#and its about a man who lives with his family of a wife and five daughters

[elibeeline]

What a wonderful little thing it is, to sit by a nightlight with a cosy book and a warm mug of tea, and admire the world all over again

[hoshigray]

Been thinking about this scenario a lot, but ex-husband! Toji, where you two are pretty chill with each other, even after five years of divorce. But the feelings between you two start to parade back after all these years, and it all comes boiling over after spending one night together.

A/n: Been a while since I've done one of these scenario thingies, plus this idea has been rotting my mind for a long time, and I needed it to get out, lol. I pushed back my Gojo fic to tmrw or Thursday because my brain was not feeling like re-reading 3-4k words while running on one hour of sleep. So, instead, we're dropping this in its stead. Sorry about that, and hope you like this while I fix the fic up later today :) Any grammar/spelling errors on this will be dealt with tmrw.

Cw: ex-husband! Toji x fem! reader - implied that reader is entering their mid 30s - starts out cute the first half but smutty the next, so minors DNI - implied that Tsumiki and Megumi are around middle school age; 12 (T) and 11 (M) - pining; Toji is whipped for you, I fear - Daddy kink - prone bone position + mating press - pet names (baby, sweetheart, sweetie, mama, princess) - cervix fucking - praise - itty-bitty-tiny overstimulation - closure; happy ending (?).

Wc: 3.4k (wow, way longer than the last one, lol)

Ex-husband! Toji...

...who you've divorced after being together for four years. It was a marriage built on love, convenience, and heartache. There is no denying that Toji loved you very much; if anything, the man would set the world ablaze if anything were to happen to you. Especially when you were the sweetest thing that blessed his presence and his two children who were young at the time — Tsumiki and Megumi at age three. The fact that you loved him as much as he loved you is beyond doubt in Toji's mind. However, somewhere down the line, you felt a "shadow" that you could not surpass nor fill — the late wife of Toji.

You could tell that Toji still had a piece of him that just couldn't let the memory of his late wife go, and you understood that. Hence why you chose to leave him, which was glum for all parties, but Toji understood where you were coming from and signed the papers.

...who's still chill with you after the divorce. You two promised not to act like complete strangers, especially with Tsumiki and Megumi being close to you. Just because the ring isn't on your finger doesn't mean you must change completely. The two of you are comfortable enough to be in each other's company, taking turns watching over the kids and acting like you're still married by poking fun at one another like the good days.

"Hey, big guy," Toji turns to the kitchen hallway where you're looking at him, his usual black coffee in his mug still sheltered in your apartment cupboards. "You look like shit; too tired to go to the clubs to find some minx to wow you enough like you used to?"

He snickers at your brazenness. "Shut up, brat. I could ask the same fr' you. Got some good dick on the side to help that attitude of yours, baby?" After checking around to see if the kids are nearby, you give him the middle finger. He chuckles before sipping his coffee.

...whose kids adore and love you so much that they secretly try to have you and Toji in the same place, which the two of you are entirely aware of. Five years passed after your separation, though that doesn't hinder the children from wanting you back in their lives again. Because to them, you are always a Fushiguro, and the love for you will always be there. It's there when you go to Tsumiki's soccer games and drag your ex-husband to find a better seat on the bleachers to watch her play. It's there when Megumi tells his father he "accidentally" left his baseball bat at your place and "unfortunately" now has to spend the night there (and you always receive them). And it's there when you promise to come along on family trips, like going to the zoo and taking pictures by the Panda enclosure with his daughter or going to the aquarium and listening intently to his son explain all the different types of jellyfish.

Toji can't blame his own kin for being attached to you because you are still a mother in their eyes. And so to his.

...who has his wedding ring on his dog-tag necklace but always tucks it under his shirt whenever you're present. It gives him a peace of mind when it comes to you because if he can't be there for you 24/7, he knows you're under his protection whenever you need it. But the thought of you knowing he still wears it makes him anxious, worried that you'll take it the wrong way and request he never wears it again. So, for his sake, he keeps you blind to this secret. And he wonders if you ever wear yours...

...who welcomes you without hesitation when you have to spend the night at his place because he notices you're too exhausted to go home so late. The only problem is that there's no other room outside the kids and Toji's. And as much you protest, expressing your satisfaction with taking the couch, your ex-husband disagrees and will carry you to bed, sneering to himself as you try to wiggle out of his stronghold until he smacks the bedroom door closed with his leg.

"I told you I was fine sleeping on the couch, Toji." You complain to him, yet your back is pressed against his chest with his arm around your waist.

"And I told you not gonna happen, princess." his hold around you gets tighter, pulling you closer for him to rest his chin on your shoulder. "You'd probably fall off and smack that pretty face of y'rs on the floor."

"I would not—You know what," you stooped from saying anything further to the man grinning behind your ear. You shift a bit to make yourself comfortable. "Goodnight, Toji. And thank you."

It takes every fiber in his being to not kiss your cheek then and there. Exhaling softly through his nostrils as he lays his head back on the pillow. "No problem, sweetheart."

...who the last time he had someone after your separation was not feeling it at all. You even said he is free to do whatever he wants when moving on to the next minx that caught his attention. You two are adults and shouldn't feel entitled to putting each other on a leash. Despite that, he knew moving on from you wouldn't be easy — especially in the bedroom.

The women he's had after you can only be counted on one hand. No matter how good the fun was with the others, his mind would always crawl back to you. It didn't matter how different their hair was, what they dressed that night, or how fucking good the sex was; you would cloud his mind in some way. They weren't you. They weren't his sweet thing.

...who's extremely perplexed in a nightclub when he sees you. He didn't want to go in the first place until Satoru Gojo barged into his apartment, dragged him out in his best attire, and left Nanami (another victim of Gojo's foolishness) to babysit Megumi and Tsumiki. And it was bad enough that Gojo snaked away from Toji to the dance floor the second they got inside, the raven-haired man almost popping a vein in vexation.

So the older man resorts to just doing the usual gig: walking around before sitting at the bar to ask for a regular beer. He stays there for nearly half an hour, taking sips of his bottle while sweet-talking to the ladies that occasionally find him and give him his number. Things got really loud when the DJ at the discothèque played "Up!" by Lil Vada and DonnySolo, all the party people crowding the floor, bumping and grinding each other while singing the lyrics. It was at this point that Toji had enough of the massive headache growing in his head, so he was about to down his beer and leave the club; Gojo be damned because the fucker could find his own way home and then some.

But midway through putting the beer bottle on his scarred lips, something in Toji's peripheral captures his attention. And his jade eyes go wide at what he sees.

Down to the right side of the dance floor are booths catered to bigger parties, so it's obvious to notice when a single person sits alone on one of the round tables while everyone else is dancing their hearts out. That one person was you, observing the dance floor with your head on your hand resting on the table.

To say that Toji was flabbergasted by the image of you in a place like this after all these years was tough for him to comprehend. Yet what really had him in a chokehold was how stunning you were. From where he stood, he could tell that you dolled yourself quite a bit. Your hair was kept in a style that displayed your face wholly, and you were wearing a beautiful halter-neck dress with slits revealing your thighs deliciously.

He forgets how to breathe when your eyes drift in his direction and find him. You're just as surprised as he is for a short moment, but you offer him a familiar smile and beckon him to come to your side of the club. The older man wastes no time, paying the bartender and making his way through the crowd to your table. When he's close enough, he can tell that your dress is backless, exposing your smooth skin that calls for him to touch.

And when Toji notices the ring on your left hand — the old wedding ring he gifted you — the world around him comes to a complete standstill.

"Hey, big guy." He snaps back to look at your beautiful face, your smile still there to blind him, and the booth far from the dance floor and music so he can listen to your sweet voice. You move to the side to make room for him to sit. "Didn't think I'd find you here."

"Me neither." He admits to you as he takes a seat, his green orbs never leaving your figure. "What are you doin' here?"

"Some friends dragged me out here for one of their birthdays. I figured I'd be here for a few hours and loosen up a bit, you know? But I don't know, I guess I'm just so used to being at my place that I'm out of practice with clubs."

Toji nods at your answer. "Yeah, I was dragged here, too. I'm with—"

"Gojo? Yeah, I thought so. He's right there dancing with my friends." He pans around to the dance floor to see commotion at the center. The snow-haired man was dancing as a crowd formed around him, getting grinded on by a woman with a "happy birthday" headband.

Gojo notices the raven-headed man staring his way, pulls down his shades, and winks. That's when the reason why Toji was brought here in the first place hits him. Gojo knew you would be here tonight because of your friend's birthday. And now that you two are sitting alone, the wink signaled Toji to make his move.

"....Wanna get the hell outta here?"

You giggle at his suggestion. "Yeah, I don't feel like watching my friends get pregnant on the dance floor."

Toji snickers and grabs your hand to lead you out of the booth. He then drapes his denim jacket over your shoulders to cover your exposed shoulders and back, and the two of you leave the club without anyone noticing a thing.

...who spends the rest of the night with you as if you two are on a date again. It's late, so many shops around the area are closed already, but that doesn't stop the two of you from having fun. From sharing a meal at a nearby diner, walking around a shopping plaza admiring the silent ambiance, and listening to old tunes in his car as you two share stuff about your day while holding hands. And the change of mood completely baffles Toji. Nevertheless, when he sees the smile on your face and hears the sweet tune of your laughter, the grasp on your hand gets tighter with every minute. All his intentions go into enjoying having you with him like this again.

...who stays by your side until he has to drop you off at your place, parked his car to walk you to your apartment door. It's 1 o'clock in the morning, way later than Toji ever intended to stay out. Not that it matters now, because it's all worth it being able to walk with you. He doesn't let go of your hand even when his heart dies a little when you two arrive at your door.

"Had a good time?" You ask while unlocking the door; your eyes showcase subtle exhaustion but are overshadowed by your smile.

"Sure as hell did since I saw you at the club." He confesses, your chuckles casting a spell on him.

"Hmm, I'm glad you were there too, Toji." You meant those words, your eyes gazing into his, and the man's plunged deep into your gorgeous orbs. A feeling that he now realizes he wants to be the only one experiencing with you.

An awkward silence for a few seconds prompts you to snatch your hand away from his, causing his stomach to drop. "Sorry, your jacket" is what you use to excuse yourself, moving to take off the denim jacket. But Toji stops you, his hands stationed on your shoulders to keep you still.

"No, it's cold, sweetie." His voice is hushed, only for you to hear. "You can give it back next time."

Silence comes back again, but the air is heavier this time. The awkwardness is replaced with something more solicitous, more affectionate. You notice it when Toji has yet removed his hands from your shoulders, his large palms warming you up to the touch.

"Toji—"

"It's alright, baby." His gruff tone is still a whisper, and butterflies flutter in your stomach. "I won't do anythin'."

"No, no," you don't know what came over you, but you place your hands on his chest. Then your finger touches something from underneath his turtleneck, having you pull his collar down to pull out the dog-tag necklace that still harbors his old wedding ring. Toji's blood shifts to ice cold when you see the accessory — his anxiousness spikes up to an all-time high, only mere seconds from combusting based on whatever your response will be. And it comes.

"I...I want you to do something, Toji." It felt strange saying those words with your shaky confidence, though it's what you wished to express. "I want you..."

And just like that, whatever restraint that the older man had for you was butchered away. Emerald eyes take in every feature of your anticipating expression, and his lips come crashing down on yours.

...who couldn't care less how late it is right now because he finally has you where he wants you after all these years. It's 2:30 in the morning, way too late for loud noises as they'll disrupt the neighbors next door. But, again, Toji doesn't care about that. When he finally has you lying under him on your stomach, screaming out his name while he drives his cock deep inside you, what is there to care about?

The two of you are in the prone bone position, where you lie flat on your belly on the cream-white satin sheets of your bed, your legs in between Toji's and bare ass out for him to have easy access to your creamy cunt that hugs onto him all so well.

Tears paint your wet and sweaty face, drool escapes from the corner of your mouth and meets the sheets beneath you. The harsh thrusts of Toji's pelvis hitting your ass with such precision have you see stars, and his big hands keep your arms still. All you can hear are the ecstatic cries of your voice and the noises of skin smacking together.

"Nnmph!! Haaaah!! Ahhhh, yesssss, Daddy, just like that," your voice feels strained from all the screaming you've been doing for the past hour. Lips are swollen from the constant biting, your butt stinging from the intense contact with your ex-husband's pelvis. It's hard to think of anything but the man above you and his dick rearranging your slit like his personal toy. You never thought you'd experience this exhilarating and rewarding sensation again. And now that you do, it's all you want to indulge in. "H-Harder, pleaseeee, I want mo—Ahhhnnn!"

Toji grinds his hips down to your ass, churning your insides and grazing your cervix to the point of incoherent babbles. "Mmmm, oooh, shit, fuckin' shit. You're too tight on me, mama." He gives you a sharp thrust when you least expect it, and the walls of your chasm clamping down on his length has him hiss. It's hard to believe you're permitting him to have you like this. It's been five years. Five years of respectful boundaries and keeping a platonic relationship. Five years of denying feelings of want and desire. All those years of heavy guilt suddenly lifted from his shoulders just for him to have you under his bow again, your body quivering and voice shaky because of his touch.

It feels so surreal...But, God, Toji missed this so goddamn much. Missing your eyes, your smile, your touch, your body. Just you. Only you. "Hnnngh!! Damn, you feel so fuckin' good, baby. Can never have enough..."

"Mnnaaaah! Daddy, I'm gonna cummm, I'm gonna—Oooohh!!" The tip of his shaft scrapes the upper walls of your vagina, your brain pounding so hard to the point it hurts. "Pleaseee, let me cum, Daddyyy..."

He can tell you're close and senses your orgasm climbing up with his. That's when the pace of his hips goes erratically fast, jabbing your sweet spots and tender cervix, causing more tears to come down and your peak to finally release for the third time that night. As you cream on his cock, Toji's not too far from his own crescendo. Your velvety walls contract around his member divinely, and the older man spills his load into your quivering figure.

You're allowed to experience the aftershocks of your orgasm as you two let your bodies calm down, Toji laying his chest on your sweaty, heaving back. He then slowly removes his dick from your chasm, and the essence of your unioned sex feels cold while sliding down your inner thighs.

"Haaaaah...Mmmm, thank you, Toji." You whimper out as he lays kisses down your neck and shoulders. "Thank you..."

But little did you know that it wasn't the last of it. Before you could apprehend what was going on, Toji already had you flipped over to your back, stationing your legs on his shoulders to a mating press. And you see that his cock is not limp yet...

W-Wait a damn second—

"T-Toji, wait, hold on!" You try to rationalize with the man who aligns his shaft to your gushing vulva, and your sweat runs cold. "It's getting late. I just came three times already! We should—Nmmmph!!"

The head of his cock slides right in thanks to the slick and come lubricating your opening. Adding his weight onto you as he pushes his length deep into your chasm again, you cry choked sobs when he meets your cervix again, and his pelvis rubs against your clitoris. "Sorry, mama. Just lemme finish here, 'kay? Daddy missed havin' you like this, so I wanna give you all of me while I still can."

...who has your fatigued self lying on his chest, rubbing circles on your back and placing soft kisses on your forehead as you feel the effects of sleep slowly creep up on you. The lights are now off, the moonlight bargaining from the curtains being the only light source as you two are ready to gather whatever amount of sleep you can get.

"Hey, baby." But before that, Toji wants your attention for the last time before you sleep.

"Mhmm?" Your eyes are closed, but your ears are still open to listen.

His eyes drift down to the left hand that lays motionless on his chest. The gem on the ring flashes softly for it to be distinguishable. "How come you were wearin' your ring at the club?"

A few seconds go by before you give him the honest truth. "Same reason you wear yours. I always wear it when going out somewhere or alone someplace. Gives people the idea that I'm not ready for anyone else."

"Then why not wear it when I'm around?"

You giggle breathlessly. "Same reason why you don't let me see yours. I don't need a ring when I have you with me. A ring doesn't compare to my big man who will love and protect me wherever we go."

And Toji doesn't ask anything else after that. He lets you fall asleep in his arms and listens to your breathing follow a melodic rhythm. Your words stick with him even when his eyes close, and he soon falls into a deep sleep.

It's far-fetched to think that you two will be married again. Maybe it's possible in his dreams, but not in the real world. Regardless, Toji knows he will always stand beside you and be there for you. With or without a ring that's merely evidence of your love to outsiders. He knows you love him, and that's all he needs to keep moving. And if he could have you as his wife again, he'd sweep you off your feet in a heartbeat.

[ccieatchildren]

I’m sure we’ve all seen by now Steve Blackman’s reasoning for Five/Lila stating:

“I felt that Five had to have a love story.”

And how it shows how this man somehow has such a deep fundamental misunderstanding about his own characters. How he helped create the first three seasons of this show and doesn’t realize that

This is Five’s love story.

Umbrella Academy the show wouldn’t exist without Five’s love. The whole plot and story is it.

He is the catalyst of all the plot lines while his family is the center of all the story beats. His love is the instigator for all the events of the show simply because he chooses to do everything possible in the hope that it will save his loves.

It’s not like this was even a subtle idea because Five literally states it himself multiple times over the series!

I just don’t understand how you can get it so wrong.

He creates the Commission in hopes of regulating the timeline so his family won’t get obliterated from existence, tattooing himself with the potential solution to rewriting the universe so they can all live happily one day.

He survives the apocalypse all on his own, when there was no real reason to, just because he believed he could get back to his family, spending 50+ years developing the math to one day do so.

He joins the Commission and murders and maims and manipulates in the desperate attempt that he might have a chance to go back and see/save his family.

He spends the first time he sees his family after over six decades not with them, but rather searching for a way to stop their deaths, sending them all through time when it doesn’t work.

He runs himself ragged stopping apocalypse after apocalypse just for them.

And when he loses all hope, accepting the kugelblitz, he is content to know he is doing so with his family.

As much as this show is about the whole family, ultimately, imo, this is Five’s story about his grueling quest to save the family he loves.

Because otherwise this show wouldn’t exist without him and the rest of the characters would just be decorations in the rubble of a world long gone.

So to say bro needed a love story— he doesn't say romance, but love story— is so durna, like what??? I guess if you really wanted him to have a romance you could do that, but there were many better options than the wife of someone he deeply loves, something he would never do.

(Not to mention all the real world implications of the romance with the actors, production really was waiting for him to be legal ಠ_ಠ)

Also I don’t think it’s a coincidence that many fans view Five somewhere under the aro/ace umbrella (pun intended).

Now, because of this misconstruction the ending of the show also suffers.

Brushing over all the mind boggling things the real ending says about abuse, its victims, and growing from it (which is actually like how did no one look at that and think hmm maybe this isn’t right for the story we’ve been telling), it also misunderstands love. It tells the audience that love isn’t worth it, in a show… about love. Not just Five’s but Hazel/Agnes, Viktor/Sissy, Allison+Claire, and more. How all your pain and suffering and tribulations for those you love are stupid and useless and cringe.

But y’know what, Mr. Blackman, I think you’re cringe for that absolute bonkers bananas ending.

And that’s why having the solution to the series being that Five should have never jumped in the first place would have been the best ending.

Making it so that the only solution to save the whole universe be that Five stay with his family, with those he loved— what he had been trying to do for the whole show— would have been the perfect conclusion to the story. It would show that all he had to do was stay, because that’s all they ever needed, that’s all he ever needed.

AND IT WOULD MAKE LOGISTICAL SENSE.

Five and Viktor are well confirmed to have been the closest ever since they were young. And Five (doesn’t matter if he’s the now Five who lived through the shows events or the young one who ran off) would most certainly be a supportive figure in Viktor’s life. He’s smart, for one, and it wouldn’t be a stretch for him to figure out what was really going on (especially with his hatred of Reginald) and help Viktor that way. But even if he doesn’t, when they grow to adults and Viktor naturally doesn’t take his pills or his power starts showing, Five’s love and care for his (closest) brother would most certainly help prevent the apocalypse. Especially since if Five and Viktor are close, as they grow older, I feel like the others would grow closer as well, maybe not the same degree, but they would be more willing and supportive of Viktor in the end (I feel like Season 1 shows us how at the end of the day the siblings do care for Viktor, but they were just too late, so this time they wouldn’t be).

Through the subway we see the timeline where he jumps still exists, so that should mean there is a way for him not to do that. His jumping (and the siblings he brings along) is what creates the paradoxes and the "need" for the Commission. So by him not jumping, problem solved.

This might come at the cost of the current versions of the characters, but I think if they can make the developmental journeys they did once, I think they can do it again, and have a happy ending.

(Also the Jennifer incident wouldn’t happen either bcs of Five or just bcs that plot line was so fluffin stupid, so yay alive Ben)

(And Diego and Luther meet Lila and Sloane respectively cuz they are also part of the marigold brood so they still do exist at the same time, so yay happy couples)

It is somewhat simple, but I think that works as well, especially for a character like Five. He spends so much time looking at all the different equations, trying to find some complex solution to everything, trying permutation after permutation (as evidenced by our and the diner Five's), when it was right in front of him. Idk, I just think it would be nice if he just decided to stay with his siblings instead of running off.

Sure it may not be completely perfect, maybe Ben still does die, or Klaus can’t meet Dave again, or characters still find themselves prey to their arrogance but I don’t think it needs to be, because real life isn’t perfect. But the bonds we make and the love we share makes it so, a major theme the Umbrella Academy isn't unfamiliar with.

And it just makes me so deeply sad that this isn’t the ending we got. That this isn’t the ending the characters got.

They deserve so much better than Blackman gave them, and it’s a disgrace that he didn’t.

[everythingne]

you have me and I have you -- DR3

Taking the twins to meet Daniel at a race nearly ends in disaster for the youngest, luckily you remember a little saying that goes a long way for when her emotions get too big for her all weekend away from her favorite person on the planet.

daniel ricciardo x wife!mother!reader

warnings/notes: probably inaccurate f1 information (specifically with where they live but idc its my fic), i'm not going off any actual timeline of real events dude this is just vibes, maxiel content bursting out of this fic, might make this little family a series i dunno, i don't have the most knowledge of daniel's career so mind some gaps

--

You and Daniel lived an exceptionally private life--surprisingly. Alpha Tauri's home base was in Faenza, Italy. And when Daniel was announced to be driving for them, you both tossed around a few different city names until Max of all people found you both a quaint little house just outside of the main touristy parts of Ravenna.

Somehow the world champion knew the both of you would find it was a perfect spot to nestle in for the time being. You knew that once the girls really got into school, like proper schooling, you'd have to settle them near Daniel's family. That's what you'd agreed to do when you planned to return to teaching full-time, but for now, Ravenna worked beautifully.

And it was beautiful too.

You had moved and traveled a lot with Daniel due to his career, it had never bothered you in the near decade the both of you had been together. The two of you never fought, sure you argued, but nothing hateful. It was usually a 'stop overthinking this' or 'stop overworking yourself on that' and with two perfectionists who adored their careers and families it could get a bit tense. But, you loved Daniel more than anything, and he loved you just the same. So it always worked out in the end.

Three years dating, one year engaged, seven years married, five years parents. Parents. Two beautiful twin daughters, you hadn't not been trying for kids, and though the girls were a surprise, they were happily welcomed by the Ricciardo's and your family when announced. And of course their loads of F1 uncles, like Max, Yuki, Lando, and of course Pop Pop and Grannie Horner, who had just about died when the youngest of the two twins--Rosella, called them that without you or Daniel prompting her to.

"She speaks the truth!" Daniel had laughed when Geri scooped the little girl up in her arms and squeezed her, kissing her forehead. Max had just laughed for like ten minutes at Christian's face before the man finally made some remark that he was "finally old enough for that title."

And then a few months later little Penelope would do the same, with a quite similar reaction.

Life in Ravenna was perfect, and you had been blessed with a remote job that allowed you to work anywhere making your life a breeze of constant travel, love, and spending nights alongside your husband or his family and friends in lavish hotels for grand prix.

Speaking of Grand Prix, it was time to get the girls moving. The two of them, Rosella Grace Ricciardo and Sienna Michelle Ricciardo, are currently settled with their suitcases beside them in the living room as you finish unplugging the necessary items and locking up the house. Rosella was playing with her stuffed bear, idly singing some song her grandparents had been trying to teach her, and Sienna was currently trying to repack her bag that you had so meticulously put together.

"Si, stop messing with your bag, sweetheart." You try to not let any annoyance sink into your tone but fail a little as you make your way to the foyer.

"Sorry, Momma." Sienna pouts and hides in on herself, her big brown eyes and bouncy curls making you think of her father--who was currently in a car going god knows how fast on the track. Max had been the one to invite you to Miami, saying it would be good to get the girls there to surprise Daniel.

What he hadn't thought of was how hard it is to get two twins through the airport, who look exactly like Daniel Ricciardo, without raising any eyebrows because this was their first appearance at the track since they were toddlers and didn't look like much of anyone except for having Daniel's undoubtedly huge smiles.

"Hey," you say, but don't explain the sentence that brings both of your daughters immediate calm, "You have me and I have you."

The sentence, something from the night before you married the girl's father basically equated to 'we've got this, don't freak out, I'm not mad and you're gonna be fine.' and whatever else it needed to at the moment and it had been a constant in the past seven or so years of your life.

And Sienna calms herself immediately, nodding at you.

You peck a kiss to Sienna's hairline as you repack her bag, "All better, nothing to be sad about, okay?"

She nods, taking her bag and helping her sister grab her stuff as you get them out to the car. The two are pretty well-behaved by now and have learned when to do as you ask and when it's okay to play around a little. You thank Daniel for that, he'd always set a good example. Once everything is in the trunk, you secure the girls in their seats and then thank one of the women you'd become close with down the road for driving you to the airport.

Natalie grins, patting your shoulder as you settle in with a big huff, "I just wish you luck getting them through the airport by yourself! Usually, you have Michelle with you."

"Well, Michelle's unable to come to Miami because she's working, so it's just me this time!" You try to hide your annoyance at the whole situation already, but Natalie just laughs as she starts to drive through the streets of your beloved town.

"Don't stress it, those girls are too well-mannered to cause a fuss."

"I hope so." You sigh, glancing over your shoulder at the both of them.

--

The airport in Italy is a breeze, it's the Miami airport that gives you trouble with the girls because one file isn't filled out correctly. One fucking file. You end up leaving poor Geri Halliwell in the pick-up lane for like an hour while you scramble to fix it so you're not shipped off back home with the girls, who are tired and miserable and just wanna go to bed.

And you'd run out of snacks on the plane, which was another level of catastrophe as Rosella complains every two seconds she's starving and going to die while Sienna complains her feet hurt and makes you carry her around.

Luckily, the airport staff seems to take a bit of pity on you and push you through as quick as possible. You stumble out to the pick-up line to find your ride, the warm Miami air making the girls want to play a bit. Setting down Sienna you make both girls keep one hand on your suitcase as you meet Geri halfway to the car and she kneels down to give the twins hugs as they scream her name.

"So much for discreet." You huff, watching Geri happily interact with the girls. And you learn right then that she's always planning ahead (maybe it's the whole having four kids thing) as she pulls out two little baggies of packed snacks for the girls from her coat.

Once the girls spot Christian, it's game over as they sprint with their little suitcases bouncing behind them and he barely has time to kneel before they're trying to hug him.

"Lookin' good Mama," Geri grins as she picks up Sienna's discarded backpack and you laugh off the compliment as she stands, placing her hands on her hips, "I'll take it they missed us?"

"They wouldn't shut up about getting to see you guys all week after Danny left," You let her pull you into a hug as she kissed your hairline. She helps you get the girl's stuff in the car while Christian entertains the two who sit in the back seat and you end up between your daughters on the drive to the hotel.

"We rented you a room on another floor just for tonight, we figured you'd wanna surprise Danny at the race." Geri turns to talk to you as Christian drives and you nod, leaning forward so she can sit straight. Sienna's babbling to Christian about class, Rosella trying to butt in to get his attention too, and you lean your head on Geri's seat.

"Thank you guys, I'm serious when I say I'll pay you back."

"It came out of Oracle Red Bull Racing's pocket, not mine." Geri holds her hands up and you let out a soft laugh, finally feeling the weariness of the nearly twelve-hour flight.

When you make it to the hotel, Christian goes first to ensure the coast is clear, and you find they've already checked into the room so you're able to go straight up. Once inside, you thank the Horners one more time with tight hugs and a promise to bring them around to Italy soon before shutting the door.

"Momma!" Rosella whines as soon as the door is locked and dead-bolted shut, "I'm tired!"

"Me too!" Sienna copies her twin and flops on the floor and you laugh.

"Let's get you two ready for bed, yeah?" You muse, grabbing the suitcases and flipping them open, and letting the girls pick out the pajamas while you do the same with some loungewear. It's only around five at night, and you do still need to feed the girls a proper dinner, so you assume a short nap with a break for chicken nuggets before bed will be perfect.

--

You rouse from sleep to two sets of little hands hitting you, the girls giggling as they whisper, "Momma, momma!"

"Mhmn," You groan, rubbing your face, "Yeah?"

"Daddy called you, Rosella answered it like a big girl!"

"Mhm!" Rosella cheers, leaning to not-so-secretly whisper, "I didn't even tell him the big secret!"

"That's great--" You go to say sleepily and then you blink your eyes open when you hear Danny laughing over the phone and you sit up to your elbows and snag the phone from her.

"Both of you, shoo." You wave a hand and the girls shriek as you curl your fingers like you're going to tickle them and then sit up in bed.

"I swear I set an alarm." You laugh, rubbing your eyes as you check the clock--in Italy, it would be noon right now which would be typical for your afternoon nap with the girls.

"No big deal. I just wanted to call you when I was getting up for race day." Daniel yawns and you can imagine him rubbing at his face as he lets out a muffled groan over the phone, "How are you and the girls?"

"They're having a blast but being little tornadoes," You huff, "but I'm managing."

"Ah, that's my girl. Superstar mom." You can physically hear Danny's smile in his voice and it makes you laugh, when you ask him how he's doing he regales practice and qualifiers as you get yourself out of bed and grab the girls a change of clothes. Mouthing for them to get in the shower as you mute the phone so Danny doesn't hear the water as you turn it on. Walking back to supervise from the doorway you pop in a few questions here and there.

By the time the call is wrapping up, Sienna's gotten soap in her eyes, so you bid Daniel a quick goodbye as you scold Rosella for splashing her sister in the face and end the call. You double-check to make sure it's actually ended before you move into the bathroom.

It takes an hour for you to get ready, which means by the time you're bringing the girls down to meet with Geri, her kids, and Kelly and Penelope, all the drivers are making their way to the track.

But, of course, you have to run into Charles in the elevator.

"Didn't know you were gonna make it this weekend," Charles says as you step in, the girls shy away from him a little, especially Sienna who practically buries herself behind her sister. You laugh softly.

"Guys, it's just Charles." You say over your shoulder and they both peek up again before gasping and jumping over to hug him. He kneels down to the girls, accepting both of their tight hugs as you speak,

"We weren't until Max told me he got us paddock passes,"

"They're still that close, huh?" Charles stands once the girls release him and you shrug,

"I think Max feels bad for how it ended with them in Red Bull, kinda like how Lando and Daniel are still super close after McLaren because of--God, don't get me started actually." You pinch your nose, the wound of McLaren's drop of Daniel had been the most difficult part of your partnership with Daniel thus far. You hoped it stayed that way.

"I'm glad they're still close." Charles smiles and then bids you goodbye as a Ferrari employee starts scolding him in French--or Italian, or maybe both, as she drags him off in the opposite direction.

You cart the twins off to the little restaurant within the hotel, thanking the hostess who brings you to Geri and Kelly's table and you greet them with a happy smile. Once the kids are all introduced and settled, you relax and roll out your neck.

"I am exhausted." You announce and Kelly pushes a mimosa towards you, grinning, and you happily take it. Breakfast goes relatively well, Penelope wants to sit in your lap halfway through because she missed you, and Bluebell updates you on her applications for university.

The Halliwell-Horner kids are a mess of different parents, but all act just as loving as your own twins, it makes you smile as you notice Bluebell pause mid-sentence to make sure her sister ordered her food correctly and her brother has enough to drink when the waitress comes around to check on you all.

And then Sienna gasps and points at the TV, squealing at an ear-piercing decibel, "Dad!"

"Shh!" You hush her, both Kelly and Geri laughing as you try and handle the two kids who are excitedly pointing out their father on the TV. It's interviews from yesterday on replay in preparation for the race later. And the twins won't stop even with you, Geri, Kelly, and the other kids at the table (save for Geri's youngest) trying to hush them.

"Girls. Knock it off or we're going outside!" You hiss through your teeth, pointing at the two next to you, and Rosella literally screams 'no' at you.

"Good grief." You sigh, then grab her by the waist and wave for her sister to follow you. While Sienna's a little hesitant, a gentle tap from Geri makes the girl scoot off her chair and follow you and a screeching Rosella out of the small restaurant. The three of you settle on the floor as you try to calm a clearly upset Rosella, who curls into your side.

"C'mere, Si." You hold an arm out as you sit on the floor and Sienna curls into your other side. You wipe the frustrated tears off Rosella's face, she had always been attached to Daniel by the hip, you weren't sure why you assumed this would be easier for her than her sister.

"I know you guys are excited to see your dad, I know, I am too." You say to the two twins who sit in your lap on the floor in probably the nicest hotel in Miami, "I miss him just as much as you guys do but... we have to be quiet in restaurants. We can't start screaming like we're at home, okay?"

"Momma, 'm sorry Momma." Rosella sniffles and you pepper soft kisses to her hairline and wipe the tears from her face as Sienna gives her twin a hug.

"It's okay, darling, you know you have me and I have you, yeah? You just have big emotions you wanna get out, but we have to remember inside voices and that there's always a time and place for everything, okay?" You rub her back as she hiccups, big tears rolling down her face as she starts calming down with big gasps.

The girl nods, scrubbing at her face and you give her a little kiss on the top of her forehead before giving Sienna a kiss there too.

"Are we calm enough to talk now, Ella?" You say softly and the girl nods, you scoop her up and bring Sienna back in so she can sit at the table and eat, informing Geri and Kelly you'll be right back after you take Rosella on a little calm down walk.

And you end up in a little courtyard, bouncing Ella on your hip as she speaks softly as you pause at a fountain.

"And Daddy's always there when I'm sad." She recounts as she hiccups, still crying a little as you rock her and rub her back, "and I got sad he wasn't there, and then he wasn't there to make me happy, and it made me more sad."

"Oh honey, it's okay." You look over your shoulder, swearing for the third time you're seeing Lando out of the corner of your eye--which is impossible because he's at the track and you're just being paranoid.

"Big emotions come out sometimes, it's happened to me. When your dad and I got married, I freaked out on him the night before because I was so stressed something would go wrong. I screamed at him, like a full freakout," You sigh, pressing your lips to your daughter's hair before whispering, "You know what he did?"

"What did he do?" Rosella sits back so she can look you in the eyes, you bounce her up and readjust your grip.

"He held me like I'm holding you now and he said 'I know you've got big emotions and so do I, but you know what we also both have?'" You remember the way he'd pressed his lips to your hairline, hands tucking you into his body as he cradled you in the bathroom of the wedding suite in the hotel,

"And I said 'no' because I was having big emotions, and he said 'You have me and I have you.' Just like right now, Ella, you have me and I have you."

"Oh! That's why you and Daddy say that." Ella smiles, kicking one of her feet a little and you nod. She wipes the last of the tears from her eyes and you kiss her cheek, before walking back to the restaurant when she claims she's finally calm enough to eat and be a little quieter.

--

About ten thousand things are happening in the Alpha Tauri garage when you sneak in with Yuki's help. You see Daniel off to the side, talking with some engineers with a stressed expression, and instead of walking over to wrap your arms around him like you want to-- you cart the twins off to his driver's room and settle them in there.

"Should I get him?" Yuki asks once he's finally gotten Sienna to pry off his leg and you laugh, shaking your head.

"Surprise, remember?" You speak softly, hushing the giglging twins.

"Yeah, but he's..." Yuki makes a face and you roll the idea around in your head. The girls had never seen Daniel frustrated, any sort of negative emotions you and Daniel tried to keep away from them.

"How bad?" You ask, mouthing one to ten, and Yuki mouths back a solid nine. So you groan, dragging your hands down your face and holding up a hand for him to wait while you kneel down and wave the girls over.

"Listen, Ella, Si." You poke their arms playfully as they quiet down their giggles when you slowly lower your hands to the floor, "Quiet time, okay? Momma's gonna go out and see where Daddy is, and I might bring him back here, okay?"

The girls nod and you kiss both of their foreheads before leaving the driver's room with Yuki and speaking softly, "I'll come with you."

He nods and waves you along, making his way through the back hall and back into the main area of the garage where Daniel was standing with his back to you. Mouthing good luck, Yuki slips off to stand beside Daniel as they talk racing stats. You just stand for a while, watching your husband as he clearly fusses over some fudging of numbers and how the team seems to be running whatever tactic on a sort of hail-mary moment. You know he hates leaving it up to fate.

"Okay, well," Daniel groans, clearly wanting to change strategy but knowing he's unable to do so, "I don't even know."

Yuki suggests something, but it gets shot down, and then you slowly start to inch forward. You see the videographers and photographers readying themselves for the moments, cameras lifting up high as they wait for the moment or whatever line will come out of your mouth.

"This is literally just as frustrating as getting the twins to relax on a plane," Daniel complains, Yuki smirking and biting the inside of his cheek as you finally cross the room to stand behind your husband.

"I dunno, I did pretty well--"

"--Holy shit!" Daniel shouts, barreling himself into you as he sweeps you off your feet in a loud laugh, "Oh my god! Hello! What?! When did you get here?!"

He sets you down after a tiny spin and presses a long kiss to your lips before you can explain, his hands firm on your hips and your arms tossed around his neck, just like puzzle pieces.

"Max got me passes, we got in last night. Blame the entirety of Red Bull." You wave a hand and Daniel kisses you once more, arms now wrapping around you.

"Okay, fuck strategy for a moment, I need this." He says to the Alpha Tauri team who wave him off and laugh, and you let Daniel just bury his face in the crook of your neck, breathing in the way too expensive Dior perfume he'd bought you for your birthday, and sigh out his stress.

"You have me and I have you." You murmur to him, pressing your lips to the side of his head, since it's all you can reach at this angle, a very similar angle to which his mini-me had been held in only a few hours prior.

"I know." He steps back, then blinks at you, "Wait. The twins are here too aren't they?"

"How the fuck--"

"You aren't wearing your necklace you always wear when you have someone babysit them for the weekend." He pokes the necklace you are wearing, one of your last names written in one of the prettiest fonts you'd ever seen, the gold blackened and dirty from its constant wear. A wedding gift from his mother.

"You little shit." You whisper, before turning and shouting, "Ella! Si!"

And it's like they were waiting for it because the sound of the door slamming against the wall followed by the patter of small sneakers sounds through the garage as the twins sprint to find you and their father. Their joyful screams overlap as Daniel drops to one knee to scoop both girls in his arms, fawning over their matching sundresses (custom-made to be the same color as his racing suit, as is the dress you wear) as he lifts them up to your height.

"Look at my girls." Daniel smiles, letting the twins babble on about whatever as he turns to press a kiss to your cheek, "Thank you."

"Thank Max." You step up to take Sienna from his arms so he can easily hold Rosella, but the arm you've freed snags you by the hip and pulls you close.

"There we go!" He grins at you, "All three of my girls in one place, yeah?"

And it's perfect, a little slotted puzzle piece, and regardless of if they figure out whatever issues are going on with the car you know Daniel will be loving every minute of Miami this year. Just because the three of you are there as his backbone.

[satorusugurugurl]

Til’ the Day that I Die (Chapter Four)

Summary: You’re a popstar in need of a bodyguard when you find yourself with a stalker. That’s how you meet Fushiguro Toji, you’re insanely hot bodyguard. Who knows how to push your buttons, and get you feeling flustered. Just how far is he willing to go to protect you? And how far would you go to protect him?

Pairing: Fushiguro Toji x AFAB!Reader

Warnings: mentions of death, grief, language, anxiety, stalking, some slight fluff

Word Count: 3.2K

A/N: fun fact—this was supposed to be five parts, its gonna be a bit long because this has taken a life of its own 😅💚

Part One Part Two Part Three

“Oh—” You whispered, stepping forward closer to the shrine. Incense was burning in front of a picture of a beautiful woman with black hair. A small mochi and vase with wildflowers sat beside her photo. “I’m so sorry for your loss.”

”Thank you—”

Toji exhaled through his nose, ruffling the top of Megumi’s head as you approached the shrine, kneeling before it, closing your eyes as you bowed your head. Seeing you move so fast, dropping before his late wife's shrine, left Toji feeling both appreciative and sick to his stomach at the same time. Maybe part of It was because he still missed his sweet wife, or perhaps it was because he’s been so wrong about you.

“Thank you for welcoming me into your home, Mrs. Fushiguro.”

The sincerity behind your words felt like a knife in his stomach. Yeah, he had definitely misjudged you. He wished he could take back what he had told you earlier this night. But time didn't work like that. Toji assumed you were a spoiled rotten brat and blatantly said that to your face. There was no taking back those shitty assumptions.

But what he could do was make up for what he had said.

“She would have loved to have you. Wouldn't she squirt?” He asked, ruffling Megumi’s hair.

You glanced over your shoulder, watching Megumi grip his father's pants, nodding his head. A slight flush dusted his cheeks as you smiled sympathetically at him. It must have been hard losing his mother at such a young age; you couldn't even imagine what that must have been like. But Toji, you were in actual awe of him.

Not only did he work for a well-renowned security company, but he was also a single father. Balancing work, raising a child, and caring for a house must be hard as hell. A sudden respect for the mountain of the man blossomed in your chest as he stared at his son, lovingly stroking his hair back.

”I should probably get him to bed, then we can get you settled in, okay?”

You nodded in agreement, watching as he placed his hand on Megumi’s head, turning him to head down a hall. “Goodnight, Miss.” The little tyke said, waving at you, which had your heart squeezing in your chest as you waved back.

When they disappeared into a room, you pushed yourself off the ground, looking around the living; despite being a bit dusty, it was surprisingly well organized. You admired the different photos on bookcases, from Toji and Megumi to pictures of his late wife. As you looked at each photo, you grounded yourself, swallowing at a sadness lumping in your throat. In each photo of his wife, Megumi was a baby. There were no photos of her with him as a toddler or a child, meaning she probably passed before she could watch him grow. That sadness tugged at your heart, making breathing almost hard as you felt nothing but empathy for the family who’d so selflessly taken you in.

“She’s staying for a while?” Megumi asked softly as Toji lifted the sheets for him.

“Yep, you good with that kiddo? If you're not, I could call Shiu.”

“I don't mind—” Toji cocked a dark brow watching Megumi grab his white wolf plushie hugging it. “She’s pretty.”

Those words nearly sent Toji reeling back as he gawked at his son. “Pretty?” Megumi nodded, pursing his lips together as he shot his father a quick, curious glance. Thanks to Toji’s profession, he was a professional at reading people, and that talent extended to his son. “Yeah, she is. But Megumi, this is strictly professional, you know that, right?” When his son just stared at him, he signed. “There’s nothing between us, and I assure you there won't be.” The dismissive tone of Toji’s words left Megumi blinking.

“Why?”

“Because it’s unprofessional. It's my job to protect her.”

He pulled the sheets up to Megumi’s chin, tucking him in. “You know you don't have to worry about me.” Megumi rubbed his face into the plushie fur. “I wouldn't mind you seeing her.” Toji rolled his eyes, pushing Megumi’s bangs off his forehead and pressing a kiss there.

“She’s a client, kid.”

“So?”

How was it possible for a kid to be this intrusive? “Okay, that’s enough questions, go to sleep.” The floorboards creaked under Toji’s weight as he headed for the hall. “Night Megumi.”

“Night, Dad.”

Shutting the door to his son’s room, Toji was left alone in the hall's silence with his thoughts. He knew there would be a day when Megumi would ask him about his dating life. He was sure how he would react, whether he didn't like the idea or was indifferent. But this was a reaction he hadn't been expecting. For Megumi to basically give Toji his blessing to date you was literally unfathomable. And he had said it with such a straight face!

Megumi didn't know you; he'd barely met you, hardly said less than twenty words to you, and was giving His father permission. Your presence had that much of an impact on him? The same woman he had deemed a spoiled brat had won his son over merely by smiling and being kind.

He'd have to make sure Megumi knew you weren't staying forever. This arrangement was a temporary deal. One designed to keep you safe and out of harm's way.

As he headed into the living room, rubbing the back of his neck, thinking of how he could word it, he saw you standing in front of the bookcases, staring at the photos that lined the shelves. He'd been expecting to see an unreadable, almost bored face as you waited for him. What he was met with had him frozen in his spot.

Tears, literal tears welled in your eyes. You were crying while looking at pictures of his wife. The woman who’s impacted him in so many ways. Who had blessed him with a son who was so much like her? The same woman he had mourned for the last five years. Seeing you like that only made Toji regret his earlier words even more. With a sigh, Toji cleared his throat as he entered the living room, stomping his feet a little too loud to give you time to wipe the stray tears off your face.

“Sorry about the wait.”

“Oh, you’re fine; I’m the one imposing on your family.”

Toji wanted to argue and tell you to shut up, but he let it go. You weren’t a burden. He was happy to help you because it was the right thing to do.

So, instead of yelling or starting another argument, Toji stepped forward, ruffling the top of your head. “Come on, I’ll give ya’ a tour.” The apartment was lovely, with three bedrooms, two bathrooms, a living room, and a balcony overlooking the city. It was a pleasant, quiet home perfect for the two of them. It was also the place that you would call home for an indefinite future. “It’s a little cramped, but it’s still home.”

You both made your way back out to the living room. Where you were fiddling with your thumbs and anxiously looking around. Toji was watching you closely as he had been doing the entire night. You have been through so much in the last few hours he didn’t wanna push you further than you had been so far. Right now, the best thing he could do was get in bed and sleep this terrible night off.

He cleared his throat around the living room before moving the cushions off the couch. Upon seeing him moving, you jumped to help him take the cushions from him and place them off to the side—something his previous clients wouldn’t be caught dead. Then again, you weren’t like his other clients. The more time he spent with you, the more evident that became.

“You realize you don’t have to help me do this right.”

“What kind of house would I be if I didn’t help?”

Toji shook his head as he moved the coffee table to the side. “Ya’ know, I think you’re the only houseguest that has ever done this with me.” you shook your head this time, giving him an almost smug smile.

“Well, I think I’ll take that as a compliment.”

“You should.”

You laughed, and God, it was sweet and light as air. A sound that ceased all of Toji’s movements as he looked up at you. After everything you had gone through tonight, you were still able to laugh and smile. And it wasn’t that fake laugh for the smile he watched you put on when you were at the stadium. You'd been through hell and back this evening, but you were grinning despite everything that you had gone through. Knowing that someone had gotten into your home, you were staying in a stranger's house, yet you were laughing a carefree giggle. For you to still be able to smile like everything was fine when he knew it took resilience and guts.

You hummed, rubbing at the back of your neck. Unaware of the watchful gaze that Toji was shooting in your direction. “I bet you have a lot of interesting stories to tell.” Your words pull him out of the stupor he found himself in while staring at your delicate features and pretty face.

“Uhm, yeah, yeah, I do have a lot of stories I could tell. But let’s put a pin in that; you had a long day. You need to get some rest.” Toji stretched his arms above his head before stretching the arms across his chest. “If you give me a few minutes, I can change the sheets on my bed, and you can shower.”

“Your bed?”

Toji blinked, looking away before looking back and meeting your confused gaze. “Yeah, I’m taking the couch; you can stay in my bed.” From the way you crossed your arms and fed your brows, Toji knew you didn’t approve of this idea.

“I’m not the type to kick you out of your bed because I’m staying with you. I am perfectly capable of sleeping on a pull-out bed.”

“No one said you weren’t, Doll Face.” The mere annoyance etched into his voice didn't faze you in the slightest. “Anyways, I'm sleeping here. So I'm going to go change my sheets, get you a towel, and then you can rest.”

“Just grab me a towel; I really don't mind sleeping out here.”

A vein in Toji’s forehead throbbed as he slowly turned to glare down at you, putting on the fakest smile he could muster. “You’re a brat, you know that? I'm trying to be nice and offer you my bed so you can get a good night’s sleep.” Navy eyes watched as you shrugged, fucking shrugged at his words.

“Don't take this the wrong way, but I would prefer you to be on your A-Game tomorrow. You are my bodyguard, after all. If anyone should get a good night's sleep, it should be you.”

With pure satisfaction, you watched Toji open his mouth to argue before slowly closing it. A cocky smile tugged at the corner of your mouth as your tall; muscular bodyguard couldn't bring himself to argue or disagree with you. Seeing that expression on your face, Toji’s eyes were twitching; maybe you were a brat.

“Ooh, you sure Miss Pop-Princess won’t mind sleeping on the couch? I wouldn't want it ruining your back~”

Instead of snapping or giving him attitude, Toji watched as you slowly tilted your head to the side. “You do realize I have slept on my fair share of couches before I was famous and after the fact.” Toji blinked, watching you run your hands over the mattress. “When I was staying with my friends, I slept on their sofa, and they didn't even have a pull-out mattress, so this is a step up.” Damn, you were just—normal.

“Fuck, you aren't like other clients I've had in the past.”

“Is that a good thing?”

You watched as Toji’s eyebrows furrowed in thought. “Eh, I don't know yet.” You glared at him, but your glare was cut short as he threw a pillow at your face. “Relax, it’s not necessarily a bad thing. You're just different. But sometimes different is good.”

Sometimes different was good?

Toji’s words had you tossing and turning on the pull-out bed. You sighed, staring at the ceiling as you tossed and turned, and his words echoed in your mind. After everything that had happened to you in the last few hours, you weren't sure if you agreed with him.

In fact, ever since you had gone viral, things have been incredibly different for you. And you weren't sure if it was a good thing. Your fame had its perks, of course. You made good money, more than enough to give back to the community and help those who couldn't help themselves. But, the downsides were turning out to be—worse than you ever imagined.

Your anxiety was at an all-time high; you had a stalker who had been watching you for god knows how long, and you were staying with your bodyguard, whom you knew practically nothing about. Well, that last part wasn't as bad as the other two drastic changes you were experiencing. Did that fact make it any less nerve-wracking and anxiety-inducing? No, it didn't.

Those thoughts plagued your mind all night; from the time Toji left you to shower until then, the blue velvet sky outside began turning a light shade of orange with the promise of morning. There was no way you were going to be able to sleep. You had come to terms with that fact before you even stepped foot into Toji's apartment building. The anxiety had dug its claws into you. Its talons seep into your skin like a poison meant to keep you up for all night hours.

Hopefully, this won't be a permanent change in your life.

The orange hue shifted to a lilac shade with pink clouds. At that point, you had given up on sleeping altogether, opting to sit on the fold-out bed and stare at the different shapes forming in the clouds. Just as you watched a rabbit shift into an elephant, a soft creaking sound pulled your attention away from the window.

Megumi wandered out of his room, rubbing his eyes as he looked around. Navy blue eyes met yours, and he stared at you for a second before continuing his way into the living room. He was silent as he plopped down on the end of the mattress, looking at the black screen of the television.

“You wanna watch television?” You questioned in a soft, almost motherly tone.

“No, I’m okay.” His timid voice melted your heart, but you could tell from how he stole glances at you that he had something to say.

“You sure about that.”

Another silence spread before he turned to look over his shoulder at you. “Yeah.” Little fingers picked at the thick blanket Toji had given you. “Did you sleep well?”

“I did, thank you for asking. How about you?”

He shrugged his shoulders, pulling a piece of lint to the blanket. “I slept okay.” Nodding your head, you sighed, looking out at the sky.

“Well, from the sounds of it, we both didn't sleep very well, and there's only one cure for a rough night.”

Your words had Megumi’s head snapping in your direction, curiosity gleaming in his big doe-eyed. “There’s a cure?” With a wide bobcat grin, you picked the blankets off yourself.

“Yes, and thankfully, I know the only cure out there. Wanna help me?” Megumi took your hand without hesitation, giving it a squeeze as you both headed beaded into the kitchen. “I can assure you that this cure will be the tastiest cure of them all.”

The smell of bacon pulled Toji out of dreamland. He groaned, running his hands down his face, and sat up, glancing at the clock. It was seven thirty, and Megumi was already up and about, staring at his day, much like his mother used to do. This would come in handy in the future, but for a six-year-old to be up cooking seemed unlikely, so it had to be you. At least Toji hoped it was you.

As tempting as it was to stay in bed and fall back asleep, the soft clattering from the kitchen urged Toji to investigate. Slipping on his grey sweats with a sigh, Toji headed out to the kitchen, where he found his son eating breakfast on one of the barstools. He was seconds away from scolding his son to wake him up the next time he was hungry when he heard the soft singing resonating from the stove.

There he saw you. You were swaying your hips to music softly playing on your phone. You were completely oblivious to him watching you as you flipped a pancake over in the frying pan you used. Normally, he'd be slightly irritated if someone he didn't know was using his kitchen and groceries without asking.

But you looked so pretty, mindlessly singing as you cooked breakfast. Not only his son, but for him too from the second plate sitting off to the side, and the third you were plating must be for you. It had been so long since Toji’s kitchen was filled with warmth, singing, and life. It was so strange, different.

But then again, different was sometimes good.

It was so good that Toji crept over to stand behind you, watching you flip the pancake to cook it perfectly. You still were unaware of his presence, which was slightly concerning, seeing that you were being stalked by a crazed maniac right now. That was something you both would have to work on in the future. For now, Toji was going to have a bit of fun.

He leaned as close as he could to your ear before chuckling. “I didn't know the Pop-Princess could cook.” When it came to startling you, Toji had expected a few things to happen. You’d likely react with a fight-or-flight. He imagined you trying to take a swing at him, which he could easily avoid. It made sense; you'd be on high alert, ready to fight for your life if needed.

Instead, a warm pancake smacked him in the face. He just stood there as the pancake slowly slid down his face, revealing your startled face and staring up at him in fear. Out of everything you could have used to your advantage, you threw a pancake at him. A flat, soft, warm breakfast treat had been the only line of defense you'd choose to use—when you were holding a frying pan. As the pancake fell to the floor with a soft thump, you and Toju stared into each other's eyes.

Toji had his work cut out for him.

Forever Tag List:

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[kaidatheghostdragon]

That trope where danny and jason meet during jason's six months dead? That, but with good fenton parents.

Jason is either the same age or a year or two younger than danny (between danny'and ellie's age). The fentons know danny is a ghost and have already adopted ellie. Team phantom includes the entire fenton family and valerie (and obv sam and tucker), maybe even valerie's dad.

Vlad is either reformed (post agit with teen dan?), blackmailed into submission, ran out of town, or "dealt with." The giw have been run out of town, and may or may not still exist somewhere licking their wounds. Peaceful ghosts are openly welcomed in the town, which is phantom's haunt, the fentons plus red huntress deal with the troublemakers, and the phantom siblings handle the biggest threats. May or may not be an everyone knows au.

Anyways, danny runs into the ghost of robin and is all, holy shit, a teen vigilante died, and immediately drags robin home to get all the overbearing comfort and love the fenton family can provide.

Somehow, that transformed into the fentons adopting the ghost of robin as one of their own. Jason even starts going to caspar high. Everyone knows that jason is a ghost of a kid who died too young and may be considered an honorary phantom, only team phantom knows that he's robin, and may have learned a concerning amount about batman from jason, depending on how open he is.

The joker disappears a month after jason joins the fentons and the fenton parents have solid alibis to prove they werent involved (having access to phantom's ghost allies is a large boon).

After six months of living (excuse the term) with the fentons, its as if jason has always been part of the family. So his sudden disappearance is a shock. Its treated as a ghostnapping, and the fentons are quick to use the boomerang to track him down.

They find a near-catatonic, but very much living, jason either wandering gotham, or just as he's being carted off by talia. If the latter, wrecking the league of assassins probably becomes an entire team phantom affair.

Jason is brought back home, and between the fentons and frostbite, they find a way to treat jason, learning that his living body is developing into a halfa in a similar slow manner that vlad did, but with jason's ghost core already fully developed.

That's four different halfas created in four different ways (five for five if teen dan exists), plus the increasingly liminal population of amity park, and the human members of team phantom so strongly liminal that they all have protocores and will probably become halfas when they die.

At this point, the story can go multiple directions.

If the fentons wrecked the league of assassins, either they discovered damian or talia dropped him off with bruce a few years early, when tim is just starting out as robin. If the fentons have damian, serious discussions about informing bruce of his biokid ensue, and the fact that theyve also adopted his undead son will inevitably come up and whether jason wants to deal with that mess of emotions.

If damian is dropped off with bruce, bruce is gonna hear stories of an orange man that can bust through walls, his teal assassin wife, their fiery daughter, and pair/trio of loyal white haired pit demons (assuming jason's ghost is white haired, and whether or not he's well enough to join), that wrecked ra's shit and sealed away the pits. He *will* investigate. Also, damian and tim will probably have to be kept separated, probably by having tim patrol with dick while bruce wrangles the feral child. This is smack dab in the middle of the worst period of the batfams social dynamics, but otoh, damian being younger will ultimately be better for him as he'll probably be deprogrammed a lot easier.

If the fentons never cross paths with the loa, another avenue is still open with the giw. If they've been run out of amity, but the anti ecto acts still exist, the justice league still have a chance to encounter them. Perhaps after amity ran the giw out, a formal complaint was filed to the justice league (they finally broke through the giw's blackout), but it was labelled a non-emergency (because the complaint described how the town couldnt get the message out until *after* they dealt with the problem) and was never investigated for being labelled a low priority. Baby robin tim found the file while exploring the bat computer and asked bruce about it, kicking off an investigation.

On the flipside, the giw try to convince the justice league that hostile entities have taken control of a small midwestern city, maybe the league is convinced right up until batman comes face to face with jason and is willing to hear him out.

If none of the above, jason could start talking about how he wants to return home to help crime alley, and the fentons support him all the way. You could even have jason still become red hood the crime lord, minus the family drama and joker ultimatum, and the training he would have gotten from the league is covered by ghost hunting, halfa powers, and the fenton parents' ecclectic skillset. Cue gotham being slowly invaded by team phantom as each child in turn goes to gotham U for college to be near and support jason.

Or jason is perfectly happy to stay in amity forever, but jazz goes to gotham U for its psychology program. She tries to keep her head low, but batman at this point runs a background check on every psychology major in gotham U (maybe bruce wayne funded a reform of the program - the reason why its now lauded as one of the best in the nation - to try to prevent more rogues being created.) Jazz pings a few warning criteria because her parents match a handful of mad scientist traits, so batman is now doing a full investigation on her family and finds a picture of jason.

Ignoring all of that, maybe jason keeps tabs on batman and is extremely upset that he's taken on another robin after the last one died. He's emotionally stable enough, and the fentons emotionally competent enough, to get him to talk and work through his emotions, but everyone agrees a wellness check for the new robin is in order. They go to gotham and confront batman, realize he's an emotional mess and that tim forced his way into the role and decide that the bats are all fentons now, no batman, you cannot escape. Assimilation is inevitable. We *will* get you to work through your grief and make you a better vigilante because of it. And tim has been abandoned by his parents and is living alone? That wont do. We're going to assume for your benefit that you were too grief-stricken to notice bruce, but you will not be making any more oversights like that under our watch.

There are probably a dozen other directions this could go, but mostly i just wanted to provide some prompts/ideas with ghost/halfa jason as a fenton. I need more fluffy fenton dynamics and jason fluff.

[eternal-echoes]

The poll

I don't think it's just that; I think more and more people are realizing that every child deserves a mother and a father and legalizing gay marriage deliberately deprives a kid of one of them. Orphans and children of single parents always long for their missing parents.

While there are unfortunate circumstances like death of a parent or divorcing an abusive spouse that makes it inevitable, ultimately since children are made through the biological union of a man and woman, their spiritual relationship with them should be preserved.

Since we're not just a material being, we're also of both body and soul. Not Cartesian dualism but Hylomorphism where the union of body and soul makes one nature.

The only two ways a gay couple can have a baby is either through surrogacy and/or adoption. Along with its ethical concerns with buying a baby, a gay couple taking a newly born baby from his/her mother is depriving that child with the much needed bonding time with the mother (i.e. breastfeeding, cuddling, etc). It's illegal to sell a puppy within 8 weeks of birth because it would be too cruel to separate it from its mother,* then how much more devastating would it be when it comes to a human child? And a child's need for a mother doesn't stop when he/she no longer needs to be breastfed, the mother is essential for the child's emotional maturity as well.

Here is a video of Ryan T. Anderson back in 2014. I'll highlight some important points but the whole video is really good.

Marriage exists to unite a man and a woman as husband and wife to then be equipped to be mother and father to any children that that union produces. It's based on the biological fact that men and women are distinct and complementary, it's based on the anthropological truth that reproduction requires a man and a woman, it's based on the social reality that children deserve a mother and a father. ... Marriage is the institution that different cultures and societies, across time and place, developed to maximize the likelihood that that man commits to that woman, and then the two of them take responsibility to raise that child. Part of this is based on the reality: there's no such thing as parenting in the abstract; there's mothering and there's fathering. Men and women bring different gifts to the parenting enterprise. Rutgers sociologist professor David Popenoe writes, "The burden of social science evidence supports the idea that gender differentiating parenting is important for human development and the contribution of fathers to childrearing is unique and irreplaceable." He then concludes, "we should disavow the notion that mommies can make good daddies, just as we should disavow the popular notion that daddies can make good mommies. The two sexes are different to the core and each is necessary, culturally and biologically for the optimal development of a human being." ... The impact of marriage. So why does marriage matter for public policy? Perhaps there's no better way to analyze this than looking to our own president, President Barrack Obama: "We know the statistics that children who grow up without a father are five times more likely to live in poverty and commit crime, nine times more likely to drop out of schools, and 20 times more likely to end up in prison. They're more likely to have behavioral problems or run away from home, or become teenage parents themselves. And the foundation of our community are weaker because of it." ... President Obama sums it up very well: what we've seen in the past 50 years since the War on Poverty began, is that the family has collapsed. At one point in America virtually every child was given the gift of a married mother and father, those numbers right now: it's more than 50% of Hispanics children are born outside of wedlock, more than 70% of African Americans are born outside of wedlock. And the consequences for those children are really serious. The State's interest in marriage is not that it cares about my love life, or your love life, or anyone's love life just for the sake of romance. The State's interest in marriage is ensuring that those kids have fathers who are involved in their lives. ... If the biggest social problem we face right now in the United States is absentee dads, how will we insist that fathers are essential when the law redefines marriage to make fathers optional? ... Think about the social consequences if that's the direction the slippery slope in which marriage redefinition would go. For every additional sexual partner I have, and for the shorter lived those relationships are, the greater the chances that I create children with multiple women, without commitment with either to those mothers or to those kids. It increases the likelihood of creating fragmented families and then big government will step in to pick up the pieces with a host of welfare programs that truly drain the economic prospects of all of our states. ... So for all those reasons this is why the State and all states have an interest in preserving the definition of marriage as a union, permanent and exclusive of a man and a woman.

Also an article supporting some of Ryan T. Anderson's points:

It’s worse to be raised by a single mother, even if you’re not poor.

The reason for this is that fathers tend to be the disciplinarian in the family. They provide the moral framework in his children's lives.

Reminder that even though the Catholic Church does not support gay marriage, it doesn't mean that she hates gay people. There is a ministry called Courage International where people with same-sex attractions are encourage to live chaste and holy lives.

*Original wording taken from here.

[imtryingbuck]

Tabby

Pairing: Bucky Barnes x OFC!Theo

Summary: Bucky has to marry a woman who surprises him more and more as their story goes along.

Word count: 3,188

Warnings: angst. Swearing. Dot and Eliza. Insecurities. Fluff?

Masterlist   Series Masterlist

“Dottie what brings you here?”

“It’s not worked!” Pushing herself into the house with a huff and like a spoiled child she has her arms crossed.

“What are you talking about?”

“James! That little slut-“

“Not here Dolores!” Eliza pulls Dot by her arm and leads her into the living room. “Michaels home so watch what you call that thing”

“Liz you promised me that James would take me on as his mistress if he married one of your daughters-“

“Marrying him to that thing wasn’t my idea, I did not know Michael was going to change his mind”

“I want James!” again, like a child she stomped her foot.

Rolling her eyes Eliza sighed. “Grow up Dottie. I told it to show James it’s body and he would come running for a divorce but it hasn’t happened yet.”

“What should we do?”

“Michael and I along with George and his wife will be attending dinner tonight at James’s house, I’ll talk to it and see what the holdup is. I promise you that we will get what we want okay, now get the fuck out of my house”

Bucky sighed for what felt like to hundredth time in the five minuets he was on the phone talking to his mom, he really didn’t want his father or Michael and Eliza in his home but sadly he couldn’t find it in himself to say no to his mother.

“What’s up Buck?”

“Family dinner tonight, here.”

“I’m sorry”

“I don’t know how am going to tell Theo”

“Just tell her, she’s in the library with Wanda”

“Thanks Stevie” Leaving his office he went straight in to the kitchen to let Martha know about the family dinner he had only been told about less than six hours before it was happening. Martha stiffened when she heard that George would be attending, many, many years ago George had gotten drunk and knocked Martha onto her back, kissing her and lifting her dress up. She tried so hard to fight him off but he wouldn’t relent, that was until Winnie walked in holding a nine month old Rebecca in her arms and she kicked her husband straight in his side, knocking him off the woman who was by her side on the nights she was alone. Martha begged and begged Winnie to believe her, believe that she wasn’t like the other maids that would spread their legs willingly for the married man they worked for whilst his wife was either upstairs asleep in their martial bed or in the living room with their children. Winnie believed what the only woman she had in her life that was a true friend was saying to her, she held her baby in one arm and her friend in the other.

From that night on she avoided the man like he was the plague, when Bucky moved out Winnie had asked her to go with Bucky and with a heavy heart she did. The night Bucky was born it was just Winnie and Martha in the home as George was out with a prostitute, Winnie had begged Martha to promise her that she would always be there for the baby, that she would help bring the baby up to be nothing like its father. Martha promised as she delivered a tiny baby James, Winnie had actually named him after Martha’s father.

Moving with Bucky it was easier for her to keep her promise, always making sure he treat women right and didn’t just kick them to the curb in the morning, always making sure he treat the staff right. Not like how his father did. Bucky had found out what George had done to his second mother and when he had an unpleasant visit from the man he always gave Martha a few hours or day off just so she wasn’t around him, sadly tonight he wasn’t going to be able to do that.

“I know what’s running through your head, I’ll be fine. Don’t need to worry about me darling, just make sure that beautiful wife of yours is okay”

“But I do worry about you mom, if you need to escape for a few just tell me okay?”

“Son-“

“Okay?”

“Okay! I promise I will alright? Now go away your distracting me” Whipping his legs with the tea towel he laughs and backs up.

“Mom… I love you” before Martha could reply he walked off. Through his whole life he had only said those three words to her a handle full of times, normally it was just ‘love you’ but to Martha it was more special and meaningful when he said ‘I love you’. Whispering those words back to him knowing he never caught them, she busied herself with making dinner for that night.

“Knock knock”

“No one’s in, come back another time” Wanda shouted, Bucky smiled at hearing Theo’s giggle.

“So who just spoke to me then?”

“A ghost”

“A ghost-right well I’m coming in”

Walking into the library he spots the women on the couch, Wanda helping Theo read a different book. He made his way over to Theo’s side his hands going straight to her face, his lips going to hers. Both of them ignoring Wanda when she started to fake gag in the background.

“Hi” Theo shyly said as they parted.

“Hi pretty girl”

“What are you doing here?”

“I need to tell you something”

“What is it?”

“Just know I don’t want this to happen either but I couldn’t tell my ma no so” scratching the back of his neck he looked at both women nervously “my ma, twat, Michael and Eliza are coming over tonight for dinner”

“Oh. What time” his stomach dropped along with her smile.

“I’m so sorry Theo. Seven.”

“It’s okay, I’ll go and start preparing”

Stopping her from standing up he shook his head “No Angel, Martha’s already on it”

“I’ll go and help her then”

“There’s no need, however I want you two to go and go on a shopping spree. You need some more clothes baby and Wanda loves to spend my money-“

“That is very true, come on FeFe it will be fun”

“But your stitches?”

“I’m sorry but FeFe?” Bucky asked before Wanda could reply to Theo.

“I’ll be fine I promise and yes Bucky, FeFe if you have a problem with that then take it up with someone who gives a shit”

Holding his hands up in mock surrender, he helps both of them stand up “Go and get my card whilst I talk to angel”

“Don’t take too long I’ve got your money to spend”

Waiting for the door to close behind the redhead Bucky pulls Theo closer to him and goes straight in for a kiss. “I’m sorry about tonight but angel the moment you want them gone you tell me and it’s done, okay?”

“Okay. Are you sure you don’t want me to help Martha?”

“I’m sure baby, go and have fun with Wanda”

“Where’s Nat?”

“Working with Sam, why?”

“I was going to say she could come with us”

“Maybe next time, yeah?”

“Okay-“

“THEO HURRY UP!”

“God she’s so impatient isn’t she?” Bucky laughed, Theo nodded with a giggle. “I best let you go then before she comes back and drags you away”

“I’ll see you later” Lifting herself to her tiptoes she gives him another kiss, he’s quick to deepen it before the door comes flying open.

“I leave you two alone for a few minutes and look at you both, disgusting”

“Shut up I never complain when you and Vision are practically dry humping each other. Wand take extra bodyguards. Have fun my love”

“So… how are things with you and Buck” Wanda asked as she walked down the now empty aisle, just like when Bucky took Theo to the store to get her some new clothes the manager cleared out the store for Wanda.

“It-its going okay”

“Just okay?”

“Well… he-um-he told me he loves me” Theo admitted shyly.

“What-when-oh my God, Theo that’s huge!”

“Last week”

“LAST WEEK AND YOUR JUST TELLING ME THIS NOW!” Wanda shouts causing both Theo and the manager to flinch.

“Wand-“ turning to the manager who stands there looking scared “I’m sorry. Wanda lower your voice and I-I’m sorry”

“Did you say it back?”

“N-no…”

“Why not? Do you not feel the same?” Wanda asked putting the basket she was holding down, moving closer to her friend.

“I’m not sure, I-I like him but I don’t know if it’s love. I showed him my scars and he touched them, nobody’s ever touched them before… well not the way he did” scuffing the toe of her shoe on the tiled flooring she twiddled her fingers nervously waiting for Wanda’s reply.

“It’s okay to feel confused about your feelings Theo and Bucky would never judge you for your scars, none of us would you know that don’t you?”

“I k-know it’s just, I’ve never had anyone love me before so I’m not sure what I’m feeling is love or not”

“How do you feel about Bucky?”

“I’m not sure… I feel a strange feeling in my stomach whenever he looks at me, I feel tingly and light when he kisses me-” Theo blushes violently as Wanda stares at her with a knowing smile “-what?”

“Do you like Bucky?”

“Yes”

“Is your name Theo?”

“Yes”

“Do we live in the UK?”

“No”

“Do you love Bucky?”

“Yes”

“There you go then, you love him and he loves you”

“Wait what did you just do?”

“I don’t know, Clint did the same to me when I was struggling with my feelings with Vis” she shrugs with a smile.

“How long have you and Vis been together?”

“A year now, come on let’s spend some of your husband’s money”

Theo picked out a plain white shirt that was on sale whilst Wanda had a basket full of clothing, she had asked the redhead if it was okay to go to the thrift store smiling when Wanda nodded.

In the thrift store Wanda watched with an amused grin as Theo filled the basket till the point the clothes were overflowing. Three full baskets later and Theo feeling slightly guilty when the cashier read out the total.

“You need to get some new underwear, socks and shoes and I know two perfect stores that you would love” Wanda speaks as she helps Theo place her bags into the boot of the Range Rover.

Theo nodded trusting her friend. Another two hours go by and the guilt was settling in deep with the amount of money she had spent with Bucky’s card. Wanda had reassured her that Bucky wouldn’t be bothered or even flinch at the amount they both had spent but that didn’t matter, she still felt guilty.

“Angel your back-hey why are you crying?” Bucky was excited when Martha had told him that the girls were back from their shopping spree, he rushed off upstairs excited to see what she had brought herself, his smile dropping when he sees her sitting on the edge of their bed staring out the many bags sitting in front of her with tears streaming down her cheeks.

“J-James I-I-I spent so much of your money I’m so sorry!”

“Angel, baby hey don’t cry. I don’t care about the money! As long as you had fun and you love the things you got that’s all that matters to me”

“I-it was a lot of money though James”

“It’s okay I promise you, did you have fun?”

“But-“

“Did you?”

“Yes…”

“Then that’s all that matters, why don’t you show me what you got?” He asked with a smile.

Nodding and wiping her cheeks with the sleeve of her his jumper, pulling one of the bags closer to them she begins pulling the clothes out and handing them to him. Oblivious to what Bucky was originally asking for.

Not that he says anything to correct her.

When it gets to showing her the shoes she had gotten he silently thanked Wanda for getting her so more shoes as the only pair Theo had were nearly falling apart from years of usage. Then she started to blush violently as the only two bags left contained bras and underwear. The only things in the bag she was okay showing was the many pairs of socks.

Wanda had noticed that the only bra Theo had was small for her, she had the woman at the store do a correct measurement. “Wa-Wanda said I needed some new… you know… underwear”

“I won’t ask you to show me them, don’t worry. But everything else you got is beautiful baby”

“I got socks” she smiled shyly, slightly feeling silly for being excited to show them to him. Bucky smiled and held one pack after another as she hands them to him. There was only one pack that was plain black, the others were bright and colourful with different patterns and some had cartoons on them.

That’s when it hit him. The jacket he got her.

“I forgot that I had got you something when we went shopping together-“ he says jumping up and moving across the room to the wardrobe “I didn’t know if you would like it at first but seeing what you’ve got, I-I think I did good” handing over the jacket he watched her fingers trace over the stitching on the elbows.

“I-thank you James, I l-love it”

“Do you really?”

“I do, thank you”

“I got you something else, I saw you touching it a-and the way your eyes lit up… anyway here” he hands over the bag and watches her open it. Slowly pulling out the rugged bear with a missing ear her eyes went wide before pulling the bear into her chest. “Do you li-baby a-are you crying?”

“I-it’s mine”

“I know I go-“

“It’s mine Bucky look” showing the bear to Bucky she shows the love heart stitched into the teddies chest. How it missed it is lost on him. On the heart says ‘To my sweetest Theodora. Love your mama always’ hand sewn in white treading. “M-my father said that my mama had the bear when she was a child a-and when she found out she was pregnant with me she stitched the love heart then when she knew I was a girl she had already picked a name out for me. I-I lost Tabby when I was six, I couldn’t find him anywhere”

“You named him Tabby?”

“Yeah, silly I kn-“

“It’s not silly Theo”

“I got him back thanks to you” she smiles up to him.

“You got him back” Bucky mimics her smile.

Theo had always wondered with her bear went though she thought it was probably Eliza’s doing by getting rid of him but she was just six years old so she couldn’t exactly accuse Eliza of doing something that Theo had no proof of doing. But now it didn’t matter as her beloved teddy was back in her arms, the only thing that she had from her mum, the mum that she never met.

And it was all thanks to Bucky.

Seven o’clock arrived quicker than any of them hoped. Steve, Sam, Nat and Wanda were forced to attend the dinner, none of them liked George and though they didn’t know Michael or Eliza, they didn’t like them. They wasn’t stupid when it came to why Theo was timid, they definitely had something to do with it.

Bucky was confused when he walked in the bedroom to see Theo standing there wearing an all-black outfit. He stuttered trying to explain that she was to eat with them and not to be waiting on them like she thought. His heart clenched when she asked if he was sure that she was invited, telling her that she was she gave him a questioning look, so unsure of herself with what to do next.

Theo paced up and down the bedroom floor muttering to herself worrying about what to wear, Bucky told her to wear whatever she was comfortable with, that didn’t help. Not when he wore a light grey suit.

When the knock on the bedroom door pulled her away from her worrying Wanda walked in “okay so I have this dress and this one, which one do you like?”

“I-I don’t know”

“Well try them on and see which one you like better, okay?”

Nodding she takes the dresses out of Wanda’s hands thanking her she shuts the bathroom door behind her. The first one was black with spaghetti straps-absolutely not. Taking it off as quickly as she could she pulled the second one on, dark red in colour with laced sleeves and that went to her knees. Finally gaining the courage to look herself in the mirror she shocked herself by smiling at her reflection.

She liked it.

A lot.

“I-I like this one” Theo says stepping out of the bathroom to where her redheaded friend was waiting in the bedroom.

“Theo…”

“Does it look bad? It looks ba-“

“You’re stunning”

“Don’t lie ple-“

“I’m not lying Theo, I swear”

“D-do you think Bucky would l-like it?” Theo asked blushing.

“Yes” came Wanda’s fast reply. She knew Bucky was going to love seeing the dress on her.

Nat comes in and helps Wanda doing Theo’s hair, talked about putting makeup on her but stopped when Theo looked really uncomfortable by the idea of wearing makeup. Both women complemented her on the fact she didn’t need it in the first place.

Slipping on some black flats she felt stupid by standing next to the two redheads who were dressed glamorously, light makeup on their beautiful faces, heels that made their legs look like they went on forever.

She didn’t fit. She didn’t fit in this lifestyle like her new friends or her father’s daughters. She was the odd one out once again. She didn’t belong at her father’s home or Bucky’s. She didn’t fit in her father’s family or with Bucky’s.

Before the tears could begin to fill her eyes the bedroom door came back open revealing Bucky who remained frozen in the doorway. Wanda had to stop Theo’s hands from pulling the dress further down or run her fingers through her short hair as Bucky’s lack of reaction was making her more unsure of herself.

“Angel… you’re beautiful, I-god-you’re so pretty” his bright blue eyes slowly moved up and down her figure taking in the curves that she had been keeping hidden away by wearing baggy clothes.

“I-“ she slams her lips shut just in time from asking him if she was, because he definitely wasn’t saying it to her. “You look handsome”

Giving her a kiss he informs her that their guests were on their way, he hated it just as much as she did. Bucky preferred if he had never saw any of the them again, aside from his ma.

“Come on my love, let’s get this over and done with” he whispers as the knock on the door reveals the arrival of the four so called parents.

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Tags: @sapphirebarnes @bellabarnes1378 @unaxv @skulliecadaver-blog @mrsnikstan @sebastians-love @pattiemac1 @julvrs @undf-stuff

[saltysultry]

Untouched: Part Two

Pastor Lemuel Childs x OC

Synopsis: Pastor Childs has been lost this past year after what his family and the parish went through. But when a young woman comes into town, aimless and without guidance, the Pastor takes it upon himself to be her shepherd, and lead her out of the darkness... And into his arms.

Warnings: older man x young woman, religious exploitation (kinda), religious trauma, eventual smut, angst, OC is a virgin, Pastor Childs is not a great person but he sure is hot as hell, I apologize for any spelling errors

@justme12200 @its-in-the-woods @hiddlebatchedloki

Word count: 5.5k

Lemuel hung back after the service, thanking everyone for coming and catching up with some parishioners while Virginia waited outside the church. She was still reeling from the emotions that had flowed through her during the service. It was a rush unlike anything else and Lemuel was there at the center of it all, guiding her through the motions with a steady hand.

“Alright, let’s close ‘er up.” Lemuel appeared at the exit with Hank and a girl no older than eighteen with long brown hair and dressed in a puffy coat. She slid the church door shut and locked it. “G’night Hank, see ya ‘round.” The two men shook hands and Hank bid the other three goodnight.

Virginia was lost in thought when Lemuel touched her elbow, bringing her back into reality. “You alright there?”

“That was an incredible service, Pastor.” Virginia said.

Lemuel smiled proudly, looking down at the muddy ground beneath him. Was he blushing? “Well, thank you, Miss Godwin. Before we head home, I wanted you to meet Dilly.”

“It’s nice to see a fresh face at service.” The young girl said with a polite smile. “You’re new to town?”

Was this girl Lemuel’s daughter? She was young enough but it was strange that Lemuel hadn’t mentioned her already. 

“Yes, Joshua Godwin was my uncle. I inherited his house and your pastor was kind enough to invite me to your church.” Virginia said, extending her hand out to Dilly, who bashfully took it and shook it. “Call me Virginia.”

“Alright, Virginia.” Dilly repeated, looking between the newcomer and her pastor. “Well, we best get home for dinner. I prepared chicken.”

“I told Dilly you was joining us for dinner. She’s spoiling you.” Lemuel said before the trio made their way to his truck. 

Dilly rode between Lemuel and Virginia, awkward and quiet. She seemed nice enough, but there was something that put the girl on edge. Virginia wondered if it was her presence, maybe it was Lemuel, who seemed to put off other members of the community. She still didn’t know the relationship between Dilly and Lemuel. Father and daughter or husband and… Really young wife? Virginia had met couples with extreme age differences when they belonged to remote churches.

They arrived in under five minutes, pulling up to a house in a clearing. Inside, it was rather normal-looking. It had all the comforts of home, was well lived-in, and neat. Dilly excused herself to the kitchen quickly, leaving Lemuel and Virginia alone in the living room.

“I’m real pleased you enjoyed the service, Miss Godwin.” He said, taking a seat on his armchair while Virginia took the couch. 

“I had never felt so close to… I don’t know, it was as if God’s arms were lifting me up.”

“You felt the presence of the Holy Ghost.” Lemuel said. “He’s always there, you just need to look for him and let him in. You let him in.”

“I did.” Virginia smiled. “The others really respond to you well.”

“It ain’t about me, though.” Lemuel affirmed. “It’s about the Lord and their relationship with him. I only guide those who seek guidance.”

A stranger in a new place, far from home and without any family to go to, all Virginia wanted was some guidance. And ever since he had come to her rescue that night on the road, it seemed that the Lord was telling Lemuel that he was meant to guide her to him, into his parish and at his table. A lost sheep in need of a shepherd. 

Lemuel hadn’t forgotten her when he preached to the congregation. He saw her as she raised her arms up, praising Jesus’ name and welcoming him into her heart. She had gripped at her own chest, hand over her heart while she whispered her praises. He couldn’t deny, she looked so beautiful in the dim light of the church. So alive. So vibrant. 

“She your daughter?” Virginia asked. 

She hadn’t noticed any photographs of Dilly anywhere in the house. In fact, there were barely any picture frames, just crosses, clocks, and paintings. Nothing that indicated family. 

Lemuel sighed, leaning over with his elbows resting on his knees. Virginia didn’t know she had asked a touchy question, but he understood why she assumed as such.

“She’s my ward. Her mama ran out on her ‘bout a year ago. She was alone for a month before I took her in.” Lemuel said. “Her mama don’t know what she left behind.”

“Poor thing.” Virginia frowned. 

The more Virginia learned about Lemuel, the more fascinating he became. He was a generous man who took those who needed help under his wing. He was also brave, or stupid, enough to handle poisonous snakes on the regular and firmly believed in God’s will. He was tough as much as he was tender. Much like God’s love, Lemuel instilled both hope and fear within Virginia.

“Tell me about your family.” Lemuel said, changing the subject. “You close with your folks?”

“Haven’t spoken to my folks in years, not even at uncle Joshua’s funeral.” She said, leaning back against the couch. “My father left my mother when I was ‘bout five, and she, well, she was a God-fearing woman. Ain’t nothing wrong with that, but she…” 

Lemuel listened closely, watching as Virginia’s face furrowed then rested then furrowed again.

“My mother had her own ways of expressing faith.” Virginia spoke slowly, taking care with how she revealed her past to the pastor. “It often resulted in physical correction.”

“Your mama beat you.” Lemuel said plainly.

Virginia’s mouth tightened into a straight line. She nodded, breathing in heavily through her nose. Suddenly, the room was hot. Virginia’s struggle with finding her faith was made all the more clearer to the pastor. He didn’t blame her for her aimless wandering, especially now after learning of her history. 

Lemuel himself believed in correcting children, but to strike a child often enough to instill a fear far greater than love wasn’t Christ-like. “I’m sorry that happened to you.”

Virginia sniffled, fighting back the tears. She didn’t want to cry, especially not now in Lemuel’s home. She hated crying in front of people, especially those she barely knew longer than a day. 

“I used to think that whenever she swung her Bible at me, the scripture would knock itself into my skin.” She admitted. “Mother said everything that happened was the Lord’s will. So, if she was hitting me, it was because God wanted me to be hit.”

“Your mama forgot that man was given free will and that our actions are sometimes just our own.” Lemuel commented. “No child deserves to live in fear of their mama.”

Virginia was surprised by the pastor’s words. Most religious types, especially ones as serious as Lemuel, were quick to excuse such behavior. Claiming that her abuse was meant to strengthen her, test her faith, and make her a stronger believer. Lemuel validating her frustration against her mother lifted her spirit all the more. 

“Mothers…” Virginia chuckled, making Lemuel smile. “Anyways, I ain’t spoken with her since I was eighteen. She didn’t wanna talk to me anymore.”

“Blood’s meant to be with blood.” Lemuel said. “But given she chose to abandon you, just like Dilly’s mama, you’re now destined to search for your own kin. That’s a hard road to journey down.”

Virginia didn’t know what family meant anymore. It was a strange, foreign word to her. Was it an affectionate term that implied anyone who stuck together was a unit? Or was it simply biological? Was it both? 

“I would like to belong somewhere, Pastor.” She confessed softly, looking down at her hands which were folded in her lap. “I’d like to find my own tribe.”

Lemuel felt moved enough to stand from his chair and go to Virginia. He knelt down in front of her and took her hands in his, looking up at the sad, lonely woman. She stared back at him, waiting for something to happen.

“God has brought you to us, Virginia Godwin. It was by his hand that you were delivered to this mountain and into our lives.” He told her, squeezing her hands. 

“Pastor…” She breathed, looking into his hazel eyes. 

She believed that was to be her lot in life, to be lonely and without a family. Virginia had accepted her uncle’s house without question because at least it meant a step in any direction away from where she was before. And now, she was in Lemuel’s home, with him on his knees, asking her, no, telling her that she should stay because she belonged. 

Virginia could’ve sworn his eyes drifted down for a second. 

“I want to belong.” She whispered, rogue tears streaming down her cheeks. The pastor wiped them away with the pad of his thumb, making Virginia freeze from the intimate touch. 

“A lost sheep in need of a shepherd.” He told her with a sad smile. 

If Virginia had given into herself, let her heart pull her forward and into Lemuel, she would’ve kissed him. But she didn’t. She just let him hold her hands and look at her. 

He brought her to the dinner table where Dilly served them chicken and sweet potatoes, ignorant of the change between them. The trio joined hands and Lemuel said grace. During dinner, Dilly filled the silence by speaking of her excitement for graduating high school, the first in her family to get a diploma of any kind. Lemuel said some words of encouragement every so often, as did Virginia, but in truth, the pair was thinking about Virginia’s future.

She had a choice to make. Virginia very much wanted to belong somewhere, and with Lemuel voicing so much faith in her, it was hard to consider the alternative. But then came the question that plagued Virginia when she went home and lay awake in bed. Would she be choosing to become a Pentecostal because she was a genuine believer in their ways of worship? Or did she just not want to be alone anymore?

Or maybe it was simply Lemuel.

The next morning, Virginia went grocery shopping at the local market, saying hello to familiar faces that she had met the previous night at worship. Not too long ago, she was a mere stranger not worth saying anything more than “good morning” or “my condolences” to. Now, she was a welcomed woman. Virginia learned that morning that Lemuel’s approval of her held weight with the parishioners.

Only two days in town and Virginia was already in so deep. She began to worry that there wasn’t a decision to be made after all but acceptance of the inevitable. That she was destined to become one of them just as Lemuel said the previous night. 

I want to belong, Lemuel.

The next few days were spent sprucing up the house, making it seem like an actual human being lived in it. She put up paintings, bought a coffee table, and even found a cute vintage tea set at the antique store for her dining table. Virginia hoped that by being away from Lemuel and having more time to settle by herself, she would feel more decisive about what to do. 

As lonely as she felt, Virginia wasn’t entirely afraid of being alone. She enjoyed having her own space and freedom. But it made her all the more hungry for attention once a little was given to her.

As she knelt by her bedside and prayed, her thoughts drifted back to the service. 

“I’m still lost, Lord. I still feel like I’m wandering ‘round in the dark. I want to feel your presence the same way the others in this town do. And yet something’s keeping me from fully accepting their ways.” Virginia pondered, leaning her head against her neatly folded hands. ���I know I have no right to ask you of anything when my resolve has been weak. But please, Lord, help me decide what to do. Give me the strength to find out what it is I’m meant to live for.”

...

“Have you given some thought to our last conversation?”

Lemuel walked beside Virginia along the river bank. She was bundled up, her nose and cheeks rosy from the nipping cold. He wanted to show her where the congregation occasionally went when the service took place outdoors. There were logs and carved crosses in a small clearing underneath a canopy by the water, a beautiful place to preach.

“I’ve prayed on it.” She said, 

“Was starting to think you was avoiding me.” Lemuel confessed with a sheepish smile. “Thought maybe I scared you off.”

“You don’t scare me.” Virginia lied. In truth, Lemuel terrified her from how much power he held in his words. It made him all the more appealing to her, and incredibly dangerous. “Just wanted to look for answers on my own.”

“You’ve been looking on your own for years now, Miss Godwin.” Lemuel said. An honest statement, yet it stung Virginia. “Did you find what you was searching for?”

Virginia stopped in her tracks and looked down at her boots. Lemuel stopped beside her, waiting. “I think, what I believe…” She suddenly found herself incredibly shy. Virginia couldn’t even look up at the pastor. “I find it hard to say.”

Lemuel stepped closer, placing his hand on her shoulder. “I found you, Miss Godwin.” He said with a smile. “In the dark on the side of the road. God was guiding you to my hand so I could pull you out of the dark. I think that means something.”

Again, Lemuel was seducing her. He didn’t know what kind of an influence he had over Virginia. They barely knew each other, only had met less than a week ago, and yet there was a gravitational pull between them. 

He wanted to guide and Virginia wanted to be guided. 

“Lemuel… This is all so fast for me. I mean, I don’t know how things are done here.” Virginia said, finally looking up at him. “I’m not sure if I’m so deservin of what I want.”

“There are ways to tell if you are, Miss Godwin.” Lemuel said, reassuringly. “Let me take you to the church. Prove yourself to our Lord and then be baptized.”

Virginia’s heart sank into her stomach. She knew what he was implying. In his church, to prove one’s self was to face the serpent and pray that you’d be spared.

We respect them but we do not cower before them.

“If your intentions are pure, Christ will know and spare you from the serpent.” He said.

Intentions… Virginia wasn’t sure what her intentions were even now. All she knew was that she wanted to be wanted and Lemuel wanted her. Was that enough for Christ to accept her and spare her a painful bite from the snake? Was it pure enough? 

“I don’t know.”

Virginia wasn’t ready yet, so she left Lemuel at the river bank and went home, feeling defeated that she had let Pastor Childs down. She had failed to prove herself to God once again, just as her mother had predicted.  

Virginia was alone in her living room, wrapped in a quilt while she sat on her couch, thinking about her first week on the mountain. She missed the touch of Lemuel, his calloused hands holding hers while he told her how special she was. Just a few days with an older man who paid some attention to her and she was already spilling tears over him.

Am I really so pathetic? Virginia thought to herself. Am I really so inexperienced in the ways of the world that everything must confuse and scare me?

*Knock knock knock*

Virginia perked up from the couch and looked to the front door. Late at night, who could it have possibly been waiting on the other side? She knew no one in town except…

“It’s me.” 

Lemuel. Of course it was.

She wiped her tears away and walked slowly to the door, the quilt still wrapped around her shoulders as she opened it. Lemuel looked antsy, shivering in the cold.

“May I come inside?”

Virginia didn’t want to be rude, so she stepped aside and welcomed him in, closing the door behind him. “So, what d’you want, Pastor? You didn’t bring a snake, did you?”

“Not this time.” He joked. “I just wanted you to know that…” Lemuel paused, his head shaking in thought. “You don’t know what life’s been like for me and my church this past year. We’ve been praying for something good to come to our mountain. Then you came to us.”

Virginia almost laughed, sitting herself back down on the couch while Lemuel stood before her. “Don’t think I’m as special, Pastor.”

“You were an answer to our prayers.” Lemuel affirmed. “You’re whole, pure, and good-natured.”

“You don’t know me that well.” Virginia said coldly. 

“I know that you’re lost. It ain’t a sin to feel uncertain during hard times.” Lemuel continued, sitting down next to Virginia with his body turned towards her. She scooted back. “You was trying to tell me something by the river today. What was it?”

Virginia sighed, pulling her quilt closer to her body. “Your service moved me in ways I’ve never felt before and I felt that maybe, for the first time, I had found a place where I belong. But honestly, I’m not sure I’m ready.”

Lemuel understood that people were always hesitant to change their faith. It would be suspicious if she just did it without question. 

“What makes you hesitate?” He said, genuinely interested. “It ain’t just the snakes, is it?”

“No.” Virginia shook her head. “It’s you.”

Lemuel’s brow furrowed. “Me?”

“When I said you don’t scare me… I was lying. You frighten me.”

“Frighten you?” Lemuel tilted his head. 

“You could make me do whatever you wanted me to do just by using your words. I felt it during service, and again the other night at your house.” She shuddered at the memory of his thumb wiping away her tears. How much she wanted to kiss him. “If I were to join your congregation, it wouldn’t be out of pure intent. You understand what I’m saying?”

Lemuel leaned up, the truth settling into him. He did understand. He now knew why Virginia kept herself at a distance. It was out of restraint. He respected her self control. It was the Christian thing to do, to deny one’s self what one wants because they knew it was wrong to get it. But then Lemuel wondered… Was it really so wrong?

“I hear what you’re telling me, Miss Godwin.” He said, standing from the couch. “I only meant to be a spiritual guide for you-”

“And you didn’t mean to give me false hope, I understand.” Virginia interrupted.

“But, I have grown to have tender feelings towards you as well.” Lemuel finished with a look of uncertainty. He too was now afraid, afraid of his own heart. But being the Holy Ghost man he was, if he felt moved to speak, he would do so. “You’re right, I don’t know you well. But I feel I already understand you. I may be the shepherd of my parish, but I too have felt lost.”

Virginia watched him, surprised by his vulnerability. He looked different, as if his usual cool and certain demeanor had faded into a shell of defeat and confusion. Was this the real man underneath the mask of the preacher? Just as human as the rest of them? Just as flawed and sinful?

“You don’t know of my sins, Miss Godwin. What they cost me.” He continued, his fist clenching and unclenching, like he didn’t know if he should keep talking. “I had a wife once. And a daughter. So beautiful and full of spirit. And now they’re both gone. One gone to Heaven and the other to God knows where. Along with my grandchild.”

Grandchild? Virginia’s face fell. She couldn’t imagine the grief this man carried with him every second of the day. “I’m so sorry.”

“I let them down. I let Sister Slaughter down by nearly getting her son killed.” Lemuel said, his face contorting into an expression of anguish. “I told my daughter that once she left, she would never be welcomed back. I don’t know why I said that to her… I didn’t mean it.”

Virginia wondered if her mother felt the same way when she rejected her. That she actually regretted her words and actually wanted her to come back into her life. 

“I thought with Dilly, I would  do right by at least one soul who needs protection. Raise her in God’s love and keep her pure.” He was now fighting back tears, clenching his teeth as he continued. “But I know she’s hurting. She misses her mama, misses her best friend. I can’t help but feel like it won’t be long until she leaves too.”

Virginia pulled the quilt off her body and stood from the couch. She slowly approached him, her arms barely lifting by her sides to reach for him. She wasn’t so sure he wanted to be touched, but he didn’t seem to reject her sudden closeness. 

“So, hear me when I tell you I understand what it’s like to feel lost.” He said, looking down at the shorter woman, who stared back up at him, listening intently. “Because I do. I really really do.”

“When you said you believed God brought me here to this place… Did you mean God brought me here for you?” Virginia asked, their faces inches apart. 

Lemuel swallowed, his lips pressed into a thin line. They both knew the answer to that question.

“So, Pastor Childs… What happens now?” 

For once, Lemuel didn’t know what to do next. He knew he cared for Virginia. He still desired for her to convert to his faith. But now that she stood before him, still close to him even after he confessed his past to her, he felt compelled to.. To..

Lemuel closed the distance between them with an uncertain kiss, their lips meeting in a sloppy, unexpected clash. She didn’t back up or push him away. Instead, Virginia kissed him back, her arms reaching up and looping around his shoulders, pulling him in closer. 

He would’ve excused his actions as being moved by the Holy Spirit. It was what motivated anyone to do something so bold according to his faith. But in truth, it was Lemuel’s own desire to feel Virginia against him, assuring him that his wish to start over was real. That she was real.

To hell with everything else. She was brought here to me.

Lemuel held her face in his hands, tasting the flavor of her mouth, sweet and tart. Such a pretty young thing, so pure and lost, and she wanted him, an old man who drove his family away. 

He never felt handsome. Lemuel didn’t care about looks. God didn’t either as vanity was a sin. But when Virginia grabbed at him and held him tight, kissing him like he was the only thing that mattered, he felt beautiful. He felt needed, like he used to feel when his daughter Mara was around.

“You’re my shepherd, Pastor Childs?” Virginia whispered, breaking apart from his mouth with a trail of spit dangling between them. “Guide me.” She took Lemuel’s hand and placed it against her breast, next to her beating heart. 

Lemuel looked down at Virginia. She once looked so innocent and naive. Now before him stood a woman who knew what she wanted. And it scared him back into reality. 

Lust was a deadly sin and he had just given into his desires. He had done wrong by Virginia already, making her believe that they were just about to lay together. The idea that he, the town pastor, almost spoiled an unmarried woman made him sick. And at the same time, it excited him. 

“I can’t.” Lemuel retracted his hand and let Virginia go, backing away in shame. “We can’t, I-”

Virginia followed him. Lemuel raised a hand, stopping her. “But you kissed me, I thought-”

“To go even further would be…” He hung his head, angry with himself for acting so recklessly. “I’m sorry, Virginia. Please, forgive me.”

Before she could stop him, Lemuel turned and rushed out the front door. She didn’t embarrass herself by chasing after him, but Virginia still felt very foolish. 

She knew better than to expect a pastor to give into his desires. A man so used to denying himself the freedoms that others indulge in without fear of hellfire must’ve felt the flames licking at his heels when he kissed the young virgin. 

Virginia only hoped that their little accident wasn’t enough to deter him from wanting to see her. Because after that night, all she wanted to do was to be with him again. 

She dreamt of Lemuel again. He was touching her, kissing her, telling her all the dirty things she longed to hear in that rustic voice. It was sinful. It was pleasure. It was her forbidden fruit. And when Virginia woke from her dreams, she’d be in heat and in need of relief. 

It was shameful, working on herself while she thought of Lemuel. And she regretted it every time after she was finished. She knew that if she were brought before the serpent now, God would surely strike her down and send her to Hell. Virginia had been infected with the devil’s lust, a bitch in heat without a man to ravage her. She didn’t recognize herself anymore after that night, feeling as if she were blossoming into something new, something dark and twisted. Was this the evil her mother had warned her about all those years ago?

Lemuel had taken care to avoid running into Virginia when out and about. He confined himself to the church or wherever he was called upon for house visits. Distracting himself with his work, serving God and adoring Christ in his own way in an attempt to erase the memory of Virginia’s lips. 

Sometimes when reciting a sermon, Lemuel would feel a tightness in his chest. It was as if the Holy Spirit knew he was guilty, that he wasn’t worthy to preach to others the word of Christ when he himself had sinned severely. 

A kiss was a kiss, innocent enough that praying for forgiveness was enough to wash it away. It was the fact that Lemuel couldn’t stop thinking about it, that when he was alone at night, he thought of Virginia, naked and pale before him on his bed, opening herself up to him in a cloud of white and blue sheets, virginal and coy.

He imagined himself taking her softly and slowly, then roughly with vigor and abandon. He imagined himself thrusting into her, relishing her sweet moans before stifling them with a kiss. Then, Lemuel would open his eyes and see nothing but the dark ceiling above him, reminding him of his own solitude and that Virginia wasn’t there at all.

Virginia showed up to the next service, dressed modestly and outwardly demure. She didn’t sit up front like the first time but towards the back. Lemuel was grateful that she didn’t want to make a show of herself while he preached, for he was already struggling with simply existing within the same room as her. 

He even hesitated to open up the crate and bring the serpent out, fearing that God would surely have him bitten. Lemuel had thought about it every second of the day ever since he kissed Virginia.

But he wasn’t bitten. Lemuel was spared. The creature merely slithered up and down his arms and around his neck, docile and quiet before it was returned to its home. He swallowed and gasped after the service concluded, grateful for God’s mercy. 

Virginia remembered when Lemuel told her that facing the serpent was a way of proving oneself to God. Maybe this wasn’t an act of mercy but a sign of encouragement. Perhaps a blessing from God himself. She only hoped that Lemuel saw it that way too. But he didn’t say anything more than “thank you for coming” and “good night” after everyone left.

For three weeks their little dance of avoidance continued. The only time they would see the other was during service. And each time, Lemuel believed that that night would be the night the snake would bite. The snake never did. He was spared again and again. 

Over time, Virginia was slowly making her way towards the podium where Lemuel preached, and with every service, her fear of the beast weakened. Sometimes she felt like reaching out and touching the animal herself, feeling brave enough to invoke God’s judgment. If Lemuel was clean, then why couldn’t she be as well?

“It is natural that humans fear snakes. They are dangerous creatures, capable of harm, capable of killing. We know very well just how scary they can be.” Lemuel said on the fourth night. “But these material creatures are just that… Material. We can touch them, pick them up, cast them out and confine them in a crate. It’s easy to put away that which we can touch. We can stifle their rattle with walls and locks. 

“But the rattle within our souls, that’s hard to stifle. Even harder to confront. When we’ve done something wrong, be it a little white lie or a deadly sin… That is the devil rattling within us, trying to shake us up and lose our way. We cannot simply put that away in a crate and lock it up, hoping that by simply ignoring it, it’ll disappear.

“By confronting these rattles, we take power away from the devil. Because then we find our control and that’s what sets us on our path to redemption. And from redemption to paradise. Do you feel the rattle? Does it stir you up?” Lemuel addressed the congregation, which remained quiet. 

But then, a soft voice spoke from the very front.

“I feel it, sir.” Virginia said. Lemuel looked at her, his brow furrowed and mouth open in awe. “It’s rattling within me.” She stood from her seat, her hand over her heart.

Lemuel never felt this scared since Mara’s last night in the church. Virginia helped herself up to the stage and extended her hand out to the pastor, her expression dead serious. 

“A child of God… Is brought forth to us tonight.” He said. 

“He is calling.” Virginia said, her head held high as she looked into Lemuel’s hazel eyes. She seemed somehow more sure than he.

“Are you ready to submit yourself before the Holy Ghost?” He asked.

Virginia inhaled deeply through her nose, maintaining eye contact while she prepared herself for what was to come. “I am.” She said,

Lemuel prayed that no one else could see his shaky hands when he knelt down to the crate and opened it up.

Neither saw it, but Hope Slaughter was there in the middle of the congregation, clutching at her husband’s hand while they watched as Lemuel raised the snake out of its crate and held it out towards Virginia.

“Please, Lord.” Hope whispered, closing her eyes. “Please Lord, spare the child.”

Virginia looked at the creature as it slithered before her, its jet-black eyes peering up at her as its tongue wiggled out every now and then. For a dangerous animal, it was rather innocent looking. 

“Praise be to God.” Lemuel whispered as he handed over the animal. 

Virginia was surprised by how heavy it felt. Of course it was heavy, it was all muscle. The skin was rough and scaly but the warm coloring was beautiful.The serpent was slow and tame, a good sign for Lemuel. It started to venture up her arm, then to her shoulder where it stuck it’s tongue out, almost tickling the underside of her jaw. 

This isn’t so bad, Virginia thought to herself. It wasn’t quick or hostile like she thought most snakes were. 

Lemuel was pleased that she had remained so calm while handling the animal. It was funny, Virginia almost appeared natural with the thing around her neck. “Praise be, thank you, Jesus.” He whispered, admiring the scene before him.

The rest of the congregation raised their arms to the ceiling and whispered praises and “hallelujah” while Lemuel kept his focus on Virginia. The snake slithered up and down her arms before coiling itself comfortably in her hands, it’s head pointed right up at her face. 

She looked at the creature and smiled. Virginia smiled! She didn’t know why she did, but it felt right. Maybe she was thanking the snake for sparing her. Maybe she was rejoicing in God’s approval. Whatever the reason, she felt happy. 

Lemuel never saw a woman look so beautiful before.

“Praise be to God, we welcome new blood into our house of worship.” Lemuel announced to the congregation.

The others sang their praises and thanked Jesus for bringing another soul to them, blessing Virginia’s name. Lemuel gently pulled the snake off of her and returned it to its crate. She exhaled, relieved that it was over. Now, Lemuel was holding her hands again, just as she dreamed, and officially welcoming her as a new member of the Church of the Holy Ghost. 

Virginia Godwin was one of them now.

Notes: I apologize if the religious elements come off as inaccurate or weird. I did my own research as well as played off what was shown in the film, but if you're reading this and thinking "wtf this isn't right," that's why lol. If you wanna be added to the tag list, just lemme know! Thank you for the kind comments and reblogs, they're very much appreciated.

[forasecondtherewedwon]

It's Enough, It's Enough - chapter three

Fandom: My Lady Jane Pairing: Jane x Guildford Rating: M (may change) Chapter: 3 / 6

Summary: Five times Jane and Guildford pretend to have sex, and one time it’s for real.

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Jane gets a new title: wife. Then another: queen. She doesn’t know how to do either, how to be either. There doesn’t seem to be room for herself anymore, just Jane.

She’s been wanting to go home. It’s a confusing and indistinct longing; none of the places she calls to mind give her comfort. Where is home? Bradgate House? Lord Dudley’s estate? The Dudley family seat, where she and Guildford spent their short time learning to distrust one another on top of their existing dislike? The palace, where she falls asleep in Edward’s bed and wakes in his robe? Actually, even being expected to be Jane and no one and nothing more feels impossible. All her thoughts are in conflict. All her moods contradict.

She doesn’t know how her cousin did this by himself. She and Guildford still seem far from understanding one another, and he’s only available to her while the sun is down, but she begins to rely on him without quite noting when it starts. They speak about matters of state while observed by the people who seem to be friends to the new queen, about fluff and petty gossip while observed by those she senses to be enemies, about an Ethian cure when it’s just the two of them, and all she really wants to say to him is, What are we?

Besides two people no longer permitted to live for themselves, she would mean by the question.

Besides the loneliest people in England, but lonely together.

Jane thinks of Guildford as an ally she wants to kiss all the time. As soon as they’re within ten feet of each other. As soon as they’re in the same room. When they give in, she always stops it, or he does, and that’s for the best; do either of them know the person they’re offering to the other? With all the travel and the small matter of her blindsiding ascension to the throne, they aren’t much better than strangers. (Except she knows what his engorged member feels like against her abdomen and that he’s secretly a horse.)

They haven’t again come as close to the thing they were supposed to have done that night since that night. Meaning they haven’t fucked. Which is probably wise given… throne, horse, attempted murder, etcetera. Jane believes she could ignore her marital duties entirely in order to attend to her even more vertigo-inducing queenly duties, if not for those two times she and Guildford pretended. The trouble is, she knows just enough (her legs against his, his hands on her hips) to want to know much more (her hands on his rear, his manhood inside her). But it’s not a thing you can rush, she thinks, bedding ceremony be damned.

She doesn’t need actual sex to feel loyal to him, protective of him, or scared for him. She realizes the new depth of her feelings for Guildford all at once upon overhearing Lord Seymour’s plan to go out to the stables at dusk. He doesn’t seem to suspect the truth—and, really, who could guess at it?—but hopes to corner Guildford when he returns from wherever he goes during the day. The thought of Seymour witnessing her husband’s transformation sends Jane into a panic, but she quells it. She has to.

Fortunately, she’s able to get away from the palace by early evening. She tells her ladies she’s tired of being in company. She lets her counsellors believe the political discussion is smothering her female brain and she must take the air. In the stables, Rupert keeps her company awhile, correctly judging her to be restless and upset, before gifting her her solitude until Guildford arrives. Her husband’s is the only company she wants.

The sun slips low, and Jane realizes Guildford might walk back into the stables as a man, after nightfall, rather than returning as a horse before dark. That outcome would be met with its own set of consequences. She begins devising ways of preventing Seymour from seeing Guildford strolling up out of nowhere, but they’re pointless when her husband comes trotting through the far side of the barn, undeniably equine.

“There you are!” she says.

Her horse-husband seems spooked by the anxiety in her voice, so she makes an effort to control it, quickly filling him in on the situation at hand. Too soon, Guildford’s ears prick up. Jane hears it too: whistling. Specifically, the chipper whistling of a repugnant, power-hungry man who’s giddy at the thought of getting someone he doesn’t like into very bad trouble.

“What are we going to do?” Jane demands of her horse-husband.

Guildford flicks his head, tossing his mane. She interprets this as a shoulder shrug and scowls at him. Right away, she feels bad about it; he might be equally irritated with her on the inside, but on the outside, he has big, gentle eyes that guilt her into a muttered “Sorry.”

The answer that comes to her is outrageous, but these are outrageous circumstances—she’s merely adapting, as she has done every single day since her mother informed her she would be getting married.

The whistling is very near when Jane slams her back into the closed door of the stables and releases an exaggerated sound of pleasure. Sorry, she repeats to her horse-husband, just with her eyes this time. But it’s worked—Seymour’s steps have come to a stop. Because he isn’t leaving, she makes the noise again, then looks at her companion and shrugs. Guildford answers her with another head toss. She wishes one of them could go check to see the effect this is having on Seymour, but she’s afraid Seymour’s too near the door for her to risk a peek, and Guildford’s a little too conspicuous in his current form to go creeping out the back and around the side of the stables.

Guildford twitches his head forward, appearing to urge her on. Fine then. Once more.

Jane moans loudly, but when there’s still no indication that Seymour is retreating to the palace, she understands it isn’t enough. The problem is that he doesn’t know it’s them. Well, her, but an implied them. To amend this, Jane follows the noise with a well-enunciated, “Guildford!”

There’s an uncertain shuffle outside the door. More! She has to do more!

“Guildford, we’ve been making love for hours! What am I to say the next time I’m asked how you spend your days?!”

And she moans again—after a pause to suggest Guildford’s decidedly physical riposte to that question.

Finally, she hears Seymour walk away, muttering about their pathetically boring sex life, wondering what the point is without the threat of genuine agony. She thanks her Protestant God for Seymour’s dark tastes, because the last light of day is glowing dimly through the cracks in the door.

With a sigh, Jane sinks onto the edge of the bed Guildford keeps out here. It’s only a minute or two before he changes form, stumbling forward as the man she met at the tavern, the altar, the opposite side of a heavily watched bed. Like all those times before, she can’t tell what he’s thinking. She waits for him to speak—to reassure her sense that she handled that well or to tell her what she should have done instead (at which point they’ll argue, as they do)—but he’s quiet.

“He’s gone,” she says.

And he says, “Yes.”

“He believed we were in here,” Jane continues, going a step further, making an assumption, seeing whether Guildford will say it’s an incorrect one.

“So it seemed.”

She waits. Again. Finally, he must feel prompted by her eyes, though he’s kept his face turned away from her since transforming.

“You don’t have to protect me,” he says.

“Can you possibly be in earnest?!” she retorts, rising to her feet. “Had I done nothing, Seymour would have been in here waiting for you! He might have tied you up in your other form and seen you change!”

“Jane, Jane, you misunderstand.” Guildford makes a gentling motion and approaches her, but she’s too angry to be calmed. If her methods hadn’t worked, he would have been either taken from her for imprisonment and later execution or killed on the spot. Thereafter would she have been charged, tried, and executed for marrying an Ethian. Their families would have gone the same way. Also, the crown would have, in all probability, gone to Mary, much the worse for the whole kingdom. But it would not have been the whole kingdom she’d have been wishing she could have protected in her final moments at the execution block.

“No,” she says, “you—”

“I mean that you do anyway!” he cries out, cutting her off. “You don’t have to protect me, but you do! I am the reason you’re in enormous danger.”

Jane shakes her head.

“I’m in danger regardless.”

“But you care! You care, not just for yourself! I can see it as clear as… as clear as day.”

She doesn’t know what to say. He’s touched by what she’s done, and he’s let her see that. They stand there somewhat awkwardly.

“Do you think anyone would notice if I had Seymour murdered?” she jokes tentatively.

“Notice? Yes. Whether they would mind is another story,” Guildford muses, making Jane smile. “I’ve certainly indulged in fantasies of kicking him in the head.”

“As a horse?”

“Naturally.”

He smirks at her.

“Well,” she says, taking a step towards the door.

“Speaking of fantasies,” Guildford says quickly.

Jane freezes.

“Where did all that come from?”

“What?” she asks.

He gives her a flat, unimpressed look.

“The performance you just put on for Seymour. How did you think of it?”

“It’s nothing we haven’t done before,” she says defensively.

Guildford raises his eyebrows. Blushing, Jane realizes he won’t let the subject drop until she spells it out.

“Faking our marital obligations for our own protection!”

“No,” he says. “I get that part. What I don’t understand is why you… how you…”

Oh. He’s blushing now. This is interesting. She’s not sure she’s ever seen his face go red before, except with an excess of drink or the exertions of defending himself against assassins. Neither of those is the case now. Feeling ruthless after being put on the back foot, Jane crosses her arms and stares her husband down.

“Where did those sounds come from?” he blurts.

Alright, no, she should have fled before. Her palms go damp against her brocade sleeves.

“I know what sexual pleasure sounds like,” Jane says primly, chin lifted and cheeks redder than ever.

“What were you thinking of?” Guildford inquires lightly, though his eyes speak of a more intense curiosity. He’s still blushing, but where her blush springs from discomfort, she has a sudden hunch that his is all desire. There’s an answer he wants to hear. He’s hoping, she guesses, that her passionate cries arose from the memory of their rushed kissing, or even the night of their false consummations. He wants to hear that these sounds were inspired by him, though trapped in her then out of wrongness and self-denial. He’d just love to think that only he could be the source of such sounds, wouldn’t he? What a shame she’ll have to disappoint him.

“Nothing outside the present moment,” she swears. “I’ve drawn those sounds from myself dozens of times. They were as easy to recall as the words of a favourite song.”

“From yourself?”

“Yes.”

She backs away from him on shaky legs because doesn’t look disappointed by her answer at all. He looks… he looks…

Jane’s back is against the door, and Guildford is close, much closer than ten feet, and it’s gotten dark so quickly, but there’s a lantern with a burning candle, and the place feels safe and secluded and expectantly hushed. Beneath Guildford’s doublet, his shirt is unlaced at the throat. She’s staring. She forces her gaze up to his eyes.

He brushes a strand of hair off her cheek and breathes a single word: “When?”

Just kiss me, Jane thinks. It would be simpler, easier, than sifting her brain for the words to say back, and then pushing those words across her tongue and out of her mouth for him to hear. Kissing has served their purposes so far. It’s just the thing to stop, start, and avoid conversations they’re too stubborn or cowardly to have. The more they admit, the more they confide, the more pieces of themselves they’ll have to tidy neatly away when they get divorced and none of what happened between them matters. Desire is one thing, but they’re only using each other, right? To please their parents, for independence, for protection, for companionship, for… admittedly a growing list of needs. And the more they need each other for, the more they seem capable of fulfilling each other’s needs. Which is just so messy, she decides, and why it’s better to kiss than speak, to not give anything else away…

“Since you met me?” Guildford asks.

“Yes.”

His eyes are on her mouth, his lips nearly touching hers.

“Since we married?”

“Yes,” she sighs. She can feel the heat of his body through his black leather and velvet. He must have been running before he returned to the stables.

“Do you think about me?”

Heart pounding, Jane fumbles for the latch and swings the door open. Her escape hardly feels like one. Guildford can follow if he’d like to. He probably will. He’s more than welcome on the grounds, in the palace, in her chambers. She wants him there, in fact. She always does. All she needs right now is a head start, so she can cool her skin and her thoughts.

Although there was nothing he could teach her about handling a blade that she didn’t already know, she wishes she’d asked him for instruction on how to not answer his questions as well as he once refused to answer hers. She succeeded on his last question, but barely. Everything in her quivered with longing. Yes, Jane would’ve said in another second against that door. Yes, I make those sounds when I think of you.

[enchantedchocolatebars]

A Winsome Witch And A Happy Human Chapter 4: (Original Spinet Theme)

Written by 💕 enchantedchocolatebars 🍫 (me lol).

Chapter 1 here.

Chapter 2 here.

Chapter 3 here.

Commission cover art here.

Cover art poll here.

Chapter titles here.

Chapter 4 snippet here.

Thank you, @talisman975, for reading the parts of the chapter that I shared with you, as well as sharing your thoughts.

Tagging: @pokeycub

Enjoy ! <3

Heavy rainfall pelted down from the darkened skies on a Sunday in the Connecticut town of Gravesfield as a husband and wife were inside their home, enjoying each other's company, their love untouched by the storm brewing outside.

"Hello, little gentleman," Cadman said in a gentle tone, greeting and accepting the little blonde bundle that his wife placed in his arms.

"Look at that little face of yours," the brunette man commented with a chuckle, brushing aside the tiny, developing lock of hair growing above his son's forehead.

"You're already maturing into a handsome young man." Cadman soon pressed a kiss on Caleb's brow.

Even though Caleb was a bit of a handful, he was still a welcomed addition to the Wittebane family.

Cadman was content with holding and singing small songs to Caleb when he wasn't too exhausted, even if Caleb sometimes fussed.

After a significant amount of trial and error, the father found that carving small gifts or taking his son outside to observe the cardinals perched on tree branches were the most effective methods of soothing him.

Patience, who was about to give birth to another child in eight months, smiled at the two and kissed both of their cheeks before gazing down at Caleb.

"You're going to have a little brother to love, play with, and take care of when you're older, Caleb. Isn't that going to be so much fun?" the blonde mother asked.

Caleb gurgled excited baby noises at that news, causing both of his parents to laugh.

The blonde was already a very lively and cheerful boy at only 5 months old.

...

Small, dotted eyes that are cornflower blue slowly begin to open as Baby Philip witnesses the faces of his father and brother for the first time while being held gently by his mother as she sat up in bed, her back against her pillow.

As all three members of his family cast their warm, sunny smiles down on him, Philip reacts to the love he's receiving like a flower.

His small smile grows immensely as his little baby hands reach up without hurry to touch his parents and brother, which causes them to roar with hearty laughter.

A montage commences as the laughter in the room transitions to the start of this song.

...

As Kid Philip bolts into his shared bedroom, Caleb follows behind him at a slower speed, wielding a quill in his left hand.

The brunette proceeded to press his back against the wall behind his room door as he stood up straight, smiling fondly at his brother as he looked forward, sweet blue eyes gazing into warm brown ones.

Caleb, smiling back at his younger sibling, placed the pen horizontally above Philip's head, its tip facing the wall.

Moving the tip across the wall, the blonde creates a short, straight mark over Philip's head.

After Philip steps away from the wall, Caleb begins to record both his brother's height and age on it, with his height being written on the left side of the mark while his age is written on the right.

4. 5 feet - five-years-old

…

The early summer sun shone brightly in the afternoon sky, casting warmth across the atmosphere as Caleb cheerfully assisted his mother in churning butter on their farm, her hands over his as they cranked away at the churner.

Chirp-chirp-chee!

As Caleb gazes at the trees on the other side of the farm, believing that's where the chirps came from, the short, soft trills continue as a bird with vibrant red plumage flutters down and finds a comfortable spot to perch on.

Chrip!

Looking to his collarbone, Caleb spots a small male cardinal on his shoulder as he beams, brown eyes filled with excitement and wonder at the northern bird.

Patience gave a small, sweet laugh at her son's excitement, smiling fondly at both him and the cute little cardinal that he had.

She moves her hand over to gently pat the bird's head with her finger, being careful not to mess up his smashing hairdo.

…

The churned butter is quickly incorporated into a combination of wet and dry ingredients to create a cake topped with strawberries for Philip's 6th birthday, which is quietly celebrated in secret among the family.

…

Philip and his father exited a shop on All Hallows' Eve as the full moon illuminated the dark night sky.

The new carving knife Cadman had purchased to carve pumpkins at home with his boys was put in his pocket.

The two then heard a chorus of slow, lifeless moans coming from behind them and stopped in their tracks.

Cadman and Philip felt danger approaching as they slowly turned around and saw dozens of undeceased "witches" who had emerged from the dead, clearly seeking vengeance for their unjustified killings.

They were lumbering forward toward, in their eyes, two living sacks of human flesh that they planned to bite and have join in on their revenge crusade.

With wide eyes and a pounding heart, Cadman's instincts to protect his child quickly kicked in as he grabbed Philip's hand and soon bolted away from the pale green fiends.

Seconds later, Philip charges back at the death-dealing savages with his wooden sword, ready to send them all back to Heck where they belong, only for Cadman to bolt back after him.

Hurriedly snatching his son back with his right arm, Cadman takes off out of town, carrying Philip under his arm to prevent him from fleeing again.

…

With his boots and farm attire on, Cadman was ready to harvest his November crops.

His wife pulled out his brown leather hat from behind her back, placed it on his head, and planted a gentle kiss above his brow.

…

Cadman started cutting his crop stalks at a faster pace with his sickle as dark clouds surrounded the sky, not paying close attention to the sharp metal blade of his tool.

While working, he suddenly felt a sharp pain in his abdomen, and the agonizing scream he exclaimed pierced the air.

As he slowly raised the hand he used to clutch his stomach, he noticed a dark crimson stain on his hand and quickly went wide-eyed.

He had a horrific look on his face as lightning flashed across the sky.

It was clear to him that his accidental cut could lead to more serious complications if he didn't return home promptly and have his wife take care of it.

As he stood, he made an effort to move quickly, but his injury was causing him to stumble while hobbling.

…

The furious storm continued into the night as Patience rested back in her rocking chair, reading a Bible story to her boys as they both listened keenly, sitting criss-crossed on the rug.

An urgent and loud bang on the door startled the three as Patience set her husband's Bible down and went to answer it.

The shrill scream from their mother caught Philip and Caleb off guard as she quickly rushed past them.

She directed the two to remain where they were while she went to retrieve a dampened cloth.

Although the boys had no idea what was happening, the sound of their father moaning in pain made their fret visible on their faces.

…

The dark, dreary skies matched the sadness that was brewing in the air as an undertaker laid Cadman's body to rest.

Patience sobbed heavily into her hands, unable to watch her beloved being buried as she and her sons stood on the side.

During her crying, her boys begin to shed tears.

They both clutch the lower half of their mother's dress, tightly holding onto the fabric as she wraps her arms around them for comfort.

…

Patience found it difficult to adapt to widowhood and life as an independent mother, but it was something she had to endure.

She frequently blamed herself for the death of her husband.

However, the presence of her boys made things less dreadful for her.

Caleb and Philip consistently assisted Patience with household tasks and always knew how to make her smile.

…

When Patience fell ill to an unknown sickness, it was up to Caleb to take care of her since he was the oldest child, with Philip occasionally doing what he could to help.

With the house's finances becoming more scarce, Caleb struggled to bring down his mother's fever, only with a wet rag at his disposal as Patience became more and more ill with every passing day.

…

One day, when Philip arrived home with a sack of apples that Caleb had instructed him to buy, he heard a faint echo of crying.

The reverberation spread throughout the hallway.

When Philip neared the dining room, he saw his brother with his head down on the table, wailing almost grievingly.

As Caleb slowly raised his head, he saw Philip and felt the weight of everything weighing heavily on him.

He stood up and ran to hug his brother tightly.

Philip was able to quickly understand what had occurred based on Caleb's emotions and was unable to move.

When the sack fell from his grasp and hit the ground, apples tumbled onto the floor.

Caleb was embraced with the same level of tightness by Philip, who quietly cried in his brother's arms.

…

At least Cadman and Patience were now buried side by side, as both Philip and Caleb couldn't imagine the two being apart even in death.

…

The death of their parents made neither boy want to remain in the house, as it was not the same without Cadman and Patience present.

Not only did the atmosphere lack the love of their parents, but the house's structure was starting to break down as well.

They needed a new house to live in.

…

Before they set off on their search for a new home, Caleb went into the chicken coop and said goodbye to all the birds that came into contact with him while Philip went into the stables.

Approaching his favorite brown stallion, the two proceeded to have a heart-to-heart as Philip reached up and gently ran his hand through the horse's mane while the horse pushed his nose into his palm.

A hug was soon given by Philip as he wrapped one arm around the horse's neck.

…

While the two brothers were walking hand in hand through the woods, they came across a brown wooden cottage at the end of the woods.

The wood was slightly worn, and shutters were dangling from their hinges on the two front windows, as observed by both of them.

As Caleb contemplated whether or not he and Philip should enter the house, an enthusiastic Philip ran toward the cottage.

Surprised by the sudden action, Caleb followed after, catching up with his brother as they entered the house.

Based on its current weathered condition, the wooden house seemed to belong to no one.

Well, no one except for the Wittebanes now.

…

At night, Philip had trouble falling asleep in his shared room as he heard Caleb's muffled cries, the blonde quietly sobbing into his pillow.

Caleb's current state left Philip feeling sad and sympathetic, prompting him to turn his gaze to the ceiling, fold his hands, and silently pray for God to bring his brother joy again.

Subsequently, he thanks God for taking care of the souls of his parents while they are in heaven.

…

Caleb awakens Philip the next day with a smile and eagerly urges him to get out of bed.

He wants to mark his height on their wall.

4. 6 feet - eight-years-old

Philip's growth excites both him and his brother as they cheer.

Caleb lifts Philip up and spins him around with joy, while the brunette giggles in delight as the music and montage come to a satisfying end.

...

"It looks like you're getting taller and taller every day, Pip," Caleb remarked with a sunny smile as he finished cooking breakfast for his brother on the black cast iron skillet.

He used the remaining flour, eggs, milk, and sugar to make it.

"Mm-hm!" Philip happily hummed in agreement with Caleb while seated at the dining room table with a wooden plate in front of him.

"Someday, I may even grow taller than you, Caleb," the brunette claimed with a great deal of confidence as he casted a playful grin, and his eyes immediately lit up at the the pancake being slipped onto his plate.

The cake was lumpy, as Caleb's always were, but Philip still enjoyed them nonetheless.

The blonde began to chuckle as he walked over to the water bucket and placed the used skillet inside it.

Returning to the table with a small glass bottle of maple syrup from the cabinet, Caleb poured the remaining amount onto Philip's pancakes.

Upon seeing the sweet, golden syrup flowing down on his food, the youngest's lips started curling up.

However, he noticed two empty chairs at the table, which were the seats his parents could have been sitting in alongside him if they were still alive.

His head began to swell with memories of them making the mornings more lively as he sighed, gazing down at his lap.

Caleb quickly noticed his fading smile and stopped pouring.

Philip soon felt a comforting hand gently make contact with his shoulder and slowly looked up to see his brother shining a small, reassuring smile at him.

Philip attempted to generate a smile of his own to reciprocate but was unable to do so.

"What's wrong?" Caleb asked, setting the syrup bottle down and taking a seat next to Philip.

Philip was quiet.

"Is it about... them?"

Caleb was aware that the loss of both of their parents was a sensitive topic.

Philip nodded slowly.

"Yes, and also...," he softly said before pausing, tears welling up in the corner of his eyes.

"It's school," he admitted with a soft sniffle before continuing. "It's not the same without you, Caleb. Without you there, the other children don't seem to be fond of or interested in being around me."

The news he heard made the elder feel terrible as he looked at Philip's sad face.

Caleb's role as the household's breadwinner forced him to stop attending school and start working various jobs around town.

Working excessively made him feel fatigued, but it was for the benefit of Philip.

Caleb did his best to take care of his younger brother.

"I see...," the blonde said solemnly as he sighed but then managed to smile again.

"Hey, Philip," he began, wiping away his brother's fallen tears with his thumb.

"When you get back from school, let's play some of our favorite games together. I might even make you a surprise when I get back from working."

"Really?!" Philip gasped loudly as he sniffled, his smile reappearing on his face. "You promise?"

"I do," Caleb pledged, keeping his tone soft, as he and Philip proceeded to link their pinkies together.

...

"Are you all packed and ready for school, Pip?" Caleb asked Philip while standing at the front door with him.

Philip responded to the question with an energetic head nod while wearing his brown neck satchel.

He patted the bag twice with his left hand to indicate that everything he needed was inside it.

Caleb then quirked a brow and smirked with playful suspicion as he continued.

"You didn't include any dead birds or live snakes in your satchel, did you?"

Philip gave a simple smile before shaking his head.

"Philip..."

"I didn't!"

Behind his back, the brunette concealed his crossed fingers.

"I promise!"

Caleb smiled at his trustworthy little brother before opening the door, not feeling the need to check his satchel. "Good!"

He proceeded to embrace Philip tightly with love.

"Have a good day at school then," he whispered. "We'll see each other later."

The brunette hugged his brother back. "Okay, Caleb."

He hoped their hug would last forever, but as with all good things, it had to come to an end.

Once it did, Philip began his journey to school and turned to wave at Caleb.

"Bye, Caleb!"

Upon returning the wave, Caleb smiled. "Bye, Pip!"

Following Philip's departure, Caleb closed the door and headed for the stairs, needing to prepare for the busy day he knew he was going to have.

Knock, knock!

"Oh?"

Caleb proceeded to return to the door and opened it once again, believing that Philip must have forgotten something and came back to retrieve it.

On the opposite side, an older, familiar figure stood, gently holding a hen against his body.

He exhibited a lengthy white beard, tattered brown overalls, no shoes, and a brown hat that covered his bald head.

"Good morning!" Mr. Kookman chirped in a crackly and friendly tone, raising a hand up to greet Caleb while still maintaining a firm hold on his wife, Henrietta.

Yes, his wife.

She was a wonderful hen.

Mr. Kookman was the local kook and a neighbor to Caleb and Philip.

He resided inside the woods.

The man would frequently visit their doorstep to request essentials, such as...

"Could I borrow some spare breeches?" he politely asked as Henrietta clucked.

"Henrietta said good morning as well," Mr. Kookman informed Caleb with a chuckle.

"... Uh..." The blonde shifted awkwardly and rubbed the back of his head, shining a nervous smile.

He aspired to be polite, but at the same time, he was unsure about what to say.

...

Jesus Christ and one of his disciples, a name who went by the title 'The Witch Hunter Emperor', were casually mandering through a market.

The Emperor wore a large cape with white, brown, and gold trim under his Puritan attire, representing strength, righteousness, and purity.

As the two observed the fresh fruits and vegetables on display, the ground began to make slight movements, which soon became violent.

Citizens and sellers began to flee as panicked screams filled the air.

The shaking suddenly stopped, resulting in the appearance of a massive green serpant with small demon wings emerging from the ground.

The snake's menacing gaze is directed at Jesus and the Emperor, and it suddenly lunges at them.

...

"... And after they defeated the serpant with the power of prayer, Gravesfield is saved thanks to Jesus and his disciple, The Witch Hunter Emperor!"

Philip's smile beamed with sinless pride as he stood before his entire class, displaying his childlike journal illustration of Jesus and The Witch Hunter Emperor being tossed in the air by the cheering citizens for defeating the serpent.

"..."

The brunette was expecting a more boisterous reaction from his classmates rather than blank stares.

"Philip, can you explain what any of that has to do with the Ten Commandments?" his teacher asked with a tired sigh while sitting at her desk.

"Uh..." As Philip's smile slowly faded, his cheeks and ears blushed pink, and he turned away from the teacher's gaze and looked at the floor.

His tired teacher signed once more. "Go take your seat."

Philip quickly looked up. "But--,"

His teacher's sharp, sour expression instructed him to refrain from speaking back and immediately take his seat, which he did.

Despite some of his peers still choosing to look at him, Philip attempted to pay attention as another student was called up to the front.

...

After the teacher rang her handheld bell, the class was dismissed as students started to leave and go to the door.

As Madison was beginning to walk out of the school door...

"Hello, Madison!" A cheerful Philip did not hesitate to greet his crush as he popped his head up from the bush that grew on the left side of the school entrance.

He was intentionally waiting for her to come out after him so that he could ask her a question.

"Eee!" Madison's surprise was palpable as she quickly turned her attention to the bush on her left.

The redhead with her hair in a bun bonnet saw Philip.

"Philip?" she asked as she blinked a few times, wondering what the brunette was doing in the bush.

Philip nodded. "May I smell your hair?" he requested kindly with a smile.

His brother instilled in him the importance of using good manners.

"Uh... sure?" Madison told him tentatively as she leaned the side of her face forward, allowing Philip to get a whiff of her hair, despite his question to do so being odd.

Once he did, his face instantly lit up. "Madison, your hair! It smells so pretty!"

"Oh!" The compliment caused a bit of blush to appear on her cheeks as she smiled. "Thank you, Phil--"

"Did you take a bath?" Philip gave a smile as he thought his question was a flattering remark.

However, Madison didn't take it that way.

She let out an offended gasp, giving Philip a glare as she started to walk away, clearly upset by his choice of words.

"W-Wait!" Philip stammered as he stretched out his hand, not wanting Madison to go.

The redhead came to a stop on her leather shoes and turned around.

"What?" she growled with flushed cheeks, attempting to suppress her tears.

Philip opened his satchel and reached inside, grabbing the dead bird and living snake that were inside.

"L-Look! I have presents for you!" he shyly squeaked out as he smiled a nervous smile.

Madison's eyes widened at the two animals in his hands as she admitted a terrified shriek and quickly took off.

"You're weird!" she shouted while running.

Hearing those words echo in his head, Philip felt his heart split in two.

"Oh...," he softly said as he felt his shoulders and head drop, slowly letting go of the bird and snake.

...

Caleb walked along the path in the woods that would lead him to town.

'Alright then, Caleb,' he began to tell himself in his mind, his tone commanding and determined. 'Your first duty when you arrive in town is to help Mr. Town Minister.'

Caleb acknowledges what he mentally instructed himself to do with a nod.

Caleb's arrival in town triggers a montage of him working at his various jobs.

...

With buckets of soapy water and soaked sponges, Caleb and Mr. Town Minister started to remove the vandalism that was written all over the meeting house by an unknown witch.

The minister scrunched his brows and grumbled under his breath as he scrubbed away the impertinent insults that were written about him.

Meanwhile, Caleb had to bite his tongue to avoid laughing at the sentence that said, 'Mr. Town Minister is a doo-doo head'.

It could have all been inside Caleb's head, but he swore he could hear someone cackling a witch-like cackle in the distance, but he couldn't see them.

...

After the vandalism was removed, Mr. Town Minister thanked Caleb and presented him with his payment, which consisted of a basket containing a small pouch of coins.

...

An image of Caleb's basket slides down the scene, transitioning it to the town bakery.

Inside, Mrs. Doughberry hands Caleb a brown sack filled with expired baked goods and orders him to take them behind her shop to bury them.

Once that task is completed, his payment, a small slice of mildly sweet vanilla cake, is added to his basket as the scene transitions to Mr. Bartlett's horse barn.

Opening the stable doors while holding a pitchfork and bucket, Caleb's nose is immediately hit with the foul stench of horse manure.

He scrunches up his nose and grimaces, staying close to the wide, barn doors.

Although he didn't want to go inside, he knew he had to in order to continue sustaining his brother and himself, so he slowly entered and closed the doors behind him.

After the stables were free of manure and smelled a lot better, Mr. Bartlett dropped a small pouch stuffed with coins into Caleb's basket.

...

Caleb is seen resting his back against a tall tree in the center of the woods, using a scrub to gently brush the feathers of a calm Henrietta as she sat on his lap as if sitting on an egg.

Each brush stroke results in her releasing a soft cluck as she settles more into Caleb.

After the final scrub, Caleb walks over to Mr. Kookman and hands his wife over to him.

He beams and spins her with joy, taking note of her well-brushed feathers.

Tucking Henrietta under his arm, Mr. Kookman begins to take Caleb's payment out of his pocket.

Pulling out his basket from behind his back, the blonde receives a half-bitten woolen sock as his neighbor gives him a genuine smile.

Caleb smiles awkwardly at him, choosing to remain polite while thanking Mr. Kookman as the montage ends.

...

"Oh, Philip!"

Caleb was cheerful and upbeat as he opened the cottage door and stepped inside, holding his basket filled with earnings from a day of hard work as he closed the door.

Silence persisted in the air as the elder didn't receive a response.

'Hmm, perhaps he hasn't arrived home yet?' Caleb pondered to himself as he headed toward the dining area.

As the blonde arrived in the room, he suddenly gasped as he froze at the entrance, staring at the dejected sight.

The air was still with silence and sorrow.

"Philip?" A concerned Caleb called out quietly to his brother as he hurried over to the table, taking a seat beside him.

He placed his basket down before placing a comforting hand on his back, rubbing the area with great gentleness.

"What's wrong?"

No answer.

"Did something happen at school?"

No reply from the brunette.

After another brief pause, Caleb chose to ask another question, this one more well-considered.

"Would you like to have a discussion about it once you're ready to talk?"

Philip didn't respond right away, but when he did, he replied with a small sigh and nodded his head, which was down on the table.

"Very well then, Pip," Caleb whispered, managing to shine a small smile down on his brother.

"Take your time. There's no rush. Do you recall the surprise I promised to make for you when I came home?"

"Yes?" A silent Philip finally spoke, his tone soft and tearful.

"Well, how about you watch me work on it. As it's being crafted, you can make guesses on what it is. How does that sound?"

As Philip slowly looked up at his brother, his lips perked into a soft, bittersweet smile.

"That sounds like fun," he said, still thinking a bit about what happened between him and his crush.

...

With a bright smile and hands placed politely on his knees while sitting criss-crossed, Philip keenly watched his brother begin to add an eye hole to the wooden surprise he was carving for him.

"Oh, oh! I already know what you're making me, Caleb!" Philip excitedly exclaimed with a small bounce as he directed his finger at the progressing work.

"You're making me a mask!"

Caleb chuckled as he confirmed Philip's answer with a nod while seated on the sitting room stump, carefully sinking his knife into the second eye hole he was creating.

"That's right, Pip, I am," Caleb said, carving holes in the top part of the mask. "And I'm almost finished, too!"

"You are? Hooray!" Philip cheered, clapping his hands excitedly.

The elder gestured for the younger to hand him the two antler-shaped branches that were lying nearby on the floor, and once he did so with a giggle, Caleb attached them inside the holes like horns.

"Ooo, they look like mandibles!" Philip beamed out with a wide smile.

Caleb gave a chuckle. "Mandi-what, Pip?" he asked, puzzled by the new word.

"They're the mouthpart of an insect," Philip explained. "Beetles have them!"

Beetles were his favorite insects.

"Ooooh!" Caleb went in realization. "Hmm... I thought they looked more like deer antlers."

After a short-lived thought, he shrugged his shoulders. "I guess they can be both."

...

After affixing a string onto the mask, Caleb was finally done.

He smiled fondly at his creation, then at Philip.

"Look, Pip, I've finished your mask!" Caleb said, showing it to Philip. "Come try it on!"

Philip gasped.

"Oh, boy!" Springing toward Caleb, Philip took his new mask and placed it on his face.

"How is it?" Caleb inquired while watching blue eyes blink inside the rounded eye holes.

"It's..."

A shaky smile started to spread on Caleb's face as he watched Philip slowly direct his gaze to the ground in an almost eerie manner.

He didn't even notice his eye holes growing hollow.

Caleb silently prayed that his brother liked the mask.

"... Awesome!" Philip looked up to Caleb with a big smile, his eyes visible once more, which made the blonde breathe out a sigh of relief and wipe his brow.

"How do I look?"

"So cool!" Caleb complimented as he continued. "If a witch came across you, they would certainly perceive you as one of them."

Knowing that got Philip pumped, imagining himself as a great Witch Hunter General who managed to trick every witch he met wearing his mask before leading them to their deaths.

"Yay!" Philip beamed before speedily wrapping Caleb in a hug.

"Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you, so much, Caleb! Now we can play..."

"Witch Hunters!"

Both boys beam at the same time as they enthusiastically emerge behind a shiny pastel background filled with shimmering skulls and severed witch heads, with the words "Witch Hunters!" above them in rainbow glitter letters.

With Philip's wooden sword raised triumphantly in the air and Caleb, wearing his witch hat and cape during this moment, now raising his clenched fist, the scene transitions to the woods.

...

"Get back here, you speedy little witch hunter!"

"You'll never catch me, you fowl witch!"

Caleb, the wildest and most cunning witch in Gravesfield, was quite fast, but not as fast as Philip, the greatest and most feared witch hunter who ever lived.

A small, stealthy smile crept across Caleb's lips as he continued his mission to catch Philip, sharp brown eyes trying to pick out any sign of the hunter.

Caleb became more vigilant with every rustle of the leaves and trees, every crunch and snap of the twigs he stepped on, and every shadow that seemed to move independently.

Upon hearing a rustle behind a nearby bush, Caleb sprinted and was prepared to jump on it.

While running, he heard Philip taunt him from a distance and stopped, keenly listening.

"I'm not there, you silly witch. If you want to see me, you must go further," Philip advised, his daring voice echoing through the woods.

Caleb let out a giggle as he walked toward where he heard the echo.

This was by far his and Philip's most fun game of Witch Hunters yet.

"There you are, witch hunter!" Caleb approached Philip, who he saw standing on a small, rocky hill.

"So, this is where you chose to hide from me," he cackled, not paying much attention to the brown rope end that Philip was holding.

Philip shook his fist. "I wouldn't come closer if I were you, witch!" he warned, which only made Caleb cackle once more as he took another step.

"Oh, yeah?" the blonde hummed in a playful tone, holding up both of his hands as he was ready to cast a witchy spell.

Ominously wiggling his fingers, he asked, "And why's that?"

Caleb was standing precisely in the spot where Philip desired him to be.

The witch was oblivious to the fact that he had fallen into his trap with such ease.

Pulling tightly onto the rope end, the noose that was spread on the ground entraps Caleb as he loses balance and falls.

"That's why, witch!" Hopping down from the hill, Philip pulls out his wooden sword and raises it up over Caleb.

"Now DIE!" Philip roars, his eye holes hollow as he repeatedly plunges his weapon into Caleb's stomach.

The elder smiles broadly and closes his eyes, hanging his tongue out.

The "witch" was now "dead".

Placing his foot on the now "deceased demon", Philip takes on a heroic stance and wholeheartedly states, "Gravesfield is once again safe thanks to Witch Hunter General Philip!"

"Alright, Witch Hunter General," Caleb began as he broke character and opened his eyes.

"Time for us to play a different game," he chuckled with a smile.

...

A trio consisting of a woman in a coif and two men, one with dark hair and one with blonde hair, strolled smoothly through the town market.

As they began passing by a large wooden crate that was situated between two empty vendor booths...

PBBBT!!!

The horrendous sound immediately caused the three to stop, and they awkwardly shifted glances at one another, wondering who broke wind.

The woman, offended by the fact that the two gentlemen who were accompanying her would even assume that she would do such a sinful thing in public, begins to glare daggers at the two.

Tap, tap, tap, went her foot as she awaited for one or both of them to confess and repent.

When they didn't, the men both received sharp slaps to the faces from the woman as she huffed and walked away.

PBBBT!!!

Both men stared awkwardly at one another as they slowly backed away from each other.

Behind the crate, the faintest of giggles could be heard.

"I can't believe you convinced me to play such a game, Pip," whispered a giggly Caleb, who had just witnessed his brother blow the loudest raspberry. "It's so silly. If we get caught, we'll get into so much trouble."

"We won't," a giggly Philip whispered in a hushed tone as he pointed a finger at upcoming people. "Oh look, more people are coming, Caleb!"

Both boys began to form playful smiles.

A montage begins as various people pass by the crate that Philip and Caleb are hiding behind.

They hear a sharp and sudden raspberry, which they mistakenly believe is flatulence.

Their reactions, which were either confusion, shock, disgust, or embarrassment, cause the boys to chuckle quietly every time.

Caleb's chuckle attack is a result of Philip imitating a few of their reaction faces.

The boys continued to blow raspberries and softly laugh until the sky turned purple-black and was filled with stars, leading to the end of the montage.

...

"The sky sure is pretty, isn't it, Pip?" Caleb asked Philip.

The blonde found himself getting lost in the beauty of the night sky as he gazed upward, him and his brother still seated behind the large wooden crate.

"Mm-hm," Philip hummed listlessly in agreement, sitting with his knees drawn up as he gazed downward at the dirt, dragging his pointer finger across it.

Suddenly, a shooting star streaked brightly across the night sky.

Upon recalling his mother's words about shooting stars, Caleb gave a small gasp.

"Pip, look, look!" The blonde beamed, pointing a finger at the sky while gently tugging on his brother's yoke.

"Did you see that shooting star? It flew by so fast! We have to make a..."

As his brother sighed, Caleb gazed down at him, and all the enthusiasm in his voice slowly disappeared.

"... wish," he whispered, a look of concern crossing his face. "What's wrong, Pip?"

Philip sighed once more. "Do you remember when you asked me if something happened at school while we were at the table?"

Caleb nodded. "I do." The elder wrapped his arm around Philip's shoulder, pulling him close.

"Well," Philip softly continued, resting his head on Caleb's shoulder. "There's this girl that I really..."

Philip paused, not ready to reveal his feelings for Madison to Caleb.

"She... I tried to give her gifts, but she ran away and said that... I was weird."

"I see," Caleb said, softly rubbing his brother's back. "And what were the gifts you attempted to give her?"

"A dead bird and a snake," Philip revealed calmly. "They were really nice."

"O-Oh..." Caleb tried to conceal his shock by curling his lips into a small, caring smile.

"Well, you really like to write, Pip. Maybe you can write her an apology letter. I'll even try to help you with it. In addition to the letter, you can also give her gifts that are more... suitable for girls."

"Like what?" Philip asked innocently, looking up at his brother.

"Like... flowers!" Caleb answered. "Girls really like flowers. It's possible that if you gave this girl some flowers, she would really start to like you."

"Really?" The brunette started to perk up, knowing that they had flour at home.

Caleb nodded.

"Well, she did seem to really like it when I told her that her hair smelled pretty," Philip said, reminiscing on the moment as slight blush dusted his cheeks.

"I then asked her if she took a bath, but that's only because there's no way your hair could smell that good if you hadn't bathed, right Caleb?"

Before Caleb could react and respond to his brother's statement and question, both boys fell silent to the sound of upcoming footsteps.

Slowly poking their heads up, they both proceeded to see the shadow of a cloaked figure about Caleb's height, but slightly shorter, dawdling down the walkway.

The figure appeared feminine and had fluffy hair under their hood.

"Who is that?" Philip whispered, in which Caleb shrugged in response.

When the cloaked figure abruptly stopped between the crate and a booth on the right, they turned their head to the left, and Caleb and Philip quickly sunk down.

The mysterious figure's footsteps approached, causing both boys to feel their hearts race.

As the figure slowly attempts to peer behind the crate to determine who is present...

"THERE YOU ARE, WITCH!"

The figure, alarmed by the shouting, raises their head to see Mr. Town Minister running toward them.

Without delay, they start taking off immediately.

"STOP RIGHT THERE!" the minister shouted once more as the cat and mouse chase between him and the figure continued.

A loud, witchy cackle was heard by the figure due to their speed advantage over the minister.

'There's that same laugh from earlier today...' thought Caleb as he and Philip snuck off in the direction that led them out of town.

...

"... Did you see the way the minister was chasing that witch?"

As Philip asked his question, his blue eyes were big and bright with admiration while Caleb nodded with a smile and a yawn as both boys entered their home.

After the front door was closed, Caleb continued to follow Philip.

"He's so brave!" the brunette beamed with cheer as he and his brother were nearing the dining room.

"I hope that when I become a Witch Hunter General, I'll be just as good at hunting witches as he is."

"Yeah, me too!" Caleb said, his smile still present as he yawned out a second yawn.

As soon as they entered the dining area, both boys gasped and widened their eyes at the unwelcome guest in the room.

"Hey!" Philip's shout seems to attract the attention of the white-tailed deer near the table.

It froze for a moment before lifting its head out of Caleb's basket, fixing its gaze on the two children.

The boys and the deer's stares were short-lived as the woodland animal used its teeth to grab hold of the basket handle before making a beeline for the sitting room, which caused Philip and Caleb to gasp and quickly give chase after it.

Choas and commotion dominated the atmosphere as rambunctious footsteps rang out from the running.

...

The Wittebane household was now in tune with the quietness of the night as faint and gentle snores could be heard in the sitting room.

Philip, Caleb, and the deer were sleeping in a cluster on the rug in the room, under a large blanket that was draped over them.

Meanwhile, the basket was atop the sitting room's stump.

[bitethedevil]

Living with The Devil You Know (Raphael x Tav): Chapter 15

Chapter: one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten, eleven, twelve, thirteen, fourteen, fifteen, sixteen

Read this fic on AO3 (Link)

Fic Summary: Tav broke their agreement by handing the Crown of Karsus to Mystra instead of Raphael. Not only that, but she also robbed his house and killed his incubus. Raphael is patient and he is determined to get his revenge.

…Tav isn't too bothered. She will figure something out eventually. Until then she just has to find a way to live peacefully with a devil.

Chapter Summary: Raphael continues showing Tav his true colors. The 24 hours are coming to an end and Tav must soon make a hard decision, that only seems to grow more and more difficult, the more she learns.

(AN: You are in for a ride, my dudes. Also, I think we have two chapters left until this whole thing is wrapped up. Read the full notes on AO3 for more info)

WARNINGS: Gore, Blood, Abusive Behaviour, Mention of Death, Mention of Child Abuse, Mention of Child Death, Mention of Domestic Abuse, Torture

Raphael woke her up way too early for her liking. He let her eat breakfast before they went anywhere. She was quiet while she ate, trying to wake up and keep her eyes open, much to Raphael’s amusement. He had the servants bring her a strong cup of tea, which did help a little.

“Can you reveal what we are doing today?” she asked and sipped the tea. “Or is it going to be some kind of horrible surprise?”

“I can reveal what we are doing in a moment,” he said. “Though I will ask you to remember our agreement when I tell you. If you interfere, you will be sent back to Baldur’s Gate.”

She looked at him over the cup with tired eyes.

“Not sure I like the sound of that,” she sighed. “But fine…”

“We will meet a potential client of mine. Unlike the woman you met yesterday, this man is a noble, though he is just as desperate for my help.”

The mention of the woman they met the day before made her stomach churn. She would most likely already be dead. Her children would soon find her lifeless body in her bed and their lives would change forever. Tav had to push the thought aside. Though she was an adult when it happened, she clearly remembered the day that she became an orphan herself. It hurt too much to think about.

Raphael continued explaining.

“He is a lord who has lost his wife and his only heir. The other noble houses of Athkatla refuse to marry any of their daughters to him. Without a new wife and an heir, his house will perish.”

Tav nodded.

“There is some awful detail that I’m missing, I’m sure of it,” Tav said and narrowed her eyes at him.

“It is said that Lord Ophal beat his former young wife to death in a fit of rage,” Raphael explained with a smirk. “The same fate befell his son shortly after, who was only ten years old at the time. It is said the child cried after the death of its mother, as children do. Lord Ophal beat him regularly and had healers on hand for that reason, but it seems that he went one step too far due to his irritation at the child’s crying. Or so the rumors say.”

Tav’s jaw fell, and it felt as if she had been stabbed in the heart.

“And what will your role in all of this be?” she asked quietly, though she had already guessed the answer.

“To procure him a new wife, of course,” he answered casually. “I happen to know a few of the noble families in Athkatla, and if he does sign, I will pull a few strings to ensure that one of those families will happily hand over their young daughter to him.”

Tav was staring at the table in front of her with an empty stare.

“This is too personal to be a coincidence, Raphael,” she muttered. “Are you really so eager to get rid of me that you will make me watch as you help a bastard that is just like my father? He won’t stop. He’ll do the same to his new wife and children.”

“Indeed, he will,” he answered with a chuckle at her naïve statement. “But he won’t do so before he has handed me his soul, which is all that matters, really. I am not eager to get rid of you, I am simply showing you the reality of what I do and who I am.”

Tav went quiet again. She shook her head and breathed deeply.

“Will he suffer?” she asked. “When he dies, I mean.”

“Of course.”

She nodded. In a way it did not matter. This would have happened even if she was not there. It did not make it easier in any way and a part of her did hate Raphael for it in that moment. On the other hand, by Raphael doing this, the man would face certain suffering in his afterlife. A fate that might not be ensured if he did not sign the deal. Men like him deserved to suffer.

“Shall we go?” he asked and held out a hand to her.

She reluctantly took it.

They appeared in a large ornate room with a big table in the middle. At the end of it sat a heavyset man with a red face, stuffing his face with food the way that only people who have never lacked it do. He stopped chewing only for a moment to look up at Raphael and her. His eyes lingered at her.

“Lord Ophal,” Raphael greeted with a charming smile. “This is a business associate of mine. Please do not mind her.”

“Raphael,” the man greeted back. “Business associate, eh?”

The man licked his greasy lips as he looked her up and down. Raphael’s grip tightened around her waist.

“Good for you, devil,” Lord Ophal said with a laugh. “She is rather pretty, I suppose. Except for those scars on her face. Play a little rough with her, eh? I don’t blame you. The pretty ones are always the mouthiest.”

Tav took the deepest breath of her life to not throw a fireball at his face. She also knew that despite Raphael’s outward appearance of calm, he did not take kindly to the comment. She could feel it in the way his breathing changed and the way his grip tightened even more around her.

“I would advise you to remember who you are speaking to,” Raphael said with eerie calmness. “Let us focus on business.”

“Apologies Saer,” the man grunted and continued stuffing his face. “Did you find me a new wife?”

“There are a few potential candidates, to go through,” Raphael answered and sat down beside him.

The two men talked for a while. Her dislike for Lord Ophal only grew with the way he was talking about those young women as if they were objects for his amusement. It took everything for her to bite her tongue, and especially at the hungry looks the lord looked at her with every now and again.

In the end, the lord decided to sign the deal. Raphael was smiling like the cat that got the cream as he did.

“And from the moment that you are a married man, our deal is in effect,” Raphael explained.

“You are invited to the ceremony if you have the time, Saer,” Lord Ophal said with a bright smile. “You can bring your little woman there too, if you please.”

“I wouldn’t miss it for the world, my lord Saer,” Raphael said and smiled widely.

Lord Ophal might not have detected the hint of a threat in his voice, but Tav did.

He snapped and they were back at the House of Hope.

“My apologies,” Raphael said, he was still calm but there were anger and disgust hiding just beneath the surface. “Had I known that the imbecile would disrespect you and I in such a manner, I would not have brought you. I will remember this little show of disrespect once I get my hands on his soul.”

Tav knew better than to speak to him when he was in a mood like that. The line was drawn at personal insults…not child murder, or wife killing, apparently. She sat down as she waited for the storm to pass. She thought as she watched him.

Raphael was enabling murderers and abusers, and that was still difficult to feel at peace with. On the other hand, they would also one day get what was coming to them, delivered to them in tenfold. The problem was that such was also the fate of desperate innocents, such as the mother she had met the day before.

There was a part of her that had a difficult time blaming Raphael alone though. These people had all made a choice. A horrible and unfair choice, but a choice regardless. Raphael had never forced anyone, and as he had said the day before: if he did not help them, then who would? Tav was not sure what to think.

Raphael eventually calmed down, though she could still feel that he was irritated. He took her hand to lead her somewhere. When she realized that he was leading her to the hatch that led down into Hope’s old cell, her blood ran cold. They were going to visit Cassius...

The room was dark and damp. She could only see the faint outline of something hanging in the middle of the room. Raphael led her by the hand to a chair. He sat down first and wrapped his arm around her waist to pull her to his lap. He ran his hand up and down her side in a comforting manner, though nothing about it was comforting. She felt like a lamb being calmed before slaughter.

When he lit up the room with a snap, the hand held her in a grip so that she could not run. She did feel like running when she saw him. Cassius was suspended in air by his Infernal chains. In contrary to when they saved Hope, the injuries that he had inflicted on Cassius were very apparent.

The chains had ripped up his arms, as it looked like he had been struggling to get free. There were wounds underneath the chains that flies buzzed around, eating at the dark rotten-looking flesh. He stared emptily at nothing in particular with his wide eyes. His mouth was open, but no screams came out, just wheezing. Blood was dripping in a steady stream from his mouth.

It was a horrifying sight. She instinctively looked away.

“You see, right here,” Raphael said calmly and put his free hand on her throat to feel for where her vocal cords would be. “When you speak, your vocal cords constrict to form sounds. Cassius’s are currently pried open by a very small and very sharp device. He is also experiencing his worst nightmares over and over again in his mind, more vividly than ever, while he cannot scream without injuring himself.”

Tav’s breathing had gotten faster, and she looked at Raphael’s face.

“I don’t want to see this,” she said quietly.

“But you will,” he answered with a smile. “We had a deal, did we not? Do you feel sorry for him? The man that almost got your friends and you killed.”

Tav didn’t answer. She could still hear Cassius’s wheezing breaths and she did not dare to look at his dead and empty stare again.

“I suppose feeling some sympathy is only natural,” Raphael mused. “You and him do have one thing in common, after all…”

Raphael put a hand behind her head and turned it to look at Cassius. She tried to turn away, but his grip did not allow it.

“Stop…please,” she pleaded.

Something was going on in Cassius’s mind that made him squirm in his chains. She saw him trying to pull his arms to himself and escape. She saw the flesh of his right arm rip as he pulled, and the bone was exposed underneath. His eyes were panicked, and the blood flowed faster from his mouth as he tried to scream. She closed her eyes.

“Open your eyes, or I will send you back,” Raphael said and placed his chin on her shoulder as he kept her close to him in his grip.

She had started to tear up, but she did as she was told.

“Good girl,” Raphael said. “As I said, the two of you have one thing in common. Cassius loved me too, the naïve boy. Were it not for his jealousy, none of us would be here at this moment.”

She could not tear her eyes from the way his arms were tearing at the chains. She could not imagine the level of fear one would have to experience to do so much damage to one’s own body just to escape.

“I humored him of course. He was a decent replacement for Haarlep for a while and I found his puppylike infatuation with me somewhat endearing. His main mistake was not getting out of the way once my interest in him faltered.”

Tav yelped as Cassius pulled one of his arms free. His hand fell to the floor, mostly degloved and only a stump of bone was left where his hand had been. He was choking on his own blood as he tried to scream, with the same empty panicked look in his eyes.

“He was stubborn, naïve, and so certain that if he only tried hard enough, he could make me love him back. A foolish endeavor, really.”

There was a flash of magic, and Cassius was back in his chains, healed and put together just enough that he would not die. Tav looked on in horror.

“Please stop—"

“Though you know all about foolish endeavors, don’t you, my sweet?” Raphael continued, ignoring her pleas. “The two of you are the same. The only difference is that I do love you, in my way, and I never cared much for poor Cassius. However, who can say for how long? My interests are ever fleeting and even when I might change my mind someday, you will still be mine.”

Tav began struggling against Raphael’s grip and there was no doubt that he could feel it. Instead of letting her go he simply tightened his grip and kissed her neck and shoulders lazily.

“You can ask Cassius how much loving me is truly worth then,” he whispered cruelly in her ear.

“Please…let this be over.”

Tav had seen many horrible things throughout her adventure, but never so up close and never had she been so unable to do anything about it. It was also different because it was someone, she knew who was getting tortured. She didn’t like Cassius, but he never deserved this. No one did.

“It will be over soon,” he said and rubbed the part of her neck that he was holding in a soothing motion. “Though I think it would only be fair that Cassius greets his guest himself.”

Raphael snapped and Cassius seemed to leave the trance he was in. His body went slack in relief. His head fell and his chin rested on his chest. He finally closed his eyes for a moment. He was breathing more normally now, and a whine left his lips, so Tav gathered that the device between his vocal cords had been removed.

“Look who came to see you,” Raphael called out to him. “A familiar face that isn’t mine for once.”

He flinched at Raphael’s voice. He slowly looked up. His expression reminded her of a scared animal that is expecting to get a beating. When his yellow eyes finally locked unto hers, they turned from fear to pure unadulterated hatred.

“You,” he said in a barely audible hoarse voice. “Of course it’s fucking you.”

Tav hesitantly opened her mouth to say something, but he cut her off.

“This is your fault…” he said with anger, his hoarse voice cracking. “You ruined my life…”

He was not wrong, though Tav had no other choice when it happened. She had handed the blame to him when Raphael had come home and confronted her and her friends. Cassius was to blame, but if she had known this would happen to him, she might have…

She wouldn’t have. She knew that was the truth. Had it happened now she would have done the same thing, though she loathed to admit it. She still felt pity and guilt when she looked at him.

He was just a young man, perhaps a few years younger than herself. The fool had had been in love with his patron, and he had done stupid things because of it. If that wasn’t something she could sympathize with, then what was?

“I’m…” Tav began. She knew there was no way any words could make up for it. “I’m so sorry.”

Cassius narrowed his tearful eyes at her in disgust. Raphael chuckled behind her.

“Are you now?” Raphael said. “Are you truly sorry that you saved your friends? Would you rather that it be you in his place?”

“I’m sorry about what you have done to him. I didn’t want this,” she said quietly. “You would not have treated me this way. Don’t act like you would.”

“No? Perhaps not,” Raphael purred in her ear. “Though I think you would be surprised the lengths I would go to when someone hurts my feelings. Did you think that it did not anger me that you wanted to leave? After everything I did for you. I was furious. I burned down half of the house in rage after you left.”

Tav had heard that from Korrilla too.

“I took out my frustrations on poor Cassius after. What he had done was no doubt stupid, but had the circumstances been different, I would not have punished him as severely as I have. Mistakes happen. The poor boy only tried to help, after all…I think I must have brought him back from the brink of death and healed him over a hundred times that night you left…”

Cassius was listening to what he was saying too. He was thrashing against his chains while he looked at Tav like a man with murder on his mind. There was nothing but hatred in his eyes.

“I’ll kill you if I ever get the chance,” Cassius said with gritted teeth. “I’LL KILL YOU LIKE I SHOULD HAVE DONE THE FIRST TIME YOU—”

Raphael snapped his fingers and Cassius went quiet and limp against his chains. Raphael finally let go of his grip around the back of her neck. She looked away immediately. She was shaking in his arms. When she looked up at him, she could see that he was enjoying the whole situation.

She was quiet. She had nothing to say to him. The whole room had turned quiet after he had put Cassius to sleep. She felt an emptiness in her chest. She felt sadness and anger at how everything had turned out. Most of all she felt exhausted, emotionally and physically after what she had just experienced.

“So,” Raphael said through the sudden quietness that had fallen upon the dungeon and brushed away a strand of her hair. “Will you want to scurry back to Baldur’s Gate immediately, or will you want to use the last couple of hours to consider your decision before you do? I suspect that this day has at the very least made you hesitate with your firm decision of staying. Am I wrong?”

Tav felt that familiar hatred of him boiling up inside herself again. Obviously for what he did, but also for how he was acting about this whole thing. How aloof he was. How little he seemed to care about everything, when she had seen with her own two eyes that he was capable of caring. She hated how that part of him was always hidden behind all his pride, his games, his bullshit…

That hatred made her see clearly for a moment. She had a realization. That was it. She knew exactly how Raphael worked: he played games. She was going to use her hatred for all it was worth.

“No,” she said coldly and wiped her tears. She could see something in his eyes change, just as she expected. “No, you might be right. I was too naïve to see it…You are an awful person. A monster who is incapable of love…And perhaps also undeserving of it.”

He was holding his perfect façade of calmness, but she could see the slight panic in his eyes. She was going off-script.

“Perhaps it was not only me who was in the right place before I took the stupid decision to come here,” she said with a bitter laugh. “Perhaps you were as well. Rotting in the Hells, alone, as you always have been, with your only company being the shadows that you look for over your shoulder…forever waiting for the next one of your kin to try to kill you, while you grasp for some semblance of control by playing with the lives of people like Cassius and I.”

His eyes narrowed at her when she got up from his lap to walk away.

“Even if I might not be able to love you, I always will pity you, Raphael,” she said quietly. “Now, I think I’d like some privacy to think before I make my decision.”

“As you wish,” he said curtly.

His short response surprised her. She had at least expected a clever retort. She threw him one last glance before making her way out of the dungeon. She caught him swallowing hard and averting his gaze to the floor when she looked at him. She knew that her words had an effect on him, though he did everything to hide it from her. She left him there and went upstairs.

He had detected no lies in what she was saying, because all of it was truth. Perhaps it was only convenient truths, in the same way that he himself liked to deceive people, but still truths. Although all of what she had said did not necessarily mean that she did not still love him.

Her realization had been correct, and she had just proven it: he was bluffing. He did not want her to leave, but he was trying to use her stubbornness against her. He had once done the same when he tried to convince her that it would be the end of the world as we knew it, if a certain orthon escaped the temple of Shar. She fell for it back then, but she would not fall for it now.

Raphael was not a stupid man by any means, but he was awfully predictable once someone had learned all his tricks. He wanted to show her the worst version of himself and then have the cruel victory of her still choosing him despite of it.

She truly was not sure what to do after everything she had seen, but she would be damned if her decision was going to be dependent on what he wanted her to do.

It would be her choice in the end, no matter what.

[excalibur-gone-missing]

Paring: Dino x fem!reader

Requested: no

Genre: angst, fluff

Warning(s): cheating, angst, sadness, mentions of pregnancy (do inform me if there's more)

Summary: You were the light guiding Chan for the most of his life. now that you are not there anymore, he cant help but feel your absence as he reminisces his past and all those times you were there to ground him no matter what.

Word count: 6k

Other works

disclaimer: this is not the exact representation of the subjects in real life. I just use them for my inspiration.

special thanks to @spamgyu for helping me out 😭

a/n: I would greatly appreciate it if all of you could take a moment to comment on this fic. As an author, I find great value in your feedback, as it allows me to better comprehend my readers, and I thoroughly enjoy interacting with all of you. Constructive criticism is always welcome, so don't hesitate to talk about this fic or send me an ask.

[permanent taglist] [only for those interested, don’t fill the form otherwise]

Chan's life was determined before he had a chance to consider it. His family wasn't well-off. They struggled from early on to get food on their plates. He knew from when he was a child that he had to support his siblings because his parents refused to do so.

So that’s exactly what he did. He got into SNU with a full scholarship, secured a good job, and built a stable life with six figures coming in annually to his bank account, providing enough money to support his siblings’ dreams.

But what did it all get him?

Nothing!

He sacrificed his teens and his twenties because his father felt the need to be a raging alcoholic, and now he stands in the middle of Gangnam in his beautiful flat with its polished floors. But he lacks the most important thing in life: happiness.

To be truthful, he lacks a lot of things, but happiness takes the cake. If someone asks him, he lacks friends too. But our dearest Boo Seungkwan would like to disagree about that. In Chan’s defense, friends are absolutely not equal to friend (just a difference of ‘s’, as our dear ‘Kwanie’ said. Plus, his multiple personalities make up for the said lack of ’s’, which further raises the question as to why the man does not go for a checkup, as it seems he has self-diagnosed DID. We shall never know).

Chan is happy about his brothers doing what they like, though. It’s not that hard to not be happy when he literally raised them. Sacrifices need to be made, he has realized; some just make more than others, and there is nothing one can do about that. He accepts that he is indeed grateful for the friend he has made, the one who has stayed with him and accepted him as he is.

Now, it may sound sappy, and Chan swears he will never tell this to Seungkwan, but he has indeed helped him through the thick and thin of life. All those late-night drinking sessions and ugly crying have brought him to this stage in life where he thinks of the boy as more of a family than anyone else. He helped him when Chan’s life was falling apart, and he also was there to scold him back to the right track when no one believed in him, not even himself.

Although he lacks happiness, he is fine with that (he at least has Boo Seungkwan). He can live with being sad; he already has!

This is where you came in, the reason for Chan’s genuine smiles, from back in college to five years ago. It was a pretty serious relationship that you both had. Chan loved you. He had plans of making you his wife. For God’s sake, he was in a relationship with you for almost ten years! But somewhere along the way, he messed up. He became the exact thing he had hated all his life.

He became a person like his father.

You, being the nice kind, tried your best to stop him from spiraling down the rabbit hole of bad habits. But alas, it takes two to tango, and if he didn’t want to be better, no one, not even God himself, could do it for him.

It took losing you to realize how messed up his life had become.

--

“Chan, I’m heading out. Dinner’s in the fridge—please actually eat it this time. We don’t need two meal skippers in this household,” you quipped, watching as Chan chuckled and gave you a quick giggle inducing peck before returned his attention to the document he’d been typing for the past hour.

“Sure thing, Your Majesty. Your command shall be dutifully followed!” he exclaimed with a mock salute, drawing out another laugh from you. With a playful ruffle of his hair and another peck on his cheek, you left the apartment to begin your night shift at the hospital.

Chan, unlike you, has just started his new job after completing his MBA. It’s been tough, but he’s persevered, and soon enough, you both will be able to enjoy the luxuries he could only dream of growing up.

Your fifth anniversary is approaching faster than ever, and now Chan finally has the means to fulfill your dream of a trip to Europe. The pressure of this new job is more than the last one, but getting those tickets would be a walk in the park now.

Quickly finishing his document and mailing it to the head of the department, he immediately goes to check those flight ticket prices and hotel prices. He releases a happy sigh the minute he realizes that it’s exactly what he had expected the prices to be. So, without wasting a single moment, he buys those tickets. He knew this gift would make you happier than ever.

The next month, you had been notified about the expensive purchase only because you had to get a leave from your job, and you obviously can’t disappear for two weeks unannounced. He, in reality, had no plans to inform you about anything, but he couldn’t interfere with your job either.

But at the end it was worth it, the look on your face the minute you were informed about the trip. Oh, if only Chan could frame it and keep it away from the world, only if he could keep you near him and never let you go. But he didn’t think of that then. No, he was happy he had told you earlier.

The happiness radiating off you as you kept going on and on about the clothes you needed to buy, all the foods you were going to try once there. It was what helped him keep going throughout the day, even though the work became tiring with every passing minute.

If only he could have stopped time and lived in that moment forever.

—

One thing he never realized is how demanding his job would be once he got into a higher position. The calls kept him up at night; they came at the most ungodly of times, and Chan was expected to pick them up, because he always did.

You never complained; it was fine by you. If anyone understood him, it was you. Both of you had highly demanding jobs, and nothing could beat the expectations your colleagues had on you both.

But what he had not counted on was those calls interrupting your trip. During the entirety of your anniversary, he was glued to that phone of his, never once able to leave it. It was one problem at the office or the other.

Again, you kept your mouth shut, enjoying your own company as your boyfriend busied himself with work in the hotel room.

That was the last trip you both had gone on. You figured that it was too much to ask from someone who had so much work to do. But still, you understood his hunger to do better in life. You understood that someone had to compromise in the relationship and wholeheartedly accepted that it had to be you.

Coming to think of it, it was not supposed to be like this. Never! Both of you were supposed to communicate and figure out what your relationship was supposed to mean. But somewhere along the line, it just became regular sex and nothing else. When you talked about this with your friends, all of them had the same reaction.

‘Leave him!’ they had told you, ‘he wouldn’t change, he prefers his job more than you.’

It was a regular thing now. But you were scared. All the years you had invested in the relationship, you never wanted it to become what it had. You had held out hope that one day Chan would notice you. He would realize he had a girlfriend who also needs his attention as much as his job.

It didn’t take too long for those dreams to come true, though.

—

One night, you sat down with the man, asking him about the changes in his life. You begged him to look your way beyond the times he made love to you. It was an intense conversation, filled with words that neither of you actually meant, but hurt you both equally.

That night brought you both another few years, or that’s what you think. It became better, both your lives and the relationship. You both would talk more, spend time with each other, laugh with each other, and go about your days with lovesick smiles on your faces. Although none of your jobs became less hectic, it still was as painstaking as ever, but the scenery in your shared home was peaceful. It was both of your comfort zones.

What neither of you realized, this peace that you both had brought back into your lives, was fickle. In order to keep it like that, both of you had to put in some effort.

—

It slowly became visible to both of you how much more effort this relation of yours needed. Both of you saw the way your paradise was crumbling down bit by bit. Nights became lonely for you. Chan, being the perfectionist he is, would be stuck up in his office until the rays of sun hit the glass windows, reminding him of the fact that he indeed had stayed the night in his office. The hectic job took everything away from him. It stripped him of his identity, and slowly it was also stripping his happiness and sanity away. It was like the darker times had hit both of you again.

It was then that he suddenly passed out on the streets due to extreme fatigue and was brought immediately into the nearest hospital, which was the one you worked at. Lo and behold, you were the nurse on emergency room duty that day. This was the first time you saw the love of your life in that state; you saw what this new job had done to him. How it had taken this happy and healthy person you knew and turned him into this sick, unhappy, and overworked person. Your helplessness mocked you in your face. At night, you stayed by his side after the doctors had given their verdict about him being too overworked. You took care of him like never before, making sure to make him take an ample amount of rest.

Sadly, the industry is ruthless. As soon as the employers became aware that their once highly valuable employee’s usefulness had diminished, they ultimately opted to terminate him. Although Chan claims there were some more internal politics involved in this sacking, there was no way he could have evaded it.

Both of you soon realized it was the best thing that could have happened to him. While being the worst experience he could ever go through in his corporate career.

You stayed by his side through every hurdle though. You never once let him feel the need to be more than what he already was. But life was giving both of you a hard time.

It took Chan another month to get a new job. But only this time, it was a better, more important position in a better company. This is when life took off for both of you again. With Chan back on track, equipped with the newfound knowledge of not working more than necessary, he was on a roll. Almost unstoppable.

This change also affected your relationship, but positively this time. Chan and you would go on constant dates and enjoy each other’s company way more than ever.

—

It was nearing your seventh anniversary. Both of you had talked about getting married and starting a family enough times for him to know this was the perfect time for him to propose.

So, on the day of your seventh anniversary, he had planned to take you to this fancy Italian place. He claimed that you deserved only the best. No one could ever argue with him about that. You, along with Seungkwan, had been by his side for so long that he had forgotten the time when he didn’t have you both. Nothing, absolutely nothing, would change that fact. With that it brought him to the most important question of that year.

“But what ring do I buy her?” the stressed boy asked his best friend.

“Wow, I wasn’t informed about the fact that y/n suddenly had become my girlfriend!” Seungkwan exclaimed sassily.

“Dude, you can calm down. She is still my girl, ain’t no way you are getting her. Find a girl of your own,” the shorter boy retorted back.

Why am I being asked about her preference for a ring then, huh?”

“Because she said, and I quote, ‘if you buy me an expensive engagement ring that I can’t even wear out because it looks too expensive, I will castrate you’,” Chan said seriously, bringing out a seal-like laugh from the back of Seungkwan’s throat.

“Do something meaningful for her then, you dumb fuck,” making Chan almost cringe at the scolding. Without letting the boy talk, his best friend continued, “Put in some effort and do something that shows you care, without having to spend a copious amount of money. I have no idea what you should do, but bro, if it were up to me, a girl would for sure get a ring no matter what!”

Now, this made him think. It made him think hard. But even after all that thinking, he couldn’t come up with a good idea for an alternative for an engagement ring.

It was not until the next Saturday when he was sitting on the couch waiting for you to choose a movie for the weekly movie night, did he stumble upon the perfect idea for a ring? Like any usual person, the man was scrolling through TikTok when he found out that one could make rings out of clay.

Perfect!

If you didn’t want a diamond ring, you shall get a clay ring. For you might catch the sun lacking one day, but not Chan, never Chan!

—

This kick-started the learner phase of Chan’s life once again. He would visit the pottery classes every week because he needed to excel at the art to mold the perfect ring. One suitable for daily wear and also because this hobby brought him more peace than ever.

He made some friends here; they were fun to hang out with. You had met all these new people flooding into his life. He would parade about the with his hand on you showing you off proudly.

“Who wouldn’t?” he would ask whenever someone pointed it out. This question had the power to make him start ranting about you at any given point. So much so that after a point, people stopped asking him about you, no matter the context.

Because, oh boy, was he in love.

--

It took him one year and some friendships to finally complete learning everything there was to learn about pottery. In the course of that time, he had littered your shared house with his creations.

Oh, you wanted to buy a new bowl because you saw it on Instagram? No fear, Chan shall make it this instant. Oops, your favorite coffee mug broke? Chan has come to your rescue with a better, scientifically cute, usable, and overall better mug for you.

The creative spark of the boy never dimmed down, nor did his extroverted nature. Every other day, he would be out with his new friends, so much so that even Boo Seungkwan noticed. You both had chats with each other about the changes in Chan’s life over a cup of tea whenever Seungkwan would come over.

To say that you both were happy about him enjoying life would be an understatement. You had seen the pain the man had gone through in his life. It only made sense for him to have the best of the best experiences when he had the opportunities.

But again, as people say, one should do everything in moderation. It seems that Chan could do nothing in moderation. He would work himself half to death. In this case too, he started drinking and partying himself half to death. The outings that were done to unwind after a long hard day became parties that were making the day even longer.

The friends that helped him overcome the pressuring environment of his office became the ones who would pressure him to go way out of his comfort zone, all for the wrong reasons. People say twenties are times when people experiment with their life and gain new experiences.

The same was applicable for Chan too, the only difference being he was learning different ways of spiraling down holes that are hard to climb up from. The hilarious part being, these were the holes that he had carefully dug out himself.

It’s not like you never stopped him, because you did. The minute you realized these new friends were pushing Chan’s limits in the wrong way, you didn’t waste a second to tell him.

“I think you should calm down with this partying and stuff. It’s unbelievably bad for your health,” you had told him one night when he had come home drunk out of his wits.

“I know how to have fun, not my fault you don’t!”

The boy had shouted at you before collapsing on the couch. Realizing it was a waste of time to even try and talk to him in this state, you tried again the next day when he was far more sober.

“Do you remember what happened yesterday?” you ask Chan, to which he shakes his still-hungover head and winces. Sighing, you continue, “Chan, you can’t let them get to you like this. Moderation is the key here. Please don’t overdo anything, I beg you!” You hugged him, trying to coax him to understand where you were coming from. He obviously hugged you back and promised you to keep your advice in mind the next time they asked him out.

He didn’t. He swears he tried to. But the peer pressure got to him. Before he could even back off, they had already hauled his ass to the bar. He never wanted to disappoint you. So he chose to accept the most coherent plan his drunk mind could formulate: the plan to lie to you.

—

Your seventh anniversary had come and gone a year ago. The only gifts he could provide you that day were a fancy dinner and a solid promise that he would indeed get you the greatest ring you will have ever seen in your whole life. Now the time had come. The time to prove his skills. Those skills he spent an entire year honing.

During this cute date at home, he produced a small wooden box from his pocket. After you had enjoyed the homemade meal he had whipped up for you and you both were cuddling on the balcony, he proposed to you with stars in his eyes and hope in his heart.

He shocked you with the ring. Like your relationship, it was delicate, yet made with lots of love and care. You obviously said yes without hesitation. After all, you loved this man, and he loved you too. Nothing, absolutely nothing, could ever go wrong if he was with you.

--

It seems that no matter how hard you try, life always seems to have other plans for you.

The month right after you accepted his proposal, you received an invitation for a two-year-long workshop in Germany. Such opportunities don’t come every day, so you were elated.

Without wasting any time, you called Chan, informing him about the opportunity you had received. But like every coin, this great opportunity had its drawbacks too.

With the prospect of studying and learning under some of the greatest doctors and nurses came the hardship of leaving your fiancé behind. Chan didn’t like this one bit. He could barely stand to be away from you for a second, let alone two years.

But seeing the excitement on your face and hearing the joy in your voice, he couldn’t bring himself to ask you to stay back. He knew you had sacrificed a lot for him, compromised at times when you could have been happy if he hadn’t made decisions that ruined his life.

--

So he put on a happy smile and told you that if you didn’t take this opportunity, he would pack your bags himself and kick you out of the house. This assurance gave you the confidence you needed. Without wasting any time, you sent an email accepting the proposition to join the workshop.

The next five months passed in a whim. During this time, he had asked you to marry him before you went away, but with a peaceful and determined smile, you had told him, “I will marry you once I come back, like that, we won’t have to spend too much time as newlyweds. Plus, I will be smarter than you too.”

“You are always smarter than me. I can never surpass you,” was the answer you had received, along with a sweet kiss, making your heart swell like a balloon.

Life was starting to feel better again.

Chan had finally made his boundaries very clear. The boy felt extremely guilty for lying to you, though he never confessed to you about doing so. He made sure his actions proved his redemption. He ensured to let these new friends of his know that going out too much with them was affecting him in ways that he didn’t appreciate. Although they did sometimes win against him and force him to go out, it was not as bad as it was before.

—

Soon the day came when you had to fly away to Germany. To say that Chan was sad would be an understatement. He was devastated when he saw you off at the airport with Seungkwan. He had cried the whole way home, making Seungkwan scold him as if he were a baby.

“Now if you keep behaving like this, do you think she would be happy?” the older boy questioned him.

“No, but I miss her already,” Chan replied in a whisper while wiping his tears harshly.

“Be nice, be happy for her. You can talk to her all the time. It’s not the Stone Age,” Seungkwan said with an exasperated sigh, making the younger one stop his sad boy antics at once.

But it was not like Chan was okay. He started working overtime at the office, desperately waiting for you to call him when you got free. And call you did, religiously at six o’clock in the evening.

You both made the decision to talk at that time, regardless of any circumstances. This went on for six months. He tried his best to follow the routine of overworking himself before you would call and save him from killing himself with work.

But with all these works, his willpower also started to crumble down. The old ways came back to him. Before he realized it, he became a party animal. He made new friends at these clubs and bars he started frequenting. He thought you wouldn’t pick up. But you did. You saw how your boyfriend was slowly changing. It was not that obvious at first, but slowly you realized he was getting drowned with work.

Being the lovely girlfriend you were, you asked Seungkwan to take care of him. The boy tried his best to do so. But alas, he was not that successful.

It seemed to both of you that Chan had spiraled back into his overworking session. What you both were unaware of was that it was more than that.

Chan was not just overworking; he was over-drinking and over partying too.

—

One faithful night; he met Eva, his pottery class instructor. She was pretty. They talked the whole night, catching up like old buddies and having fun.

She brought a change to his life again. She started being there for him during times when he would lose himself. She was a great friend, so great that in no time you had the chance to meet her.

You had come back for a week’s vacation. Seungkwan thought it was important for all the friends to meet up because it had been a long time since he had seen you. This meeting was supposed to consist of only you, Chan, and Seungkwan. But Chan asked to bring in another friend he would like you to meet. It was Eva.

You liked her; she was nice. You wanted to be friends with her. Her sweet personality was something no one could resist, a great example of a sweetheart through and through.

For once, you were actually proud of your boyfriend’s choices in life. Your visit was over even before it had started. Suddenly, the week was over, and you were packing your bags to return to Germany.

This time, Chan was not as scared of things going downhill anymore. He knew that within a few more months, you would come back, and he could happily start the wedding preparations. He also knew he had a solid group of friends to have his back. Most importantly, he had learned the art of living without you. Not that it was happy, but now he could enjoy spending time by himself.

—

Time flew faster than ever. In no time, it was Chan’s birthday. Your program would finish that same month, so sadly you couldn’t visit him. All you could do was video call him that morning and congratulate him for hitting thirty before you, to which he grumpily replied, “Your birthday is in six months; I’m gonna make it hell for you.”

“Whatever, old man, get dressed. Don’t you have a job to go to?” You laughed at his grumpy face while teasing him even more.

“I miss you,” Chan suddenly called out, pouting.

“You will meet me next month, Channie. Don’t be this sad now.” Although that did make him happy, the thought of spending yet another birthday without you was saddening. But it’s not like it was going to last. You would be back in no time.

That thought put a smile on his face. Soon enough, he was skipping around the house cooking breakfast and answering numerous calls from his friends and family for being a thirty-year-old now.

Seungkwan and Eva had also planned a not-so-surprise party for him. It consisted of meeting in front of his office and dragging his ass to the bar to drink and have fun. Although the day was spent slaving away in front of the computer, that night he had a lot of fun. He talked to Seungkwan and Eva for hours, and the three of them were pretty intoxicated when they left.

The only thing he remembered from that night was the fact that Eva, being the one out of the three with the most alcohol tolerance, was the one who had made sure that all of them returned home safely.

There was just one slight problem. Eva started to avoid him. Now, in any other situation, he would not have noticed it, but the text the next morning asking him if he remembered anything from the night before had him confused. When he asked her what it was all about, she refused to answer him, opting to ignore him instead.

He had no recollection of the night before, and Seungkwan didn’t either, so it was a mystery to both of them. But then again, his gut told him the problem was bigger than what he thought it was and might come to haunt him if not solved now.

So he did the most sane thing he could think of: He asked her to talk to him about it. He knew the wedding preparations would start the minute you came back, so he wanted to make sure to fix any problem that might affect you both before it blasted out of proportion.

—

“You kissed me,” was the first thing Eva told him after sitting down, making Chan’s heart drop to his stomach.

“Huh, but I don’t remember anything,” Chan retorted.

“It’s not about you remembering or not, it really happened, Chan, and I hate it,” she said, her voice almost breaking.

“Hey, calm down. We were both intoxicated, and we didn’t do it on purpose. Any other time and we wouldn’t have done it,” this seemed to have little to no effect on improving the girl’s mood.

On the other hand, Chan’s blood pressure was rising. The last thing he needed was a big mistake from which he could never turn back. With you coming back from Germany in less than a week, he needed everything in his life to be sorted out, especially something that could jeopardize a relationship with so much love in it.

“Chan, I think I like you. I’m not sure when it happened, or how it did. But I like you. So please don’t tell me I wouldn’t have done it if we weren’t intoxicated.”

The impact of this statement was so immense that it completely shattered his world, leaving him in disarray. It was true that he liked Eva. What kind of feelings he actually held for her was a mystery to him.

So, in the spur of the moment, he kissed her.

Just a few minutes ago, it was bothering him, but once he took the step, he didn’t feel what he was supposed to. He didn’t feel the disgust and hatred towards himself he should have. It felt like sneaking out of his house when he was not supposed to. It made a rush of excitement run through his body. He could feel the adrenaline rush through him.

He felt alive. maybe it was the feeling of doing something forbidden or it was something else, he didn’t know.

But, that night, they did more than kissing.

—

Once you were back, it was all sunshine and rainbows in the first few weeks. You both were happy, spending all your time together and having fun relishing in each other’s presence.

But it didn’t take you long to notice the changes. He would be stuck late at the office but come back home surprisingly lively, or those random texts from his brother late at night asking him to come over, or even the most obvious of them all, the vibrant smell of floral perfume that you never wear.

But you held out. You had promised to give him a chance to explain himself if he came clean to you. But that day never came. You asked him about these odd behaviors, but somehow he would always evade the topic altogether.

All those questions of ‘where were you last night’, ‘when will you come home’, or ‘shall we go on a date sometime soon’, all went unanswered.

He outright ignored your presence at home. But this didn’t stop the wedding preparations. Because his siblings and your parents alike loved him, they had taken the responsibility to take care of the wedding plans.

Before he could continue with his little escapades, Seungkwan caught and confronted him. Not by you but by Seungkwan. The older boy’s disappointment was beyond words. He screamed at him for an hour straight and then he had sat Chan down and calmly said,

“Either you tell her or I will.”

“But I can’t; she will leave me if I ever tell her.”

“Then she will be right in doing so.”

“Chan, I love you to death, but either you stop this and tell your girlfriend the whole truth, or I will take matters into my own hands. She has put up with enough of your shit. Don’t hurt her more,” he had said.

“Give me some time; I will do it as soon as possible,” the younger one had strained out, fisting his hair.

“She better know about it all before the wedding,” Seungkwan had warned him before seeing himself out.

—

Chan had cut off Eva after that. He tried to change everything before actually marrying you. Then, being the kind person you are, you tried to understand your boyfriend. You really did. But this was the first time in ten years you considered leaving him.

This relationship didn’t make you happy anymore. But you had gone through so many troubles together. The effort to hold each other upright was taking a toll on you.

But you were a fighter. You had fought many battles with him by your side. You couldn’t give up on those years either. Your internal dilemma was killing you. But all of this came to a halt one day when you had come back from your night shift, only to find your boyfriend and the girl he oh so diligently claimed to be his good friend, talking in the living room.

It was not like they were trying to be quiet because you could hear every single word spoken by them.

“Chan, it’s yours.”

“Eva, I have a fiancé. I will never leave her. I already told you, I love her.”

“Oh, so you didn’t think about that before fucking me”

“It was a mistake”, Chan shouted.

“No, it wasn’t, we both were very sober”, came another shout

The conversation hit you like a truck, and with each sentence, you felt your heart shattering. The decision suddenly seemed a bit too easy to make.

You walked out of the chaos, leaving the ring behind on the shoe rack. That night, you stayed at your friend’s place.

Following that event, you called Seungkwan, informing him that you won’t talk to Chan anymore. He simply asked if you wanted any help moving out, to which you answered with a simple no.

That was the end of the relationship for you. You refused to talk or see Chan ever again.

—

Now, five years later, Chan is to be married again. Not with you; no, he missed his chance. It's with Eva. They figured the best way to raise Minhan was to be together. In a county like theirs, it wasn’t the best idea to raise a kid with two unmarried parents.

Chan loved Minhan to death. But he could never show the same love for Eva. Looking at her reminded him of the mistakes he made in life. It reminded him of the happiness he could have attained, but he lost due to his own faults.

He is happy Seungkwan is still beside him. He knows he doesn’t deserve a friend like him, so the fact that Seungkwan stayed beside him makes him feel grateful.

He knew that his wife and child would move in with him soon, but he didn’t have the courage to let them into the house yet. The house that held both your memories was a bit too precious to let go of so easily.

The next day came faster than he anticipated. As Chan stood there waiting for his bride, he saw a face that he had been longing to see for the last five years.

He saw your face, sitting there on the benches, a sad smile adorning your face. Your eyes filled with emotions and stories of the years you had spent together.

Oh, how badly Chan wanted to abandon everything and run to you. Apologize a hundred times and ask you to take him back. But he couldn’t; he had children to take care of and shoes to fill.

As he stood there saying his vows, hoping it’s you he saw walking down the aisle and it’s you he kissed, but they are called dreams for a reason. And not all dreams come true.

As he kissed his bride, he saw a glimpse of your teary eyes amongst the crowd, and a tear of his own fell. Wishing for a future he was never destined to have.

the end

[asmutwriter]

The Gangsta's Wife (Part 6)

DESCRIPTION: You complete your first business ordeal as a Shelby family member. Your husband, Thomas, wants to thank you for your effort.

A/N: Was this section of smut overly necessary or was I just horny when I wrote this part? I guess we'll never know

WORD COUNT: 2510

From Beginning / Previous / Next / Master List  

WARNINGS: swearing, blackmail, mild sexism, threat, talk of murder, drinking, sex whilst drunk (able to consent), smut, rough sex, no foreplay, mild breeding kink, pet names (love/sir), creampie, overstimluation, mild dacryphilia

DISCLAIMERS

This is fiction. Please always talk to your partner before doing anything and make sure they are ok with what you are doing beforehand

This story does not follow the timeline of the show

Not been proof read - part may change slightly once I've proof read it

The clock chimes 8pm. You take in a breath. You and Tommy had parted ways since you discussion earlier this afternoon. Going about your business during the day. Due to him unable to find a different plan you were going with your choice. So here you were. Standing outside the garrison. You take a deep breath. Going inside you see a man sitting at a table. Looking smug as he drinks a pint.

You go over, putting on a false smile as you sit opposite him. His eyes meet yours before going over your body. His tongue darts out slightly as he smiles. You place your hands on the table, one hand over the other as you keep eye contact with him as hes finished checking you out. "Harry Thompson correct?" he nods "I have some business Id like to discuss with you" he chuckles slightly

"And you are?" he says in an almost mocking tone

"Sorry, where are my manners?" you hold your hand out for him to shake "Mrs Florence Shelby" he laughs again. Taking your hand and shaking it. You place yours back ontop of the one still resting on the table.

"So which one are you married to?"

"Does that matter?"

"I want to know which one sent you to do their dirty work"

"They didnt send me. They dont even know Im here" he nods, leaning back in his chair.

"WHat is it youd like to discuss then?"

"Id like to discuss your children. You have 5 I believe" he laughs

"I have 3. But carry on" a smirk on his face as you keep his eye contact

"Youre right. You and your wife have three children. Alfie, Anna, and William. But if you include the two children you had with your mistress then you have five"

"I dont know what you're talking about"

"So you dont know who Robert and Michael are? Or Rose, your mistress who had your children?" his smile drops. Eyes on yours as you continue talking "they live in London correct?" he goes to stand up

"My business isnt with you its with them" he stands

"SIt down Mr Thompson"

"I dont have to speak to one of their whores. Because that is exactly what you are"

"I said sit down Mr Thompson. Or I start screaming" he looks at you as you keep eye contact with him "how do you think thatll go for you? Given the current location we are in" he keeps looking at you, staying standing. You lean marginely closer to him, hushing your voice slightly so only he can hear you. "You may think you have this city wrapped around your finger but if any of the men in this building think you laid a hand on Thomas SHelby's wife then you better start digging your own grave" he takes in a deep breath. Sitting back down again.

"What is it you want?" he asks, a slight anger in his voice.

"I want you and your men to leave. The same conditionings my husband wants in fact" he grits his teeth

"And if I refuse?"

"One of my men goes and has a little visit to your family. The one up in London. The one we both know you care the most about. And slaughters them. One by one" his eyes dart around the room. You can sense the amount of fear going through his body. "If you leave then both of your families will remain safe. I wont tell my husband about Rose and your sons". You put your hand out for him to shake "do we have a deal?". He looks at you. Your calm behaviour being very different to the anxiety you feel welling up in your body. He reaches a hand out. Taking yours and shaking on the deal.

"Good decision. I'll give you until midnight tonight to leave this place. If you arent out by then... well, you know what'll happen" you smile at him. Standing up "Have a good night Mr Thompson" you leave the pub. Getting back home you open the front door. Taking your coat off and hanging it up. You can hear your husbands voice in the building next door. Given your previous experience of evesdropping you decide that it wouldnt be the best idea. Instead you retire early to bed. taking out a book you start reading.

You place the book down on your bedside table. Unsure of how late it is. But feeling dreadfully thirsty. You try settling down to sleep. Dehydration catching up to you. You mumble slightly as you get out of bed. Heading downstairs. Grabbing a glass of water from the kitchen to head back upstairs. You notice the living room light on.

Poking your head around the corner you see your husband. Whisley in hand as he watches the liquid swirl in the glass. "Mr Shelby?". His eyes look at you. The blue standing out among the darknessof the room. You step inside slightly. Seeing his jacket and waistcoat discarded on the sofa. "It appears to have gone well with Mr Thompson". He nods. Sipping his drink. Placing it onto the counter top he stands up.

"Go back to bed Flo. I'll be up shortly". His voice quiet. You nod. Turning back around. Going up the stairs. Reaching the top step you hear the living room door shut. Looking down the stairs to see darkness. You look downwards. Letting out a soft sigh as you head to your bedroom. Shutting the door and getting under the warm covers.

You wake up the next morning. Letting out a soft groan as you sit up. Hearing happy voices downstairs. Unsual given the normal tone of voice your new family has. AWare of the cold spot next to you. Not unsuaul. He sometimes stayed downstairs or in his own room next door.

You get out of bed. Wrapping your dressing gown round your body as you hear multiple voices. Heading into the living room you see your husband and his brothers. The three of them drinking and smoking. You fold your arms over your torso. Aware that you are still in your night clothes.

Arthur is the first to spot you. Coming over to you. The smell of alcohol on his breath. "Tommy told us what you did. That you helped Harry to fuck off" you chuckle slightly

"I suppose you could put it like that" you smile as he hugs you. Your arms going to your sides. Hanging awkwardly. Moving away he holds up his drink

"To Mrs SHelby"

"Ayy Mrs Shelby" you hear John call out. Your smile growing slightly as they drink their drinks in unison.

"Alright you two. Go on. We've still got stuff we need to be doing over in the shop. I'll be over in a bit". They both down their drinks. Heading past you. Them both smiling widely at you as you hear the front door go. Tommy titls his head as he looks at you. Then heading to his bottle of whiskey he grabs out a second glass. Topping up his one before puring you one. Walking over to you he hands you the fresh glass.

"I take it the plan worked?"

"Harry Thompson left late last night. He was seen getting into a car and driving off with his belongings". He clinks his glass to yours "Well done to your first official business ordeal. You're offically a Shelby" Taking a sip his drink as a soft smile appears on your face. His eyes watching yours as you do the same with the glass. Him standing about a foot away from you. You get the scent of whiskey and smoke from him.

"Thats excellent new Mr Shelvy. I'm glad the plan worked"

"As am I"

"What time did you find out he'd gone?"

"Early this morning. John and Arthur came round to tell me. We decided to celebrate the victory and have been celebrating since" you chuckle slightly. His mind only seeming to have noticed your nigthdress. He glances downwards. Trailing his eyes over the fabric before bringing them back up to meet yours.

He downs the rest of his drink. Placing his glass on the small coffee table. Standing straight again he closes the gap between you. His hand coming up to cup your face. Moving his thumb over your lips. Your cheeks going a soft shade of crimson at the affection. Your eyes still fixed on his. "Drink. Got to celebrate this victory, ey?". You smile, turning your head to the side slightly as you down your drink. He takes the opportunity to start kissing yur neck.

You let out a satisified sigh. Feeling his hand take the now empty galss from you. Hearing the soft clink as he places it onto the coffee table. His hands going to your hips as he holds you close to him. Feeling him start to grow in his trousers. The thin fabric of your night dress leaving very little to the imagination for the both of you. He unties the loose knot in the front of your gown. Pulling it off your shoulders and discarding it onot the floor. One hand snaking your waist. The other coming up and gripping at your breasts. His lips attacking your neck as he begins to massage your boob.

Your hands come up. Gently going to the side of his head. Reminvg it from your neck. Making him look at you "Mr Shelby... we cant here... my sisters..."

"You are my wife. And this is my house. Where else do ypu propose I can fuck you, ey?"

"But what if they see us...?" you whisper "Or even hear us for that matter?"

"I'll be quick" his hands moves from your chest where it was happy resting. Resting it over your mouth as he lowers his voice "All you have to do is not make a sound..." a soft whimper escapes your lips. Causing him to grin. His hands both drop to your hips. Forcibly turning you around. Pushing you to armchair in the room. Your hands going to the back of it as a means to not fall over. Your knees hit the plush seat. He rakes up your dress. Holding it up with one hand as he unbuttons his trousers. You hear him spit, seconds later feeling him rubbing his palm over your core. You whine out. Knees going up onto the chair as you push your hips back into his touch.

A few seconds later and he plunges himself into you. The lack of foreplay making the strecth almost unbearable. Causing you to cry out. The hand holding your night dress up moves. Snaking around your waist as he pulls you flush against him. Holding you up as the other hand covers your mouth. He turns your head to look at him. His dull nails digging into the flesh of your cheeks as you feel tears coming to your eyes. He comfortingly sushes you. Giving you a little bit of time to adjust before he starts to move his hips into yours. The pain going through your body quickly turning to pleasure as you cunt quickly adjusts to him. Your hands come up to his arm wrapped around you. Gripping at him.

Holding onto him for dear life as he continuesly plunges his cock in and out of your needy hole. You shut your eyes. Feeling the tears from your eyes fall down your cheeks. But you dont care. Your so focused on him filling you out that you dont care about the tears staining your cheeks. The dull pain between your thighs. The truly vulnerable and submissive state hes put you in. You only care about him. About how good he feels inside of you. And about how close hes managed to get you to your high.

"SUch a good girl for me. Letting me fuck this pretty cunt of yours. Fill you up with my seed. You deserve it, love. Being such a good wife. You deserve to be filled with my cum".

You subconsciously tighten around his words. Although you cant see it, you can feel the grin adorning his face. The hand from your mouth moves. Causing you to open your eyes. Being met with his dark, borderline sadistic gaze. A soft whine leaves your lips as you try and remain quiet. His thrusts slowing slightly.

Your hands come up. Moving from his arms to hold at his face as a feeble 'please' escapes your lips. A few more tears fall down your cheeks. His thumb quickly wiping them away, resting it gently onto your shoulder as he watches your eyes. Fresh tears quickly appearing as you can feel your high slowly drifiting away from you. His thrusts slow but continueus.

"Please sir...". he brushes the hair from your face. Tucking it behind your ear before placing his hand back over your mouth. Your arm goes around his neck as he continues to hold you flush against his body. Your other hand going to his wrist.

He starts thrusting at a godly speed. You practcily scream. Digging your nails into the flesh f his wrist. He kisses your shoulder. Grunting as he pushes himself deep inside of you. Feeling his cum hit your walls. You feel your hips start to spasm. Your own orgasm hitting you. Helping to milk him dry as he mutters a soft 'fuck' against you. His blunt nails digging into the softness of your cheeks as you tighten around him. You shut your eyes. A few more tears trailing down your face as you come down from your high.

His hand going from your mouth to gently brush the liquid away. You reac your hands out. STeadying yourself on the chair again as he pulls out of you. Watching his seed fall from your folds. He collects the jucies onto his tip. Pushing them back into your hole. You whine out in discomfort. Overstimulation and the dull ache being to much for you. But he thrusts a few more times before pulling out fully. Bringing your nightdress down to cover your intimate part before he puts himself back int his trousers.

Your breathing becomes steady again. Resting down into the chair. Feeling his hand brush your hair out of your face. You open your eyes. A tired smile on your face as you meet his blue eyes. "I have some work to do" you nod. Turning so you can stand up. Him steadying you as you wobble slightly. A slight smirk on his face. Knowing that hes the reason for your unsteadyiness. But your to cock drunk to care at this moment in time.

"I'll see you later then Mr Shelby" he smiles. Nodding as he lets your arm go. Going to the front door as yu hear it bang behind him. Quickly followed by the sound of his voice next door. You give yourself a few more minutes before getting up off the chair. Going upstairs to get dressed.

Previous / Next

TAGS

@whorecrux-of-slytherin @kkrenae @ireallydontcareanymorebrooo

[ophelieverse]

MORE DAD AEMOND FANFIC 🥺🙏🏻 ITS SO CUTE !!! I LOVE HOW DEDICATED HE IS WITH DRAGONS BUT STILL UNDERSTAND WHAT HIS FAMILY NEED BEST ✨🥲

⋅•⋅⋅•⋅⊰The wild princess and the wild dragon.

Aemond Targaryen x fem!reader.

Another part of Daddy Aemond for all of my lovelies.Now is Visenya time to shine and to finally have a dragon,just like her father did.

Thank you for reading and let me know what you think💕(sorry for the errors).

•••••••••••••••••••

The fire was crackling in the fireplace,the sun was rising above the horizon,every living small creature was now awaking for living another day in the peaceful and sunny Dragon Stone.

Y/n was laying on the bed,the white sheets were messy,half dangling on the floor and half wrapped around her sweaty body.Her hair sprawled on the pillow,back arching and eyes closing in the blissful feeling that was flaming on her skin.

It was the first lights in the morning,when her husband made his way on top of her after admiring her beautiful features.The perfect and immaculate texture of her skin,the sweet little smile on her sleepy face,the way her chest rose up and down in every breath.

Y/n hands wrapped around his neck and went to his hair,beautiful strands of silver moonlight,long enough for her to run her fingers through and to pull at.

Aemond moaned,pulling her closer until his lips claimed hers in a kiss full of desperation and need.He kissed her as if he was a man starved,the only thought of her the most delicious meal,and showing her exactly how much he craved her.

Y/n groaned in his mouth,the euphoric feeling pumping in her veins,wrapping her legs around his waist.He pulled her waist against his hard body,the bulge in his pants rubbing against her pelvic bone as he choked out with a moan:«I want another one.»his voice was low and it made her shiver.

His wife know immediately to what he was referring,to what his heart wished since the moment they got married,having another child.It wasn’t a secret for her,it wasn’t a secret for anyone,to see the way Aemond eye always lingered for too long on his wife belly,how he caressed it and the disappointment on his face to find it empty,imagining the future life that could come out of it.

Aemond had always been a family man,devoted to the woman that he loved and swore his life to,and to the beautiful children they had together.He didn’t had the best experience of family growing up,his parents barely looked in his direction or at each other,leaving him to be raised in empty rooms by even more empty people that gave him only the necessary.He didn’t wanted that for his children,he wanted them to feel safe and loved around him,always ready to find a shelter,a friend,a listener whenever they wished.

But now his children were growing,too fast for his liking.Rhaegal,his first son,his heir,soft and thoughtful like his mother,was now eighteen and ready to be wed to Lord Baratheon youngest daughter,making him spending half of his time in the Stormlands to court her.Aedion,his second son,now thirteen,calculating and mischievous,taking it after his paternal great grandfather,preferred to spend his free time with his cousin and with his dragon flying across Westeros.

Even his youngest daughter,Saera,who was only five,a beautiful princess that looked exactly like him,seemed to grown faster each day.Making him cherish every moment he had with her,from her first word,her first steps,answering to all her curiosities about the world that he’d always protect her from.

Then there’s was Visenya,his first daughter,the one girl he prayed and wished so much for,was now ten years old and a walking earthquake.The young princess was nothing like the Ladies of her age,nothing like her mother was.His daughter was short tempered,quick to anger and slave to acting before thinking.She preferred her hair short,no jewelry or pompous pastel dresses,but leather dark green pants and a sword.Instead of a Septa to take care of her and teaching her the good manners,Criston Cole was sworn to her,to teach her how to duel and how to work with armors on.

Y/n reached down with her hand,rubbing against his prominent bulge«Another girl?»she teased him with a smirk on her face.

Aemond shuddered,a spark running dow his body«I don’t care»he panted in her ear«As long as it’s you who’s giving it to me.»now sucking on the tender skin of her neck.

A loud knock on the door was what made them pull away.Needy lips running after each other,short breaths,and warm skins as they both got up from bed,adjusting themselves.

Criston Cole stood in the doorway,his white cape and shining armor making him look even more dutiful«I’m sorry to interrupt your morning my prince,my princess.»he stated looking at the couple.

«Has something happened?»Y/n was smothering down her nightgown,the one that till a moment before her husband wanted to rip off her.

Aemond was beside her,his hair messy thank to her,eye widened when he saw two of his children making their way into the room.

Aedion had become taller in years,but still he was shorter than his brother and his father were at his age.His white hair were a mess of silver strands,like someone had pulled them roughly,the angular features of his pale face morphed in a annoyed expression.Under his left eye a purple bruise bloomed on his skin with a little cut,sand all over his cheeks.

Visenya stood beside him,soaked from head to toe,was trying her best to not shiver but the sound of her teeth trembling was audible in all the room.Her shoulder length hair were wet,sticking on her neck and cheeks.The dark fabric of her clothes,clinging on her like a second skin while little droplets of water landed on the stone floor.Her hands were on her side,clenched fits,and on her right hand her knuckles were peeled,crusty blood on them.

«I heard the screams and i found them fighting on the beach.»Ser Criston explained.

Y/n looked at her husband,exchanging a knowing look with him«Why when something happens is always the two of you?»she said in a exasperated tone.

«He started it-»Visenya bursted out immediately,adverting on her the gaze of her parents.

«She attacked me!»Aedion defended himself,pointing his accusatory finger on his sister.

«Quiet,both of you!»Aemond yelled,tiredness in his voice.

Then he pulled Visenya in his arms,wrapping a blanket around her shaking figure a guiding her toward the fireplace.The little girl sighed in relief,enjoying the warmth of the flames and her father caressing her back to help her warm up.

Y/n took a deep breath,placing a hand on her son shoulder«Thank you,Ser Criston.We will take care of it.»she thanked him with a genuine smile.

The knight bowed his head and closed the door behind him,leaving the scene.When his mother turned to look at him,her face stoic and a strict gaze on her eyes,Aedion shivered on his feet.

«Care to tell me why you and your sister were fighting like animals,again?»she asked,anger very clear in the sound of her voice.

Y/n took her son face on her hands,examining the bruised skin and cleaning him from the sand.Aedion hissed in pain,closing his eyes and trying to turn away from his mother grasp«She punched me!She is the animal,look at the way she dress!»he cried out.

Visenya head shot up,angry purple eyes setting on her brother«You deserved it!It’s you who gave me a donkey!»she barked back.

«Because you are one!»Aedion told her,his face now free from his mother care but still hiding behind her body.

«Aedion!»Y/n yelled immediately at her son insult.

There was a ruffle sound,the blanket that was covering Visenya cold body was now on the floor,the little girl ready with another punch for her brother face.Fortunately,Aemond was ready to catch her by her waist,holding her up against his chest,before she could flung herself on Aedion scared figure.

«Enough!»Aemond roared,his daughter kicking and squirming in his arms ceased at the authority in his voice«Me and your mother are gonna deal with this separately,since the two of you can’t be civil enough to have a proper conversation.»he stated,breathing deeply through his nose.

Y/n nodded at him,knowing more than well that this was the only solution.Growing up,she had missed the special bond that Aedion and Visenya had.Once they were inseparable,it was impossible to see one without the other,playing together,laughing and caring for each other.

Now it was impossible to see them going along,always picking on one another,the continue teasing and stupids pranks.It was tiring,especially since both Y/n and Aemond wanted nothing more than a lovely family who have each other backs.

When his wife closed the door behind her,taking with her their son,Aemond turned his gaze to his daughter now sitting again on the carpet next to the fire.

Her little figure was curled up against the stone wall,one of her hand towards the flames to gather some warmth.Aemond could her the sound of her sniffing and see her lucid eyes,it broke his heart to see her like that.

«Want to tell about this donkey?»Aemond voice was calm now,softer.

«They both laughed at me,like i’m some sort of jester.»Visenya started,her little face softened,tears to the corner of her eyes.

Aemond chest ached at the sound of her broken and shaky voice«Visenya»he started calling her attention«You need to tell me what happened,otherwise i can’t help you.»he got closer to her,sitting next to her and caressing her cheek to wipe away the tears.

His daughter cleared her throat and nodded«Aedion and Jaehaerys said that here in Dragon Stone lived three wild dragons»she talked lowly«so they took me to get one,so i could be just like the rest of you.But instead they gave me a donkey.»she told him,little sobs leaving her mouth.

Aemond froze on his spot,his mind racing just like his pulse did.Suddenly it all came back to him,it was like living that stupid nightmare again but instead of a donkey his false dragon was a pig.His chest burned with anger,if he closed his eye he swore he could still hear his brother and nephews making fun of him.But what anger him the most was that no matter,no matter the fact that he got he revenge on them by claiming the biggest dragon in Westeros,that didn’t felt like a win now that his daughter had to experience his same pain.

He felt powerless,he had promised Y/n that he would protect his daughter from the moment she was born till his last breath on this earth,but he was unable to shelter her from his own past.

«Then I got angry»Visenya sniffed again«and i punched Aedion in the face.Jaehaerys had to throw me in the sea to stop me.»she explained,looking up to her father with sad eyes.

But it was different this time,his daughter was different,he was different.When it happened to him,his mother did what little she could,promising him that one day he would had a dragon.His father never talked about it,not even a pitiful glance on his way,not a single word of comfort to forget.Even though his mother tried,that weren’t the words that his younger self needed her to say to him,the ones that only him said to himself.

What he needed that day was someone to tell him:«If there is a dragon out there,go and claim it.»just like he did right now.

He couldn’t repair on what his parents did for him,but he could be the best version of himself for his daughter so that she could never experience this kind of pain again.

Visenya eyes widened«Can i?»she asked,like for a permission,her eyes now sparkling.

Aemond smiled at her«It is your birth right,as a Targaryen,to have one.If you are brave and bold enough go and claim one for yourself.»he stated,turning serious.

His daughter shivered,but this time not from the cold but for the examination that she felt running through her veins at her father next words«You are not a donkey,you are a dragon.So be a dragon.»

Y/n was sitting on a chair in her son room,from the other side of the table Aedion was looking down at his hands.The Maester had left just a moment ago,after cleaning a stitching up the little cut that he had under his eye.

The smell of medical alcohol still lingered the room«It was just a harmless joke»Aedion tried to defend himself.

His mother crossed her arms,the disappointment on her face hurted more than the punch he received in the morning«Visenya is your sister and you,better than anyone,should know how much this topic hurts her.»she stated with a stern voice.

Aedion sighed«It’s just»he started«she has to be in everything that i do all the time.»he explained.

«Aedion-»his mother began.

But the young boy interrupted her«It’s the truth!Whenever i’m practicing with the sword she is there.When i want to take a fly with Hyperion she asks me to come and father says i have to take her.This vacation on Dragon Stone was suppose to be my free time with Jaehaerys but she’s been following us since we first landed here!»he sounded tired,ready to cry and combust on himself.

Y/n face softened,a little smile on her face,as she stood up and walked to her son.Turning around the table,she took his face in her hands,carefully caressing his cheek with her thumb«She wants to be involved because she want to be like you.»she said with a tender voice«Ask her who’s her favorite dragon rider is,but don’t tell your father the answer.»she then chuckled making her son do the same.

Aedion looked surprised,a sparkle behind his lavander eyes«Really?Me?»he sounded surprised.

But when his mother nodded his chest warmed and his heart ached«I’m sorry for what i did.»he murmured.

Y/n smiled,she understood him.Being a older brother have its up and its down,and a nagging little sister wasn’t always the best thing to have around.But with the sincerity of his words and the sight of regret in his eyes,she knew everything would be better.

«You have to tell this to your sister.»she said,hugging him closer to her.

Night time came faster than a blink of an eye.The sky was dark and starless,looking empty and intimidating,the cold breeze of the ocean and the impetuous wind hollowed knocking at the winds to come in.The pale moonbeams lulled every living creature to sleep,expect for one.

Visenya lifted the warm covers from her body,jumping out of her bed,dressing quickly with a dark green cloak on her shoulders and a torch in her hands she flew out of the castle and making her way to the hills around it.

She had heard tales from the small folks who lived there,about three wild dragons that roamed the island at night.One who was know to steal the sheep from the shepherds,one shy and silent,barely seen,and another one,the biggest out of them,that eats his own kind.

The young princess shivered,the cold wind hitting her pale face as her legs walked faster in the dark cave.It was pitch black,humid and smelled like something died in there.The little flame of her torch flicked as more deep she got,tracing her hand on the rough stone walls,under he feet she could hear the cracking of something breaking with each step she was taking until the darkness swallowed her up.

In her head the comforting words of her father repeated themselves.She was a dragon,she was brave and she was bold,named after the strongest woman warrior that ever existed in Westeros,it was her birth right to claim that dragon.

But not only a simple dragon,her need to prove herself,to be better,made her want the biggest out of the three dragons:the Cannibal.

Visenya jumped surprised,squeezing her purple eyes and crunching down when she heard a little screeching sound.Pointing her torch to the ground a little smile appeared on her face,a dragon,no bigger than a cat,scales greens as a emerald,was lurking towards her.

She remembered seeing her brothers,the rest of her family raising little dragons and taking care of them since they came out of the shell.How she missed it,now looking at the small creature that she could have had since her birth,the pain of a sensation that she will never be able to feel.

«Nyke’m daor going naejot ōdrikagon ao.»her voice was calm as she spoke slowly,spelling out every word.

Her father had taught her the dragons language,along her brothers,when she was a child,narrating to them all the tales of ancient Valyria at its full glory.

Visenya was calm,even though her heart raced,and politely telling to the small dragon that she wasn’t there to hurt it.The little creature had other plans,seeing a stranger entering the cave,a snarl came out of it opening his wide mouth.

The young princess didn’t had the time to react,to jump back and to retire her hand before it was to late.The green dragon pointy and sharp teeth closed around her left hand,the sound of broken bones and the high pitch screams leaving her mouth echoed on the stone walls.

The pain went directly to her heart,her pulse quicker,hot tears running down her cheeks,as she tried to hit the small dragon with the torch.Before she could even lift her right arm,a loud roar shook the very foundation of Dragon Stone,the sound of heavy steps and animalistic snarls.

The Cannibal emerged from the shadows,black as coal with menacing green eyes,he was the largest and the oldest of the three wild dragons.

Visenya stood still with her knees on the dirty floor,her left hand tucked to her chest trembling.Blood was everywhere,on her white camisole,her pants,her cloak,under her chin and especially on left arm.She couldn’t feel her fingers,nothing aside the sharp pain the was running up her hand and all over her small body.

The wild dragon in front of her opened his mouth and without wasting his time,with just one bite,he ate the smaller green one.The sound of chewing,the smell of blood and death,and the vision didn’t made her flinch.

Instead,hissing in pain,she tore a piece of her green cloak to wrap it on her hand to prevent more bleeding.Then she rose on her feet,not even this would had stopped her to have that dragon.

Visenya walked slowly,the Cannibal eyes were scrutinized her,looking at every move the young princess was making in her way towards him.

Lifting her right hand up,almost near him,Visenya felt a strange pull in her chest,something warm,like a hook in her ribs that was dragging her to the creature.

The dragon opened his mouth,a glowing color sparkled in the back of his throat with a ferocious rumble.

«Dohaeris.»she stated with authority in her voice,every trace of fear leaving her body«Dohaeris,Cannibal.»she repeated.

Listening to her,with a low sound,the creature closed his mouth,obeying her just like Visenya requested.Something,a primal devotion that was in him before his birth,finally awoke.

«Lykiri.»Visenya said again,an invisible string was tying itself up around them,keeping them close to each other,calm like she asked him,when her hand finally touched the warm scales on his head and he let her.

Because now,the Cannibal was not a wild dragon and Visenya wasn’t a donkey.They belonged to each other,a dragon and his rider.

It was the sound of something hard landing and breaking the ground outside their window,a low screeching sound that made the glass tremble,that woke them up.

Aemond and Y/n were sleeping peacefully in each other arms,right under the warm covers when a servant girl came rushing into their chambers stating that something had happened to the princess.

In the grand Hall,Y/n was crunched down,still in her nightgown,tears in the corner of her eyes and a worried expression on her face«She’s gonna be fine,right?»she asked with trembling voice for the tenth time.

The Grand Maester,an old man,was sitting at the table in the center of the room,Viseny was right in front of him.Her left hand was in a horrible state,covered in blood,the flesh torn apart and one of her fingers almost detached.

«Her hand gonna heal,princess.»the Maester reassured her«But i can’t save this one finger.»he said pointing at the ring finger.

Aemond felt his mouth become dry,his pulse was quick in his ear while watching the way his wife cried out at the horrible news holding her daughter desperately.

Again it felt like living again that moment of his childhood,remembering how his mother was crashed for what happened to his eye and now seeing his wife going through the same pain.

Visenya hissed in pain as the Maester was stitching the cuts on her hand,but a little smile was present on her face«Do not worry mother.I may have lost a finger,but i gained a dragon.»she stated proud of herself.

Aemond let out a choked chuckle«A fair exchange.»he whispered to his daughter,caressing her head.

Y/n head shot up to her husband,the anger in her eyes made him shiver«Our daughter could have died!And you say it was a fair exchange ?»she screamed at him.

Aemond breathed through his nose,as a father he almost had a heart attack when he saw his daughter bloody hand.But his younger self was screaming how proud he was of her,seeing coming down the sky with her dragon.

«I’m aware of what could have happened.»he remained her«But it didn’t,that dragon was destined to belong to her.From now on he will protect her.»he said.

Visenya passed her eyes from her father to her mother«I’m fine and i finally have all that i ever wanted.I’m sorry if i made you worry.»she excused herself.

Y/n sighed deeply,knowing that no matter what,her husband and daughter were more similar to each other than anything else.It would been impossible to make them change their mind on this topic.

«But you have to promise me that you will ride that thing only when you will have a saddle and in your father presence,deal?»she said,a small smile that mirrored his daughter one.

«Deal!»Visenya answered enthusiastically.

Aemond smiled,making his way towards his wife a wrapping his arms around her.A quick kiss on her forehead as he realized that even Visenya now had grown,from the little tremendous girl to a soon magnificent dragon rider.And he couldn’t wait to be there for her in every step,helping her and teaching to her like he did with his sons.

«After this,i definitely want another one.»

[mpregandproud]

Isaac II (Part 1)

Twenty years ago my life took a 180 degree turn. After separating from my ex-wife Sandra, Isaac came into my life, and with him an adventure that if someone told you about it you would not believe. In just five years I went through five pregnancies and gave birth to seventeen children, no more and no less. With my husband I had eleven of them, and we adopted the daughter I had with my ex-wife, whom I got pregnant before our separation. And we decided to be surrogates for our friends Lucas, Ray and Tom, six more children. Oh yes, I forgot, I am a man, a man who got pregnant. I know, I'm kind of a weirdo. Although Isaac prefers to say it's a “gift given to me by nature”.

While Isaac and I adore our children and thoroughly enjoyed my pregnancies, we decided to stop making babies. With twelve boys and girls per household we had more than enough. We had dreamed of having a big, happy family, especially since neither of us had grown up in large families. The dream of our lives was more complete than ever. Or so we believe at the time.

After having the sextuplets we decided to leave the city and move to the town where I grew up. There we bought a big house in the country. Isaac and I could work from home, and being close to my parents and sister would help us raise little quintuplets Dylan, Nate, Philip, Edward and Cristina, sextuplets Bruce, Ken, Patrick, Charlotte, Ivana and Jason, and Sandra, the oldest of all our children.

This change allowed me to make a major change in my life. I started to take up sports again and regain a healthier way of life. With Lucas, Gary, Samuel and Frank, my former soccer teammates when I was young, we started participating in the veterans' league. Although I never regained the shape I had before I gave birth, I lost my belly and my muscles started to show after years of being hidden under fat. My ass, two large spheres, and my hips, wide as proof of having given birth to a full soccer team with its starting and substitute players included, were living witnesses that inside me the party of life had taken place.

Isaac and I have strengthened our relationship a lot over the years. He is my soul mate. If I ever had any doubts about our marriage, seeing him day in and day out taking care of our children made me fall in love with him like I did the first day I saw him on that soccer field. Now in his 50s, he is the sugar daddy I once dreamed of as a teenager, when I was still trying to convince myself that I liked women. His athletic body and the gray hair that has slightly whitened his hair is like a dream come true. When he comes home from working in the garden, sweaty and dirty, I have to hold back my desire for him to slam me against the wall and plant his potent seed inside me again.

This is not to say that Isaac and I have stopped fucking, in fact we do it more than ever. The years have made us wilder. And now that our older kids are in college and our younger ones are in high school, we have more time to live our passionate love intensely. Maybe we have too much time, and too much passion for no good.

Yes, as you can imagine, the inevitable happened again. Sixteen years after I had last been pregnant I felt morning sickness and a general feeling of discomfort in my body again. I didn't want to believe it at first. Remember that we had decided not to have any more babies, but Mother Nature had other plans. That's why a condom broke, there was a plan to get us pregnant again. Apparently twelve children was not enough, so a new litter was about to arrive. I was pregnant again.

For the first time in all these years I saw Isaac worried. In spite of having experience in the matter, this was going to be my sixth time pregnant, it was not the same to be pregnant when I was 30 than when I was 50. And I wasn't sure that my body would work the same way either.

“What are we going to do, Isaac, do you want to become a father again?”, I asked him the night after we confirmed the pregnancy.

“Daniel, I don't know. I really don't know, it was no longer in my plans to be a father again. I adore our children and I love you madly, but I have more doubts than ever”, he said cuddling up to me on the bed. “I remember when we found out you were pregnant twenty years ago it was you who had doubts, and me who reassured you. But look at me now, I don't recognize myself, I'm scared of what this pregnancy might mean for you, especially knowing that we tend to have many children at the same time”, he was shaking as he told me, so I grabbed his hand and shook it tightly to try to calm him down.

I gave him a little kiss on the crown of his head. “I didn't expect to find myself gestating a child again either at our age and after going through this so many times. I already felt complete with what we had. But today, when the doctor confirmed that we were pregnant, something changed in me. I have doubts, lots and lots of doubts, but also the desire to be a father again with you”, I told him without being able to look at him because I was so nervous. “I think it's clear to me that I want to have this child, or children. It may be our last chance to be parents again. Who knows. And, I'm not going to lie to you, I love how much the pregnancies brought us together before. So, yes, I want to be a father”. I looked down and saw him crying emotionally, as much as I was. Both with tears in our eyes.

Isaac sat up, grabbed my face and said in a breathy voice, “I love you so much. We're in this together, let's get to it”. We kissed passionately and sealed that night by fucking like animals again.

The following week we got our children together. Taking advantage of the fact that the older ones had returned from college that week for summer vacation, it was the ideal time to tell them all the good news. Isaac prepared a barbecue in the garden. We also invited Esther and her children Svetlana and Boris, the children she had with Yevgeni, who died last year in a helicopter accident.

Our best friends, Lucas and Adam, and their children Daniel and Isaac, the first ones I had as a surrogate, also came. They are also our family, our chosen family. For little Daniel and Isaac, our sons are their cousins, and we are their uncles. Lucas and Adam wanted us to be in their lives from day one. I will be eternally grateful to them, as it helped me cope better with the strange feeling of having given birth to children that were technically not mine. I still have a very close relationship with the other children I had as a surrogate, but they live farther away, so I see them less often. And also, Daniel and Isaac were my first, it's something special, hard to explain.

When they were a little older Lucas and Adam explained to the boys that I was the one who gestated them because they could not. Far from being scared, the children became even more fond of me. They say that I am their favorite uncle. When they tell me that in front of Isaac he gets jealous. I love to see him like that. He looks so sexy in those funny moments.

Before we got to desserts I sat for a while with my sister Esther and Lucas, my childhood friend. She has always been very perceptive, so it didn't catch me by surprise that she was the one who asked me the question, “You're pregnant again, aren't you?”. Lucas was silent and staring at me with wide eyes. “The first time you got pregnant you did something similar in Isaac's apartment in the city. You will have many children, but originality is not your strong point,” she said teasing me as only a sister knows how. I sipped my soda and nodded my head. “But don't tell anyone yet, we want to announce it to all of you today”, I winked.

Both Esther and Lucas were concerned about a pregnancy in my fifties. “Are you sure? You and Isaac have sky-high fertility, so knowing your backgrounds it's possible you're expecting a whole basketball team. Isn't that dangerous at your age?” said a very concerned Lucas. “Yes, we are aware of the complications that may be involved, but we want to give it a try. It could be our last chance to be parents again. It's not a planned pregnancy, but we agree that we want to try. We take all the risks”, I told them.

They both gave me a big hug in that very moment. They are the two people who understand me best. Apart from Isaac, I can talk to Esther and Lucas about anything. Their hug felt comforting, they were giving me their approval and support. I knew that in the face of any difficulty I could count on them in this adventure.

From across the garden Isaac was looking at us. I knew that without explaining anything to him, just by seeing the three of us hugging, he was aware that Lucas and Esther knew about the pregnancy and that they were giving me strength. His smile at the sight of us made me feel even more confident in the decision we had made. It would not be a planned pregnancy, but it would be a desired pregnancy.

After desserts we gathered everyone around the table and Isaac was in charge of telling everyone. “Thank you for coming to our house today. For us it is very important to have the family close to us in all our steps as a couple and as parents. We are about to start a journey with many doubts, but that will once again fill this house with love”. He then grabbed me with his left hand and put his right hand on my belly. In case anyone did not understand his gesture, he proceeded to clarify it by shouting it from the rooftops. “We are going to be parents again. We are pregnant!”, he announced with the same joy with which twenty years ago he told that we were pregnant for the first time.

Everyone started squealing with joy and celebrating. If there were any doubts, our family cleared them all. Our children hugged both of us, some of them crying with excitement as Isaac and I were. Sandra, our oldest, gave me a huge hug, then told me that “mommy would be as excited as I am right now. I can't wait to have new siblings". I think a lot about my ex-wife Sandra, and as my daughter said, I'm sure that on a day like this she would have liked to be with us celebrating. I miss her, I hope she is proud of the family we have given our daughter.

Be that as it may, come what children may, we are on this journey together, Isaac and I. Together about to become parents again. Living the best of our lives.

Go to Part 2