#and the leo !! i stare at my own card ?? what is the thing called like profile?? so often cuz i just his pic with the outfit and the golden

[shijas]

do they (happyele) wanna make that one ritsu plush from that one rei card a reality im begging really

[lumosinlove]

Day Seven:

On the seventh day of Winterfic, Hazel gave to you, a Leo/Logan/Finn Bridgerton AU. Part One.

In short, Logan didn’t want to be the diamond of the season. He had no interest in the balls, or the white tuxedos and gowns that those eligible wore, or the deep bow he’d been trained in (and perfected, he couldn’t resist adding) since the age of seven. He didn’t need attention from the royal family, and he didn’t need a husband. He was perfectly capable of having affairs of his own—even if those so-called affairs, a red-headed one in particular—were scandalously below his rank. He could hear his mother’s voice in his head. Do you understand what you’re going to inherit one day, Logan? You’ll need a partner who can assist you, not one who is only too happy to be sleeping in a feather bed for once in their life.

“Arms out, please, my Lord.”

Logan sighed and did as he was told from where he was standing on the tailor’s pedestal. He studied the new, white set of tails in the triptych, full-length mirror. The three panels made him feel surrounded, and by himself, no less—the worst sort of being stared down.

“Look at that,” came his sister’s voice suddenly. “No wonder any self-respecting family would simply die to have those green eyes of yours appear in their heir one day. Oh, I’m sorry, did I say family? I meant any long-sheltered, child-wanting youth.”

“Do shut up,” Logan said, and looked at the tailor. “Are we almost finished, Mr. Bell?”

Mr. Bell, who had been fitting Logan since he was small, smiled at him in the mirror. “Yes, sir, almost.”

“Aw,” Noelle sighed, falling into one of the plush couches. Logan looked at her in the mirror. She was wearing a simple dress, as usual. None of the frill that seemed so in fashion these days. It was green though, like most things that the Tremblay siblings owned tended to be. “My little diamond. I remember my year. I won the season, you know.”

“I’m not the diamond. No one is, yet.”

“Yes, but Lady Whistledown predicted it might be you, so…”

“And last week she reprimanded me for my rakish habits. So…”

Noelle laughed. “God, you’re so difficult. I wonder how anyone puts up with you.”

Logan didn’t reply, just studied his own eyes in the mirror. It was something that worried him too much to have anything to say about.

“Finished, my Lord,” Mr. Bell said, and Logan shrugged out of the white jacket with relief. If he had to stare at himself for another second…

“Thank you,” Logan said, especially gentle. God, you’re so difficult. Noelle rose too as Logan retrieved his jacket and hat. He glanced back at her as they left the shop, bell tinkling above the door. “What, are you following me?”

“No,” Noelle said, stepping out into the summer air beside him. “But that’s not to say mother didn’t tell me over breakfast this morning that she’s worried you’ll bolt before the ball tonight.”

Logan tipped his hat to a few passing girls, shopping for ribbons, who giggled and stared at him as they passed—just to make Noelle roll her eyes. Which she did.

“I’m still deciding where to run away to,” Logan replied, then offered his sister his arm.

“Well, don’t.” Noelle took it and squeezed. “Don’t tell Sydney or Audrey, but you’re my favorite brother.”

“I’m your only brother.”

“Just my favorite, then.”

The Tremblay’s town house was one of the grandest on the street, though Logan missed the manor. The countryside offered more places to secret one’s self away. And for how flamboyant Lady Whistledown made Logan out to be, there was really very little he enjoyed more than privacy. Privacy that included select…acquaintances.

“Welcome back, Lord and Lady Tremblay,” said one of the butlers upon their arrival, and Logan and Noelle nodded their thanks.

“It always makes us sound—” Noelle began.

“As though we’re married?” Logan offered, and they laughed as they relieved themselves of their coats.

“Well,” Noelle said as they walked further into the house. “I’m going to see if anyone’s up for a game of cards. Care for it?”

“Uh, no.” Logan was already looking in the direction of the door that lead to the servant’s staircase. “No, I’m—hungry. I’m going to see if the kitchen has anything they’d be willing to part with before tea.”

“Logan.”

At the tone of her voice, Logan looked at her. “Noelle.”

“Don’t,” Noelle said quietly. Standing there, she looked just as he remembered her looking, always. Even when he had been a little boy. Brown hair pinned loosely at the back of her neck. The green eyes that they shared, soft, always soft with him. “Don’t. Not today.”

“What?” Logan replied, more harshly. “I’m not doing anything.”

“That’s not true.”

“It’s none of your business. None of your business at all, what I do.”

“I’m not saying it for you, I’m saying it for him.” She nodded towards the stairs. “It isn’t fair of you. Especially today. Everyone knows what the ceremony is like at the ball, and everyone knows what it means. Even the servants.”

“Oh? And what exactly does it mean?”

“Marriage,” Noelle said. “Eventually, to some Lord or Lady. Not a kitchen boy. You know this. So don’t. Don’t go see him. It’s cruel.”

Logan took a step forward. “And what if I want to marry him?”

“That’s ridiculous.” Noelle sighed. “I wish it wasn’t, but it is. He works in the kitchen, Lo. You really expect—”

She cut off as a maid came through. Logan didn’t know why. They heard everything anyway. But Logan used the silence to escape. He didn’t look at her as he held the door to the servant’s stairs open for the maid (Oh, goodness, thank you, my Lord) and then went through himself.

He could hear the kitchens before he saw them. The clank of pots, the cooks shouting instructions to each other. Chopping and sizzling and laughter. He was greeted with curtsies and bows by the few servants he passed as he walked down the corridor, and he stopped just beyond those within the kitchen’s view, just outside the doorway. He liked, at first, to be able to peer in and see what they all were up to.

He liked to see what Finn was up to.

They were preparing sandwiches for tea, and Finn was making the others laughed as they passed the ingredients around to be assembled. Logan smiled to himself as he watched, taking Finn in. His red hair was fluffed up from the heat of the stoves and ovens, and he had the sleeves of his shirt rolled up to his elbows, apron tied neatly around his waist.

Logan looked forward to this moment every day. He loved how, if he stood there for long enough, eyes on Finn, Finn would eventually look up and meet his gaze. As if he could feel Logan standing there. Now, while holding butter and and a piece of bread, his eyes flicked up and found Logan’s instantly. Logan grinned and strode in.

“Oh, well,” said the head chef, Mrs. Hawkaway, with a warm smile. “Stars, I swore I just fed you breakfast, my Lord.”

Logan had been mockingly scolded by that Scottish accent for his entire life. He liked that they were all used to him visiting the kitchen and talking with them. He’d been doing it long before Finn had arrived. It made it easier to see him and avoided the suspicious looks as to why exactly he fancied the downstairs so much, so suddenly.

“And it was lovely, Mrs. Hawk,” Logan said, going over to kiss her cheek. “But don’t you know how hungry town makes a man?”

“Well, I’m sure,” Mrs. Hawk patted his cheek fondly. “But, as you can see, tea will be served in hardly a half hour.”

“Oh, yes, I see now,” Logan said. He didn’t look at Finn as he made his way over to the work table that he and the others were gathered around. He did, however, come to a stop at Finn’s shoulder. He could all but feel him fighting a smile as he set aside another perfectly made sandwich.

“Might I steal one?” Logan asked no one in particular.

“My Lord,” Finn said, and gestured to what he knew was Logan’s favorite. Ham and mustard. “Please.”

“And are you pleased by the ball tonight, my Lord?” Mrs. Hawk asked. “We’re all very thrilled for you downstairs. What a chance, to be presented before the Queen.”

“Ah,” Logan shrugged as he chewed, still walking around, still catching Finn’s eye every once in a while. “It all feels like lots of fuss, and you know me. I’d rather be…” Logan trailed off.

This was another problem he had with himself. He wasn’t the eldest, so he didn’t have the same…purpose, he supposed. Not like Noelle did. And his other sisters had found what they wanted from life. They had passions. They filled their days. They did so much more than just stand to inherit. So far, all he’d figured out was that he was very good at walking away the days. He looked at Finn who, like the others, was waiting patiently for him to finish.

And apparently very good and wanting things he couldn’t have.

“Well,” Logan tried to smile. “I’d rather be doing something else. Who knows what.”

There were a few sniggers, which Mrs. Hawk hushed. But Logan was used to that. Of course they found it ridiculous, these people who worked hard for their lives, that he had so much and yet—not much of anything.

“I’m sure,” Finn spoke suddenly. “That my Lord is fit for a great many things.”

There was no humor in Finn’s eyes. Only kindness, and maybe some sympathy. Finn had, after all, heard Logan talk about this many times. An aimless arrow.

“Thank you, Finn,” Logan said softly. He let himself look at him for another moment, then took a breath and gave his brightest smile to the room. “Well. Thank you for the pre-tea tea. I’ll be…” He looked at Finn again as he gazed around the room. “Off now.”

It was a well-worn routine of theirs by now. They had five different directions Logan might walk—many different gardens, many different corridors, that one library that no one seemed to remember anything about. Today was the library—Finn’s favorite.

And yet, as Logan arrived among the books, walked lap after lap without seeing any of the shelves, Finn wasn’t there yet. Logan had learned very quickly that Finn adored reading—it had really been the first thing Logan had learned. He’d ordered tea to this library, and of course no one really knew about it and so Finn, sent up to bring the tea to him, had gotten confused, and then lost, before finally arriving with cold tea and soggy sandwiches. He’d proceeded to just stand there in the doorway, gazing around—and giving Logan quite the look at him, too.

And Logan had made some snobbish comment suggesting Finn couldn’t read, and Finn had corrected him by reciting a bit of Shakespeare calling him a great deal of colorful insults and, well…Logan had fallen just a little bit in love.

Finally, footsteps, fast, nearly running. The door opening, Finn blowing through, out of breath.

“Sorry,” he whisper-shouted. “Sorry, sorry.” He shut the door, turned the lock.

Logan made a show of drawing his time piece out of his waistcoat.

Finn just laughed. “Thought we were on the Rose gallery. Lost track, they’ve got us running around the clock with the start of the season and everything. And we haven’t seen each other for a few days, have we? So looks like you’re running around, too.”

“I don’t run,” Logan said with a smirk.

“Oh, of course, God forbid a Lord runs,” Finn said, then grinned. “Anyway…Hello, diamond.”

Logan rolled his eyes. He made to turn away, mockingly of course, and only so Finn would take his hand and reel him back in—no one ever touched him like that. And Finn’s hands were rough from work, calloused and firm against his own skin. It made Logan want to…God, what to name first?

“I’m only joking,” Finn said. “How are you?”

Logan just hummed and leaned up to kiss him. “Better now.”

“Hm?” Finn kissed him again, then his cheek. “And what have you been up to, lover?”

“Fittings. Ugh.” Logan closed his eyes, pressing his face into Finn’s neck.

“Poor baby.”

Logan smacked at his lower back but just held tighter. Finn did the same.

“You have tea,” Finn said. “Your family is waiting, it’s all been sent up.”

“Well, you were late, so now I’ll be late, too.” Logan leaned back to press another hard kiss to his mouth. “Fuck tea.”

“Hey,” Finn laughed. “I worked hard on those sandwiches. Made the cake, too.”

“I’d prefer your cake, if you don’t mind.” Logan enjoyed Finn’s laugh, filling the space between them. “No, really, though,” Logan said, and kissed him again. “Come for walk with me?”

Finn’s smile dimmed. He sucked a breath in and cupped Logan’s cheek in his hand, then shook his head. “We shouldn’t, Lo. I want to, but we shouldn’t.”

Logan leaned into his palm. “Why not? We always go for walks.”

“I know,” Finn said softly. “I just meant not today.”

Logan straightened, heart sinking. He thought about what Noelle had said. “Finn…”

“It’s all right,” Finn said. “Really—”

“What did my sister say to you?” Logan asked. “What did she say?”

“What?” Finn asked, eyes going confused. “Nothing.”

“Fuck the ball,” Logan said more fiercely. “I won’t go.”

“You have to go,” Finn raised his eyebrows. “It’s the Queen’s ball. You’re being presented, Lo.”

Logan just rolled his eyes. “It’s feathers and—and champagne and—it’s nothing, Finn, come on. Some people care about these things, sure, but—”

“Logan,” Finn said. “Lo.” He took Logan’s hands in his own, keeping him in place. Logan could only stare at the way Finn’s thumbs rubbed gently over his knuckles. He looked so conflicted, brown eyes sad. “You…you have to care.”

Logan had been dreading this, even though they both had known it was coming. They both knew the realities but somehow, away from it all, they had managed to ignore it for a long while. Taking walks through the woods as though they were exactly the same, equal to each other. Kissing by streams as if nothing could touch them, staying up late beneath the stars to learn each other, through and through.

Finn seemed to be having similar thoughts. He brought up one of Logan’s knuckles to his lips. “Look, I…I don’t have it in me to tell you we can’t see each other anymore. I know that’s how this is supposed to go.”

Logan shook his head, almost frantically, but Finn just squeezed his hands.

“I know that—one of us is suppose to tell the other that we can’t give each other the kind of life we deserve. But I can’t do that. I can’t get those words out, I’ll never be able to. Because I’m selfish and because I—”

“I won’t go tonight,” Logan said. “I won’t.”

“It’s not about the ball,” Finn said, almost pleadingly. “Lo, you’re…” His smile was sad, resigned. “You’re going to marry. You are, that’s the life you were born into, and this, this is the life I was born into, and so it’s not going to be to me.” Finn’s words stuttered out at the end, as if he had to force them. “The ball is just tonight. I’m talking about a lot longer than that.”

Logan didn’t want to hear it. He wasn’t ready to hear it. He surged forward and wrapped his arms around Finn’s neck. “Just come for a walk with me.” He pressed their cheeks together. “Just—please, we’ll figure something out.”

“Where will we go?” Finn asked. “This isn’t the country, there’s no woods to hide ourselves away in, and we can’t just walk down the street.”

“Then I’ll sneak you upstairs.”

“Logan, no. You know that’s not a good idea.”

Logan made a frustrated sound, turned his nose into Finn’s neck again. He didn’t care what was at stake anymore. He didn’t care, he wanted this. He wanted Finn’s smiles, and the way he had taught Logan how to scramble an egg, how to make tea—laughing at him all the while for knowing so little. Tea? You don’t know how to make tea?

“Lo, you know you have to go tonight.”

Logan just squeezed his eyes shut. “I know. I know but why—why couldn’t we be…if everything was different…”

“I know,” Finn said softly. “If we could just live in here with books, and soggy sandwiches…and each other.”

“Yeah,” Logan whispered. “Yeah, I would.”

“Go the ball tonight.” Finn kissed his cheek and pulled back. “Then come home and tell me everything. I can see when carriages arrive from my room, and I’ll wait for you at the back entrance. All right? I won’t be late this time.”

Logan nodded slowly, and let Finn cup his chin gently in his hand and kiss him.

“All right?” Finn murmured against his lips, and then began to pepper his cheeks and chin with more kisses until Logan couldn’t help but smile. “Okay.” Finn smiled back, though neither of theirs quite reached their eyes. “Okay.”

Finn began to turn away, and he made it four steps towards the door before he turned back, just as Logan pushed forward and said wait.

Just one more kiss. It wasn’t nearly as playful. It was hard and Finn’s arms around him were tight and needy.

“Make sure you’re wearing that white suit,” Finn said against his mouth.

“It’s ugly,” Logan said, and took Finn’s bottom lip between his teeth.

“Not on the floor, I’d guess.” Finn took Logan’s face between his hands and kissed him hard, once more. “Gotta get back to work. And you have to get back to, you know.” Finn reached down and tapped Logan’s arse through his trousers. “Whatever it is you do all day.”

Logan just laughed, sounding love-struck even to his own ears, and gave him a push. “Go on. Don’t be late.”

Finn made a cross over his heart, pressed a kiss to his fingers and held them out towards Logan, then disappeared through the door.

[fonulyn]

If you're still taking prompts can you do chris/leon no zombies au where its Leon's first day at rpd and he so desperately wants to impress the hot STARS officer?

"Hey Chris, wait up!"

Hearing Jill's voice from the end of the hallway automatically made Chris look over his shoulder and slow down his steps. As she approached he looked back down at the folder in his hands, one he'd been reluctantly flipping through, trying to figure out a way to get rid of it somehow. Wesker had deliberately saddled him with the paperwork because he'd known how much he'd hate it, Chris was sure of that.

"What's up?" he asked as soon as Jill caught up with him, giving her a sideways glance as she fell in step next to him.

"You won't believe this," she said, with the kind of grin she only got when she was up to something. She looked downright elated, like she would burst if she didn't get to say what was on her mind. "Remember the new rookie that started here two weeks ago?"

Chris frowned a little. "Leo something?" He'd only seen the guy in passing, although he had meant to go introduce himself and actually get to know him, but he'd just been so distracted by this case and he ...probably would've forgotten his own head somewhere if it wasn't attached to him.

"Leon," Jill corrected, with a small headshake. "C'mon, he joined us for lunch the day before yesterday and you barely said a word to him. You really this swamped by the case?" She peeked at the folder curiously, before looking back up at him.

"You know how I get," Chris said, with a slight grimace. "I know I've been rude to him. I'll go say hi sometime."

"You should," Jill said, and the grin was suddenly back. "He just broke your record at the shooting range."

Immediately Chris froze in his tracks. He turned to look at Jill from huge eyes, mouth open in shock. "He what!?" Chris had thought his record had been downright impossible to break, it had been his for over a year and a lot of people - including Jill, who was good - had tried to break it to no avail. And now some rookie..?

"Broke. Your. Record." Jill enunciated, her grin widening a notch.

The grin disappeared the next second as Chris pushed the folder against her chest, letting go of it immediately so she had no other choice but to grab it so it wouldn't drop down onto the floor. "What? Chris! Hey!" She looked after him as he turned on his heels and rushed down the corridor. "This is your case!"

"Yeah yeah!" he called from the door, before bursting through it.

Jill stood there in silence for a second, staring at the closed door. Then she huffed out a laugh. "The rookie is so going to owe me."

*

Chris didn't really have a plan when he stormed down to the shooting range. Was he going to congratulate the guy or try to break the record again? He had no idea. Mostly he just wanted to see this newcomer who was apparently such a good shot that he managed to do that.

There was no one else at the shooting range and it wasn't hard for Chris to find Leon, even though he'd only met the man a couple of times before. Now that he was there, the wind kind of died out of his sails and he wasn't sure what to say, and gradually he slowed down until he stopped a few paces away from Leon.

There was a short bout of silence before Chris cleared his throat. "Hey," he said, and immediately cursed himself for sounding so lame. Except it only lasted for a second, before Leon looked up and Chris saw the prettiest blue eyes he'd ever seen in his entire life. It made all words die in his throat and he just stared, a little dumbly probably.

"Hi, Chris," Leon said, smiling, and that just... made things worse. It lightened up his entire face, making him even more attractive, and Chris had no idea how to deal with that.

"Hey," Chris said, again.

There was a short pause, before Leon laughed. "Okay, I heard from multiple sources how suave you are," he said teasingly, amusement dancing in his eyes. He wasn't exactly very subtle about how he let his gaze linger on Chris' arms, clearly checking him out. "If this is it, then I don't know, I might be a little disappointed."

"A little disap--" Chris started, but then he finally managed to shake himself out of the surprised stupor he'd fallen into. Laughing he shook his head, even rolled his eyes a little. "I didn't realize you wanted suave." He nodded towards the score card on the table, arching an eyebrow. "I heard you broke the record."

Leon just gave him a shrug and a grin. "I did pretty well."

"Pretty well?" Chris echoed, huffing out in amusement. "It's an unbreakable record! Not even though I promised that whoever breaks it gets my--" He let himself trail off. He had jokingly promised his guitar to whoever broke the record, as everyone knew it was his prized possession and he'd never part with it.

Yet he had seen the way Leon was checking him out. And if he was honest with himself, he hadn't met anyone quite this attractive before. He was curious, he really wanted to get to know Leon better - or at all, really - and maybe there was a way he could...

"Gets your..?" Leon prompted, after a short bout of silence.

Chris met his eyes straight, his grin a little cocky. "Gets a date. With me."

At that, Leon looked impressed. "Are you asking me out?"

"If you're interested, then yes," Chris replied without hesitation. "Would you want to go grab coffee with me?" He let his interest be shown, too, just to make sure they were both on the same page when it came to the mutual attraction.

"I would love to," Leon said. Then his smile morphed into a bit of a grimace, and he went on with a chuckle. "But I guess I need to..." He grabbed the score card off the table, handing it over to Chris. "I have a confession to make."

Frowning, Chris grabbed the paper. He looked down at it, squinted the numbers scribbled down, and it took a moment to compute. "But this..." he drawled, looking up into those stupidly gorgeous blue eyes, he was rapidly getting way too into them, damnit. "This isn't better than mine?" It was good, more than good, but it was still two points short of the record.

Leon grinned, a touch embarrassed, perhaps. "It's not."

"So you..."

"Got Jill to help me get you down here," Leon admitted, "so I could say hi and introduce myself properly. You've been so busy ever since I got here, and I didn't want to impose, but you seem really cool and really hot and--" He cut himself off, huffing a little. "See? I babble."

For a second Chris considered this. He was a little confused, a little surprised, but most of all kind of flattered that Leon had wanted to talk to him one-on-one this badly. So he decided that what the hell, he had nothing to lose.

"Alright," he said.

"Alright?" Leon asked, surprised.

"Alright," Chris repeated with a grin. "Coffee?"

It took Leon maybe a second to mirror the smile. "Coffee."

[thetriggeredhappy]

day 1 let’s fuckin’ go. everyone listen to butterflies by samsa

Day 1: Pursuit

“You seriously don’t have any better games than this?” Scout complained, looking back down at the board, doubtful. “Not even, like, a deck of cards? To play poker or somethin’?”

“Rather not play two-person poker, and I don’t like gambling anyways,” was Sniper’s reply, not glancing up from shuffling the cards.

“I mean, maybe Go Fish then, or Old Maid, or—or somethin’, not fuckin’… Trivial Pursuit.”

Sniper seemed to mull that over for a moment. “If you don’t want to play,” he started to say, hesitant, and Scout sputtered to cut him off before he could finish that thought.

“I, I mean, I didn’t say that,” he managed, still half-glaring down at the board. “Just, y’know.”

Sniper probably didn’t know, actually. Truthfully, Scout wasn’t much for… book smarts type games. Games that needed quick reflexes, talking quickly, theatrics, those he was a champion at besides his eternally bad luck, but facts and numbers and geography? Those he tended to sort of… fuck up beyond recognition. And he really, really didn’t want to look like a complete idiot in front of Sniper.

Kind of the worst case scenario, actually. But the worse worst case scenario was driving the guy away before even getting to hang out with him, here, the first time he’d ever agreed to one of Scout’s dozens of proposed hangouts.

Hell, he’d honestly gotten used to Sniper always saying no. ‘Nah’ and ‘Not this time’ and ‘Afraid not, sorry mate’ were three phrases Scout had heard at least three and four times a week for months, now. He’d started brushing right through it, stopped letting it hurt his feelings even, although he couldn’t help but get his hopes up, still. Invitations to team drinking nights and poker parties and carpooling with the guys to the movies or a bar or a casino, or more overt invitations to listen to new albums or go out to get fast food or to fairs or to concerts, he’d long since gotten used to those standard, polite rejections.

So he was surprised, then, when he’d delivered his offhanded invitation—“Hey, Snipes, all the other guys bailed on the rec room game night tonight, you wanna be there anyways?”—he hadn’t expected Sniper to hesitate for a few seconds before shrugging and saying sure.

Hell, he was halfway through his ‘yeah no problem no worries man’ before he even realized Sniper said yes, then it was fumbling the whole rest of the way.

Better to be an idiot friend than a distant acquaintance, maybe. That’s what he told himself.

A brief mumbled rundown of the rules went in one ear and out the other as he got preoccupied with looking over one of the cards, mind boggled by what the hell the letters and colors were supposed to mean. A short summary was nodded at vaguely, and apparently his poker face had been terrible all along, because Sniper shrugged and said that they could just play first to six questions right and tally up wins from there. Then they rolled a dice and Sniper, apparently, would go first.

“Alright, uh,” Scout said, squinting down at the little card. “What does a… he-leo-logist, study?”

Sniper thought about it for a second. “Er… the sun,” he replied.

“Yep,” Scout nodded, nudged a piece towards him. Sniper took it. “So, uh, you go again?”

“Yeah. Er… geography, this time,” Sniper mumbled, shuffling some pieces around in a way that probably made sense to people who actually knew how this board game worked.

“Sure. What’s… the country that has South America’s highest and lowest points?”

Another pause. “Bloody… Argentina, isn’t it?” he asked.

“Damn. Okay, next one,” Scout said, less concerned about the fact that Sniper was doing well and more worried at the fact that he was gonna do awful.

“Geography again,” Sniper determined.

“What natural… breakwater, is off the north… eastern, part of Australia?” he read, a little stilted, squinting at the letters, like that would help, for once. Silence, for a pause, then for longer. Scout breathed an internal sigh of relief, smiling a little. “C’mon, it’s your own fuckin’, uh… country, continent, thing, isn’t it?”

“It’s both,” Sniper said, and paused. “It… it’s not talking about the bloody, er… Solomon Islands, is it?”

“Great Barrier Reef,” Scout replied.

Sniper muttered a swear. “Overthought it,” he sighed, nudging the dice over to Scout, who rolled it. Sniper glanced at the number, moved the pieces, looked at a card. “Right. What craft uses a… kiln, and a kick wheel?”

Scout could’ve cried. “That’s, uh, pottery, sculpting,” he said, relieved.

A nod from Sniper, a piece scooped onto his side of the table, the dice rolled a few seconds later when he realized he was supposed to do that. “How many colors are in the rainbow?” he asked next.

Scout had to count off on his fingers for a second. “Uh, seven,” he said, and fist-pumped when Sniper nodded, scooping up another piece. “Even though it’s, uh, kinda bullishit. There should be six.”

Sniper’s eyebrows ticking up in confusion probably was a sign he should drop it, but instead he found himself spouting off.

“Because, uh, like, y’know, there’s—there’s the kinds of colors, right?” he said, backpedaling at his response of furrowed eyebrows. “Like, the basic ones, the, uh, primary colors, that’s red and yellow and blue, y’know? And then the other three, that you get from mixing those, like, uh, red and yellow is, uh… is orange, and then like, green, and purple, you combine ‘em, right?”

Sniper nodded slowly after a moment.

“But then you got, uh, fuckin’… indigo. In the, uh, in the list of colors, fuckin’, Roy G. Biv? Red orange yellow, green, blue indigo violet? And I know it’s, like, blue and dark blue, but I think that still sucks. If we’ve got indigo we’ve gotta have like, the other in- between guys. Know what I mean?”

“Don’t have much of an opinion on it, but, sounds like you’re making points,” Sniper said, and Scout shrugged, glanced down at the table, tapped his fingertips against his knees out of sight to try and let out some nervous energy. “Bloody, er… your turn, or mine?”

“Uh, mine,” Scout said, scrambling to roll the dice.

“Right. Sorry. Er…” Sniper read over the card. “Patron saint of Scotland?”

Scout swore under his breath, deflating a little, coming up blank. “Uh… hey, Demo!” he called, and heard a vague ‘aye’ from the kitchen. “Who’s the patron saint of Scotland?”

“My mum,” Demo called back, and Sniper snickered, at least, which softened the blow to Scout’s confidence considerably.

“Ah, fuck off,” Scout called back, and looked back at Sniper, smiling. “Saint Scrumpy, fuck, I dunno.”

“Saint Andrew, apparently,” Sniper shrugged, rolling the dice. “Sports question. The orange one.”

Scout tried to read the question before starting to say anything out loud, and found himself completely lost anyways. “Who was the first… Ch—Check-uh-slavarian… to win, the… Wimbleton…”

“No idea,” Sniper said outright, shaking his head at himself. “Don’t follow, er… what, the Olympics?”

“Tennis, I guess,” Scout shrugged, rolling the dice.

“Sports for you too. What did… bloody hell. What did second baseman Bill… Wambsganss, do all by himself in the, er… 1920 World Series game?”

“Oh, shit,” Scout laughed, “guy did, like, a triple play, and then hit into a double later that same game. That was the year some guy got hit in the head with a ball and fuckin’ died.”

Sniper was staring at him, clearly shocked.

“What?” Scout asked, rolling the dice. “I know baseball. And it was a whole thing.”

Sniper seemed to shrug it off, shaking his head. “What’s the Taj Mahal made of?”

“Fuckin’, I dunno, chocolate? What, that some kinda dessert? What’s that?” Scout scoffed, trying to play it off.

“It’s… it’s a place. Looks a bit like a castle? Like, er, like the Eiffel Tower, or Big Ben, tourist sort of thing?” Sniper tried, and Scout shrugged, and he shrugged back, rolling the dice. “Fair enough. One of the, er, Science ones. Green one.”

Scout looked at the card for a few seconds. “I… dunno how to say this word. Glue… glay… what’s that?”

Sniper leaned over, and Scout turned it towards him. “Glaucoma. Hits your eyes,” he said, and Scout nodded, and he took a piece, rolled again. “Brown one.”

“What are… catalogued, under the Dewey decimal system?” Scout asked, eyebrows furrowing.

“Books, library books,” Sniper mumbled.

“Jesus, are you—where’s the mirrors, seriously? How are you doing that?” Scout asked, and Sniper huffed something like a laugh, taking the piece, rolling again. “No, no, seriously. How the hell do you know half of these?”

“Geography, blue,” he prompted.

“Alright, I swear to god.” Scout held the card close as he read it, first to himself, then out loud. “What national capital is heated by underground hot springs?”

Sniper, to his credit, paused for a moment before answering. “Iceland’s. Reykjavik, it’s called.”

“I swear to god.” Scout flipped over the card, read the answer. “Oh, what the fuck!”

“I’ve bloody been there!” Sniper defended.

“Nah, fuck off, hold on—“ Scout picked up another card, reading another question. “Where in a tree does photosynthesis happen?”

“Leaves.”

“How do you know that so fast!” Scout demanded.

“That’s just science class in school!”

“Fuckin’—who, fuckin’, rode on the raft with Huck Finn?” Scout asked next.

“The, er… runaway, Jim.”

“Oh, what!” Scout all but shouted.

“Scout, I read.”

“Nah, nah, you’re way too good at this game, either you’re like, cheating, or you on purpose picked this game because you’re, like, weirdly crazy good at it or something!”

Sniper’s expression went from amusement to that blankness again, and it only made Scout even more infuriated.

“I mean, seriously, did you pick this game on purpose because you just know all the cards? Did you just wanna do the game where you’d for sure win?” he demanded.

Sniper was fidgeting with his glasses, now, and to be honest, Scout wasn’t even particularly mad, just confused.

“I mean, shit, you’d think you just wanted too play this one so you could look smart and cool and shit like that,” he said. and saw the way Sniper shrank a little, and the lightbulb went off way too late.

A pause.

“Dude,” Scout said, fighting down a laugh.

Sniper mumbled something he didn’t quite hear, sinking in his chair.

“Alright, seriously, if you wanna look smarter than me, you really don’t gotta pull out the trivia questions. Pretty much any game works, you know that, right? I’ll make an idiot of myself playing, like… Uno,” Scout said. Sniper shrugged, still not looking him in the eye. “Okay. Here’s an idea. How about we play, uh… I dunno, Crazy Eights. And while we play I’m gonna keep grilling you on this random trivia shit because seriously, that’s totally nuts, man.”

Sniper hesitated for a few seconds before he finally nodded and straightened up, and in a way, they both won. Scout because he now at least knew he wasn’t the only one who was a total mess and way too worried about what other people thought, and Sniper because he could keep being impressive about random trivia knowledge. Apparently, he knew a bunch about geography and books and nature, and not a single thing about sports.

Scout accused him of trying to memorize the cards. Sniper laughed, properly, for the first time all night.

[fruitcoops]

Hi!! This is based on a reddit post I saw where a woman found her husband's "secret stash" of all the love letters/cards/post it notes she had written for him through all the years that he kept!! (🥺) and I would love to see it rewritten with Coops, if you want! Thanks for all the stories you write. I v much appreciate u

Okay so I looked up the story you’re talking about, and that’s the cutest thing I’ve ever read. My god. I’ve mentioned that Remus leaves notes in a  couple of past fics, so this was just a perfect ask! Coops credit goes to @lumosinlove, but Hattie is mine!

For the anon who watched a sad video in their class: Have some coops fluff to dull the pain!

Remus sneezed as he shifted the nightstand a smidge to the left, exposing a dozen dust bunnies that were starting to look more like dust rhinos. He pulled and rocked and pushed, but the small table refused to move far enough for the vacuum cleaner head to fit through. “We need to clean this more often,” he muttered, opening the top drawer to unload some of the weight from inside.

Three books, a handful of pens, a spare toothbrush, a waterbottle…Remus shook his head at Sirius’ collection of oddities, smiling to himself. The nightstand moved a bit more when he wiggled it, but not quite to the point he needed it.

The lower drawer was bigger, and scattered with whatever Sirius had left in his pockets at the end of the day—Remus found three different packs of gum and laughed a little at the knickknacks they hadn’t been able to fit on their dresser. Part of him wanted to put everything back and ask Sirius to go through his own shit, but it was kind of neat finding souvenirs of their everyday lives.

Remus paused when his hand hit something solid and smooth before the back of the drawer. He felt around blindly, then carefully pulled it out. A box? His curiosity got the better of him before he could debate the nosiness of opening it; he lifted the shiny lid, tingling with anticipation, then frowned.

Paper. The box was full of slips of paper.

Lined, colorful, plain white, even some of his old PT stationary—everything Remus could think of, including a few cards at the bottom. He took a piece off the top and unfolded it, then nearly dropped the whole container when his own handwriting stared back at him.

Left @ 8 to see Leo. You were still out cold—sorry for wearing you out (not😊). Will be back around 4-ish. Love you! <3

Remus blinked at the note in shock for a moment. He remembered writing it on the old bookmark the morning after they went to the trampoline place and spent five hours jumping until they could hardly feel their legs. “But this was last summer,” he said aloud. “I—what?”

He poured a few more into his palm and set the box down gently, then sat back against the side of the bed and began to read.

Crock pot turned on. Pls remind me to take it off @ 5 pm. If I’m not home, pls unplug it @ 4:45 was written on a corner of printer paper.

Happy birthday baby! You are wonderful in every way and I love you so much <3 Here’s to hoping all your wishes come true! Love, Re, on a birthday card he had picked out because the dog on the front looked just like Hattie.

An entire conversation, complete with doodles and sarcastic comments from both of them, written on a piece of lined paper from one of the many conferences they had attended together.

-          Eggs

-          Chicken

-          Bread

-          Sweet tarts (for my sweetheart)

-          Oreos (there’s a sale this week, coupon under note 😊)

-          Pasta (twirly kind)

Love you <3

in his loopy half-cursive, with the shape of a fridge magnet still indented at the top near the crumpled edges from being shoved in Sirius’ back pocket.

“Well, shit,” Remus said, sniffling despite the fact that no tears dampened his eyes. “That’s the cutest thing I’ve ever seen.”

Dozens, if not hundreds, of little papers stared up at him from the open box and he blew out a slow breath, pressing a kiss to the one in his hand. He hadn’t realized just how many notes he had written over the course of their time together, and he skimmed his fingers through the rest before carefully putting the ones he had taken back in and closing the lid. The box fit into the drawer with ease and he leaned his head on the wood for a second to slow his heartbeat.

The nightstand moved the last few inches once the rest of the clutter was strewn across the floor and Remus quickly vacuumed the dust elephants before dumping it all back in. As much as he itched to throw some of it out—the empty wrappers and pen caps didn’t seem to have a use—he was afraid he’d accidentally toss an important memento. Hell, the note box had looked like a pile of confetti at first.

The front door opened just as he began lugging the vacuum cleaner downstairs. “Re, I’m home!” Sirius called, then broke into a bright smile when Remus appeared in the stairwell. He was soaked in sweat and Hattie was breathing hard; she collapsed on her bed with a dramatic groan after drinking a few mouthfuls of water, too exhausted to do more than thump her tail on the floor.

“Heya, handsome.” Remus’ heart picked up its pace again. You kept all my notes, it shrieked happily, doing its best to break right out of his chest with affection.

Sirius tilted his head when he saw the vacuum and the dust on Remus’ pants. “Were you cleaning?”

“Yeah, I’ve been meaning to get under the bed for a while, and I didn’t have anything else to do.” He shrugged. “You’re welcome to do it next time, if you like.”

“I’ll do the dishes to make up for it,” Sirius said as he leaned in for a kiss.

“No, you won’t.”

“No, I won’t. But I will dust the bookshelves and wipe down the kitchen.” They both laughed and Remus stood on his tiptoes for a second kiss, sliding his teeth over Sirius’ lower lip and drawing a noise of surprise from his mouth. “Hi. What was that for?”

“Love you.”

Sirius glanced down at himself, then raised an eyebrow. “…because I walked the dog? Or is it the sweat?”

“It’s definitely not the sweat,” Remus snorted, smacking his rear as he passed. “You can take yourself right upstairs with that. Where did you even go?”

“Around the neighborhood, then to the park. She grabbed my hat and we played keepaway for a bit.”

Remus hummed as he bent down to plug the vacuum into the wall socket. “How the hell did she—oh, ew!”

“What?” Sirius asked with mock-innocence as he lifted Remus higher off the ground and tucked his gross, sweaty face into his neck. “You don’t want cuddles?”

“You are literally dripping! Get the fuck off,” Remus said around his laughter, swatting at his shoulder when Sirius started swinging him back and forth slightly. “Sweat monster.”

“C’est vrai.” Sirius kissed the hinge of his jaw and set him down, then headed toward the stairs with a final grin. “Thank you for cleaning, mon loup.”

“Yeah, yeah, whatever,” Remus said, rolling his eyes playfully. A soon as he heard the bathroom door close, he let go of the vacuum and did a happy dance in the kitchen, much to Hattie’s amusement. He would have to remember to leave notes more often.

[keigoslovebird]

Next Chapter

Pairing: Ushijima Wakatoshi x Reader

Warnings: Manga spoilers!! Pregnancy and references to pregnancy, you have a child (obvi), aged up characters, breeding kink, negative self image (on Toshi’s part), references to alcohol, self deprecating language, very fluffy Daddy Toshi shenanigans

Genre: Fluff, smut

Word count: 8.3k

Author’s note: I had so much fun writing soft husband Toshi, if it isn’t obvious by the word count. I just want to rub his soft belly and tell him how much I love him. Hopefully you enjoy this as much as I did writing it!

Note: Flashbacks indicated by italics

Wakatoshi Ushijima has always been a man of few emotions and even fewer words, with just one thing on his mind—volleyball. 

Since he was a young child, he has always slept, eaten, breathed volleyball. Nothing came close to his fiery, burning passion for the sport, not that he had the time to care about anything else.

That all changed when he retired from professional volleyball at the ripe young age of thirty-one, the years of wear and tear on his body finally catching up to him. He knew it was time when the pain in his joints was so severe he could no longer keep up with his much younger teammates. It was a difficult, emotional decision, but he ultimately viewed it as passing the torch to the next generation of volleyball players.

The announcement of Wakatoshi’s retirement was met with great sadness from the sports community at the loss of such a talented, renowned player, but he left behind an exceptional legacy marked by achievements and historic wins. 

His final game with the Schweiden Adlers concluded in a symbolic victory, this chapter of his life drawing to a close the same way it began—with Wakatoshi as an indisputable champion. Every player, coach, and audience member rose from their seats, clapping and screaming words of encouragement. Each of his teammates got on their knees, lowering themselves to press their foreheads into the floor of the stadium, bowing in an ultimate show of respect. The sight of his peers, his coaches, the entire auditorium giving him such an impassioned send off made a heavy lump form in his throat that refused to go away, no matter how many times he tried to swallow it down. Tears pricked at his eyes but he didn’t want to cry, not in front of all of these people.

The dam broke when you sprinted across the court, wrapping yourself around him in a bone crushing hug.

“You did so well Toshi. I am so proud of you,” you praised through choked sobs, pressing your tear-stained face into his neck. Your watery eyes and trembling smile shattered whatever willpower he had, his own tears streaming down his face like a waterfall. All those late night practices away from you, the excruciating injuries, the heartbreaking losses, all led up to this moment. This was the last time the Super Ace would step foot on a volleyball court as a professional player, but all good things must come to an end. 

The screaming and clapping was so loud you could barely hear his quiet, trembling whisper of, “I love you.”

----

It took him awhile to adjust to what one would call a “normal” life, one that didn’t include daily flights from country to country or backbreaking practices that lasted from sunup to sundown. Sure he still went to the gym and practiced with the volleyball net strung up in your backyard, but it was nothing like his grueling schedule when he was a pro athlete. To make matters worse, the blinders he wore his entire life that blocked out anything but volleyball prevented him from finding any real hobbies of his own. This meant for the first few months, your husband followed you around the house like a lost puppy, just wanting to be a part of whatever you were doing.

You would be cooking dinner, some soup simmering on the stove, when Wakatoshi’s massive form would come up from behind you to shyly peek over your shoulder. 

“What’re you doing?” he wondered, resting his head in the crook of your neck.

You could feel a smile tugging at your lips at how cute he was being, getting used to domestic life, something you never really got to experience until now. Before, you would often be sleeping when he came home at night, and still be asleep when he left in the morning. “I’m just cooking, do you want to help me?” you asked, holding a knife out to him to cut some vegetables. He nodded silently as he took the knife from you. 

His chopping skills left much to be desired, but what could you really expect from a man who only ever held a volleyball?

Another time you were sitting on the couch, scrolling through Twitter on your phone. You could feel your husband staring so intensely you were afraid he’d pop a blood vessel in his head.

Looking up at him, you cleared your throat and asked, “Did you need something, Toshi?” You set your phone down and gave him a questioning look, hoping to solve whatever was troubling him.

He was pensive for a moment, his eyebrows scrunching as he figured out what he was trying to say. “No, I just… There’s nothing to do,” he answered finally.

You nearly burst out laughing at his concern for simply being bored, but you held it in. “Of course there’s something to do!” you exclaimed, “You can go on a walk, read a book, watch TV, or even just take a nap.”

His head tilted quizzically, unsure of what you were suggesting. “A… nap? Why would I sleep? It’s the middle of the afternoon,” he questioned, sounding like you had proposed he eat sand and not to take a quick snooze.

You chuckled and walked over to the chair he was sitting in, plopping yourself down into his lap. “Sometimes people sleep in the middle of the day because they’re tired, or just because they want to,” you clarified, “We can go take a nap right now if you would like.” 

Suddenly Wakatoshi stood up, causing you to squeak in surprise, his arms securely carrying you bridal style.

“W-what’re you doing!?” you squealed, panicked by your sudden lack of solid ground, slightly struggling in arms. 

He tilted his head again, reminiscent of a pet confused by its master’s orders. “We’re going to take a nap together, yes? I’m taking you to our room,” he said, jerking his head in the direction of your shared bedroom. 

You stopped squirming once you took in his words, your belly fluttering with affection. Sighing happily, you snuggled your face against his chest, giving him a simple “mhm” in response.

That day Wakatoshi took his first nap since he was six years old and to this day, he still swears he’s never had a more restful, peaceful sleep in his life.

Those instances happened less and less often as he figured out ways to occupy his time that didn’t involve volleyball. 

You adopted a dog, a commitment you didn’t want to make in the past due to both of your busy schedules, but your lives became a lot less hectic after Wakatoshi’s retirement. Your husband made it a daily ritual to take your puppy Leo out on a morning run, both of them returning tired and sweaty before promptly passing out for an hour. He took up a job at the local university to help coach their men’s volleyball team, deciding to try it out when the requests to lend his wisdom and skills kept coming in. Although, his favorite pastime now consists of him standing outside on the patio, beer in hand as he sweats over the flames of his fancy silver grill.

But perhaps the most significant change in your lives came in the form of your son, Hidetoshi. 

Much like your refusal to commit to taking care of a dog, neither of you wanted to have kids while your lifestyle was so unfit to raise a child. You didn’t mind making those compromises for your husband, having known the path he would take since you started dating in high school. Frankly, you didn’t mind not having children at all, so it surprised you when he was the one to broach the subject. 

“What if we did?” he inquired under the darkness of your bedroom.

You turned over to face him, reaching up to gently stroke his cheek. “What if we did what, my love?” you murmured.

His eyes flitted across your face with an uncharacteristic nervousness. “What if we decided to have a child?” The shock on your face made his stomach churn uncomfortably and he almost regretted saying anything at all, but his fears quickly vanished as your expression melted into a soft smile.

“We’d have to talk about it more but I’d love to have your children, Wakatoshi Ushijima.”

You had a deep, lengthy conversation about your wants, needs, plans for the future, and whether or not a kid would fit into them. Once all of your cards were on the table you decided to start trying to get pregnant, a mission that your husband took very seriously.

Even as a teenager Wakatoshi’s sex drive wasn’t very high, and his frequent absence and exhaustion in his adult life made it somewhat difficult for you to have sex often. You made up for it where you could, having phone sex and masturbating together over FaceTime, once you convinced him to do it. When he was bewildered as to why you would suggest such a salacious act, you explained you were a grown woman with needs and if he wasn’t there to take care of them, he’d have to help you in other ways. Once he realized how serious you were, he agreed. 

But your husband as a young adult and your husband post-retirement are almost two  completely different people in regards to sex. He has seemingly unlimited reserves of stamina, built up over years of rigorous, intense training, and he no longer had an outlet to expend them. So, his new outlet to test his endurance became you and your body.

He began fucking you every chance he got with the vigor and gusto of a hormonal teenager, seeking to make up for lost time. He asked for sex at all hours of the day, waking you up in the middle of the night with the insistent prodding of his arousal and lazily thrusting between your thighs in the early hours of the morning before you had to leave for work. He fucked you in every room in your house and on every surface—on the dining room table, in the shower, on the living room floor, and even on your back patio when you both got a little too drunk on some cheap rose. 

You welcomed Wakatoshi’s insatiable hunger with open arms, unable to resist your strong, ridiculously handsome husband, but that, coupled with his seemingly limitless stamina, spelled trouble for your muscles and pelvis. In the first year after his departure from professional sports you had to call in sick to work seven times, too tired to function, too bruised to look presentable, and too sore to walk to the bathroom. At first he felt guilty for fucking you out of commission, but the way you begged him so sweetly to pound your needy, gushing cunt deeper, harder, faster and how you whimpered with delight when he bit bruises down your throat, he didn’t feel that bad. A baser, more primal part of Wakatoshi’s brain purred at his marks covering our body and relished in the way you limped. You were just too tempting, too irresistible not to ravage you every chance he got.

After you agreed to start trying for a baby, your partner’s already voracious sexual appetite became downright menacing now that he had a goal to strive for. 

“Gonna breed you, gonna fill you so full with my cum and knock you up,” he grunted as he battered into your sore, dripping hole, your body folded in half in a mating press.

“P-please Toshi! Ah~ please,” you babbled, nonsensical and uncertain what you were even asking for. He had been fucking you for so long everything was muddled into a singular dreamy, intangible haze of pleasure and ecstasy. 

Wakatoshi gave your clit a slap, hard enough to make you cry out. “Please what? Please breed you like a bitch in heat? Please stuff you full with my cum?” He leaned down to wrap his fingers around your throat, squeezing with enough force to make your head swim and forcing you to look into his wild olive eyes. “Well, what is it?” he demanded.

“W-want you to b-ah! Want you to breed mee,” you slurred, too drunk on the delicious feeling of his cock dragging against your pulsing walls to form a more coherent sentence.

His thrusts grew sloppy and uncoordinated with his impending orgasm. “G-gonna give you what you want, you cock hungry slut, I’m—” He came with a choked, shuddering groan, his warm cum flooding your awaiting womb.

You were both basking in the afterglow, exhausted and soaked in sweat and your combined fluids, when you noticed the furious blush spreading across your husband’s cheeks. “I apologize for what I said during sex. I… I don’t know what came over me,” he confessed, giving your shoulder a remorseful squeeze.

Giggling, you leaned forward to kiss his cheek. “Don’t be sorry. I really enjoyed it,” you proclaimed, “I love it when you get rough with me.”

Trying to get you pregnant gave your husband a new goal to strive for and he has never been one to do anything with less than his all.

Thanks to your husband’s dedicated efforts, you got pregnant six months after you started trying, to your shared elation and delight. Those two little lines filled you with as much excitement as they made you anxious, but as long as Wakatoshi was by your side, everything would be okay. 

Seeing your little bundle of joy in a 3D ultrasound changed you, changed Wakatoshi forever. Up until then you had only seen him as a colorless little blur on a computer screen, but getting to watch his precious face scrunch and his chubby legs kick reminded you that he was a real living being. The late night sprints to the bathroom, horrible morning sickness, and miserably aching back were all worth it when you were able to hold Hidetoshi for the first time. With his olive eyes, brown hair and chubby cheeks, he was the most beautiful thing you had ever seen and to this day he still is. 

Taking after his father from the start, Hidetoshi was a happy baby that rarely fussed or cried, not that you complained. He slept soundly through most nights, so soundly you slept in a chair by his crib for the first month to periodically check he was still breathing, despite your husband’s insistence the baby would be fine. Your mother-in-law had insisted that you and Wakatoshi would be exhausted for the first several months after the birth. Imagine her surprised when you and Wakatoshi looked just as well-rested as usual, better even, since you no longer had to deal with pregnancy. Many people, relatives and strangers alike, were astounded at how charming and polite your son was, even as a newborn. He was happy to just sit and play with his toys as you had lunch, smiling and waving at everyone who passed by.

A man as attractive as your husband with a boy as sweet as your son meant that, much to your irritation, women were tripping over themselves to flirt with him. To make matters worse, Wakatoshi picked up your son alone most days due to your office job preventing you from leaving early enough to go with him. This meant many of the moms at Hidetoshi’s school thought your husband was single and they weren’t shy in their pursuit.

A crowd of women surrounded Wakatoshi as he waited for school to end so your son would come running out with his arms spread wide, confident his daddy would always catch him. Most of the moms simply stared at your husband with dreamy looks in their eyes, attempting to make small talk with him.

One especially bold mother reached out and stroked his bicep, slightly squeezing to get a feel for his muscles. “My my Ushijima, you’re so handsome and strong,” she purred, batting her eyelashes at him.

“My wife thinks so as well,” he grunted as he gently but firmly removed his arm from her grasp. 

The woman looked as if he had slapped her across the face and cursed her family. “Y-you’re married? But you don’t even have a wedding ring!” she spluttered, “If you have a wife then where is she everyday?” 

“I do have a ring. I just don’t wear it on my finger because I’m afraid of losing it,” he clarified, lightly tugging on the chain around his neck for emphasis, his ring clinking softly against the metal. “I’m happily married to my wife who cannot be here because she is hard at work providing for our family. Do not disrespect my wife or my marriage again or we will have a problem.”

After that the other moms kept their distance, choosing to admire Wakatoshi from afar. It did not, however, stop them from staring with envy on the rare occasion you came with him to pick up your child, glowering at you with an intensity that surely wished you would drop dead. Your husband paid them no mind and neither did you because at the end of the day, you’re the one he chose to marry and have a child with. They can all flirts and look as much as they want, but they’ll never have him like you do.

----

Fast forward to present day, Wakatoshi is seven years into his retirement at the age of thirty-eight and Hidetoshi is now six.

Your husband is an assistant coach part time for the men’s volleyball team at an up and coming university, the rest of his time divided between you and taking care of your son. Hidetoshi just started kindergarten, growing far too fast for your liking. He seems to have gotten a double dose of his father’s genes as he’s already several inches taller than his classmates, though you can tell by the way he smiles and the slope of his nose that he’s yours as well. He’s the perfect combination of both of you—he has Wakatoshi’s tenacity, work ethic, and confidence and your sense of humor, intelligence, and empathy. He continues to amaze you every single day and you nor your husband couldn’t imagine a boy more wonderful than him. 

These days your lives are a lot less busy than they were when your husband was still a pro, but sometimes it doesn’t feel that way. With all the playdates, school functions, and parent-teacher conferences combined with your own job, Wakatoshi’s games, and regular house chores, sometimes it feels like you’re right back where you were ten years ago. This time, however, you have your incredible husband and son helping you and you wouldn’t trade your life for anything, no matter how hectic it may be.

Today is Saturday, it’s the weekend, and you’re only awake because of the bright sunlight that’s streaming through your bedroom window and hitting you directly in the face. You rub the sleep out of your eyes with the back of your hand, yawning loudly as you stretch your tired limbs. As soon as you try to get out of bed Wakatoshi’s arm around your waist tightens, pulling you flush against his solid, muscular chest. 

“Don’t leave. Don’t need to be anywhere,” he mumbles into his pillow, voice even deeper and raspier with sleep. His legs entangle themselves with your own so you’re completely enveloped in the warm, comforting embrace of your husband.

“Need to start getting ready for the party,” you sigh drowsily, but make no efforts to remove yourself from his sleepy but surprisingly strong clutches.

“Not yet,” he says simply, and that’s when you realize when he’s doing. He’s slowly, lazily grinding his morning wood on the soft curve of your ass. You’re a little more awake now.

“Oh I see what this is about,” you chuckle, wiggling yourself against him teasingly. 

He groans quietly under his breath, but you can feel the sound rumble in his chest. “Want you,” he says, still groggy from just barely waking up. His fingers find the hem of your shirt and he slips them underneath it, trailing his digits lightly down your stomach, making you shiver.

“Little man will be up soon,” you halfheartedly protest, but you can feel the warmth pooling between your legs.

“He’s not up yet, we have time.” The movements of his hips become more insistent, more demanding and you have to stifle your mewls behind your hand. Wakatoshi easily maneuvers his hand into the waistband of your panties, making a satisfied hum when he discovers you’re already dripping for him.

You’re still resisting, though it’s weak and feeble. The list of all the preparations you have to make for the barbecue still manage to just barely cut through your sleepy arousal. “We have so much to d—ahh~” You try to sound firm, but it just comes out as a breathy moan when he begins rubbing your swollen clit. 

He uses his other hand to push up your shirt that’s actually his shirt, tracing small circles around your nipples with his rough fingertips. You try to push your hips into his hand in hopes to gain more friction, but his arms keep you locked in place. 

“No need to rush. Let’s just enjoy this,” he insists, but the finger massaging your bud gets faster, knowing just how to make you whine after all the time he’s had to learn your body. He pinches one of your nipples between two fingers and squeezes with just enough force to make you gasp.

His erection has gotten even harder at the sound of your mewls and whimpers, hot and achingly hard against your ass and your cunt clenches in anticipation. Your slick is dripping out of you in thick, syrupy strings that makes your thighs sticky, but you can’t bring yourself to care.

“Please Toshi, need you,” you beg, desperate for your husband to stuff you full just as he’s done so many times before.

Wakatoshi doesn’t respond, opting to push his pants and underwear down to his knees and you almost sigh in relief, just needing to satisfy the desire that’s threatening to burn you from the inside out. You’re so hot you feel like you’re burning and you throw the comforter off of you to try to escape the heat. He removes the hand that was in your panties, instead using it to rub his hard length along your slick folds. You’re keening and so so needy, gasping each time the head catches on the tight ring of muscle around your entrance. 

“You’re so beautiful like this,” he grits out, barely able to control himself.

Your breath is coming in short, uneven pants as you try to sink yourself down onto him. “I love you so much I...”

That’s the moment when he sheaths his entire cock inside you in a singular fluid movement. You let out a strangled moan, relishing in the familiar burning as you stretch to accommodate how thick he is.  Your pussy clamps down on him like a vice, molding perfectly around his length.

“It’s like you were made for me, made to take me,” Wakatoshi growls, sending another wave of arousal rippling through your body. He stays still for a moment, breathing deeply because he doesn’t want to cum and have this end so soon.

He starts moving his hips, thrusting slow and deep to reach the spongy spot inside you that makes you scream. The hand on your breast reaches around to grab your throat, stifling your moans into small, stuttering gasps. You whine each time he shoves himself deep inside you, his cock dragging deliciously against your spongy walls.

You stay like that for a while, bodies joined in the most intimate of ways as Wakatoshi moves his hips in leisurely, unhurried strokes. Your body is hot, sweaty, thrumming with the pleasure that’s so overwhelming all you can focus on is the intoxicating feeling of your husband’s cock deep inside you. The tightening in your core signals your impending orgasm, but each time you get close to the edge, it escapes your grasp over and over again. You need him to pound into you faster, harder. You need more.

“Toshi please, I-I need,” you manage to stammer out, but your words are stolen from your throat as he sharply thrusts as deep as he can, the tip of his cock smashing against your cervix with just the right amount of pressure. 

“Don’t worry. I know just what you need.”

Wakatoshi is fucking you with so much force that your eyes are rolling back in your head, and all you can hear is the wet slapping sound each time he’s sucked back into your wet heat. He’s close, you can tell by the breathy groans he’s making, but so are you. You clench and spasm around him, growing impossibly tighter and bringing both of you closer to climax. His merciless pounding of your insides just gets faster and rougher, and his other hand moves down to rub your clit in tight, fast circles. 

The pleasure that clouds your senses is overwhelming, just dancing on the edge between pleasure and pain and your body can’t take it anymore. Your vision goes white as you cum, cunt clamping down so hard Wakatoshi can barely move. You clamp a hand over your mouth to keep from screaming, your body shaking and trembling as you gush around him. The endless clenching of your muscles practically milks his orgasm out of him, a stifled groan leaving his lips as his thick, hot cum coats your insides. All you can do is moan softly in appreciation, too incoherent to say anything else. 

Your husband presses a kiss to your sweaty neck. “Are you okay?” he asks, taking in the sight of your limp, spent body. 

You haven’t caught your breath yet and your lips won’t form proper words, so you make the only noise you can, “Mmfmm.”

You whine as he slowly pulls out his softening length with an audible pop, sensitive cunt spasming at the slightest stimulation. He untangles himself from you and you want to reach out for him, but you’re too boneless to even attempt to do anything yet.

As Wakatoshi gets out of bed to get a warm washcloth, you hear the familiar sound of little footsteps making their way towards your room and you shoot up in bed, fully alert. You quickly pull the covers over your body, just in time for Hidetoshi to come bounding in.

“G’morning Mama! Where’s Daddy?” he wonders, his little head poking around the corner.

Your husband comes out of the bathroom, now fully dressed and washcloth in hand. “I’m right here, Hidetoshi.” The boy runs straight towards his father who picks him up effortlessly, swinging him around in the air as he squeals with delight. “Did you sleep well?”

Hide bobs his head enthusiastically, “Mhm! I had a dream I was a professional volleyball player just like you.” 

Your loud, exaggerated sigh draws both sets of olive eyes to you, but you train your gaze on your husband. “Have you been putting ideas in his head?”

Wakatoshi shakes his head no, but the child in his arms pipes up first, “Daddy has been showing me videos of his old matches from when he was with the Schwimmy Addles.” Your husband makes a noise of surprise, a guilty look on his face now that he’s been found out.

“You two are going to be my undoing, I swear,” you chuckle as you flop back into the fluffy pillows.

Hide squirms in his father’s arms, reaching out to you, but the man recognizes the warning look in your eyes and tightens his arms around him. “We should let Mama finish waking up first. Why don’t we go downstairs and make breakfast?” he asks, tickling his sides.

The boy shrieks with laughter and wriggles even harder in Wakatoshi’s arms. “F-fine Daddy! Stooop it!” Your husband stops his tickling and hoists your son over his shoulder, gently patting his back.

He passes the washcloth to Hide. “Why don’t you give this to your mama? Then we can go have something to eat.” 

Hide uses his little arms to hold the cloth out to you and you take it from him, nodding with gratitude. “Thank you sweetie, now go with your daddy.”

Your husband starts walking towards the door as a small, chubby hand waves bye to you and you blow kisses to them as they disappear into the hallway.

Using the washcloth, you clean the mess between your legs and muster the monumental effort it takes to get out of bed. You begrudgingly walk over to your dresser to put on clean pajamas and brush your hair so you’re presentable for a meal with your family. The sound of the fire alarm going off has you racing downstairs to the kitchen where Wakatoshi and your son should be.

As you slide into the kitchen and almost fall on the slippery hardwood in your haste, you realize your panic was for nothing. There’s a pan on the stove, grey smoke billowing out of it. Upon further inspection you discern that it’s eggs, you think, that are simultaneously under and overcooked. The guilty parties are sitting at the kitchen table a few feet away, a jug of milk and a couple of boxes of cereal surrounding them. Hide is shoveling spoonfuls of Cheerios into his mouth as your husband eats his own breakfast, only slightly neater in his approach.

“So… you tried to cook?” you ask, quirking an eyebrow at the large man chewing his Wheat Chex. He looks over at you and nods, mouth full with milk and cereal. “I’m guessing it didn’t go very well, judging by all the smoke,” you say slowly. Your husband simply shakes his head no, unbothered by the fact that he nearly gave you a heart attack.

Deciding it’s not worth the argument or the work to make a proper breakfast, you sit down next to Hide and pour yourself a bowl of Cheerios. He smiles at you, mouth open and full of disgusting half-chewed food, but you still return his beaming grin and ruffle his hair. The both of them are troublemakers in their own ways, but they’re your troublemakers nonetheless.

After you’ve all eaten breakfast, you lay a notepad in front of them that has a list of all the things you have to do before your guests arrive for the barbecue. 

You’re standing between them, pointing at each task on the list. “I still have to sweep and vacuum the house, Toshi you need to go to the store and buy all the food, and Hide you need to pick up all your toys that are in the backyard. We have a lot to do today and everyone has to do their part, okay?” you urge, looking between the males on either side of you and they both nod emphatically.

With everyone so busy, it’s difficult to find weekends where they’re all available so this get together has been planned for months. You’ll all be seeing friends and loved ones you haven’t seen in a long time, and it’s a team effort to make sure everything is ready for tonight. 

----

You finish all of the tasks on time, with an hour to spare thanks to your joint efforts. 

Hide is playing in his room while you and your husband get dressed and ready for what will likely be a long night of socializing and entertaining.

As you’re doing your makeup and getting ready for the party, you notice Wakatoshi staring at himself in the mirror, shirtless. His brows are furrowed, a deep frown on his face as he scrutinizes his reflection. He pinches his belly with both hands, scowling at the softness that used to be hard muscle. Tracing a finger along the stretch marks on his stomach and arms, he sighs heavily.

“Babe, what’s wrong?” you ask from the bathroom. 

Your husband walks over to lean against the wall behind you, his unreadable expression reflected in the bathroom mirror. He hesitates before answering, “I’ve let myself go.”

You set your mascara down on the counter and spin around to face him. “Wakatoshi, what in the world are you talking about?”

“I just said what. I heard a couple of my players say that I’m not as strong or as fast as I was when I was a professional.”

You loosely wrap your arms around his torso, squeezing gently. “Of course you’re not what you used to be, Toshi.” At the sight of his deepening frown you quickly add, “You’re so busy being a father, husband, and coach you don’t have the time to work out like you used to.” Getting on your tippy toes, you press a kiss to his nose, “And that’s okay.” It’s a rare occasion that he looks this vulnerable. His anxiety and self-consciousness are so clearly written in his features and it makes your heart ache for him. 

“It doesn’t bother you that I don’t look like that anymore?” he asks, pointing at the framed photo of his first win with the Japan National Team that hangs on the wall.

“Why would it bother me? This is the body races my son across our backyard, helps me fix our home we bought together, and makes love to me every night. I love you just as much as I did back then, and even more now that we have Hide,” you reassure him and you mean every word of it. Sure he’s not the most romantic of husbands, but he’s your husband and you love him just the way he is, with or without muscles.

A smile tugs at the corners of his lips and he squeezes you even tighter to him. “I know I probably don’t say this as much as I should, but I love you.”

You pepper kisses all over his eyelids, lips and nose. “And I love you more than anything, Wakatoshi. More than you will ever know.”

Your hands lovingly caress his chest that’s softer now, but still sturdy and muscular, and his arms that are not as lean anymore, but are still just as powerful and capable. “For the record, I love how soft you are these days. It’s great cushioning for when we cuddle.”

“Hidetoshi says the same thing,” he recalls, smiling at the thought of your beloved son.

After giving him a knowing look, you go back to putting on your makeup. “See? I told you. That boy is just as smart as his mother.”

It’s nearing five o’clock so Wakatoshi goes to the backyard to start grilling the food for everyone, while you and Hide finish plating the fruits and vegetables you prepared earlier.

You work in comfortable silence until your son turns to you, his eyes shining with unanswered questions. “Hey Mama?”

Putting down the strawberry you were holding, you sit down on the stool next to him and hold his hands in yours. “What’s on your mind, sweetie?”

“Do you not want me to be a volleyball player like Daddy? Is that why you got mad when I told you he showed me the videos?” 

You almost break your neck with how fast you shake your head in denial. “Of course not! I wasn’t mad, it’s just…” you start, trying to find a way to phrase your thoughts that he’ll understand. “Daddy’s job was very hard. His body still hurts a lot from all the times he got injured when he played volleyball. And… his job took him away from me and I missed him a whole lot.”

The look on his face is so reminiscent of his father, it’s like young Wakatoshi was frozen in time and plopped into the chair right next to you. With the way his eyebrows are scrunched up and his mouth is downturned as he thinks, he really is the spitting image of your husband. “Did it make you sad?”

Taking a deep breath, you hold your arms out to him so he can climb into your lap. “Sometimes it did. Mostly at night when I was all alone and Daddy was really far away.”

He rests his head against your shoulder, looking up at you. “Do you wish Daddy had a different job?”

You look out the window at your husband who’s starting up the grill, then look back at the sweet, round face of your boy. “No, I don’t. Daddy’s job was really important to him and it made him so happy that I grew to love it too, even if it made me sad sometimes.”

He sits up in your lap, thinking hard about what you said as he plays with your necklace. “Does Daddy still wish he could do it?”

“Probably, but it’s okay. If he hadn’t stopped, we wouldn’t have you, and you make our lives so much brighter and happier. Your Daddy and I love you so much, you couldn’t even imagine it.”

He spreads his arms out as far as he can. “This much?”

You shake your head. “Nope. Even more.”

“Wow, that’s a lot.” Hide’s eyes are wide with surprise, mouth slightly agape as he tries to imagine something so large and vast.

Laughing, you press a kiss to his head. “It sure is a lot, baby. Now why don’t we finish putting out all the food so we can go see what Daddy’s doing?”

Your son leaps out of your lap to grab handfuls of grapes and blueberries from the cartons on the counter, dropping them into the divided sections of the serving platter. “Aren’t you going to help me, Mama?”

You give him a look of mock offense before standing ramrod straight, giving him a mock salute. “As you command, Commander Ushijima.”

You carry both trays of food out to the backyard, not trusting Hide’s ability to hold them upright, while he carries a volleyball in his arms. Wakatoshi turns at the sound of footsteps, a small smile on his face as your son drops the volleyball, barreling straight into his legs with a force that makes the man grunt.

Hide looks up at his father, both arms wrapped around his legs. “Whatcha doing Daddy?” he asks.

Your husband reaches a hand down to ruffle his hair, a slight look of pain in his eyes from the boy slamming into his shins. “I’m just getting ready to start cooking the food for tonight. Do you want to help me?” He bends down to pick him up and Hide quickly hops into his arms, well practiced and effortless with how strong your husband is. The man points to different parts of the grill, explaining what they do, taking care to keep the boy far away from the flames. 

Setting the plates down on the table, you inform Wakatoshi, “Hajime and Tooru should be here soon, so should Tobio and Eita. Satori called and said he might be late, something about his luggage getting lost.” At that moment the doorbell rings, signaling your first guests are here. “I’ll get it. You two stay here and get the food on the grill.”

You open the front door, greeted with the familiar faces of Hajime and Tooru. “It’s so nice to see you two! Come on inside, don’t be shy,” stepping aside, you hold your arm out to welcome them into your home. 

“Mrs. Ushijima you get more and more beautiful each time I see you,” Tooru teases as you snicker in response.

“I see marriage hasn’t changed you at all, has it?” you question, more so directed at Hajime. 

“I tell him people are going to get the wrong idea,” the shorter man replies, sounding exasperated.

You usher them towards the backyard before picking up various soda and beer cans. “Wakatoshi and Hide are both in the back. You two go ahead and keep them company while I bring these out.”

It takes a few trips before you join them in the backyard, handing each adult a can and a juice pouch to Hide, who’s sitting at the picnic table with Tooru while Hajime chats with your husband. 

“How old are you now, little man?” the brunette asks.

Hide holds up five fingers plus his thumb as he swings his legs back and forth. “I’m six! I just started kindergarten.”

They both wave at you as you join them, sitting on the other side of the table. Tooru leans in towards you, a hand cupped around his mouth, and you tilt your ear towards him. “He’s so… polite and well-mannered. Are you sure Ushiwaka is the father?” he whispers, narrowing his eyes.

You lightly smack his head, glaring daggers in his direction. “Yes, obviously. Look at them, they’re basically twins.” Tooru looks at the boy sitting next to him then at your husband standing at the grill, then back to your son, then back to your husband. Hand on his chin, he takes in their matching olive eyes and hair and similar expressions, nodding seriously.

“I was just making sure.”

The doorbell rings a couple more times, Tobio and Eita arriving one right after the other. With almost all of your guests present, everyone is drinking and catching up, some casually passing a volleyball back and forth with Hide.

You’re in the middle of telling Tobio that Hidetoshi is too young to be thinking about his future career when the doorbell rings once more, indicating the last of your guests has arrived. You rush inside to get it, not bothering to check who’s there because you already know who it is. Swinging the door open, you pull the man into a tight hug. 

“Satori! We’re so glad you made it,” you exclaim, giving his back a few hard slaps.

The redhead pulls away from you, smiling. “I’m so glad I was able to make it in time. The airport lost my luggage, then my parents forgot to leave me a key to their house so I had to wait until a neighbor could let me in. To make matters worse, I got stopped by security when I landed because of this,” he says, holding up a white box with a bow around it.

You quickly grab the box, shaking it to try to hear what’s inside and sniffing it for good measure. “Ooh la la, did you bring us some fancy French chocolates?” you ask. “Actually, don’t tell me, Hide will want to open it.” You hand the box back to him and gesture him to follow you, “Everyone’s in the back so just follow me.”

With Satori in tow, you step onto the back porch and call your son’s name. He hands the ball to Eita before running over, eyes lighting up when he sees the man standing next to you.

“Uncle Tori!” he shouts, launching himself into Satori’s arms.

“Hey there Little Toshi, how you been? Keeping your dad out of trouble?” he asks, hugging the boy tightly.

“I think so! Well… we burnt some eggs this morning and the smoke machines started beeping, but that doesn’t count, right?”

The red-haired man waves his hand dismissively. “Of course it doesn’t. Any crimes committed in the name of breakfast are excused,” he insists. Pulling the box out from behind his back, he offers it to Hide. “I brought you something all the way from France, do you know where France is?”

Hide takes the present from him, “Yeah, it’s in Europe! Daddy showed it to me on a map.” He struggles a bit with the bow before he decides to just rip it off, lifting up the lid.

Satori points to the various chocolates laid on top of wax paper. “This one is filled with something called ‘ganache,’ which is basically just more chocolate, but it’s liquidy. That one over there has caramel, and the one right next to it is a bonbon filled with strawberry jelly. I picked all the best ones just for you.”

The boy smiles, eyes wandering over the chocolates like they’re bars of gold. “Thank you Uncle Tori! I bet they’re really yummy.”

He pats Hide on the head. “I hope you enjoy them lots. Now I gotta go say hi to your daddy, where is he?” Your son points to where Wakatoshi is standing at the grill, a spatula in one hand and a beer in the other as he chats with Tobio. “Thanks Little Toshi,” he says, ruffling his hair.

Satori walks over to your husband, pulling him into a crushing bear hug before he can say anything. “Wakatoshi, it’s been too long! I sure get lonely all the way in France, have you guys ever thought about moving?”

Wakatoshi freezes for a moment before giving in, hugging the man back, though slightly stiff in his movements. “We will not be moving to France. Hidetoshi will be raised here in Japan.”

The redhead releases him, sensing his discomfort. “Well, it was worth a shot. How’s your retirement? You miss being a pro?”

“I do miss it sometimes, but it was necessary to let a better, younger player take my place. I wouldn’t trade a few more years on the court for the life I have now with my wife and my son.” 

 Satori lets out a loud whistle. “I never thought I would hear the day that Wakatoshi Ushijima would say he cares about anything more than volleyball.”

“Volleyball was my entire life before, but they’re my entire world.”

The shorter man just smiles, silent for a moment before pointing to the apron your husband is wearing. “I didn’t think you’d actually wear that thing, Wakatoshi!” The apron black with bright red lettering that says ‘Wakatoshi: Grill Master,’ with a drawing of a flaming steak next to it.

“It keeps my clothes clean. Why wouldn’t I wear it?” he asks, genuinely curious. The redhead just laughs and shakes his head, patting him on the shoulder.

Your husband finishes grilling the food, much to the excitement and relief of the many hungry men who have been circling him like a hawk. Everyone takes from the piles of meat and vegetables, noticeably happier now that their stomachs are full. You’re all sitting around the picnic table, laughing and enjoying each other’s company.

Hajime recalls a story from when he first signed on as the athletic trainer for the national team. Wakatoshi had approached him after practice, saying he had a serious issue that he wanted someone to take a look at. Concerned for his player’s wellbeing, naturally he took him into the locker room and Wakatoshi took off his shirt. At first, he thought he might’ve stretched one of his ligaments too far or had even torn his rotator cuff muscle. Imagine his surprise when Wakatoshi pointed to an ingrown hair on his back, saying it was inflamed and causing him pain. It was then that Hajime had to explain that he’s not that type of medical professional, and that he should make an appointment with a dermatologist.

 The sun starts to set, but with the fun everyone is having they barely notice. The night begins to wind down once Hide yawns, rubbing his eyes tiredly, and it sets off a chain reaction of yawning that reaches every person at the table. Your son starts tugging on your sleeve, informing you he’d like to go to bed. Not wanting to leave him alone in the house and taking note of the exhaustion on everyone’s faces, you politely suggest to end the night early. A chorus of heads bob, indicating their desire to head home and sleep. 

All three of you hug and kiss everyone goodbye, waving to them as they drive away. You sigh from exhaustion and head inside to put Hide in bed. You and your husband hold each of his hands and take him to his room, pulling back his covers so he can climb in. 

He yawns again and closes his eyes, settling into his bed. “Night night Mama, Daddy. I love you.” 

You stroke his cheek lovingly before placing a kiss on his forehead. “Goodnight sweetie, I love you too.”

Your husband comes up from behind you to kiss Hide as well. “Sleep well, Hidetoshi. I love you.”

With your son asleep in his own bed, all you have to do is take off your makeup and brush your teeth before you too can sleep. 

You’re in the middle of washing your face when Wakatoshi comes into the bathroom to brush his teeth.

“I enjoyed tonight, I hope you did too,” he says.

You turn around to look at him and smile. “I did, it was amazing to see everyone in one place. It’s been years since we were all able to see each other.” After you finish washing your face, you stretch and yawn loudly, telling your husband, “I’m getting in bed now, join me when you’re done.”

Climbing under the sheets, you nestle yourself into the softness of your bed. You nearly doze off right then, but the shifting of the bed under Wakatoshi’s weight keeps you awake just a bit longer.

He slides in behind you so he can spoon you, an arm slung over your waist. 

“Goodnight Toshi, I love you.”

“Goodnight, I love you too.”

Before he falls asleep, Wakatoshi thinks of all the things in his life that led him here, to you, his wonderful wife, and his precious son.

Leaving professional volleyball was one of the hardest decisions he’s ever had to make in his thirty-seven years of living, but the end of that chapter of his life gave him Hidetoshi.

He knows that every moment of uncertainty, suffering, and hardship was worth it because it ultimately led him to you and your son, to this life you’ve built together. 

He’d do it all over again a thousand times over if it meant that your beautiful, shining face would be there to greet him in the end.

[nctrsn20]

His Angel

CHARACTERS ― Lee Taeyong (NCT 127), Yelena Olivia Elinova, Alyona Alice Elinova, N-127/U (NCT 127 / NCT U)

GENRE ― nct 127 as mafia, nct as mafia, mafia au

AUTHOR’S NOTE/WARNINGS ― slight angst, curse words, random dudes calling the girls slut, eventually turns into fluff

SUMMARY ― Taeyong didn’t seem to care about the party since it brings no use to his entertainment since his girlfriend isn’t there until two well-known and famous ladies somehow caught the attention of men in the night club.

“..I don’t get a hug..?”

“What did Aurelia say?”

“..She will be here soon, but she told us to go in first since she is currently with Eunwoo.” Alyona answered the older one while texting their youngest about their whereabouts.

“..What party is this exactly? There’s a lot of people entering,” Yelena muttered while taking a few looks out of their car.

“...According to Aurelia, this is a party of celebration regarding the success of NCT,” Alyona looked up towards her sister who was leaning against the car before continuing, “Ready to go?... or you wanna stay here, because I’m down with anything.”

“Leo, are you sure you wanna go in? You might see—

“Yeah, yeah, I might see Ten. To be really honest, I don’t care. Besides, the other guys are there and we are no stranger to them,” Alyona shrugs cooly. Yelena stares at her sister, searching for any sign of sadness or any emotional expression but it seems she looks normal.

Alyona and Ten’s relationship, well, they aren't together - but they had a history together and they were beyond friends or best friends. Somehow along the line, Ten somehow fucked up.

It’s really a long story.

“If you say so,” Yelena muttered to herself before exiting the car, followed by Alyona as they held their hands together.

They had not stepped into the club yet, but people who were going the same way as them were already looking at their way, somehow snapping pictures of them - yet the two girls didn’t care, as they held their hands tightly.

They were well-known for their own reputation, Yelena being a director of their parents’ business called Elinovas Co, and at the same time a creator of the famous group called Elinovas Angels - where most of NCT members girlfriends’ are in.

Alyona on the other hand is the face of Elinovas Co, she would always show up in every magazine cover. She would often collaborate with big brands, as well other businesses that some of the members of Elinovas Angels had.

Both of them pass through the security, they do not need to pull out their identity card since they were regular people that went to Ten’s club. As soon as they went through the big red curtain, their eyes slowly widened upon what they were seeing right in front of them.

“Holy sh—

Alyona was about to curse, but Yelena was fast to cover the other girls’ mouth - pulling them to a corner.

“I knew there would be a lot of people here…. How are we supposed to find them?” Yelena went closer to speak to her sister, noticing that their appearance had caught most of the people there.

Yelena is good at figuring out her surroundings - as she looks around, they are on the first floor. They weren’t even on the top floor but they got most eyes looking down their way.

“Found them!” Alyona pointed at a direction - pulling her sister who was caught off-guard. Two of them just walked across the floor - again not minding the attention they were receiving, until two big, unknown guys approached them.

Alyona and Yelena had to abruptly stop their heels.

“Hello, sexy. Where are you two going?”

Alyona raised one of her eyebrows towards the unwelcome guest before turning towards Yelena who was staring at the guy with a deep frown, at the same time holding onto Alyona’s hand tightly.

“Another drink, sir?”

“Ye—

“No thanks! I think he is done for now!” Doyoung took the shot glass from Taeyong quickly, drinking it in one go - smiling at the waiter as he went off to serve other tables. Taeyong turns towards Doyoung with a deep glare.

“That was my glass! Why did you take it!?” Taeyong slightly hissed, making Doyoung roll his eyes. “Taeyong, you had like 10 shots. You’re gonna be drunk in like 3 more shots.”

“..So?.. Who cares?.. My angel isn’t here anyway..” Taeyong muttered to himself, grabbing another random shot glass as he looked at it with sentimentality.

Drinking somehow reminds him of her, she was always there when he had a party to attend - she was always there to look out for him, telling him softly that he has limits on drinking, and he listens, which surprises his friends.

It’s been a year that they didn’t have this kind of hang out, that’s because Yelena is currently in France, she is the director of a fashion show.

Taeyong was against it at first but knowing that her sisters and most of the girls’ of Elinovas Angels would be going too, he wasn’t worried.

He also had told Yelena that he would be visiting her every month, which he did.

But he still misses her, everyday, every night and every time - and she was supposed to return home two days ago but things had gone slightly wrong in her work, so she would be back in two days.

“Doyoung, has your girl come home?” Taeyong muttered, and Doyoung could only humm in response, kind of not wanting the leader to feel more emotional.

So far, all NCTs’ partners have returned back home from their overseas work - now it’s only the Elinovas Sisters who are still out there.

A few more guys showed up, sitting on the leather couch - them noticing the mood somehow gone down. “..What’s wrong with Taeyong?” Ten points.

Yuta nudged Ten’s arm, frowning slightly towards the other. “What?”

“I think he misses Yelena,” Johnny appeared, along with Jaehyun and Jungwoo. “You don’t miss Alyona?” Johnny asked Ten, who looked kind of unbothered.

“..Nah..” Ten shakes his head, before taking a beer bottle - gulping it one go. He really didn’t want to talk about his relationship with her. He still feels guilty about what had happened.

“Speaking of Yelena and Alyona, is Aurelia coming, Jaehyun?” Jungwoo asked, turning towards him - he somehow looked a little troubled at first, but he managed to let out a smile.

“Yeah.. She is coming with Eunwoo,” Jaehyun stated and everyone somehow nodded. Just as Taeyong was about to pour another drink on his glass, there came Taeil who looked like he was in a rush.

Yuta noticed him from afar, “Taeil! You looked like—

“Taeyong! Ten! You might need to come down, like right now!” Taeil pointed down, while slightly yelling at the group. Doyoung and Jaehyun saw where he was specifically pointing at.

Jaehyun, who was close to the railings where they could see the first floor, decided to check what was going on.

He could hear commotions but he didn’t know where it would come from. His eyes search for where the noise is, frowning to see two familiar girls.

His eyes widened slowly.

“Isn’t that…?” Jaehyun trailed off and right as he was about to inform Taeyong, Doyoung was already fast enough to see what was going on, running towards the table.

“We have to go down! Yelena and Alyona are downstairs!” Doyoung informed in a hurry. The first ones to leave the area were Taeyong, Ten and Jaehyun followed by the others with guns placed on their backs.

They kept on blocking their way which made Alyona's heart boil in frustration, Yelena on the other hand was trying to avoid the two men’s eye contact, looking down all the way while linking her arm with her sister.

“C’mon, ladies. Don’t play hard to get.” One of them spoke, still following them.

“Why so serious, sweetie? C’mon, look at me,” One of them somehow spoke directly towards Yelena, as she could only continue following Alyona’s way.

“Could you two please piss off already? We are here for a few guys,” Alyona glared towards them, and somehow they didn’t believe Alyona’s words.

“..And which certain guys would want the two of you?”

“What is that supposed to mean? You know what, if you’re not gonna go, we are going to.” Alyona was about to pull Yelena too, when one of them had their grip on Yelena’s arm, while the other guy had his hand gripped tightly towards Alyona’s wrist.

“The two of you are going to have fun with us!” One of them smirked, pulling Yelena roughly as she tried to let go of his grip.

“Let go!” Yelena yelled while glaring towards the man. It was obvious they were new to this club, specifically a club that belongs to Taeyong and Ten.

Alyona really couldn’t take it that she used her bag, swinging it towards the faces of the two men, which they had a shocking look on their faces as it turned into irritation.

Alyona had seen this coming, pushing Yelena behind her, to protect her sister.

“You sluts—

Both of the men looked like they were about to put their hands on the two girls, but somehow they felt something or specifically a gun barrel on the back of their head.

But their eyes somehow travelled towards the back of the girls, causing Yelena to turn around - seeing Johnny and Yuta somehow pointing their guns towards where the two men were.

Alyona had her head peeking out slightly to see who was behind them, seeing Ten and Taeyong with a few of the 127 guys at their back.

Jaehyun and Doyoung escort the two girls out of the way, somehow guiding them to the side - at the same time shielding them for whatever is gonna come. They knew this wouldn’t end nicely, since they messed with Taeyong’s girlfriend and his family.

Taeyong considered Yelena’s sisters as his own siblings.

“W-w-what..” The two men had their hands up, feeling the gun barrel being pushed deeply on the back of their heads.

“Well, well, well, you must be new for someone who kind of messed with the girls of Elinovas.” Ten sounded like he was joking, but his words were threatening. He even hits the back of the man’s head.

Taeyong on the other hand didn’t even bother. Maybe because it was alcohol, he started to slowly get furious. One of his arms was still on the back of the other man’s head while his free hand gripped onto the man's hair, yanking backwards.

“Heard that you called my girl a slut,” Taeyong grip tightens while yanking the man’s head towards his direction, and once he gets a look on Taeyong’s face, the man’s face goes completely pale.

He messed with the wrong girls and the wrong group of guys.

Taeyong stared at the two men before looking towards where Johnny and Yuta were. “Johnny, Yuta, go settle these two. Do whatever you want with them, kill them, dispose them, I don’t care.” Taeyong throws the man right towards where Johnny is, while Ten wordlessly throws the other towards Yuta.

“Roger that!” Johnny shrugs, somehow dragging one of them, while Yuta just wordlessly dragged the other one who was begging for mercy.

They specifically know what Johnny and Yuta does.

“That was a nice show! Sad that my girlfriend isn’t here to watch too!” Doyoung commented in sarcasm, before turning towards the two ladies who looked already too tired, causing Jaehyun to laugh.

After that whole fiasco, the group of men guided the two girls upstairs, where the 127’s table is always located.

As usual, the girl exchanged their greetings with the boys with a warm hug - before dispersing, going to the first floor to meet their other friends.

Jaehyun specifically is going to see the youngest sister of the two girls, Aurelia who is with Eunwoo somewhere on the first floor by now, Eunwoo is Jaehyun’s long time best friend.

Alyona somehow left with Ten - Yelena caught a glimpse of Alyona, seeing that she looked kind of pissed with Ten following her behind. She could only sigh while looking towards the other men.

Johnny came back without Yuta.

“Congratulation Johnny, you’re a Dad now,”

“I know right! I’m so excited! Wait, how did you know!?”

“..That’s a secret,” Yelena winked towards Johnny who was giving the girl a side eye. Taeyong on the other hand was sitting closely, beside her - watching how she was exchanging words with the others.

Whenever she is talking, Taeyong has his eyes on her - he adores how her face moves, showing every exact expression she feels.

Jungwoo's eyes somehow travel towards Taeyong who was beside her, seeing that he became quiet and he looks like he is about to burst his anger out. “O..kay, we can catch up other times,” Jungwoo somehow nudged onto Doyoung who was still talking to Yelena about a run-way that she had done with Doyoung’s girlfriend.

“Okay then. Tell me more later, Yelena. See you later,” Doyoung pats Yelena’s back, a sign that he would be leaving.

Now it was just her and Taeyong.

‘Nice, they are all gone,’

“..I don’t get a hug..?” Taeyong pouted, causing Yelena to turn fully towards him. “Aww, come here,” Yelena opens her arms wide, and Taeyong didn’t hesitate to give her a big, tight hug - at the same time inhaling her scent.

She is Taeyong’s home.

Once he let go of her, Taeyong sat incredibly close beside her, their arms and shoulders were squishing with each other, Taeyong didn’t mind that.

He had his other arm snaking on Yelena’s shoulders while his other hand landed on her thigh, gripping slightly. “You’re finally back here right? Please tell me you won’t leave abroad again,” Taeyong asked, his brows went downwards with his eyes showing that puppy look.

“No, my love. I’m staying for good…. for now,”

“Baby!” Taeyong whines, causing Yelena to laugh her heart out.

She didn’t hesitate to give a peck on his lips. Taeyong was still frowning and pouting.

“It depends on mother and father, I don’t make the decisions, remember?” Yelena leaned towards him, her nose rubbing with his in adoration.

And this is exactly why she would make his day more lively and better. They have known each other since they were babies.

Taeyong couldn’t describe her with just words, she was more than his girlfriend - she is his pillar, his soulmate, his pride and joy, his everything.

He noticed that his life was meaningless without her by his side, even when he has lots of money, gold, silver, diamonds, the luxuries - those are meaningless without her.

Taeyong hummed, at the same time he scooped her up easily on his lap, earning a slight shriek from Yelena.

She had her arms around her neck, ruffling his hair slightly, taking off the shades that were on his head.

Taeyong wrapped both of his arms around her tiny waist, leaning against her chest - hearing her heartbeat.

He started to feel slightly sleepy - maybe because he started to become sober.

“..I forgot to say this, but welcome back, Yelena. I love you,” Taeyong whispered, with his head fully leaning against her chest. Feeling the weight, Yelena peeked onto Taeyong’s face, seeing him looking peaceful as his eyes closed shut.

Smiling to what she sees, Yelena kissed the top of his head, before rubbing his back gently. “I love you too, Yongie. Thank you for waiting for me,”

With her words, Taeyong smiled and he finally could sleep in peace after almost a year - the genuine sleep he needs where he knows that the love of his life is physically there with him for the rest of the days and night.

[ MASTERLIST ]

[jadekitty777]

Hunting Season, Chapter 2

Now seems like a good time to mention when writing this story, I put all the characters in a diorama box and shook it a bit - so everyone fell a little sideways. So this chapter will seem familiar... but also very different.

Prompt for Day 6 which we will pretend is Day 2: Royalty

Rating: T

Word Count: 2800

Summary: Having grown up in the slums of Mantle, Clover knew what feeling constantly unsafe felt like. But, with rising tensions between the cities, a precarious election leaving his people on the line, and a war on the horizon, things had never felt more perilous.

Then, Qrow Branwen arrives with eight huntsmen-in-training in tow, all of them earnestly offering to help. While the extra assistance is an incalculable relief, Clover simply can’t be more excited – and maybe a little nervous - to be paired up with the famous Huntsman of Vale.

There was only one problem:

Qrow couldn’t stop staring at his ears.

(Or, Volume 7, except Clover is a deer Faunus and that changes everything)

Ao3 Link: With an Arrow

~

Qrow’s staring wasn’t subtle. Which, for someone who’d once been Ozpin’s top spy, seemed absurd. Which meant he was either entirely oblivious or being blatantly rude. From Winter’s old stories, which strung long tales of the man’s lack of social delicacy as well as his shameless demeanor, Clover had gathered either option was entirely possible.

Rather than call out the rather uncouth behavior though, like he might have with countless humans (and some fellow Faunus) in the past, Clover decided to have a bit of fun with it.

“I win again.” He announced, laying the four-of-a-kind down on the crate, hearing the flap of his own ear as he flicked the left one. His grin was massive at the way red eyes tracked the movement. “Maybe we should call it quits?”

Qrow groaned, looking away. “Shut up and deal.”

He chuckled, both at the other’s actions and his defeated tone. He swept back up the cards, shuffling them quickly and dealing them out for another hand. As he slid the five cards back at Qrow, he said, “You know, if a fortune teller told me I’d be handing the legendary Qrow Branwen’s ass to him at cards, I never would have believed ‘em.”

“Don’t know about all that.” The other rolled his eyes, lifting up the cards.

Clover could tell from his disgruntled look that he’d gotten another bad hand. “I feel I should apologize again.” He said as looked down at his own set.

“Don’t tell me: you got a royal flush.”

The laughter burst out of him and he shook his head. “No, no. I meant… about Mantle.” He discarded two cards, focus completely on the numbers rather than the confused look he could feel boring into the side of his skull. “Not exactly a good look, arresting one of the most esteemed huntsmen in all of Remnant.”  

“Oh.” There was a creak as Qrow lent back more against the crates. “Yeah well, we didn’t exactly drop in legally. I kind of figured something like that would happen.”

“And yet you did it anyways? And then refused to radio in? That was… pretty dangerous.”

A beat, then a sigh. “Yeah. Yeah it was.” He tossed down a card but didn’t reach for another. “Since Beacon fell, everything’s just been a mess. Traveling miles across Anima. Murderers tracking my niece. People I thought I could trust turning on me.” He scowled, hurt flashing across his face. “It’s been hard knowing what the right call is. Now we’re here and granted, things are tense, but also disturbingly normal? Like, things have been going to such shit lately, I was half convinced the city would be up in flames when we got here.”

There was a lot he knew Qrow wasn’t saying, but Clover’s gigantic ears weren’t simply for decoration. He’d heard, in bits and pieces, what had gone down at Haven. Most notably that the circumstances of the late Headmaster Leo’s death had been entirely misrepresented. Add onto the infiltration efforts at Beacon that led to one of the most catastrophic massacre events in history barely a year before, and it wasn’t hard to guess why the seasoned huntsman was feeling a little on edge.

After all that, he doubted flying past an air fleet deployed in the sky and finding Mantle in a lockdown state screamed ‘Welcome! You’re safe!’.

Clover idly rearranged his cards, the game long-forgotten. “The flames are there, they’re just all on the inside.”

Before more could be said, Yang up front called, “Uncle Qrow, we got company.”

“Grimm?” Qrow guessed as they both got up and made their way to the front of the truck.

Clover squinted out the window, frowning at the silhouette in the distance. Definitely humanoid and the green shade of the coat they wore was regrettably familiar. “No. Worse.”

The bouquet Blake had brought along to honor the lost lives in the mining incident crinkled in her hands as she leant forward, frowning. “Wait, isn’t that...?”

“Robyn Hill. She’s running for a council seat. She also has a bad habit of taking matters into her own hands even if it means bending a few laws.” He informed. Of course she’d planned to ambush them here where the towers were just out a reach. They were in a dead spot, no way of radioing for help.

“So, what do we do?” Yang asked, holding up a fist as if she planned to blast out the front window. “Fight her?”

Clover only realized his ears had flipped backwards from the stare Qrow suddenly had on him again. He shook his head, forcing himself to relax. “I’d rather we try a more diplomatic approach. I know her, so I’ll do the talking. The rest of you keep an eye out for trouble.”

Plan in mind, they were all quick to gear up just as the robot driver detected the blockade and slowed the transport to a stop. Clover jumped out the back trailer with Qrow, while the girls climbed down from the passenger seat. As he made his way to the front of the truck, he called brightly, “Robyn! Well, if it isn’t Mantle’s home town hero.” He stopped in front of the grill, enough distance between them to seem non-threatening – and also enough to counter if an attack came their way. He looked between her and Fiona, any hope that this wasn’t going to turn violent dwindling quickly at the site of the weapon in the young Faunus’ hands. “Care to explain why you’re blocking an official military transport?”

“I figured you needed an escort, Stag. Clearly, you’re lost.” Robyn replied smoothly, pointing behind them. “Mantle’s broken wall is back that way. That is where these construction supplies are going, right?”

There was a clear challenge there, as if she was just daring him to say no.

Adrenalin pumped through his veins like quicksilver, and he took a steadying breath before answering with the same light casualness. “Sorry, I’m afraid not. But it was nice of you to offer your assistance. Now, if you don’t mind, we’ll be on our way.”

“As a matter of fact, I do mind.” There was a touch more hostility in her tone. “We’ve been forced to patch the gaps in the wall with cardboard and glue while Atlas has been stealing the resources we need to repair it properly. What could General Ironwood be working on that is so important it’s worth risking our safety?”

A growl of frustration was his only warning before Yang was bursting out, “We’re not trying to risk anyone’s safety! It’s-”

“Classified.” Clover stepped in quickly, shooting the young huntress a warning look. Robyn’s slight disappointment didn’t escape his notice either. “Something you may become privy too if you win the election; so, I suggest focusing on that rather than harassing huntsmen in the middle of nowhere.”

Robyn rested a hand to her heart, asserting loudly, “I’m just trying to do what needs to be done to protect the people of Mantle. Which is more than can be said for the idol who turned his back on them.”

His jaw clenched hard enough to crack his teeth. You bi-

A light crunching sound, almost undetectable, had his ears jolting upwards. In the corner of his eye, he saw Blake sliding a foot back, ready to about-face in a moment’s notice.

He clicked his tongue, not hiding his disdain. Not surprised but let down all the same. “If you really mean that Robyn, then maybe you should tell May and Joanna who are at our six right now to hold fire.” He crossed his arms, thumbing the edge of his pin. “Unless you think your approval rating in Atlas will stand against accusations of assaulting an elite soldier.”

It was blackmail and a bluff. There was no way in all damnation he’d go to the press and ruin the woman’s chances at taking the seat over Jacques Schnee. But she didn’t know that; all she knew was that publicly James and Jacques were friends, and that Clover was the Captain of the General’s handpicked specialist team whose loyalty would remain foremost with him.

He just had to bank on Robyn drawing all the right wrong conclusions.

Luckily, his gamble paid off, because the huntress gave an angry sigh, holding up a hand. “Alright ladies, stand down.”

Though his gaze didn’t waver, he knew May had released her semblance, if Yang’s flabbergasted noise was anything to go by. His muscles loosened a bit more when Robyn motioned for Fiona to open the gate and she waved to it, clearly offering passage. He nodded to her. “Thank you.”

She huffed in return. “Don’t misunderstand me. I will figure out what’s going on Clover, no matter what it takes.”

“Well then, I hope you do it as a councilwoman, not a vigilante.” He offered her a wave, following the rest of the team back to the truck. “Good luck, eh?”

It wasn’t until they were well on their way that the rest of the tension leaked out, leaving Clover exhausted and shaky. He slumped back against the crates, mussing a hand through his hair.

Across from him, Qrow sat on the edge of another crate, commenting, “That was quite a performance.”

“Going to assume that was a compliment.” He retaliated tiredly.

“Heh. Somewhat.”

“Is it true?” The question drew their eyes up front. Yang and Blake were both turned around in their seats, looking back at them, but it was the latter of the two who had spoken up. “Are we really stealing supplies Mantle needs?”

It was difficult, looking back at the other Faunus, no stranger to the discriminations of their world but still so painfully young, and telling her, “It’s not that we’re stealing so much as those supplies are finite. Atlas and Mantle both heavily rely on trade among other kingdoms to keep our resource flow steady. With those trade routes cut off, many have been… struggling to make do. And Mantle’s been feeling that the hardest.”

“Then why not just open the borders again? The General holds two council seats; so, he owns half the vote.” Yang pointed out.

“It’s not that simple anymore.” Clover expressed, sitting up straighter. “When Salem made her first move, James had to ask ‘Who’s next?’. It seemed logical, after setting Atlas up and dividing us from the rest of the world, that it would be us. To protect us from an infiltration of our own, he called for the lockdown order. Now with the word of Haven spreading, it’s only furthering the desire from the council to keep our borders closed. And even if by some miracle James could get the order to reopen things, without also being able to open communications freely with the other kingdoms, does it even matter? We know that Atlas didn’t attack Vale, but the common man doesn’t. That’s why the tower’s so important. Having these conversations is what will bring us all back together.”

Blake shook her head. “But that shouldn’t mean we put the people here at risk. What about the Relic of Creation; can’t we do anything with it to help the wall?”

There was a metallic groan as Qrow kicked one of the crates back so he could throw his feet atop it. “That one’s out too. The staff can only do one thing at a time; and currently, it’s holding up Atlas.”

“Wait, are you serious?” His niece shot back. “I thought it was from gravity dust?”

“Only a quarter true, Firecracker. There is a mechanism in place to keep Atlas briefly afloat if anything were to happen, but the real story is that the Relic is doing all the work. Having the staff be the thing that is keeping that hunk of rock from falling down and destroying the city below means only a sociopath would remove it. It’s dangerously brilliant, or something like that.” Qrow rolled his eyes. Obviously, he didn’t think it was anything of the sort.

“Which doesn’t even put into consideration the geological effects of something that large impacting onto the earth.” Clover added softly. “Solitas itself would fracture and the tsunamis might even reach all the way to Menagerie.”

Yang’s eyes narrowed, a ring of red burning at the edges of the violet. “What if it’s not true though? What if the staff can do more and we just don’t know it?”

Her uncle met her gaze steadily. “You willing to risk three million people to find out?”

She scowled, but lowered her head, saying nothing. Beside her, Blake placed a hand on her arm, offering, “Then why don’t we start small? If we tell Robyn what’s going on, then she can help us. I’ve been following her political platform; she seems sincere.”

“We don’t know we can trust her.” Clover insisted.

“But the only reason she’s out here is because she’s trying to help!”

He huffed, ears angling back. “By attacking us? Robyn has an agenda, for sure, but I don’t actually know if it’s for the good of everyone like she says. She needs every tick in Atlas if she wants to win the vote against Schnee.” He gestured behind them, to the scene they’d just avoided. “But instead of focusing on winning that, she’s out here, making risky plays like this! No one would take her seriously if they found out.”

“Huh.” Qrow tilted his head. “Never thought you could get so heated, Clubs.”

The nickname threw him off, just enough to make him realize how unprofessional he was handling himself. He looked away, turning his glare to the empty part of the truck. “Yeah, well, I’ve been part of this political game my whole life. It’s always been easy to see where the lines fall.”

Lines like the ones his ancestors used to be faced with, when the kingdoms used to paint dividing lines in their streets, in front of their restaurants and theaters, around their parks and their monuments; barriers Faunus were told were illegal for them to cross as they were too filthy to enter true society. Nowadays, instead of those visual barriers, they were all drawn on the inside. Found in the unsustainable wages that kept families stuck in a cycle of poverty and in the higher educational system that required Faunus children to pass a series of increasingly difficult entrance exams that their human peers never even saw the first page of.

Realistically, there were only two ways Faunus ever really made it past the starting gate – they were either like Marrow, whose family sold off just about everything they had to pay his way through, giving their son opportunities they never had. Or they were like Clover, awarded a one-in-a-million opportunity when his semblance intrigued the Huntsmen Scouts enough that they were willing to bet their money on him.

Scouts like a then-young James Ironwood, who was willing to bet so hard, years later he’d do the unthinkable and make Clover a Captain without even blinking an eye and smiling the entire time he was announcing it. That day, when Clover, overcome with gratitude, shook his hand, he remembered the distinct feeling that despite James being his senior officer, they were actually closer to friends.

However, while he’d forever remain indebted to the man who had given him a life he never even dreamed could be his, it didn’t quite erase the actuality that Clover was the personification of the underdog story – a case in which the stars aligned just right to get him where he was today. The fact it was not something his former peers could even hope to accomplish was exactly what was wrong with society.

But until those in power resolved to be better to those different to them, to open up doors and erase those invisible lines they’d drawn, it wasn’t about to change anytime soon.

“Maybe this time it’ll be different. Things can’t stay the same forever.” Blake asserted, contending his thoughts like she’d been able to read them.

She sounded so sure.

And, again, so young. Was it simply her age showing? Or her upbringing as a child from a humanless Menagerie and a father who advocated for acquisitioning to the government for proper peace? Was it instead her leader Ruby, who exuded this more simple, hopeful outlook on the nature of people? Or maybe, perhaps, her other friend Weiss, being from the richer district and who, not yet as disillusioned as her elder sister, no doubt spoke more highly of Atlas? A combination of them all?

He couldn’t begin to guess, but he knew a losing battle when he saw it.

Clover slumped back against the crates, crossing his arms, sounding much like his mother when he replied, “We’ll see.”

When it was clear the conversation was going no further, Qrow lent over, sweeping up his own measly hand and the flush of clubs Clover had abandoned, shuffling them back into the deck. “Come on, let’s have another round.”

[lumosinlove]

Vaincre

~

Part ii: August

~

For the hope of it all

~

The river was crowded, but the pier was their own.

Happy Birthday Harzy, was spelled out in big balloon letters, turning in the summer breeze, backwards and bumping.

Logan stood at the waterfront and looked at Leo’s—as it was mostly Leo’s—handiwork. Lobster rolls and soft-shell crab buffet, corn bread and iced tea. Chilled white and orange wines. Summer dresses fluttered and crossed each other as people talked, making new patterns, and Logan let himself settle into the laughter. He had a bad habit of taking peace and worrying it away. He didn’t want to do that today. He wanted to watch Finn enjoy himself, his team, his family. Logan had spent every one of Finn’s birthdays with their Harvard team, and then there had been that one, horribly absent year when Finn had been in Gryffindor and he hadn’t—not yet. He wanted to watch the way Leo put his long arms around his friends, in the same way his mother did, warm and strong. Logan wanted to watch without feeling that sharp tug of worry. He couldn’t have even said what he was worrying about. It was vague.

He’d done a lot of watching this summer. He loved it to the point of never wanting to do anything else. Finn and Leo were alike to each other in more ways than Logan would ever be. Whatever rapid-fire conversation they were in the middle of would often quickly leave Logan behind, but Logan didn’t care as long as he got them stumbling and laughing over each other to try and explain it to him—a book, a TV show, some sort of video game. He knew they liked telling him about it, and Logan loved watching them love things—including himself. Logan had never thought of himself as acting as a grounding point before. That had always been Finn or Leo. He always felt too wild in his own head, unsure, reserved. Vague. But Leo had said it to him this summer.

“When me and Finn lived together, we stayed up so late just talking,” Leo had said one early morning on the beach when they had left Finn sleeping. Logan wouldn’t be quick to forget the feeling of just being able to hold Leo’s hand for so long, in such an open space.

Leo had kissed the back of his palm too many times for Logan to think he’d be forgetting it, either.

“And you and I did the same thing, you know?” Leo continued. “On roadies.”

“Playing cards,” Logan smiled. “And our sundaes.”

Leo nodded, and his smile grew a little softer. He stared at his toes digging into the sand. “And I knew how connected you two were. Well, I guess not how connected, but I knew you two were better friends than anyone on the team, even Sirius and James. Even if you didn’t always act like it. I feel like good friends can do that, handle distance and snap back into place.”

“And?” Logan remembered asking playfully. “Which long talks were better?”

Leo just laughed. “No, no. Not better. Finn talking is like…wild. Like wind. Talking to you is stillness. I love both. The point is, that was…that was my connection. To both of you.” He had cleared his throat then, and given Logan’s hand a squeeze. “My mama always says if you can talk to someone forever then—“

“They’re yours forever,” Logan finished. “My maman says the same thing.”

Leo’s answering smile had been blinding.

An arm circled his waist, another pressing right over his heart.

“Nice party,” Finn said softly into his ear, and Logan only had a moment in that warmth before it was gone, wary of prying eyes. It made Logan miss France, and their brief stay at his mother’s family home that summer.

No one had known them there, and Leo had adored the markets, cooking elaborate meals while Finn and Logan had sat on the counter, watching him and loving him. They’d eaten out on the stone patio, overlooking the sea.

Finn looked a little like he had there, cheeks sun-hot. Logan wanted to reach for them, as he had then, cool them with his thumb. Finn smiled, making the sun-kissed skin crease a little.

“What?” he asked.

Logan shook his head. “Remember that picture?” he asked. “The one of us. It was on your wall at Harvard, you were standing behind me, hand on my chest.”

Finn’s mouth quirked, and he nodded. Logan hesitated for a moment, realizing that Finn was wearing his NASA t-shirt, the same one he had worn the day he’d left Harvard for good, leaving Logan behind. Logan stared at the logo, then looked away, back up to his brown eyes. Bambi, the boys at Harvard had called him.

He took a sip of his drink and shrugged. “I don’t know where it went. I know you packed it, took it with you, but I can’t find it. Do you know…”

Logan trailed off, as Finn had taken out his wallet. He set his beer on the pier ledge, flipped the worn leather open, and slipped out a folded piece of paper, thick, and well-loved. He held it out to Logan, biting his lip, and then leaned back against the railing, as if waiting.

Logan let the photo fall open in his fingers, and exhaled a shaky, steadying breath. There was a laugh in it somewhere.

“Oh,” he said.

“Didn’t know you were looking for it,” Finn replied, and trailed his fingers, cold from his beer, over Logan’s wrist, then reached up to fiddle briefly with his necklace.

Logan traced his eyes over the same, gaudy string lights in the photo, their same smiles—the one Logan knew he wore more freely these days.

Logan folded the picture closed again, and slipped it back into its place in Finn’s wallet.

“You want it, Lo?” Finn asked.

Logan shook his head. “I like that you have it.”

Finn stretched out a foot, ankle hooking around Logan’s, pulling him a little closer again, to stand nearly between his legs.

“I had it all that first year,” Finn smiled. “On my own.”

Logan narrowed his eyes. “Don’t.”

Finn grinned, singing off-key. “Pretending he’s beside me—”

Logan groaned, shoving his shoulder a little. “Okay, D’accord, I walked into that.”

Finn laughed loudly, and then swung his arm around Logan’s shoulders. “Let’s go find Le, get more food.”

They strode towards the tables.

“Hey!” Evgeni called out. He was standing with Olli and Jackson, his looming form leaning over the pier. “Ten bucks I jump!”

“Kuns, you don’t want to swim in this river,” Finn said.

“He’s going in whether you pay him or not,” Jackson shook his head. “At some point tonight.” He grinned, the scar that ran down one of his cheeks dimpling when he smiled. “Bet you twenty.”

“Nado,” Evgeni gasped, slapping his arm. “We split. Even.”

“No fucking way.”

Logan let Finn lead him away from their bickering, towards where he could immediately spot Leo, standing with Remus and Thomas. Logan felt everything just—soften.

“Do you ever think you could just find him?” Finn asked softly, the hand around Logan’s shoulders gesturing in Leo’s direction. “I mean, even if you couldn’t see him. You know?”

“Ouais,” Logan said, voice just as soft. “I know.”

Leo was mid-laugh when he spotted them, too.

“I gotta say,” he said as he met them halfway, hand on his hip, sunglasses in his hair. “I did a pretty damn good job.”

Logan huffed out a laugh. “You did. Really good.”

Finn snorted. “Way to take the credit, Nut.”

“He deserves it,” Logan said. “I was just here.”

“Lo’s the gift master,” Leo swung his arm around his shoulders. “And I’m the food master. Sounds about right?”

Logan patted Leo’s chest. “Are you going to jump in?”

Leo raised his eyebrows, squinting out at the water. “Do I want to swim in this water?”

“I’d swim if it was with you two,” Finn said. “I’d risk the murky monsters of the deep.”

“You gotta wait twenty minutes after eating,” Leo said. “And I haven’t tried the soft serve yet. They have swirls, they have mango, I mean, come on. I did so good.”

Finn laughed. “And I’m going to kiss you stupid later.”

“And I’m going to hold you to that,” Leo leaned in a little. “Birthday boy.”

They found Sirius holding a cone out to Remus by the machine, and Remus wrinkling his nose.

“C’est la vanille!” Sirius was laughing. “Quoi? Really? You don’t like vanilla?”

“You do?” Remus shook his head.

“Y’all we’ve caught the couple splashed on the front of every magazine in a, dare I say,” Leo paused, “fight?”

“First it’s pineapple pizza, now it’s vanilla,” Remus reached up, pushing Sirius’ chin length hair out of his eyes. “What did I sign up for?”

“Carrying his hair ties for him, apparently,” Finn reached out and snapped the tie around Remus’ wrist.

Remus rolled his eyes, and Logan thought Sirius might have blushed. When Logan reached up to poke at his cheek, he slapped his hand away and Logan laughed.

Sirius dragged Remus away towards where Julian, Remus’ little brother, was calling them over to the beanbag toss, and, momentarily tucked behind the shade of the soft-serve station, Logan felt Leo pull the both of them closer.

“Pretty good beginning to the end of the summer,” he sighed, licking his own cone.

“It was a damn good summer,” Finn grinned. “Hey, give me.”

Logan watched Leo hold out his cone to Finn, and agreed. It had been more than a good summer. It had been a perfect summer, and something in that made Logan stupidly worried. Sun and salt, and cold wine, and hot bodies pressed together as the moon rose. Logan closed his eyes for a moment, tucked between the two of them, and tried not to ruin this peace by thinking about all the times peace hadn’t been there.

This was Finn’s day. This was their season. Logan tilted his chin up and let the sweet mango of Leo’s ice cream sweeten his thoughts.

~

Noelle wasn’t at Finn’s party, and Thomas could feel it. He fiddled with the new, thin gold hoops she’d gifted him, barely circling away from his ears, the left one with a pearl strung along.

I’m the lucky one who found you, she’d said.

And he’d had to go and ruin it by trying to be funny, even while tears were pressing up as close to him as she was.

What does that make us, oysters?

She’d laughed, looked happy, but Thomas wished he’d said something else. He wished he had gotten something for her. He wished she wasn’t so far away.

I miss you, he tapped out on his phone, and that felt perfectly honest. Simple. Enough.

The three dots popped up and then went away. Thomas tried not to let it mean anything. She deserved to be busy. She worked just as hard—harder—than he did. Still, something like relief flooded through him when a long string of pink hearts answered him.

I miss YOU, T baby. Good party?? Tell Harzy happy bday for me.

Thomas blew out a breath. Will do. Say hi to the girls for me.

“You look like sad sunshine,” Natalie’s voice came, and he looked up to see her walking towards him, taking a sip from a honey colored beer with a lime wedged into it.

“I’m a little sad, Sunshine, like it or not,” Thomas laughed softly, pocketing his phone. “Where are the boys?”

“Canoodling,” Natalie sighed, hopping up onto one of the stools beside him under the umbrella. She had her long blond hair swept up into two french braids. “We’re both getting in our last drops of Alex, I think.”

Thomas nodded. “Hey, I never really asked, Nat. That just…happened this summer, or what?”

Natalie smiled. “Well, when I met Kasey, he hadn’t made it big yet, still on the Rangers farm team, but Alex had been on the Rangers for…maybe about a year? I can’t quite remember. I think Kase had only gotten called up a few times, so they’d met. But anyway, we start dating, two years later he gets a big boy contract with the Rags, and we get to know Alex. I saw him at team dinners only at first.” She smiled. “I was like, cutie, look at those freckles. But I had Kase, you know? I was pretty confused when I started looking a little closer. I mean, I was so happy.”

She pushed her sunglasses into her hair, leaning an elbow on the table and fiddling with a gold necklace at her throat that had the number 30 strung across the leather cord. Thomas wondered if she was going to add a 28 to that, Alex’s number, or if she’d get another one. He wondered if Noelle would want something like that. Maybe they could wear each other’s. He liked the thought.

“Well,” Natalie said. “I was confused until I noticed Kasey looking, but he wasn’t pulling away from me and I thought, hey…maybe this is something?”

“But that was how many years ago?”

Natalie took another drink. “No, yeah, nothing ever happened. Actually, I think they kissed once or twice. Roadies, you know? But Kasey gets traded, and then Finn arrived and we were like, wow, cruel joke.”

Thomas laughed. “I bet. But it meant Alex comes around again.”

She grinned. “That it did.”

Thomas held his drink up for a cheers. “Guess we owe those Cubs a lot.”

She clinked their bottles together. “Life’s weird. But, yeah, it happened this summer officially. Went to the O’Hara Hampton house, and I think we just loved being together. I forgot a little, how wonderful Alexander is. But,” she was smiling wildly again. “I woke up one morning and the boys had gone on a walk, they got back three hours later holding hands, Alex kissed me, and something changed. Maybe they worked through some history of theirs. We’re his now, he’s ours, whatever you want to call it.” She laughed. “Pretty good for a morning’s work.”

“Pretty good,” Thomas repeated.

“I’m worried it’ll be hard, though,” she sighed, chest rising and falling dejectedly. “He’s all the way in Florida and we’re here, together.”

Thomas glanced back down at his phone. “Yeah.”

“I bet that makes me sound like a snob to you,” she reached out and squeezed his hand.

He waved her off. “No, no, I just…we’re new, me and Noelle. Sometimes I worry that we’re too new for…for this.”

Natalie shook her head. “I think distance is distance. And, if it doesn’t work, it isn’t the physical space between two people. It’s a different sort of far away.”

Thomas tapped his fingers against his glass. “You just have something to say for everything, huh, Nat?”

She grinned. “Pretty mouth, gotta use it.”

Thomas snorted. “You’re not wrong.”

“Come on,” she said. “I’m going to whip your ass a ring toss.”

“Yeah fucking right.”

~

“Apparently they closed down a bunch of streets,” Remus was saying, still bleary-eyed and waking up as Sirius made the coffee. “That’s awesome.”

“It’s a parade. Of course,” Sirius said as he pushed the lid of their french press down.

Remus looked up to see him smiling and rolled his eyes, laughing, “Okay, sure, but it’s still crazy. They say it’s going to bigger than the Cup Parade was in June.”

That made Sirius’ eyebrows raise. “Really?”

Remus hummed in agreement, clicking his phone off and popping his back. “Well. I know Pride is in June, but I’m happy we get to do this, too.”

Sirius nodded, sliding onto the stool beside Remus with two waiting mugs. “Captain gets the Cup last. I don’t make the rules.”

Remus just yawned and let his temple fall against Sirius’ shoulder, closing his eyes as Sirius’ warm palm came to brush over his hair and neck.

“September is in two weeks,” Remus mumbled. “How the hell did that happen?”

Sirius poured their coffee and pressed a kiss against Remus’ hair. “You’ll be fine.”

“Hm?”

“I know you’re nervous for training camp. You’ve seen it a million times, though.”

“Yeah,” Remus sighed and sat up pulling his steaming mug close. “Seen it.”

Sirius laughed, going to the refrigerator for the milk. His hair was in dark, glorious tangles, and Remus vaguely wondered how much time they had before they needed to get ready.

“I meant,” Sirius leaned over the island and poured them both milk before capping it again and going for the brown sugar. Remus smiled when he realized that Sirius had picked that up from Remus’ mom, Hope. “I meant that you know it never comes across like…like some insane competition for spots.”

Remus raised an eyebrow. “It is, though. I mean, not for the Sirius Black, but…”

“D’accord,” Sirius nodded. “Okay, okay. But you know what I mean?”

“I’m not worried about the team,” Remus said as Sirius came to sit down again. “I’m worried I’m not going to make the team.”

Sirius shook his head, set his mug down, and all but pulled Remus off of his stool to gather him close. Remus mumbled something about cold coffee, but smiled as he let himself be kissed good morning, kissed calm, kissed loved.

“I’m not worried,” Sirius whispered, and kissed him some more.

Remus had barely shut his car door—having opened it to cheers—before he was getting an armful of his little brother.

“Oof,” Remus grunted, but squeezed him, lifting him off of his feet. “Nice outfit, Jules.”

Julian jumped back, his Lupin Lions Pride jersey actually fitting him for once. “Thanks, dad found it for me.”

“He insisted on wearing it,” Hope Lupin smiled as she walked up. “But you’re going to roast so tell me when you want your t-shirt, baby, it’s in my bag. Hi, Re.”

“Hi, mom,” Remus let her kiss his cheek a few times.

“Salut,” Sirius grinned from beside him. Remus watched them hug, warmed more deeply than by the heat. Hope patted Sirius’ chest where a faded rainbow twelve was printed on his t-shirt. Remus was going to steal that thing as soon as he took it off.

“What a party!” Hope grinned. “Is someone grilling? Thought I smelled it.”

Remus nodded. “Yeah, they got this restaurant downtown to bring BBQ.”

“Is there ice cream?” Julian said, huffing. “I’m hot.”

Sirius plucked at his jersey jokingly. “Mais, ouais, it’s almost ninety!”

Hope laughed, and put a hand on Julian’s back. “I’ll get him cooled off. Your dad’s around here somewhere with Pascal. Meet you on the float in ten. And make sure you’re wearing sunscreen!”

Remus watched his family wind their way through the colorful, crowded streets, felt Sirius’ fingers lace through his own, and smiled.

The sun did beat down hot, but Remus didn’t mind so much, not when they were filed onto the float that was equipped with a red and gold Lions head roaring at the front and rainbow streamers at the back, like an extension of the mane. The Cup sat on a high pedestal between them, strapped in shining.

The crowd was wild. People were hanging out of the tall parking garage that lined one side. The pavement was painted in thick strips of rainbow in some places, and red and gold in others.

Gryffindor loved their Lions. It almost made Remus want to cry, seeing how happy Sirius was. Half of the team was on their float, some of them walking beside. Remus spotted Logan sporting a rainbow brimmed hat walking with Kasey and returned the peace sign Logan sent up.

“Everyone is decked out, man,” James shouted in Remus’ ear from beside him, Harry on his hip. He and Lily had returned in time for Finn’s birthday. He was wearing a Lions Pride shirt, and Harry had a tiny one to match and a sunhat that practically covered his entire body that Lily kept coming over to adjust. James grinned. “Damn. Good Cup Day.”

“It’s not my Cup Day,” Remus laughed. “But I do sort of feel like this is my day.”

James just smiled, pointing at people for Harry to wave at. “Maybe won’t have to make that distinction next year, eh? Look, Har, see the flags? You want one, bud?”

“Re,” Sirius leaned in, and Remus felt his hand on his back. “Want to walk a bit?”

Remus nodded, eyes finding where Leo, Jackson, Evgeni, and Olli were walking together, keeping time with the floats and talking to the crowd. Leo had a rainbow flag painted on one cheek, Natalie’s work.

Remus felt for his own hat, flipping the colorful brim backwards as he hopped down.

“Hey,” Jackson grinned, throwing an arm around Remus’ shoulders. Evgeni had one of Sergei’s daughters in his arms, chatting with the crowd. He wasn’t wearing Jackson’s rainbow-striped shirt, but it looked like one of the kids had stuck two stickers on one of his cheeks that he wasn’t bothering removing. Remus wondered if he was worried, about his family, or his country, like he had told Sirius. It sent a wave of thankfulness through him, the fact that he was here.

“Nado,” Remus hugged Jackson. “Jesus, seriously, what did you do this summer? You look fit, man.”

“You see him,” Evgeni called over, handing a sharpie back to someone wrapped almost entirely in a flag covered with glitter. “Stare in the mirror, in love.”

“I don’t,” Jackson protested.

Evgeni just shrugged, spinning Sergei’s daughter around. “I’m see you.”

“Well, hand some over,” Remus said.

Jackson just gave him a shake. “You’re going to make the team.”

“Maybe,” Remus groaned out a laugh, knocking him away.

“No maybes,” Sirius said, sidling up to Remus’ side and replacing Jackson’s arm.

“Sirius! Cap!” someone called, and Remus felt Sirius tense a little, as he always did in crowds, or media.

The person calling had short brown hair and seemed to have tailored a loose jersey of Sirius’ into a form-fitting dress. The sleeves were cut and hemmed by the twelves on the sleeves.

“Salut!” they said, accent stiff, and laughed. “I tried.”

That seemed to ease Sirius a little, and Remus tugged him to a stop.

“Salut,” Sirius smiled. “Wow, that’s my jersey?”

They nodded, eyes sliding over to Remus. “It is. My girlfriend was hoping to have a Lupin one so we can match, but…”

The girl beside her, black hair tucked up in a bandana, smiled and threw her hands up. “When are they stocking those! I have two hundred bucks I’m ready to drop, I mean, let’s go before I second guess myself!”

Remus laughed. “Oh man, I’ve been there.”

“With my jersey, ouais?” Sirius grinned was teasing as he signed an autograph and Remus blushed.

“Here,” Sirius took out his phone. “You can give me your phone number, if you’re okay with it, and I’ll get you one? Yeah?”

“Oh…are you kidding?” the girl put a hand over her mouth. “Oh my God, I…yes, Cap, you can have my phone number, sure fucking thing.”

They moved along the crowd easily. Sirius grabbed the Cup at one point, walking it along for people to touch just as their entire team had in June. Remus stayed well away.

“No jinxes here,” an older man in a Lions Pride shirt laughed, his arm around his son. He held out his hand. “My entire family’s been Lions fans for generations. Glad to have you on the team.”

His son, the very image of his father, smiled and tentatively held out a sharpie. “Would you sign my shirt? I’ve seen your tapes and everything, I…you’re my favorite. I was thinking about getting out of hockey before you.”

Remus blinked. “I…” he took the sharpie, swallowing around the tightness in his throat. “I’m glad you’re staying. Are you a defenseman?”

He lit up. “How’d you know?”

Remus shrugged, smiling. “You hold yourself like one.”

“I hope that’s a good thing!” Remus heard Olli call from a little ways down.

He laughed. “How did you hear that?”

Remus signed the boy’s shirt, thanked him, and jogged a little to catch up with Sirius.

“I’ll take that,” Jackson grinned, and plucked the Cup from Sirius’ grasp.

“It’s my Cup Day!” Sirius laughed, but wrapped his arm around Remus instead. “Hi.”

“That was my first signature,” Remus said softly, to Sirius only, and Sirius squeezed his shoulders.

“The first of many.”

It was a bit of a blur after that. Natalie brought them ice cream and cold lemonade, which turned Sirius’ kisses even sweeter when they made it back home, out of the heat and stumbling, happy and sun-kissed. Sirius’ entrance hall was dark to Remus’ unadjusted eyes, and he focused on his palms, splayed over Sirius’ broad back. He yelped when a voice rang out from the living room.

“We’re on the couch!” Regulus shouted. “Just so you know!”

Sirius broke the kiss, looking flushed and dazed. “What…why?”

“I live here!” Regulus’ voice called back.

Remus suppressed a smile, and leaned his forehead against Sirius’ chest, trying to calm his breathing and any flush of arousal that had been beginning to stir up.

“Fuck,” Sirius swore. “How did he get home before us?”

“Who’s we?” Remus called out.

“Howdy,” Leo’s voice came.

Sirius sighed. “It’s my Cup Day.”

Remus gave his hip a short pat before walking down the hallway and rounding the corner to find Leo and Regulus slouched on the couch, AC on full blast.

“Right,” Remus nodded. “You’re suppose to be helping Reg pack for school.”

Regulus glanced up from his phone. “There’s twenty different gifs of you jumping down from the float and turning his hat backwards on Twitter.”

Remus blinked. “What?” He didn’t even remember doing that.

Leo nodded, crunching a potato chip. “And we’ve only been looking for ten minutes.”

“Huh,” Sirius said, turning towards the kitchen. He stopped, hesitated for a moment, and turned back. “Let me see.”

Remus huffed out a laugh. “I need water.”

“Donne-moi!” Sirius demanded of Regulus, grabbing for his phone.

“You have your own phone!” Remus made out Regulus’ reply in French.

Remus filled his glass, downed in, and was filling it again when Leo came into the kitchen, rolling his eyes and smiling.

“Thought I’d leave the brothers to fight. Can’t believe I used to be scared of both of them.”

Remus laughed, too. “Right?”

Remus watched Leo grab a glass, spinning his own slowly around on the counter. “Are you…”

Leo glanced up. “Hm?”

Remus took a breath. “Tell me if I’m overstepping, but I know today must’ve been a little…” he took his hat off, the colorful bill bright against the dark stone of the counter.

Leo nodded in understanding, sliding onto a stool. “It wasn’t…hard. It was actually good to see all of the support. I could see it in Finn and Logan, too. Logan is nervous.” He nodded to himself. “More nervous than me and Finn. Understandably. I mean, you know how long he and Finn…” Leo shook his head. “I was happy he got to see that. And Finn was happy, I know, too. Maybe we’ll start making plans. I mean, this summer was just fucking heaven. Just being together. Like, I don’t think I’ve ever been so happy.”

“Me too,” Remus sat on the stool beside him. They smiled at each other, then laughed. “I’m happy for you guys.”

“I am, too,” Leo grinned. “All right, I think me and Reg have to actually put his clothes in suitcases now.”

“Good luck.”

“That boy owns, like, five t-shirts,” Leo drained his glass and put it in the sink. “Shouldn’t be too hard.”

Remus grabbed a third glass and followed Leo back into the living room where they found Sirius leaning over the back of the couch, squinting at Regulus’ phone. He did a double take when he spotted Remus.

“Hey, where’s your hat?”

Remus snorted. “I’m not a twitter gif. C’mon, I need a shower.”

Regulus raised a teasing eyebrow. “And you need him for that?”

Remus stuck out his tongue. “Yeah.”

Sirius flicked the back of Regulus’ head. “Go pack.”

Remus tugged his t-shirt off on their way up the stairs. “That was wonderful, but fuck do I wish it wasn’t a thousand degrees.”

“I don’t know,” came Sirius’ reply from behind him as they entered their bedroom, followed by his hands on Remus’ hips and his lips against his neck. “When it’s hot, your hair sticks to your neck just…” he kissed just by Remus’ ear gently. “Here.”

Remus bit back a smile. “With sweat.”

“It’s handsome, I think.”

Remus laughed, turning in Sirius’ arms. He was summer tan and happy. Remus didn’t think he’d ever get tired of seeing that grin, one that was more and more present lately. Sirius laughed and made small talk with fans who asked for pictures—even today, he had seemed to almost enjoy the crowds and the media. Remus touched his number twelve necklace. He brought it to his lips. “You’re handsome.”

They stepped into the shower together and stood in the peace and quiet of the beating down water, turned cool against their heated skin. Remus rested his head against Sirius’ chest, and smiled when he felt Sirius lace their fingers together. It wasn’t exactly a new thing anymore, but it still felt new. It had been that way when James, Lily, and Harry had first arrived home and Sirius had done it on the table between them at the restaurant, just as it had been early in June, when Sirius had done it while they waiting in line to board their plane.

Remus looked up, squeezing his hand, and Sirius bent to take Remus’ mouth against his own again. It was softer, but Remus felt just as giddy from the day’s events. A parade. A Cup Day.

He wanted one of his own.

“Love you, mon loup,” he smiled. “Thank you for today.”

Remus ran his hand over Sirius’ broad shoulders. “I didn’t do anything.”

“You did everything,” Sirius whispered back. “You are part of me allowing myself things.”

Remus felt his expression soften.

“Heather explained it that way,” Sirius said. “I thought it was well put.”

Heather, the team’s sports psychiatrist. Remus had only actually met her a few times, but Sirius valued her highly, had called her a few times during the off season.

“I like it, too,” he said, and let Sirius pull him close again.

They threw the windows open to let the cooling breeze in once they were back downstairs, and Sirius put steaks on the grill for the two of them.

“Where’d Reg and Nut go?” Sirius asked.

“I think out with some of the boys,” Remus said, and followed as Sirius went back out to the patio. He notched his hip against the door frame. “Hey, do you want to go to the rink tomorrow? All this Cup talk has got me wanting to skate, like, now.”

Sirius tilted his head back and laughed. “With you? Always.”

Remus grinned and padded back over to the counter where the salad was waiting for dressing.

“I’m glad we didn’t end up having everyone over,” Remus said as he tossed it. “As much as I love them.”

Sirius hummed, sliding the screen door of the deck closed. He set the plate and tongs down before wrapping his arms around Remus.

“As much as I love them,” he repeated quietly, lips brushing against Remus’ neck. “I want you all to myself right now.”

Remus leaned back against him. “My thoughts exactly, baby.”

Sirius smiled against his skin. “Glad we’re on the same page. Vanilla hater.”

Remus pinched his arm. “Pineapple hater.”

~

Cole woke up to the smell of bacon and eggs wafting down to his room from the kitchen—and Katie Dumais curled up at the foot of his bed.

He jumped a little, and then sat up slowly. It took him a moment to realize that she wasn’t asleep, but that she was fiddling with a little charm bracelet, her eyes down.

He cleared his throat. “Uh, hi, Katie.”

She looked up, and a grin lit up her face. “Mom says breakfast is ready. I didn’t want to wake you up, even though she told me to.”

He sat up a little more. “How long ago was that?”

Katie wrinkled her nose. “Maybe four hours?”

Cole blinked, and picked up his phone from his nightstand. It was eight-thirty. He glanced back at Katie.

“Can you tell time?” he asked slowly.

“Not really,” she sighed happily, and kept fiddling with her bracelet. “You still have rainbow paint on your face.”

Cole laughed, rubbing a hand over his cheek, where Lily Potter had painted a flag the day before, for the parade. Where the Stanley Cup had been.

It still all felt surreal to say.

“Okay. Um, tell her I’ll be up in a second, okay?”

Katie nodded. “Okay!”

Cole listened to her footsteps scamper all the way up the stairs before he flopped back down on his pillows and chuckled to himself. He gave his teeth a quick brush and followed.

“Bon matin,” Celeste smiled as she flipped a few more pieces of bacon onto a plate. “How did you sleep? I think that heat yesterday tired everyone out.”

Cole slid onto a stool beside Marc and Louis, Katie to his right. “Really good, thanks.”

“The air conditioner isn’t acting up again?” Celeste asked. “Logan was always having trouble with that thing.”

“It didn’t turn on right away, but I fixed it,” Cole smiled when she set a steaming plate of eggs, bacon and fruit in front of him, and then another plate with toast. “My mom’s big with her tool kit, so, I mean, if you ever need anything around the house, I know some stuff. Just so I can…help out. Thank you for letting me stay.”

Celeste beamed. “Oh, sweetheart, we’re not just letting you stay. We’re very happy you’re here. Someone your age shouldn’t be alone, especially with all the pressure that comes with this job. But I will absolutely take you up on that. You wouldn’t know how to build me some planters, would you? Pascal bought the wood ages ago,” she turned back to the sink, waving a spatula. “Always saying he will take care of it, and yet there it sits!”

Cole laughed softly. “Yeah, I can do that. Sounds good.”

“Well, good,” Celeste smiled, pulling her purse over her shoulder. “Now, Pascal is with Sergei for an ice session—which you’re always invited to, he says, by the way—I’m taking Louis to tennis, and Marc to space camp. Layla will be here soon, but do you mind looking after Katie until she gets here? Adele’s up in her room if you have any questions. She’ll know.”

Cole nodded, trying to swallow the eggs quickly. “Of course. No problem.”

Celeste smiled. “She loves you enough already, she’ll be no trouble.”

“She’s always trouble,” Louis mumbled.

Celeste tisked, but kissed his head. “Come on, up. Cole, you have some of the boys’ numbers, too, right?”

“Um,” Cole thought of Sirius Black’s number in his phone from when he called him. “Yes?”

“Good. I know you don’t have a car yet, and you’re always welcomed to ours when it’s available, but if you ever need a ride anywhere, I’m sure any one of them will drive you.”

Cole, for the life of him, didn’t think he would ever be able to bring himself to call Sirius Black up and ask him to drive him to, what, Target? Jesus.

“Right,” Cole tried for a smile and knew it came out nervous. “Thanks.”

Katie did turn out to be a pretty easy kid. Even if she did seem to switch activities at a rapid pace. She drew, and then she watched half of a TV show, and then she was hungry, but she did all of it herself. After less than 30 minutes she had parked both of them on the couch where they were stringing beads for necklaces.

“I’ll make you Lions colors,” she said seriously.

That had been Cole’s best—and only—idea. He glanced at the multi-colored kit. “What colors do you want?”

“Surprise me.”

Cole smiled. “All right. What’s your charm bracelet?” He nodded to the small silver ring around her wrist.

“It’s from Tremzy,” Katie thrust her wrist forward. “He gets me one every one of my birthdays. There’s a hockey stick, because we love hockey, and an ice cream cone, because we love ice cream, and this is a book because we read together, and—”

There was the ding that told Cole that Layla had arrived, coming in from the garage, and Katie was off again.

“Hi,” Cole said, leaning against the kitchen doorframe.

Layla looked up from trying to put her things down and hug Katie at the same time. “Hey, Cole.”

“How’s it going?” Cole asked, feeling decidedly more prepared this time. Layla was in a green tank-top today, but her same shorts and gold rings.

“Busy,” she laughed. “I actually have my first orientation this evening, at the rink.”

Cole nodded. “Nice. I’ve never actually been inside. Well, not yet, I guess.”

Layla straightened at that. “Well…I’m driving over once Celeste gets home, just to see the place first.” She seemed to take a breath. “Do you want to come with?”

~

They didn’t have full gear, but the chilled rink was a relief against the sweat they worked up anyway. Remus borrowed a helmet—his own hadn’t been sent out yet—and used his old, worn in CCM skates.

“I can still beat you in these,” Remus panted as he skated backwards, tapping the puck back and forth and trying to gauge which way Sirius was going to dodge first.

“Oh, I know,” Sirius said, then lifted his right foot and went left.

Remus knocked the puck out of his stick towards the boards, and it sent them both chasing it.

“You use that trick too much!” Remus laughed, it echoing across the empty rink, as he shoved Sirius against the glass, the puck trapped between his skate blade and the foot of the boards.

“What about this one?” Sirius said, and turned to press their mouths together. Remus smiled into it, and it was enough to allow Sirius to steal the puck back.

“No!” Remus laughed as Sirius carried the puck expertly across the blue line, winding his stick up and taking a deadly slap shot, notching it perfectly in the upper left corner of the empty goal.

He dropped to a knee, sliding into a celebration before wrapping around the goal with a final whoop and crashing back into Remus for another kiss.

“Wanna run plays?” Sirius asked. “I’ll be your center if you’ll be my winger.”

Remus smiled as they reset themselves, pushing the used pucks towards the boards. “That might not happen.”

“Maybe I have more pull than you think.”

Remus raised an eyebrow. “Not that much, baby. What’s going to happen is I’ll start on the fourth line, go from there. Anything else and every journalist in the city would go batshit crazy.”

Sirius just scooped another puck into the goal, then hooked his arms over his stick, the body behind his neck. “Wouldn’t be our first time causing that.”

Remus smiled. “True.” He nudged Sirius towards center ice. “Face-off.”

Sirius took his helmet off to push his hair back. “Let’s do it.”

Remus was just tugging off his shirt, smiling as he listened to Sirius rattle of plans for the season, when he heard two voices laughing from the hallway. Sirius’ smile dropped, and he narrowed his eyes at the door.

“Don’t know,” Sirius said. “Hey, where are we meeting the guys for—”

“Should we check out the locker room?” one of the outside voices said—higher. “Do you think it’s open?”

“Non,” Sirius mumbled under his breath, grabbing for the back of his own shirt.

The door opened hesitantly at first, then wider, revealing Layla and Cole.

Cole flushed, and Layla’s mouth opened, then closed.

“Oh my god,” she said. “Sorry, we didn’t think…”

Remus glanced at Sirius, but when he didn’t say anything, just pretending to fiddle grumpily with his bag, he waved them off.

“Hey, we were just swinging by for a quick skate. It’s not our locker room,” he smiled. “Well, not only ours. You guys have the same idea?”

“Not skating, maybe,” Layla replied, twisting one of her braids around her finger. She looked up at Cole, who still looked like he thought he was in the wrong place, and smiled. “But neither of us have really gotten to look around yet, so, we thought we would.”

Remus smiled, using his dirty t-shirt to wipe sweat from his brow. “Nice. Well, maybe Cap and I can give you a tour or something some time.”

Sirius glanced up. “Marls does that.”

Remus tried to send Sirius a look with his eyes, but Sirius just glanced mournfully towards what Remus thought might be the video review room.

“Well…” Remus said hesitantly.

“We’ll keep looking around,” Layla said quickly. “See you guys around.”

Remus watched them to make sure the door was closed, then turned and punched Sirius in the arm.

“Quoi?” Sirius asked.

“Grumpy.”

“I liked it just us,” Sirius mumbled. “I thought we could plan plays or—or watch tape.”

Remus laughed, pressing his forehead to Sirius’ chest. “You’re such a baby.”

One corner of Sirius’ mouth raised. “So?”

“You wanted the rookie to stop making moon eyes at you,” Remus said. “Here’s your chance.”

“D’accord,” Sirius’ grin spread as he gathered Remus closer by his hips. “But will you keep making moon eyes at me?”

Remus leaned up for a gentle kiss. “I’m going to ask them to lunch. Wait here, Captain, you scare the rookie.”

“I don’t,” Sirius sighed, and Remus pushed out the locker room door.

“Hey,” Remus jogged to catch up as Cole and Layla turned at his voice. “Us and some of the other guys are planning to get lunch. How about it? You, too, Layla.”

Layla blinked. “Seriously?”

Remus laughed. “Team lunch isn’t a team lunch without the PT. Or, one of them, at least.”

Layla grinned. “Right. Well, I’d love to.”

Cole nodded quickly. “I—yeah. Yeah, cool. That rooftop place again?”

“You’re already picking up on team favorites, I see.”

Cole smiled sheepishly. “Kuny makes us go there every time.”

“It’s the sushi,” Remus laughed. “He’s a man obsessed. Well, cool. Meet you there in twenty?”

Layla jingled her keys. “See you there.”

“Sushi,” Evgeni all but moaned as he picked up a piece of yellowtail.

“Jesus, Kuns,” Jackson said. “You can’t eat all of that by yourself.”

Evgeni was chewing with his eyes closed. “You don’t know.”

“All right,” Thomas leaned forward, folding his sunglasses into his shirt in the shade of their umbrella. “What do we think this season, boys? Predictions, let me hear them.”

They all looked to Sirius first, who leaned back in his chair, one arm over the back of Remus’. He took a sip of his iced tea.

“Rangers,” he said finally.

“Uh-huh,” James nodded.

“Same,” Layla said, taking a spoonful of her miso soup.

“Caps, maybe,” Sirius continued.

“Definitely,” Remus said.

“I’m feeling Avs?” Thomas offered. “And I don’t want to say Snakes, but…yuck.”

“More like Vegas,” Remus said.

The table paused, and Remus just shook his head.

“It’s true,” he said, glancing at Cole and Layla, trying to decide if they’d noticed the shift in the air. He had to be able to talk about this. About him. "They’re deep this year.”

“Yeah,” Cole said softly. “Greyback’s killer.”

Remus felt the entire table tense and felt immediately guilty. Cole didn’t know what he had said, and Remus all but watched him wonder if he’d said something wrong.

“And us,” Thomas grinned, slapping Cole on the back. “We’ve got Lupin now. We’ve got Reyes.”

Remus rolled his eyes, but laughed. He tried to express his thanks silently, and Thomas winked at him.

This felt different. He had known it would. Team dinners would be his dinners now, not a friendly tag-along invite. Driving to practice with Sirius, they would go through almost the same routine, not split off for his office and the locker room. These were his teammates. He’d win and lose with them, and they with him, in a way they hadn’t before. Sitting there, in the sunshine that was going to turn colder, Remus looked forward to a year of this.

[lovemeleo]

Asher’s First Dumo Dinner

You know I had to continue the Asher series, I love that little bub. So here is Asher’s first dinner at Dumo’s with the team. 

Here are the other parts if you haven’t read them yet: 

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

____________________________________

After Asher met Dumo, they decided it was time for the rest of the team to meet him. They had plans for the Lupin’s to come the following week, but they also wanted him to meet their other family. Asher had just hit the one month mark and the team had been chomping at the bit to meet the “Coops baby.” 

James and Lily had gotten to see them at the hospital once, but they hadn’t seen their godson since. The group chat was constantly filled with baby pictures as well as the constant pressuring to bring him to the rink, to practice, to Sid’s.

As new parents, Remus and Sirius were both a bit nervous but had agreed when Dumo offered to have dinner at his place that way everyone could meet him at once. 

Tonight was the night and they had just finished getting everything together. For such a small being, Asher needed a lot of stuff constantly. Remus was changing him into a cute onesie with a little lion on the front, as Sirius put the bags by the door. 

“Mon loup, we’re going to be late.” Sirius yelled up the stairs as he grabbed his keys. 

Swooping the baby off the table, Remus pressed kisses to his tummy, “C’mon, bub, let’s go meet some of your crazy uncles.”

Asher chewed on his fist as Remus carried him down, getting him buckled into the carrier, “Ready?” He asked Sirius, tucking the carrier onto his arm. 

Sirius let out a nervous breath, “As I’ll ever be.” He murmured as he leaned to press a kiss to Remus’s cheek. His stomach had been in knots all day. This was not just the day his team would be meeting Asher, but also the day his brother would meet his nephew. 

Squeezing his hand, Remus led the way out the car and they were off to Dumo’s. 

Sirius’s fingers tapped nervously on the steering wheel as he drove, “What if something goes wrong? Or he doesn’t like them? Or if I forgot something in the bag? Or-”

He was cut off before the what-if’s could continue, Remus resting a hand on his thigh, “Baby, it’s going to be fine. They all love him already just from the group chat, and he is going to love them right back. Take a deep breath.” He murmured as they pulled into the driveway.

Sirius inhaled deeply, resting his head back on his seat, “Alright. Let’s do this. You wanna grab him?” He asked as he unbuckled, glancing back at Asher who was happily oblivious to his father’s panic.

Pressing a kiss to the other man’s cheek, Remus pulled away with a smile, “Nah you grab him. I’ll grab the bags.”

Sirius got out quickly, as Asher tended to get whiny when the car wasn’t moving, “Viens ici, mon petit amour. I’ve got you.” He murmured softly, unbuckling the carrier from the car before carefully lifting it out.

“They’re already staring.” Remus said with a laugh. Sirius followed his line of sight until he saw them. What looked like the entire team had their faces pressed against the front window, breath fogging up the glass.

Sirius shook his head, laughing as they walked to the front door, “Looks like something out of a horror film.” As soon as they knocked, the door swung open to reveal Celeste, smiling widely.

“Boys, so glad you’re here. I’ve so many face prints to clean off my window because of you.” She teased, peeking into the carrier. “Bonjour mon petit chou.” She cooed as she let them in.

After shrugging out of his own jacket, Sirius began unbuckling Asher who let out a soft whine, “I know, I know, baby. What’s going on?” He whispered.

Remus leaned in to give Celeste a hug, “Thanks for letting us take over your house for a little bit. It’s nice to get out of the house.”

She laughed, squeezing him tight, “We’ve been there, mon fils. Now let’s get you guys in there before they trash my house, non?”

Remus reached back to grab Sirius’s free hand before they followed Celeste into the living room. He had honestly never seen this group so still. Or quiet. The quiet was weird. 

“Didn’t know you guys could be this quiet..” Sirius teased, eyes flickering over his team as they peered at the small bundle in his arms.

Dumo walked over, peeking at the small face staring at him, “I told them they had to be quiet, or they didn’t get to see you. Right, mon petit?” 

“We didn’t wanna scare him. We’re being good and everything.” Finn whispered, his hands clasped under his chin. All of the boys nodded, watching as if they had never seen a baby before. 

Sirius held him gently, pulling the blanket away so everyone could see the small face blinking back at them. “He looks even smaller in person.” Kasey said from where he sat with Nat on his lap.

“That little face, I sorta just wanna smoosh his cheeks a lot.” Talker said as he tried making funny faces, Asher’s eyebrows coming together as he watched.

Remus smiled, wrapping an arm around Sirius, “Who wants to hold him first?” He asked.

A voice from the stairs behind them made Sirius jump, “I called first dibs.”

Regulus.

Sirius bit back a smile as his little brother walked over. In all honesty, he had wanted to have Regulus over separately to meet him. He could tell his brother was nervous. 

“Of course, Reg. You wanna sit on the couch?” Sirius offered, as the Cubs scooted to make room for him in the middle. 

Regulus nodded, moving in between Finn and Leo, “How do I… Is there a way to put my hands?” He asked anxiously.

Moving forward, Remus moved Regulus’s hand into a cradle shape, “You just wanna support his head and then have the other hand under his butt.” He explained as Sirius moved to sit on the table in front of the couch.

“Ready to meet your uncle, mon petit?” Sirius murmured, a small hand reaching out from the blankets to grab at his finger. “Oh, I know, very exciting stuff.” 

He looked up at Reg, smiling softly, “You ready?” He asked. The younger boy nodded, biting his lip as he held the cradle position.

Sirius carefully transferred Asher over, watching as his brother’s face changed to awe. 

“Oh you guys got a cute one. Look at that little nose.” Leo cooed, his long finger tracing down Asher’s nose, a small huff leaving his tiny lips. He curled closer to his uncle, fingers reaching to grab at his shirt. Regulus seemed to hold his breath as if he was afraid one wrong inhale would have caused chaos.

“None of the Black DNA and he still managed to have our hair.” Regulus muttered teasingly, but his eyes never left the baby’s face.

Sirius smiled fondly, his hand rubbing over the top of his son’s small head, “I know, the only difference is he’s going to have Rachel’s curls.” 

“Curls are so cute though. It’ll suit his little face.” Lily added, leaning her head on James’ shoulder. Harry was resting on her hip, his big eyes hidden behind glasses as he stared at the new addition as well.

“He’s perfect, you guys.” Regulus said, trying to blink away the tears that had welled up in his eyes. This was a lot. He never thought this would be in the cards for him. A relationship with his brother? Getting to hold his nephew? He shook his head, as wide green eyes looked up at him, “This is probably dramatic and more of your dad’s style, but I’m pretty sure I’d die for you, petit.” He whispered, one finger tracing over the small fist clutching his shirt.

Letting out a laugh, Remus shook his head, “You and your brother are more alike than you know.”

Regulus looked up, making eye contact with Sirius, “Maybe that’s not such a bad thing.”

[ibis-gt]

Poker Night

dippin my toes in the writing pool again with a short one about anya and felipe! there’s a bunch of side characters in this one that i just now made up so don’t worry if you have no idea who they are, i don’t either skdjfklsf

just under 2.5k words, kind of hurt/comfort. warnings: fearplay, threats of violence, bullying, peer pressure, felipe not having a very good time at all

Felipe looked around at the five giants seated at the table he was currently sitting on and forced a smile. Once again, Anya asked him to come along to one of the parties her friend Emily often hosted, and once again she’d dropped him off at the husbands’ table while she caught up with her friends. Quite literally dropped him off, plucking him off her shoulder and depositing him on the wooden tabletop with a “Play nice, fellas!” as she waltzed off.

Usually, they did play nice - Anya was built like a brick shithouse and would defend her tiny human husband with every ounce of strength she had. But tonight there’d clearly been some drink passed around, and now the five giants eyed Felipe with varying levels of displeasure. Seth glared at him with annoyance, Rolf looked bored and disinterested, Leo seemed resigned to essentially babysitting the tiny man, Amos heaved a sigh and rolled his eyes, but it was Bruno that really worried Felipe. Bruno was staring down at him with a mostly blank expression, but Felipe could see gears turning in his head, and he could tell it was going to come out to trouble.

He jumped as Bruno suddenly clapped his hands together, beaming brightly.

“Who’s up for a game of cards?” Bruno produced a deck from his pocket and began to shuffle them. The others took an interest, nodding their approval.

That took Felipe by surprise. It sounded harmless enough. “Yeah, that sounds like fun. Uh, don’t know if I’ll be able to play, though.” The cards were probably as big as he was, and he could maybe hold onto two at a time. Any more than that, and there would be serious delays as he figured out what to play. “Oh, don’t worry, I know how you can participate,” Bruno assured him. This was not, however, reassuring.

He dealt out a hand to each of the giants at the table, then began sorting out a set of huge wooden chips. Each one was about two feet in diameter. They had different colors and markings to indicate their value, but Felipe wasn’t sure which one meant what, and no one seemed like they were about to explain it to him. 

Felipe shuffled his feet and glanced around nervously. He hadn’t been dealt a hand, and he didn’t know what Bruno had in mind, but he didn’t think it would be all that fun for him. His suspicions were proved right when Bruno tossed a few chips in the middle to start the betting, then grabbed him by the back of his shirt and dropped him next to them. Felipe let out a quiet grunt as he hit the table and looked up in confusion. A few of the giants seemed to have caught on and were grinning down at him, but for the ones who were slower on the uptake, Bruno announced, “You’ll be one of the chips, of course.”

Felipe sat bolt upright and stared at him wide-eyed. Then he laughed nervously, trying to calm himself down. “Oh, haha, good joke! No, but seriously. What am I...” he trailed off, turning from side to side to see their faces.

Silence. Everyone stared at him. Some were still grinning, some were serious. Leo spoke up.

“C’mon, Bruno, you know Anya wouldn’t like that. Just let him sit it out.”

“Oh, lighten up,” Bruno grumbled. “It’s not like she’s gonna find out, is she?” He looked around the table, getting a head shake ‘no’ or a shrug from each in turn, then down at Felipe. “Is she?” he asked again.

“Uh…” Words failed him. He wanted to say yes, emphatically yes, he’d squeal at the first opportunity, and in fact he was going to stand up and start waving his arms and shouting right now to get her attention. But truth be told, Felipe was terrified. Everyone had been drinking and he didn’t know how deep in their cups they all were. Who knows what they’d do if he didn’t go along with it? Maybe if he was quiet and played along, they’d get bored and leave him alone. “...no, sure, she won’t. Ha.”

“Good,” Bruno said, giving him a smile that was not in the least bit comforting. “Then let’s start.” He threw in a few of his own chips. The others followed suit, betting based on whatever combination of cards they had. Felipe flinched every time a chip hit the table. They were being careful - none of the tossed chips hit him, but they landed close enough to worry him. He hunched his shoulders and tried to make himself as small as possible.

Bruno won the first round. He grinned that awful grin again and reached out, putting both hands around the stack of chips and pulling them in close. Felipe, still seated, was dragged along with them, back pressed up against the palm of Bruno’s left hand, trying to resist the urge to his feet and push back.

“Hi,” Bruno said, looking down at him. A few of the others chuckled.

“H-hi,” Felipe stammered, forcing a smile. “Uh, so, what - ”

“Chips don’t talk,” Bruno interrupted, and started dealing out the next round of cards. Felipe shut his mouth and hunkered down, hoping Bruno wouldn’t get any good hands. He was lucky for one round, and Bruno only tossed in two chips before folding. The next round, though, Felipe’s luck ran out. Bruno glanced at his cards and the corner of his mouth went up just a little. He tossed in four chips, then snagged the back of Felipe’s shirt again and dropped him down in the middle. Rolf whistled and looked at his own cards, tapping a chip thoughtfully on the table.

“How much is he worth?” Rolf asked. “Like, how do I meet or raise or whatever?”

“I don’t care,” Bruno said. “Whatever you think he’s worth.”

Rolf threw in six chips. Felipe wasn’t sure if he should be offended or flattered.

Seth ended up taking the hand, and as soon as he slapped his cards down in triumph, Felipe scrambled to his feet and jogged over to him, not wanting to be pushed across the table again. There was a snort of laughter from one of the other giants but he paid it no mind. Seth raked in the chips then looked down at Felipe, tilting his head to one side, seeming to appraise him. Then he gave a horrid grin of his own and pinned Felipe down with a thumb on his chest.

“Ain’t chips supposed to be flat? So you can stack ‘em?” he asked, clearly thinking he was being clever. “Should I…” The pressure increased slightly, and Felipe began to panic and struggle, trying to get himself out from under the thumb.

“Cut it out,” Bruno growled. “You hurt him and Anya’ll have our asses.”

The pressure disappeared as the thumb lifted up and away. Felipe got to his feet and backed away from Seth, eyes fixed on the giant. He felt like his knees were going to give out. Being meek and quiet hadn’t helped one bit, but now he couldn’t find his voice to call out for help. His throat was dry and tight from terror and it felt like his heart was lodged in it. Seth scowled at him and poked his chest with a finger, knocking him on his back.

“Go on,” he grumbled. “I’m bettin’ you. Hope I lose.”

Lose he did. Leo took that hand. He didn’t look too happy about it, either. “Well, come on then,” he sighed, and Felipe managed to stand on his shaking legs and wobble over. Felipe looked up at him with wide, hopeful eyes. Leo was the least happy with this setup, other than Felipe himself. Maybe he’d speak up now that he had him and could put an end to the whole thing. But Leo didn’t meet his eyes, just picked up his next hand and tossed a few chips in. Okay, next best thing, Leo never bet him and he could stay put and as far away from Bruno as possible. And Seth. Actually, just all of them.

Leo only managed to hold onto him for two hands before Bruno spoke up.

“Don’t get greedy, now,” he called. “Let us have a shot at him, too.”

Leo sighed and finally glanced down at Felipe again. “Okay, you heard him,” he said. “Get.”

Felipe got. Rolf won. Then Amos. Then Bruno. Then Bruno again. Each time, he’d slap his cards down as he reached for the chips, not giving Felipe time to register his victory. He seemed to delight in pushing the little man around and didn’t like it when Felipe tried to walk himself over to whoever had won him that time. Unfortunately he seemed to be the best at the game they were playing, with an impeccable poker face and a decent winning streak. Since he was also the dealer, Felipe half suspected he was cheating, but he lost often enough not to irk anyone else at the table. Bruno started to play with him whenever he had him. He’d dangle him by the back of his shirt and gently swing him back and forth, or pin him under his palm and drum his fingers on the table. Once he even picked Felipe up and began to toss him up in the air and catch him, not very high, but enough to get a frightened yelp out of him. Bruno seemed to think that might draw too much attention, though, and quickly set Felipe back down, shaking like a leaf and trying not to hyperventilate.

Rolf looked about as uncomfortable as Leo had when he won Felipe for the first time. Felipe caught him glancing at Leo and looked up at the giant too, but the combined effort of their stares still couldn’t persuade Leo to speak up, and Rolf didn’t seem to have the nerve to try on his own. Felipe changed hands a few more times before ending up with Bruno yet again. At this point he was fighting back tears. He desperately wished they’d get bored and give it up already, but it seemed pride was on the line for Seth and Amos, and Bruno was enjoying himself immensely. Felipe’s mind started to wander towards what would happen when the game was over for good. What would whoever had won him do? Would they try to take him home? Stuff him in a pocket or a cupboard for later? Or would they make him do something public and embarrassing? More embarrassing than being reduced to a literal object to be passed around, that is.

Just then, his saving grace appeared. He practically melted with relief as he heard Anya’s voice.

“Hey, y’all, what’re you up to? Where’s Felipe?” She caught sight of him and smiled. Despite how terrified he was, his heart sang out at the sight of her. She was still the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen. The others shifted nervously in their seats and glanced at each other, except for Bruno and Leo. Leo’s eyes were locked on Bruno and his face was grim. Bruno looked at Anya with his perfect poker face intact, although he was betrayed slightly by a small trickle of sweat down the side of his face.

Anya took in the scene and started to pick up on the energy at the table. Her smile started to fade. “No cards for you, honey?” She asked Felipe. “Are you helping Bruno, then? I’ll tell ya right now he doesn’t need it. He’s just about the best player here.” She looked around at everyone and then back at Bruno. She looked at the chips on the table all around Felipe, took in his posture, his expression, the way he was trembling ever so slightly. Her smile was completely gone now, and she set her jaw. When she spoke again, her voice was flat. “He’s not helping you, is he. He’s not playing at all.” 

Anya held out her hand palm up to Felipe, and he nearly tripped over his own feet sprinting across the table towards her. He leapt into her palm and wrapped his arms around her thumb, pressing his forehead to the tip. “Thankyou thankyou thankyou thankyou,” he gasped, his fragile facade of calm completely gone. The tears started to flow and he let them. Who cared anymore. He was safe, he was with his wife, the whole rest of the world could go to hell.

“You sons of bitches,” she spat. “I can’t believe you - ”

“Anya,” Felipe squeaked, and she held him up, her face instantly softening. “Let’s just go. Please.”

She looked like she was going to argue, but instead she shot a look at the cowering, ashamed giants, and stalked off. She headed for the exit, putting a hand on her friend Emily’s shoulder on the way.

“You set your husband right before I do it for you,” she warned. Emily spun around to glare at the husbands’ table.

“What kind of bullshit did you pull this time, Bruno?” Emily called, just as Anya slipped out the door, Felipe held to her chest.

She put a fair amount of distance between them and the house before lifting him up close to her face so she could see him better, the light dimming as evening approached.

“Honey? Are you okay? Do you want me to drop you off at the house and go back and kick their asses?”

Felipe managed a strangled laugh through his tears. “No, no, I don’t care. It doesn’t matter,” he lied. “I just want to forget it all.” That bit was true enough. He was so embarrassed by the whole thing. He wanted to pretend like it had never happened.

“I’m so sorry, I should never have left you with those idiots. I knew they’d be drinking, too, and Bruno always gets that mean glint in his eye when he drinks…”

“Wasn’t your fault,” Felipe said, sniffing and wiping his nose on his shirt. “They were just being dicks.”

“Did they hurt you? Because I’ll tell you right now if they did, I swear I’ll - ”

“No, no, they didn’t. And I’m not just saying that so you won’t go twist ‘em into pretzels. I’m fine, really.”

Anya gave him a Look. She rubbed his back with her thumb, working the tension out of him bit by bit. “I believe you that they didn’t hurt you physically,” she said softly. “But I don’t believe you’re fine. You were shaking like a leaf, honey. They scared you. You can admit it. There were five of them, they’re several times your size and could’ve snapped you like a twig without thinking about it.” He shivered, dropping his gaze. “Yeah, that’s what I thought. I’m never leaving you alone with them again. You poor thing. Let’s get you home.”

[fleetingpieces]

My One in a Million CH 5

Ok ok it’s here!! Once again, thank you @knittingdreams and @inloveoknutzy for being such amazing betas ❤️ And thank you @wonder-womans-ex for the idea of Sirius making awful cookies haha @donttouchmycarrots @sunflowerfox87 @justdyingontheinside @heyoitslysso @whataboutmyfries Please let me know if I forgot anyone that wanted to be tagged! :)

And of course, the lovely characters are from @lumosinlove ‘s world 

Thank you so much for reading y’all! ❤️

Masterlist

Chapter 5 - Making amends

Sirius had a plan.

It was very simple. He wanted to clear the air with Remus, show him he wasn’t a horrible person. And to do that, he needed to stop being an ass.

Sirius had never been more self-conscious of how much his family affected his moods. He hated the idea of them having that kind of power over him. After all, he’d escaped that house years ago to avoid precisely that: having no control over his own life.

He had a tendency to go on a self-destructive streak whenever he felt overwhelmed by his parents' demands, it was the only way he knew how to cope with it. It was unhealthy, he was perfectly aware of that, and he was tired of not being able to find another way. Yeah, he wanted to do something nice for Remus to compensate for his behaviour, but he also wanted to do this for himself. So, now that he was feeling like his own person again, Sirius was going to fix all of his bad habits, go back to being a decent human being, and apologize to Remus. 

It was going to work.

“That’s not gonna work.”

Sirius stared at Finn. He was sprawled on the couch, carding his fingers through Logan’s hair, who was sitting between his legs. Sirius would never admit it, but sometimes he was jealous of the relationship they had. He yearned for something like that.

“What do you mean?” he asked.

“Well, you can do all of that, but it will all be for nothing if he still refuses to even look at your face.”

“Why don’t you just tell him you’re Padfoot?” James asked as he walked into the room with two bowls of snacks in his hands, before he plopped down on the floor. “D’you think he’d tell?”

“No, I don’t believe Remus would do something like that. He would definitely try to keep Padfoot’s identity. I just…” Sirius trailed off and stared down at his hands, fiddling with them on his lap. Then he lifted his head to look at James’ confused expression. “I just don’t want the same thing to happen again. Not that I think Remus would try to take advantage of my popularity, but I…” he heaved a sigh, “I don’t want him to like me just because I’m Padfoot. I want him to like me because of me.”

There was a short silence as his three friends glanced at each other, and then Logan snorted.

“You big softie,” he said with a smirk. Sirius threw a cushion to his face.

He didn’t tell them the other reason why he was reluctant to tell Remus the truth: he was scared he would disappoint him.

The man thought so highly of Padfoot, it was so obvious by the way he spoke of him and how his eyes shone when he did. But would he still think the same if he knew that Padfoot was in fact his annoying neighbour? It seemed so important to him, for reasons Sirius didn’t understand, but still. He didn’t want to ruin that for Remus.

“So what are you going to do?” James said through a mouthful of chips.

Sirius perked up and smiled wickedly at his friends, making them groan even before he started talking.

“I’m glad you asked, Prongs. I’m gonna start by soundproofing my recording room. Which is why you lot are here today.”

James let out an audible gasp, “and here I thought you actually enjoyed our company. You were planning on using us all along!” he tilted his head up, placing his wrist on his forehead like he was about to faint.

“Outrageous.”

“I’m shocked.”

“I never expected this of you, Sirius,” Finn added, pretending to wipe the corner of his eyes.

“D’accord, d’accord!” Sirius huffed. “Dinner’s on me, oui? Don’t look at me like that, Prongs. I know you’ll be recording in here as well, so you might as well stop complaining and help.”

“Why are we here then?” Logan grumbled as he burrowed closer to Finn’s front, searching for his warmth.

“Cause you love me too much, and cause me and James alone would probably end up building a fort instead.”

James grinned cheekily at him, like he hadn’t dismissed that idea yet, but he got up. The four of them went to the room at the end of the hall, where Sirius had a couple of computers, lots of collectibles, and piles of acoustic foam and command strips to do the job.

“You know, you could probably teach Remus a thing or two about video editing. Leo showed us some of them and they’re good, but they are missing a little something,” Finn said offhandedly.

Sirius tripped over a chair, sending it wheeling against the desk.

“You...you saw the videos?” he asked, trying to sound nonchalant about it, but the effect was completely ruined with Logan snickering in the background. 

“Wait, since when are you friends with Leo?” James raised his eyebrows as he stared suspiciously from Logan to Finn.

Finn blushed slightly, but it was Logan who answered. “Oh, you know... we hung out a couple of times after the party. He’s cool.”

“He’s cool,” Sirius snorted. He hadn’t missed the way all three of them had thrown glances at each other all night at Halloween. There was something going on that he didn’t quite understand yet, but he wanted to give them the space they needed to talk about it if they wanted to.

Besides, there were other things on his mind as of then.

He’d completely forgotten about the existence of those videos. How that had happened after the display he saw on the balcony the other day was beyond him. Working on the room and waiting for the guys to be distracted enough was torture for Sirius. He had to keep reminding himself it was for a good cause, that Remus and his other neighbours would appreciate it.

But as soon as the food arrived and the guys sat down in the living room to watch TV, Sirius disappeared back into his recording room.

Finding the videos wasn’t hard. Apparently, there weren’t that many Remuses out there that were yoga instructors. Shocking, he knew. He pulled up the first video that appeared and almost choked on his breath.

There was Remus, bent backwards in the air over another man’s feet. Sirius registered at the back of his mind that the man was Leo, but he was more focused on the way Remus seemed to be flying as Leo, who was lying on the floor, kept him up by pressing his feet at Remus’ lower back and curve of his ass. A pop-up note at the bottom of the screen said the pose was called “back bow”. Sirius could understand why Finn thought he could use some help with editing, but right then, he didn’t really give a crap about that. Not with Remus’ muscles stretched taught to keep himself balanced and in shape, the tights he was wearing hugging the length of his legs and hips snugly, leaving very little to the imagination.

Sirius watched, transfixed, at the way Remus bent gracefully, his lean body arching and flipping in the air before Leo caught him. It was fucking gorgeous.

At the end of the video, a link was dropped that Sirius clicked almost on instinct. He was led to a website that offered all sorts of merchandise: mats, t-shirts, hoodies, sweatpants, leggings, and a few more things. Before Sirius could stop to analyse his fanboy (and slightly stalkerish) behaviour, he started adding stuff to the cart.

“Sirius, what the hell are you doing? Your food is getting cold.” James entered the room but stopped short when Sirius hastily got up and stood in front of the computer screen. He raised an eyebrow and glanced around his best friend, surprise marking his features when he got a look at what he was doing. “You really are smitten, aren’t you?”

Sirius rubbed a hand over his face, dropping himself back on the chair. He could talk about it with James, James wouldn’t make fun of him. “I...I don’t know. I’m just so curious about him. Like...I really want to talk to him more? Is that weird?”

“Nah, it’s not.” He walked over and propped himself on the desk next to Sirius, “I think it’s great that you’re actually trying. Don’t…” he sighed, “don’t close yourself off. You don’t need to do that anymore.”

Finn and Logan’s laughs drifted in through the door, breaking the haze in Sirius’ thoughts.

“Yeah...Yeah, thanks Potts.”

James bumped his fist against Sirius’ shoulder, smiling fondly at him. “No problem. Now get your ass there and eat your food.” He slung an arm around Sirius’ neck and started dragging him to the living room.

Sirius laughed and let himself be steered into a chair as he stole a glance at his two other friends, who were stealing kisses and food from each other, thinking that maybe James had a point. Maybe it was ok for him to want this.

***

Standing in front of the door with the number ten on it, Sirius felt a bit like an idiot. He was there, with a canvas painting -wrapped neatly in parchment paper- under one arm, and a box of homemade cookies in his hand.

Lily had mentioned what it was exactly that Sirius had broken, and Sirius had looked at many local artists until he found one he thought was perfect.

The cookies had been Sirius’ idea. He’d made them himself and vowed to never let any of his friends find out about it or he wouldn’t be able to live it down. 

Pumping himself up, Sirius plastered his best smile on his face and knocked on the door. A few moments later it swung open, and then Remus was in front of him, still looking back into his apartment with a smile.

“I’ll be back in a sec,” he said, but when he turned around and looked at Sirius, his smile faltered. The waver of those lips made Sirius’ heart tremble too. “Hi.”

“Hello,” Sirius breathed. After a few seconds of both of them just staring at each other, Sirius cleared his throat. “Can I...um...Can I talk to you?”

“Sure.” Remus seemed surprised, but he crossed his arms and stared at him, waiting.

Oh, this is worse than I thought. Sirius shifted his weight. “Is it ok if I come in?” he asked, and then he thought about Remus’ first words. “Or..oh shit, do you have company?”

“No,” Remus frowned. He glanced suspiciously at the stuff on Sirius’ hands before he heaved a sigh and stepped back to let him through.

Sirius’ first impression of Remus’ flat was that it suited him. It was warm, just like Remus seemed to be with anyone that wasn’t Sirius. It hadn’t gone unnoticed by him in the past few weeks how sweet and kind he was, always smiling and helping others. Sirius really wanted to be his friend. Ok, maybe more than friends, but right now, he would be happy with just that.

“What do you need?” Remus asked in an uninterested tone. He didn’t invite Sirius to sit down, and instead just stood there in the middle of the living room.

Sirius turned to look at him, his mouth opening to start apologising, but his attention was drawn to something behind the other man. Cocoa was approaching them slowly, placing one paw in front of the other without making a sound, his yellow eyes focused on Sirius’ face and his lips slightly pulled up.

A wide smile pulled at Sirius’ mouth, his eyes lighting up. “Hey doggy!” He crouched, extending a hand towards the animal.

“Sirius, don’t!” Remus tried to stop the dog, but Cocoa was already onto Sirius. And then he froze altogether at what he saw. Cocoa merely sniffed Sirius’ hand, sat down, and started wagging his tail.

Sirius laughed, “whoa, you’re even larger up close.” His eyes found Remus’. “Why are you so jumpy? He’s such a good dog,” he said as he started scratching Cocoa’s ears, “aren’t you?”

The wolfdog barked once and leaned into Sirius’ hand with its tongue hanging out.

“I...I don’t get it,” Remus was staring at him in awe, his mouth hanging open as his dog got closer to Sirius.

“What?”

“Cocoa is never so friendly with strangers. It usually takes him a long time to stop being alert and wary...but he seems to like you.”

Cocoa licked Sirius’ face as if to confirm that statement, making Sirius laugh again.

“Of course he does. We’re the same, aren’t we boy?”

“What do you mean?” Remus asked, still looking slightly disoriented.

“Well, I’m named after the dog star, aren’t I? And I’m a Black,” he gestured between himself and Cocoa as if he was stating something obvious.

The corners of Remus’ lips lifted up like he was trying really hard not to smile.

“Oh my God, that’s the silliest thing I’ve ever heard!” he said, covering his mouth with a hand.

“You can deny it all you want, but he loves me.”

Cocoa inched even closer to Sirius and put his nose on the box that was still in his hand.

“Oh no, that’s not for you. Sorry, boy.”

“I’ve actually been meaning to ask, but what exactly is that?” Remus frowned.

“Oh, right.” Sirius petted Cocoa one last time and got up, fidgeting with the paper covering the present he’d brought. “Well, this is why I wanted to talk to you. I um…I only found out a few days ago that you were the person I bumped into that day. I just wanted to make amends.”

He handed Remus the big square package and waited anxiously as the other man narrowed his eyes at him and started ripping the paper off. He was pretty confident in the choice he’d made, but he hoped Remus would like it.

“What the hell is this?”

Remus was staring down at the landscape peeking out of the torn paper: a beautiful impressionist rendition of a full moon over a waterfall, with a pack of wolves peeking out of a forest. It was very well done, and not at all deserving of the glare Remus was throwing its way. Sirius’ head was reeling. How did he manage to make someone so kind and polite react in this way every time?

“I know it’s not the same as the one I broke, but I-”

“Damn right it’s not!” Remus snapped. His hands were shaking. Cocoa seemed to sense something was wrong, cause he was there in an instant, standing in front of Remus, trying to find where the threat was. Remus plunged on, his voice rising with an emotion Sirius couldn’t place, “My mum made that for me! You think you can just replace it with any expensive crap? You can’t possibly believe this is the same as something that meant so much to me, something that kept me going during-” Remus cut himself off and looked up to the ceiling. He was breathing hard, rubbing his temple with one hand while he held the painting in the other.

“I...I didn’t know. I… fuck,” Sirius closed his eyes, cursing himself, before looking pleadingly at Remus, trying to convey his emotions properly. “I’m so, so sorry. I never intended it to be a replacement. I...I just wanted to apologise.”

He’d fucked up. He’d fucked up royally before he’d even properly met the guy, all because he couldn’t control his bad temper. He should probably go before making things worse. But he didn’t want to. He’d come here to make everything better, not to leave things like this. Glancing around to buy some time, he tried to think of a way to reverse the situation.

His eyes found something and, without even thinking about it, he blurted, “oh, so you bought the game?”

“What?” 

Sirius pointed awkwardly to the NHL game box sitting on top of the coffee table. “I know we started on the wrong foot, but maybe we can have a rematch? Break the ice with something we’re both comfortable with?”

Remus stared at him like he was crazy. Maybe he was right, but Sirius was anything if not determined.

“Remus, I’m trying, ok? Just...I have cookies?” He shook the box hopefully, making the cookies rattle inside.

Remus took a deep breath, thinking it over as he stared at Sirius. He heaved a sigh when he reached a conclusion, his chest deflating as some of the anger left his body. "Fine."

He gestured for Sirius to take a seat while he went over to place the half-opened package in another room. Sirius opened the box of cookies and left it on the coffee table before sitting down on the couch, tapping his fingers over his legs as he waited.

The couch was probably big enough for three people, but when Remus walked over, he eyed the free spot next to Sirius and sat on the floor in front of the table instead.

Well, their thighs were definitely not touching this time.

The air was so tense as Remus started up the game, that Sirius thought it would snap and hit them both in the face.

Cocoa padded over and jumped onto the sofa, placing his head on Sirius' lap.

"Traitor," Remus muttered, making Sirius snort despite the heavy atmosphere. From where he was sitting, Sirius could only see his profile, but he was sure he saw the man throw a sideway glance at him and purse his lips. He reached over to grab a cookie, biting into it with extra force, and he instantly pulled a face. "These cookies suck."

Sirius was surprised by such a blatant answer. He leaned forward on his elbows, placing his chin on his hands to try and hide the blush he could feel creeping up his neck.

"They can't be that bad." He snatched one from the box, propping it in his mouth under Remus' attentive eyes, and instantly started coughing. "Oh my god."

"Where the hell did you buy them?"

"How did they turn out so bad?!"

"Wait…" Remus turned to look at him fully, his lips pressed in a thin line to suppress a smile, "did you make these?"

"No," Sirius replied instantly.

"Oh God, you did!"

"Très bien, je les ai faits! I'm sorry I offended you with my awful cooking skills, I just wanted to give you the neighbourly welcome I owed you, d'accord?"

"What are you, 60? Minnie from the floor below made biscuits for me when I moved in."

Sirius sputtered, placing a hand over his heart, "what?! She never made cookies for me!"

“It’s not a competition, jeez.”

“But I wanted cookies,” Sirius pouted.

“You can have these,” Remus deadpanned as he flicked the box.

“Ugh, stop that. That’s the last time I try doing something nice for you,” he grumbled. Remus looked stunned for a second before he turned away.

It was quiet while each of them chose their team and started playing. They were a lot more relaxed in their game than they'd been last time, although that didn't mean they weren't giving it their best.

After a while of being absolutely silent, Sirius sighed. He felt Remus throw a quick side glance at him before looking back at the front.

"I owe you another apology."

The sound of the buttons being pressed and the low noises from the TV were the only things that could be heard as they both stared stubbornly at the screen.

"What for?"

"I've been an ass."

"Yeah, you have."

Sirius chuckled once, "yeah, I have," he said softly. He ran a hand through his hair, checking the score. He was winning, but he didn't really care this time around. "My family...they don't approve of my line of work. I'm not trying to make excuses for my behavior or anything, I just...I was having a really rough time that day." Remus raised an eyebrow at the TV, making Sirius laugh again, "and the days after that too. Damn, my friends had to check up on me every day to make sure I didn’t do anything stupid.” He glanced down nervously, afraid that he’d said too much, but Remus was still staring at the tiny players. “I just needed to get out of the flat as fast as possible. I wanted to apologise afterwards, but I didn't even know it was you. Bottom line is, I am on edge whenever they get involved in my life, and I act stupidly, and I am sorry you got caught up in that. I promise I am working on it."

Remus was silent for a few minutes, mulling something over in his head.

"Hospital," he whispered finally.

"What?"

"I was in the hospital when my mum gave me that." He hesitated before saying more. Sirius wanted to see what expression he was making. "I was stuck there for a long time, alone, and that painting was the only thing that kept me from feeling trapped. It helped me calm down."

Sirius’ heart gave a painful tug at the desolation in Remus’ voice. He had no idea how they’d gotten into this heart-to-heart moment, but his hand instinctively left the controller as he bent down to place it on top of Remus’, giving it a light squeeze.

Remus was startled, finally turning to look at Sirius. The sounds from the game kept ringing in the background, but none of them were looking at it anymore.

“I really am sorry,” he said, gazing intently at him. Remus’ eyes were the richest shade of gold he’d ever seen, glowing warmly, and Sirius was sure that he could light up even the darkest corners of his being. How had he not noticed this before?

The room went a bit colder when those eyes left his to glance at their hands.

“Are you ok?” Sirius asked.

“Yeah, I just-” Remus removed his hand to rub at his neck. “I have things to do. You should go.”

It was clearly a lie, and Sirius knew not to push it.

As he made his way back to his own flat, he had no idea if he’d fixed anything or if he’d just made everything worse.

[fruitcoops]

Hey I have a request for a fic , could you possibly do one in the teams POV for when coops gets outed? But only write it if you have time and if you want to. You are a huge inspiration and your work is amazing!

Thank you lovely, you’re so sweet! Sweater Weather credit goes to @lumosinlove, and this is based on the scene in Chapter 13

TW for forced outing, homophobia

Talker was just about to pull out his deck of cards while they waited when his phone began to buzz, and it didn’t stop. “Whoa,” Finn said to his right.

Cap went still. Not just still, but absolutely rigid, like a statue. He was staring vacantly at his phone screen without blinking—Talker wasn’t even sure he was breathing. His hands, steadier than anyone’s on a stick, were shaking. He fumbled for his own phone, swiping past the screen full of notifications and opening Twitter.

#SiriusBlackGay

#notmycaptain

#CaptainBottom

Next to him, Remus clutched at his throat, alabaster-pale with utter horror. The pictures…the pictures made him sick. Who would do this? he wondered as Remus swayed to the side and had to grab a barrier for support. Sirius was completely shut down. For the first time, Talker was speechless.

This was beyond invasive; it was wrong. It was cruel. Someone did this with no intention but to harm his friends, and that thought made Talker dizzy. “Sirius,” Pascal murmured, reaching out. Sirius jolted out of his daze, stepped back, and walked out.

Remus made a strangled noise as Pots came over and began asking him soft questions. Talker wasn’t sure Remus was registering anything at the moment if his wheezing breaths were anything to go by. The tears on his cheeks glimmered in the harsh airport light as Pots wrapped a firm arm around him and led him out, and then team was silent.

Talker’s mouth was dry as he turned to face the rest of them. “If any of you have a problem with Loops and Cap, we’re done. They need our support right now and if you’re homophobic—”

“Thomas,” Leo said quietly, his voice shaking. Wordlessly, he tugged his sleeve up to reveal a rainbow bracelet.

“Does anybody have a problem with this?” Pascal asked.

“Aside from the part where our friends just got outed and didn’t feel like they could tell us about their relationship?” Finn scrubbed a hand over his face and sniffled. “No.”

“Loops—” Talker faltered. “Pots is going to head to Cap’s house soon, and I don’t think Remus should be alone. I’m gonna bring over a…a something, fuck, I don’t know.” He took a deep breath and closed his eyes. “Whatever happens, we have to let them know we have their backs, and we have to shut down anyone who says otherwise.”

Murmurs of agreement rippled through the team. Across the airport, Talker saw strangers staring down at their phones in shock. You have no idea, he thought. None at all. “He left him,” Logan said, sounding hollow. “Cap, he—he just left Remus. Why would he do that?”

Finn reached for him, but he tensed and leaned away. Talker didn’t know what the situation was with them, but he figured it was better not to ask right now. “Sometimes we do thoughtless things when we’re afraid, mon fils,” Pascal said quietly. “Thomas is right. The best we can do is be there for them both.”

Kasey’s ringtone was startling in the heavy silence and he answered it immediately. “Nat. I know—I know, I saw. We’re still at the airport.” He paused, and Talker could hear Natalie’s voice faintly in the background. “Pots drove Remus home and Cap left. Yeah. Yeah, a couple of us were going to head over soon.”

Talker’s phone vibrated in his hand. Thomas, check Twitter, his sister texted. Call me asap.

“People are horrible,” Finn whispered as he scrolled through his timeline. “The things they’re saying—we can’t let them see this. Cap and Loops, they shouldn’t see this.”

“They already have,” Nado muttered. “Whoever took these pictures is about to get the ass kicking of a lifetime.”

Leo shook his head. “It’s an anonymous source.”

“Nobody stays anonymous forever online.”

“Guys,” Talker interrupted. “We’re public figures. We have our own accounts. Hype Squad?”

He couldn’t even remember who had come up with the Hype Squad in the first place, but it was one of his favorite Lions traditions. Whenever someone was having a bad day or was on the bench recovering from an injury, the rest of the team took to social media and hyped them up with positive posts. Now, they needed it more than ever.

Everyone scrambled for their phones and started typing—within a minute, his notifications went wild with posts in defense of Sirius and Remus. His thumbs hovered over the keyboard.

240 characters is not enough to say everything, he began. but it is enough to say this: Sirius Black is the best captain in the NHL and the best man I’ve ever met. Remus Lupin is an incredible person and one of my closest friends. Cap, Loops, we’re all here for you. #forevermycaptain

[mrwinterr]

3AM

Pairing: Leo West x Female Reader

Summary: You should go home, but you always end up in his room and this time he isn’t letting you walk away from him again.

Warnings: Smut 18+ (consensual sex, unprotected sex, oral [female receiving], hand job, vaginal fingering, cum play, cock warming and dirty talk). Pillow talk. Language. Angst, I guess. & mentions of alcohol.

Disclaimer: Minor elements of the film Ibiza (2018) are present in this. More like one or two out of context spoilers. It wouldn’t really ruin the movie. You don’t have to watch it to read this.

Title Inspiration: “3AM” by You Me At Six

A/N: I caved. I’ve finally written something for one of Richard Madden’s characters. Personally, I would’ve never watched Ibiza, but it was on Netflix, I was on furlough from my job, and quite frankly Leo West is fucking perfect.  

Deep breaths. Deep and calculated breaths. For some reason you paid more attention to your breathing when inebriated. Your eyelids felt extra heavy as you struggled to not only keep them open, but also your line of vision straight. The pores of your body were seeping out sweat from the copious amount of alcohol you’d consumed. The air was stuffy, and you kept sniffling.

You wanted to blame the last part solely on the alcohol too, but you couldn’t escape the real reason that drove you to spend hours at a bar in the first place. Historically speaking, you liked to enjoy yourself, maybe a bit more than others, and while it was reckless, that lifestyle introduced you to one of your favorite things on this planet. It wasn’t the drinks, the substances or the sex, but a humble, very talented now turned international superstar DJ. 

It led you to Leo West.  

It was at a small, dark club on a busy weekend. You were closing in on finals week and what better way to de-stress than a night out on the street. Your friends opted for this particular joint because of the aesthetic, but you didn’t care about its appearance. It was a bar nonetheless, the place always catered to live music and you loved that.

You remembered how puzzling it was to not see the usual instruments, like that of a guitar or a drum kit or a set of keyboards or even a lone microphone stand on the makeshift stage that had one dimmed spotlight. Instead, there was just a table with a case, a laptop, a turntable and a pair of headphones displayed on top of it. Oh, and lots of wires and buttons and knobs everywhere!  

Great. A wannabe DJ was scheduled tonight that would most likely go overkill on the bass and damage your eardrums. You weren’t drunk enough to stick around for this, so you walked back to the bar, hoping if you got a few more drinks in you then maybe the “DJ” wouldn’t sound as bad as you were expecting.

Claiming a spot, drink in hand, your eyes started scanning the small capacity crowd until they locked on a man and his path up to the stage and behind the setup. The intro music he picked out started playing, but it fell deaf on your ears. And your whole world just stopped when he looked up, the first of many “performer-to-audience” eye contact that night. He just couldn’t keep his eyes off you each time he looked into the small crowd. It all but allowed you a better look at him.

He wasn’t as defined back then, the t-shirt hung loose on his body, but he was still built nicely. His hair was curlier, definitely didn’t have the money to have it styled and cut or dyed, no trace of the signature gray streak in the front, nor was it maintained like it was now. He was very handsome. And his voice, when he spoke into the microphone clumsily, your heart melted. He wasn’t from here, and you wondered how the world brought this cute, awkward guy all the way from Scotland here to you.

When his set ended, he appeared next to you at the bar ordering a drink. He looked over at you and smiled sheepishly. He was adorable. You were done. You were always a confident person, and you mentally cursed yourself for even feeling like this. You didn’t do serious relationships. There just wasn’t any time for one in your life right now. You were young, still are, and the only thing you’d wanted from anyone was a distraction here and there.

He told you his name. You told him yours. He commented on the necklace you were wearing. You complimented his set. You even teased him about seeing him trip over one of his wires. He thought no one was paying attention, but you were. The two of you talked and talked until last call and the bartenders were begging you both to leave so they could close up shop.

That led you to his place. You learned he’d transferred from overseas to study music and was looking to break out in this country. He wanted to make it big time. You admired him for that. Then there you were pathetically telling him your small-town goals, it seemed dull compared to his, but Leo never wanted to make you feel that way as his words assured you that they weren’t and only encouraged you further.

The attraction wasn’t lost between you two either. You didn’t go home that night. You stayed and what was supposed to be one turned into many nights tangled in one another. You frequented his bed often to the point it looked official to everyone - except it never was. Leo made it loud and clear he wanted to be with you, but you kept bypassing his proclamations. He became none but a standby in your haze.

He just made it too easy to feel. With him everything was easy; not a care in the world, just you and him. It could and should be just that - easy - but your heart and mind didn’t ever make it that way for you. They wanted two different things. Your heart wanted Leo, but your mind said it wasn’t worth it.

He’d make it big one day, no doubt about that. He got good each and every set you saw him put on. He’d travel more, settle in a much more exciting area, find someone who could commit and keep up with his new life. You knew it wouldn’t be fair to have Leo wait around for you to change, but getting your shit together was something you had to do at your own pace.

Once you graduated and his advancements were becoming a bit more serious, you started to turn a new leaf. You did it to be a better version of yourself for him because he deserved it that much, but he always claimed he wanted you – whatever version he could have. At least that’s what he had you convinced of up until you saw him lock eyes and signal over to another girl in the massive crowd several hours ago.

What the fuck? That was your whole reaction. How could he? He always said no matter how big the numbers he played, he’d always and only see you. He didn’t look anywhere else besides her during the set, well you didn’t care anymore because you left after seeing them walk to the back. Did he not mean a single word he said to you? All those nights in bed, was it all just pillow talk? Figures. You didn’t want to get upset because you let it come to this.

In that moment, you just couldn’t forget all the pretty lies. You’re mindlessly scrolling through the messages on your phone, until your blurry eyes see his name and the distinct emoji assigned next to it. Based on the thread, you thought you were both heading towards the same page. It shouldn’t have been this complicated. Now all that’s left is yourself staring down at an old text message he sent, no longer wondering if he really meant any word of it. It hurt. It really fucking hurt.Your mind was proven right and now your heart paid the price.

“Miss? We’re here.” You pick up your head that was slumped against the side of the cab window and nod in acknowledgement.

You stuff your phone in your purse, pay for your fare, stumble along the stones of the pavement, on the steps of the complex and into the elevator up to the highest floor. You stare at the numbers on the door, hoping they’d line up and still, before you slip the spare key card into the slot and barge right into the suite.

You walk right out of your heels, and on your path to the glass doors and window, you aimlessly toss your purse over the expensive couch, and expertly reach for the zipper behind your back, dragging it down along the dress you were wearing, allowing it to pool at your ankles only for you to kick it away soon after. Forget the fact that you splurged a bit more than usual on it in hopes for a celebration of some sort.

When you stepped outside, you headed straight into the hot tub that also provided an overlook of the city. As you slowly descend neck deep into the hot water, you close your eyes and lean your head back on the edge, feeling the muscles in your body begin to loosen up. The jet streams of the hot tub that caused the bubbles collided headfirst with your back, and a taste of the midnight air in your face, all offered you only a temporary high. You used to think the hot tub was a bit too much at the time, but now you were basking in it.

For a moment you think you could just pass out right there, when you hear him say your name from behind. Your eyes flutter open and you hear the floorboards lightly creek with the thuds of his heavy footsteps as he makes his way to sit on the edge of one side of the rectangular tub. You don’t dare divert your eyes over in his direction just yet.

“It’s 3 a.m.” Leo states; an all too familiar scene for the both of you, and even though you’re not looking at him you can hear the concern in his voice. You roll your eyes at the obvious, not giving a damn if he saw, and then at the idea of him being concerned about you.

He senses the discomfort in the air and is hesitant in choosing what he should say next. He hated being on your bad side and judging by your demeanor you were mad. “You should probably go home,” he suggests after getting no response from you.

Only when he moves to get up and fetch a nearby towel, you turn your head and speak, “Why? Is she here?” It meant to come out as casual, but it came out more spiteful.

The muscles of his back contract and he visibly tenses at your cold tone. “What?” Leo questions, turning his head to look over his shoulder.

“I saw you!” You say, sitting up straight and getting ready to step out of the tub.

Leo is quick to assist you as he his entire body spins around, a rolled up towel in hand, “You’re not thinking straight-” he says and attempts to cover you up, but you snatch the towel from him and help yourself out of the tub. Water sloshes around as Leo puts his hands out, eyeing your every move the whole time in fear of you slipping and falling.

He follows you back into the suite and calls out your name again, but hearing it flow out of his mouth in his voice starts to hurt more and more.

“I’m not fucking blind, Leo!” You shout, whipping around and with your hands out in frustration.

“Shh! Please. The neighbors are sleeping!” He pleads, grabbing you by your wrist bringing them in and pulling you close to him. Your face is almost nose-to-nose with his, but you lean your head back just slightly in defiance.  

“I. Don’t. Give. A. Fuck.” You say in a more indoor friendly volume, emphasizing each word, effectively letting him how mad you still were. The close proximity gives him a whiff of the alcohol on your breath. You were drunk. He thought you’d stopped this destructive habit.

“I don’t get you,” he says barely above a whisper. It wasn’t meant to come out, but his thoughts always left his mind around you.

“Me?” you ask quizzically, noticing the strong look of confusion etched all over his pretty face, “I don’t get you, Leo,” you couldn’t hold it in anymore, “you begged me to come watch your set tonight,” pulling one of your wrists out from his grip, poking a finger at his chest.

“You said you were busy with work-“ he says then grabbing the loose hand stabbing at him in his larger one.

“I wanted to surprise you,” you explain, voice cracking under it all, “I didn’t think it was going to work because you said,” the atmosphere grows thick and you struggle to speak, “you said no matter how big of a crowd you were playing that you’d always see me, but you didn’t.” You always had a pretty good idea that Leo would wait for you, but when he failed to spot you tonight, you really thought you’d lost him for good this time.

Then he understood why you were upset. You saw him make signals to another woman and take her backstage, where all he was trying to do was help the poor girl and tell her she had a penis drawn on her face with a black light marker. He never saw her again after that. All that did was paint the wrong picture in your eyes.

Leo looked down, breaking the intense eye contact. It was probably best he didn’t see the tears in the corner of your eyes that were threatening to fall, but he didn’t cast his gaze away fast enough as they ran down in streaks, staining your face. He just didn’t know where to start.

You had been there for him tonight. He’d been really happy lately, especially when you started responding and returning his gestures. He thought he was finally going somewhere with you. And here you are, revealing you’d sacrificed and made time to see him play and he didn’t even see you. That led you down to a bar and into an old habit you’d gotten rid of lately, but he just threw you back into the pit unintentionally.

“I should go home,” you say, defeated and breaking away from him. You wipe at your face, trying to clear the make-up that was out of place and turn to pick up your discarded dress off the floor.

“No, don’t. Don’t leave me,” Leo says frantically reaching out for you. Another act within the all too familiar scene; he always hated this part and seeing it replay over and over. All those times you walked out, scared of something, he wasn’t going to let it happen again. He stumbles a bit as he manages to grab your arm to turn you back and face him. You brace a hand on his strong chest preventing yourself from crashing right into him.

Deep breaths. Deep and calculated breaths. You’re counting not yours but his breaths this time. You can feel his heart racing as you stare at his plump lips, parted and each exhale fanning against your face. His hands come up to cradle your face; and while alcohol had its way with making parts of your body feel numb, you always felt his touches. It was the best feeling.

Leo was always transparent with you and was nothing short of it in this moment as he crashed his lips into yours. He’d never been as desperate than he was now. The grip on your face was secure, hoping you wouldn’t attempt to escape again. He didn’t have to worry though because you were tired of fighting it. You’d bare yourself to him.

Your arms wrapping around his neck let him know you weren’t going anywhere this time, and he was able to let one hand reach down between your bodies to remove the towel. His touch sends shivers throughout your body as you rub up against him; your soaked undergarments leave a wet imprint on his dry clothes. His hands travel down to your thighs, giving it a light squeeze, signaling for you to jump up.

He carries you to his bedroom, lips never parting, until he has you lying down on the massive bed. He kisses you all over - your neck, collarbones, between your breasts, down your naval, hip bones, and the insides of your thighs - each kiss feels like a drug shooting through your system.

Leo tests the waters by pressing a finger to your clothed core and upon seeing the slight jolt of your hips, it gives him all the encouragement he needed to tug the damp article of clothing down your legs. He spreads your legs a bit further apart, pressing them down against the mattress, enough room for his burly body to settle between them.

His tongue darts out to your clit and you suck in a harsh breath of air at the contact. Each running pass of his tongue has you squirming, he has to use both of his hands to keep you still. The vibrations of his moans wreck all throughout your body as he sucks on the bundle of nerves.

Your hands wildly reach out in front of you, messing up his short hair, you need something to hold onto. Leo offers one hand, lacing your fingers together, yours more of a death grip in his. It only loosens when he suddenly stops.

You pick up your head that had dug deep back into the pillows to see why. You groan at the sinful sight of seeing his mouth glistening in all its glory - doused in you. Leo comes back up to level himself with you; both sets of eyes pulled together like magnets. He steadies himself with one hand above your head and the other grabs a hold of your leg, keeping them open for him, so his hand could find a clear path to your pussy.

Your slick makes it easy for him to slip his thick digits in you. Leo revels in the look on your face contorted in pleasure he is bestowing upon you. He inwardly groans at the snug grip around his fingers as he slowly pushes them in-and-out; the filthy, lewd noises only further cause his blood to rush fast down his body.

You start rocking your hips, your clit brushing past his palm with each thrust up. With a curl of his finger, he finds the spot and it's confirmed when you wrap a hand around his wrist to keep it there.

“That’s it, huh, baby?” Leo asks knowing full well he’s found the trigger, “that’s...your...spot,” and with every word his finger sinks in deeper and deeper. There’s a feral look he’s sporting, and you let out a whine in response, your fingernails puncturing his skin.

“You know what to do,” his voice turns rugged, “you know what to do, baby girl,” his fingers working faster, “come on my hand,” his forehead, sweaty, pressing against your own, “you can do it,” his soulful eyes burning a hole through yours when you finally come for him.

“Good fucking girl,” he growls against your lips. You start clawing at his white t-shirt, but it’s fitted so well, you start wrestling with the fabric to get it over his head. He chuckles lightly at you as you pout at him. He kisses the space between your eyebrows and sits up removing his shirt on his own; his bottoms follow ensuite.  

You admire the expanse of his toned body for a brief moment before you pull him down back on you. Your teeth tug at his luscious lower lip then suck at it. Leo chases your tongue with his own, engrossed by your lips he’s not prepared for when you sneak a hand in his boxers and grab a hold of his length. He moans into the kiss at the contact and slides his boxers all the way off, giving him a full show of your fingers wrapped around his hard cock. You watch as he swallows the knot in his throat when your thumb swipes across at the bead of pre-cum leaking from the head.

“Yes, baby, just like that,” he says encouragingly as you start stroking him at a pace only you know he loves, “you see how good you make me feel?” It’s a question that doesn’t require an answer. He was hot and heavy in your hands and you wanted nothing more than a taste, so you switch hands bringing the sticky one up to your mouth giving your palm a broad lick as you try to lap you all of what was left of him on your skin.

His jaw visibly ticks as he watches the whole thing. You bring your wet hand back down and resume jerking him off. His breathing increases and you know he wants to cum when he involuntarily starts thrusting back, but he had other things on his agenda as he gingerly pushed your hands away.

“I wanna...inside you,” he says, still very much short of breath, this version of him only made you more wet.

“Please,” you beg, feeling his cock slide up and down your pussy, prepping him with your slick. You never begged, but for some reason you got scared that this would all end in an instance.

You let out a big sigh of relief when he pushes in and fills you up to the brim. Your eyes widen at how his cock stretches you out to accommodate his size. You feel close to bursting at just being able to feel all of him, as he stilled in you, feeling every ridge and vein.  He takes a moment to himself, studying the way your body reacts to his. He’s reeling in on the warmth you provided his cock and more so his heart. You made every part of him swell up.

With a long and heavy drag out, Leo begins to thrust back in deep and slow, only increasing when he feels your hips start to retaliate back against his. He knows the pace you like it at.

“Fuck!” You yelp feeling the tip of his cock probe at the right spot.

Leo loops an arm around from beneath you, and at first you think he’s trying to bring you in closer by the hips, but instead he flips over, so you’re now settled on top of him. You support yourself with both hands on his pecs, fingers lost within the hair that sprinkled his chest, then you start grinding your hips deliciously over his. He helps you set a new rhythm with his hands on your hips. You watch as he bites his bottom lip and just the sight alone makes you want to come again.

He sits up, bracing one arm behind him for support, while the other pushes you slightly back, you have to use both hands to support your upper body, but this new position allows you both to get a good look at your bodies connected. Eyes both glued at his cock buried deep in you, you rotate your hips and moan when you feel his cock scratch along your inner walls with each swivel.

“That’s right, you know how to make me feel good...fuck, yes,” he praises then places a thumb to start rubbing circles over your sensitive clit, causing your thighs to clamp up, “that’s it baby, work that pussy on this cock...it’s all yours, beautiful.”

Once he has a good upright position, he uses his other hand to undo the clasp of your bra. He has a hard time trying to rid you of the confines, so you maneuver and sink down back on him and do it yourself. He uses both hands to pull the straps down your arms before bringing your body flush against his and reclaiming your lips.

You let out a sigh as his lips travel down your neck to your breasts, groping one and sucking on the other. Your hands find purchase in his dark sweaty locks as he pistons his hips up hitting deeper.

You pull his face away from your chest and you take note of his glossy eyes, the sweat buildup on his hairline, the creases on his forehead, his swollen lips and you’re in complete awe of just how handsome he’s always been. Leo brings a hand to your face, thumb brushing away the stray tear that escaped your eyes. You slightly turn your head in his palm so your lips can capture his thumb. The same one that was just mere moments ago rubbing circles on your clit.

Leo gasps at the sight, your eyes close from the burst of flavor of yourself on his salty digit. Your hips work harder and your thighs begin to ache. It shows, so Leo starts to pick up on the slack.

“Leo-“ you call out his name after a particular sharp thrust, your labored breathing makes it hard to voice out your desire, but he knew you were close and so was he.  

His hands grope your ass as he brings your hips down hard against his, you feel the hairs on his lower abdomen rub against your clit, effectively adding on to the impending sensation.

“Come on, baby. You can do it,” his fingers would definitely leave marks your skin, but you don’t mind it because yours claw at chest, “come on my fucking cock...show me how good it feels, pretty girl.”

You shut him up with a bruising kiss and soon he’s swallowing your moans as your body starts to quake, pussy clenching tight around him. You keep your hips grounded in place when you feel the throb of each spurt of his cum that shoots deep inside you.

Both of you part your lips from one another for some needed air. You’re still experiencing a bit of an aftershock as your walls continue to contract around his cock.

“Ride it out, baby, use my cock,” he says against your lips, and assisting you with small movements up and down his cock, “that’s it. You got it. Fuck, I love you. I love you so much,” he says, wrapping his arms around your body.

Your body falters against him when you don’t fail to notice that he’s started slipping the L-Bomb in his praises. Leo feels drops of water hit his skin and when he opens his eyes, he notices your body shaking still – you’re crying.

“Hey,” he says cradling your face again, “what’s wrong?” He pulls back to inspect your body and see if you were hurt in any way.

You brace his face in both your hands to stop his eyes from wandering from anywhere else but your face. “Did you mean it?” You ask, unable to control the downpour of tears.

Leo stops moving and immediately understands what you’re asking. You’re asking if he meant it when he said you were the only one he’d ever notice. You’re asking if he meant it when he said he’d wait for you. You’re asking if he meant it when he said he loved you.

“Every word,” he confirms.

Overjoyed, you press your lips together in a tight smile, and let the rest of your tears fall. He lets you rest your head on the crook of his neck as he rubbed soothing patterns on your back in attempts to calm you down.

When you do, you pull away and finally say it back, “I love you too, Leo West. I’ve always been in love with you,” and watching the big smile on his face was almost enough to cure you.

He meticulously pulls out of you, slight signs of his cum seeping out and running down your thighs, and helps you off him. You both settle down on the bed, bodies parallel, both on your sides, silently staring at one another. You absentmindedly brushing the gray lock of hair away from his forehead.  

“Nothing happened with her,” Leo says breaking the comfortable silence. He wanted to bring tonight to attention because he meant it when he told you previously that he doesn’t bring anyone back home. You almost forgot about tonight but are still relieved to hear him put to rest any suspicious thoughts.  

“I’m scared,” you admit. The first step had been admitting you had loved him back this whole time, but you still had to face the fact that you both were on two different schedules and you feared the worst it wouldn’t work out.

“Come with me,” he proposes.

“What?” You ask completely taken back at the offer.

“Come on tour with me,” he says a bit more specifically.

You’d already proven you were willing to drop work for him by showing up at his gig tonight, but were you willing to leave your old life behind to follow his?

Then the biggest smile on Leo’s face confirms everything when you respond, “okay.”

A/N: Leo West is so precious! & for the record, I too would drop everything to follow him. Lol. I may write more Richard Madden fics, idk yet. Please let me know if you liked this or what. Thanks for reading! 

[physicalturian]

Why don’t you listen to me? Law x GN! Reader - Part 7

Spoilers for : Punk Hazard and Dressrosa arcs [No gender used for the reader, no physical description, everyone is +18] Words : 6649 Archive of our own Blood, exhaustion, fighting, violence, despair, blood, intimacy, stupidity, innuendos If you feel like I should put more warnings, send me a DM or an ask … Part 1 - Part 2 - Part 3 - Part 4 - Part 5 - Part 6

How could he be alive? How could he be there, watching the fight? How did he make it? I felt relief course through my body just from seeing his angry face. He seemed fine, if not better than last time I had seen him. My heart started beating faster in my chest, I could feel tears welling up in my eyes but instead of crying, I went past my limits and focused hard enough to teleport to that roof. I almost did not make it, for my focus was definitely not there, no matter how hard I claimed it to be.

 When my knees hit the ground, I looked up towards Law, and he stared right back at me, frowning.

I covered my mouth and stood up really quick, stumbling the few steps that separated us before falling to my knees once more and pulling him into a hug. I held him so tight, I think he had to hit my back gently to ask me to calm down. I loosened my hold just a little bit but did not lean away. If I did, I’d see his face and if I saw his face, I’d break down. “What has gotten into you?” He asked, very confused. I tried to come up with the words but knew that no matter what I’d say, I would cry. Remembering what I saw was enough to make me sick and sad.

 “Your arm… it’s back…” I said against his shoulder as I moved my hand over it. He winced and said he still needed some time before doing anything crazy. I hummed but did not move.

“Can you let me go?” Law grunted. I could, but did I want to? I felt like if I let him out of my sight again, he’d be gone for good. I was scared, I was mortified, I did not want to let him go, I thought as I leaned back and looked away. “Sorry.” I mumbled before standing up. I could feel the tears coming back, I asked him to give me a minute and he took that time to watch over Luffy and Rebecca who were still in the middle of the fight.

 I moved to the edge of the roof and looked over it too, watching when Law brought Rebecca to us and seeing the defeat of Doflamingo against Luffy. I said I saw it all, but all of it was behind a filter of tears and short breaths. I was trying to get a hold of myself but I couldn’t, I was dead tired, I couldn’t keep the façade up anymore. I was grateful when no one came up to me, I needed to let it all out.

 When Luffy got shambled back to us, both women went to check up on him. I wiped the tears from my face and patted my cheeks to hype myself before making my way to Law. He seemed exhausted, but relieved too. In a small voice, I asked, “Are you relieved?” Looking at him, I felt self-aware. How long was staring too much? Could I keep looking at him until I had to go? Could I take a good look at all his features until I had enough? What was the right amount of time someone took, looking at someone else’s eyes before it’s creepy? I wondered…

 He shrugged and leaned back on the wall, finally opening his eyes after seemingly dozing off, sitting. “There is still much more that needs to be done-“ He stopped mid-sentence and stared at me in awe before grabbing my hand a pulling me down. “What happened to you?! How are you in a worse state than- stop moving!” I tried to pry his hands off my face but while he was out of breath and tired, he still had energy to be a doctor. And a doctor he’d be.

“To be honest, I’m past the point of feeling anything.” I stated, letting my hand fall to my side when he shooed them once more. Telling me that being a brat was not going to help. I think my cheeks heated up when he said that, but I could put it on the countless wounds I had.

 “Do you think it’s something to be proud of?” He asked, touching something on my forehead that made me wince.

“I survived, did I not?” I asked rhetorically.

“You wouldn’t have had to survive if you had stayed on the ship-“ I pushed him away from me and sighed loudly. How long could he repeat the same thing over and over again? He was going to speak again, probably offended that I cut him off, but I spoke up.

“I get it, okay?! I should have listened, but I didn’t and now it’s all over!” I said a bit too strongly. “Seeing you die in front of me was enough of a punishment, I don’t need to feel worse than I do right now. If you want to keep telling me I’m an idiot, do that once I’m rested because I’m this fucking close to do something I’ll regret. Alright Captain?”

 He stood there, silent. I repeated my words over in my head and regretted them instantly. Fortunately, we were told to move before he could reply. We were to be guided to Kyros’ house, where we could rest. I was going to get up and hurry away from Law when he caught me and slipped my arm over his shoulder. “Don’t overdo it. Lean on me.”

Huffing, I did as he asked. Not talking.

He chuckled and I felt his hand tighten around my arm and waist, “This, you listen to, uh?”

I felt my face burn up and I looked away, “Who am I to ignore my doctor’s advice?” I said quickly as we followed everyone. “Yours?” I heard him wonder softly.

 Facing him quickly, I stuttered, “I mean- mine like, like you’re not Chopper, you’re the Heart Pirates’-“ “I’m kidding, relax…” I felt my heart lighten. For some reason, having him being playful was reassuring. I called it playful but it was more teasing than anything else, not that I minded.

 We walked a long while before reaching the house where some medical equipment was waiting for us. Those who were in better shape took care of those in worse states, Law took care of the hunk blonde man he brought back from the castle. It took a lot of time, during that time I was dosing off outside, looking at the field of flowers that was expending in front of me. There were groans inside, but once it all calmed down, Law left the house and closed the door behind himself before plopping down in front of me.

 I did not look at him, too lost in my thoughts and perhaps hoping he’d just take care of my wounds without talking. But he did not stay silent.

“I’ll do what I can, but I’ll probably have to take another look once we’re off this Island.” He explained. I kept my gaze off of him. “Look at me.” He ordered. I clenched my jaw and stared straight ahead, not looking at him. Sure, we joked once, but I was still not over his constant repetition of how bad my choices were. I thought I was feeling better but now that we were alone once more, the heaviness in my chest was back and I was trying very hard not to jump him. I wanted to feel him close, I needed him. “I said, look at me.” He grumbled, grabbing my jaw and making me face him.

 I was met with his surprised expression, he let the hand that was holding tweezers hit his knee. “Why are you crying? Does it hurt that bad?” He asked.

I chuckled and wiped the tears, taking a deep breath to calm down. “It hurts yeah, but like not- not physically. I mean, yeah it also hurts everywhere but-“ “Is it about the thing you said?” I grabbed his hand and got it off my face, to look anywhere but at him.

“Yes. Yes, it is. But just, just doctor me. Forget what I said.”

 Moving his hand to my forehead, he didn’t warn me and pulled out a shard of glass from my forehead. “I can do both, talk.” He stated, throwing the shard to the ground.

“I said what I said, what more can I say-“

“Don’t play with me, just because I’m a doctor doesn’t mean I won’t do everything to get you to talk.” He punctuated his words by grabbing my hand and rolling my sleeve without much care then he started cleaning the wounds. I winced and tried to pull back but he only held me stronger.

 “I thought you had died. I saw when… I saw your arm get cut off, then I heard your screams-“ I paused and gulped, feeling a knot forming in my throat. I hissed again when he pressed the alcohol on my wounds before moving to my other arm where the knife wound was.

“Continue, I’m not finished, neither are you.”

Scoffing, I did as he asked. “I thought I’d check your vivre card, but it was gone and then the gunshots…”

“When did those happen, then?” He moved his hands from checking my knife wound to opening my hands and checking the side, with which I had hit the ground, hard.

 “I think the knife wound is a bit more important here, Law-“

“How? I’ll treat everything, just tell me how you did it.” He insisted.

“Well, how did you get your arm back? I saw it get cut right off, and I don’t see you talking about it-“ “Leo sewed it back on and the Tontatta princess healed it. Your turn now.”

I did not know how to say it without just telling him how heartbroken it made me to know he was gone. How desperate I was and how much I wanted to cry. I was not going to tell him any of that, I had to find something- “And be honest.” Fuck him…

 “I just… I hit the ground, I kept hitting the ground. Over and over again. That was my first reaction, along tears and… yeah, I was just… I-“ I pulled one of my hand from his and wiped the tears again before leaning against the wall, looking at the sky instead of him. “I’m so relieved you’re alive. You were right, I was so fucking useless out there.” I said in a weak voice. He didn’t warn me when he started sewing shut the huge knife wound, I gasped and looked down where his fingers were working diligently.

 “I didn’t say that, I said you should stay on the ship-“

I cut him off, feeling a bit annoyed, “Underlying statement being I was weak, wasn’t it?”

He sighed and kept working on my arm, “Not at all, you keep getting things wrong.”

“Keep getting things wrong? I wouldn’t get things wrong if you were clear, Law.”

“I didn’t tell you to leave my crew, let’s start there.” He huffed, cutting the thread he used to put sutures. Then he moved and did the same on the bleeding wound on my forehead.

“Well then, here is what you did do is: you did call me stupid, and you did give me an ultimatum.” He exhaled loudly once more, this time I could feel his breath hitting my face from how close he was looking at his work.

 In a low tone, he whispered, “You weren’t supposed to take it.”

“What do you mean?” I was confused.

“You were supposed to choose the crew over this stupid fight, I know how much you like the crew. I thought it’d make you stay.” He explained, this time a bit clearer. I tried to look at him from under his hand, but couldn’t really see him. I could however feel the needle stinging my skin. I could also feel the exasperation building up inside me.

“It was not ‘the crew or the fight’ to me it was ‘the crew or your life’, yours, Law. Your fucking life. I just couldn’t bear losing you if you decided to sacrifice your own life.”

 He stopped moving, then cut the thread before looking at me, frowning. “Why would you choose my life over the crew?”

“Because I made a god damn promise to Bepo! Because you were ready to die out there! Because I needed to make sure I could do something about you not dying- which I failed by the way. But also because I-“ meeting his eyes, I stopped and laughed at myself before shaking my head. I did not continue, nor did he. He was frozen on the spot.

 “Because what?” he asked.

I chuckled and shrugged. “Why were you so intended to keep me on the ship, Law?”

He sighed, probably ready to ask me once more what I was not ready to tell him. Instead, he started wrapping bandages around my arms. “You can’t fight. I need to remedy that.” “I know I can’t fight, but I can still be useful.”

He chuckled and met my gaze, smiling. “Tell me, what kind of Captain would I be if I sent my crew out there without them being able to fence for themselves?” I shrugged.

 “I was worried. While you are useful, in many ways, I knew this was going to need fighting more than helping. But you insisted, and insisted. I had to make you stay, to avoid….” He gave me once over, “This.” He nodded at my pitiful state.

“It’s not your fault-“

“Yes, it is. I couldn’t watch over you, I was too focused on taking him down.”

“And you wouldn’t have had to watch over me if I didn’t come…” I argued back, earning a short laugh from the fruit-user.

“You wouldn’t have come if you did not feel the urge to protect me from my…” Cutting him off, I huffed a laugh, “Tendencies to prioritize the mission over your own life?” He laughed and nodded, I liked seeing him smile again even if it was a small one.

 We stayed silent for a moment, until he was done wrapping the bandaged around my arms and making sure it held. “I should have listened to you…” I mumbled.

“You should have.”

“But I don’t regret not doing it.” I said softly.

He breathed my name in a warning tone, before continuing, “Don’t do it again. Look at you, look at all the damage you took-“ he paused he looked at me frowning, “Why did you come to Punk Hazard?”

I choked on my saliva at the mention of the beginning of it all, of my desperate attempt to keep an eye on him. He leaned over, making me lean back and hit the wall. I gasped at the pain in my back but try to cover it with a short chuckle. “I told you, I was worried.”

“Penguin was worried. Shachi was worried, Bepo too, but I don’t see any of them here.” Because they’re not in love with you… I am… But I didn’t reply. He sighed and asked me to turn around and take off the clothes that were covering my back.

“It’s nothing, just bruises. We should go sleep.” I could feel my blood pumping, my hands getting cold and yet sweaty. If I stayed here any longer, I’d do something I’ll regret.

 He lost his patience and said my name in a way that half scared me, half turned me on. So, I followed his order and turned around, taking off everything that was in the way before slumping over my knees and keeping the clothes close to my front. I made sure my hair was out of the way too.

“It’s-“ I felt his slender fingers brush over my back and felt a shiver run down my spine but did not say anything. With how delicately he was touching me, it did not hurt, if anything it felt like a caress. So, I closed my eyes, humming.

“You have cuts, and bruises everywhere. It’s not small ones, they’ll take a while to heal- What happened to you?”

 “Do you want the truth?” “Yes, I never want you to lie to me no matter how intended you are on keeping things for me, dear-” I heard him clear his throat before starting working on my back. Did I hear him right? Did he call me dear? No, I must be tired, projecting even…

 “Mingo did not like it when I jumped on him, twice if I may add. He slammed me into the ground, very angrily, both times.” I tried to shrug but Law had placed a hand on my shoulder, holding me in place. Turning my head to the side, I had his hand right next to it. I contemplated doing something, looking over his tattoos and gentle hands. It felt intimate for some reason, not just a doctor and a patient. Thinking, fuck it I did a thing I’d regret and leaned over just lightly, planting a kiss on the back of his hand before looking back ahead.

 I felt his hand tightened right there. I thought he’d move it away but instead he moved it closer to my neck, his thumb brushing my skin ever so lightly. “Why would you jump on his back in the first place? I would scold you but I’m curious…”

“Yeah, well- he was going to shoot you so I jumped him but he dealt with me just as fast as he put… as he… you know, shot you….” I paused a moment, enjoying his palm placed on my back as he put bandages on it. Then I remembered I was talking, and continued, “The second time, I tried to distract him so that he’d let go of Viola and Rebecca, as you can see, it did not go well. I don’t regret any of those things though, in the end everyone’s fine, right?”

 I heard him chuckle then pack up the medical stuff before asking me to help wrapping bandages around my form. When we were done, he softly said, “It looks like when I’m not around you’re a wild animal,” I then felt his forehead against the back of my head then his lips grazing the nape of my neck, he slid his hands to rest them over my shoulders, pressing the pad of his thumb like a massage. I wanted to tense, startled by the touch, but instead I melted into it. I let my head lean back against his, then I felt his lips press against my skin I turned around, to meet his eyes in shock. That’s when he realized what he had done and quickly stepped away, swearing under his breath. “It’s done, get dressed. Go rest.” He said quickly, grabbing the supplies from the ground before standing up.

 “Hey, don’t leave!” I never dressed so fast, in seconds I was standing up and grabbed his shoulder to stop him. Calling his name, he did not pay attention, “Ignore what I did, it was inappropriate. Avoid sleeping on your back and-“ “Law! Why don’t you listen to me? Stop packing your shit, stay.”

He shrugged my hand of his shoulder and turned his back on me. I felt a twinge, I felt sick, I felt hopeful too, but all together I felt weird. A knot in my stomach, why had he said that? Why was he trying to throw it under the rug?

 “Why did you follow me to Punk Hazard?” He asked while turning around, staring down at me with a scowl. I did not want to be asked this right away, I knew full well why, I was worried yes but it’s because I did not want to lose him, because I could not bear through the pain of seeing him die if he ever did.

 I opened my mouth to speak, then closed it and looked to the side. Could I trust my mouth right now? Could I even form words? I was embarrassed, panicking and my blood was pumping so hard I was sure he could hear it too. I let out a shaky breath, laughing nervously. “I… you…” how to say it? Did I really want to say it? If he was asking, he must know, right?

 He exhaled loudly and rested his sword against the wall, for a second I thought he was going to leave but instead he put the supplies on the ground and crossed his arms over his chest. I stared at the bandage around his biceps, that’s where it had been sliced, I could still hear his screams- “I, what?” He inquired.

Shaking my thoughts clear, I met his gaze for a second but could not look at him longer than that, I never did that. I did not know how to do it, I just felt out of place. How did one confess to their Captain?

 Letting out a nervous chuckle, I pushed him away and gave him the best smile I could muster. I was not going to tell that I loved him, nor that I needed him alive, I had to keep this professional. When- no, if he rejected me, it’d be awkward. “I told you, I was worried,” I said. It made him sigh as he moved to grab his stuff once more. “I’m not used to having a Captain that lets his crew behind to do, you know… Pirate stuff. Usually, it’s all of us or none-”

“It’s called being careful. I have to be careful enough for the both of us, considering how prone you are to getting in dangerous situations.” He hissed, grabbing my arm as an emphasis for his words.

 I scoffed, trying to pull my arm away from his hold but he kept his hand tight around it. “And maybe I wouldn’t have to leave you behind, if I could trust you.” He finished, before squeezing his hand tightly then letting go.

For a moment, I realized how bad words could hurt. I felt a pang in my chest but kept my expression calm. He shouldn’t know how much it hurt me, he should know that I’m strong and reliable.

And yet, when I stared at him, all my voice could muster was, “You don’t trust me?” I trusted him, why did he not trust me?

 His face contorted in a pained expression for a second, then he huffed. “Just tell me why you followed me to Punk Hazard, I need to know.” His tone was strained, but I was not ready yet. I wanted to be honest, I did, but seeing him right now… I thought back on my plan of telling him, and just sighed. “No, you’re right. You shouldn’t trust me, I could be a surgeon that takes people’s heart out of their chest and be known to just murderer people, that would be hard to trust-“

“Fine, so be it. If you want to play that game, let’s go back inside.” He did not even give me time to reply that he stepped back inside.

 While scolding myself internally, I followed him; I discretely reached out for his coat to stop him but stopped mid-way and shook my head once more. Stop this, what if he doesn’t trust you? He made it abundantly clear when he told you, you were stupid and that he did not need you. Shove it all away and don’t do anything rash. We went our separate ways, he laid on the ground, using his sword as a pillow which mustn’t have been comfortable. And yet he fell asleep just as soon as he hit the ground.

 I would have suggested him to sleep with me like we did back on the ship, but there was this growing tension between us. I thought it’d have disappeared after his almost death, but it was ever present.

 At some point during the night, Sabo came in to check up on Luffy. I was not as surprised by learning they were brothers, as his crew was. They seemed caught off guard, but it didn’t stop them from welcoming him. I only half-paid attention to his story, my focus was solely on the wounded man on the ground. Why was he so insistent in wanting to know why I followed him to Punk Hazard, I told him many times one of the main reasons why I did he but he was pushing.

 Making sure my back was off the wall, I brought my knees to my chest and crossed my elbows on it, resting my head too. The bandages were a bit too tight around my sternum, but I ignored it. While Law called himself my Captain again, and so did I earlier, I still did not think I was welcomed back. I should listen to him and leave but at the same time… at the same time it was perhaps just my fear of doing something I’d regret that kept me from going back to him.

 I couldn’t wake him up now, so I’d have to wait until morning to talk about it again but… perhaps I should follow Sanji’s advice and talk like adults. Yeah, talk like adults but also keep not telling him the truth, you know, like an adult. Fucking idiot. Huffing, I kept myself on high-alert but tried to get some rest nonetheless.

 While the Straw-Hat crew seemed nice, I did not spend enough time with them to know if I could let my guard down. Even on the Polar Tang I almost begged to get one solo, even if very small, room to myself. In the end I managed to have one shared with Bepo, but it was mostly just me since Law requested him to sleep with him on rougher nights. But those nights came in more recently, at least before Punk Hazard. Perhaps was it because he was thinking about this revengeful plan, he had concocted to get rid of Doflamingo? Perhaps it took the dust off some old memories that he would have been keen on forgetting.

 Whichever it was, I think he was glad that this very night he did not have nightmares. Or maybe he did not sleep at all, like I did, only half-asleep but still very much aware of what surrounded us.

 When we woke up in the morning, the Samurais brought food. I managed to sneak and get some for myself and Law, dropping it in front of him before going through the door without a word. I’m sure he wasn’t he a mood to talk, but I was not in a mood to see him sulking around either. So, I sat outside and watched the flower field.

 I did not know how long I stood there, but I could feel my whole body was on fire. The adrenaline from last night had worn off and I had a hard time going around, which is why I stayed seated on the ground and did not venture to the centre of town. Even when I heard the Princess was helping the injured one, but when I heard wind of it, I also heard the mention of the Marine. While I wanted to get some of my pain alleviated, it was not worth the risk of crossing path with the Marines.

 Hearing the ruckus inside, I had guessed they heard it too, and were probably deciding on what to do.

 Soon after, I heard the door open along soft footsteps before being nudged on the shoulder by something solid. Looking at it, it was the tip of a sheathed sword, Law’s. “Is it time to go?”

“Yes, get up we’re leaving.” He grunted, handing me a hand.

Taking it, I hissed and was ready to follow the others when he gripped my wrist. “Stay close to me, don’t wander off and keep running, no matter what. Are we clear?”

“Yeah sure, let’s go.” Before I could go, he pulled me once more and gritted through his teeth, “It’s a yes or no question, are we clear?”

It’s alright, it’s okay, don’t react. He’s on edge, it’s okay. With as much frustration as him, I smiled, “Yes, sir.” His frown disappeared and confusion struck his features, then I rushed to the front and joined everyone when they started running.

 I was out of breath pretty easily; I suppose I should maybe work on my stamina and combat skills when I’m back with the crew. Perhaps Penguin would help me, I’m definitely not asking Law since he’s being a bitch. Or maybe it was because of the bandages…

 As we ran, I realized we had lost Luffy. I stumbled a bit at the realization but got brought back to the front by Law who pulled me once more, telling me to hurry up.

 Rolling my eyes, I would have teleported to the front to show off if we weren’t being shot at. The only thing protecting us being the huge shield, Bartolomeo was holding up, or as he called it: barrière.

 But it did not matter, I could keep up, I was in automatic mode the entire time. That is, until I saw Law take a turn.

 “Oh, no. He’s not doing this right now.” I said to myself while following him. When I teleported to the street he had turned to, I felt an arm pressed right under my neck. It disappeared off of me just as fast and I was left, a hand on my neck as I looked at Law in confusion.

 “I told you to not wander off, why are you here!” He exclaimed in frustration.

“It’s not wandering off, I’m just following you at this point-“

“Don’t do that! Don’t play on words, go back to- fuck they’re too far now.” He groaned after checking the streets before looking back at me with his usual frown. “Why did you follow me?”

“Well, it’s called the buddy system. You’re not going anywhere alone, the only person who’s allowed to do that is Luffy because he can make friends easily.” I said casually, leaning against the wall. As I did, I felt the stinging pain in my back but ignored it, before continuing with my underlying statement, “You, however, cannot make friends for shit. I’m the buddy here.”

 Law sighed loudly, his fingers pinching the bridge of his nose. After a few seconds, he held out his hand, “Follow me, but when I tell you to hide, you hide. I’ll be nearby.”

Hesitantly, I took his hand. Sure, it was for guidance, but it still felt nice to touch him in a non-medical way, for the very few times I did. We ran towards an unknown direction; it was unknown until I saw there was one Marine sitting on the rumbles. He wasn’t ready to attack, and nearby was seated a big monkey. A gorilla? An orangutan? I didn’t know, it was definitely a primate. With a gesture of his hand, Law signalled me to stop and hide, which I did. I let my bum hit the ground a bit too strongly, but it felt nice to rest. My muscles were on fire, my lungs were threatening to come out of my mouth and my wounds had probably opened again, the sewing must have been shitty for it to happen.

 Placing my head against the wall, I tried to calm my beating heart to eavesdrop the conversation that was happening. No, no, don’t do that, it’s his life. Don’t do that, I told myself before bringing my fingers to my ears and trying my best to muffle everything. It wasn’t hard considering the loud crashing sounds that were happening in the distance. Stones flying in the sky, gathering to a huge one, I think I saw Luffy there too.

 My arms were starting to tire, if they weren’t enough already from the gashes on it. But I sighed, and gulped. It muffled the sound even more, I had to fake a yawn to undo it but kept my gaze ahead of me to not get caught off guard.

 Without sound, I felt like I had no notion of time. It was strange to say that, but I felt like it had been ages since Law had left. The moment I had that thought, something nudged my shoulder. I gasped and moved my hands from my ears, looking at it and seeing Law with a scowl.

 Feeling like he was going to ask, I used his sword as lever to get myself up and groaned, “I covered my ears. I promise I didn’t hear your conversation with the Marine, no matter how suspicious this is.” His only reply was a scoff at first, then he pulled the sword and me with it, catching my bicep before I could fall.

“Don’t grab my sword like that, it’s not meant for that-“ “I don’t see you handing me a hand when my wounded ass is on the ground, chief.” I scoffed, letting of his sword with a huff.

 “You have the worst attitude. I don’t have time to deal with you right now, let’s go.” He motioned with a curt of his head before starting running towards the huge ball of debris in the sky. I suppose it made sense to run towards the most frightening thing on the island right now. If that was there, it meant they were trying to block our way, which meant the port was that way.

 But the call that is ‘running towards danger’ never ended well, no matter who initiated it. And yet, here I was, keeping my mouth shut and running behind him without complaining.

 It might be a lie; I may have complained a bit about the utter pain that I was feeling all over my body but he was pretty good at ignoring it and just told me to keep going. “You seem fine for someone who lost an arm, I should have asked Minsh- Manshi… the princess to heal me, too.” I said out of breath, now running right next to Law.

 I almost tripped when he laughed at my struggle and simply corrected me, “Manshelly.”

 Chuckling I shrugged, or tried to, it was hard to do while running. “Yeah well, let’s Manshe-leave so that you can take proper care of me.” Was I pouting? It took me a bit of time to realize what I had said, it sounded like I was a brat in need of attention when all I meant was that he did a poor job last night.

 Which I was not going to tell him.

 He chuckled once more and was about to reply when he put his arm in front of me and stopped me dead in my track. With a huff, I placed my hand on his arm to balance myself and looked ahead where stood our allies. “We’re there, stay by my side.”

“You’re the one who wanders off, not me. You don’t need to tell me twice-“ He cut me off,

“No, I need to repeat it countless more times,” He sighed as we hurried to joined the rest of the people. Looking over at me, he smirked, “Maybe the princess could have healed your hardness of hearing, that would have been a gift-“

“I’m not deaf Law, it’s called selective hearing. It’s necessary when you keep repeating the same shit over and over, you know?” There was a bit too much animosity in my words, but it was too late. They were out now.

 Once we had joined everyone and waited for Luffy’s fight to be over, Law continued. “The same shit? Do you mean: the orders you can’t seem to take?”

“Hey, I can take a lot, ok? But I already told you, your orders were bullshit. Not all the time, but sometimes.” I paused and raised a finger, “And I followed all yours orders up until now, just not the stupid ones so… I’m great at this, really.”

He sighed loudly, “If you’re so great, why do I feel like putting you on a leash is the only way to keep you still when I tell you to stay back.”

 I turned around and faced him in pure awe, and slight embarrassment. Why did I kind of like what he said? No, no, don’t think that… They say to carve every word before letting it fall, but I just spurt pure raw unthought words, “And I feel like chaining you down is the only way to keep you out of danger, oh- wait no, sorry you can manage getting tied up just fine, especially when the enemy-“

 “Alright! Both of you, please, stop with the flirting. It’s annoying, it’s definitely something that needs to be talked about in private and above all,” Cavendish covered his eyes in emphasis for his next words before dramatically saying, “It’s truly painful to see, goodness…”

 After hearing the blonde’s words, I felt my face flame up and looked away from both of them, clearing my throat. I did not mention his use of the word flirting and simply waited for the ‘go’ before starting sprinting towards the huge ships that awaited us at the port.

 I dared throw a glance at Law while running, he seemed deep in thought. Maybe I should apologize, I don’t even know why I said any of this. I don’t mind his orders, they make sense, I’m just an idiot. I can’t tell him that though, it’d be too gratifying for him… No, he wouldn’t be satisfied by that… Even so, I had to find an excuse as of why I spoke so heatedly instead of staying compose like I usually am. Looks like shoving it all way is starting to have consequences I don’t like…

 Focusing on the task at hand, we all ran to the ships and, thanks to Luffy, reached the said ships in one piece instead of all ending up at the bottom of the ocean. Maybe not all of us would have drowned, but fruit users definitely would have.

 Lots of people returned to their own ships, but it looked like the most important fighters decided to join the one on which we had all gathered along the Straw-Hat crew. When they started talking about pleading allegiance to Luffy, I snuck off and wandered about the inside of the huge ship. “I should probably find a change of bandages, I can smell the iron-y smell from here, yikes.” I said to myself. Talking to myself eased the eerie feeling of being alone inside an empty ship. Yes, people were on deck, probably feasting at this point, but inside it was empty.

 No number of loud laughs could help with that ghost-like sensation of being alone in an unknown place. I felt out of place but kept searching until I found a pretty well stocked infirmary.

 Closing the door behind me, the room was muffled. There wasn’t any sound except the creaking of the wood, and for a moment there, it felt peaceful. I stood against the door an unknown amount of time before pushing myself off the wooden door and making my way to the bed.

 Taking off my shoes, I sat on the bed and patted the pillows a bit, humming to help with the lack of sound in the room. “If they’re partying, I could nap… I sure … as hell mmm need some… of that nice…” Sleep. I couldn’t help my eyelids from closing and my brain going in pass out mode. I felt my body relax and very slowly, I let myself drift off to an uncomfortable but perhaps restful sleep.

[Part 8]

[lilacsandwhiskey]

Simp prompts "it's okay, I promise, I'll be here when you wake up" for Drake x Riley. I don't care who says it to who...

Leaving 18+

Pairing: Drake Walker x Riley Brooks

A/U where Riley was previously in Drake’s life while he was in college, until the day Leo showed up at his door and whisked the man away. Riley never even got a goodbye. This takes place after running into each other in NYC that night when she’s his waitress.

Warnings: smutttty, angst, trash writing, language, did not proofread:)

prompt from simp softness prompts from @soulmemes

Riley was mad at herself. Furious actually.

When Drake walked into the restaurant she worked at, the thought crossed her mind to walk up and slap him across the face. Or kiss him. Or cry. Or all of the above.

But instead, she walked up, cool, calm, and collected. Drake found that more terrifying than anything. The four men sat at the table, Drake’s eyes practically bugging out of his head, while the other three took part in a conversation among themselves - something about one of them almost died at the top of the Empire State Building or something like that.

The table was already frustrating from seeing Drake, but the remarks from the one with the slicked back hair and fancy suit made it almost unbearable. Drake finally spoke up, ordering for the table before skittishly saying Riley’s name in question.

“Yes, hi Drake. I’ll be back with your drinks.” Riley attempted to look unbothered but as soon as she turned on her heel away from the table she wanted to throw up.

“Stop it!” Riley cried out for the sixth time while Drake pinched the sides of her hips, making her laugh uncontrollably. “Fine, fine.” He pulled Riley into him, lifting up one of her hands with his own and staring at it.

Riley finally caught her breath. “What ya thinking about in that pretty little head, Drake Walker?” Drake played aimlessly with her fingers, looking at her through his dark eyelashes. “Just a future with you, Brooks.”

It was only weeks later that the brown-headed Cordonian boy left without a trace, without so much as a word or call. Soon, Riley’s number couldn’t make it through the dial, and she was left to heal a broken heart on her own. She hated the idea of Drake. The way he held her so close the night before he was gone.

She’d buried her head inside his chest, asking for an answer for what they were going to do after graduation. Graduation was still over a year away but Riley couldn’t help but to think about what was going to happen when they walked across the stage.

After several words of affirmation, Drake held Riley close, kissing her forehead. “It’s okay, I promise I’ll be here when you wake up.”

And then he wasn’t. When Riley woke up, she recognized that the bed was colder than usual, she was free to move around on the small twin xl bed. She figured Drake had left to get something from his room, as this wasn’t like him at all. When an hour had passed by with no trace, no call or text back, she resulted to contacting his roommate.

Riley recalled the sobs that fell from her lips when his roommate was frantic on the phone, mentioning that there was not a single thing left behind except for the clothes he’d left in Riley’s room. They searched high and low for a letter, a note, something, but came up with nothing.

Now here she was, facing the boy turned man that had broken her heart into tiny little pieces. Riley went to the back of the restaurant to control her breathing before facing her past again.

After their order had been delivered, Riley took it upon herself to begin closing up, starting with wiping down the bar and tables. All of this in attempt to occupy her mind. That changed when the blonde who you’d only assume was his friend, Liam, that’d you’d seen in pictures on Drake’s desk, walks up ready to pay for the meal for everyone. Thankful that everyone was told to wait outside, Riley engaged in the casual conversation with Liam.

“So you’re the infamous Riley?” “So, that’s what they call me in your parts.” Riley responded, swiping the credit card through the machine. Liam could only grin, but there was no doubt that he could see why his friend fell so hard for her. Of course he’d gotten to know her over phone calls and video chats when she was in Drake’s room, but seeing her in person, watching the way she was able to pull herself together so quickly in what must have been a hard moment, Liam knew why Drake never stopped talking about her.

Drake hadn’t said her name in well over a year, but Liam had caught his friend stalking her social media just months ago. “Look, I’m sure you have a thousand assumptions about the man, but I promise he didn’t leave you. He had to leave behind a life he created over something he had no control of.” Riley scoffed, Liam noticed she was barely taking in the excuse. “If you love someone, you don’t leave without a trace. It doesn’t matter anyway, that was college and many years ago. Not like it means anything now.”

After leaving a rather large tip, Liam thanked Riley for her patience and hospitality before heading out the door. Liam noticed that Drake had separated himself from the group, wandering around and staring up at the sky as if he was searching for something. “Ready to go?”

——————

Riley felt her phone buzz in her pocket for the eighteenth time, she was sure. When she clocked out, she finally slid her phone out of her pocket, revealing several text messages from Cassie. Riley knew a brisk call would be better than even attempting to read through all of the messages.

“Cassie, what gave you the idea that texting me a thousand times was okay?” “Look, you have to come out with me tonight. Sarah bailed and you know I don’t want to go clubbing alone.”

Riley mumbled goodbyes to the cooks who were closing up, placing the phone between her shoulder and ear. “Cassie…” “Please, I’m begging.” After the night she had, she thought it could be a good idea to get her mind off of things, aimlessly flirt with some guys and get some free drinks. “Meet me at my apartment in ten so I can get ready.”

——————

The driver followed his directions that Maxwell had given to the club. Drake sat with his head at the window, staring at the lights, wishing he could just go back to the penthouse and fall asleep for the night.

“Drake..” Liam pulled the man from his thoughts as he looked over to his friend. “Why didn’t you say something?” “It was clear she didn’t want to see me. And, who knew we’d run into her anyway? That was the last thing I’d expect in this city.” Drake replied, sitting further back in his seat.

“Did you expect her to welcome you with a hug and kiss? Dude, she got her heartbroken. And I feel just as guilty because I know why you came back but she deserves something.” “Can we just drop it?” Liam shrugged his shoulder with a slight scoff, knowing this was how hard-headed his best friend was.

As they walked into the club Maxwell had sought out, Drake felt the dread enter deeply into his body. Individuals dancing on others, music blasting through the speakers, nothing but the smell of too much perfume, alcohol, and sweat. Drake pushed pass his friends to sought out the bar, where he’d occupy for the rest of the night.

Drake reached the bar, taking an empty seat as the bartender diverted his attention to him as he cleaned a glass. “Whiskey, please.” Drake placed his elbows on the counter just as he heard a familiar voice coming up behind him.

“You tricked me, Cass.” “I knew you wouldn’t come if you didn’t feel bad for me. Sarah may have changed her mind, okay.” Drake turned his head the other way, in hopes she didn’t notice him. He couldn’t help but side-eye her though, taking in the tiny emerald dress that was hugging her body - instead of the baggy t-shirt and shorts she was wearing prior. Her hair was pulled out of the loose bun and was now laying down her back in loose waves.

“Whiskey, please.” She sighed. Drake smirked, knowing he was the one who got her hooked on a simple glass of whiskey. Then he heard a groan, knowing she’d looked and noticed him. Drake cleared his throat. “You following me, Drake?” A very Riley thing to ask.

“I wish I could say so, but my friends dragged me here.” “Thought so, you always said this wasn’t your scene.” Riley air quoted as she talked, nursing the whiskey that had been placed in front of her. She never made eye contact though. “You know, I never thought I’d see you again, and now that I do, I don’t even know what to say. Maybe… Fuck you?” Drake almost let out a laugh, nodding his head. “Guess I deserve that.” “Yeah, no guessing. Flat out.”

Drake admired her for keeping herself calm and collected. Drake himself was about to pass out from his nerves of being so close to the one girl he’d loved the most. “It’s been five years. You’ve changed a lot.” “That’s what happens to people, typically.” Riley remarked. “Can we talk?” Drake blurted out. Riley still didn’t make eye contact with him. “Please, I just.. I need to be honest with you.” “For once in his life, Drake Walker wants to explain himself… wants to be honest. What does me the honors?” “Brooks.” “Fine, lay it out.” She patted the table. “Not here.”

Riley’s eyes finally met his face. “You think I want to go somewhere with you?” “You once trust me, didn’t you?” “Yeah, once.” “Trust me again.” “It doesn’t work like that, Drake.” Drake nodded his head. “I get that but please, just not here.” His eyes wandered the room. “Fine.” Riley shoved herself from the table, Drake scrambling to leave some bills on the counter before attempting to catch up with her. She had dragged who looked to be her friends to the side who were eying her with devious smiles, in which she returned with a slight shove.

Drake shot a quick text to his friends that he’d meet back up with them later. When Riley was out hailing a taxi, she still had yet to say a word to him from leaving the table. The ride to whatever location made Drake’s heart wrench. When they pulled up to a brick building, Riley handed the man cash and got out quickly, Drake on her heels.

Shockingly, Riley had managed to feel comfortable enough to bring Drake to her haven, her home, in the midst of New York. “Welcome to my humble abode.” She stood in her studio apartment, leaning up against the counter as she watched Drake observe the room. “Much different than your dorm decor.” “Yeah, not so much into patterns anymore.” Riley replied.

The silence between them thickened. “Okay, Drake, I didn’t invite you to my place so you could stalk around trying to take in the bits of me you missed out on. You said you’d explain yourself. And I’m tired of waiting.” Drake found himself speechless. “See, you don’t even care to say anything. After all these years, after the heartbreak and the hurt you put me through, you can’t say anything. Do you know what you leaving did to me? Do you know how much it hurt to plan a future with someone then wake up to no trace? Hell, I get we were kids but come on, that doesn’t mean it didn’t affect me.” “Riley…” “No, I gave you the chance to talk. I’m taking my opportunity. Do you know how low you have to be to drop the girl who’d do anything for you? I was willing to wait for you. I was so patient with you, for you to come around to your senses that we belonged together. I was there. Do you-“ “Dammit, Brooks.”

Drake moved swiftly, crashing his own lips on Riley’s in efforts to shut her up - and it worked. Drake rested his hand on her cheek, the other on her back pulling her into him, suddenly reminiscing on the times that those lips had been all over him before. Riley slowly lifted her arms up to tug the back of his head, before finally coming to her own senses and pushing him away. “What the hell, Drake?!”

“You wouldn’t let me talk and I need to get this out. For five years, I’ve wondered about you. I’ve thought nonstop about you and what we couldve been. I regretted so much, recognizing that we could’ve been fucking married by now. Isn’t that crazy? Yeah, we were two college kids who couldn’t get enough of each other but I met you and I knew you were special. You wanna know why I left? Because my best friend needed me. I couldn’t tell you what was going on because it’s confidential what goes on in his life. I couldn’t bring you home to meet my family because I didn’t have a home - I lived in a palace with my best friend because my mom couldn’t take care of me and my sister. That’s the truth. My best friend needed me and just like I always do, I went back. I ran. And I missed out on the greatest thing in life but I couldn’t tell you. I was sworn to secrecy.”

Riley stared, lips slightly opened, tears brimming her eyes. “Brooks, I’ve thought about you every single day. Liam told me how stupid I was to leave you, I knew how stupid I was, but I needed to be back. I needed to be in Cordonia. But that didn’t change the way I felt. I thought about you… every damn day.” Riley swallowed hard before stepping just a little closer.

“I’m not saying this will fix everything or hell, I don’t know if you ever want to see me again, but just know I never wanted to leave you. My intentions were to start my own life with you. It’s been five years but that hasn’t stopped me.” Drake took his own step closer to the love of his life, closing the gap between them. “Show me.” Riley said above a whisper. “Hm.” “Show me that you never wanted to leave.”

Drake’s body crashed into Riley’s before picking her up and setting her on the counter. “I never stopped loving you.” Drake mumbled between kisses, moving his lips desperately to her neck. He couldn’t believe this was happening. He never thought he’d see this girl again much less be kissing her.

Drake swiftly brought her from the counter, holding her body close to his as she mumbled directions to her room. This was real.

Drake laid Riley on the bed, careful to make sure she was really in front of him. “Are you.. are you sure?” “Yes.” Riley shimmied quickly out of her small dress, laying back on the bed before urging the man in front of her to prove her wrong - that he did care all this time. Drake felt his heart jump as he slowly hovered over her, kissing her neck, down to her breasts. His fingers slowly traced down her arm, to her stomach, right above her underwear.

“You are so beautiful. Always have been.” He said. Drake slowly caressed the skin above her waistband before inching his fingers down to her heat, slowly sliding a finger in, causing her to arch her back. Drake kept his mouth placed on her own as she let out small desperate moans. This was it.

Drake managed to slide a condom out of his wallet, giving a few pumps before putting it on. “Brooks, are you sure?” “Yes.” Riley consented. With a long kiss, Drake slowly pushed inside of Riley, managing to fit his entirety into her. Gasps came from both of them, wide eyes staring into each other. “Are you okay?” “Yes, go on.” Drake slowly began rolling his hips into Riley’s, moans slipping through both of their lips.

This was different. It wasn’t two horny college students handling their frustrations. This was two adults who needed each other. Two people who were made for each other but didn’t know how the world would work to make it happen. And here they were riding out their highs together, Drake collapsing on Riley as she pulled him into her.

Her hands found his curls, twirling them around on her fingers, recognizing that she hadn’t felt this in a long time - and never thought she ever would again. After the moments they spent together, Riley found herself getting insecure.

Barely any conversation had been held for both of them to really understand what this could be or what realm had just been opened. He still very well lived across the world, and they both had growing up to do since the last time they saw each other. Of course they were different people, but who were they for each other now?

A silent tear escaped Riley’s eye as the man on top of her steadied his breathing, getting up quickly to clean himself up. Riley scooted over, bringing the blankets to cover her body. When Drake joined her again, he wrapped an arm around her, placing kisses to her forehead. “What is it?” He asked, noticing her tears. “Where does this leave us?” “We’re gonna figure this out, Brooks. I’m not leaving you again. It’s okay, I promise I’ll be here when you wake up. We both need to understand what this is and could be and who we are now. All I know is, I’ve missed you, Brooks. And I hope you missed me too.”