know," he promised, "I shall ring for you or come down to the servant quarters after having finished my breakfast."

The idea that the young master would debase himself so seemed to shock her into an air of sober propriety again.

"Oh no," she cried out, "we are entirely at your disposal. Forgive me for having intruded."

With a discreet curtsy, she retreated and left Dwalin to read his unexpected letter in peace.

Lifting a cup of merely lukewarm tea to his lips, Dwalin found that he had forgotten about Thorin and his eternal struggles with his sister's sons for a moment.

He unfolded the sheets covered in Balin's neat handwriting and read.

Dear brother,

It should gratify and delight you to hear me admit that you are indeed wise beyond what your gruff demeanour might promise.

The sea, the air, and the quiet have done wonders for my constitution and even the insistent back pain that has been ailing me so doggedly has subsided.

I eat well and sleep even better.

Forgive an old man his flight of sentimentality, but the only thing that makes my much-restored spirits sink is your absence.

By chance—what would two old bachelors such as we know about these things—I have learned recently that the “season” is in full swing.

Do not frown overmuch as you read these following lines, I beg you—I know that Thorin is ever on the lookout for worthy endeavours and instructive entertainment for the boys.

Would you consider doing me the honour and him the service of visiting me here with Fíli and Kíli?

I am certain that there cannot be any undertaking more noble and meritorious than to secure a wife of good standing and excellent breeding, wouldn't you agree?

In that sense, I pray that you might exculpate my meddling; I promise that I am taking the very best care of myself and that this renewed enthusiasm and vigour are indeed a product of the success of your initiative on my behalf.

Please send word as soon as you've spoken to Thorin, I would be overjoyed to welcome you in the cosy house I've taken for the summer. There is enough room for everyone, so feel free to bring a party of young people to liven up things, I beg you.

Warm greetings,

Balin

Dwalin's frown deepened.

The thought of indulging in merry company without the crushing weight of social expectations was oddly seductive.

Pocketing the letter, he rang for the servant to come and take away the scattered remains of his meal.

"I am off to see Lord Thorin," he informed, "please pack a few semi-formal garments."

"Oh, are you also going away?" the girl asked, surprised and wary.

"For a time, yes," he confirmed, "but I shall be back soon. I'll be off—I expect preparations to have been made upon my return. I shall not tarry long.”

His steps were light and joyous as he made his way up the hill to inform Thorin of this unexpected turn of events.

Maybe, Dwalin thought wickedly, he could convince the old codger himself to accompany them to the seaside for a much-needed holiday.

@fellowshipofthefics Here's my last submission for the first week of the July Summer Fics.

Lots of love from me!