#and i imagine cole teasing him with the nickname

[alien-bluez]

jays i doodled over the past few days bc i love him sm 🥺🥺

[redahlia-writes]

be still my foolish heart. | joel miller

Abstract: He still felt unsure, unsteady, both wanting to keep her at arm’s length and welcoming her back in his life like before, drown in the comfort he’d found in her presence year after year since they were kids. She’d tried to reassure him, and he knew she was right–you could not live in the world they did and not change. But he remembered her in pigtails on the first day of school, he remembered her prom dress being awfully 80s, and he remembered the first time he’d seen her with Sarah–gentle voiced and wide eyed, holding her as if she might shatter should she breathe a little too hard.

Words: 9.7k

Content: f!reader (called “sugar” as a nickname, described as shorter than joel); childhood friends to lovers, mentions of child’s death, grief, mentions of attempted suicide, PTDS, panic attacks, hurt/comfort, this was supposed to be about joel and sugar but there’s a lot of joel/ellie too. a lot, idiots in love, slow(ish) burn, ellie being a loving little shit, canon divergence (they get to jackson and don’t leave but i never explain why), some very minor spoilers for tlou2, purple prose, unedited

A/N: loosely inspired by almost (sweet music) by hozier; the song they listen to is night and day and can be found in ella fitzgerald sings the cole porter song book (1956). 

also on AO3 - masterlist

reblogs and feedback are always greatly appreciated. you can send it here, too

Ellie had never seen a deer in headlights, only saw pictures of the creatures and heard the expression every now and then from older people.

She imagined the way Joel looked in that moment was what they meant.

Frozen still, eyes wide and lips parted, even holding his breath if the lack of condensation by his face was any indicator, Joel stood next to his brother with his back straight, the only indication he hadn’t suddenly turned into a piece of rock the light twitch in his right hand.

There’s someone you should see, Tommy had told him, half a day after they’d gotten to Jackson–they’d had time to eat and leave the few stuff they still had in the house, and right before she could hit the shower Tommy had walked in. Not keen on the idea of being left alone, Ellie had followed the Millers quietly. Joel had even teased her about it.

“Who’s the quiet one now?” she’d huffed at Joel’s sudden immobility. Tommy had looked at her with that half grin that she imagined Joel must’ve had, too, at some point, and then lifted his arm to wave a hand in the direction of a small group by the school. A woman pulled her head up, a green woolen hat low on her brow, and then waved back, a smile visible even from there. “Anyone you know?” she asked, looking back at Joel.

He still did not bat an eye.

“Well, I’ll be damned,” she exclaimed, extricating herself from the rest of the group with a quick apology. “Joel Miller,” she called, the name rolling with a certain familiarity out of her mouth as she approached them, brushing some snow from her coat.

“Sugar?” the word came out strangled–his mouth was dry, the ground unstable beneath him. Suddenly, he wasn’t 56 anymore but 16 years old, and around him a shitty classroom that could do with some fixing, or an all too familiar living room, a cluttered bedroom with dark walls–and the smile he was offered had not changed a bit.

“Sugar?” Ellie echoed, a little baffled. Her eyes darted towards the girl, a glint of curiosity.

“Only one who still called me that after we left high-school,” the woman chuckled, stepping forward with her arms open. “Come on, c’mere–it’s been too long.”

Joel hesitated–when was the last time he’d hugged someone? Maybe Tess, though he could not remember when, but that had always been more a clinging-to-each-other type of thing. A hug, that was different, and he felt stuck on the spot all over again.

Before he could overthink it too much, Ellie pushed him forward, making him grunt in protest as he almost fell into the woman’s embrace–he wrapped his arms around her, the movement somewhat foreign, and slowly leaned into it. Despite the cold and snow, she was warm underneath all the layers of clothing she donned, and smelled of freshly cut grass. It reminded him of another time, and if he closed his eyes he could almost see it. He exhaled.

“You stink, Miller–how long have you been out there?” she laughed softly, one hand cupping the back of his head, same way she used to when they were younger. He remembered dancing.

“A while,” he admitted, unable to argue with that, easing into the embrace furthermore. “Sorry,” he added, and she patted his shoulder gently, another delicate chuckle that rang crystalline to his ears.

“I’ve had it worse, it’s alright,” she murmured, chin hooked over his shoulder–he could feel her straining to stand on her tiptoes, slightly unbalanced, and lowered himself against her, face buried in the curve of her neck wrapped by a soft scarf that matched the hat. She sighed softly at the movement, her fingertips scratching across his scalp. “God, it’s good to see you.”

“You, too,” voice slightly muffled and blind to the world, Joel was able to admit that. Maybe it was nostalgia, making him forget everything else for a few moments as he lingered in the peacefulness of that familiar touch, or maybe it was exhaustion, blurring the edges between who he used to be and who he was now.

“I’m so sorry, Joel,” she whispered then, and it felt like ice through his veins. He pulled back slightly, the urge to run away making his limbs tremble–but she kept him caged in, the arm around his shoulders stronger than he remembered (was he tired? Was he too out of it?), and the hand that had brushed his hair falling to his cheek, brushing away some of the grime he’d grown used to by then.

But it was her gaze that kept him rooted, though, that softness he didn’t think could still exist in the world they lived in, and emotions he had almost forgotten, ignoring them each time they presented themselves–it’d be too risky to feel them, too easy to surrender to it again: sorrow, grief. It cut his breath all over again.

“Tommy told me,” she kept her voice low, her touch gentle, rubbing her thumb across his uneven beard. The bustling in the air was foreign after so many months of quiet, and he wasn’t sure which one made his body ache–the current life, or the past death.

“Of course he did,” he scoffed, and her expression shifted, a reprimand in her gaze that used to make him laugh when they were younger, and furthermore when she grew into that same expression, year after year of standing together.

“Joel,” she chided, still soft-voiced, still attempting to comfort him through that small motion on his face. He remembered that touch and kind, encouraging words with a baby in his arms; he remembered his name called out through laughter–hers, his daughter’s; he remembered winters and summers and years before that. He closed his eyes, a furrow in his brow.

“No, of course he did,” he exhaled, shaking his head slightly. “Sorry, it’s just–she really liked you, you know?” his eyes remained closed, trying to push back the pressure building behind his eyelids, trying to swallow the knot in his throat.

“I know,” he felt her nod, press herself closer just as her name was called from behind them. When he looked up at her again, her eyes were shimmering, that vulnerability he hadn’t had the courage to show again after the ringing in his right ear had stopped. “I’m sorry,” she repeated, bringing her other hand to his face, too, holding him like that. He nodded, afraid that if he spoke right away he would crumble.

All it had taken was a gentler touch, and he was ready to fall apart.

“You oughta go–looks like you’re needed,” he cleared his throat, the damn knot clinging to his larynx seemingly impossible to push away. She looked over her shoulder, the group she was with before waving her over, and sighed before turning back towards him.

They still hadn’t let go of each other, and neither seemed willing to make the first move.

“I’m expecting you all for dinner,” she spoke a little louder then, turning her head as if to look past Joel’s shoulder but without moving her gaze from him. “Alright, Tommy?”

“Yes, ma’am,” the younger Miller called, his eyes returning to the pair after having wandered elsewhere for the duration of their reunion–the most privacy that could be given in that context. Ellie hadn’t been as subtle, her head tilted and a curious look in her eyes at the sudden burst of emotion that seemed to roll off Joel’s back. It was astounding. 

In the end, she was the first to depart, a kiss to Joel’s cheek that seemed to melt away what little tension was left in him. He stumbled back as she walked towards the group, one last look over her shoulder that ended up being directed towards Ellie, a quick smile and small wave she returned, somewhat unsure.

“I felt the same way,” Tommy rested his hand on his brother’s shoulder, as if to shake him from the haze that seemed to have permeated him thoroughly.

“She been here long?” he was frowning again, forcing his gaze away from the back of her head to look at Tommy. The younger Miller nodded a couple of times.

“Even before I got here,” he said, slowly beginning to lead him away, Joel seemingly rooted to the spot once more. “You know Sugar, she’s always been a step ahead of us,” he added, and in his murmur there was a fond smile.

“Sugar?” Ellie repeated, her eyebrows arched with her returned bafflement.

“Just a stupid nickname,” Joel muttered, shaking himself off in a way that seemed more a recoil–he turned and cleared his throat. “Old nickname. Don’t even know who came up with it in school. It stuck.”

“For you it stuck,” Tommy was smiling, clearly amused. They seemed so different, Ellie thought. Had they always been like that? She wondered if she could ask her. “Pure irony, really,” Tommy continued, addressing her. “She always fought people–a real spitfire.”

“You only say that because you got slapped,” Ellie’s eyebrows arched furthermore at Joel’s scoff, a tint of amusement in his words.

“And you,” the younger Miller retorted, making Ellie’s lips part.

“Oh, I like her,” she exclaimed, turning to look at her–she was back at work, the scarf now covering the lower part of her face, though she could still hear her laughter ring clear.

A week later, they stood in her living room.

Though they’d met again around town after that first day, it had taken both Joel and Ellie a moment to settle in. The house felt odd for them both–Ellie having never had one, Joel not remembering his old one. It helped that she lived just around the corner, and in the morning he’d see her walk by to head towards the center.

Slowly, he found a routine, found a way to make himself useful, and leaned into it. Ellie was wilder, refusing to go to school and spending most of her time in her bedroom, Walkman constantly on as she went through pages and pages of old diaries, old books. 

“Wanna come to this thing with me?” was the only thing he asked her that night–they threaded carefully around each other, murmured confessions before he sent her to bed at night (the only thing he was firm with, leaving her her space otherwise). It wasn’t time that did it, Ellie’s head resting on his shoulder as she fiddled with the new record he’d found for her. When I got bit in the mall I wasn’t on my own, Riley’s name bitter on her tongue.

“What thing?” Joel’s hair was slicked back, a new shirt Tommy had gotten for him along with his jacket. He actually looked put together, which was the reason why Ellie sat up quickly. “Are you going to Sugar’s?”

“Stop calling her that,” he muttered, though it was the only way he ever referred her as–old habits, he thought. “Yeah–Tommy and Maria are gonna be there too, we’re all adults so if–”

“Let’s go,” she hopped up.

And so they were in her living room, scarcely decorated but recognisable as hers nonetheless, and Ellie walked around the place with a curious gaze, hands fidgeting at her sides.

“How did you convince her to come here?” Maria asked quietly, as the three of them waited for the lady of the house–she had categorically refused any help in the kitchen, ordering them to wait by the set table. Old habits, Joel thought again.

“I didn’t,” he shrugged, watching the kid linger at a picture set in a cracked frame, the dance of her fingers ceasing for just a moment. “I think she likes her–probably has to do with the slapping stories.”

“Definitely has to do with the slapping stories,” Tommy chuckled, taking a sip of his drink.

“You know I can hear you, right?” Ellie asked, without turning to look at them. “Actually–him I can understand,” Joel scowled at Ellie’s remark while she pointed at him, spinning around to face the three of them. “But why did she hit you?” Maria chuckled at that, while Tommy almost choked on his drink and his face burned a brighter shade of red.

“Ah, well, I–” he cleared his throat–it was another time, he thought. So many years before. “I–kind of made a move on her. And then told her I was gonna join the army,” he rubbed his jaw, some sort of nervous twitch as he glanced in a grinning Maria’s direction. “Still not sure which one pissed her off more.”

“The army,” she said, coming into the living room while holding a fuming pot she was quick to place on the table. Joel’s posture changed, a slight shift towards her by the head of the table and his head twisting so that his gaze would be on her, the ghost of a smile across his lips. “If one of you was going to be a self-sacrificing idiot and leave, I expected that to be Joel.”

“You shipped yourself off to college,” Tommy protested as they sat down–Joel remained next to her on left, Ellie next to him (she didn’t like being on his deaf side, but she preferred it to sitting away), Tommy and Maria on the other side.

“Definitely not the same thing,” she wrinkled her nose in a half-grimace, plating up the food–whatever it was, Ellie couldn’t remember the last time she’d smelled something so good, her stomach already grumbling. Tommy scoffed lightly, passing on the plates.

“Wait, you made a move? If anything I thought–” before Ellie could finish the sentence, Joel pinched her leg, making her yelp and turn to him wide-eyed. “What the hell was that for?”

“Manners,” he muttered–at the corner of his eye, the woman tried to fight off a smile, setting the last plate in front of him. “Eat your food.”

She looked at the older Miller and the kid throughout the dinner and the chats, the scowls and grins, his reprimands and her sharp tongue. It was a familiar scene, late dinners stolen in a living room she once knew like it was her own.

The younger brother leaving early on was familiar, too, Maria tiring easily from the pregnancy and Tommy refusing to leave her side for longer than necessary–her heart ached at the thought of Tommy Miller having grown up, until it functioned as a reminder that growing up in their world now meant surviving. It was easier to think of it like that.

“Just means you’re gonna have to come back for dessert,” she said as Maria hugged her, winking in Tommy’s direction, too.

“We should get going, too,” Joel cleared his throat once it was just the three of them, heading for the rack where his and Ellie’s jacket hung. She had the fleeting thought that he was trying to avoid being alone with her–though they weren’t really alone–as he had for the whole week. A quick greeting and then away, never lingering too much around her. She figured it was because he was still settling in–hoped that was the reason, in spite of the years gone by.

“But I want dessert!” the girl protested, still sat at the table (by herself).

“Ellie,” he sighed heavily, not turning to look at her as picked up her coat.

“Joel,” she retorted in the same tone, unmoving. The woman looked between the two of them with an eyebrow arched, fighting the smile off of her lips the moment Joel sighed again, head falling forward. It wasn’t needed, but Ellie took it a step further, softening her voice for a, “Please?”

Joel Miller had always had a hard time saying no to his daughter. Guess things hadn’t changed that much.

“If we’re bothering–” he started, his gaze flicking from Ellie to her.

“Oh, quit that, Miller,” she scoffed, waving her hand dismissively. “Ellie, grab your plate, come,” Joel remained frozen for a moment as the girl beamed, standing with the plate in her hands and quickly following her towards the kitchen. A beat, and then he went after them, bringing with him the rest of the dirty dishes they’d left behind.

“What is that?” Ellie had stopped abruptly at the entrance of the kitchen, eyes wide, forcing Joel to walk around her at the last moment, stumbling towards the woman who was placing a tray onto the counter. He lingered a moment, his gaze following the twisted pattern made of golden dough, and once more he felt transported back ages in time.

“My mama’s apple pie,” she said gently, a smile grazing her face–there was a bitterness to it, too, with the realization that that was probably the first time Ellie saw one outside of pictures. “We produce the flour ourselves, and have the dogs check it for possible contamination, so it’s safe,” Joel could almost see the hope in her eyes in trying to reassure the kid, grabbing the knife and offering it to her by the handle. “Wanna have a go?”

Ellie’s eyes shimmered with excitement as she took the sharp knife, getting closer to her–she leaned with one arm on the counter, while with the other hand she showed her where to start, mimicking the movement of cutting down towards the crust. As he placed the dirty dishes in the sink, Joel inhaled deeply, the perfume coming out of the still warm filling in fumes.

“Jesus,” he muttered with a soft groan, turning around quickly. Ellie stilled, her gaze flickering from where she held the knife up to him, then back to the grinning woman who was looking at him, too. “Sorry.”

“You know, your–” she stopped herself, clearing her throat before straightening her back. “Joel would always know when we made this at my place. I don’t know how but he did–never failed to show up when my mama got one in the oven.”

“Sixth sense,” Joel chuckled, getting closer as well, his mouth already watering. “Smells just like then,” he mumbled, shifting on the spot when she bumped her hip against him, her smile widening. “You know, Sarah wanted to call you to bring it over, before–” he cut himself off.

Ellie shuffled on the spot, the knife in her hand a sudden weight she didn’t like–Joel had mentioned just in passing Sarah to her, admitting first and foremost to her existence, half-joking over their differences. But whenever he did his eyes would go unfocused, gaze dropping to the broken watch.

She watched as the woman pressed herself slightly closer, hand brushing the back of Joel’s, right up to the cracked watch before she even looked up, the movement seemingly enough to draw Joel’s attention towards her; she watched as the man cleared his throat, right hand twitching before he exhaled, pulling back as if in afterthought, reaching for the cupboard; she watched Sugar’s head drop slightly, and then straighten again with a forced smile in her direction. Ellie returned it tentatively.

“Alright, kiddo–it’s best when it’s warm,” she encouraged, taking the knife from her as Joel returned with clean plates. She deposited the slice on one, pushing it in Ellie’s direction. “Too bad we haven’t got any ice cream, tastes even better with that.”

“Can’t miss what I never tried, right?” Ellie shrugged, that crooked smile still on. “Thanks,” she added then, stepping away, back towards the living room. She’d started to learn when others needed space.

“Joel,” his name whispered was like a bucket of ice water thrown in his face, a shuddering breath leaving him when he turned to look at her. Her head was slightly tilted, a soft gaze that tethered on mournful. Joel didn’t want pity. He wanted so much, but not pity.

“Can’t,” he said through gritted teeth. Her hand reached for him again, slower, fingers brushing his knuckles as they whitened with the clench of his fists above the counter. “Sugar, I can’t,” he repeated, looking down. She pressed her palm over the back of his hand, a firm knead to unfurl his fingers from where they pushed into his own palm, blunt nails still leaving their mark. He shook his head.

“It’s just me,” she kept her voice low, soft.

Tommy had told her a lot–the whole of it, really. Sarah’s death. Joel’s attempt. The shift in him–the shift in them both, but mostly Joel. The anger. The bad, awful things they’d done. The anger, the only thing Joel seemed to have felt for the past 20 years.

It nearly broke her heart.

“I know,” his eyes flickered towards the door leading to the living room, Ellie’s head peeking from behind the backrest of the armchair. “You haven’t changed one bit, but I–”

“That’s not true,” she shook her head, scooting closer. “I have. Everybody has. We had to,” curling her fingers around his hand, she slowly picked it up, bringing it closer to her. There were calluses on her fingers he didn’t remember from the years before, lines across her face he thought were a trick of the light. “You think you lost your humanity when Sarah died, but that’s not true,” she tilted her head towards the living room, gaze flickering to Ellie, the scrape of the fork against the plate the only sound coming from her. “She’s proof of that. You must see that.”

“She was a job,” his hand felt cold in hers, fingers twitching slightly. Each time, she squeezed it softly, bringing it closer to her stomach. He could feel her warmth even like that.

“She was,” she nodded in agreement, shifting so she could meet his gaze. “And now?”

“It’s complicated,” he returned, and a bittersweet smile grazed her lips.

“You always saw things as more complicated than they actually were,” she let go of him, and Joel clenched his hand suspended mid-air in her direction, while she turned towards the counter, taking the knife up again to cut two more slices of pie and plate them. “Perhaps you’re not exactly your old self, but you’re still almost you, no matter what you tell yourself, Joel,” she pushed one of the plates in his direction, glancing at him once more. “Eat up.”

Joel had a hard time breathing. It happened less frequently–it had been weeks since his last episode, he’d almost forgotten about it–but it still did, every now and then. He hated it.

He wasn’t sure what triggered it: he wasn’t doing anything specific, was just thinking about how to fix the creaky step that led up and down his patio, when all of a sudden he couldn’t breathe. He couldn’t breathe and his chest ached, right in the middle, like a weight trying to pin him down against the ground–but the ground didn’t feel stable, and he had to lean against the wall for support while everything spun around him.

Worst of all was the ringing in his ears. He’d gotten used to the muffled sounds in his right ear, and the sudden high pitched noise made him dizzy, made his vision waiver, made him unable to exhale. The next breath scratched at his throat, like a badly chewed bite refusing to go down, no matter how many times he tried to swallow.

“Dad?” he gasped, the town suddenly in front of him again. The edges were still blurred, but right in front of him stood Ellie–a few steps behind, Sugar had her head tilted, a curious gaze in her eyes.

“What?” his voice rang still distant, somehow, and he shook his head, trying to clear the clouds away.

“I said are you alright?” Ellie frowned, getting a step closer. “Joel, are you going deaf in both ears?” she asked, and that melted away the tension in Joel’s shoulders with a sigh.

“Very funny,” he muttered, pushing himself off from the school wall. “I just got distracted, is all. You ready?” he cleared his throat, glancing briefly in the woman’s direction.

“You know you don’t have to come get me every day, right?” Ellie mumbled, moving at his side. “It’s not like I can run away,” Joel gave her a look–eyebrows arched, head slightly tilted, that same expression he used when Tommy said something dumb. Ellie could almost hear it.

You ran away from FEDRA and sneaked into a sealed mall. I wouldn’t put it past you.

Maybe he had a point.

“Bye, Ms. Sugar!” a girl called from behind them, dark hair pulled away from her freckled face. “Ellie, you coming?” she waited, expectantly. Ellie turned towards Joel, whose face had shifted into a simil-scowl.

“So that’s what you meant, huh?” he crossed his arms, to which Ellie responded with a lopsided grin, looking at him expectantly, the mute question clear in her eyes. Can I? “Wait, Ms. Sugar?” he turned to look at the woman who still stood there, and she snorted.

“Ask Ellie about it,” she retorted, clearly amused by the guilty look creeping across the girl’s face. “She’ll be right there, Dina!” she called out then, a little louder.

“I didn’t mean to, okay?” Ellie protested, with a small kick to the melting snow in front of her. “You call her that all the time–it just came out of my mouth,” she argued then, pointing at Joel.

“Are you blaming me for calling your teacher with a nickname?” he returned, baffled.

“Yes,” Ellie nodded. Behind Ellie, he saw her stifle a giggle, quick to lower her head and cover her mouth with a hand. The girl looked up at him still, eyes softening in a pleading motion. “Can I go?”

“Sure,” he sighed–the word was barely out of his mouth before Ellie was already darting away, running towards her smiling friend. “I’m sorry,” he said then, turning to her.

“It’s alright, Joel,” clearly amused, she shook her head and took a step closer to him, hands dropped at her sides. “Besides, I think only Dina heard her. Maybe Cat, too, but it’s no big deal,” she shrugged, standing right in front of him now. Joel tightened his grip around Ellie’s bag strap, lowering his gaze to her.

“She good?” he asked, a little quieter. “This Dina, she–”

“Yes, she’s a good kid,” she said with a smile and a small nod, tilting her head slightly. “You can rest easy, Mr. Miller,” at that, Joel snorted, rolling his eyes.

“Mr. Miller,” he mocked, to which her smile widened. “Haven’t been called that since I had to meet with Sarah’s teachers,” as soon as the words were out of his mouth, his expression fell slightly, gaze unfocused. He thought he was about to stop breathing again, when she placed her hand on his upper arm, pressing gently against the jacket sleeve.

“Joel,” with a whisper of his name, he snapped his eyes back up towards her–a worried crease crossed her forehead, knitting her brows closer. “What is it?”

She knew what it was. She’d seen it, in people younger and older than him; she’d felt it on her own skin, clawing at her throat in a desperate attempt to clear her airways. Hers had never been as immobile as Joel’s. She kicked and screamed and cried until she was spent and aching all over.

“Just–” he clicked his tongue and thought of lying.

He still felt unsure, unsteady, both wanting to keep her at arm’s length and welcoming her back in his life like before, drown in the comfort he’d found in her presence year after year since they were kids. She’d tried to reassure him, and he knew she was right–you could not live in the world they did and not change. But he remembered her in pigtails on the first day of school, he remembered her prom dress being awfully 80s, and he remembered the first time he’d seen her with Sarah–gentle voiced and wide eyed, holding her as if she might shatter should she breathe a little too hard.

“It’s like starting all over again with her–not sure if I’m doing right or wrong whenever I make a decision,” he admitted then, voice low–she got closer, gaze softening. He wanted to lean into her all of a sudden, but clenched his fists instead, the strap of Ellie’s bag digging in his palm. “I can’t disappoint her, can’t–I can’t fail her, too.”

“You didn’t fail anyone, Joel,” he almost disagreed, but the look she gave him didn’t leave room for any argument. He snapped his mouth shut. “It’s odd, adjusting to this place–I didn’t sleep properly for a year, flinched at every noise. When Maria asked me if I wanted to teach I thought she’d lost her mind,” she scoffed, shaking her head lightly. “And then I had my first full night of sleep. The kids and parents started waving at me in the streets. I ate food that hadn't expired 10 years ago. It’s–give yourself some time to adjust, Miller. Both of you.”

Joel exhaled, tipping his head slightly back and looking up towards the sky–it was sunny, mercifully, the cold starting to become bearable. He felt her shuffle forward rather than see her, eyelids fluttering when she rested her hand over his shoulder, giving it a gentle squeeze.

“Ellie’s doing good,” she reassured then, smiling when he looked back at her. “She’s–a little wild, maybe, but she feels safe here. With you. She’ll be alright,” head tilted slightly to the side, the scarf wrapped around her neck slipped–he almost reached up to fix it for her. “So will you.”

“You always knew what to say, didn’t you?” he sighed, turning his head a little–he felt her hand move from his shoulder to his upper arm, warmth spreading wherever her touch lingered. He leaned into it.

“Not really, most of the time I winged it,” she shrugged, and his smile returned, although tentative, while shaking his head. “How’d you think I made it through college?”

“Brains, Sugar,” without thinking too much about it, he reached up and pinched her chin, gently tilting her head back a little. “You’ve always had more brains than us combined. I think we both should’ve listened to you more.”

“Took you long enough to admit that,” she grinned, following the curve of his arm down to where his hand still brushed her face. She brushed her fingertips along the back of his hand, lingering at his knuckles. “It hurt to say it out loud, didn’t it?” he chuckled, shaking his head.

“No, actually. I’m quite alright,” her eyebrows arched, wrapping her fingers around his hand for balance before reaching for his forehead with her other one. Joel laughed then, taking one small step back to balance them both, eyes crinkling at the touch. “What are you doing?”

“Checking if you have a fever,” she replied, nonchalantly, shifting her hand over his temple, over his cheek. “God forbid this affects you physically,” she added in a mock whisper, unable to hide the amusement in her words. Still laughing, Joel let go of Ellie’s bag to reach up and grab her other hand.

“Alright, alright,” he pulled his head slightly back, holding their joined hands between them–she’d tipped forward, unbalanced, and he held her upright, looking back down towards her grinning face. “You’ve made your point. Thank you.”

“Good,” she chuckled. They remained like that a moment longer, simply looking at each other, before she cleared her throat and glanced quickly over her shoulder. “I should go. Gotta fix up the classroom or else Hell might just break loose tomorrow.”

“Right,” he let go of her, his palms tingling still. “Well, I–thank you, Sugar. I mean it.”

“I know you do,” expression softened again, she stepped back–they had barely realized how close they were. Joel missed it right away. “I’ll see ya, Miller.”

“Sure,” he murmured in return, one of the hands he’d kept lifted doing a half-wave as she turned around. He kept it up, gaze lingering on her back until she’d vanished back into the building.

“Damn,” he whipped around with his eyes wide, gaze immediately falling to Ellie at his side.

“What are you doing here?” he muttered, a quick look over his shoulder and then past Ellie’s head. “Language,” he added right away, making her snort.

“Didn’t know you could laugh,” she retorted, her eyebrows arched.

“That's bullshit, you’ve heard me before,” he frowned, and Ellie’s grin widened.

“Language,” she mocked him, making Joel scowl. “Sure I did, but it wasn’t like this.”

“Like what?” still frowning, he watched her shrug and point vaguely at him.

“This,” she repeated, then shrugged and grabbed her bag from the ground in front of him. “Anyways, I came back to get this. Bye.”

“Ellie!” he protested, though she was already skipping away. “Like what?”

Winter passed, and the first glimpses of Spring came to Jackson in the shape of flowers and fruit, an unfrozen ground giving them the first rewards. Ellie would spend more days outside with her friends, but every now and then she’d hang back with him, sitting on the porch while he tried to teach her how to play guitar.

“Now try the next one,” he nodded, after a while she’d been repeating the same three notes, a small melody she’d been practicing.

“I can’t do the next one,” she protested, keeping at it. Joel began to argue, but a movement at the corner of his eye made him turn around–with his good ear towards Ellie, he didn’t hear the woman’s steps until she was in his peripheral vision. He followed her with his gaze, head turning as she went–her hands were occupied by a large box, and when she noticed them she just smiled, but didn’t stop. “No, Ellie, don’t say that. You’re doing great. You can do it.”

“What?” he cleared his throat, snapping his head back around towards the kid. She was scowling, arms crossed over the guitar as he stared at him. “You are doing good. Go to the next one,” at that she rolled her eyes, lips parting with a scoff. “What?” he repeated.

“Will you quit being a stubborn ass?” Ellie groaned, lowering the guitar and leaning back into the seat. Joel’s eyebrows arched high, disbelief painted across his face.

“Watch your mouth, kid,” she scoffed again, tapping across the wood.

“Yeah, yeah,” she practically brushed him off. “But will you?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Joel mimicked her, leaning back against the backrest and crossing his arms, his head twisting ever so slightly towards where he was looking before, towards her. A groan escaped her.

“Oh, please, you know perfectly well,” Joel frowned now, watching as Ellie pointed her finger in the woman’s direction–she was too far to see them, or hear them, but still Joel tapped against her extended hand. “You like her,” the girl said, bringing her hand back towards her chest. It was Joel’s turn to scoff.

“Yeah, I like her–we’ve been friends since we were kids,” he shrugged, then folded his arms across his chest once more. Ellie rolled her eyes again.

“No, I mean you like like her. Like you’re in love with her,” Joel snorted, shaking his head.

“What would you know about that?” despite the levity in Ellie’s tone, her face darkened for a moment–it had been a while since he’d seen that look in her eyes, and a pang of guilt shot through him right away. He shifted in his seat.

“I have eyes,” Ellie muttered, placing the guitar down to curl up in the chair, legs up to her chest and arms crossed. “Pretty sure the whole of Jackson knows. It’s obvious.”

“Ellie, we’ve known each other ages,” Joel sighed, leaning forward, elbows resting on his knees. “If I had a problem I’d go to her, and if she had a problem she’d come to me. We’ve been there for each other during–” he cleared his throat, lowering his gaze, “most of the worst times of our lives.”

“And you’ve never–” she trailed off.

“No,” he shook his head with a light smile.

“Not even once?” again he shook his head. “Seriously?”

“Tommy had a crush on her,” he shrugged, and she straightened her back.

“So you thought about it, then,” she exclaimed. Joel dropped his head slightly with a sigh.

“I was a teenager once, you know,” she arched her brows. “She was nice, and she was my friend, and she was real pretty–but there are things that are more important than a crush.”

Ellie was quiet for a moment, leaning back down, her fingers tapping up and down her shins as she lowered her gaze, eyebrows pinched together.

“Did–did Sarah like her?” it had started to be easier, talking about her. While Joel still felt the hurt of her absence, the anger and disbelief of his grief had turned into quiet acceptance. Ellie would rarely ask questions about her, but he found it helped.

“She loved her,” he nodded, easing back into the chair. “There weren’t a lot of women in Sarah’s life, but she was there, especially when she needed it the most. And she did love Sarah back–so much,” a fond smile caught on his mouth.

“Yeah, I figured,” Ellie mumbled, tilting her head a little. “It’s her, isn’t it? In the picture with the cracked frame at her place.”

Joel had tried to not linger too much on that picture–Sarah was young in it, 3 or 4 maybe, a full head of curls sticking out on every side. He remembered fighting each day to try and fix it, and her laughing at his feeble attempts. She taught him first–simple hairstyles he could do in the mornings before dropping her off to school and that would survive the day ahead–and then Sarah herself for when she did not want to leave it as it was.

She’d been there for him and Sarah all the time, and he wasn't sure he’d thanked her nearly enough for it. When her mom left, when she started teething, walking, talking, on her first day of school, and every year after that, leaving campus to be at each game, each recital. Clothes, music, movies, all of it–she was always there.

“Yes,” he nodded, slowly. Ellie hummed.

“You should fix that for her,” she said then, standing almost abruptly. “Might be nice. It might also give you an excuse,” she added with a shrug.

“I don’t need an excuse, Ellie,” he sighed, picking the guitar from her. The girl shrugged again, then headed inside. “You’re going somewhere?”

“Cat’s!” she called from inside. Joel strummed a few slow notes, waiting for her to come back out–she did so rushing, jacket half-thrown on. “I still think I’m right. Bye!”

She glanced up from her handiwork when a step echoed a little louder over the gravel, her face immediately splitting in a wide smile and Joel’s half-still stance in the low streetlight.

“Knitting on the porch? That’s new,” he grinned, resuming walking towards her.

“If my mother could see me now, right?” she retorted with a chuckle he matched with a smile of his own, leaving the half-finished sweater aside to stand up. “Hi,” she said then, moving forward to the steps he was climbing.

“Hi,” he returned, stopping one step down so they were at the same level. He brought his hands forward from behind his back, the previously cracked frame and picture within, his gaze lingering on Sarah’s smile a moment longer. “Fixed it for ya.”

“Oh,” she looked over her shoulder, towards the slightly ajar door as if to look at the spot it had been resting. “You didn’t–thank you,” she said, carefully picking it from him.

“Sure,” he shrugged lightly, burying his now empty hands in his pockets. “Thought I’d just stop by,” he added, shuffling slightly. Her smile widened.

“You know you don’t need an excuse to just stop by, right?” she turned around, gesturing at him to follow as she headed inside, lingering at the entrance to place the picture right back where it belonged.

“I know,” he mumbled, lingering at the threshold. One of his guitars was in the living room, resting against the armchair Ellie had curled up in and ended up falling asleep on during the first time they’d gone over. The last time, he’d forgotten the instrument, after Tommy had insisted vehemently he should’ve brought it with him.

“I meant to bring that over,” she said, catching him looking at it. “I saw you teaching Ellie,” she added, pinching one string as she passed by it before heading to the kitchen.

“Yeah, tryin’ to,” Joel followed, fingertips tingling stuffed in his pockets. “She’s good.”

“Better than I was?” she returned with two glasses filled with amber liquid and a grin on her face. “Sweet tea–I got some of the first lemons.”

“Baking, making sweet tea, knitting,” he picked the cool glass from her with a grateful look–the simple act of holding it gave him back another piece of home he thought was gone forever. It had happened quite a few times since they’d found each other again. “You’re turning into your mother, Sugar.”

The woman snorted, rolling her eyes as she stepped away, and Joel was quick to hide his smirk behind the rim of the glass.

“I’ll pretend that was a compliment, Miller,” she squinted in his direction, mock-menacingly.

“C’mon, you know I loved your mother,” he argued before taking a sip–he hummed softly, eyes shutting on instinct. If he focused, he could hear the fire crackling and water bubbling over the stove as her mother made it, could taste the sugar and lemon or peaches she’d slip them in the meantime. He sighed. “I’ll tell you what–your talents clearly reside in this, not that,” he added, pointing towards the guitar. She laughed again.

“Well, I’d rather listen to the music than play it,” she declared, her chin tilted upwards, a grin mimicking his own. Then her eyes widened, a shimmer in them as she jolted on the spot, quickly resting the glass down on the table. “I’ve gotta show you something!”

A small frown knitted his brow as he licked the sweetness from his mouth and followed her with his gaze, hurried steps towards the bedroom that echoed in the quiet of the home. She was gone a few minutes, returning after a moment of rattling, a wide smile spread across her face. Joel’s eyes fell to the object in her hands–a portable CD player, not so different from the one she’d gifted Sarah in the 90s but they always ended up stealing once she was asleep.

“Audio is not the best, to be fair, but after so many years without music–” she stopped in front of him, offering one of the earphones to him while she put the other one in.

Still frowning lightly, Joel shuffled closer, the short cord forcing him forward. The drum arrived first, the sound slightly scratched, and with her smile widening she looked up at him. Like the beat beat beat of the tom-tom, he chuckled as she freed his hands, rocking from one side to the other following the rhythm.

“Where’d you get this?” he stumbled forward when she took one of his hands, tugging him closer–the other fell to her side to second her swinging–he couldn’t help returning her infectious smile as she shrugged lightly, her free hand reaching on his shoulder.

“Luck–I found it before getting here along with a couple of CDs,” she looked up at him, head slightly tilted. “This one reminded me of you,” she added, voice softer–for a moment, her smile faltered.

She’d never thought she’d see him again, keeping the record out of pure nostalgia for someone she hadn’t seen in years. Someone she always feared was gone. They’d listened to Ella Fitzgerald constantly during their teenage years, Joel sneaking some of his parents’ records to her house, or locking themselves into listening booths for hours until they were kicked out. Dancing as they were in that moment.

“Only you beneath the moon and under the sun,” she hummed, their movements slowing with the song. “Whether near to me or fat, it’s no matter darling where you are–”

“I think of you night and day, day and night, why is it so?” he joined in, voice low, head bending slightly towards her–her smile returned, a shimmer in her eyes.

“Your voice’s changed,” she murmured, taking half a step closer. “S’warmer. I like it.”

“Thought you always liked my voice,” he smiled, tucking his chin to look down at her. She nodded with a low chuckle, locking their already joined hands together by intertwining their fingers.

“’Course I did,” she scoffed, rolling her eyes mockingly. She gave a squeeze to his hand then, lowering her head slightly. “I missed it–this,” she inhaled sharply then, a shallow sound that temporarily overwhelmed the music. “You,” she added, almost in a whisper that would’ve been lost to him had he not been looking at her mouth.

Joel’s heart stuttered, a soft sigh at her admission as his eyes fluttered shut, just a moment. Tongue-tied, he shifted closer, as close as he could get, the hand on her waist moving to the small of her back, wrapping his arm around her. He didn’t know how to tell her, how to let his mouth form the words that clouded his head–that had been since he’d seen her again. He couldn’t say it, not for lack of trying.

“Sugar,” he whispered, and she nodded, leaning forward and cutting him off.

The song went on, and she rested her head on his chest–the hand on his shoulder was soft, arm almost draped across it as she toyed absentmindedly with the collar of his shirt, brushing the nape of his neck every now and then. Their joined ones fell to his chest, arms bent, the warmth of her exhales brushing across their knuckles. He bent his head slightly, cheek barely brushing the top of her head, and he tightened his arm around her waist to keep her close–each song closer, until the music stopped.

They stayed like that a moment longer, even in silence, his heart beating the only sound she could hear, silence on his end with his good ear plugged by the earphone. She rubbed her thumb against the side of his hand, small movements that made his eyelids droop. He caught a glimpse of the top of her head like that, the curve of her nose, her eyelashes brushing her cheeks and the small pout on her relaxed mouth, all half-hidden against him. She looked–

“Ah, fuck’s sake,” he muttered to himself, and she blinked rapidly before looking up, wide-eyed. She tilted her head, gently pulling his earphone off.

“What is it?” she cleared her throat, taking a small step back. The hold on his hand began loosening, so he forced himself to ease his arm around her waist, too, shaking his head.

“Nothin’, just–something Ellie said, it’s not important,” he let go of her when her brows knit, a hint of perplexity in her gaze. “I should go, actually. Check she’s actually gone to sleep.”

“Of course,” she returned quickly, stepping even further back, hands falling to her sides and rubbing down slowly, palms dragging along the seams of her jeans. “Thank you. For the frame–and passing by.”

His right hand twitched slightly at his side, and he took a small step back, nodding at her words. He stopped then, moving forward once more–he pushed past the knot in his throat and the tingling in his limbs and his heart dropping, and reached for her face. She leaned into his touch, his hands cupping over her cheeks as he shifted closer once more, brushing a delicate kiss to her forehead, her lips curled into the beginning of a smile. He held her gently, the touch of his lips lingering a moment longer over her skin before he moved away.

“See ya, Sugar.”

Summer was relentless. With days spent seeking shadows and some reprieve from the heat, the nights were unbearable in their stillness. Joel couldn’t sleep–after 20 years in Boston, he wasn’t used to the Southern heat anymore.

And he would be lying to himself if he thought that was the only reason why.

 He kept replaying the conversation with Tommy in his head, over and over. He was haunted by it, sitting on the porch in the quiet of Jackson’s night.

“Ellie’s right, it is getting painful to watch.”

“The hell are you talking with Ellie about?”

“You and Sugar. It’s worse than when we were young, actually.”

“What do you mean?”

“Means this time I can’t pretend to ask her out so that you finally get your head out of your ass and admit you like her. You gotta wake up, Joel.”

He was awake. Truth was, Joel had felt like he had been living in a nightmare for the past 20 years–and now he was awake and didn’t know what to do with himself. He didn’t know how to be himself anymore. Or how to be a person.

Perhaps that was why he was knocking on her door while everyone else was asleep. Perhaps he was just too much in his head about it. Perhaps–

“Joel?” his eyes fell down across her, flimsy night clothes clinging to her for a split second before he forced his gaze up, breath stuttering slightly. “It’s the middle of the night, what happened?”

“Sorry–shit,” he looked away, past his shoulder, back at her–was his heart beating faster? Were his hands shaking? He felt like it. “You’re right. Sorry, I’ll just–it can wait,” he stepped back, shaking his head.

“It clearly can’t, since you knocked at my door like a maniac,” she said it with a little grin, and some tension left his shoulders at the sight of it, of her stepping back and opening the door further for him. “C’mon, get inside.”

Joel walked past her and his steps faltered, tilting his head in her direction with a sharp inhale before moving along, fists opening and closing down his sides. He’d gotten better at that–not letting it all overwhelm him. Understand when the world might begin tipping under his feet and stabilize himself. He was trying–for Ellie, for his brother, for her, he was really trying.

“What happened?” she asked softly. They stood in the living room as they had before, as they had when they’d danced, except they were each on one end of the couch, a gaping emptiness between the two of them. “Should I start to get worried? You look like–”

“I like you,” he blurted out, recoiling at the shift in his own voice–so much louder than her careful tone. She blinked rapidly, head slightly tilted.

“I should hope so,” she scoffed, the reassuring smile she had before turning into a downright amused one. But Joel was shaking his head already, hands still restless. “Joel–”

“No, I mean–I like like you,” she blinked again, lips parting slightly and making her smile begin to dwindle. “Like I think I might be in love with you,” he closed his eyes, inhaling sharply–of course Ellie’s voice would echo in his head right then. Making an absolute fool out of him. “And I think I’ve always been and just didn’t know, or maybe I did know and I just didn’t want to fuck up this too, because I always fucked up everything, every relationship I ever had but ours, and the thought of losing you was terrifying–is terrifying,” he gasped a little between words, each one falling out of his mouth and out of his control. “Or maybe I wasn’t, you know? Maybe–maybe I just–”

“Joey,” she called him softly–so soft he almost didn’t hear her, and reacted first to her hand resting over his chest. His eyes flew open, gaze unfocused for a moment running across her face before they locked with hers, familiar and gentle. She pressed her palm against his chest, and he knew for sure his heart was stuttering underneath her touch. “Take a breath.”

He gasped again, shoulders dropping forward as if wrapping himself around her hand with a long exhale. Blindly, he reached for her, fingers wrapping around her wrist.

“Another,” she instructed, taking his other hand gingerly, and he did. Inhale, exhale, stumbling forward. “It’s just me, Joey.”

“You’re the only one who’s ever called me that, y’know?” he whispered, breathlessly. She gave him a little smile, tapping two fingers on his chest. Slowly, his heartbeat matched her rhythm, and he squeezed her wrist once, gently.

“Wanna try that again?” she murmured, tilting her head a little to the side.

“You can kick me out,” he retorted in a mumble, and she sighed. She shifted the hand she was holding, thumb pressing into his wrist, right above his pulse, right above the strap of his watch, while the rest of her fingers spread across the back of his hand.

“And why would I do that?” Joel met her gaze again–awaiting, reassuring, familiar gaze.

“You’ve known me all our lives, Sugar,” she nodded at his heavy sigh. “You’ve seen me fuck everything up, multiple times–Christ, you’ve seen me fuck things up with Sarah’s mother, too,” again she nodded, and he lowered his voice, breath stuttering. “Yet you were always there for me.”

“Of course I was,” with the last nod, she smiled–it was bittersweet, made his heart ache.

“I loved you for that. More than I knew could be possible,” he bowed his head, the tip of his nose brushing hers tentatively. “And I love–I love–I love you still.”

Her exhale was long, fingers curling over his chest and twisting in the fabric of his shirt–he stumbled forward ever so slightly, the hand he had around her wrist falling against her side balancing himself as she brought her lips close to his. Close, without touching, his breath stuttering when her exhale hit his skin.

“You’ve been the best half of my life, Joel,” there was a scratch in her voice that wasn’t there before, words trembling ever so slightly. “You–I’ve always known I loved you. I knew I loved you, I just–I don’t think I ever realized how much until I lost you. Or found you again.”

“Sugar–” she shook her head, humming.

“Not done,” she chided, and he snapped his mouth shut, almost chuckling. “You were my best friend. I’d like to think you still are, even after these awful fucking years because I–I’ve always needed you, Joel,” the hand on his chest shifted upwards slightly, resting at his collarbones. “And I still do. I need you in my life–I need you.”

“You do have me, sweetheart,” he said, hurriedly, pulling back ever so slightly. Her eyes were shimmering, and he wrapped his arm around her waist to pull her close–her hand slid to the side of his neck, lips quivering slightly. He was looking at her lips. “However you want me, you have me.”

“I do love you, even now,” her thumb traced figures eight over his neck with one hand, small circles on his wrist with the other. Soothing. Gentle. Calming. “Whoever it is you think you’ve become now–I love you. I need you to understand that.”

Joel’s mouth opened. Closed. Opened. Closed again, a thin line cutting through his face. She was looking at him as if she could see right through him, pick up the pieces of his hesitation during the months just gone by, and the years before that. Reading him as she’d always done, and speaking directly to his foolish heart, reassuring him–you’ll get through the year, you’ll get through the grief, you’ll be alright, Sarah’ll be alright, we’ll be alright, I love you, I love you, I love you.

“I know,” he hummed, tightening his hold around her. Her body softened into his with a long exhale, the hand rising to his jaw, scratching along his patchy beard. “I’m trying, sweetheart.”

“I know you are,” she cupped his cheek, and in spite of the heat he didn’t mind the warmth radiating from her palm. His eyes fluttered shut. “C’mere.”

She wrapped her arms around his neck, his head falling forward against the curve of her neck. He leaned fully into the circle of her arms, reaching out with his other free hand too to keep her close, her back slightly arched towards him, locked together like pieces of a puzzle. Freshly cut grass welcoming him home, he dug his fingertips into her sides and brushed his mouth to her neck–a half kiss, hesitant and tentative. If he got a full taste, he knew he’d want nothing else for as long as he lived.

That was a lie. He already didn’t, couldn’t fathom it.

Slowly, she tipped her head to the side, granting him more space–he could feel her heartbeat quickening under his parted lips, a hiccup in her breath as she dragged her hands up the nape of his neck, fingertips slowly brushing through the locks at the back of his head, guiding him forward and up. He let her guide him, gave her full control as the tip of his nose traced a path up her jaw, cheek, his lips following.

“Are you teasin’, Sugar?” he whispered, rubbing their noses together, and felt her smile rather than saw it. She shook her head, pressing herself impossibly closer as she scratched his scalp gently. “Then I’m gonna need you to tell me what to do next.”

When he opened his eyes, she was looking at him already, so close she was slightly cross-eyed, long lashes kissing the arch of her brows. His own heart beat a little quicker, a little louder, anticipation building in his limbs as he could feel himself burn from within.

“Kiss me,” just a whisper.

He didn’t need to be told twice.

His heart would never be whole again, that much he knew–a part of it had stayed behind, pierced by a bullet, a 20 years old wound. But he could live again, day by day. He could find his way back to life, with his Ellie on one side and–

Joel caught her lips with his own, and it felt like homecoming. Sweet as sugar, he kissed her slow, without rush, as if trying to make up for each year spent apart, and for each year spent together in the wrong way. He held her as if she might shatter and like he would never let her go both, drank greedily each sigh, each whisper, never once parting until his lungs burned, and then kissing her gasps away, too.

[madamealys]

Imagine Aegon is your rival and you end up marrying him 😏 (+21)

Note: your plot is Rhaenyra’s… sort of.

***

You and Aegon are nearly twins. He was born a year after you, so the difference of twelve months bears no difference in how you and him were educated together.

At first, there were too many differences to provide a genuine fondness for one another. In fact, it could be said that, until when you bloomed into a handsome young woman, there was nothing but rivalry between you two.

Such is the scenario you and him grow into. Mutual teasings developing to rivalry as years grow by. To worse all, the king favouring you over Aegon means you might inherit his throne, probably breaking the long and old Westerosi tradition where male inheritance prevailed over female’s.

Nevertheless, in spite of your stepmother’s attempt to fuel this rivarly, as you and him grow, these sentiments are slowly leaving space to let another grow.

How’d you know, when Aegon loves to tease you? It’s this kind of teasing that irritates you. The acknowledged prince of Dragonstone seems to take a delight in sweeping off a smirk off your lips whenever he has the chance.

Not to mention he does so with the support of Queen Alicent, who envies the stepdaughter’s alluring beauty. Your long silver locks and brightening lilac gaze together with your now womanly curves makes you the object of praiseful poems, overshadowing this woman your father calls wife.

“Sister, long time no see”, greets Aegon when spotting you, coming by yourself after riding Sunfyre.

His eyes linger at your curves, noticing that even your riding clothes cannot conceal the woman you’ve become.

Though you too admit he’s grown to a fine man, you’d prefer to have a knight named Criston Cole as your husband instead of him.

“Aegon”, you despise him like always. “You just saw me earlier today with our… family.”

Not in the mood to be around him further, you try to get your steps faster in direction to your privy chambers. Unfortunately, Aegon is quick too.

“Running from me?!”

“Oh, you don’t say, Master Knoweth It All.”

“Leave that title to Daeron. He’s the one to become a maester anyway”, says Aegon, not missing your efforts in concealing a smirk.

And then of course he stops right before you. You are surprised by his bluntness, but more so for noticing how taller he is.

“Aegon…”, and your eyes scan his well build muscles in an effortless move to escape his intent stare at you. “What do you think you’re doing? Mistaking your royal sister to a whore?”

Aegon dramatically sighs, but you spot amusement behind his eyes when you dare to raise yours.

“Y/N Targaryen”, and here he boldly pins you against the wall, his hands gently holding your wrists, thus impending you of leaving. “Always proud.”

“You and I never saw eye to eye”, you hope not to sound too nervous, but for a strange reason you feel yourself dripping wet. “To come after me like that… one can only presume it is hardly for brotherly reasons.”

He tilts his head, eyeing you up and down.

“You underestimate me, Y/Nickname”, and you detect some irritation in his remark.

“Your deeds, my darling, have not left me with many choices, have they?”, you tilt your head, and Aegon finds some hope in how you hold back his gaze.

You both hear steps before you find chance to remove yourself off his dangerous presence. You best avoid him—in order to preserver whatever reputation you have, or maybe to shield your pride.

Aegon, distracted by the subtle arrival of Aemond, sighs annoyed when seeing he misses you again.

“You know… I’ll never understand how the fuck you poorly disguise the love you have for our dear sister behind a hate you lack.”

“Don’t get me started, Aemond. Rhaenyra has the affection of our father for a starter.”

“Does she? Not even Laena has this amount of attention father has towards you.”

A sensitive topic which Aegon hopes to avoid. Like usual, he prefers to resolve this by changing topics.

***

Aegon’s eyes are found staring at you again as you slide inside the great hall where a ball on behalf your father’s name day is given. You are wearing in red and black Targaryen colors, your locks perfectly braided and your skin is embellished with jewelry.

You like the attention, to be the center of every man and every woman’s eyes, but nothing warms your body than the way your father’s heir—for that’s what he is now—looks at you.

And when he notices you look back, he gives you a sensual smirk that makes you weak in your knees. Suddenly the gown is too tight. But you rather focus somewhere else. Someone else.

A knight named Criston Cole extends his hand out to you, which you pleasantly take—much to Aegon’s consternation. You notice the weight of his stare, the evident disapproval in his eyes.

As melody begins to be played and you and the shiny knight dance together, you cannot help yourself but taking a peak of Aegon’s jealousy. He cannot conceal it, he struggles against it and it’s when he decides to turn his attention to something else that you find yourself fearful for losing him to his wenches.

It’s when you realize that you have grown fonder to this brat you are related to. More than your pride cares to admit.

But who’d know your darkest secret might set alight when the king stands and asks for a minute, prompted to make an announcement that will shock all?

“I am found in this delicate position upon which a king is found contemplated the two heirs the Gods provide me. In order to make my conscience in accordance with the old traditions to our house, I hereby declare the betrothal of my eldest and most loved daughter, Y/N, with my dearest son and heir Aegon.”

Oh.

You couldn’t see it coming, could you?

***

Aegon makes sure to prevent Sir Criston Cole to meet you. Having noticed what happened in the ball, the prince decides to deliver the message he’s no man to share.

“Always concerned about me”, you muse, when noticing he’s following you.

“Indeed. You are my soon to be wife”, and he once again has the control of you. “Y/N… Do not slip off me again.”

You turn at him, surprised to find yourself trapped in his needs.

“What do you think I am? A man who lives after his wenches?”, he scowls at you as you two stand right in front of the door of your privy quarters.

You tilt your head.

“Again, this speech? Aegon, we cannot evolve from rivalry. We’ve tried this before and thanks to your dear mother, friendship between us isn’t working.”

“Rivals we may be, but there’s more. Deeper, I know. Let me show you.”

With no waiting for your response he finally holds your face and dives to your lips. You gasp out of surprise, but the way his tongue pursuits yours in a domineering rhythm makes you moan rather than push him off.

You want him and your body shows it. He knows, he feels his body electrified by the mere contact with yours. As he kisses you passionately, Aegon makes clear he owns you. And you forget your pride by letting being owned.

No fear, nothing to apart one from the other remains when the dragon fire sparks. He opens the door, showing a sort of confidence never before familiar to you.

You want more of him, you let him dominate you, and when he lies you down in bed…

“We cannot…”, your reasonable self still lies awake, though breathless you are after this intense kiss and the way he looks at you makes you forget why you should give ears to reason when he’s going to be your husband anyway.

“Silence, darling. I won’t ruin you for our day”, he smirks at you.

Lying beside you, he lifts the skirts of your gown all the whilst he gazes at you. To your astonishment, you don’t find lust in his eyes, but a different feeling—one of the kind you fear to disclosure.

“Cannot I admire you?”, he asks you, no more with the prideful and arrogant mask he wears. “You look at me as if I am different than you’ve judged.”

His hands slowly caressing your thighs before resting over your pubic hair make difficult to you reason with his words, but you try to keep the reins of yourself.

“I never thought…”, you hesitate, unsure as to how to word your own insecurities.

“I never hated you, Y/Nickname”, and here Aegon leans to brush your lips all the whilst his slender fingers move to your womanhood. “I’ve always desired you.”

And as he kisses you, muffling the sounds that come out of you as you burn under his skillful fingers, you experiment a sort of delight never before tasted.

His fingers go deeper in you, wet in touch with the liquid you produce. Aegon is aroused at the way you react, like calling him to fuck you the way you deserve; his thoughts are messy, all he wants is you.

Then he parts the kiss only to gaze at you, the proud princess, humbled by his fingers. You spread your legs wider, your eyelashes are barely open at how he touches you, nice and slow at first before fingering you harder.

“Oh my…”, you turn your head at him. “Aegon!”

The prince smirks at how you call his name.

“Yes?”

“Aegon, please!”, you cry out sensually, legs already heavy, beginning to levitate as your belly experiences butterflies.

“Give in, my sweet”, he brushes his lips against yours, hardened just by how you call his name.

But to your slight irritation, he doesn’t kiss you. Yet he moves his lips to your neck, there staying until…

So suddenly.

So intensely.

So… unexpectedly.

He replaces his fingers with his eager mouth. Aegon holds firmly your hips, diving his tongue right into the core of your womanhood. He does so with no decency, his tongue licking the walls of your cunt, spinning and sucking every bit of you.

“Aegon!”, you delight yourself in this new bliss, enjoying to ride his beautiful face, pumping into his mouth, arching your back desperately. “AEGON!”

You don’t mind being loud, but when you rise yourself, you ride him all right, and it feels good, it feels sinful, it feels like paradise.

You owe him now, and when he raises his eyes to meet tour lilac ones, a smirk crosses his lips and you feel so aroused… so bloody hot, that you cum not only once, but twice, thrice even.

And he drinks every bit of your juices, still digging his fingers against your bum, slapping it nicely before dropping to your side.

“My Gods”, you lean sensually against him. “Aegon…”

“Was it good, my darling?”, he holds your chin, reading in your eyes the defeat of your pride, the victory of his pursuits. “I will fuck you like that in many days ahead of our marriage.”

Aegon likes the view of your meek smile, and he caresses your face before kissing you gently.

“I best go. I shall not ruin my bride.”

“Aegon!”, you protest when seeing him stand and adjust himself.

“What? You are my princess”, he says, “my queen to be. Not any wench I can do as I please.”

You sigh heavily, very frustrated. That night, you secretly wish you were his dear, little whore. But you had to content yourself with using your hand.

***

The marriage proves to be a successful match. The feast surprises the guests by showing former rivals in harmony. Some of them think it’s a show you and Aegon play for the sake of your father, king Viserys, but it can be said, in the words of dear Helaena:

“A joyful occasion to prevent tempest; greater kings shall come from this nest; a war was avoided, but another is yet to come… prepare yourselves, easier is said than done.”

Like usual, none pays too much to her words, in spite of Aemond shooting Helaena a meaningful glance.

You are dressing red and your now husband is dressing green for his mother, but other than that.. you are positively surprised for enjoying how this is going.

“We are great together”, says Aegon, after you two shared a dance; now sitting on the table, he wants more of you.

You give him a smirk, locking gazes as you sip your wine.

“No one can beat us, darling.”

“Truer words have never been spoken.”

And here he stands, offering his hand.

“Let us show one more time how we came to surpass this rivalry instigated by all.”

“Another dance? Never took you for a dancer”, you smile at him.

Aegon smiles the brightest when saying:

“I am many things you are yet to disclosure, sweet Y/Nickname.”

And the dragons danced.

***

Finally by yourselves, you give him the charge. Aegon begins by undoing your elaborated braid before unlacing your gown.

“So beautiful. An angel.”

“Some say that we Targaryens are above from men and gods”, you give him a long glance, smiling almost seductively as you enjoy his gaze all over your body.

Once the gown falls off your body, showing your nude state, you feel his lascivious eyes devouring your curves as he stops before you and remove his own clothes.

“We are certainly more divine than many mortals. Hence why only a dragon can wed another”.

He arches his back and messes with his hair, straightening himself as he takes a seat at your marital bed. You drink of the view: his features more manly, his chest with some old scars acquired in training, and his manhood…

Oh it has your attention, indeed.

You step forward and before you know, you get to your knees. Aegon spreads his legs, groaning, already full erect before you.

“This shrew woman is going to be tamed”, he says firmly, yet there is a sweetness in his voice when he holds your face that makes you look at him, completely undone. “My prideful wife on her knees for me.”

“Aegon…”, you moan sensually, finding unbearable to taste this fire and not yet get burnt by it.

He looks at your round, full breasts, biting his lip as he stares at your nipples. The prince wants you in every indecent manner that is possible, but his mind is blank when you, impatient, take hold of his erect manhood.

“Y/N…!”, he groans loud.

You smirk at him.

“Tell me you want me.”

“Badly. No woman of the realm can match your alluring beauty. Many I’ve fucked thinking of you. Wishing I could kiss your lips and fuck your cunt.”

You shiver at his words.

“So indecent.”

“As if you are hardly innocent”, Aegon says in between gritted teeth. “I still recollect when you let me spot you bathing naked at the lake. And you touched yourself, seeing I was there.”

You blush at the memory.

“Rivals, uh?”, Aegon chuckles before moaning louder. “So much for the narrative of the shrew.”

His moanings are so sensual, so captivating. You like how he calls you that, acknowledging your pride, your flaws, but your virtues, you as a woman of your own.

It’s when you get too thirsty and…

“Y/N!”, Aegon is the one tamed by your skillful tongue. When looking at you, seeking for his approval, every doubt of your inexperience dies. “Oh let me teach you how it’s done.”

And you take his full length, all of it, licking it, swallowing his precum and going wild with the tip of his cock. It feels so good to be commanded, to subdue to him like this…

“Rise, my princess. I want to have my cum inside you, not in your mouth. Not today.”

And you obey, having his lips clashed against yours. In this night, you and I are together the way you’ve always secretly desired.

He possesses you perfectly, throbbing carefully within you, matching his hips with yours. Aegon pins your hands above your head, treating you kindly.

When he takes your breasts with his tongue, Aegon knows you get louder and he takes his time. Getting to know you carnally is fulfilling his naughtiest wishes.

One moves with the other in a slow, soaked pace, with bodies entangled as one.

However, towards the end of it, as each finds the climax, you turn at him and find him looking at you.

No more lust, but that same something you feared to name is what lies behind his eyes.

“This isn’t about copulating”, says Aegon, sounding more insecure than he likes. “I hope you know this.”

“You are my husband now, Aegon.”

“It is but a formality. I want you to know how I feel for you is beyond titles and traditions”, and he’s on his elbows now, searching for your face as he strokes your cheek. “I love you, Y/N.”

It is a beautiful sight when you assimilate his words. Aegon sees the confusion stamped behind your eyes, moving to a slight skepticism before reasoning to it.

And you smile because you feel the same.

“My rogue prince”, you hold his face too. “I love you, you bastard.”

In between chuckles, he kisses you. Like a needy boy, he buries his head in your neck. Likewise, you cuddle onto him.

One needs the other. Beyond saving a dynasty, Aegon and you saved each other.

[skylolacreativespace]

Firey giggles

Summary: Kai was in a lee mood and Jay and Lloyd have an idea to help Kai with it.

This is an SFW tickle fanfic. If you don't like this sorta stuff you can scroll away 💜

A/N: I wanted to write because I felt like I was a bit rusty hehe hope you enjoy!

-----

It was a very peaceful day in the Monestery or more so you thought of that. In the living room the two elemental Masters Jay and Lloyd was having some playful arguments laying down on the sofa, from trains, to comics, forwarding to who's the better fighter, and more bantering - which didn't surprise the two of them, though it's not really is it?

And this my friends, is what's happening.

"I don't know if you know this Lloyd but Kai has been in a lee mood since yesterday" Jay lifted his legs and places them onto the table to be on and rested his chin on his arm. "And I think Kai wants tickles"

Lloyd being the youngest all he thought about was Mmm.. yeah that's true! Kai has been wanting tickles for a while now..

"I got it! Let's see if Kai can hold onto the wall while getting tickled! That can help his lee mood! I'm sure everything knew that but pretended not to know!" Lloyd laughed a little imagining Kai's laughing face and struggling to hold onto the wall and pretend to not be in a lee mood.

"Having tickles with this can make Kai really giggly which is what I want to see!" Jay giggled and hugged himself in excitement!

"Hahahahaha I told you! Who, wouldn't want to see Kai giggle his head off?" Lloyd bounced up and down on Jay's side.

"It's obvious Kai loves tickles too it's a win win!"

"Let's do it!" Jay raised his arm into a fist Lloyd doing the same.

"NINJAAAAAGO!" Jay and Lloyd said in unison as the two Elemental Masters turned to the left and Spinjitzu'd their way to be in the training course.

Lloyd went back to his room, as well as Jay.

Lloyd and Jay already texted the rest of the ninja apart from Kai what was going on.

Cole, Nya, Zane was at the kitchen being sat around the table. The three ninja saw the message of tickling Kai or poking him until both Lloyd and Jay came.

"Okay so all we have to do is tease Kai?" Cole smirked. And tilted his hand to empathise.

"Yes it appears we do." Zane replied to Cole and leaned against the wall.

"Hehehe Kai has been feeling lee recently huh?" Nya jumped up and down in excitement making Cole and Zane laugh.

"Hey what if Kai is still in a lee mood?" Cole asked in curiousity to Nya and Zane.

"If he is still, then this would be even better outcome!" Zane walked around the kitchen.

More over, Kai was putting in his room getting his red ninja outfit on and looked at himself with a proud grin. He looked awesome, as usual. Unfortunately... Was in a lee mood since this morning.

He walked into the kitchen and sat down next to Nya...well this was going to be a loooooong lunch of trying to be normal.

5 hours later, At the training area.

Kai and Cole was punching onto some dummies and it backlashed straight onto Cole's face which made Cole trip and fall - this made Kai laugh too much fo care as a good friend Kai is he helped Cole up with his hand, and Cole smiled at Kai being grateful.

"Hahahah, Cole you may be a strong ninja but I think you're too strong that you fell over" Kai chuckled at his own joke earning a annoyed stare from Cole and a bonus! Cole rolled his eyes at Kai and Kai giggled way more because of this.

"Oh, shut it Flamie." Cole blushed in embarrassed and calling Kai that nickname which is a name Cole uses when he is fond of Kai.

"Never Earthquake~ ehahahaha" Kai shook his head playful and clinged happily onto Cole. Cole poked Kai repeadtly to get him off this only made Kai giggle at the pokes. Which Cole gave up on pushing Kai away and so Cole just hugged Kai back.

"Kai we both know how ticklish you are." Cole giggled deviously and Kai laughed nervously.

Wait wait wait wait wait.. no way Cole would know he is in a lee mood right?! Kai thought.

"you're giggling at me poking you."

"whaaaaaat- me no?" Kai waved his hands around to say 'no' and chuckled cautiously.

Meanwhile, Nya was practicing her water abilities! She challenged the water through her hands and into the air creating a slippery yet magnetic tonardo like liquid. Nya saw Cole poking at Kai and so she occasionally poking at Kai as well making Kai jump again and giggle.

"What! Is it with you both poking me?!" Kai swinged himself away from Cole and Nya or at least trying to.

Zane on the other hand was on the training course jumping around on the wooden planks. Oh, and in this spinny rotational platform which did make him feel a bit dizzy yet Ninja never quit! After Zane was doing this he joined in on poking Kai.

Lloyd and Jay finally arrived at the training course and giggled mischievously at their idea. They both saw Cole and Kai teasing each other, Nya and Zane poking at Kai ..this! Was their time to strike...

Lloyd very innocently went behind Kai while Kai was combatting with Cole and Nya, plus Zane to stop them from poking.

Jay was beside Kai. Kai didn't see the green ninja or the blue ninja. He was too busy concentrating.

So, Lloyd tapped his palm on Kai's shoulder Jay patted Kai's arm, and Kai jumped and dropped his ninja stance and bursted into giggles as he was caught off guard.

"AH! LLOYD? JAAAAAY? HEHEHEHHEELLO..?" Kai giggled and brushed his hand over his shoulder to get the tingles away. He was too busy on stopping Nya, Cole & Zane to even notice Lloyd.

Cole, Nya, Zane laughed at Kai from getting jump scared and walked to be beside Jay.

"Heyo big brother Kaaaaaiii" Lloyd giggled cheekily at Kai and Kai raised his eyebrows in suspicion. And turned to glance at Jay who also had that same cheeky look. "we got a challenge~"

Cole, Nya, and Zane tried to look very normal pretending to have no idea. Kai moved back and fourth and darted his eyes to Cole, Nya and Zane being a bit suspicious.

"A challenge?" Kai asked being interested yet cautious. Cole, Nya and Zane was too quiet so Kai is a bit worried.

"yes! Kai!" Jay spoke instead of Lloyd and dragged Kai to the wall and pointed at it. And the confusion on Kai's face was priceless. Nya chuckled and followed Lloyd who was following Kai along with Cole. "The challenge is to see if you can hold onto the wall the longest you can!"

"Hahahaha! You bet I can do that! Easy!" Kai smirked thinking this was the most dumbest and easiest thing ever Jay has requested and he laughed confidently. Cole glanced at both Zane and Nya and Lloyd with this look of doubt.

"But" Jay paused, and stared at Kai and Kai stared back. "You'll be tickled throughout!"

The smirk and confident gaze on Kai's face quickly disappeared and was filled with blush he badly wanted those tickles deep down he didn't want to reveal that to any of the ninja little did he know. Kai quickly put his facade of confidence back on. Lloyd giggled to himself quietly, he knew his would happen.

"Oh suuuureeeee I-I-I can do that" Kai chuckled nervously to himself and walked towards the Monestery walls and placed himself on it and clinged onto the wall.

Zane looked over at what was going on and decided to tag along as well. Cole, Jay, Lloyd, Nya, Zane looked at each other playfully already discussing ideas internally.

"Um... guys?" Kai turned to face his friends with a nervous smile and wiggled slightly. "what are you all think-"

The plan was set!!

Before Kai could finish his sentence he squealed at the top of his lungs like a child and giggled uncontrollably - Jay clawed his hand on the hem on Kai's ninja outfit above his tummy. Nya wriggling her fingers over Kai's sides (which is deserved as a younger sibling) Zane shot ice from his hands to tickle Kai!

Cole raspberrying Kai's neck repeadtly and Lloyd spidering his hands all over Kai's back. Kai was in ticklish and stuck at the same time.

"HEEHHSEHY! STOHOHOOHOHOP!!!" Kai giggled like a child and kicked his legs forward to kick his younger sister of his sides. Kai was trying his hardest not to fall to the ground. "HAHAHAHAHA-"

"What? Thought you was too confident?" Nya laughed playfully and scribbled her hands on Kai's thighs because Kai was being a dummy and stubborn.

"NOHOHO!!" Kai laughed and shook his head at Nya's comment. Onto this, Cole crouched onto the ground and glided his palm and rubbed his palm on Kai's neck. This made Kai's giggles more bubbly. "EheheHahaha Cole gohoho AHAHAHAHWAY from my neck!!!"

"Never Flamie~" Cole took the chance to use Kai's own words against him and Kai blushed feeling flustered, he can hear his hands trying to grip onto the wall as much as it can in between giggles.

"Cmooonnnn Kai, all you have to do is let go and this will be all over" Zane tilted his head and smiled softly at the giggly red Ninja. Who kicked his legs at Zane in denial. Even if Kai was giggling he didn't want to lose the challenge.

"NOT A CHAHAHHAHANCE!" Kai blasted his fire element towards Zane for a reason and to Lloyd for no reason, Zane duck down to avoid the strike with ease. "HAHAHAHAH"

"hey!" Lloyd glanced at the fire being blasted towards that way. And because of that Lloyd jabbed Kai's right side with his tickly touch and Kai exploded in childish giggles. "That's not very nice!"

"HAHAAHAHHHHAHHHA" Kai jolted and shifted to the right, Kai can feel Lloyd's hand causing a tingly sensation all over his hips and sides. Kai genuinely loved the attention he was receiving. "IHIHIHIT..IT WAS DESHEHEHEHHESERVEED!!"

Lloyd and Zane stared at Kai with unamused faces. Deserved you say? Oh no no no lil red fire ninja. Kai stared back giggling away, with no regrets of saying it was deserved.

"Okaaaayyy Jay shoot lightning at Kai please." Zane said with an emotionless and playful voice, and Jay immediately sparked his element and sent little shocks all over Kai and Kai's giggles climbed the ladder and went out.

"EHEHHEHAHAHAHA ohaahahhahay ihihihi'm sohohorehehey not sohohorehehehehehy" Kai said, as he tried to dodge getting those tiny tiiiiiny shocks from Jay.

"That doesn't sound believeable you know" Lloyd sighed fondly at Kai and went back to tickling Kai's sides, Nya helping. "are you even trying to do the challenge?"

Kai laughed at Lloyd's explanation. Deep down. He knows he can hold or grip onto the wall for ages. Or fall down. He was enjoying the tickly attention too much and did not want it to end.

"unless you want us to tickle you." Lloyd turned his head to be Infront of Kai with the softest and gentle smile in his face.

How did Lloyd guess my thoughts?! Is it that obvious?! Kai was thinking to himself.

"Don't forget you was giggling every time we tickled you." Zane put an arm around Kai.

"Also, you didn't even tell us to stop!" Lloyd pointed at Kai happily, and calling him out.

"U-uhm Ehehehehe..." Kai giggled nervously not knowing how to act. He was caught in the act of putting on a facade of confidence. "mayhbehhehe..?"

"AWWWW!!" The 5 looked at Kai in awe. I mean...all of them loved it when Kai laughed. This was the whole point. To help Kai in his lee moods!

"S-stoooooooop..." Kai covered his face with his hands his face going red. "I just love tickles-"

"Oh we knew that already, you know it was kinda obvious you didn't want to fall down and loving tickles." Jay pointed at Kai doing his Jay things. Kai raised his eyebrows in surprise. Am I this easy to read?!

"W-well can you- continue?" Kai asked everyone quietly and took his hands off his face.

Cole, Lloyd, Jay, Nya, Zand nodded and happily went back to wrecked Kai as much as he wanted.

"ehehehe okahahahahhay AHAHAHA" Kai laughed joyfully and freely as his friends tickled him as much as he himself wanted.

"I have the best friends ever" Kai thought happily and softly.

[lya-dustin]

Someone will remember us

Chapter 33

Tw: mentions of past sexual abuse, description of waterboarding, blood

Taglist: @stargaryenx @fyeahhotdocs @arrthurpendragon

Gif by : @lady-phasma

“If your bride comes back from that progress without a bun in the oven you will be the only Targaryen not to have a child nine moons after the wedding night.” Aegon points out as they drag their kill back to the grounds. “Even our dearly departed Laenor got the job done.”

“Aegon, do not pester him about such things.” Daeron blushed crimson, Gwayne was too much like Laenor to fuck a woman, but as far as everyone knows Gwayne is too devoted to the Faith and mother doesn’t like being told her brother was the same thing his late goodbrother was.

And it was because of that horseshit that Daeron was as innocent as a babe and couldn’t even handle the slightest mention of sex, or hard drinking or the opium den Aegon discovered last week.

Daeron got tongue-tied near pretty girls, he could barely get a greeting out when Aemma acknowledged him. Gods know how he will find his future wife, Aemond had been lucky to meet Aemma in their shared cradle.

“How old are you, Daer-bear?” Aegon asked their little brother using the nickname Helaena had given him as a baby.

“Three and ten.” Said Daeron stammered and looked at his feet.

He and Lucerys had been milk brothers just as Aemma and Aemond had been, and while they did get along, mother had decided such friendship was to be discouraged and sent him to Orm.

Aemond felt lucky he and Aemma had escaped her notice, he and Aemma had been thick as thieves when their lessons did not separate them.

“Velaryon, how did that torture thing work? I remember Laenor was fond of doing that when it fell on him to give the king’s justice.” Aemond speaks up with a bored tone. He would be damned if Aegon took their baby brother to a brothel like he did.

Laenor personally tortured those who called Rhaenyra a whore and even then, Harwin Strong helped him with it.

“Put a sack over his head and pour saltwater over his face. There’s no saltwater, but I suppose the stream over there will do the trick.” Daeron Velaryon looked perfectly serious until you saw that gleam of mischief in his dark eyes.

“We are not torturing the prince.” Cole said being the sole voice of reason.

They were jesting, of course. Aegon would be tossed into the stream when Cole isn’t looking like last time.

“Not while you’re around, Cole.” Aemond joked and saw Aegon relent in his pursuit of taking their little brother to a brothel.

“Fine, I will not take him to a brothel and pay for a great whore for his first.” Aegon pouted and drank from his wineskin. “Just don’t Merlin King me, either of you.”

“Thank you, Aemond.” Daeron said quietly and Aemond ruffled his hair in return.

“Although you should thank me, Aemond. Imagine if you had been a man-maiden on your wedding night, poor Aemma would have joined the rest of the unsatisfied wives in their bitterness.” Aegon turned his vulgar teasing back onto him and Aemond wished he had something to pelt him with.

“Aegon!” Daeron scolded Aegon but avoiding looking at his brothers all the same.

Daeron was too innocent in the ways of men, but unlike Aegon, Aemond hopes his brother keeps such innocence and naivety a little longer.

No one will hurt him; no whore will scar him and make him feel sick to his stomach and no one will take his childhood like Lucerys took his in Driftmark.

----

He is bloody, and his immaculate silvery gold hair is unkempt and stained with dried blood, but Aemma thinks he’s never looked better.

Oh gods, she has her mother’s taste in men.

No matter, mother has good taste at the least.

“How was your hunt, valzȳrys?” she asked as she helped him wash off the blood on his skin and hair.

The hunting lodge was expanded on and eventually Kingswood Lodge was good enough to offer baths, lodging, a small sept and even a rustic feast hall.

“Mhm, good.” He was like putty in her hands, never been used to being pampered like this and never had his loving wife care for him in such a way.

Usually, he would wash himself, but Aemma had wanted to be alone with him. If she’d played her cards right, she could make them very, very late to the feast.

“How was, how was your day with mother?” he sighed into her touch when she sponged off the dried blood that had stained his neck through his hunting clothes.

“Mhm, good. We are supposed to see if I can convince the Small Council to fund the schools in Flea Bottom tomorrow.” She is hopeful, bracing for the impact of failure, but Aemma at her core is always hopeful.

Hopeful that things will be better tomorrow than they were the day before.

“If I didn’t know you, I would say you are mad.” He admits.

Aemma is crazy or seen like that because almost all her ideas sound too out there. Educating the poor, ending the practice of Serfdom and indentured servitude, a citadel of sorts for women. All these have people calling her the Mad Princess behind her back.

And they don’t even know the half of it.

They don’t know that she wishes to end the practice of primogeniture and choose an heir based on their merits and not what order they were born like the Emperors of Yi Ti

“Not mad, merely brilliant, which is often misconstrued as mad.” She repeats the words her Teora says when she confides in her about her questioning if she is right to continue pushing for such ideals.

“You’re pouting, I can feel it from here.” Aemond may be as different from as the night is to day, but he knows her just a good as she knows herself. “I am sorry, I should know better than to say such things.”

He doesn’t like being told he is less of a man because he is a second son missing a fucking eye, she doesn’t like being told she is crazy for wanting a better world for everyone and actually following through with her plans.

“No matter, I shall prove all my naysayers wrong in due course, husband. We are the future; they best get used to it.”

-----

“The girl believes the common folk will benefit from her attentions.” Her father scoffed and Alicent pretends she didn’t see Ser Criston bristle from his callousness.

Criston was the son of commoners, his father, the founder of House Cole, was given lands and a knighthood and chose nine lumps of coal for his sigil in honor of his nine children.

Criston was the seventh child, and deemed lucky enough to train in Blackhaven and be sworn into Dondarrion’s service at eight and ten.

He would not say it, but Alicent knows her Sworn Protector believes in the same dream as Aemma.

Had his hatred for Rhaenyra been as strong as it used to be, the queen would not fear him betraying her for the little queen.

“Her views of the world are a blessing and a curse, I fear the day when she realizes no good deed goes unpunished.” The queen knew tomorrow Aemma would pull some sort of stunt and turn a meeting into a fighting ring. “We must allow her to open those schools, if we deny her that she will turn Aemond against us.”

The girl may not know it, but she has power over her husband that wives seldom have.

Aemond loves her to the point of madness, to the point of defying her and her father. When the time comes, he will have to choose between his wife and children or his brother and his children.

“You have lost him and you do not see it, daughter.” Otto Hightower proclaims and part of her knows he speaks in truth.

[asterfeathers]

cole ninjago headcanons!!

long bc i don’t know how a tumblr works and can’t. figure. how .to. put. under.cut,,

- black(ma)/vietnamese(dad)

- kind chocolate brown eyes with orange. very pretty. after dod his left eye (where the scar is) turned a bright green

- heavy sleeper,snores

- dad energy

- animals love him

- wherever he goes the nature around him brightens up, sometimes flowers bloom. the villagers, farmers especially love when he visits cuz he helps around and the earth is very fertile and alive when he’s there

- he retained some ghost abilities, but he needs to put a lot of effort into them and unlocking them. back to square one basically.

- he’s highly regarded amongst ghosts cuz when the preeminent was banished she was weakened and cole gained her powers and is basically king of ghosts (this is definitely not canon i just like the sound of op cole)

- whenever he’s around animals he gets all soft

- underrated and not as popular with fans

- deep down is envious of the others

- his fight with jay still stays with him. he never really got over some of the things jay said to him even if they were just in the heat of the moment.

- self esteem issues and believes he isn’t as important as others and is the least important out of his entire team

- views the others as his family and is very loving

- best hugs. warm,comforting and grounding

- gay. seriously gay

- when he and jay were fighting over nya it was mostly a misunderstanding cuz cole didn’t actually like nya but wanted to get back at jay and was definitely repressing his emotions (and gayness *cough*)

- trans. goes by he/they and ghost themed neopronouns

- everyone goes to him for support

- he has difficulty expressing his emotions sometimes

-he doesn’t talk about his feelings but gets mad at others when they bottle theirs up

- he can be really funny and witty when he opens up

- incredibly loyal

- writer and artist

- he can actually sing and dance really well but he’s insecure about it. he’s even written some songs.

- he needs to be forced to rest bc he’s a workaholic and he will work himself to the bone without intervention. especially when he’s sick

“cole you need to rest you’re sick”

“i’m fine”

“no you’re not rockhead go to bed and i’ll get zane to make you some soup”

- the team loves him bc how can you not

- supports lloyd with things kai can’t

- very trustworthy with everything but cooking

- loves driving and travelling

- he’s banned from the kitchen

- before wu found him he was travelling around everywhere. sailing, hiking, mountain climbing, everything. was homeless for a period of time.

- he loves watching the stars

- his mother sang to him and told him about her battle stories. he didn’t think they were real at the time of course but he likes to reminisce about them

- big strong man. almost a himbo but he’s actually really intelligent

- amazing at strategy and planning

- neat freak. likes things being organised, unlike kai. when kais room gets really messy he cleans it bc he gets so frustrated

- a lot of unresolved trauma. mans got mommy and daddy issues cmon.

- he loves sweet things (this is basically canon)

- he’s very close with the og 4. jay and him talk a lot. he and kai are very close and will comfort each other. he and zane give each other cuddles

- as a kid really liked geography and dinosaurs

- the ninja go to him when they have nightmares

- big sweetheart honestly

- wu once slipped up and called him dad

- he has somewhat long hair

- he has some grey hairs from being a ghost

- ptsd from falling, dying multiple times and being turned into a ghost. he fears heights. it takes him a while to get over it and go climbing again.

- if you were his partner you would not lack affection at all. but he’s not much a kisser and is very shy at first.

- plays with his hair sometimes

- really loves music. the sound grounds and calms him

- sticks his tongue out while concentrating. he’s planning out a mission and he’ll just have his tongue out. the others find it adorable

- has a very foul mouth when he gets really angry (he was basically homeless for a long while before wu found him. imagine what he would have picked up travelling)

- patient but has an explosive anger. he can get pretty scary. this big guy that could benchpress a mountain towering all over you with stone cold fury.

- actually pretty sensitive

- almost cries every time he hears sad stories about animals

- if you don’t wake him up he will sleep the entire day

- not a head canon but that one season 1/2 outfit where he had belt/chain things on the sides of his pants. the eboy blueprint

- very good fashion sense

- rich boy what with his father being a very prolific performer and probably with a wealthy family

- oblivious when it comes to flirting

- takes a lot of connection to form a crush/interest in someone

- he and kai sometimes go to volcanoes together

- would protect the ninja (especially lloyd and zane) with his life.

- can make very good beverages (this is actually pretty canon- when the ninja were celebrating getting the fang blades and cole made the punch in like season one)

- teases everyone. calls lloyd ‘squirt’ and other such nicknames still

- likes going to parks and climbing trees. the other ninja just watch as he scales the tree at inhuman speed. jay and kai try to beat him and fail every time.

- he can often be found passed out somewhere and snoring, often out of bed. he has some weird sleeping positions and the others take photos whenever they find him sleeping somewhere.

- he’s pretty much like a cat

- eats messily sometimes (his dad especially hates this)

- favourite cake is chocolate mud cake (unoriginal i know but i don’t care)

- smells like rain and the earth, if warmth /home was a smell

- he’s a child of hades. geokinisis, death themes, cmon

- loves reading

- a big old nerd

- put ungodly amounts of sugar in his tea and coffee while the ninja (mostly zane) stare at him concerned

- his eyes reflect light in the dark like a cat. he’s scared jay a few times in the hallways at midnight when he’s just standing there, eyes glowing

- zones out a bit

- resting bitch face

- bc earth is both life and death, this ties into his ghostly abilities and possibly him using his powers for healing

[r0und3bitch]

TF ❤️‍🔥: Part 4 “You Like The Bad Ones Too” SOUNDTRACK

Series Playlist

Part 4 Playlist

I made an individual playlist for Part 4, unnecessary but I figured since it’s so long why no have them all in one so you can list in order! Plus it would only let me link a certain amount of songs. The ones I couldn’t I included the artist name.

Track 1 - Pretty Pleaee

The song playing as YN is getting ready, when Rafe comes into her room…

“How do I look…?” You ask sweetly. “You Look perfect”

Track 2 - Royals

“Yeah c’mon, Princess…” Rafe teases, using Noah’s usual nickname for you. “Princess?!” You question, “Aren’t you like Kook Royalty at these things?!”

Track 3, 4 & 5  -

Buss It Open

Keep It Real

Down Bad 

The songs playing as Rafe and Y/N enter Topper’s party.

“Rafe kept you close by his side as he guided you through the masses of people, introducing you to some new people as “Y/N”. Not Noah’s sister…not as his friend…leaving just enough air to it so that some people would raise eyebrows at the two of you in the process, trying to figure out whatever was going on there.”

Track 6 - Let The Beat Build

The song playing as Noah tries to get Y/Ns attention, the tension slowly building as she lays the coke out on the table...

Track 7- Feeling Myself

The song playing as Y/N leaves her friends inside as she approaches Emma and John B before making her way to JJ...

Track 8 - Sorry Not Sorry

The song that start’s playing after you grab a drink and head back inside, leading up to the huge scene...

Track 9 - Poetic Justice

The song playing as Rafe leaves the group and finds you outside, alone on the patio....💋

Track 10 - We found Love

The song Noah requests (one of Sarah’s favorites) to get her to dance..

“You know that this is one of Sarah’s favorite songs ever and that Noah requested to play it. You and Rafe watch as Noah and Sarah dance only momentarily before he full on twirls her. Sarah’s hair whips through the air and for a moment you can’t help but take in how truly captivating Sarah Cameron is.”

Track 11- 0 to 100(Drake)

The song playing right as John B approaches Sarah, losing his tempter and the events that follow...

“Noah has Sarah positioned perfectly as he clocks John B’s furious figure coming towards them before she does. The raging look in his eye was exactly what he was hoping for, Noah’s rare sadistic alter ego in full effect as he locks eyes with John B as he leans down to his girlfriend's ear.”

Track 12 - S.O.S (Aviichi)

The song playing when Rafe and YN are dancing together...

“Will you dance with me?” “He shakes his head yes and not a second later you’re grabbing his wrist, beaming as you pull him into the crowd, time moving slowly as the lights and sounds flicker around you. You two begin to move together, the words of the song quite literally blending you two together in ways you can’t even begin to imagine yet.   

🎶”Can you hear me? S.O.S. Help me put my mind to rest Two times clean again, I'm actin' low A pound of weed and a bag of blowI can feel your love pullin' me up from the underground, and I don't need my drugs, we could be more than just part-time lovers I can feel your touch pickin' me up from the underground, and I don't need my drugs, we could be more than just part-time lovers” 🎶

Track 13 Slow - (Noah Cyrus)

The song playing when they crash into the guest bedroom at the end of the night...

“It’s just past 3am when you and him come stumbling into one of Topper’s guest bedrooms, wasted beyond belief as you both basically fall into the room in a messy, beautiful blur.  He doesn’t want to go slow”

🎶”It's three o'clock in the mornin' No one can make me go home 'Cause no one's waitin' there for me And I just can't be alone Your green eyes are a weapon Shot a hole in my heart Now I'm fallin' for the bad one And I'm seein' signs I don't wanna go slow, oh I don't wanna go slow, oh Every time you're pullin' backwards I'm just gonna fall in faster 'Cause I don't wanna go slow, oh” 🎶

Honorable Mentions: 

End Game (Taylor Swift)

🎶Big reputation, big reputation Ooh you and me we got big reputations, ah And you heard about me, ooh I got some big enemiesBig reputation, big reputation Ooh you and me would be a big conversation, ah And I heard about you, ooh You like the bad ones too🎶

Goin Bad (Drake, Meek Mill)

The title, this part? Enough said. Can literally be inserted into any scene and it will fit.

No Problem (Chance the Rapper, Lil Wayne, 2 Chainz)

Another one that can be inserted into literally almost any scene. Heavilyyyyyy influenced the writing of this entire story...

Best Friend (Saweetie, Doja Cat)

Sarah fucking Cameron and Y/N to a T

Paradise (Bazzi va Vincent remix)

How they all feel at the end of the night, no matter how crazy, chaotic and insane it gets...

[rosiehunterwolf]

📂📂

-Those of you who have read several of my fics probably already noticed this, but I imagine the ninja give Lloyd so many nicknames. Green bean, green machine (although this one is technically canon, I use it more regularly than canon does), Lloydster, kid, bud, squirt- you name it. He’s their little baby bro and they love teasing him with the nicknames. At first, he didn’t like it, but now he just Accepts Fate™️

-Day of the Departed is basically like Ninjago’s Halloween, they mainly focus on remembering loved ones but there’s also candy and costumes too. Cole visits his mom’s grave every year, and Zane goes back to his childhood home. Prior to the return of his dad, Lloyd found it too painful to think about him and would usually distract himself by passing out candy to the kids (and occasionally sneaking a piece!)

[punkgrogg]

Doorway Duo pt.2

Pairing: Hybrid!Taehyung x Reader, Hybrid!Jungkook x Reader

Genre: Hybrid!BTS, Non idol AU, fluff

Warnings: Pregnancy

Summary: Y/n was abandoned by her long time boyfriend and moves back home to help prepare for the baby. She’s surprised to find two unfamiliar hybrids at her house.

Length: 2,456 words

Notes: Sorry for the long wait, this summer has been one disaster and tragedy (my grandpa, great grandma, and college friend have all passed) after another but I’m almost finished with part 3 so I’ll be posting that in the next couple of days. 

Date posted: 7/26/2020

Pregnancy sucks.  My back hurts and my feet are sore after just a few hours walking. Not to mention the overall discomfort of my body swelling up to accommodate the new human developing inside of it. Luckily I only have about three more months of this left and I could finally hold my baby boy. Yeah, Hobi was right. He claimed that it was his hybrid genes that made him privy to this information but Kook calls bullshit- he and Tae had been hoping it was a girl.

In the past two months of staying back home, I’ve seemed to bond super well with the two new hybrids. At first, it was easy to become friends with Tae, he was overly friendly and followed me around after our first-day meeting. Once my baby bump became prominent I could keep him away; he spent most of his waking hours cooing at my stomach. I had to work a bit harder to get Jungkook to open up to me and all it took was a few weeks of calling Taehyung his nickname.  Apparently, he was just shy and wanted to be my friend also but he was jealous that Tae got to be called Tae. I called him Kook since then and all shyness flew out the door. He and Tae were both so energized all the time and both so caring. Today they insisted on accompanying me to the store because they didn’t want me to accidentally overwork myself. Hobi tagged along too, not wanting to be left behind at the house alone.

I was flanked by both Jungkook and Taehyung the moment we entered the store but this is something I've had to get used to.  Another thing I’ve had to get used to is that Taehyung was very touchy. His hands are always in contact with some part of my body and today he had wrapped his arm around my waist and his fingers traced small circles into my side as we strolled down the aisles. Usually, I wasn’t someone who liked to be held all the time but with Tae, it never bothered me, it was actually comforting most of the time. Hobi strolled a few feet ahead of us while he was bickering with Taehyung over the chips that were tossed into the cart.  The great chip debate happened every time we went to the store, Hoseok had a weird taste when it came to snacks and my other brothers and I had long gotten over it. 

Jungkook was hovering on my right- so close that our knuckles brushed as we walked- his presence a constant that I’ve become accustomed to these last few weeks.  He was back to his quiet guy persona, it probably would stay this way until we got home. Hobi thought it was funny when we went out in public together- said that Jungkook changes gear into high alert one I became a variable. It was hard for me to imagine him outside of the two versions of him that I knew, the quiet and shy versus the playful and relaxed.  At home, Jungkook was the one to cajole me into chasing him throughout the house but whenever I turn a corner too fast he’s there with arms outstretched to catch me. 

Taehyung too acted a bit differently when we went out, usually he was a bundle of energy and excitement that couldn’t be contained but in public, he seemed to change into a startling somber man who would then meld himself to my side once out the door. I guess this fed into his protective instincts as well.  Tae was the one who was most concerned with my well being in the house. He responded to every grunt and whimper I’ve made since I’ve moved in. He forced me into weekly self-care nights and rushed to prevent me from overworking myself no matter the task. I would think that it was charming normally but because of him, I’ve been banned from dish duty after accidentally cutting my finger after moving in. 

My parents had warned me that the three hybrids in the house might change a bit while the pregnancy developed but if I were uncomfortable then I should let them know right away. Hoseok was the same Hoseok as ever- a beam of sunshine in my monotonous life. He has spent increasingly more time outside of our house - going on dates with some mysterious guy. He has stopped teasing me a much this past week or two and instead teases Jungkook and Taehyung twice as much. Jungkook and Tae have obviously turned into my pseudo bodyguards and that can probably be chalked up to their hybrid instincts. 

Why else would these two hang onto me so closely?   I thought to myself as I focused on a sign for a buy one get one half off deal for oatmeal. Dad liked oats in the morning but there didn’t seem to be any of his favored cinnamon flavors. Taehyung suddenly ripped me out of my peaceful bubble by tugging me into his side abruptly. Jungkook stood in front of me while I could hear Hoseok apologize profusely. Both Taehyung and Jungkook had their faces twisted into scowls as they peered down at the man huddled on the floor. He looked familiar.

His curly blonde hair seemed to be what struck me with a name on the tip of my tongue. I couldn’t quite place him, how many blonde men did I know? Not many other than that Jimin guy Hobi brought around since high school. I couldn’t place him until he glanced over where I was peeking out over Jungkook’s shoulder. His eyes were blue, an icy pale blue that was the same color as his. This was Henry’s little brother. Was it Darren? Or maybe David? It was hard to recall as Henry was coles with his family. Especially after their parents divorced and He had been the only child to go live with his dad. I had only met David a few times over the almost six years we had been together. 

“Y/n?”  He asked, his eyes lighting up in recognition. Hobi- who was interrupted mid apology for ramming into him with the cart- looked back at me with inquisitive eyes. Taehyung tried to pull me closer to his side but this once I resisted and stepped from the overwhelming protection of the Duo. 

“David? Last I saw you, you were a scrawny little beanpole.” I teased light-heartedly as I stood next to Hobi. David’s cheeks flushed as he stood up and straightened out his clothes. 

“Uh, well, I grew up. It’s been three years so how’s it been going? Henry said you guys split up.” His eyes seemed to be glued to my stomach. My stomach was big, especially for how far along I was at only six months of my pregnancy but I was already passing the size of a watermelon. My hands came up to cradle my stomach. 

I forced a smile, “Yeah, we did. It’s been about six months, I think? I’ve been doing good though.” 

It was then that my blood ran cold. Rounding the corner behind David was the man I never wanted to see again. Henry.  These last few months haven’t fully rid me of the sting of abandonment and no matter how much I’ve been coddled - it could never erase the pain and loneliness that I’ve had to overcome. I could feel my brother tense up beside and his threats to ‘rip out his throat’ came ringing in the back of my head. I calmly reached out and held onto his forearm gently.

Henry’s attention was fully focused on the bakery box in his hands and he only glanced up at his brother. He quickly did a double-take when he noticed that there were five looming figures instead of just the one. He skimmed over the group of strangers until he locked eyes with me. His feet took root and held him back a few feet away as he gawked. 

“Baby? That's my baby?” he managed to choke out while his eyes bugged out of his head. David’s jaw dropped and suddenly, with both their gazes trained on me, I felt so much smaller than just a few moments ago.  I could feel panic clawing at my throat as it rattled its way out of my chest at the sudden turn of events. That’s until a warm firm hand grasped onto my elbow as the familiar towering presence materialized behind me. Jungkook. His hold quelled my panic almost instantly. I fixed a terse smile at Henry, my face changing a calm disposition.

“No. You were right: there was no way it could be your baby.” I could feel the acid dripping from my lips as I forced a saccharine sweet smile at the asshole.

Henry’s face quickly snapped out of the shocked expression, almost as quickly as his face took on a reddened hue. “So you were a fucking whore and got knocked up by some hybrid? Should have known, your family is way too close to those fucking freaks.” He kept his eyes trained on Jungkook’s hand holding onto me.

“Oh, I knew you were a piece of shit the first time she brought you home.” Hoseok laughed unamused. He abandoned the cart only to stalk towards Henry, stopping with barely six inches left between the two. “The only thing keeping me from tearing you limb from limb right now is the fact that she begged me to, One more comment from your limp-dicked self will be more than enough to break my self-control. This is the last time you’ll ever speak to her or her children. Understood?” Henry nodded quickly with a face painted in fear. 

Taehyung stepped forward and turned the cart around. Jungkook tugged me along and rubbed his hand on my arm in comfort. Tae swiped a few boxes of snack cake of the shelf as we hurried away and a sudden ringing sound of a slap rang out through the aisle.  No-one turned around. As we approached the lines for check out I could hear the squeaking of Hobi’s sneakers as he ran to catch up with us.  His hands replaced Jungkook’s as he tugged me into his chest. 

He tucked my head under his chin and held me tightly, so tight that he managed to squeeze out the few tears I was managing to fight back. He only tightened his grasp as he pressed a kiss to the top of my head. He let go momentarily to wrench his wallet out of his back pocket so he could exchange it for keys from Jungkook. He pulled me out from under the judging stares of the cashiers and led me to the parking lot. As we neared the car he hugged me closer to his side so he could press his cheek against the top of my head. 

“I’m sorry,” I whispered. 

“No. I’m sorry I let you be with that asshole. I failed as a big brother.” he sighed despondently and I could feel the guilt twisting my stomach into knots.

“No, you’re the best one I got. I’m sorry he said that about you, I’ve never heard him say anything like that before. I love you Hobi, you’re my sunshine.” I cried as I held onto his shirt.

“I know you don’t think of me that way or the guys. I can remember you fighting punks like that at the park growing up. His dumbass will never affect how much I love my snot-nosed baby sister.” he pulled away and leveled me with a soft smile, forcing me to return one. 

“Did you hit him? You could get in a lot of trouble.” I bit onto my lip as I imagined the terrible consequences. He could lose his job at the shelter. He could be marked aggressively by the government and taken away. He could be arrested.

His warm soft hands squished my cheeks as he made me face him. “Aw, is our little Y/n worried about her big brother? Don’t worry my princess, bubby didn’t hurt him. His brother slapped the socks off him. I was shocked.”  His blinding smile finally returned and could hear a cart being pushed behind us. I turned to see Taehyung standing on the front of the cart with a big smile as he waved to us; Jungkook was running full speed at the handle of the cart. 

I laughed at the two idiots as they barely managed to stop before crashing into my car. Taehyung’s hands flew forward to brace himself against the trunk. Jungkook laughed heartily as Taehyung started to yell at him for almost squishing him. 

“Kook, are you driving us back?” I asked to save him from the snow leopard. He nodded as Hobi tossed him the keys. Kook popped the trunk while Hobi and Tae tossed in the few bags of groceries. Jungkook steered away from the cart and we all filed into the car wordlessly. I was in the passenger seat with Hobi behind me. There seemed to be a heavy curtain of silence surrounding us all. 

“Taehyung, Jungkook, I’m sorry for what Henry said.” I pointedly kept my attention at the fast-changing scenery. They were both silent until I could feel hot breath against my neck. A chin rested on my shoulder while a nose pressed itself between my ear and jawline. 

“Why are you sorry? Did you teach him to hate hybrids?” Tae’s deep voice was just barely louder than a whisper but it echoed in my heart. I whipped my head towards him, my eyebrows pinched together harshly, only to see the grin plastered on his face.

“You know I don’t think like that. Don’t tease me like that, I was apologizing because you guys don’t deserve to be spoken to like that. You’re people; kind, caring people.” I glared at him with no heat while his smile only widened. 

“We do know, that’s why we weren’t mad. It's something that happens and we can’t help that we’re used to it. We were actually pissed at that asshat.” Jungkook harrumphed in agreement and I could feel the knot loosen in my stomach. 

“I’ve been trying to join Team Hate Henry since we moved in and Hoseok hasn’t allowed it. I bet Namjoon will let us in now.” Jungkook smirked back at Hobi who squeaked in protest.

“Namjoon cannot know that we met with him. He would actually kill him.” I interjected, my fear helping me envision Joonie in an orange jumpsuit. 

Jungkook side-eyed me before smirking at me, “ Would that be so bad?”

 Tag list! just let me know if you want added.

@jelly-fishy-babie @nomimits7 @littlewolfieposts

[peakyxtommy]

Dating Finn Cole Includes...

A/N: Been watching Animal Kingdom all weekend long. Excited to watch S4 tomorrow. It’s such a good show. Falling more in love with Finn Cole. Might start writing animal kingdom imagines for J Cody. Enjoy, have a good start to your week! xx

You meeting through mutual friends while he was in L.A. filming Animal Kingdom / U.K. Peaky Blinders

He’d be pretty shy around you at first. Until he go to know you better

He’d find the courage to ask you out on a date, one night while your friend group was out for drinks at a live show

Your first date would be pretty classic with dinner at a fancy restaurant

He lives a private lifestyle and is able to go throughout his day without being recognized by many people

When fans do ask for photos or autographs, he would be willing to do so

Going to red carpet events (Movies/TV shows premiers) together and him holding your hand the whole time through, watching your reaction subtly throughout

You praising him afterward and tell him how proud you are

Staying at the after party until one of you wanted to leave

Missing him while he’s away on long stretches of filming

Face-timing him during breaks or late in the evening

Visiting the sets of Animal Kingdom and Peaky Blinders

Enjoying him in his natural element, acting with talented actors/actresses

He would be sweet, charming, goofy at times

He’s very laid back as well

Loves comfort-ability in clothing in his everyday life (b/c your boy is THICC),

but does enjoy dressing up in fancy pieces for photo shoots/important events

Would tease you about always finding a way to slap or pinch his bum

“Can’t keep your hands to yourself, love.”

He loves you wearing his clothing, walking around in nothing but one of his t-shirts drives him mad

Supportive of you and your dreams

Always knows what to do put a smile on your face and would love you make you laugh because he enjoys the sounds of your laugh

Him calling you nicknames (Sweetheart, Darling, Love, etc.)

You calling him nicknames (Honey, Love, Babe, etc.)

He’s definitely the big spoon, holding you tight all night long, telling you how much he loves you before bed

Forehead kisses, soft and slow kisses, rough and heated kisses leading to making out on the couch

He would say “I love you” first

Outdoor Activities you enjoy together - Surfing, hiking, camping out in the woods in a cabin or tent, visiting various museums / talks about art

Indoor Activities you enjoy together - reading various literature, watching classic films like (Godfather, The Irishman), having a record player listening to his favorites (BB King, Muddy Waters, Jacob Collier), your favorites (Hozier, Bon Iver, Stormzy)

Summer Activities you enjoy together  - Going to the beach, festivals/concerts, Live music at bars drinking beer, with his arms around your waist, singing the lyrics into your ears, basking in his warm body wrapped around yours

Fall Activities you enjoy together - Pumpkin picking, Hay rides, haunted houses, taking walks in the evening after dinner talking about your day, finding cute sweaters for him to wear all season

Winter Activities you enjoy together - Picking a Christmas tree together, baking cookies and drinking hot chocolate, him placing mistletoe's around the house to find various spots to kiss you, skiing together in the Alps

[duhragonball]

For the Ask Game: Son Goku

Give me a character and I will answer:

Why I like them: Goku is the main character in Dragon Ball Z, an anime that I have enjoyed tremendously for over 20 years.  He kicks aliens really fast and hard, and he eats wolves and bugs and clouds, and he’s very cool and good.   

That may sound kind of basic, maybe even borderline sarcastic, but I’m not sure how else to put it.    I’ve gotten so used to liking Goku that it’s hard to articulate why.   

Like, okay, you know that one episode during the Cell Games, where he’s gonna pick apples from his favorite apple tree?   And he does the special karate punch that makes the apples all fall out of the branches without really hurting the tree?    In the dub, he says to the tree “Ready for one more round, old timer?”  Or something like that, and then after he hits it, he’s like “See?  That didn’t hurt a bit.”  I’m not getting the lines right, but you get the idea.    That’s some choice Goku right there.    He’s friends with that tree!   

Why I don’t: hE gAvE mOrO a SeNzU bEaN-- ha ha just kidding, but can you imagine not liking Goku?   Because of something he did in some horseshit fancomic that doesn’t even count?

Lately, I’ve been hearing a lot of guff from people about Goku showing mercy to his enemies.   This is humorous to me, because I’d bet you dollars to donuts that they’re fans of Vegeta and/or Piccolo, and that only happened because Goku decided to have mercy on their stank asses.    “Well I like Vegeta because he kills people.”  He only gets to do that because Goku allowed him to live.    Best Green Dad doesn’t happen without Goku, period, end of sentence, new paragraph.   

I’m not a lore expert like that guy on Twitter who only watched DBZ Abridged, but here’s some cool trivia for you: Cell could have self-destructed and destroyed the Earth at any time.    It literally does not matter that Goku gave Cell a senzu bean before Gohan fought him, because Cell would have done the same thing no matter who beat him or how.     If Gohan had wiped him out quickly, that nucleus would have survived and regenerated, and he would come back even stronger.   The senzu bean just delayed the inevitable outcome, and not even by that much, because Cell wasn’t that worn out in the first place.   The whole thing with the senzu bean was Goku playing headgames with Cell and no one seems to understand that but me.   

But what about Moro, you ask?   Hey, come here.  

Closer.    No, closer.   

Listen to me.   I love you, okay?    But the Dragon Ball Super manga isn’t canon.   Hating Goku over something he did in Super is like hating Superman for something he did in a Mad Magazine bit.      

“Blargle blargle he doesn’t kiss his wife bad father, tournament of power--” I super mega don’t care about any of these ice cold takes.      Every day I go on YouTube and it recommends me the dirt worst Star Wars commentary videos.   “Maybe the SITH were actually the GOOD GUYS and the JEDI were the BAD GUYS!  Huh?  Did I just BLOW your MIND?   Be sure to like and subscribe!”  Every dope with a keyboard seems to think they can flip the script and pretend they’re some kind of genius.    “Thanos was right!”  “Magneto was right!” “Dr. Doom was right!” “Antifa are the real fascists when you stop and think about it!”  “Masks and vaccines are bullshit, COVID-19 is a hoax, but if it were real, maybe it’s the good guy in this situation!”

I didn’t mean to go off on a rant here, but the whole point of Goku is that he’s a pretty cool guy, and the hero of his particular adventure, and you see all these people trying to outsmart that somehow, like it’s not the premise of the character.   It’s like all those fan theories about how every show is really one character having a coma dream in the hospital.    It’s fake-deep, like when Will Smith’s kid goes on the internet and says something like “Water isn’t wet when you stop and think about it.”  

I’m not saying everyone has to like Goku, but I don’t get the hate-boner people have for him.    I don’t like cole slaw, it’s soggy and insipid and I don’t understand it, but I don’t go around trying to convince people it’s not made out of cabbage.  

Anyway, Goku’s awesome. 

Favorite episode (scene if movie): It’s hard to choose, but DBZ #248 always fucks me up.   I looked it up in my liveblog archive to get the episode number right, and the first line of that post: This one always fucks me up.

Moving on.

Favorite season/movie: In Dragon Ball terms, I guess this refers to the sagas, so I’ll go with Cell Games.    Goku goes into the battle with this flawed, touch-and-go plan, and it works.    He defeats perfection with imperfection, and it’s glorious.  

Favorite line: “What I represent can never be destroyed,” is one of the most metal lines ever uttered, anywhere.   It’s a threat and a moral lesson all in one.   

Favorite outfit: Two answers for this one.  

Shu’s outfit in the Fortuneteller Baba Saga was awesome.    I used to wear yellow T-shirts to work, so when I put on my blue labcoat I would see myself in the restroom mirror and think: yeaaaaahhhhhh.

I’m also big into Goku’s look during the Cell Games, classic orange outfit, blue shirt, with the Super Saiyan form ready to go.    That may sound obvious, since this is kind of Goku’s default look, but it takes a while to get all of this together.  For me, it was a big deal to see Goku in action as a Super Saiyan in his standard fighting gear, because the whole time he was SSJ on Namek his shirt was ruined.   Against Gero and 19 he was sick, but starting with the Cell Games, we get him fresh as a daisy, and it’s worth the wait.   Harder to stealth cosplay, though.

OTP: Gochi.   Come on.    I don’t even care that much about ships, but they’re adorable on the show, and the internet backlash against Gochi only intensifies my defiance.   

Brotp: I wrote a fanfic with Goku and Yamcha just joyriding in the desert, and that seemed pretty awesome, so maybe we need more of that.   

I dunno, maybe I’m giving this to Bulma.   They don’t get a ton of screen time together after a certain point in the show, but the bond between them is this really sublime thing.    In the same fanfic, I wrote Bulma and Goku interacting, and that was just a pleasure to write.

Head Canon: I think Goku being an alien orphan matters more to him than he lets on.   Early on, he knew he had parents but he didn’t know why they left him in the woods.   Pretty much every interaction he has with the outside world is about him being different.   Then he finds out he’s a Saiyan and all the Saiyans hate him for being weak and sentimental and so on.   He can kick all their asses, but that doesn’t make him any less of an outcast.   

I think becoming a Super Saiyan is a bigger deal to him than he lets on.   That moment kind of serves as this unspoken proof that there’s more to being a “true” Saiyan than Vegeta, Nappa, and Raditz ever knew.   That maybe, if his great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great granny could see him, she might approve.

Unpopular opinion:

Yukio Ebisawa is underrated. 

A wish: I always wanted to see Goku style on Broly ‘93.   It seemed unfair to me that they kept bringing Broly back, and even teased a rematch with Goku in Movie 11, only to not deliver on it.    I wanted Goku to turn Super Saiyan 2 and Broly’d be all “oh noes!” and Goku would look at him and be all “Yeah.   What now, bitch?    That green shit won’t cut it anymore.”

An oh-god-please-dont-ever-happen: I think my darkest fear about the Dragon Ball franchise is that it’ll get bastardized like Superman, where some giant multimedia corporation owns it, has no idea how to tell new stories with it, and refuses to let it lapse into the public domain.   I have no idea how public domain works in Japan, but “Disney Toei’s Dragon Ball KH” doesn’t sit well with me.    Hopefully I’ll be dead by the time that happens.  

Like, Rise of Skywalker wasn’t that bad.   But it did lead me to worry that they really have no idea how to make Star Wars work.    They got it right enough, but the part where Rose is going to stay and guard the base or whatever, it just made me realize they’re only guessing, and they just happen to guess right often enough to succeed.   And it’s not like you can jump over to some other studio and see how they handle a Star Wars movie.

5 words to best describe them: Ain’t nothin’ to fuck with.

My nickname for them: Geeko.    Ha ha, just kidding.  

[itsadamcole]

caught

fem!reader x finn balor

Reader and Finn are best friends. Reader begins to think about Finn in a different way, thinking of him as she relieves herself. She thought she could get away with it ....

word count: 2.1k+

warnings: (some) dirty talking, smut

— enjoy this. it’s something i wrote a while ago but never actually posted or published —

masterlist

~ 18+ content below - read at your own risk ~

You sit in the hotel room and wait for your roommate and best friend Finn to come back from getting something to eat. You decide to watch some highlights from that day's NXT.

Finn had one of the most important matches of his life today. He was in a number one contenders fatal 4-way match against Johnny Gargano, Dexter Lumis, and Adam Cole to find out who gets to fight Keith Lee for his NXT championship. Finn won the match and you want to watch some highlights.

You watch the highlights on your phone.

You always thought Finn looked nice in his ring gear. It was something about it. You didn't know what. Maybe it was the fact that he's an attractive man and he's wearing tights. Tights that accentuate him in places that make you ache between your legs when you see him in ring gear.

After watching the highlights, you find yourself biting your lip and a small throbbing feeling coming from between your legs. You have never thought about Finn as more than your best friend but recently, you've been imagining yourself getting with Finn. Seeing him in his ring gear did not help these thoughts either.

You put your phone down and lay on your back. You need to relieve this feeling you have between your legs. Your thighs rub together for friction.

Fuck it, you think. He doesn't have to know.

You slowly slide a hand down into your sweatpants, rubbing yourself over your underwear. You close your eyes and bite your lip.

As you do this, you think of Finn. This is the first time you've ever done this. This is the first time you've thought about Finn while you pleasure yourself. You've never thought about Finn in a sexual way. You've always had a little crush on him but you never imagined being with him sexually.

Meanwhile, Finn is driving in his car. He's on his way back to the hotel he's staying at with you. He grabbed your favorite meal from McDonald's. He sends you a text while he's stopped at a red light.

He's surprised when you don't reply back to him.

Finn pulls into the hotel parking lot. He grabs the two bags and gets out of his rental car. He locks the car and checks his phone. Still nothing from you.

He walks into the lobby, saying hi to the receptionist at the desk. Finn caught her staring at him as he walked in.

Finn steps onto the elevator, pressing the number 4 button. The doors close and he checks his phone again. Still nothing.

He finds this very unusual. Usually when Finn says that he had food, you ask him every other minute if he's there yet. He thinks that you're probably sleeping.

The elevator dings and Finn steps off. He grabs the keycard out of the back pocket of his jeans. He hears something behind the door as he unlocks it. He thinks it's something you're watching. He slowly opens the door in case your asleep. He steps into the room and gently closes the door. He finally looks over at you on the bed.

Finn's jaw drops at the sight. He finds you with two fingers inside yourself. Your eyes are closed and you're letting soft moans escape.

Your best friend has no idea what to do. He doesn't know if he should leave or make his presence known.

Your back arches off the bed a bit and you let out a soft moan. Finn freezes when he hears it.

"Fuck, Finn."

Finn drops the McDonalds on the floor accidentally. Your eyes fly open and you gasp. "Finn," you says. "I can explain."

Finn points at you. "Were you just-"

You sit up and you say, "I can explain, Finn."

Finn stands there in shock. His jaw is practically on the floor. You say, "I just needed some help, you know, and I've always thought that you looked good so I kind of was thinking of you?"

He picks up the McDonalds bags and sets them on the little table in the corner. "You were thinking of me?" Finn asks. "How often do you do this?"

You move so you're sitting on the edge of the bed. "That was the first time," you say. Your cheeks heat up in embarrassment. You can't believe that Finn walked in on you doing that.

As soon as Finn turns around, you see a slight bulge in his jeans. Your eyes widen a bit and you press your lips into a line. Finn says, "Since we're admitting things now, I'd like to admit that I've occasionally thought of us, you know, while I've relieved myself."

You blink at Finn and he walks closer to you. "Oh really?" you ask.

Finn nods a bit. He leans over, pressing his hands on the bed. His face is in front of yours. "Sometimes," he says. "I'd also like to admit that I've had feelings for you for the past few months. I've been scared to tell you how I feel because I'm scared that me telling you would ruin our friendship."

You smile a bit and say, "And you catching me moaning your name while I'm touching myself won't?"

Finn's face gets a little close to yours and he says, "You moaning my name turned me on, Y/n."

Your heart is racing. You have no idea what is about to happen next. Will he kiss you? Will he start taking off your clothes?

"What are you gonna do about it?" you ask, your voice a soft whisper.

Finn finally finishes the space between your lips and kisses you. It starts as soft and gentle but quickly turns into a heated kiss. Your hands are on the back of Finn's neck, holding him close to you as the kiss continues.

He gently begins to push you back on the bed, crawling on top of you and hovering over you. The kiss doesn't break.

The two of you move back a bit toward the pillows and you wrap your legs around Finn's waist. You feel the bulge pressed against your sensitive and clothed area. You let out a little gasp as you feel it. You grind against the bulge a bit, earning a little groan from Finn.

You grab the collar of Finn's shirt and pull it over his head. Your eyes wander down to his abs. They have never looked better than they do right now. Finn chuckles a bit and asks, "See something you like, love?"

Your eyes shoot up to Finn's face at the nickname. "I like everything I see right now," you say, smirking. "I just wish that it was a little less clothed."

Finn smiles and gets off the bed. He fumbles with his belt on his jeans and pulls it off. He unbuttons his jeans and pulls them off, leaving him in his boxers. You see his erect member straining to get out of his boxers.

"Take off your clothes, love," Finn says. "It's a little bit unfair that I'm standing in front of you almost naked and you're still dressed."

You sit up and pull off the t-shirt you're wearing, completely forgetting that you forgot to put on a bra. Your chest is exposed as you begin to pull off your sweatpants, leaving you in your soaked underwear. You weren't able to release before Finn came in, leaving you soaked.

Finn grabs your ankles and pulls you to the foot of the bed. Your legs hang over the bed and Finn gets down on his knees in front of you. He runs his fingertips up and down your inner thighs for a second before he leans down and kisses them.

You let out a soft sigh as you watch Finn. "Finn, please," you say, almost whining. "Do something. Anything."

He smirks a bit as he runs a finger over your covered heat. He lifts your legs and puts them over his shoulders. You let out a soft sigh. Finn says, "So wet for me and I've barely touched you, love."

You're laying flat on your back at this point with your eyes closed, waiting in anticipation. You feel Finn hook his fingers into the sides of your underwear, pulling them down slowly. Your heart races with excitement as Finn tosses the piece of clothing to the floor. Finn runs his finger between your folds and you let out a soft moan. "Finn," you say. "Don't tease."

Finn leans in and attaches his lips to your soaked core. Your back arches off the bed. He begins to suck gently and you let out several soft moans. His tongue plays with your clit and you bite your lip.

After a few seconds of sucking, Finn slips two fingers slowly into you. A knot immediately forms in your stomach. You're already close and Finn has barely done anything.

He begins to move his fingers and you grip the bedsheets, needing something to hold onto. You're already a moaning mess.

"Damn, love," Finn says. "I'm making you go crazy with just my fingers."

You can't speak. Finn adds a third finger and you almost lose it right there.

The knot in your stomach is about to come undone and you moan loudly. "Fuck, Finn," you moan. "I'm so close."

Finn smirks and says, "Come for me, princess." He then begins to suck gently on your sensitive bud. You moan several profanities as you come all over his fingers.

You breathe heavily, looking down at Finn. He pulls his fingers out, making you whimper. He stands up, licking his lips. "I've imagined how you tasted before and that exceeded all my expectations," he says.

You sit up and look up at him. You grab ahold of his boxers and begin to tug them down. His hard member pops out, hitting his stomach. Your eyes almost bug out of your head.

The tights he wore for wrestling could barely contain him but you didn't think he was going to be this huge. The sight makes you wet all over again.

Finn pushes you down onto the bed and crawls onto you. He kisses you gently. You can taste a bit of yourself on his lips. As you kiss him, you reach down and grab his erect member. You pump it a few times. This earns several moans from Finn. "Love, if you keep doing that then I won't be able to last as long as we both want," he says against your lips.

You pull back and say, "Then fuck me already."

Those words make Finn's eyes darken. Something you've never see before. He smirks a bit and lines himself up with your entrance. You wrap your legs around his waist and he slides into you slowly, letting you adjust as he goes. Your head pushes back against the mattress and you let out a groan.

Finn doesn't move when he gets all of him into you. "Tell me when to move, princess," he says.

After a second, you nod, not being able to speak. You couldn't believe that this is happening.

He begins to move slowly and gently. You let out soft sighs. Finn's lips attach to your neck. He kisses it and bites at it, leaving a mark. You moan softly as your hands slide up into Finn's hair.

Finn's movements get a little harder and rougher. You moan louder. "Fuck," you say. "Faster, Finn."

He listens to you and begins to move faster and rougher. A second knot forms in your stomach and your walls clench around Finn, who has begun to twitch inside of you.

As Finn moves, you get closer to your orgasm. Your hands have found their way to Finn's back and you scratch a bit.

Finn says, "I'm so fucking close, princess." He movements begin to get sloppy as he gets closer to releasing.

"M-me too," you manage to get out.

Finn moves deeper, hitting your g-spot. You immediately lose it, coming all over Finn's member. You feel him fill you up. Finn collapses onto you. Both of you breathe heavily and you stare up at the dark ceiling.

He eventually pulls out and lays beside you, pulling the covers over both of you.

You pant, "Did that actually just happen?" You look over at Finn, who you find is already looking over at you.

"You don't sound too happy about it," he says.

You smile and say, "Are you kidding? I'm so happy that happened."

Finn smiles cutely at you.

"I know I should have asked you a very long time ago but will you be mine?" Finn asks. You can hear the nervousness in his voice.

You say, "I thought I already was."

Finn laughs and leans into you, kissing you softly.

[jacklyn-flynn]

Headcanon du jour-Satinalia edition

Merry Christmas! Happy Satinalia! A blessed day for whatever holiday you celebrate, real or made up. I cooked up something special for today. There are still two more dads of Dragon Age headcanon du jour for this week but I wanted this one to be special. It’s a long one, but I hope you like it! I’ll put it under a cut to keep your feeds nice and tidy!

Stay safe and happy holidays. ❤️Jacklyn

When Cullen is handed his screaming infant for the first time, there is a moment of panic. His eyes seek out Dejah while carefully cradling the babe with the utmost of care. His look could only be described as ‘abject terror’. She smiles at him lovingly and reassures him it’s okay. 

Her blue eyes are tired, but alive with love. Her brow is wet and her black hair clings to her face. Her cheeks are flushed, making her blue vallaslin stand out in sharp relief. If she could bring their child into the world after hours of pain and exertion, he could do this. Her calm immediately calm washes over him.

The midwife asks if he would like to help clean up his son while she finishes with Dejah. He looks to her, hesitating. She’s fine, be with him. He’s relieved to hear her say aloud that she’s okay. For a moment in time he can only smile back at her, distracted and lost in her eyes. Another midwife touches his arm gently.

She helps him bathe the baby. She checks his eyesight and hearing. He’s thrilled to see Dejah’s brilliant blue eyes on his son. Cullen absently counts all the fingers and toes though it hardly matters if there were more or less than ten of each. He is perfect regardless.

When the midwife tells him to take off his shirt, he is confused, but complies. She deposits the baby against his bare chest. It will help them bond and his heartbeat will soothe the newborn she assures him.

Cullen is sure his heart is racing far too fast to be of comfort, but the infant settles down almost immediately. It’s a completely new feeling. Holding his perfect, innocent, unmarked baby against his battle-scarred chest with hands that have been soaked in blood. Maker, this must all be a dream. How can this be real?

He holds his son carefully and pulls up a chair next to the bed. He reaches out and takes her hand, kissing her knuckles gently. He tells her how beautiful she is. How amazing she has been. How much he loves her. He doesn’t mean to make her cry, but cry she does.

He tells her that what he got her for Satinalia can’t possibly compare to what she’s given him. Dejah insists that he helped and he can only laugh and shake his head. Of course she would do the hard work and give him credit.

Cullen nearly jumps out of his skin with the infant coos and gurgles, wiggling against Cullen’s chest. He cradles him gently, whispering soothing words of comfort. His fingers run over the dusting of golden blond curls, silky and soft. He adores the softly pointed ears not quite as pronounced as his mother’s.

Dejah is sleeping peacefully when he descends the stairs, finally ready to present his son. He opens the door so quietly that no one waiting in the main hall notices him at first.

They’re all gathered there. His friends and family. They’ve been waiting since yesterday morning when Dejah calmly announced that it was time. Blankets and pillows are piled off to the side, indicating they’d all slept in the main hall. They’ve only had sparse updates from Dorian but they’re determined to wait. Nothing will drive them from this hall

Cullen realizes suddenly that Dorian left hours ago. He’d been at Dejah’s side through the whole of her labor. He must have snuck out to give them time alone and he is guilty for not noticing. He would seek him out next and make his overwhelming appreciation for his presence known. There was no better friend or godfather for his firstborn.

Cassandra throws her head back with an ‘ugh’ when she sees the hand of cards Varric lays down. Likely better than her own. The honest-to-a-fault Seeker stands no chance against the dwarf. Sera is laughing and from his angle by the door he can see the cards she has hidden under the table, within Varric’s reach. She wishes Cass better luck next time but the Seeker clearly knows she doesn’t mean it.

The Iron Bull is slouched in a chair, his arms crossed over his massive chest. His head is rested back against the wall and he’s snoring loudly. Decorations hang from his horns, likely Sera’s doing. Beside him sits Krem who is also sleeping. His head is rested on Bull’s arm and his mouth is open. On his lap is a hand-sewn nug toy, likely meant to be his son’s first Satinalia and birthday present. Normally they would never be asleep at the same time but Cullen knows they stayed up all night to protect their friends and keep watch over the route to Dejah.

Blackwall is talking quietly with Leliana though Cullen can’t fathom what about. They have nothing in common. Whatever it is, it makes Leliana laugh and Blackwall smile and shake his head. Perhaps it’s about the child in his arms. One thing that will connect them.

He looks down at the swaddled babe and smiles. He tells his son that they’re all here for him. They’ve gathered from the corners of the world they’ve scattered to for him. Though they haven’t seen him, they love him. He tells him that he has the fiercest, most loyal family in Thedas. He isn’t wrong.

Josephine is the first to notice them. She’s at the opposite end of the table where Cassandra is getting swindled. She looks up from her work and her quill drops to the floor with a clatter so that she can cover her mouth with her hands. She finds that she can’t speak so she slaps the table a few times to get everyone’s attention.

All eyes shoot to her and then follow her gaze to him. He asks if they would like to meet their nephew and it sets them all into action. Varric kicks Bull’s shin on the way past and the Qunari snorts and blinks quickly to wake himself up. He dislodges Krem who sits up with a start. Like father, like son.

They all gather around him and suddenly Cole is at his side. Cullen isn’t sure where he’d been before. His hat is nowhere to be seen but his blond tresses are molded to his head as if it had been there a moment before. He reaches out to touch the child but hesitates and draws back his hand. Cullen turns toward him and assures him it’s okay. He transfers the babe to Cole’s arms and he stares down at the infant.

He leans in close to whisper to the baby, words that Cullen can’t hear. He can guess their nature well enough. Cryptic words of comfort that tell him how everyone feels about him, what they’re thinking at this moment, seeing him for the first time.

He wakes when he’s shifted to Bull’s enormous hands. He laughs at the baby’s lack of fear at a face so different from the others around him and his whole body shakes with it. He promises to teach him all manner of unsavory things, from wooing partners to slaying dragons.

Cassandra lets out a disgusted noise and gives him a reproachful look before taking the baby. She coos and tells him how beautiful and perfect he is. She marvels to Cullen at how tiny he is and Cullen agrees. Smaller than he imagined.

The babe is very interested in Varric’s necklace when it’s his turn. Varric helps him so that he can hold it in his impossibly small, uncoordinated grasp. He muses, mostly to himself, that he’ll have to come up with a new nickname.

Sera refuses to hold him. He’s too pure and fragile for the likes of her. She does brush his cheek though and smile. She’s going to teach him all the best places to hide, she promises. He’ll be a master at hide and seek. A perfect, tiny partner to pull off pranks. She produces a cookie from some hidden pocket but before she can give it to the babe, Cassandra snatches it out of her hand. Sera pouts. 

Leliana is hesitant to hold him, but gives in. She doesn’t have anything profound to say so she just smiles ever so slightly at the babe. She adjusts the blankets around him, brushes his cheek with her finger. Her hands linger when it’s time to give him to Blackwall.

Blackwall promises that as soon as he can walk he’ll get him a good and proper pup. Every boy needs his dog. And a horse. A good loyal one. And a sword. 

Josephine holds him next and she can barely contain her excitement. She falls into her native Antivan. The words are beautiful and lilting and the babe stares up at her, enraptured by her voice. He reaches as if he can grab it and hold it.

Krem presents the nug and asks hesitantly if he can hold the little one. As if he’s an intruder on this moment. Cullen doesn’t hesitate to insist that do so. Krem is so focused on the little creature for so long that Bull nudges his arm and asks if he’s gonna be okay.

The man clears his throat and declares that of course he is. He hands the baby back to his father and praises what a fine boy he has. Bull teases when he asks if it makes him want one and everyone is surprised when Krem unashamedly says yes, he does want to be a father. Someday.

Cullen assures everyone that Dejah is fine and will be up for visitors later in the evening. They protest that it’s too soon but he tells them that she insists on seeing them for Satinalia, even if it’s just for a few moments.

He promises to be back shortly and heads to the upper levels of the library. Much to his surprise Dorian is awake. Sitting at a table, he’s writing furiously in a leather bound journal. The babe coos and throws his fists around.

It catches Dorian’s attention and Cullen sits beside him. He should have held him before he left, Cullen insists. Dorian confirms his assumption that he’d left to give them time together as a family. He didn’t want to intrude.

He’s clearly nervous to hold the child. Too many self-depricating thoughts are going through his head. He wonders if he will taint the babe. The moment he’s in Dorian’s arms though, Cullen recognizes the change that he himself went through.

The moment of awe and wonder. That he can be a part of this wonderful creatures life amazes him. He wishes he could visit for more than a few weeks. He misses his friend but he also wants to make the world a better place for her child, which he can’t do from here.

Cullen further stirs up the emotions swirling inside of him when he plainly and honestly tells Dorian how much his presence means to Dejah. And to him. That he is proud the first moments of his son’s life we’re shared with the woman he loves and the man he’s come to respect and trust above all others.

He tells him on Dejah’s behalf how much it meant to her to have him there for that experience. He even tells him of the midwife they had dismissed. She declared that she would be no part of a birth that involved Dorian Pavus. He wasn’t the father and worse, he was a Vint. He smiles when he recalls how furious Dejah had been. How scared the midwife had been when the former Inquisitor was done with her. 

That she cried for hours the night he arrived from Minrathous because she was so relieved he would be there. Cullen also assures Dorian, who is now holding back tears, that he wanted him there too. He doesn’t feel that his presence robbed him of or lessened a once in a lifetime experience with the love of his life but that it enhanced it.

He will always have a place with them. He is their family and that will never change. He wishes Dorian had stayed to help with the babe. To hold him. Dorian has never felt more accepted in his life but he doesn’t have the words to say so.

He holds the babe close to his heart and closes his eyes. Cullen is silent. He gives this moment to Dorian and his beautiful child. A chance to bond that will be rare for them.

He urges Dorian to sleep and to visit Dejah once he’s refreshed. He won’t be a bother. 

She’s still sleeping when he slips back into the room with their son. He takes a moment to watch her. He savored every moment of her pregnancy. He remembers every kick. He’s massaged sore muscles and swollen ankles. But, it didn’t feel real until he held his child in his arms. He wonders when the moment was that it felt real to her. He’ll ask her when she wakes.

He slips into bed. He has no intention to sleep but has every intention of holding the two people who carry with them his heart and soul. Dejah wakes sleepily and he pulls her gently against him. He tucks the baby between them and she cradles him protectively, as Cullen is her. Dejah murmurs that she loves him. So very much.

He kisses the top of her head and gazes down at them. His heart swells and he tries to tell her he loves her too but he can’t get it past the tightness in his throat. By the Maker, he does love them. It consumes him. It’s so much more powerful than the hate he’d carried before.

There are several days that have made a lasting impression on him. Thanks to Dejah, the good we’re starting to outnumber the bad. And this day…he prayed this day would be vivid in his memory until he died. He’s a father. He vows he’ll be better every day. He doesn’t know what he did to deserve this but he’ll show his Maker that he’s worthy of keeping it.

I love you. He’ll learn it in every language and it still won’t be enough.

His son will be a better man than he is. He will grow up in a better world than he did. He will be loved. Maker, he will be loved!

He realizes he hasn’t given her the present he got her but she and their son are sleeping so peacefully he doesn’t dare move. Instead he basks in the gift Dejah has given him. Her love and his son. Both have changed him irreversibly and he is grateful.

He brushes back his wife’s hair and strokes her cheek. You are the best thing to ever happen to me. He says it aloud and means it with everything he is. Never will they doubt the strength of his love. 

[madpanda75]

Sonny for “You have something in your hair, umm… Do you want me to get it out?” Pretty please!!

Thank you so much for your request! I’m so sorry it took me forever to get out. I hope you like this! I enjoyed writing it ❤️

I apologize to anyone who is blonde and named Karen. Also it is my personal opinion that our germaphobe string bean has named his truck and carries various medications with him.

“Always Been You”

Sonny paced in front you with a serious expression on his face, his crystal blue gaze never leaving yours. You wondered if this was what it felt like when a criminal was being interrogated. Only rather than confessing where you hid the body, the lanky handsome detective was asking you practice questions for your sergeant’s exam.

You closed your eyes in concentration, searching your brain for the correct answer. “Is it……D,” you hesitantly said. “Such a procedure might involve liability for the department in the event persons re-occupying the space are injured.”  

Your partner frowned and shook his head. You groaned in frustration, throwing your head back on the sofa. “I’m wrong, aren’t I? Why did I even tell Liv I was going to take the test. What the hell was I thinking? I can’t be a sergeant.”

A smile slowly spread across Sonny’s face. “Actually you’re right. I just like messin’ with ya’,” he teased with a wink.

“Sonny Carisi, I’m going to murder you!” You growled, hurling a pillow at his face.

He laughed and sat down next to you on the couch. “Ya’ know I think killin’ a fellow officer may not be the best idea a week before the exam. Just sayin’, it probably won’t bode well with NYPD.”

“Unless they don’t find the body,” you replied in a sing song voice. It was Friday night and you had been studying for hours with Sonny in his apartment. Taking the exam book from his hand, you stared down at the questions, all the words seemed to jumble together. At this point your brain was fried. You were even mumbling penal codes in your sleep. You tossed the book aside, leaning your head on your partner’s shoulder. “I don’t know about you, but I could use a break. Wanna get some ice cream and tequila?”

Sonny chuckled. “Ice cream, yes but let’s save the tequila for after you take the test.” He booped your nose with his index finger making you smile.

“Sounds like a plan. As long as I get sprinkles.” You stood up and stretched before moving to grab your coat.

“Sprinkles is a given,” he replied, following you to the door. “Just a long as you don’t get a peanut butter sundae. I don’t know how you can stomach those things. Grosses me out,” he cringed.

“You’re so weird,” you snorted a laugh and helped straighten his coat collar when Sonny’s cell began to buzz in his pocket. As he took out his phone, you could see the name “Karen” flash on the screen along with a picture of the blonde beauty who had the fakest smile known to man.

“Hold on a sec,” he mumbled to you before answering the phone. “Hey doll!” You internally rolled your eyes, listening to Sonny talk to his girlfriend. “Nah, I’m not busy. I was just helping Y/N study for her exam.”

You could overhear Karen’s voice dripping with disdain at the sound of your name. To say that there was animosity between you both was putting it mildly. You and Karen did not get along. You thought she was selfish and demanding. The world revolved around her. When Karen said jump, she expected Sonny to ask, how high. Based on the interactions you had witnessed, it was obvious she didn’t care about him. To her he was just a shiny new toy, one that she would kick to the curb as soon as she saw a sleeker model that she deemed worthy of her time. You knew if she dumped Sonny, you would be the one to pick up the pieces of your partner’s broken heart.

In addition to your contempt, there was also a green eyed monster lurking within. As much you hated to admit it, you were jealous of Karen. Sonny Carisi had been your partner since your first day at SVU. He took you under his wing, showing you the ropes and how the squad operated. It wasn’t too long ago when he was the new guy himself, he knew what it felt like to be in that position. As your partnership grew, so did your friendship. The two of you were inseparable, leaning on each other for support. When Sonny was nearly killed by Tom Cole, it was you that persuaded him to go to therapy. Likewise, when the grandmother who raised you suffered a massive stroke, Sonny was with you everyday in the hospital.

Over the years, your bond became stronger. You cherished your relationship with Sonny. You couldn’t imagine life without him. He had somehow stolen your heart. If only he would look at you the way he looked at Karen. Why couldn’t he see that the one person who loved him more than anything was standing right in front of him.

“Yeah, I’ll be right there. Give me 10 minutes.” Sonny hung up the phone, gifting you a sheepish look.

You crossed your arms, quirking an eyebrow at the detective. “Let me take a wild guess. Our study session is over.”

Sonny sighed. “I’m sorry. Karen needs me to pick her up. Her and her girlfriends got invited to an after hours club by this bartender.”

“Isn’t that what Ubers or taxis are for?” You asked, walking out of his apartment in a huff.

Sonny threw his hands up in the air, following you to the elevator. “C’mon, don’t be like that. Ya’ know how hard it is to get an Uber on a Friday night.”

“I know,” you mumbled, watching the numbers drop as the elevator continued its descent. You glanced sideways at him. “I just think you deserve better.”

He locked eyes with you and for a split second a look of sadness flashed across his face. It broke your heart. “You’re a good guy, Sonny.” You reached up and playfully ruffled his hair.

“Hey! Not the hair!” Sonny smiled and pulled you into a tight hug. “Thanks for looking out for me,” he softly said, kissing the crown of your head. All too soon, the elevator dinged announcing its arrival to the main floor.

After parting ways with Sonny, you stopped by the bodega on your street to pick up a pint of ice cream, figuring Ben and Jerry could help you study that night. You had made it all the way home when you realized you had forgotten your exam book back at Sonny’s place. Not wanting to wait until tomorrow to get your book back, you decided to head back out to his apartment, hoping he would be home by the time you got there.

Luckily just as you arrived, someone was entering his building allowing you to piggyback in. As you walked down the hall, you heard muffled sounds of shouting coming from Sonny’s door. You stood there frozen, knowing that you should leave rather than eavesdrop on your friend, but temptation got the better of you.

“I can’t believe you showed up with that truck, Sonny! What were you thinking?” Karen shouted. You clicked your tongue in disapproval. Karen hated Sonny’s truck, which you had affectionately nicknamed, Bubba.

“I thought I was going to go pick up my girlfriend. Instead I see ya’ practically giving the bartender a lap dance!” Sonny retorted, his Staten Island accent thicker with his rage.

“Give me a break!” Karen scoffed. “The bartender was just being friendly. I’ve known him since high school.”

“Friendly?! The guy was being smothered by your tits. That’s your idea of friendly?!” Sonny screamed. You could envision how he must have looked, a few strands of his perfectly gelled hair flopping onto his forehead, his sleeves rolled up, face red with a protruding vein throbbing in his neck.

“What about you and Y/N!?” Your ears perked up when you heard Karen mention your name.

Your jaw dropped. “Oh my God!” You silently mouthed, pressing your ear to the door.

“You leave her out of this,” Sonny growled. “She has nothing to do with this.”

“Oh yeah!? You don’t think I see how you look at her or how she looks at you? She’s all you ever talk about! It’s always, “Y/N this” and “Y/N that.” I can only imagine what you guys do during all those late night study sessions! You love her, not me! Just admit it!”

“That’s not fair! I’ve never-,” Sonny stammered.

“Save it, Sonny!” Karen interrupted. “You know what! I’m outta here! We’re done!” She abruptly opened the door to find you on the other side, practically stumbling into her arms. You were stunned by what you had just heard, your feet rooted to the spot on the floor. “He’s all yours!” She sneered, looking back at Sonny who was standing in the foyer. She pushed past you and walked away, leaving you and your partner to stand there in awkward silence.

Sonny placed his hands on his hips, his nostrils flaring, lips pursed, waiting for you to provide a reasonable explanation as to why you were there.

You shuffled your feet, looking anywhere but at the man in front of you. “Ummm….Half Baked?” You held up the now melted pint of ice cream, offering the dessert to your friend. In your opinion, ice cream seemed to resolve most matters in life, at least in yours it did, so it seemed like an appropriate albeit awkward gesture.

“What are ya’ doin’ here?” Sonny softly asked.

“I forgot my book,” you mumbled, playing with the hair tie around your wrist. He motioned for you to come inside, grabbing the exam book from the coffee table and handing it over to you.

“Thanks,” you held the book tight to your chest, completely clueless as to what to say to your best friend.

He crossed his arms, tilting his head as he looked you over. “So, how much of the fight did you hear?”

You shrugged your shoulders. “Maybe the last minute or two. Just a snippet really. I barely heard anything.”

Sonny arched his brow, he could always tell when you were lying. “Ok, I heard everything,” you confessed. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to overhear your fight, it just happened. Then I heard Karen say my name and I just didn’t know what to do so I stood there.” Standing in front of him, you could feel your cheeks getting redder by the minute. You threw your arms in the air, exasperated with the way the entire evening turned out. “I just wanted to study and eat some ice cream! I didn’t mean for all this drama to happen!”

Your partner squeezed his eyes shut, pinching the bridge of his nose, waiting a long moment before answering. “I think maybe you should leave, Y/N.”

You bit your lip, feeling a lump form in your throat as you nodded your head and slowly made your way to the door. You held it together until you got home, unable to fight your tears anymore. In the span of a few hours, you had managed to lose your best friend, unsure if you would ever get him back.

In the blink of an eye, Monday had arrived. You spent the weekend eating one too many pints of Ben and Jerry’s and shedding countless tears. Fin watched as you walked into the precinct, dressed in a drab sweater and jeans, nursing a large coffee, your hair unruly, eyes puffy and red.

“Rough weekend?”

“Something like that,” you mumbled, plopping down at your desk and starting up your laptop.

Fin got up, moving to sit at the edge of your desk. “Where’s your partner? Normally you two get here around the same time.”

As if on cue, Sonny walked in. The detective lacked the usual spring in his step. He looked just as rough as you with dark bags under his eyes and scruff on his chin. “Mornin’,” he grumbled.

“Damn, Sonny. You look worse than Y/N. What the hell did you all do this weekend.” Fin’s eyes bounced between you and your partner. “Anything you guys wanna tell me?”

You and Sonny glanced at each other before you focused on your laptop screen. “No,” you softly said.

The sergeant sighed and shook his head. “Whatever, it’s your business.” He patted you on the shoulder as he walked away. “I’ve got good news and bad news. Noah has the chicken pox so Liv is going to be out for a few days.”

“So what’s the good news?” Sonny asked.

He turned around, a smirk firmly planted on his face. “I’m in charge.”

Work served as a welcome distraction from your personal life. You spent most of the day in the basement records room, sifting through cold case files you believed were linked to a string of recent rapes and murders. Although the basement was damp and dingy, you would rather be there than feet away from Sonny.

“This place is a mess,” you mumbled, getting on your hands and knees to get the last box which had been carelessly shoved on the back corner of a bottom shelf. You lugged the heavy box back to the makeshift work space you created, sneezing and sniffling, the mildew-laden basement affecting your allergies. When it came to your job, you threw yourself into your work, dedicating countless hours to every case, determined to seek justice and allow the voices of the victims to be heard.

Sonny walked downstairs, to find you elbows deep in a file, muttering to yourself. The night of the fight, Karen had hit the nail right on the head. Sonny did love you. It was as if the blindfold was pulled from his eyes and there you were. You were the one. The person who had captured his heart. Over the weekend, all he could think about was you, wondering if he should confess his feelings. But then there were those nagging fears that kept him up at night. What if you didn’t feel the same way? What if you had moved on?

Sonny cleared his throat to catch your attention but you didn’t respond, completely focused on the police report you were reading.  “Hey,” he called out.

You glanced up from your work to see your partner standing in front of you. “Hey,” you replied before letting out a sneeze and rubbing your watery eyes.

He sat down next to you, pulling out of his pocket some allergy medication. “I figured you’d be down here sneezing and wheezing so I brought you these.”

You softly smiled and took the pills from him. “Thanks.”

Sonny watched as you drank some water to swallow down the medication, glancing around the room, trying to think of what to say. After years of being best friends and partners, the detective suddenly felt shy and nervous in your presence. “So….uh…how’s research coming?” He asked.

You shrugged your shoulders. “Good. I think I may have found the missing link that connects all of our victims.”

A smile tugged at his lips as he studied your appearance, your hair wild and coming loose out of its messy bun, a bit of dirt and dust smudged on your face. “Ya’ have somethin’ in your hair.”

“I do?” You felt around your head, trying to search for the object in question.

“Umm….do ya’ want me to get it out?”

You nodded your head as Sonny helped fish out the pen cap stuck in your hair. “Oh thanks. I was wondering where that had ran off to,” you replied, replacing the cap back on the pen you were using.

He reached into his pocket and handed you his handkerchief. “Ya’ also got some dust or something on your face.”

“Jeez, I’m a mess.” You grabbed a mirror out of your purse and graciously took the handkerchief, wiping your face clean. “Better?” You asked, looking up at Sonny.

“You’re perfect,” he softly said.

You blushed, turning back to your work when he reached for you, gingerly touching your arm.

“Look about Friday night, I-,” Sonny started before you interrupted him.

“Let’s just forget about it.” You waved him off, wanting to put the whole thing behind you.

He shook his head. “I can’t. Karen was right. She was right about everything. It’s you. It’s always been you.”

You stopped, your heart skipping a beat as you turned to face him. “What did you say?”

“I’m in love with you, Y/N. I was just too blind and stupid to see that. You’re the last person I think of before I fall asleep and the first person I want to see every mornin’. You’re everything to me.”

You let out a shaky breath, your eyes glossy with tears. “Do you have any idea how long I’ve waited to hear you say that?”

Sonny sighed and smiled brightly, his eyes crinkling at the corners. “Really?”

“Yes! Sonny, I’ve been in love with you for years. You’re all I ever wanted. I just wish I would’ve said something sooner, but I was too scared.” You sniffled, looking down at your hands.

“Ya’ don’t have to be scared with me, doll.” He reached out and cupped your face. “Please, tell me I still have a chance with you.”

“Yes,” you softly said.

Stroking your cheek with his thumb, he moved his hand behind your neck, bringing you closer to him. His eyes glanced down at your mouth before looking back up to meet your gaze, silently pleading for permission to kiss you.

“Yes,” you repeated in a barely audible whisper, leaning forward. Your faces were so close, you could feel his hot breath on your skin.

The minute your lips met, the floodgates opened, years of pent up sexual tension finally being released. You sighed into the kiss, feeling Sonny’s tongue dart into your mouth, mingling with your own. Your lips began to fervently move against his, desperate to taste him, encouraging him.

Sonny groaned and tugged you onto his lap as his hands roamed your body, grabbing fistfuls of your flesh. He was overwhelmed, not knowing what part of you he wanted to touch first, all he knew in that moment was that he wanted you, all of you. His lips laid kisses across your cheek, until they found purchase on your pulse point.

“Oh Sonny,” you whimpered, grinding down against his clothed crotch. You turned your head to capture his mouth once more. Threading your fingers in his hair, you deepened the kiss, pulling him even closer to you when a familiar voice pierced the air.

“Y/L/N?” Amanda called out causing you both to jump.

“Yeah?” You timidly responded, panting hard from your brief makeout session.

“Is Carisi down there?”

“I’m here! I was just…uh…helping Y/N,” Sonny chimed in breathlessly.

“Well when y’all finish Fin needs you up here. Looks like our perp is willing to talk.”

“Yeah, I’ll be right there,” he said with a smirk, staring at you like a hungry wolf does when they’re about to pounce on an innocent lamb. “Ya’ know, we have a problem.”

You nervously bit your lip. “What’s that?”

Sonny leaned forward, his lips ghosting over yours. “Well now that I’ve kissed you. I can’t seem to stop,” he purred.

“So don’t stop,” you whispered, closing the gap between you both and kissing him hard, playfully nipping at his bottom lip. After a couple more quick kisses, you grabbed your case files and followed him upstairs.

Amanda sat at her desk, doing a double take as you and Sonny entered the bullpen, “Something wrong, Rollins?” He asked, cocking his hip to the side.

She coughed, trying to cover up a laugh. “Nope! Everything’s fine. Fin was asking for you.”

Just then the sergeant walked out of one of the interrogation rooms, raising his eyebrows in surprise when he saw Sonny. “Ya’ know Carisi, that lipstick you’re sporting really doesn’t bring out the blue in your eyes. Why don’t you wash off your indiscretions and go interview our perp.”

You looked at your partner and gasped when you saw your berry lipstick smudged on his lips and chin. He turned beet red, trying to wipe the offending stains with his hand. “I’ll….uhhh..be right back,” he mumbled, making a beeline to the bathroom.

Biting your lip, you watched him walk away, paying close attention to his cute butt. “Damn, you could bounce a quarter off that ass.”  

Amanda nearly spit out her water, laughing so hard she snorted while Fin gave you a disapproving look. “Did I say that out loud?” You cringed.

Fin nodded his head. “Eyes forward, young lady,” he reprimanded. “Don’t you have reports to get done?”

You saluted him and sat at your desk. “Yes sir. All work and no play.”

A few minutes later Sonny came back, his face freshly scrubbed and clean. He walked past your desk, catching your eye and winking at you as he walked into the interrogation room. You smiled, giggling a bit, your cheeks turning bright pink.

Fin witnessed your interaction and laughed to himself, shaking his head, “Man, I hate being in charge,” he muttered to himself. “It’s like babysitting a bunch of horny teenagers.”

@thatesparzacrush @southern-magnolia @glimmerglittergirl @eclecticminded @sweetcannolicarisi @obfuscateyummy @katmstanton @beltzboys2015-blog @letty-o @sonnysdoll @lyssa1385 @sweetsummertime99 @burningsorr0ws @gibbs274 @izzythefanfreak @riodallas @babypink224221 @amirightcounsellor @livxrafa @delia26

[traphousebois]

Shower Fun

Requested: Yes

Summary: You go over to Colby’s house only to find him covered in this mysterious white substance. He convinces you to take a shower with and once your in Sam starts to look for ya’ll. You guys decided to mess with him. Just some fluff with some implied smut at the end lol. 

Colby’s Pov:

I had just gotten done filming a video with Jake. I was disgusting. I had this fake snow substance all over my body. I just shook my head. Jake and his video ideas. I swear this kid was getting weirder and weirder.

I was halfway up the step when I heard my name being called.

“Yeah?!” I responded back to the person.

“Your lover’s here!”

A smile broke out onto my face. Y/N must've gotten done work early.

“Be right down!”

Once I made it down stairs I saw her. She had her back turned and was talking to Sam. I took this as an opportunity to scare her.

“Boo!”

“Ah! Oh my gosh Colby you nearly gave me a heart attack!” She exclaimed to me while placing her hands on her racing heart.

I laughed. She was so easy to scare.

“Sorry babe, I saw an opportunity so I took it!”

She rolled her eyes.

“Whatever, Cole. Your lucky I love you.”

My heart swelled at the word love.

“I know I am, now why don’t you come on over here and give me a big hug and kiss? I haven’t seen you since last night!” I told her, arms outstretched reaching in her direction.

She just shook her head in disgust.

“Nope. Not until you shower and get whatever the hell that white stuff is off of you.”

Oh, I forgot about that.

“Fine.” I said my shoulder slumping. I was sad that I couldn’t kiss her.

“Up you go ya big baby.” She said practically dragging me up the stairs and into Sam and I shared bathroom.

While being dragged up the stairs I noticed that Sam had suddenly disappeared. Probably went to go talk to Jake when I came down.

We had finally made it to the bathroom and she started the water up.

“Hey, you wanna shower with me?” I asked her.

She laughed.

“I see what your doing baby. Tryna get in my pants now are we?”

I nodded.

“Of course babe.”

She put her thumb up against her chin and pretended to think about the answer to my question. After a couple of minutes she responded.

“Alright, I guess I will. But I’m only doing this because I feel disgusting after work.”

I jumped up in victory.

“Yes! Come on, let’s get in before the water turns cold.” I told her all but ripping the clothes off of her and leading her in the shower.

Your Pov:

I smiled to myself. Colby really was something else.

“Babe?” I called out to him.

He turned around at the nickname.

“Where’s your shampoo?” I asked him.

Normally I knew where it was since this wasn’t the first time that we showered together but it’s seems to be missing from it’s normal spot.

“Right here, duh.” He said while squirting some of the substance into his hand.

“Now, turn around.”

I did as I was told.

“Bossy much?”

“Yeah, yeah, whatever. You love me for it.”

He wasn’t wrong there.

After the shampoo was done Colby and I goofed off for a little.

We would hit the water with our hands so it would go in another direction and hit the other person in the face, we would spray each other with the soap or we would simply just almost make each other fall. Of course we wouldn’t actually fall, one of us would catch the other before they fell. Showering with Colby was so fun.

After a while we decided that we actually needed to get on with the showering part.

Colby was about to say something but was cut off by a yelling outside of the door.

“Colby!”

It was Sam. He must've been looking for him.

After the yell we heard the door to the bathroom open. This of course should've led to the shower but Sam and Colby’s bathrooms were weird. Instead of it just being one room it was two. One for just the sinks and the toilets and the other for the shower.

“Colby!” Sam shouted again.

I was about to respond to tell Sam to go away but Colby placed his wet hand over my mouth.

“Shh.” He whispered, pointer finger on his lips. “I have an idea.” He told me.  

I looked at him in confusion. This couldn’t be good.

I was just about to mouth to him and ask him what his idea was but he cut me off by making a loud groaning sound.

“That’s it Y/N, right there, that’s the spot.”

I now realized what his plan was.

Make Sam think he walked in on us having sex. Nice one Brock.

‘Play along.’ He mouthed to me.

“Fuck Colby, go faster. I’m so closeeee.” I semi yelled while dragging out the e.

I could hear Sam gagging from behind the glass wall.

“You guys are fucking disgusting. I was about to ask you if you wanted to come get food with me but it seems as if your busy. See ya later.”

And with that he left the room, slamming the door behind him.

Colby and I laughed.

“That will teach him not to interrupt my shower time with you.” He muttered while going in for a kiss.

Once we broke apart I thought of another idea. One I knew for sure he wasn’t gonna wanna turn down.

“Hey, about we make them moans and yells real?” I asked wiggling my eyebrows at him.

He smirked down at me.

“Let’s do it babe.”

And with that he picked me up by my wet thighs and turned around so my back was against the wall.

This was for sure gonna give the roommates something to complain about. But hey, now they would never come looking for Colby again. 

Authors note: wow look at me knocking out these imagines left and right. The next one coming up should be a Jake one so get ready for that. It should be out Friday since I’m busy tomorrow night. Hope you enjoyed and sorry if it’s not what you wanted haha, I couldn’t think of any other ways Colby and the reader could tease Sam. Enjoy!    

[marvelmymarvel]

Taxi Ride

Joseph Liebgott x Nurse!Married!Reader

Band of Brothers!AfterWar

Synopsis: After the war, you and Joe went your separate ways. You became a Nurse and married a wealthy man. He became a taxi driver and prayed that you would cross paths. One late night you take a taxi home, and after you find out who will be driving you home, you decide your life needs to change. 

You searched through your purse for money as you walked up to the Taxi you just called. The hospital glowed behind you, illuminating your form to the driver who was patiently waiting. Opening the door, you plopped in rather forcefully. It had been a long night. These types of nights had you feeling like you were back in the war, running to the sound of cries for a medic as bombs exploded around you. You never knew how you survived and you never knew how you handled the death of so many men, but you knew one thing. 

You would never stop saving people.

“179 Carl, Cole Valley please” you huffed out before rubbing your face anxiously. You felt the car move and you pulled your hand from your face to keep looking through your purse to find money. “Shit” you whispered to yourself as you looked around the back of the taxi floor. “Sir” you started as you leaned forward to get his attention, “Sir, I don't have any money on me but my husband can pay you if that's alright?” you asked sweetly. Hoping he would believe you as you were telling the truth. Out of all the money your wealthy husband gave you, you always seemed to spend it fast. He looked in the rearview mirror and you sat back a little as your heart began to race. Blue eyes. They didn't mean anything to you. You didn't know this person.

Yet they felt so familiar.

“Your husband eh?” He asked softly. Your eyebrows scrunched up in confusion as even the voice sent shivers down your spine, but the confusion was replaced with annoyance at his prodding. “Sir, I don't know you but yes I have a husband and he will pay you whatever you want for just bringing me home” you snappily replied while sitting back angrily as he pulled up to a stop sign that was under a light. “You got it Princess” he stated out sharply as his face was illuminated from the light. Your scowl dropped quickly as the nickname rang a bell, but the light on his face showed who he truly was.

Joe.

“Oh my God” you whispered out quietly as you felt your hands begin to sweat and your heart began to pound around inside of your ribcage. “Joe?” you questioned out as you leaned forward again, still in shock that he was really here. Right in front of you. 

You could just kiss him-

You caught the reflection of your diamond ring from the corner of your eye. Sitting back, you looked down at your hand that held the large diamond. “Yeah, how have you been?” he asked quietly as you played with the ring intently. You weren't happily married, you just married the guy for his money so that you could survive in San Francisco. You wouldn't have married him if you crossed paths with Joe earlier. You let your left hand drag down your face as the thoughts raced faster and faster. The cold metal ring seemed to feel foreign on your skin now that Joe was in your presence. “I’m doing fine” you croaked out as you put your hand down, trying to ignore the nagging feeling that you were somehow betraying your husband. You would never betray him, not even because you weren't happy in the relationship.

‘You would betray him for Joe’ your brain taunted and you inhaled sharply as you silenced it. 

“What about you” you called out a little forcefully, you closed your eyes in embarrassment and scolded yourself for being so damn nervous. You prayed he would forget the little thing that you do when you get nervous. Normal people stumble over their words. You? You blurt things out loud and proud as if you were physically trying to silence your thoughts. You opened one eye and saw him smirking as he turned a corner. “I’m doing fine Princess, wasn't expecting you at all to end up in my cab, but I’m kind of happy that you did” he teased as his blue eyes flicked to yours in the mirror. You blinked quickly before looking away as a blush rose on your cheeks. You hated the way he still made you feel even 6 years later. He always made you feel like you couldn't breathe and you often worried if your cheeks would ever be a normal shade ever again. He made you feel things, that not many people could do. You and Joe had dated. Very briefly, but by the time Germany surrendered, you two were just fooling around. Nothing more. Nothing less.

Or so you thought. 

“So your husband is wealthy?” Joe pressed as he stopped at a stop sign and looked at you in the mirror once more. You nodded before opening your mouth to answer but closed it knowing he would judge you on your life choices. It wasn't like you wouldn’t have married Joe. You would have loved to, but he didn't feel the same. “You married him for money didn't you Princess” he stated in your silence and you just scoffed bitterly. Same old Joe, thinking things about you that always seemed to turn out true. “That's none of your damn business Joseph” you snapped out and he just chuckled darkly.

“Wealth sure has made you a bitch” he whispered out.

Your face dropped as you looked at your feet in shame. He knew he hurt your feelings by the way the air changed in the small vehicle. “I’m sorry Y/n” he stated loudly and you just shook your head as you sniffled. You didn't want to cry. Your husband scolded you for crying so much, but the way Joe thought of you mattered. 

And his words hurt.

He sighed before pulling over to your house where you looked up the steps in despair. Tears falling down your face when you walked in the door would certainly get you scolded. He turned and looked at you as you just watched the house quietly. He wanted to take you away from here. He wanted to make you his. He could tell by your tears that you weren't happy. That this man couldn't make you as happy as Joe once did. Inhaling shakily, you opened the door and got out. The cool summer night of San Fransisco hit your tear stained cheeks as you composed yourself. Leaning back in to look at him you talked firmly and calmly “I’ll be right back with your money-”

“It's okay...” Joe stated stubbornly, he was ashamed that you didn't take the opportunity to run away with him. Blinking, you nodded before pulling your head out and standing up straight. You looked out across the road as your hand stayed firmly grasped onto his Taxi cab door. 

‘Close it, Y/n.’ your thoughts urged.

You closed your eyes slowly as you felt all of the emotions fill your body until you felt like a total wreck still holding onto the door. Your fingers tightened onto the door until you couldn't stand anymore from the pain that was bubbling under the surface. Dropping to the curb, you sat down roughly with a sob. You couldn't close the door on him. You couldn't leave him again. He got out of the taxi the minute he heard you fall, rounding the back he saw how bad you were. “Oh baby” he whispered out before dropping down onto the curb beside you. You kept sobbing harder and harder the more you imagined him driving off and you never seeing him again. Leaving you alone and afraid.

Could you ever handle that again?

“I shouldn't have let you go Joe” you cried out as you tried to stop the tears from falling so fast. By this rate, you were going to cause a flash flood and you would most certainly get a scolding from your husband. He nodded before grabbing your hand and touching your ring. 

“You are happy now Y/n” he stated as he showed you your ring as if that was supposed to snap you out of it. You gave out a dry laugh before ripping the ring off of your finger and throwing it to the ground. The diamond flew off and Joe's eyes widened in shock as you stood up swiftly and began to stomp on the metal ring in anger. He stood up to stop you but you just grabbed his shoulders tightly in desire. You wanted him, all of him. You wanted him now. You wanted him forever. 

You wanted him.

You felt so free now without that stupid ring on your finger and the way Joe looked in the moonlight made you want to start over. “Aren't you happy?” he questioned you calmly as you just stared up at him manically. You felt so stupidly free that you didn’t know what to do. But you knew where to start. Shaking your head, you stepped closer.

“I’m not happy unless I’m with you” you whispered out finally. 

A smile formed on your lips as he processed your words. “I think you should go Y/n” Joe gulped out as he bent down to grab the crushed metal and diamond from the ground. Your face fell once more and you felt embarrassed for your words that he clearly didn't reciprocate. “I should have known you didn't love me” you whispered out before taking the ring pieces and storming past him. You stormed up the steps before he called out to you once more. 

“I love you more than you will ever fucking know Y/n.” 

The words stopped you in your tracks as you were halfway up the stairwell to your front stoop. Turning around slowly, you looked at him quizzically. “But you deserve more than me-”

You shook your head before cutting him off with a sharp no. Storming back down the stairs, you threw the ring and your purse on to one of the stairs, not caring where they landed. “No see that's where you're so wrong Joseph Liebgott” you barked out as you hit the ground and continued towards him. “I deserve you and only you.” you stated finally as you practically leaped off the curb and into his arms. You silenced yourself by pressing your lips to his fiercely. They felt warm and familiar. 

They felt like home. 

Pulling away, you both were breathing heavily as you had both many times prayed for another moment like this. So much fire. So much passion. It was everything you wanted, it was everything you deserved. “I’m going to divorce him” you whispered out as you pressed your head to his lovingly. “He isn’t all too kind and I can't let you leave me. Not again.” you continued out as you searched his face for any sign that he didn't want this. But all you saw, was love. He opened his mouth to approve, but you heard the front door open. You turned a little in his arms to see your husband at the door. “Y/n! What are you doing?!” he screamed out and you just moved out of Joe's arms before storming forward. Grabbing the ring off of the step, you met your seething husband halfway. 

“I’m divorcing you Stan” you pressed angrily before shoving the ring back in his hand. Storming into the house, you gathered all of your stuff with a sobbing Stan following close behind you. He always yelled at you for showing feelings, but he cried more than you ever could. Finally, with all of your stuff in your hands, you stormed back out of the house. Handing the bags to Joe, you heard Stan call out to you once more from the stairs. “Can we fix this?” 

You opened the passenger door before looking at him long and hard. 

“No.” you snarled out before climbing in and slamming the door. You left Stan a crying mess on the stairs, but you didn't care. Turning to a smiling Joe, you for once, felt the same happiness. “Are we going to get married?” you questioned seriously as you leaned across the center console to kiss his cheek. He looked at you with twinkling eyes before looking back to the road and grabbing your hand in his.

“Anything for my Princess.”

Tags: @hell-itwasyou  @desired-love- @gaslyf1 @whatwouldidowithoutgeorgeluz @etainlord @longing-for-the-past-times