#and my own bed that I fit on and have a decent mattress on

[david-watts]

I miss my room man

[pandoa]

eyes of your beholder

rook reassures you that you are still the most beautiful thing he has ever seen, no matter what your insecurities are

rook hunt x gender neutral! reader

requested by @yvonne67~✰

“Rook… honest opinion…” your voice rang through the decently sized dorm room of a certain Pomefiore vice housewarden. With a hint of hesitation to your tone, you leaned your back against the young man’s pillows and bed as you turned to look at him from his spot seated in front of his desk.

“Do you think I’m… too loud whenever we’re together?” 

Rook, upon hearing the hesitance in your voice, immediately set down the pen and paper in his hands, giving you his full attention, “Hm? Whatever do you mean, mon amour?”

“You know… I am more on the rambunctious side when it comes to personality, and it doesn’t help that my image doesn’t really correlate much with the standards Pomefiore builds as a dorm. People talk, you know. I’m not oblivious to their stares and whispers… I’m also more average when it comes to my looks so…” your sentence trailed off as you avoided the way Rook had been looking at you at that moment. Almost as if he were studying you with each sentence you said.

“You’re beautiful through and through, (Y/n),” he answered back with a sure expression, “But… Why do you ask?”

“It’s nothing—”

“It is never nothing, (Y/n).” Rook took a small step towards you, gently grasping your hands as the emerald of his eyes bore into you as if he were gazing through a crystal window to your thoughts. He held your hands delicately, voice now soft and whispering, “Mon ange, please tell me what is going through that radiant mind of yours.”

At that, his words were enough to make you feel as if you were about to crumble. Crumble into a pathetic pile of dust, dirt, and envy which gnawed at your conscience as your true intentions shone past the defenses you placed moments before. Your defenses collapsed all at once with a single utterance from the man in front of you, and he could see you clearer than ever by now. The imperfections and clouded insecurities. The damaged self-confidence and unease. 

He knew what made your mind spiral and twist and turn. What caused that heavy pit in your stomach whenever you would catch yourself glancing at another student at Pomefiore, gaze lingering a little longer than what was socially acceptable as a mere accident. He knew… yet he still hoped that you would be the one who told him directly.

This man… is too observant for his own good, you thought to yourself as you noticed Rook beginning to gently rub his thumb over your hands in a comforting motion, sending a warm flutter through your senses at the reassuring action.

“I just… I was just wondering if there was something that—” you paused for a split second as you pieced together your thoughts prudently, “—That I could perhaps fix about myself. To meet the kind of standards you all set for both yourself and the people around you. Just to, you know, maybe fit the part as your significant other a little better. That’s all.”

“Fit the part?” Rook repeated in disbelief, “Mon ange, you have nothing you need to be proving to others in order for—”

You glanced back up at him with a firm disposition, your stance unwavering and disbelieving in his words, “But there is, Rook. There is.”

“I can assure you there is not,” Rook smiled with a gentle curve to his lips as he took your hands he’d already been holding and guided you off of the sinking mattress of his dorm room, leading you somewhere away from his bed. “Come with me.”

“Where?” you asked as you reluctantly sat up and practically let him pull you to your feet. You had no idea what the huntsman had planned for you this time, yet you still gave into his wishes as he supported your form once you stood up. Albeit, with at least half as much enthusiasm compared to him—but still.

“Just trust me,” Rook’s smile slowly formed into a grin as you both began walking across his dorm room. Passing by the wooden furniture of his desk beside his bed, treading through the soft texture of his white, polka-dotted rug, and past the neatly hung bows and arrows in his room, you and Rook made your way on your short journey and into the familiar doors of—

… The bathroom?

“Now, mon trésor, what do you see?” Rook asked as he guided your shoulders and had you face both of your reflections into the dorm’s gold-accented looking glass with Rook standing slightly behind you.

“The mirror,” you answered back dryly.

“Be serious.”

A sigh escaped your mouth at his insistence for an answer, “Myself…”

“C’est exact! It’s you,” the hunter grinned as he gave you a small applause, glancing at you through the mirror, “And what else do you see in the mirror?”

“I see you.”

“Correct again. I see you, and you see me. A beautiful exchange, don’t you think?” “Rook, what’s the point in all of this—” You tried turning around to face the young man, only for him to promptly grasp your shoulders again and turn your frame to face the looking glass once more.

“And like this beautiful exchange, because you, mon ange, are my beloved partner and lover, we get to see, discover, and adore the things that make us the individuals we are today. To love someone is to see them…” Rook tenderly took hold of your hand again, reaching from his place behind you to grasp it as his voice was laced with an ardent urgency to tell you these words. His eyes bore into your heart as his ability to see things beyond the surface spoke to you in gentle touches and confessions of adoration. 

Then, after Rook had ensured that you were listening to every word, every syllable, and every consonant he uttered, he continued.

“...And I see you each and every second of the day, (Y/n). The world can say what it wants, your mind can continue feeding whatever worries which flood your mind so often, yet absolutely nothing will go so far as to blind me and prevent me from seeing the enchanting parts of you which I so adore.

There is nothing you need to do or change in order to be deserving of the love which I give to you freely. No superficial standard, no judgemental comment, no part you have to play… Nothing.”

“I only want you. Nothing else.” 

Rook finishes his passion-filled explanation, allowing more time for you to take in all that he said and let it imprint itself into both your mind and heart. You watched as Rook’s reflection in the mirror had diverted his gaze from the looking glass and onto you, seeing through you again and again in ways you could not even comprehend. It was almost unfair how he was able to reach you in the deepest depths of your mind. Never giving up on you whenever these waves and storms of emotions struck you. It was almost unfair how he pulled you out of these storms each time, piecing you back together like a beautifully broken piece of artwork.

“Now, if that fact alone still does not satisfy you,” the huntsman then continued as his voice held a much more lighthearted tone to it, “then I will gladly go through every detail about you which I oh so adore, as I have previously mentioned. And once I name each and everything, I will then give an even more detailed reasoning for why I love those parts of you, starting with your eyes, lips, face, nose, cheeks—”

You shook your head hastily, not wanting for him to over do his affirmations, “No, Rook, that isn’t very necess—”

“—eyebrows, eyelashes, waist, legs, voice—”

“Rook, wait—”

“—the little beauty marks and stray marks which decorate your skin, your scars, your hair no matter where it is—” He powered on despite your objections.

“It’s okay, really—”

“—the way your lips shift into a certain expression when you’re thinking, the way your arms never fail to bend at a one hundred thirty-seven degree angle every single time you pull me into one of your spell-binging embraces, the way you—”

Oh, Sevens. You have the dear hunter going off on a tangent now.

a/n: i really pulled out a protractor to try and measure the exact angle my arm would bend hugging a hypothetical rook hunt

[luvsturniolo]

hii, i love your writing sm ! if it's not too much to ask, could you please do a fic where the reader is matt's girlfriend and he dresses her up in his clothes partly as a joke but also because he thinks it would be cute. i just keep imagining the reader wearing his t-shirts or button up's and baggy jeans/jorts and she's trying to wear his shoes but they're too big on her and matt's just DYING at it. basically just a super cute, fluff moment. thank you sm!

— ★ !! wardrobe

pairing : matt sturniolo x fem!reader

synopsis : while casually hanging out, matt has the bright idea to dress you up in his clothes as a joke. but he's quickly taken aback when he sees you in them.

a/n : wait this request is so cute , i hope i do it justice 😭

wc : 0.6k

you've been dating matt for a few months now and his house has quickly become your favorite place. it's so relaxing in comparison to your own.

earlier today, you were overtaken with boredom. so you texted matt, asking him you pick you up. of course, he agreed. you've been lounging around his house for an hour or two, basking in the comfort that comes with being in your boyfriend's presence. 

you guys have watched a few movies, baked a pizza, and simply enjoyed being together. 

you're currently lying on matt's bed, scrolling through your instagram feed while he sits at his desk, writing something down in his journal.

despite not doing anything productive, neither of you could ever get sick of this. you've both come to realize that simply being together —even if it's boring to an outside perspective — is both of your guys' favorite thing to do.

suddenly, matt's head perks up at a random thought. you glance over in his direction to see him already looking at you with a wide smile on his face.

you laugh, "what?"

"nothing, nothing." he replies easily. "i just had a random idea that could be fun."

"well, let's hear it." you say, setting your phone down on the mattress beside you. you turn your full attention to matt as you urge him to tell you his idea.

he sets his pen in the crease of his notebook and before closing it, the pen becoming a bookmark so he can continue to journal later.

"what if," he begins, "you let me dress you up?"

"dress me up?" you repeat, laughing at the strange request. "my clothes are at my place and, no offense, but i don't think yours would fit me."

"exactly." matt says. "the fact that they won't fit is what'll make it so fun to do."

you tilt your head at him, still a little bit confused as to what's going on in his mind. 

matt gives you a grin before standing up from his chair and walking over to his closet. he opens the doors and begins rummaging through random clothing articles.

before long, he settles on a pair of his jean shorts and a baggy hoodie. he holds them up to show you his choices and you laugh.

"matt, that hoodie is too large for you. it's gonna completely engulf me." you tell him.

"pleaseeeeeee!" he pleads. "just try it on. it'll be funny!"

you breathe out a laugh before getting up from his bed and taking the clothes out of his hands. you leave his room and enter the bathroom. you strip out of your current clothing and replace them with matt's.

you look down at yourself and scrunch your eyebrows at your appearance. why is matt so interested in seeing you wear his clothes? in your eyes, you look extremely goofy.

regardless of how you feel, you reenter his bedroom and do a dramatic twirl to show off your outfit.

"cute, huh?" you ask him with a laugh. but matt doesn't respond. he's too busy staring at you — almost as if he genuinely thinks you look half decent. 

"yes." matt finally replies, completely serious about his answer. you give him a weird look, waiting for him to laugh or say it's a joke. but he doesn't. he just keeps staring.

"wait, for real?" you ask.

matt looks you in the eyes before stepping closer to you, "you look adorable, y/n. for real."

he takes your face in his hands, leaning down to place a gentle kiss on your lips. you can feel him smile against your lips and you get an unreal amount of butterflies from the tiny gesture. 

when the kiss is broken, he continues to cup your cheeks as he admires every indivual feature of your face.

"you're so weird." you tell him.

"maybe," he agrees, "but you like my weirdness."

you tip your head upward to kiss him again before saying, "yeah. i really do."

tags : @kasqnxx @lvrsparadise @prettysturniolo @strniolo @urmyslxt @uhnanix @cupidsturniolo @opheliaofficial07 @thetriplets3 @sturn1olo-ffics @deadxrx @kitaysworld @slaysturniolo

[madschiavelique]

What are your Miguel sleep headcanons? Like, what kind of bed he likes, what position he sleeps in, etc

I personally think he's a cuddler and a blanket hog

EXCELLENT QUESTION BESTIE (again, sorry i took SO long)

headcanon : Miguel's sleep content warnings : none word count : 723 (shorty)

I think Miguel would be the kind of guy to have a hard mattress bordering on slightly soft, the reason not particularly being by choice, but rather because it was the first one he could get his hands onto – and we know how this man self neglects enough to not care about his sleep, he’d rather have coffee running in his veins to keep him awake 24/7. 

His mattress is old, it literally looks like it’s been there since they started building the Sagrada Familia (an eternity), but Miguel doesn’t really have much time to lose on looking for a decent mattress. Plus, when you’re that tall, finding a proper mattress on which you’re such your feet won’t let your feet stick out is no mean feat. 

However, if this mattress were to cause him more harm than good, Lyla - following her examination of his vital signs - would suggest that Miguel find a better mattress. 

“What’s wrong with my current one ? It’s perfectly fine.”

“Miguel everytime you wake up you look worse than you did before you went to sleep.”

“And ?”

“That’s not how this works.”

It would have taken time to convince him that this could affect and degrade his performance both on the field and in the society. He finally gave in, and Lyla took charge of finding an excellent mattress that would remain dense enough so that Miguel wouldn't feel like he was drowning in it as his back sank into it, but soft enough so that the sensation wouldn't be similar to that of lying on concrete. 

As for the pillows, he only has one (so as not to get in the way of his sleep). A big, hard pillow, one that keeps the mark of the fist if you hit it.

I think Miguel could sleep like a brick if there was enough willpower for it, just straight with his arms crossed over his chest as if he were in a coffin - which wouldn't stray too far from reality with his vampiric state when you think about it.

But other than that i can totally picture Miguel to be a tummy sleeper, mostly because when he gets home all exhausted he just falls on his bed and stays this way until sleep takes him a few seconds later. I just picture him placing his arms around his pillow, placing his head to the side on it and falling asleep on his tummy, maybe with a bent knee (would be a lovely ass view if you ask me).

However it probably changes if he has a partner.

You having any issue with how his mattress feels ? He’d have Lyla running a market research or anything to find a better one immediately. He’d get another pillow, one you’d have chosen to fit your own taste.

I COMPLETELY agree on the cuddler and blanket hog part. First of all, as i said earlier when i explained he grabs his pillow when he sleeps, i think he’d TOTALLY fall asleep on your belly, his hands on your waist. Like i can totally picture you in your bed, Miguel coming home from a long day, and he just climbs on bed to drop himself like the sac of limbs he is on your body, grunting softly when your fingers snake in his hair in the way you know his shoulder will relax.

He is the big spoon fr (if you’re interested in how Miguel being the little spoon -> look here hihi), and loves to just nuzzle his face in your hair or neck, your smell and warmth bringing him lots of comfort and creating his actual restorative sleep.

He loves to lace his arm around you, pulling you closer to him, and maybe even having his hand coming to your throat and placing his fingers on your pulse point. The feeling of it being even soothes him, the knowledge of having you safe against him brushing away all of his worries. But there has been several nights where he’d feel your pulse quicken under his digits, and he’d realise how you’d still be awake, very much awake…

He is a complete blanket hog, it’s probably half natural, half a wish for you to come near him and share the warmth. It’s not his fault you’re the best heating pad there is :c

[fandoms-in-law]

Seeing Through

Summary: Today, Steve is moving out and his parents choose now to have one of their random days home.

Author's note: Why does it feel like half these prompts are the same or similar? I need to reduce the amount of Steve songs prompts I put down.

My Idea for this Fic: 'I see Through You' - Taboo songfic - Steve moving out, saying fuck you to his parents.

/\/

They weren’t meant to come home. Steve had planned everything around his parents never being there.

Except there they were pulling into the driveway as the Party helped him load all his things onto Eddie’s van; and his father did not look happy.

“Quit groaning, Wheeler, or you’re unloading all the boxes alone later.” Eddie laughed as he and Mike carried Steve’s mattress out. His parents would assume that was theirs, that Steve was taking furniture they’d brought with him, but after injuries and fighting the Upside Down for so long, he’d replaced it, saved and spent his own money to have a better nights sleep.

“Steven!” His parents had gotten out of the car now, and the yell had anyone close enough hurrying out, concerned looks on their faces. “What is the meaning of this thievery?”

Steve glanced from them back to the house, and around at the people he called his family. “I’m moving out. Not going to leave anything I brought in your mausoleum.” He replied, measuring the space between them and how much slower than a demodog they moved.

After everything they’d fought, after finally moving out, there wasn’t much power his parent could swing over him. Also Hopper was probably just inside, ready to either come out or go to his room depending on how his parents reacted now. The likelihood they’d try to call, or at least threaten them with, the police was decent but Hopper would cut that off immediately if they saw him.

“That mattress-” His father began again, gesturing harshly before Steve cut him off.

“-I brought myself. Yours will be back on that bed frame by now.” That had been his request, whomever was bringing his mattress down put the old one on before bringing it out, and Eddie double checked it just twenty minutes ago.

A cold laugh came in response. “You expect me to believe that? With the crooks van you got to move your things in plain view.”

Steve bristled, glancing over to check Eddie wasn’t about to react for him. “That van and its owner have done more honest work in the last 6 months than you two have in your entire lives. They’re my family; you’re strangers who share my DNA”

“At least we aren’t common thieves.” Hello Mother, nice of you to join the conversation, Steve thought meeting her narrowed gaze.

“Of course you are.” He scoffed, “White collar crime, Nancy called it. Underpaying workers, dodging taxes. You’re crooks in pretty clothes but common enough. I’ve seen through the mask and I’m gone. No more son for you to forget about.”

“We don’t forget you and the destruction you’re doing to our name.”

“Stop twisting your reality to fit your views. This is me taking my life out of your hands in the sweetest goodbye. Actually you’re making it a bit bitter by your presence. How about you fuck off as you usually have done?” Steve had noticed his father focus more on the van again, and Mike stood near it while Eddie disappeared into the back of it. Baiting them would keep the focus where it needed to be.

Possibly not that much though, as his father took a step closer, “You aren’t leaving. What money do you have to-”

“Quite a bit actually. Or did you assume the jobs you forced him to get paid nothing?” Robin was at his side now, Nancy’s handbag under her arm.

“Odd accessory choice. She got one of them?” He quietly asked, knowing that Nance was still likely to have two guns in her bag.

He didn’t need her now before turning back to his parents. “Also Grandfather died. I know you were far too busy for the funeral but I inherited a far amount from him despite you never allowing him contact. Guess you never were god.”

His father tried to retort, but didn’t get a word out. His mother simply levelled a judgemental look at him, one he hoped nobody suggested was similar to looks he pulled, before heading into the house, “And that was your Grandfather’s failing, wasting funds on untrustworthy youth. I shall be ensuring none of our things are taken.”

Once his parents were inside, Robin and Eddie were leaning on each of his shoulder’s, nail bat left leaning against the doors to the truck with Mike. “Wait, did you really inherit from your Grandad?”

“Yeah, we wrote letters for a while. First did it after finding his address, half sobbing cause they’d abandoned me. So many tears cried over such worthless people.” Steve replied, “I found better easily.”

/\

“Steven.” His mother called, stopping him from climbing into the van, some letters in hand. “Why are all these utility companies saying they’ll be cut off from tomorrow?”

He blinked at her, continuing to sit down. “Because I saw through you. You tried turning them off ages ago just expecting me to pick the bills up, so I did. And now I’ve told them all I, the bill payer, will no longer be living here. They were very understanding.”

With the door shutting Eddie had them on their way to the apartment they’d gotten. It wouldn’t be perfect, but it would be far more of a home and a family than he was leaving.

[tenderfxck]

hello!!! i really like ur sub characters they make me giggle ngl cause like awww <3 if it’s okay can I request a Zhongli x reader where during the night he lets his half dragon form out while he rests, so he has his horns and tail out but still looks human (I think that is his morax form) however the reader doesn’t know about him being a dragon so one night as he has his form out, she is having a wet dream and poor Li’ has to grit his teeth and try not to whimper and buck his hips up as she grinds and humps his tail :(( poor baby is getting all the stimulation but not enough at this same time :(( Eventually he’ll come and twitch while slapping a hand over his mouth to stop his whining as his beloved continues to grind all over his tail, rubbing its most sensitive parts and he just has to endure the overstimulation. (Have a good day!)

zhongli//restless night//f!reader//18+

contents: half dragon! zhongli, f!reader, somno, accidental voyerism, shit anon you got me good T T

notes: AAAAAH i'm so late, sorry this took forever, there was a whole lot going on in my life but i’m still so happy you sent this spicy prompt to me, it was so much fun to write💕

it was a time of rest. a time when he allowed himself to relax just enough that he wouldn’t have to keep up the appearance of a human anymore.

the long amber horns were allowed to sprout from his temples, while his long tail resembling that color of oudh wood was permitted to spread itself across the fine sheets that wangshu inn provided.

and yet, now you have spread yourself across him. . .

this certainly wasn’t the plan, but can anything ever go accordingly when it comes to you?

zhongli wasn't expecting to be in such a vulnerable position with you. he was typically vigilant about hiding his dragon-like form, dismissing himself from your company to his own room for the night before unwinding.

but tonight, wangshu inn was fully booked except for one solitary room.

with only one bed.

you fussed about the arrangement, but zhongli merely chuckled, assuring you that as long as you were comfortable, he did not mind the prospect of sharing.

so the two of you shared this bed together. zhongli had thought absolutely nothing of it. he'll just retain his human form all night.

well, that was the plan, until he felt your weight dip the other side of the mattress, settling so comfortably against his form as you quickly dozed off. he could smell the sweet scent of your perfume, feel the soft cotton of your nightgown against him. it was just so. . .cozy. warm and safe

soon enough, zhongli could feel his human form slipping, sprouting those more dragon-like traits without him noticing.

well. . .then he'll just wake up before your pretty eyes even think to flutter open. zhongli will change back and you'll never be the wiser to this altered state he finds himself in now.

yes, a fine plan.

(and one that would let him indulge in the warmth and comfort of you as he dozed off)

but of course, that's when you saw fit to strike upon him.

it is had all started so innocently. just you clinging to him, snuggled up so cutely even as he faced away from you. you had been positioned against him, cradling his back as you spooned his resting form. his great tail was in between those soft thighs, but zhongli had decent enough self-control to ignore it.

that’s when he first felt the thrust of your hips.

he was on the cusp of waking and asleep until the sudden motion enticed him away from the edge.

he thought nothing much of it. just the shifting of your body to a more comfortable position. he was settling in to his pillow once again when he felt the rock of hips against his tail again.

a gasp was caught in his throat, unsure if what happened wasn't just an active imagination on his part. zhongli held his breath, waiting to see if it was just a trick of his mind.

and then there it was again. a long, drawn out stroke of your hips. and this time, the heavenly sigh of your voice to accompany it.

zhongli grit his teeth, listening intently for any sign that you had awoken, but all that graced his ears was your soft snores accompanied by tiny little whimpers escaping you.

unknowingly, in a fit of passion only clear to you in whatever blissful dream your sleeping form had conjured up, you were nonetheless grinding upon zhongli’s ridged tail in what was now becoming a slow, yet steady pace.

“a-ah~ excuse me,” he stuttered, barely able to process the scene enfolding behind him. he stumbled over his words, desperately searching for any way to wake you up without mortifying the two of you. “you seem to be-aah!” zhongli couldn’t contain that little outburst. he gasped at the steady friction you provided.

zhongli couldn’t believe the circumstances. he turned his head, chancing a look back upon your peaceful form.

sure enough you were still soundly asleep, unaware of the lewd situation playing out before you.

it didn’t help that his tail was overly sensitive to stimuli (something left over from more primordial days) and especially that of your wet cunt catching on each prominent bump along his long tail.

“a-ah, wait, that’s. . . nngh!” zhongli tried to protest. he knew the implications this would have if you were to wake up and discover more than just the illicit situation you found yourselves in.

but zhongli had desired you for so long. thought about just what noises you would make in circumstances like this long before he found himself here tonight. and now it was all coming true. right in his ear.

and right against him. . .

fuck. your needy pussy humping his sensitive tail was just too much. the worst part is he could feel just exactly how wet you had gotten using him to get yourself off. he grasps at the waistband of his pants, dragging them down and letting his already weeping cock spring forth from the cotton confines.

it’d shame him to admit just how quickly this little routine had him stiff and aching in his pants. but his self restraint had already eroded to much.

if you were enjoying yourself, perhaps it wouldn’t hurt to indulge himself as well?

zhongli took his cock in hand and began to slowly stroke, focusing on the distinct feeling of you moving against him. he bit his tongue, willing any moans to die on his lips before he dares disturbs your slumber.

it continued like that for archons knows how long. the thrust of your hips, followed by zhongli silencing his moans and fisting his cock quicker, all while enduring all those sweet little whimpers escaping you as you chased your own pleasure on his tail.

it was too much. too much stimulation, too many little sounds. the slick of your cunt against him, the wet noise of him fucking his own fist, the knowledge that you were so close, using him to get yourself off while that pretty little head dreamt about all sorts of perverse things.

too much. too much. he’s gonna-!

he comes with a particularly deep grind of your twitching pussy gliding against his now glistening scales. he clasped a trembling hand over his mouth, willing himself quieter as dragon fangs catch against his palm, feeling himself finally come undone. he basks in the sensation of you humping so diligently against his most vulnerable area as he spills his thick load all over himself.

he panted, tremors still finding their way through his body as he lay spent, thighs and stomach covered in his seed.

he gasped, moaning and twitching in the aftermath.

yet you still continued.

fuck. fuck. archons, you weren’t stopping-!

you kept on grinding onto his newly overstimmed tail, letting out those sweet little whimpers, chasing that high while zhongli has to sit and bear this whole lewd scene as he writhed and panted against you.

this was going to be a long night. . .

[clown-friend-gt]

Weighted Blanket

Edit: Changed the title of this post to make it fit in more with other bits of this story that I've posted

This is a story I've been working on for a while, but isn't substantial enough for me to want to post it yet. What I have right now is a half-finished lore doc and some scenes I've written with some of the main characters.

Both of the characters in this are students in a superhero training program. They're roommates in the co-ed housing that the program provides. Addie has the ability to fly, but has the tendency to lose control of her powers while she sleeps. Trevor's "ability" is that he is constantly growing, albeit at a slow rate.

This story takes place a ways into their time in the program, where they've already become friends. This is the beginning of what turns into a romantic relationship between the two.

************************************************************************

Addie woke up with her face pressing against the ceiling again. She groggily placed her hands on either side of her face and tried to push herself away, only to slowly drift back upwards. Before her face could become compressed again, she gained the awareness to stop flying. She let that familiar feeling of weightlessness leave her and fell the short distance back to her mattress with a sigh.

She’d been there more than a year and she was still waking up like this. Granted, it was happening less often as she got a better handle on her powers. Still, she would occasionally have nights like these where she’d start floating in her sleep and it wouldn’t stop until the morning. She could either take her chances with the fitful sleep she’d get like this or find something to occupy her time until the morning. Or…

She opened the door to the fence that surrounded her bunk. It was supposed to keep her from floating over the side of the bed, but with no ladder down, it almost looked like some kind of cage. Of course, she had no real need for a ladder anyway. She began to hover ever so slightly as she hung over the side of the bed to look at the bunk below hers.

Sprawled across the largest mattress she’d ever seen was her roommate, Trevor. At around 25 feet tall, he was even bigger than when they’d first met. It was hard to believe someone his size could still be growing. Then again, this place existed because of people like them, people who were beyond belief.

He looked so peaceful like this. His face, often creased with worry when he was awake, looked so relaxed now. She felt a little bad about waking him up. But she figured he was her only hope of getting a decent night’s sleep now.

“Hey. Trevor,” She whispered, with no response.

“Psst. Trevor. Trev. Trevor!” He scrunched his brow a little as she raised her volume slightly but stayed asleep.

“Trevor~” she sang out. He continued to stir.

“Trevor. C’mon, I need your help.” Eventually, as she continued to prod, he started to wake up.

“Huh? What is it,” he murmured, his eyes still closed.

“I need you to hold me,” she stated simply.

“What?” That woke him up. He opened his eyes to look at her critically as she cringed slightly at her own phrasing.

“I mean I need you to hold me down so I don’t fly off in my sleep.”

“Oh.” He sat up and rubbed his eyes. “Why?”

“I keep mushing my face against the ceiling and it wakes me up.” She pressed her hands against her cheeks to mime it for him. He chuckled at that.

Trevor took a sec to take in the sight before him. Somehow, Addie was hanging off of the side of her bed. As they talked, she began to dip lower and lower. It took him a little longer than he’d care to admit that she wasn’t clinging to the bed with her feet like a bat but hovering in place upside-down.

“How are you doing that without all of your blood rushing to your head? That can’t be comfortable.”

“Um,” she giggled, kicking her feet above her playfully. “It’s not.”

“Uh huh.” He laid back down and stretched his arms upwards, as if to grasp at her bed. “How were you expecting this to work? I don’t think I can sleep like this.”

Addie pushed herself away from the bunk beds. “Well,” she said, executing a few awkward mid-air acrobatics to try and right herself, “Obviously I have to get closer.”

“Closer?” He scootched over in his bunk, as if to make room. “I guess I could–”

“Not like that.” She made swimming motions to make her way over to him. It wasn’t strictly necessary, but she was having fun, damnit.

She positioned herself above him, flipped herself so she’d be on her back, and let herself drop, landing on his chest.

“O-oh.” Trevor said, feeling himself begin to blush. “I mean, if you’re comfortable like that?”

“Mm-hm,” she answered. “Now–hand.”

“What”

“Put your hand over me, like a blanket.”

“Okay.” He breathed out. Hesitantly, he placed his hand as gently as possible over her midsection.

“Yeah.” He felt her nod against him. “I think that’ll work.”

They sat like that for a bit. Trevor stared at the empty bunk above him, his free hand laying rigidly at his side. He had picked her up before, before he knew she could fly, but this was different. It felt almost…intimate. He hoped she wasn’t uncomfortable.

He wondered if his hand was too heavy. At least he couldn’t cover her whole body with his hand. He already felt out of place and unnatural around other people; that might freak him out a little too much. Still, this silence felt a little too awkward for him.

He cleared his throat. “So, is this better than being mushed against the ceiling?”

“Mm-hm,” she murmured sleepily.

“My hand isn’t crushing you, right?” He could feel her chuckling at that.

“No. It’s a comfortable weight, not a crushing weight.” She tilted her head up to try and look at him. She noticed him tense soon after she laid against his chest, but she didn’t know if he was uncomfortable, or nervous, or both.

“Is this okay for you?” She asked him.

“No it’s fine. It’s actually kind of nice.” He added that last part quietly, hoping she didn’t catch it. But with her laying up against him, she could both hear and feel everything he said, the vibration of his voice gently rumbling against her back. In the dark, Addie’s own face began to heat up.

Addie felt him slowly begin to relax after that. His chest raised and lowered slowly with his breathing. She felt like a small ship being rocked by the gentle waves of the ocean. His body was warm, but not uncomfortably so. Gently pinned between his hand and his chest, she fell asleep pretty quickly like that.

Meanwhile, Trevor was blown away by the surreal experience. There was an entire person lying on top of him, and yet here he was, cradling her like a stuffed animal. He could feel the tiny puffs of air as she breathed in and out. He smiled softly, his eyes beginning to drift closed again.

For the first time in a long time, he didn’t feel like a monster. He never could’ve imagined getting to hold another person like this before. She was so small to him, and yet she trusted him to be this gentle with her.

Addie was something else. From day one, she had trusted him to be this careful, even when he didn’t trust himself. She helped him realize that his strength was not just a burden. How could he ever thank her enough for that?

He was startled out of his thoughts when he felt the weight on his chest begin to lift. He looked down, but Addie laid in place. This must be what it felt like when she began to float in her sleep. Shyly, he laid his other hand across her, to keep her secure. Then, he let his eyes shut fully and drifted off into a comfortable sleep.

************************************************************************

Let me know what you think! I have a couple more scenes from this story written out if people want to see those as well.

[wooahaeruby]

Chapter 21: One Step At A Time

Chapter Word Count: 4,316

Anything in Bold Italics are Korean/Another language.

Master List | Prev | Next

After months, the tour was finally over. New Years passed just over a week ago, getting you past the Golden Disc Awards. 

The Be The Sun era had come to an end and most award shows were done, each member now had the chance to go home, take a vacation, or just rest at their dorm. Within the next couple of weeks, all of the members would be moving to their own accommodations with the dorm contract ending and Jihoon would be moving into your apartment sooner rather than later. Throughout the last few weeks between tour stops and award shows, Jihoon and you had sat down multiple times and came up with a plan of how things would go. 

First step would be going through all your items that were shipped from America with him and figuring out which items you wanted to keep, what needed to be tossed, and make a list of what would need to be bought. Second step was setting up the apartment to fully accommodate two people rather than one, which overall wouldn’t be too difficult. One thing already decided on was the sleeping situation, or well, it wasn’t a question of needing a proper bed rather than a mattress pad. Another thing was Jihoon learning how to cook more recipes so all the cooking wasn’t falling on you, however you would gladly be by his side to help if he needed. 

Sitting on the couch, both you and Jihoon were reviewing the inventory list that was sent over from the moving company. Jihoon had taken it upon himself to grab your very large, king sized fluffy blanket you fell in love with and bundled the two of you up in it. 

“ We can put my old bed in the second room as a guest bed after getting a new mattress?”

Jihoon snickered. “ Why are you making it sound like a question? And we also have the option of my old bed frame.” 

“Will it be big enough if two people visit? Jamie and Kazu? Or my grandparents in the future? I know they are staying in a hotel this time but a guest room would be nice.” 

“You said you wanted the second room as an office.” 

“Well, it can be both. Office-guest room.” You huffed, leaning away from him, only for him to continue to lean into your side. “ Stop stealing my body heat.” 

He only shook his head, eyes never leaving the screen. He pulled his arm from the blanket and motioned around in the air. “ Why not say fuck it and get a new bed and dresser and be done with it?” 

“Well- I don’t want the stuff going to waste. I’m already bringing in my two bookshelves and my big desk so I’m thinking of spending as little money as possible if we have so much. Plus, we are already bringing your wardrobe from the dorm into the bedroom since it’s more spacious than mine.” 

Jihoon dug around between the two of you to find his phone but came up with yours, holding it to your face to unlock it. You snickered at that and watched him pull up the note you’ve been compiling of what you’d be bringing each and what you were still debating on. “ So your bed frame is an American queen size, it would fit in the bedroom and the wardrobe would be against the wall so that isn’t an issue. Your desk is pretty big so we can slide it in a corner of the second room by the window and my double bed can fit in there without a problem on the other wall. Since there is no dresser in there, we can get a smaller wardrobe and that room would be complete.”

“What about your desk?” 

He blinked, pursing his lips in thought. “ The second bedroom here is big enough to fit everything, it’s way bigger than my room in general. I can place my desk beside yours. Two desks, a wardrobe and the double bed will work. I don’t have a lot outside of my room since I shared the dorm with Jeonghanie-hyung, Seungkwanie, and Soonyoungie.” 

“Then we can use my TV stand and purchase a new TV, something decent sized maybe?” He nodded, typing it down under the things to buy category. “ I have a small table for the kitchen, four chairs with it. We need a coffee table since I gave mine to Jamie.” Another item added to the list. “ Then we can figure out what else we need as time goes on?” 

“ Yeah, I think we will be okay. Tomorrow we can both call the movers and hopefully have things set for the end of the week.” 

Shutting your laptop, you shimmied down further into the blanket and sighed. “Then next week my grandparents come into town.” 

“Nothing to worry about, nothing will ever be as bad as my mom.” 

“ God- Don’t remind me.” You tossed your head back against the couch cushion. “ Has she ever reached out?” 

“Once, right before New years. Wasn’t an apology though. My dad has been wanting to come into town but he would only be able to stay the day because of the bond withdrawal.” 

Your face contorted into a cringe. “ That’s dumb. Why can’t she just suck up her BS and apologies?” 

“I’ve asked myself that a few times since you met her.” 

Organized chaos was a good word for what was happening. Much like you hoped, both moving companies for your things from storage and Jihoon’s stuff from the dorm were free on the same day (and you didn’t know why one company could just do both, it was stupid). And much to your delight, you’d get movers for your items in the morning and the other company would show up later in the day. However, what you didn’t expect was half of Seventeen showing up, saying they could help when in reality they were just getting in the way. 

“ Can you guys go sit in the kitchen or something, move!” You complained, pushing Seungcheol into the kitchen, followed by Vernon, Seungkwan, Mingyu, and Seokmin. “ Let them do their jobs and you can help later!” 

 “ So rude, Ruby-ah~” Seungcheol hummed, hopping on the counter near your sink which had you rolling your eyes. 

“ You all show up after we said not to and are getting in the way.” Sticking your tongue out at him, you turned quickly and profusely apologized to the first set of movers, watching the team bring pieces of your bed frame in. 

The mattress pad was currently rolled up on the couch for the time being, something you’d be using until the new mattress came in within the next few days, then stored in the closet just in case. Jihoon was down the hall packing some of his personal things with the (un)helpful help of Soonyoung from what his last text message said, leaving you to deal with the movers and those idiots currently in your kitchen. 

Everything was running smoothly, the movers were absolutely fantastic at placing each furniture piece exactly where you wanted them, even giving suggestions on how everything would fit with the other items you’d be bringing it. From what your landlord said when you asked about good moving etiquette, he said that on top of paying for their services, you could ‘tip’ them with money for food after completing their service. You took cash out from your account – enough for each worker to get a nice meal – and gave them a deep bow, thanking them for their service once they were on the way out. 

“ So what are we having for lunch?” Mingyu asked once the door to your apartment was closed, already rummaging through your refrigerator for something to eat or cook. 

“Oh nah, get your grubby little hands out of my fridge.” You hurried into the kitchen, nearly running smack into the kitchen table that was brought in. “ Order yourself food, heathens.” 

“ But we came to help!” 

“And you haven’t done shit! I should have kicked you all out!” You stomped, crossing your arms over your chest. 

“ I invited everyone over for dinner later.” Seungcheol just had to speak up, smirking wide. 

“I’m gonna commit.” You grabbed a dish rag and threw it at him. “ Starve for all I care.” 

Electricity buzzed down your spine and you spun on your toes, hustling to the door, opening it before Jihoon could punch your code in. “ Kick them out.” 

“Kick- I told them not to show up.” 

Giving him a pout, you moved aside to let him and Soonyoung through the door, both carrying a few bags and dragging suitcases behind them. “ Guys- Can’t you leave Ruby-ah and I alone for a day?” 

“No,” Mingyu huffed, closing the fridge. “ You both are my friends.” 

“Seungcheol-ah invited everyone over for take out.”

“Huh?!” Jihoon dropped all the items he carried into the living room around your boxes the movers brought, grumbling in disbelief. “ We aren't paying for food.” 

“Never said you were!” Seungcheol defended and you facepalmed. 

“I’m dealing with children. I will never know any peace. I’m going to commit.” You muttered to yourself but Vernon and Mingyu laughed to themselves. 

“ Rock, paper, scissors for who pays!” Seungkwan called out and gathered around Seungcheol. Soonyoung, Seokmin, and Mingyu followed in with Vernon being pulled alongside the five of them.

Two rounds later, Seokmin was crumbling to the floor, whining out loudly that he lost. Jihoon and you had started to separate out his things for which bags would go into which room while they messed around, knowing not to involve yourselves in their antics. Majority of the bags were stuffed with clothes since the wardrobe would be taken apart to fit through the doorway. Anything else he was bringing could be brought before Seungkwan, Jeonghan, and Soonyoung moved out since they were only down the hall.

It wasn’t long before the second movers arrived and Seungkwan and Soonyoung hurried down the hall with Jihoon to make sure everything was out of the living room so as to not interfere with the movers’ job. Jeonghan and Joshua had strolled in just as they were leaving, the former over exaggerating a compliment of the newly added kitchen table as he took a seat. 

“Stay in the kitchen!” You called out, pushing some boxes towards the shelves on either side of the TV stand, knowing you’d have to sort through each box and place things up while leaving room for anything Jihoon wished to add. 

Thankfully, the guys did stay in the kitchen, however Vernon and Seokmin did raid your snack cabinet, passing different chips and treats around to each. You greeted the movers when Jihoon returned with the first item, his desk and chair, with him holding the blankets and pillows to his bed in both arms. With the destination only being down the hall, it didn’t take long for the apartment to be bustling with workers rebuilding the wardrobe and bed frame in each room. Jihoon had left for the dorm to collect anymore of his personal belongings, leaving you to supervise and organize.

Everything around you was falling into the proper place. There was a hint of excitement bubbling within for the newest chapter of your life you were entering. Typical things wouldn’t change much, however you’d be back to living with someone after living alone since leaving college, but this person, Jihoon , was your soulmate, your partner. While there was only months between bumping into one another and settling the bond, it already felt like a lifetime. 

“ Ruby-ah~” Mingyu motioned you over from where you sat on the living room floor, peeking inside boxes to see what was where. 

Reluctantly you stood and shuffled over, frowning at your snacks being downed by the members. “ Hm?” 

Mingyu tugged you close to his side, rubbing your upper arm. “Seokminie is going to get fried chicken for dinner.” 

With a tiny gasp, you pushed Mingyu away and shuffled towards Seokmin who sat on the counter on the other side of the sink from Seungcheol. He was popping some of the chocolate pieces into his mouth that you had in the front of your cabinet to get as a treat once in a while. You hugged him tightly, catching him by surprise, but he was happily able to hug you back, swaying you to and fro.

“ You’re the best!” 

A laugh bubbled out of his chest and he continued to sway. “ We’ll get beer too! Make it a housewarming party!” 

“Most of us will have to eat on the floor.” Jeonghan snickered and you shot a glare over your shoulder at him. 

“ Shut up!” 

Both you and him stuck your tongue out at each other before Seokmin released you from his hold and you went back to your place in the living room. Joshua came to sit beside you, helping you go through the boxes one by one. You pulled out a medium sized picture frame wrapped up in bubble wrap, unpacking it to find it as one of your favorites. It was you as a child sitting in your mother’s lap with Mimi and Papa on either side, all dressed in silly little matching sweaters. You were only two years old in the picture but it was the only picture you had with the four of you before your parents passed. Staring at it for a moment, you let your fingers trace over your mothers features and the smiles that were spread on each of your faces. 

Joshua craned his neck to peek at the picture and smiled softly. “You were so little.” 

“Uh- Yeah. I was about two. It was a Christmas picture. It’s the last picture I have of my mom.” You stood and placed the picture on a middle shelf on the bookshelf to the left TV stand. “There should be two more frames in there, one from my highschool graduation and one from my master’s graduation.” 

Both you and Joshua easily found the other two pictures. You unwrapped and held them close to your chest as you looked over them, reminiscing on the days from each picture. 

At your highschool graduation, Papa had bought two big bouquets of flowers, one of pink tulips (conveying congratulations) and the other white roses (conveying new beginnings). He was so proud of you and it was the first time you had seen him cry of joy. He asked one of your classmate’s parents to take a picture of the three of you. Mimi was smiling so wide and Papa was holding you close to his side, while you stood in the middle, tears going down your cheeks but a smile spread on your face with both bouquets in hand. 

For your graduation from the Masters program, you didn’t get the chance to walk the stage due to the pandemic, however your grandmother insisted you at least get pictures done as a commemoration. You got dressed up in a cap and gown and took pictures in a sunflower field upstate when you went to visit them. Papa had done research once more and got a mixed bouquet of Baby’s Breath, another flower that could mean new beginnings, and pink Hydrangeas, that mean heartfelt emotions (because he loved you greatly). It was the last picture of the day and you held the bouquet before you with your degree frame in hand, again standing between them with wide smiles. 

You placed both pictures on either side of your family portrait, even getting your degree out and placing it on the very top shelf (with the help of Joshua). It was a start, but you’d make this apartment a proper home like your old studio back in the states. A home to grow in and a home to cherish every loving moment that came. 

With Joshua’s help, you were able to organize and sort the items in the box. It was an amalgamation of books, knick knacks, and trinkets you’ve collected over the years. You were quick to get them on the shelf, happy that there would be one less box littering the living room. 

He laughed when he opened the second box mysteriously labeled Prized Possessions with a heart at the end. Leaning over to see the inside, you laughed as well, reaching in and pulling out the box for your Seventeen Lightstick and one of the bubble wrapped albums.

“I’m going to kill Jamie and Kazu.” 

“Nah, this is great.” Joshua waved you off, only to laugh more as he started to take the albums out of the box. “You have so many!” 

“Listen! I started collecting during Covid, I didn’t have a lot to do!” 

“You have almost two versions of each of the newest albums!” 

“This was before I knew Jihoon was my soulmate, stop bullying me!” 

“Guys-” Joshua was standing, grabbing a handful of the albums and scurrying away from your reach before you could stop him. “ Look look! Ruby-ah has so many albums!” 

“Hong Jisoo! Stop!” You grabbed onto the back of his shirt but the albums were already in Jeonghan’s hands. 

“ Wahh~!” Jeonghan grinned wide. “ Where are your photo cards, who did you pull??” 

“I’m not telling you-” 

“I’ll check the box for an organizer-” Joshua cut you off, hurrying back. 

“Stop exposing me!” 

The front door clicked open and Jihoon returned back with Seungkwan and Soonyoung, carrying miscellaneous belongings that were dropped in the living room. 

“ Are those our albums?” Seungkwan asked and you leaned over one of the kitchen chairs and whined out. 

“ I found it!” Joshua called out which made you sink to the floor and lay there in a pile of your own embarrassment. 

“ It can’t be that bad.” Jeonghan started, looking down at you in pity. “ Unless you have a secret…” 

“I’m already being exposed. I will not win this battle. I will only be shamed.” 

Joshua opened it as he walked over but stopped, flipping through page after page of the photocards and stared down at you with a smirk. “He isn’t going to like this~” He said in a sing-song tune. 

“ Why? Why??” Mingyu ran over to Joshua and you swore there was an invisible tail wagging behind him. “ Oh noooo!” 

“Jihoonie, I’d like to formally apologize for the person I once was.” You didn’t even bother to look away from the ceiling, wishing to become one with the floor. 

“ What’s the big deal-” Seungcheol moved to peer over Joshua’s shoulder and the most shit eating grin spread on his features. “ Wow, Ruby-ah, that’s a lot of photocards of me.” 

“ I’m sorry Jihoonie, but I’d like to respectfully pass away.” 

“ At this point I’m not even surprised.” Jihoon said, curious enough to join the huddle and see for himself the extent of your collection. 

Page after page, they flipped through the organizer before Mingyu let out a squeak in excitement and grabbed Jihoon. “ Hyung! There are a lot of you!” 

“Wah.” Jihoon let out the small sound of surprise, watching the pages flip. 

“ I am no longer a being of this planet, I am just one with the floor.” 

“Well, now we know who Ruby-ah’s wrecker is.” Joshua snickers before handing the binder to Jeonghan who was giving grabby hands. 

Jihoon crouched down to your pity party on the floor. “ Get off the floor, Ruby-ah.” 

“ I don’t know who Ruby-ah is, I am the floor.” 

Jihoon reached out and grabbed both of your wrists, standing up, planting his feet on either side of your legs, and pulling you until you were sitting up. With a pout, you stared at him with the saddest eyes you could muster, letting your hands lay limp in his hold. He brushed some hair back from your face then pulled you up to stand relatively easy. 

“ I’m going to order the food.” Seokmin called out, pulling his phone from his pocket. 

You stumbled back to the living room after taking your photocard binder and albums from Jeonghan and Seungkwan (both whining as if you took a toy away from them), muttering about how they were mean to you. The movers finished up the installation of the furniture and Jihoon sent them off, but you didn’t really pay attention as you organized your albums in release order and placed them on the lower shelf of the left bookcase. 

“ Yah, stop sulking on the floor.” Mingyu stood behind you and leaned over into your space, looking over your face. “ A few of the guys are going to their dorms to get beer from their fridge and Shua-hyung is going to the store to get more.” 

With a pout, you spun around and took the hand he offered when he stood straight, standing up and stretching out your legs and arms. The members that were already in your home were helpful enough in getting dishware and cups, but Soonyoung jogged down the hall to get more cups, chopsticks, and two folding lap tables they had back in their dorm. 

Not an hour later, your kitchen counters were packed, the table was toppling with containers, and many bodies were sitting on the living room floor, using some of the boxes, laptables, and a suitcase or two as makeshift tables. Beers were being downed, chicken was being eaten, and you were laughing at something Chan was saying about one of the members of Ateez, Wooyoung if you remembered, who he became fast friends with. Vernon and Joshua sat on either side of you on the floor, takeout containers on your hardshell suitcase, separating Chan, Minghao, and Mingyu from you. 

Speaking of Mingyu, there has been a joke from a movie swimming through your head. It’s been on your mind for a while. Back during tour when Mingyu’s stage office consisted of the sheer, sparkly shirt, you thought of it and had a laughing fit that you couldn’t explain without dying . You had asked Joshua and Vernon if they had seen the movie and much to your delight they had and you promised to give them a reference and placed a bet that Mingyu would fall gloriously into your trap. Now seemed like the perfect time. 

“ Mingyu-ah.” You downed the rest of your nearly empty can of beer, pointing to him. “ Why are your boobs so big?” 

You heard Joshua choke on his piece of chicken beside you. Mingyu quickly covered his chest with his arms crossed over one another, curling in on himself. Vernon leaned his head back and to the side, curling his lips in to bite them so as to not burst out laughing. Chan was already toppled over on the floor which caught the attention of a few other guys. Minghao looked amused but only sipped his beer with a smile he was trying to hide. 

“ They aren’t boobs! They are pecks!” Mingyu looked blown away, mouth open slightly in astonishment. “ I worked hard on them!”

“Do you have to wear a bra?” 

“Bra- I don’t need a bra!” 

“ Lotte World Mall has a Victoria Secret, maybe they have your size there, but you won’t get any cute colors since you are a bigger size.”

“Spare me-” Vernon had joined Chan on the floor, heaving in breaths that only came back out in boisterous laughter. 

Minghao and Joshua were both trying to keep in their laughter but giggles from Minghao seeped out and Joshua was leaning on your side, painfully trying to hold everything in by the expression on his face. Mingyu’s expression shifted to something even more blown away. He was at a loss for words and his cheeks were bright red, more than from drinking at this point.

“I’m just saying,” Grabbing a piece of chicken, you giggled to yourself. “ We can get you fitted, look all cute.” 

“He looks so-” Joshua started but his words trailed off in pained laughter and he too was on the floor. “I can’t breathe-” 

“ I think Ruby-ah needs to stop drinking-” Chan pointed and laughed at Mingyu, his child-like laugh filling the entire apartment. 

“Huh?! No! I barely had two cans!” You bit into the piece of chicken in your hand, snickering to yourself.  “ I am hilarious!” 

Jihoon had forced everyone to clean up and kicked them out for the night once midnight passed. Mingyu, despite the playful bullying you subjected him to, helped with dishes and resorted the living room to a less cluttered mess. With a tight squeeze of a hug, Mingyu was off, leaving the two of you to figure out the rest.

You and Jihoon decided you were both too lazy to put sheets on his bed in the spare room so you’d sleep on the mattress pad in the living room. Soon the floor was littered with blankets and pillows, a small little nest for you both to bed down in until the laziness wore off or the new mattress came in for the bedroom. 

Curling up beside one another, Jihoon held your waist, letting his tired eyes flutter shut but open to meet yours. “ You look happy.” 

The small, tired smile you had on your face spread and you nodded, pulling the blankets up to your chin. “ I feel happy. This is a new chapter for both of us. Who knows what the future will hold for us?” 

He moved closer, resting his forehead against yours, fully closing his eyes. “ I don’t know, but I’m lucky to have you by my side on this journey.”

[joels6string]

'tis the season, my love.

I would love to see what you think Joel would do for a makeshift Thanksgiving.

This is all I could have ever hoped to receive. My sweet man...

Count Your Blessings

Joel Miller x f!reader

Word Count: 1.3k Content: Joel Miller feels and fluff

No matter how quietly he tried to slip away, you always felt it. Whether you were on a floor, squeezed onto a couch too small for both of your bodies, or by some chance you'd stumbled across a mattress fit enough to sleep on, your eyes were fluttering open the moment his heat left your side.

"Joel..." you whined, your hand grasping his wrist as darkness greeted your sleep-hazed eyes, the sun hadn't even begun to rise yet.

"Sshh, go back to sleep darlin'," he cooed, "I'll be back before the sun's up."

But he wasn't. Panic had set in by the time the light had begun to seep over the mountains, and you were ready to grab your rifle and head out into the woods to search when the morning frost had melted on the barely above-freezing November morning.

"He's fine," Ellie sounded from the corner nonchalantly, her nose buried in the latest comic Joel had scrounged up at the last town you'd raided for supplies, “He probably found some tree to inspect for sturdiness or trotted off after a deer. You know how he gets.”

He had been wanting to fix a few things in the abandoned cabin you’d found to spend the winter in, much of his grumbling had been about rotting beams and chilling drafts for the past two weeks. But he could be dead, too.

“What are you reading?” you asked, trying anything to keep your mind occupied.

“Same thing I was reading when you asked ten minutes ago. For the record, I’m sure he’ll be thrilled to know you’re this concerned about him.”

The budding relationship between you and Joel had always been one of Ellie’s favorite running jokes, even after the wayward glances and flirtatious smiles had bloomed into shared beds, goodnight kisses, and threaded fingers on the treks from place to place. You were his and he was yours, it was established now, and in the 20 years since all hell had broken loose, you’d never been more content. 

Except when he ran off. And he did that more than you’d have liked.

Leaving Ellie was out of the question, you’d feel the wrath of that for days if he came home while you were out searching for him, no matter how decent your intentions were. Your knee shook nervously as you sat beside her on the couch, your lip chewed raw and stomach a knot tighter than a sailor could tie.

“I’m about to go find him myself…” Ellie griped as she got up and retreated to the room she’d claimed as her own–the bigger one–leaving you completely alone with your thoughts that spiraled into darkness even faster than you expected. 

Joel had come too close to death too many times. You’d stitched him, cauterized him, cleaned him up, and held his tired, exhausted body too many fucking times. This was supposed to be downtime, it’s why you’d searched for so long for something that seemed as safe as one could be outside gated walls, but Joel always had other plans. 

“Where the fuck are you?” you muttered under your breath, pulling his shirt tighter around your frame as you stared at the empty fireplace. You should light one, the one he’d set had extinguished an hour ago thanks to your lack of diligence and the cold was beginning to bite.

“Right here,” that deep timbre called from the front door, heavy, even boot steps easing your racing mind, “Why’d you let my fire go out?”

Now wasn’t the time for teasing. He smelled strongly of pine when you leapt into his arms, yours locking around his neck as you pressed your nose into his coarse, grayed beard. The reception surprised him, his tone changing as he greeted you softer this time, hands gripping you tightly as you breathed him in.

“Thank God!” Ellie exclaimed as she emerged from hiding, plopping down on the one good kitchen chair in the place, Joel’s gruff chuckle vibrating in your ear, “I swear she thought you walked off and died.”

“That so?” he purred, his lips pecking to the side of your head, “Now why would I go and do that?”

“I don’t know,” you sighed, relinquishing your hold on him, the tangled knot in your gut finally releasing slightly. 

“Can you help me outside for a second, kiddo?” he asked Ellie, watching as you slouched back onto the couch, pity in his gaze, “I’m sorry, sweetheart. I know I’m later’n I said I would be. Here. Found ya somethin’.”

That piqued your interest. A blustery wind hit you as he reopened the door, your body beginning to tremble at the sudden change in temperature until a heavy wool blanket was draped over your lap and chest, thick fingers tucking it up beneath your chin eliciting a breathy sigh of relief.

“There you go,” he soothed, his thumb and pointer pinching at your chin, “I’m gonna start this fire again. Keep it goin’ for me.”

He knew you all too well. You had passed out within minutes, his confirmation coming when he stepped back in to make sure the flames were roaring and spreading their heat to the furthest corners of the tiny shelter. He couldn’t resist pressing a kiss to your forehead after laying you down from the upright position you’d succumbed to exhaustion in, he was well aware you wouldn’t have fallen back asleep after catching him sneaking out. This, however, gave him the freedom to enact his larger plan, Ellie already hard at work on her agreed-upon half in the garage. 

“Sweetheart.” He always woke you so gently, even in the direst of times. However, this wasn’t dire, not in a sense you were used to anyway. “Kitchen, c’mon.”

Even through the fog of a nap that went on for too long, you could smell food that definitely didn’t come from a can. You swore you’d have forgotten the scent of it by now, but it came rushing back like a muscle memory, your stomach gurgling and mouth watering as a sight that had you ready to burst into tears came into view. 

Ellie was already seated at the table, two mismatched chairs joining the only other one in the house, freshly scavenged and repaired. Both of them had changed their shirts, clearly after an attempt to wash them, Joel’s still damp at the rolled sleeve on his forearm, Ellie’s just slightly too big despite the growth spurt she’d just had. 

“What is this?” you asked, managing to push back the wave of bliss-fueled emotions as Joel pulled your chair out, a real plate and cutlery set out in front of you.

“We wanted to do somethin’ nice,” Joel explained, taking the seat at the head of the table, both of his hands flattening on the wood for you and Ellie to take hold of, “And it’s Thanksgiving. Or, at least somewhere ‘round there.”

“I know he’s a lot to put up with,” Ellie jested, loudly slapping her palm into his, “So you deserved a nice dinner at least.”

“You ain’t no saint either, kid,” he reminded with a coy smirk, “I found two rabbits. Ellie here’s been workin’ on a damn fine broth in the garage for days from last week’s catch, and well, the rest is from a can–”

“It’s perfect,” you whimpered, the calloused skin of his hands enclosing yours.

“Yeah. All right, good. Well, dig in, then.”

It took a few minutes for you to notice Joel’s plate had remained empty, his arms crossed over his chest as he leaned back and watched you and Ellie laughing and enjoying the fruits of his labor. He looked peaceful and content–he looked as if his world hadn’t ended but was only just beginning.

“You need to eat,” you sounded, lifting your plate to scrap what little you had left onto his until his hand stopped you, pushing it back onto the table.

“I got everything I need right here.”

Joel Miller Masterlist

[to---the---ark]

GO TO SLEEP

chapter I - The Pride

-

Jeff was the first one to enter their new house.

He was excited to start a new Life, despite how difficult it was going to be to leave his very small friends group behind.

He wasn't going to miss the bullies, that was for sure, and he truly hoped that his new school had a decent policy about bullies and other kind of discriminations.

He was 14, and he was stupidly hopeful, after all.

Him and his brother Liu, who was 15, both ran upstairs, excited to finally have separate bedrooms.

They had a very deep bond, and everyone knew in their hometown that where there was one of them, there was going to be the other too. Despite that, they were happy to finally have more privacy and more room for their things and hobbies, especially Liu, who loved doing big Lego constructions that used to occupy both his and Jeff's desks, pissing the younger off more than once.

Jeff choose the bedroom with a big glass wall. Enormous red curtains were on both side of the glass wall, and the sun was settling down, gifting the bedroom with the last bit of light it could give.

There was an big bed, with a naked mattress his dad had put up before the party, some shelves, and a dark wooden floor that perfectly balanced the white walls of the bedroom.

Jeff laid down on the bed after putting on it all the blankets and pillows it needed, and closed his eyes.

He was tired, moving wasn't an easy thing to do, even if him and Liu had stayed to their paternal grandparents while their parents moved their things in the new home. Everything was still in their boxes, and the kids were more than eager to take everything out.

"A job for tomorrow me, tho" the boy thought.

Suddenly, a weight fell upon him.

«Wha- Liu! Get off of me, you jerk!» Jeffrey grumbled, but he couldn't stop himself from starting a tickling fight with his brother, like they used to do when they were little kids.

«No- that's unfair- Jeff, I'm warning you, stop or else-» Liu shouted between a laughing fit and another.

«Or what?» Jeff laughed, now on top of his brother, tickling him mercilessly.

«Jeff, Liu, come down here, boys!» Margaret called.

The two kept poking at each other's sides while going downstairs. Jeff's long black hair was a mess, Liu's brow hair was short and messy too.

Jeff shouted a laugh when Liu blocked him against the wall to be able to tickle him properly before running off, reaching Margaret.

She looked at her sons, blue eyes stern: «Oh, babies, aren't you two too old to play like this?»

Her gaze softened when she returned to look at the woman at the front door.

Obviously.

She was always like that.

Always scolding them for acting like the kids they were, always looking like a saint in front of the public eye.

The title of "perfect family" had been earned like that, after all.

«This is Barbara» Margaret said, introducing her sons to the woman. «She's out neighbor. Barbara, those are Liu and Jeff. My husband isn't here right now, but you'll meet him when we'll drop the kids off at the birthday party, don't worry!»

«What birthday party?» Jeff asked.

«See this little one?» Barbara said, pointing at a child hiding behind her chubby body, hands gripping her floreal dress. «He's my son Billy, and in a week I'll throw him a birthday party. You two are invited, it'll be the perfect occasion to meet the other kids of the neighborhood!»

«That's such a lovely idea, Barbara, thank you so much!» Margaret smiled, adjusting her brown hair in a high chignon.

Jeff's blue eyes met Liu's green ones.

"Oh, please, no" the both of them thought.

Peter Woods came home just a few minutes after Barbara and Billy had returned to their own home, and after a while the whole family sat at the dinner table, praying before eating the take-away Chinese food Peter bought home, since their fridge was pretty empty.

When Margaret informed Peter about the birthday party, Liu spoke up in the behalf of both himself and Jeff: «Can we not go to that party, please?»

«Yeah, we're not- what, 7? We're too old to play with toys and stuff like that.»

«You acted like toddlers right before meeting Barbara» Margaret said. «You're going.»

«Dad? Please? Can we not go?» Jeff asked.

Peter, with his green eyes fixated on his food, scratched his black hair with a hand before answering: «You're going, and you need to make a good first impression.»

The two boys huffed, knowing full well that they weren't going to win this over.

Good first impression were too important for their parents, and they never had a say on that. They could only act as the perfect kids of a perfect family, and hope that the party wasn't going to be too boring.

A few days later, Jeff stretched his arms, still hiding in the comfort of his blankets.

The house was quiet, the birds were chirping outside of his window... and Liu opened the door, looking as tired as him, and took the blankets away.

«Why. Liu, tell me why» Jeff muttered. He wasn't a morning person and he was often in a bad mood before eating breakfast.

Liu gave him the finger and silently went downstairs.

Jeff rolled his eyes, and got up.

He wore his favorite outfit: an old white hoodie, black converse and black jeans. He was going to go to his and Liu's first day at their new school, and he wanted the comfort of some beloved clothes, since his shyness could lead to social anxiety, if he felt over stimulated.

But of course, his parents couldn't let him have that.

«Jeff, go take that hoodie off, wear the white flannel instead» Margaret said.

«But- but mom! It's just school!»

«Good impressions matter, son. Don't you agree, Peter?» Dad muttered an agreement, eyes on the TV. He never really talked with his wife, important things aside, after all. «See? Dad agrees too. Go change, honey.»

He did so, his mood worsening my the moment.

He sat at the table beside his brother, and they started eating breakfast... until mom commented on how much weight he was going to gain for eating that much.

He rolled his eyes, and he sighed.

The perfect kid eats just what he needs to survive, and in the Woods's house eating was just something you did to keep living.

Perfect, right?

Right.

Always right.

The Woods brothers finally got out of the house, and they went to the bus stop at least 30 minutes in advance.

«I think Jane would like you, especially dressed like a church baby boy» Liu joked, trying to lighten up Jeff's mood while they sat down on the sidewalk.

«Who the fuck is Jane?»

«She's one of our neighbors. She should be your age, or maybe mine, I don't know» Liu answered. «Oh, here she is!» he said, pointing at a girl looking at them from her bedroom's window. Liu and the girls exchanged a wave of their hands.

The brothers' conversation was interrupted by a skateboard almost hitting Liu on the head, and the laughters of three other boys.

«Oh, hey, guys, sorry for that!» the skater said.

Liu recognized the boy, and also the two sidekicks he had by his sides, and all three of them were wearing clothes with a mimetic fantasy and were on a skateboard.

The boy who spoke was Randy, he had dark brown hair, strong features, a slightly crooked nose, and his eyes hid behind sunglasses. On his left there was Keith, the shorter of them, with blue eyes and red hair. The last one was Troy, brown hair and eyes, a little bit on the plus size.

The last two were the kids of Randy's dad's closest coworkers, and Randy's dad was the richest motherfucker in town, so the boys always felt superior to anyone, and it didn't matter how bad the troubles those three 16 years old got into were, their dads were always going to save their ass.

Pride was thick in Randy's voice: «You must be Jeff and Liu, nice to meet you» Randy said, without even caring about introducing his sidekicks. «Since you're new here, I just wanted to introduce myself.»

-

[Introduction]

[chapter II - The Cruelty]

[elf-simp]

List 5 things that make you happy, then put this in the askbox for the last 10 people who reblogged something from you! get to know your mutuals and followers (ू•‧̫•ू⑅)♡

Round 1

Gonna get a little obscure with this one

A nice cup of coffee. I used to be a HUGE coffee hater until like 2 years ago when I found videos done by a very convincing British man who showed me so many different ways to make it. After seeing his videos I bought a pour-over maker and a coffee grinder to try it out and my elation upon finding out coffee didn't have to be bitter sadness juice 100% of the time cannot be understated. Actually being able to pick flavor notes out of a drink I'd despised for SO long was like seeing heavens gate open LMAO. Though I do hate that I am now hopelessly dependent on it...

Sleeping on the floor. I had to get rid of my normal bed a WHILE ago now but in the process of doing that I got this like 3 inch thick memory foam "bed topper" that I've been using as a floor mattress since and my god. Not only do I actually FIT on the thing (being 6.5ft/198~cm is fun :^) ) It was the first time I'd actually had a decent nights sleep since I was like 14. I tried going back to a 'normal' framed bed a year ago and was so miserable that I got back on the floor in the middle of the night.

Mountain ranges. The raw might of the earth splitting the sky has got me actin' unwise, sorry. Like, the earth loving itself so much that it's own embrace reaches heaven... UGH... Just thinking about the time and force required for them to form has always astounded me. Also the fact that some of them are volcanoes? "Timeless" stone gods that can at any moment unleash hell? I'm so normal about mountains and I'm SO happy I live somewhere that has them.

Sunrise, though it's so rare I get to see it. I'd argue that the colors of a sunrise are better than a sunset, sorry sunset enjoyers. Watching the black of night fade into a soft and hazy amber glow and then shifting to purple as it finds it's gentle blue... Knowing the day has begun when the cold of the night fades away for the days warm embrace. Hearing nature come back after a long desolate darkness. I would chew on the sunrise if I could.

Aggron, yes the pokemon. I love you my giant steel dinosaur that eats train tracks as a baby. I love you rock polish/headsmash sweeper. I love you territorial mountain dwelling bastard. I love you hyper physical defender mega evolution.

[kumeko]

A/N: For @gcsfanzine ! I love the antics these three get into, with Selina forced into the responsible role because she’s the only one of the three with some conscience.

…

…

…

…

Ivy was sick. Selina took a moment to contemplate the thought, to fully savour the situation she found herself in. Poison Ivy, Pamela Isley, one-woman army and stone-cold bitch, was sick. Sick enough to need help, to ask for help.

And the well-known misanthrope needed Selina’s help.

It was hard enough to think about, let alone believe. Yet, Selina couldn’t doubt the evidence in front of her. Sprawled across Harley’s plush, king-sized mattress, an extremely grumpy Ivy glared at the ceiling. Her fingers tapped the blankets ceaselessly, her jaw clenched so hard Selina could have broken walnuts against it. She looked like a cantankerous alley cat. She also looked entirely out of place buried amongst Harley’s infinite plushies.

How Harley had managed to force Ivy into her bedroom, Selina had no idea. The whole place looked like the residence of a punk princess, a strange hybrid of cute frills and black leather. Neither of the two vibes fit Ivy and put together they just looked even more garish.

“Ahh.” Ivy breathed out harshly before forcing herself up into a seated position. Her red hair clung to her sticky skin, giving her an oddly deflated appearance. There was a reddish tint to her green skin. All in all, she looked like a sick person. A very cranky sick person. “I’m leaving.”

Selina snorted inelegantly. There was the Ivy she knew and tolerated. From across the room, she gestured at the foot of the bed and raised a brow. “How? You broke your leg. And you have a fever.”

Ivy fisted her hand and hit the mattress. A shark plushie fell off the bed. “The fucking hyenas broke it.” Her hair had a life of its own and rose, giving her a lion-like mane. Maybe it sensed its mistress’s rage. “I’ll kill them.”

“You’d be doing me a favour.” Selina wrinkled her nose as she thought of those mangy mutts. The number of times she’d almost lost a cat to them—she should have kicked them out months ago.

“Hey!” Harley growled as she entered the room holding a tray laden with food. She was dressed as a sexy nurse, though that didn’t make her glare any less intimidating as she stomped her foot. “Stop being mean to my babies!”

Selina rubbed her forehead. By now, she should be used to Harley’s level of chaos and nonsense, but somehow the woman continued to surprise her. At least the soup looked decent. “Did you really need the outfit?”

Holding the tray in one hand, Harley arched her back and jutted her hip as she mimicked a pin up poster. “Of course! It’s part of the care package!” She blew a kiss to Ivy. “Don’t you just love it?”

Not caring a wit about the fanservice, Ivy’s expression grew colder than the tundra. “Pick one of them to die or they all will.”

“Neither!” Harley carefully set the soup down on her side table before turning to Ivy. She bent forward and poked her sick friend on the cheek. “I’ll take good care of you in exchange.”

“You’d have to do that anyways!” Ivy swatted her hand away, her scowl only increasing in intensity. “This happened because of you.”

“She has a point, you know.” Selina crossed her arms and leaned against the wall, more than content to just watch the show instead of participating. “We had a deal. Your hyenas are supposed to stay in the basement.”

“They do!” Harley pouted, puffing her cheeks as she glanced up at Selina. “I was only taking them out for a walkie.”

If Harley intended for that to be reassuring, it was the exact opposite. Selina groaned and closed her eyes. There were enough eyes on their shared residence without the hyenas as is. “Oh, so I should expect more missing pet flyers? These things are a nuisance.”

“They’re not things, they’re family.” Between the pig-tails and the pout, Harley was akin to a sulking toddler. Sometimes Selina couldn’t believe that she had a degree and keen intuition. “They just get hungry sometimes but they know better than to mess with you. Or your cats.”

“Oh, and is that why they tackled me?” Ivy asked, her smile as sharp as a razor blade at the slight. “Food? They think I’m weak?”

“They just bumped into you! It’s not their fault you were holding poison. And it didn’t just splash on you, it hit them!” Harley huffed, crossing her arms. She turned up her nose. “Maybe you should be more careful.”

Ivy’s voice dropped dangerously low. “Are you blaming me?”

Selina could practically feel the vines crawling through the pipes and concrete. She groaned. “Don’t break the place, I just finished paying for it.”

“My plants are hungry.” Ivy pushed her hair out of her face, steeling herself as she tried to get up. “Maybe I should give them a snack.”

Harley grabbed her shoulders and firmly pushed her down. “You’re still sick and stop saying that!”

At this rate, Selina was going to get a headache. Or become homeless. It was time to step in. Slowly, she approached the struggling pair. “Harley.” She rested her hand on her shoulder, squeezing it tightly. Just enough that the threat was there. “Next time, the hyenas are gone.”

Harley glanced at her, then looked away. “Fineeee.”

“Great.” Selina turned to Ivy and tried not to smirk. Maybe she should take a picture later, for blackmail. “It’s too late to go back to your room, just live with it.”

Ivy’s frown deepened, as though she heard Selina’s thoughts. “I—” she protested.

Harley cut her off. “If you want to leave, I have to feed you.”

“Huh?” Flabbergasted, Ivy stared at her.

Harley picked up a spoon. She smiled deviously. “Should I pretend this is a train? Or maybe a bee coming to pollinate?”

“…fuck you.” Ivy snatched the spoon.

“Great, we have a deal! I’ll go get a cooling pack.” Harley sprang to her feet. Blowing another kiss, she spun on her heel and skipped out of the room. “Just you wait, I have great patient care.”

“Fifty bucks says she kills you,” Selina said the second Harley disappeared.

“It’s not a bet if we’re both on the same side.” Ivy tucked her hair behind her ear and took a careful sip of the soup. “Huh, not bad.”

“So she really can cook.” Selina shook her head. Was it something Harley had picked up after she’d changed, or was it something a lonely psychiatrist had learned after pulling long shifts? “It’s not poisoned?”

“Probably not.” Ivy took another spoonful. She closed her eyes as she swallowed, as though absorbing information on it. Maybe she could; Selina never fully understood her meta abilities with plants and their poisons. “It’s fine.”

“Maybe I should bet she’ll actually heal you.” Selina reached forward, pressing a hand to Ivy’s neck. “Your fever doesn’t seem that high and if you can talk and eat like that, I guess that other poison didn’t actually hurt you that much.”

Ivy stiffened under her touch and Selina recoiled. They stared at each other for a long moment before Selina looked away. “Force of habit,” she muttered in lieu of an apology.

“Habit?” Ivy lightly touched her neck.

“That…it’s an old memory.” Selina clenched her hand. A very old memory. It had been years since she’d let herself think of her childhood on the streets, even longer since she let herself think of Maggie and Holly and how they used to be.

Ivy studied her before changing the topic. It was oddly tactful of her. “The poison was just a paralysis.”

“But you can move?”

“Barely.” Ivy flopped back on the bed, her hair spreading around her. “I doubt I could actually make it back to my room.”

“And here you were trying to act so strong.” Selina snickered. Maybe she should have let Ivy try, if only to see her flop off the bed and stumble down the hall. “I’ll get you a Tylenol.”

Ivy scowled. “I don’t need any medicine. It’s not like they work on me anyways.”

“That’s why you don’t turn your blood into a pharmacy cocktail,” Selina muttered, rolling her eyes. “Then I’ll just grab one for myself. If I have to keep dealing with your weird foreplay, I’ll need it.”

As she left, she dodged the plush piranha Ivy hurled. “You really are doing better,” Selina teased before disappearing down the hall.

In the distance, she could hear several small thuds as Harley got her care supplies. Clearly, she was going after more than just a cooling pack, and Selina was both scared and curious to find out what it was. Either way, she’d have to especially make sure she didn’t get sick after this. With Ivy’s vindictive personality, Selina would suffer two-fold in Harley’s hands.

A soft nudge shook her out of her stupor. Selina peeked down to find Alexander, a calico tom, brushing against her as she walked. She chuckled, reaching down to give him a good head rub before entering her bedroom.

Perhaps it was because she had worn a costume for years now, whether it was for good or evil, but Selina had a well-stocked medicine cabinet that could rival a drug store. Amidst ordinary painkillers and bandages, there were black market drugs to cover any niche injury. Selina’s finger brushed against each bottle as she checked for more over-the-counter solution.

The first one on the second row froze her.

With shaky fingers, she pulled it out and stared at it. A baby’s cough medicine. Grape flavoured. Only a third of it used. The bottle was brown.

Selina should have tossed it long ago. She should toss it now.

She wasn’t quite ready to let go of that dream, of her daughter returning home.

Pressing her forehead against the cabinet, Selina sighed. Ivy wasn’t the only one vulnerable tonight, it seemed. This wasn’t the time or place for these thoughts. They certainly weren’t the right people to have these thoughts around. Even now, Harley and Ivy still tried to pry into her relationship with Gotham’s protectors, hoping to extract the valuable secret identities she carefully guarded.

Who knew what they’d do if they found out about her daughter or her sister or any of the people Selina had stepped on to get to where she was now?

“This is stupid,” Selina muttered to herself as she returned to Harley’s room. She’d just make sure Ivy was alive, that Harley wasn’t up to no good, and then she’d retire for the day. It had been a trying couple of hours. She’d earned a rest.

“Are you seriously staying all night?” Ivy snarled.

A rest she was definitely not going to get. Selina braced herself as she entered Harley’s room. As expected, Ivy was still lying on the bed, though now with a neon blue ice-pack on her forehead. Her hands kept reaching it, trying to tear it off, but Harley kept swatting them back down.

Harley sniffed. “I have to, you’re too stubborn to heal up otherwise.”

The surprise was Harley. As usual. Perched on the bed right next to Ivy, she wrapped an arm around Ivy’s shoulders to hold her in place. The bowl of soup next to her was half-finished, so Selina didn’t have to worry if Ivy would starve tonight. On Ivy’s knees, a laptop perched precariously.

Noticing her return, Harley waved. “You’re back!”

“I thought I should keep the house in one piece,” Selina drawled, glancing at Ivy. “Ivy too, I guess.”

“Like you’d last ten minutes with just her,” Ivy scoffed, not buying the bluff.

“We’re watching a movie,” Harley interrupted, grinning. “Wanna join?”

“I…” Selina pursed her lips, her excuse on the tip of her tongue.

“Please?” Harley begged, batting her eyes. “With a cherry on top.”

“If you leave me alone with her, I’ll kill you.” Ivy crossed her arms as she leaned back, accepting her fate. “Sit on the bed but don’t get too comfortable. The second it’s done, you’re both out.”

“Comfortable?” Selina laughed, slipping into the empty space. “Like a cactus like you would let me.”

She didn’t need the reminder. She already knew better. The moment Selina got comfortable with them, the moment she spilled her secrets, these quiet moments would come to an end.

And she wasn’t sure if she was ready for that.

[dragonlover123a]

Overprotective

10ft Vash the Stampede

4'11 Meryl Stryfe

"Do we have to Mayfly?" Vash whined, "I know sandsteamers are the fastest way to November, but I have the worst luck with public transportation. Even now."

Meryl chuckled, leaning affectionately into her husband's side from her mount, a genetically specialized Tomas her brother-in-law made so she could relatively keep up with Vash at his much larger size named KoKo. "I know Angel, but we're already a week behind schedule because of the storm and you know how my boss can get when I'm late for my bi-annual visit to the office"

Vash sighed, wrapping his long arm around his wife's small shoulders as he looked up at the humpback class sandsteamer in front of them. "I guess. But what about KoKo here?" He asked, gleefully running his free hand through the Tomas' cyan mane when she pressed against his leg at her name, clearly asking for attention too. "I don't want to leave her here"

"Most humpback class sandsteamers have stables for Toma. It costs a little extra, but she'll be safe." Meryl said, patting her mount's neck, which earned a small trill of content.

"What about Stampede Suites?" Vash asked. "I don't want you to be cramped because of me."

Meryl smiled. Stampede Suites where specialized hotel rooms made specially for Vash to comfortably fit his much larger frame. He felt it was more than he deserved and would be perfectly happy on a small twin sized cot, but she knew he only paid for Stampede Suites for her comfort more than for his own.

"I highly doubt it. The S.S. Prosper is almost as old as the Flourish. New enough that the emergency brake issue has been fixed, but too old to have a Stampede Suite, even as an annexed room." Meryl explained. "But it'll be okay Vash. I'll be fine to share a king size mattress with you. It's just for the night." She assured him, giving his much larger hand a comforting squeeze.

Vash sighed again before picking Meryl up and taking KoKo's reigns as he started up the gangplank. "Alright, let's go."

Soon enough, KoKo was settled into a stable and Vash and Meryl where in a decently sized first class room. Or at least decently sized for a human. Despite the high ceiling, Vash was still hunch over quite a bit

"Mayfly are you sure this is the biggest room on the steamer?" He asked, his palm flat on the ceiling as if pressing up against it would give him more space to stand more comfortably.

Meryl smiled in amusement, getting up from the bed and reached up to take his free hand in her own. "I'm sure. C'mon, let's get some sleep." She said, tugging him closer to the bed.

Vash smiled down at her, letting his wife lead him to the bed, but couldn't help but grimace when the bed creaked under his weight when he sat down on it. "Geez they couldn't've at least reenforced it? I feel like it's going to collapse if I have another nightmare..." He said, quickly taking off his long red duster with practiced ease and unbuckling his boots before kicking them off.

"Not everyone is 10 feet tall and weighs more than a Tomas." Meryl replied, shedding her own cloak and boots before climbing onto the bed, standing on the mattress so she could plant a kiss on his jaw.

The smile returned to his face as he turned his head to face her, stealing a quick peck on the lips before scooping her into his arms and cradling her against his chest. "Yeah but it's all muscle" he playfully retorted

"And metal" she added, tapping his left pec where the metal grate was welded into. "If you had anymore metal I'd have to start calling you a robot"

Vash chuckled, kissing her forehead before pressing his own against where he just kissed. "I'm rubbing off on you Mayfly. But you have to work on your jokes. That was pretty terrible"

Meryl just rolled her eyes and patted his chest. "Anyway. Summon your wings. It's the 15th today" she instructed, trying to sit up in his arms.

"Aw do I have to? The room is so small." Vash whined, holding her tighter

Once a month, Meryl helped him preen his wings. Fixing crooked feathers and helping him get rid of old ones to make room for new, healthy feathers. Something that Knives very clearly instructed her she had to do, otherwise he could get sick like he did in LR Town after the Legato incident.

"Yes. You do. If Knives wrings me out because I'm not making sure you're taking care of yourself, I'm throwing you under the steamer with me"

Vash pouted at her for a moment before setting her on the bed, standing up as best he could and summoned his wings, casting the room in a soft turquoise and golden glow before sitting down on the floor in front of Meryl, letting her run her hands through his wings. As much as he complained about the preening, he did have to admit that feeling his wife's small hands run through his thick golden feathers was really nice...

After a while of Meryl preening his wings, Vash found himself dozing off when the sandsteamer gave an all too familiar lurch. He let out a very inhuman growl, much more inhuman than he meant.

Vash really had the worst luck with public transportation.

Meryl paused what she was doing when she heard him growl. Usually she loved it when he growled, especially in bed. But this wasn't a playful growl, it was a frustrated one.

"Vash? What's wrong?" She asked, smoothing out some feathers.

"BadLads" he answered simply

"Again? Let me grab my cloak" she said, starting to get up.

In an instant, Vash had turned around, catching her small wrists with one hand and her waist with the other. "No Meryl... It's too dangerous."

"What do you mean too dangerous?" Meryl whisper shouted, her brows furrowing as she freed a hand from her husband's loose grip to pull at his ear in irritation. "I've helped take BDN down before!"

Normally Vash would ham it up and act like Meryl tugging at his ear actually hurt, but now he was more worried about protecting her, and the people on the ship. "I know... It's just that... Last time I dealt with Neon he promised that he'll kill me"

"But he can't kill you. You're immortal"

"I know. But I don't want him to figure that out and then kidnap you to try to hurt me." He told her, cupping her cheek in his hand. Well, her head, as his palm was much bigger than it. "So please Meryl. Stay here and stay safe. For me." Vash asked, glowing eyes pleading.

Begrudgingly, Meryl nodded as she leaned into his hand. "Alright. I'll stay hidden" she said.

Vash smiled, gently tilting Meryl's chin upwards so he could press his lips against hers. "That's my Mayfly" he whispered softly, pressing his forehead against hers before standing again, rolling his neck and shoulders, letting his markings and wings disappear into his skin, allowing the room to fall into darkness, save for his eyes. Grabbing the scarlet coat, Vash quickly put it on and headed out into the hallway. "I'll be back soon"

Meryl sighed as the door shut behind him and she heard his heavy boots disappear down the hall. She knew Vash would be fine. He was immortal after all. Yes he could be hurt, and the scars and metal that littered his skin was proof of that, but he couldn't be killed. Still, she felt useless sitting here in the dark.

Minutes turned into hours and Meryl was getting antsy. She promised Vash that she would stay here and stay hidden. But it would only be a matter of time before the gang would find her in the room.

With a decisive huff, Meryl grabbed her cloak and put it on before sneaking out of the room as quietly as she could. She knew Vash wouldn't be happy with her for throwing herself into danger like this, but it was still technically her job to make sure he didn't cause too much damage. Besides, she could handle him getting upset with her, and he was never upset with her for long. He knew that if she made up her mind about something, there was no changing it. That was something they had in common.

Only he was an unstoppable force of nature. Meryl thought to herself. Something about Plants self actualizing their names or something? She wasn't sure.

Being careful not to make any noise, Meryl snuck down the hall. Towards where, she wasn't sure. She knew she had to find Vash. It wasn't like her to not have a plan, but her worry for her husband was eating her up inside.

"You! Stop there!"

Meryl froze. Shit...

She had only three options right now, and none of them were good. Draw her weapons and fight, surrender, or run. If she fought, their numbers would quickly overpower her, and if she ran, she'd be surrounded. Either way, she would most likely be brought before Brilliant Dynamite Neon.

Why didn't she just listen to Vash? She asked herself, mentally kicking herself as one of Neon's men took her by the arms and forced her forward. "I'm going, I'm going! Ease up asshole!" She growled at the man

To her surprise, his grip turned gentle. "Right. I'm sorry ma'am. Mr Neon specifically asked for you. I'm sorry for this... I really am" he said softly.

This surprised Meryl, and confused her greatly. "Why are you being so nice about this?"

The man sighed under the mask as he lead her down the hall. "Money's tight, okay? And Mr Neon pays pretty fairly. I was desperate for a job and there was an opening." He explained. "But he caught word that the Humanoid Typhoon was onboard the steamer and decided to make due on a promise he made like, 20 years ago. Which is dumb if you ask me. But when he caught up to the guy he saw what he turned into and ordered us to find you."

"The hell does he want from me?" Meryl demanded as they stopped in front of a set of doors.

"He didn't say... But whatever happens, I'm sorry" The man told her, sounding honest as he pushed her through.

She stumbled through the doors and large hand steadied her. Looking up, she was hoping it was her husband, but she felt her heart sink with dread when she saw who it was.

"Well look who it is. Now this party can really get started."

Meryl tensed when the hand grabbed her by her collar and lifted her up to face Vash on the other side, who was seething in anger. She tried calling out to him, but couldn't get a sound out before she felt his gun press against her temple.

"Turns out, your beau is an immortal god and I can't make due on the promise I made to him." Neon sneered into her ear. "And I don't break my promises. Such a shame... I hate to waste a pretty face"

Meryl cringed as she heard the gun powered up, waiting for her brains to splatter on the deck below. But it never came. Instead, she heard only two words echo in her head, and she knew everyone else heard it as well.

DROP HER

The next few moments where a frenzy of chaos. All she could tell was that she fell to the metal floor and a heavy weight had settled over her. Blinking, Meryl looked up as much as she could. From her perspective, the leader of the BadLads was cowering in fear across the room and Vash had crouched over her in a protective, feral stance, his wings spread out and wide to make himself seem even bigger and more intimidating than before.

Meryl had to do something. She had to calm him down. When Vash got like this, he became a massive angelic like monster who had four arms (well, technically three, as one was amputated) and more wings and eyes then she could count. Yes for the most part he could control the transformation and kept his mind, but sometimes he couldn't and became feral. She really didn't need him to grow to the size of a steamer while they where still in it.

Reaching forward, she grabbed his natural arm, hugging it tight and tried her best to ignore the fast growing feathers that threatened to bury her. "Vash! Vash, I'm okay! Please... I'm okay. I'm safe"

The arm she was holding moved, scooping her into it as she laid her head in his hand. "Meryl?"

She smiled at him, reaching up to touch his face, being careful not to accidentally poke the extra eyes that appeared on his cheeks in his protective rage. "That's right Angel. It's me. I'm safe" Meryl assured him as he closed the extra eyes, making them disappear into his skin.

"Well then" BDN stated, his voice still shaking from fear despite clearly trying to put on a bravado facade for his men. "If you're done with your fancy show of power, me and my men will take our leave. This party ain't fun anymore"

Vash looked up at him, growling out what Meryl could only assume was a string of curses in his native tongue before standing to his full height and setting her down behind him.

"What? You wanna duel again? You have your woman and we didn't kill that many people." Neon challenged, standing to his own full height. It might've been impressive in the past compared to Vash, but now he just looked ridiculously small.

The red clad gunslinger didn't speak, and only bared his sharp teeth as he walked towards the gang leader, making it a point to force him to crane his neck to continue looking him in the eyes.

Neon's eyes widened as his voice faltered to silence. He definitely fucked up. And now he was staring into the eyes of the Humanoid Typhoon. Screw the Diablo, these where the eyes of an angry god.

"Look... I'm sorry. I gave you back your wo-"

He couldn't get the rest of his sentence out before a massive heavy boot landed on his chest, pushing him through the door behind him and sending him flying a few yarz.

Neon landed on his back, his head bouncing off the metal floor, causing his vision to go blurry. All he could see when he looked up was two glowing orbs high above him

"You steal from innocent people. You kill with no remorse and you steal what's mine" Vash growled, towering above the man as he lifted his boot and brought it down hard on his arm, earning a loud crack and a scream in pain.

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry! Please! Please don't kill me!" Neon pleaded, writhing in pain from his broken arm.

Vash snarled, moving his foot to his chest and put his weight down on the man as he leaned down to get in his face. "That woman is mine. These people are mine. If you hurt anyone else, I will hunt you down. Understand?"

"Cr-crystal"

Vash scoffed, but removed his foot, reaching into his jacket pocket to toss Beramy a roll of bandages and gauze to take care of his boss's broken arm before going back to where Meryl was.

"How bad is the damages?" She asked

Vash gave her a lopsided grin. "I didn't break any of the steamer if that's what you meant. So it should be a fairly easy report" he assured her, ruffling her hair.

"What did you do to him? I heard screaming" Meryl asked, swatting his hand away

"Nothing to bad. I just convinced him not to steal anymore"

Meryl gave him a look of disbelief, but decided to drop it. She knew what he was capable of, and she also knew that when he injured someone out of anger, he didn't like too talk about.

"Anyway!" Vash suddenly blurted out, spurring Meryl out of her thoughts. "It's late. And you have to go straight from the station to the office when we get to November in the morning" He stated, kneeling down in front of her and offering his arms to her.

Meryl smiled at him and took his offer, letting him pick her up and set her on his hip as he walked back to their room.

She hummed softly as he wrapped his other arm around her, pressing her small frame closer to himself.

Vash really was overprotective of her. But she wouldn't trade it for the world.

[cherienymphe]

um so what do I do..I still stay with my parents and my grandma is now staying with us too because she’s gotten kicked out of every place she’s been in because she’s bipolar along with a lot of other things, I mean she’s getting pretty old you know so she’s not exactly happy all the time. Well, my parents gave her a choice to sleep in my two siblings rooms, bc they’re younger and barely in their room unless it’s to sleep because they have school and they like to just go outside when they’re home and she declined for idk what reason. so she’d been sleeping in our living room on a couch but one end of the couch is extended and it’s like the length of a twin mattress. my parents set it up for her to make it look more like an actual bed, they even put a twin mattress on it to make it feel more cushiony. well, a few days pass and she’s complaining of her back hurting and I get it, I wouldn’t want to sleep on a twin mattress at an old age either but at the same time it’s like..you had a house (which my parents and aunt were paying for even tho my grandma was the only one living there because it is a family house and they don’t want to lose it) and my aunt had to kick her out of that house because she was terrorizing the neighbors and all that and so my other aunt set her up with an apartment and…she got kicked out again because of her terrorizing the other people in the complex. after she got kicked out of 2 more places my mom finally let her come stay with us (she really didn’t want to because my grandma treats my mom like shit) but she did. and so today I tell my grandma if she wants me to give her my bed to use (a queen) then I can and that i’ll move it wherever she wants it and i’ll just sleep on the couch I have in my room and she says “can we just keep the bed in your room and i’ll sleep on it in there” and I’m like…oh (I’m a people pleaser) so I say yes. mind you…she goes to sleep at 6pm so now I feel uncomfortable going in and out of my own room because I don’t want to wake her and I’m also a big night time person. I like to stay up and do everything at night but I don’t even feel comfortable going in there and doing anything in my room now. so yeah i’m currently typing this from my living room couch, hella annoyed. any thoughts on what I should do??

Ngl you backed yourself into a corner here bc the time to do something was before you offered (by not offering) 😭 idk man. Is the family house an option? Atp it would look pretty bad to be like you can't sleep in my room. Is it possible to fit your bed in your siblings room? So she still has a decent bed and a room? Or have one of siblings do a switch a roo and move their bed + them in your room while moving your bed and your grandma in there?

[liminalpebble]

Sex and Death: Chapter 4, Making Concessions

Masterlist link 

When he came out of the bathroom she had already settled herself on the spare mattress, with a book. 

As she shifted to head to the bathroom and brush her teeth she was met with the sight of a slightly damp Detective Martinsson, walking around in just that absurd towel wrapped low and precariously on his tantalizing hips.

She mumbled, desperate for an escape, “I'll just go brush my teeth.”

“Hey, what are you doing on the air mattress?” he said, following after her, apparently unphased by his half-nakedness and in no hurry to dress.

Averting her eyes as much as she could from that long perfectly-muscled torso, she quipped, “The same thing most people do on a bed, getting ready to sleep in it.”

“Well,” he quipped back, “not the only thing.”

“Dammit Magnus,” she said rolling her eyes, frustrated in several ways by this point as she swung into the bathroom and began cleaning her teeth. He strode up to hang on the doorway, leaving her with no escape.

“I'm not taking your bed. It's your place. You'll sleep in your own bed.”

Noura spat, rinsed, and then turned to him, “Magnus you can't even fit, on that air mattress. Please, just take the real bed. You're doing me a favor staying here anyway.”

“I am not doing you a favor,” he said pointedly, bright blue eyes boring right through her. “I am literally doing my job, Noura.”

Her exhausted frustration was finally beginning to overpower her sexual frustration over having a gorgeous unattainable man strutting around her in a towel. She sighed, shrugged, then pointed her toothbrush accusingly at him. “You're infuriating, but at least, unlike the other people who do your job, you never treat me like I'm beneath you.”

He stood to face her saying, “Actually darling, at this height, most people are beneath me.”

She gave him an annoyed glare, which he immediately disarmed with a lopsided grin as he slowly raised the Vulcan hand gesture in reference to her pajamas. Noura had no words; not sure at this point if she would laugh hysterically or cry. Luckily she didn't have to find out, as the would-be catalyst of such a reaction retreated to the other room where she heard him shuffling clothes around.

“Are you decent?”

“Yes...decent and tucked in.”

She came in turned out the lights, snuggled into the warm cocoon of her own bed, as they wished each other “good night” in the darkness.

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[feleon]

Home

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Genre: Fluff

This one is written for all of the abuse survivors, those who have managed to escape, and those who haven’t.  I recently escaped my abusive situation and with the support from those around me am finally flourishing.  I felt inspired and decided to write a one-shot.

Warnings: Slight mentions of emotional/physical abuse

This was it.

 You finally have your own place, your own space.  No one invading your boundaries, and you no longer have to endure the abuse you have endured for years.

 It’s finally over.  

 The past few months you spent couch surfing, living on your partner’s couch in  his shared living space while you hunted and hunted for weeks to try to find a decent, affordable space.  Your entire life was packed away into your vehicle.  Every day calls sent out, but the messages were the same.  "No availability,“ or unaffordable. You felt hopeless.  You essentially were a homeless runaway.  Your psyche nearly shattered as the last mug, the last insult was thrown at you for the last time.  But he kept you going.  Leon kept you motivated to continue your search.  Eventually, you would get lucky.  And eventually, you did, managing to secure a one-bedroom.

 What may have initially felt like an empty void of a space, felt like a sanctuary to you.  You may have only moved in with just a mattress and what small necessities like towels, plates, clothes, and soap you could fit in your car.  But eventually, your sanctuary filled up.  And so did you.  You didn’t have a word to describe the place, it was in an ever-changing, transitional stage.  A lacuna at first.

 But then a deluge.  Boxes upon boxes, endlessly coming as they had been going, towering up to a busy, crowded city.  Your singular form once again feeling lost.  But you had support.  The furniture felt unnavigable, just like the city it represented, burdensome, nightmarish to tie together.  But you had help.  You always had your support in Leon.  He helped you build your space up, spending hours and hours several nights building furniture for you, tearing down that city, doing most of the heavy lifting.  Several nights he hit the bed hard, exhausted and drained.  Leon helped you carry out all of the scrappings to the dumpster, burdening most on his shoulders as he insisted on burdening himself with most of the work with a stern look on his face.

 Tonight, you had finally finished putting together your last piece of furniture.  The last piece to complete the place.  It had been two months, but you were finally done.   Covered in dirt and sweat, you head to the shower and turn the faucet.

 As you wait for the water to heat up and cleanse you of your troubles, the door turns and the curtain opens behind you.  

 Strong, hardworking arms wrapping around your waist and pulling you close.

 Soft, gentle kisses on your back, shoulders, neck, cheek, showering over you.  You turn around and lock lips with his, becoming one unit, as he holds you under the downpour.  This moment is what you’re here for.

 After you were all cleaned up, you slipped into a t-shirt and underwear and slipped under your new, clean covers.  As he slipped in to join you he grabbed you in an embrace, holding you close as you both fell asleep.

 You finally knew what this felt like.

 It felt like home.