#and then I didn't wanna finish it halfheartedly

[tearsofcalamity]

wanna sit behind aventurine and jerk him off...

imagine moving behind him just after he gets up in the morning, watching over his shoulder while he works on his lil tablet, sliding in til you're flush with his back and you can reach around and start palming him through his pants

he's very taken aback and tries to just laugh you off, but your eyes are dark and very hungry when you look back at him. it's not long before you have him panting and huffing, his finger stuttering over the metrics on his screen as he tries to finish up the smalltime work he wanted to take care of (to little avail). eventually, he just moves to set it down, but your grip is like iron around him.

whisper in his ear, ask him what he's doing, doesn't he have to finish up what he was doing on his little screen? his hand trembles as he tries to do just as you asked, but it's clear that his mind is far too hazy and distracted to even think of doing any of it right.

as soon as your hand slips beneath his waistband he's whining loud and canting his hips up into your hand involuntarily, chasing the pleasure from your fingers gliding over his shaft, his slit, rubbing circles into that sensitive spot right beneath his tip. he's bending into you, back arching as he pants harshly into your neck and squirms, little pleads escaping his mouth as you continue to work at his weeping cock.

notice it when he goes to reach for your wrist to set his own pace only to restrain himself and fist the sheets instead. what a good boy. be sure to tell him just that, praise him lots.

tell him what a good boy he's being for you, tell him how pretty he looks, how can one man look so gorgeous just after waking up? he looks so lovely when he's desperate, looks even prettier when he cums, ask him if he wants to cum, yeah? does he want to cum? you can feel his pretty cock twitching in your hand, surely he's right on the brink--

he's got the absolute loveliest sobs when he hears you praising him so, calling him all sorts of lovey petnames that make him feel like he's melting into you, hips stuttering as he makes a mess inside his pants and gets your hand all wet n sticky. oh, but he's more than willing to make up for it when he dazedly gets on his hands and knees without so much as a word from you, licking your hand clean of his spend with adoring eyes, so desperate for more praise and adoration from you. and yes, he'll certainly return the favor -- he's already going for the waistband of your pants, eager to hear all the ways you'll call for him and tell him how good he's being when he's pleasing you.

[gfdazai]

Combing his hair. ♡

Dazai is implied to have a negative mental health episode, established relationship, blah blah blah. GN reader. 750~ish words. I still don't know how to end fics.

Dazai feels broken. Useless. He still hasn't gotten out of bed, and it's 11am. He should've been at work three hours ago, yet he can't find the will to.

He's lying there, wanting to move, but he can't. He can't bother even rolling over to get a drink. The bottles from the previous night lie by his bed, some knocked over, some still standing up.

He forces himself onto his side, trying to ignore the stinging pain of his back, and the pounding, repeating pain of his headache. His groan goes quiet when he hears the front door unlock, open, and shut.

You're here... Again. He did say you could stop by whenever, but he doesn't want to see you right now. Not when he's like this — not when his apartment is like this. He wishes he could shove you out, deep clean and then let you back in.

"Doors open." He barks lazily once he hears you approaching the door. He wants to turn and get up, give you a kiss; but he can't find it in him to even roll over and face the door.

He can barely spare a blink when he hears the door creak open — he's been meaning to get you to fix that. "Osamu?" He slowly blinks, forcing his gaze away from the wall and to your form.

"Bad day?"

"Mm." He hums blankly as an answer, his eyes slowly following you as you get on the bed beside him.

"Wanna talk about it?"

He doesn't answer, feeling you move him a little. His head isn't on the pillows anymore, now on your lap. It's a bit of a distraction from him feeling his clothes on his skin.

"...You wanna take a shower?" You question softly, feeling his forehead to check for a fever. He seems colder, rather than burning hot. He shakes his head a smidge.

"Well, uh... I'll admit, I don't know what else to offer." You chuckle, and he melts a little at the sound. You're always so sweet and gentle to him, it makes him nauseous. He doesn't... Deserve this.

"...Can I brush your hair?" You ask softly, placing your hand gently on the back of his head, rubbing your thumb against his messy, greasy hair.

He blinks slowly, forcing himself to nod a little. "Mhm.." He swallows, trying to wet his dry mouth. "Please." His voice is weak... Broken, and shaky. Like he hasn't had a drink in the past week... Or maybe that's because he hasn't water in the past 24 hours.

You smile a little, "okay." You say softly, looking over at his nightstand. You grab a dark blue comb, gently sectioning off his hair, before starting to comb through it.

A few minutes pass, and you're onto the next section. "I bought you more crab. Some of it is canned, but I got some of that fancy stuff that you said you wanted last time we went out together." You say. He blinks a few times, clearing his throat halfheartedly.

"...Really?" He mumbles softly. "That's... Too much. I can pay you back." His finger twitches as he starts to force his hands to move, but he stops when you press him back down.

"No, it's really nothing. Think of it as a late, uh... Present for national crab meat day?" You smile a little, and he smiles a little back.

"Oh?... Thank you." He sighs softly, feeling you move onto the next section of his hair.

A few moments pass... "...Are you mad I didn't stop by last night?" He mumbles, his eyes fluttering closed, not wanting to see if he hurt you. He hears you sigh, and his heart drops. This is it — he fucked it all up, he's gonna be alone again, and you'll move on, and he'll end up —

"Of course not. You did say that you might be too busy to stop by." He blinks, opening his eyes and looking up at you.

"...Oh." He mumbles. "I didn't think you'd be so... Okay. About it." He swallows, eyes falling back down to his mattress.

You finish combing his hair, grabbing a hairtie from your pocket and gathering as much of his hair as you can, tying it up. "Ta-da." His heart melts at your giggle.

"Mhm..." He yawns softly, closing his eyes. "Love you." He mumbles, exhaling gently...

"Love you too, 'samu." You press a gentle kiss to his forehead, before leaning back against the headboard, letting the silence play for the both of you.

Please don't steal my work, nor feed it to any sort of AI. Thank you! ♡

[hyperfixated-fan]

Happy 13th Anniversary Ninjago!

I wasn’t well prepared to celebrate so here’s this little one shot I wrote a while ago and didn’t know what to do with. And this so happens to be my 100th post. Yay!

 Summary: Jay, Kai, and Nya are raking leaves. It's a rather mundane chore, but things get interesting when a prank goes awry.

    Morro is alive and happily living with the Ninja because I say so. And as far as timeline goes, this is set loosely after season 13.

   "Ugh, I hate raking leaves," whined Jay, halfheartedly poking at his meager pile of leaves. He just didn't understand how this many dead leaves could possibly pile up at the top of the mountain!

    "I could burn them all real quick," offered Kai, igniting his palm. His sister immediately doused him, much to his annoyance and soggy hair and gi.

    "No! Are you crazy?!" berated Nya.

    "A little," snickered Jay, but was quickly silenced by a sharp glare from his girlfriend.

    She continued, "We don't need this place burning down again."

    Kai sighed, "Fine. But let's at least use some Spinjitzu to speed this process up."

    Jay perked up, "All right!"

    Just as the boys were about to kick back into their colorful tornados, Nya stopped them again, "No! Spinjitzu is an ancient art. We shouldn't use it for such menial tasks. Besides, Master Wu warned us 'Haste makes mistakes'."

    "Why do you have be such a stick in the mud?" groaned Kai.

    Nya gave a mischievous grin, pointing out, "Actually, if we take long enough doing this, we won't have to help Lloyd do the laundry."

    The boys smirked, catching on. With that, they got to raking at a decent pace (not too fast though). However, just as they were finishing up, Lloyd and Morro walked out into the monastery courtyard, laden with clean laundry to put away. 

    The Green Ninja's eyes lit up with youthful glee as he caught sight of the magnificent pile of leaves in the middle of the courtyard. He carefully set down his laundry basket, and the three rakers caught on a split second too late as he darted toward the pile. 

    Time seemed move in slow motion as Lloyd leaped into the air as Jay, Nya, and Kai frantically screeched, "Noooo!"

    Time went back to normal as the blonde boy landed in the giant pile with a muffled whump. It was rather anticlimactic for the people watching as they expected their hard work to scatter everywhere. Fortunately for them, the large leaf mountain was big enough that it simply swallowed his impact and engulfed the boy whole.

    A few moments later, Lloyd popped his head out, laughing as he carefully extracted himself. "That was awesome!"

    The others snorted at their younger brother's joy. They supposed a few scattered leaves were worth it if they brought him some happiness.

    Morro plodded over, looking thoughtfully at the giant pile. "You think we could all fit in there."

    "Yeah. Maybe," shrugged Nya. "Why?"

    "Wanna scare someone?" smirked the Master of Wind.

    A playful glint alighted in all their eyes. After a morning of dull chores, they were all eager to do something fun.

    Right before he dived into the pile after the others, Lloyd called at the top of his lungs, "Uncle Wu!"

    The hidden Ninja went as still as possible and tried their best to withhold their giggles. They waited carefully until they could hear footsteps right in front of the leaf pile. They sprung their ambush, jumping out and shouting.

    "Yyaaa– ugh!"

    Morro's yelling turned into a sharp gasp of pain as someone's fist collided very hard with his midsection. Apparently, it wasn't Master Wu who they had managed to surprise but Pixal instead.

    The silver-haired girl had a mixed expression of concern and annoyance as she and the others stared down at the downed Master of Wind. "I thought you were supposed to be finishing your chores."

    "We did." Lloyd looked at the scattered leaves and laundry that had yet to be put up. He amended, "Er, are going to."

    "I haven't seen you do anything useful today," wheezed Morro accusingly as he slowly stood, trying to act nonchalant and shake off the pain.

    Pixal crossed her arms, and the others could tell she was about to go off on Morro. "Actually, while you were off gallivanting in Shintaro and then decided to stay out for an adventure for another entire month as you all traveled 'wherever the wind took you', I was left in charge of the upkeep of whole monastery as well as covering for all eight of you in defending Ninjago City."

    "During the time of your absence, I managed to clean and organize every single one of your sleeping quarters—which need I remind you, were downright filthy—, update the defense systems in the monastery, do the dishes, and answer 162 distress calls. With that data, I say you have very little left to do and nothing to complain about."

    Morro's resentment had definitely melted away into respect. He simply gave a nervous "okay" along with the others after her mini rant.

    As the Samurai walked away to finish enjoying her day off, Lloyd murmured, "I think Pixal's a little salty at us."

    "Ya think," snorted Kai. "Zane definitely rubbed off on her. Remember when he would passive aggressively do the chores while slamming things around to remind us how we weren't helping him."

    After they all finished sharing a good chuckle, Nya clapped her hands. "Okay, boys. Let's finish this."

    "One more jump," said Lloyd quickly as he leaped into the leaves again. 

    Just to humor him Morro and the others followed suit. However, somewhere in the mix, a leaf tickled the Master of Wind's nose, and he couldn't stop a sneeze from coming out. For some reason, the sneeze triggered a slight Elemental reaction which sent leaves flying in every direction.

    "Morro! C'mon!" cried Jay in dismay.

    Kai sullenly surveyed the damage before exclaiming, "All right. Spinjitzu it is!" In less than five seconds flat, he had cleared the courtyard of leaves, throwing them over the side of the wall.

    He dusted his hands off proudly until Lloyd suddenly brought up, "Hey. Where'd all the laundry go?"

    The Ninja stared at the spot where the two baskets used to be then let their gazes travel up to the top of the wall where a pair of blue underpants were snagged and flapping lazily in the breeze. It was clear where the rest of their clothes had gone.

    "Don't suppose anyone will really miss those? I mean, a wardrobe replacement is always good, right?" chuckled Kai nervously.

    The others groaned and glared at the Red Ninja. Now it was going to be an even longer day.

[frenchfrywrites]

Kinktober Day Ten

Sickness

MINORS DNI

warnings: dom(ish) amab gn sick reader, bratty/kinda sub Che'nya, blowjob, sickness, snz, kinda ambiguous relationship, possibly ooc che'nya

"Hello-ooh!," Che'nya pauses mid greeting as his gaze lands on your bedridden figure. "You look nasty!" he giggles, flopping onto your bed, next to your sickly frame. You're propped up in your bed, feeling absolutely awful, and evidently looking the part.

You groan, reaching for a tissue, and sneezing into it. "Gee thanks," you murmur halfheartedly, sounding as stuffed up as you feel. Che'nya hums, joining you on the bed and wiggling into your personal space, resting his head on your shoulder. "Who even let you in?" you ask.

"You left a window open," he explains, reaching out to touch your forehead. "No fever," he muses, touching the rest of your face, just because he can.

"What do you want, Che'nya?" you practically moan, because even though you're too sick to deal with his typical shenanigans, his cool hands feel impossibly nice on your flushed face.

"Hm, I came here to mess with you," his hand drifts from your face to your chest, slipping under your shirt, "but now I'm feeling maternal or something." You give him a puzzled look, and note the growing blush working itself along his cheeks.

"What, like you wanna take care of me?" you ask. Che'nya thinks about it, then nods.

"Yeah," his hand wanders, his cool fingers drifting across your stomach, then winding around your hip. "Can I make you feel better?" he asks, and is that a hint of desperation you hear?

You laugh softly, then sneeze, turning your face so you don't get any snot or spit on him. Che'nya is staring at you with his big yellow eyes, unblinking, when you turn back.

"Fine," you huff, and if you thought he was invading your personal space before, as soon as you permit him to take care of you Che'nya is practically glued to you.

His hands wander again, from your hips, to your stomach, to your chest, and then back down again. "What can I do?" he asks sweetly, batting his lashes at you.

You think about it for a moment, and he gets restless, rutting his hardening cock against your thigh.

"Suck me off?" you eventually muse. Che'nya purrs, leaning in to kiss you sweetly before making himself comfortable between your legs, moving so fast it takes your brain an embarrassingly long time to catch up.

He pulls down your sweatpants and you sniffle, shivering when the cool air hits your body.

Che'nya takes you in his hand, stroking you to full hardness. You place your hands on his head, tucking his hair behind one of his ears, and scratching gently behind it. Che'nya purrs, nuzzling his face into your thigh, his tail swishing and flicking happily.

He licks you from base to tip before swallowing you down his throat. You moan, then cough at the sensation, sniffling but trying so hard to focus on his mouth on you rather than how shitty you feel.

Che'nya stares up at you as he sucks and swallows around you, before pulling off and then descending on you once again, bobbing his head slowly.

"S'good," you groan, your voice itching your throat, and causing you to cough again. Che'nya hums, batting his lashes playfully at you. "You're making me feel good sweetheart," you praise, tugging his hair gently. He moans at that, gurgling just a bit around your length, drool dripping down his chin.

He sucks you off with ease, pulling off occasionally to suck on your balls as he strokes your cock. Between sneezes, sniffles, and the occasional cough, you praise and moan, running your fingers through his hair.

"You gonna cum soon?" Che'nya eventually asks, kissing your shaft as he rubs your sticky tip with his thumb.

"Hah, maybe," you huff, tugging his hair as a warning. Che'nya giggles,

"Sorry, I didn't mean to rush you, it's just," he pauses to lick away a bit of pre that leaks from your tip, "I want you to cum on my face is all," he finishes. You groan, knocking your head back against the pillow propped under your head.

"Fuck, yeah, okay I'm— I'm close," you warn, your orgasm creeping up on you out of nowhere. Che'nya grins from ear to ear, his tail swishing happily as he strokes you faster. He drops his mouth open, and the next moment you're cumming. It's intense, one of those toe curling, mind numbing, you don't even know what noise you just made type orgasms. Che'nya will be smug about it for months.

As soon as your cock stops spurting rope after rope of cum onto Che'nya's face and tongue, you sneeze. You just barely have the wherewithal to turn your head and cover your face, effectively getting snot all over the inside of your elbow.

"Ugh, god," you groan, feeling achy all over now that the excess dopamine you'd received from your climax is dying down.

"Nasty," Che'nya coos, kissing your soft cock once, before his hands disappear. They return with a washcloth, so he can clean his face first. Then, in a soberingly sweet and gentle moment, Che'nya carefully cleans the snot from your arm, and under your nose.

"Thanks," you whisper, in awe of the kindness he's showing you. Che'nya hums, but it sounds more like a soft meow to you, and snuggles up next to you.

"Feel better?" he asks, kissing your neck. You nod, not trusting your voice. "Good, I'll stay with you until you're all better, yeah?" and of course you nod again, because it'd kill you to push him away.

[nyxnightshade1332]

Expectations When Expecting (Book 1)

Chapter 13

Chapter 14:

"Okay, now we just sprinkle on a little powdered sugar, and..." Yuu watched in fascination as Trey expertly sifted powdered sugar onto the tart.

The entire room seemed to breathe a sigh of relief, when Trey stood back.

"Finished!" Ace and Grim remarked excitedly. Yuu smiled, pleased with the image.

"Fin...ished..." Deuce said halfheartedly.

"Hey." Ace nudged Yuu slightly, leaning in to whisper. "Did something happen to him while you were shopping?"

"Yeah. He's still in shock." She laughed awkwardly. "I think I broke him."

"For sixteen years, I was so sure..." Deuce lamented, returning to muttering.

Ace watched with a raised eyebrow. "... Yeah, whatever." He said dismissively. "I'm pretty beat. Making tarts sure takes it outta you."

Yuu raised an eyebrow. "Oh? Is the big tough fella tired?" She teased. "Guess you should be lucky we agreed to help~" She grinned, noticing Ace's embarrassed blush.

"Yeah, fine. Thanks for the help." He huffed, looking away.

Yuu chuckled kindly. "You're welcome!" She said, returning her gaze to the table she was wiping down.

"Hey fam!" A voice resounded in the kitchen, making Yuu jump slightly as she looked up to see a familiar ginger.

"Holy shit, this ain't moving!" She grumbled to herself. "Oh yeah! 'Sup Cater!" She called back, attempting to scrub off a bit of solidified paste from the wood.

"LOL, You look wrecked." Cater remarked. "Are the tarts done? Ooh, those look sooo cute! Lemme snap a quick pic for Magicam!" Cater smiled, scampering over to where Trey was, holding a very pretty-looking tart.

"What, NOW you decide to show up?" Ace retorted, annoyed and cranky.

"I just came to see how hard my little newbs were working." Cater said, leaning against the desk nonchalantly.

"It's tough work if you're not used to it. But there's no better cure for the ails of fatigue than something sweet from the oven!" Trey announced, placing a warm tart in front of the group. "Help yourself to some of this tart."

The group celebrated at the thought of getting to try their work.

"Pretty funny how you managed to show right when it was ready to eat, Cater." Ace remarked, scowling slightly when Cater laughed.

"Someone's gotta be the official taster!" The older ginger smiled.

"That smells so good..." Grim purred, sniffing the air as his mouth began to water. "Glossy chestnuts on top, fluffy cream below... I can't wait another second, I'm going in!"

Grim seemed to jump into his tart, completely disregarding the fork and simply taking a large bite. Yuu felt her stomach growl at how hungry she was, making her pick the fork up and take a small piece.

"Yuuum! Liked and subscriiibed!" She heard Cater beside her as she put the fork in her mouth.

"This is like something from a fancy bakery." Deuce praised.

"Rich in flavor, yet not too sweet... It's like chestnuts are dancing across my tongue!" Grim laughed.

"Is that... a good thing?" Trey questioned, seeming to look at Yuu, who had remained silent as she took her first bite.

Yuu had been hit with a sweet flavor, but it didn't have a heavy texture that would overwhelm her. She smiled. "Wow. It's good!"

Trey chuckled at her childish delight. "I'm glad you like it!"

"Oh, Trey! You gotta do the thing." Cater smiled.

"The thing? Oh..." Trey asked before his features lit up at the realization. "That."

"Uh, wanna fill me in here?" Ace suggested, completely lost.

Yuu watched as Trey pulled out his magic pen, confused. "What's that for?" She asked him. The taller boy simply smiled at her.

"You'll see. Now, what's everyone's favorite food?" He gestured toward the first year ginger.

"Me?" Ace questioned, pointing at himself. Trey nodded. "Probably cherry pie. Or hamburgers." Ace said.

"Canned tuna's at the top of my list. Then maybe cheese omelets, roast meat, pudding..." Grim began to list, wracking his brain in a pathetic attempt to decide.

"Dude, just pick one." Deuce muttered before answering. "If I had to pick, I guess I'd say... omelet rice?"

"I like a nice lamb chop with diablo sauce." Cater announced with a smile, turning to Yuu excitedly.

"I'd say..." Yuu thought for a while, eyebrows furrowed while she narrowed down her list. She felt the slight pull of her craving something that she'd been longing for for years. "Maybe my grandmother's tamales. Specifically the ones she called chope." She said, recalling her family's rare visits to Mexico in her youth, and the mouthwatering scent that wafted out of the pot as the tamales cooked. She felt her stomach growl at the thought, making her blush.

Yuu looked over to Trey, who had an amused smirk on his face. He lifted his pen. "All right, you've got it... Let's 'Paint the Roses'!" He called.

Yuu watched the room bathe in rose red light for a brief moment before disappearing. She watched, eyes wide and curious.

"Huh? What does that mean?" Deuce questioned.

"Take another bite of your tart and see." Trey remarked with a cheeky smile, pushing his glasses up.

Ace tentatively took one more bite before his eyes widened. "Huh? How- Now it tastes like cherry pie!" He looked at the tart, as if conforming that he was still eating a chestnut tart.

Grim picked his slice up, taking another bite. "It's just like canned tuna!" He yelped, taking another bite. " Now it tastes like a cheese omelet! And grilled meat!" He swallowed, excited with each bite. "And pudding!"

Yuu took her fork, lifting it up to her nose, smelling it. Its scent seemed to not have changed. He put the forkfull into her mouth.

She froze, recognizing the familiar saltiness of the masa, and the spice of the pork. Her eyes filled with tears, threatening to cascade down her face. She wiped them away.

"Wow." She said, untrusting of her ability to speak without crying. She took another bite, melting at the flavor.

"Neat trick, eh?" Cater shot her a smile. "That's gotta be a hit when Trey's having tea with the ladies."

"It's very impressive." Deuce smiled, eyes bright. "Is changing flavors your signature spell, Trey?"

"Technically, it's 'overwriting characteristics.' I can change taste, color, smell, whatever." Trey informed, eating a bit from his own tart. "It only lasts for a little while, though. But it is kinda like covering up the real thing hence, 'painting.'" He explained, handing Yuu a napkin which she accepted gratefully, wiping away any stray tears.

"If I had magic like that, I could be eatin' canned tuna every meal of every day! That's way better than Riddle's stupid collar magic!" Grim remarked with a gulp.

"Oh, that's in a whole other league. His signature spell is a weapon. Mine's just childish prestidigitation." Trey said, hiding his face a bit. "Speaking of Riddle - it's too late to give him these now. Let's call it a day and do it tomorrow." He suggested, quickly changing the topic with ease. "Don't forget that tomorrow's the unbirthday party. You don't want to be late."

"Yuu, can I crash with you again? It doesn't sound like I'll be allowed back in my own dorm tonight." Ace asked the young woman, who simply nodded, pushing back the empty feeling in her heart.

"Yeah. But you still have to clean if you want to stay in a room." She informed, placing her fork down on the now empty plate, before Grabbing Grim's. She smiled as Ace gave a loud groan.

"Again, seriously?" Cater asked incredulously.

"It isn't right to keep mooching off of Yuu, Ace." Deuce said, a strange look on his face.

"Yeah, it ain't! If you wanna stay tonight, you gotta pay for the privilege! Ten cans of tuna!" Grim demanded, standing upright to glare at Ace.

"Aww, What?! Guess I'm sleeping outside, then." Ace sulked, throwing his best puppy-dog eyes at Yuu. She rolled her eyes.

"Nice try, Trappola. But I have the high ground." She teased.

"Why don't you go and stay at Yuu's dorm too, Deuce, so you can keep an eye on him?" Trey suggested, making Deuce seem to perk up. "As vice housewarden, I can issue you a sleepover pass."

"That's our Trey, always spoiling the newbs. What fun for you." Cater chuckled before looking at her. "Ooh, maybe I'll come too! What do you say, Yuu?" He wrapped his arm over her.

"No pass for you." Trey said, shooting down Cater's idea.

Cater sighed, sulking. "Aww. Sad trumpet... Womp womp wooomp."

Trey shook his head, turning to Yuu apologetically. "Sorry to dump them all on you, Yuu. At least it's just for tonight."

She sighed, looking at the boys. "Nah, it's fine. I could use a bit of help cleaning my rustic, 'dump of a dorm' anyway."

Trey's eyes widened and he blushed in embarrassment, realizing that she'd just quoted him. "Ah- I..." Trey began, making Yuu laugh.

"Relax, I'm just teasing." She assured, turning to leave with Grim hopping into her arms. " I'll see you guys tomorrow, if I can successfully wake Ace, Deuce, and Grim."

.

.

.

Once Yuu opened the door to Ramshackle, she watched Ace throw his bag to the couch. "Tomorrow's the unbirthday party. Finally, I'm gonna get rid of this stupid collar! Just you wait, Riddle!" Ace announced, stretching as he jumped onto the couch, sending a literal cloud of deep seeded dust out into the air.

After a couple of minutes of hacking their lungs out and having no choice but to open all of the windows, Yuu turned to Ace with a glare.

"Really?! Was your goal to kill us all by suffocation?!" She cried.

"Forgot how dusty it was..." Ace said awkwardly, shaking the dust off of a new blanket. With about a half-hour of Yuu's scolding, she managed to get Ace to clean a room while Deuce had agreed to clean his own.

Once the cleaning was done, the group sat around a table, reading cards. Yuu read over her cards awkwardly, barely understanding the game, which had been old maid.

"Hahaha! How're you THIS bad at playing old maid?" Ace snickered as Yuu helplessly looked over her cards.

"Well, I'm sorry, but I've never played!" She huffed, before setting down her cards, noticing Grim's ears flatten and droop when he looked at his cards.

"Darn! I got the old maid again!" He cried, throwing his cards down.

Yuu groaned, as she picked up the cups, walking to the kitchen and placing the cups in the sink. Those are future Yuu's problem. She thought to herself, making her way to the lounge again.

"Bed time, boys!" She announced, making them groan.

"Aww, c'mon! One more game?" Ace suggested, anxiously tugging at his collar. Yuu rolled her eyes, empathy pooling into her heart, swaying her judgment. She sighed.

"...Fine. But we're playing one of my games this time." 

Chapter 15

[askthechronoverse]

Chapter Sixteen: The Warrior that Built This Town

Last Chapter •||• Next Chapter

"You're holding back, bro. If I was the enemy, you'd be a goner." Hawkodile had Rex pinned to the wall at sword point. The human gripped his own sword's hilt, left eye twitching.

"Why do I need to even know this? I fight with my fists or really cool looking guns!" Rex slowly lifted the sword, parrying Hawkodile's blade away.

"And what happens if you run out of ammo, Dangervest? Or if you can't reach your opponent with a punch? I know it's hard to see that, but ya gotta do that. A good bodyguard needs to be able to protect the princess no matter what." He swatted Rex's sword away and lunged, the human moving to avoid the hit. "You need to apply that mentality to your goals. Ya wanna protect your home, right?" He took a swing at the man with his sword and was met with the sound of the two blades connecting. The two continued to spar, not noticing Unikitty placing some food nearby for them. She sat next to her little brother, who was watching them fight.

"Are they going to be too much longer? They've been training all morning." Unikitty moaned.

"And last night." Puppycorn added.

"And the past week." Captain interjected from next to Puppycorn. He was lying on his stomach, a math textbook next to him. "I'm honestly impressed with their dedication. In my timeline, RJ waved off this kind of intense training with a "I'm the guy who destroyed the world with one punch! I don't need training!" then when he did train, did so halfheartedly." The dog started to signal to Rex to parry the next attack, but he stopped halfway when Hawkodile pulled his sunglasses down.

"Could that be why… you know…" Unikitty watched the human for a moment, seeing in his movements and steely gaze a determination she should have suspected from the man who fought as hard as he did to save the world a lifetime ago.

"Possibly. I'm hoping this doesn't backfire and make him weaker somehow." Captain frowned as Rex was pinned against the wall again, Hawkodile's blade to his throat this time. It was clear the training was exhausting him, pushing him to his limit. Rex smirked through his panting and grabbed the hybrid bodyguard's wrist and squeezed hard, trying to get Hawkodile to drop the sword. He tried to twist his arm, but Hawkodile just smoothly moved Rex to face the wall. He gripped Rex in his free arm.

"Get your confidence in check, Dangervest. That's what kills people." Hawkodile let the man go and put his sword down. "We'll pick this up again after lunch." He gestured to where the three royal beasts were sitting. "Hey, PC! Stop helping him. You've been signalling to him all morning." A single exclamation mark popped up above Captain's head.

Unikitty noted that Rex's gait was unsteady as he walked over to Captain and Puppycorn. He sat between the two of them, leaning on the larger of the two with his eyes closed.

"If he keeps fighting like he has been, I don't know if we can face Doom without PC's future becoming reality." Hawkodile sat beside Unikitty, glancing over at the three.

"What do you mean?" She passed Hawkodile a sandwich.

"He starts out fine, but he fights defensively. Tries to keep his opponent away from him while he waits to get them unaware to hit 'em where it hurts. It's not a good long term strategy." The hawk gestured to the man, who seemed to be asleep. "The fire of his rage keeps him going, which means he has to either be told to stop or risk being easier to overtake." He took a bite of the sandwich. "It's like he never actually had to fight before."

"That's surprising. I would have thought he would have been really good at fighting." Unikitty could hear the man mutter about spaceships in his sleep. "You could just be pushing him too hard?"

"I push him no harder than Sensei did for me." Hawkodile admitted, finishing his sandwich. "Hey! PC! Wake RJ up. Lunchtime's over." Captain nuzzled Rex, who didn't wake up quickly.

"He's sleeping. Hawkodile, you need to let him sl-" Rex staggered over to Unikitty and Hawkodile and took a fighting stance.

"I'm fine, Princess." His tough voice was unstable, attention on Hawkodile and not the royal cat. "I gotta get stronger..." He glanced over to the two Puppycorns and flashed a weak smile. He closed one eye and shifted his weight to his other leg.

"Bro, sit down." He waited for the man to sit in front of him to continue. "Ya said you meditate every morning. Let's try applying that in a way we can use to make you last longer and keep a steady pace with whatcha learned so far." He thought for a moment, noticing Rex had appeared to have nodded off again. He reached out to wake him, but Unikitty stopped him.

"I think… he's in a trance. It reminds me of the Master Builders when they're working." She spoke softly."

"What is he doing?"

"Probably seeing the Man Upstairs at work. He used to be the only one who was able to channel them with natural ease. I feel like his mind would be too turbulent for that now."

"Why is he doing that right now?"

"I'd ask him. Maybe he misheard you." Unikitty shrugged. She looked out and felt a sudden chill. "I feel like we should run really far away. Don't you?"

"No, Princess. I feel like punching something. Get the PC twins into the cabin." He reached to grab Rex, who's eyes snapped open.

"Something's coming." He said this without real emotion behind the words and still in a semi daze. "Running is the only escape from Doom." His voice seemed to slip between his tough voice and the voice he abandoned between the sentences. This made Unikitty back up.

"I.. I don't think he reached the Man Upstairs…." Her ears went back, grabbing her brothers' paws and trying to get them out of there.

"The things that you fear will be a weapon to be held against you." Unikitty could see something behind Rex's eyes. He wasn't fully there, like he was sleepwalking. But something behind the blankness begged for help.

"We reeeeeeeally should run." Unikitty wanted to help her friend, but something about the way he spoke made her feel like this was a lost cause right now.

"Yeah. Go. Not sure what's happening to Dangervest, but I'll take care of it." He waited for Unikitty and Puppycorn to leave before addressing Rex. "Dangervest. Quit messing around. You're scaring Unikitty."

"I am not messing around. The reality of your situation has yet to set in. The Unikingdom is falling. Those who choose to protect it will fall, too." The voice Rex spoke with seemed to switch when it was most dramatic to do so.

"Look. Bro. Ya gotta stop. Or I'll make you stop." He cracked his knuckles.

"You can't punch what I am the harbinger of." This was spoken in the voice that seemed to unnerve Unikitty.

"Okay, I'm sure I'm not talking to RJ now. He wouldn't know what "harbinger" means. Who are you really?" Hawkodile folded his arms.

"I am the one who comes to all. The one who makes grown men weep and brave men tremble." The laugh that came from Rex's lips was terrible and terrifying. Hawkodile looked around and saw someone in the shadows. He started to head for the shadowy figure, but Rex walked in front of him. "Ignore the man behind the curtain." His expressionless face was so jarring on a man who usually held the air of someone who was overcompensating his emotions.

"Bro! If ya wanna fight, come out here and fight like a real warrior! Hiding behind someone else is just not right!" He looked in the direction of the shadows when he shouted this.

"Why do that? I have what I came here for. Didn't think it would be this easy, but the human's mind was already trapped by fear." Hawkodile mouthed the words 'trapped by fear' and frowned sharply.

"That's not fair!" Captain shouted from the corner. "When he wakes up, he'll turn on you!"

"Wait." Hawkodile ran over to the teenage Puppycorn. "He's asleep? This really ain't a Master Builder trance or whatever?" He whispered this to the dog.

"No. Unikitty once told me about this. He was a sleepwalker." Captain looked at Rex's glazed over eyes and his ears went back. "I see why he locked his bedroom door when he went to bed."

"Don't know if I wanna punch him now or later." The bodyguard turned to the sleepwalker and saw he was mouthing something. Trapped by fear. He saw the human turn away from them to walk into the shadows.

"Help…" The softer voice held actual emotion this time, one that would have made anyone stop and try to comfort him. "Me…"

"We gotta do something. I'm gonna wake him." Hawkodile started to run toward the human, but Captain stopped him.

"Be gentle. If you wake him too suddenly, there's no telling what will happen." He got up and began to head for the cabin. "I'm gonna get some water. Again: gentle." The dog left as his human friend continued his slow walk to the shadowy figure.

"RJ! Bro, you're sleeping! Snap out of it or… something." The hawk caught up with him and blocked his path. The being shook his head and, with a yelp, Rex stopped. "Okay. Now wake up!"

"You… took them. Bring them back…" The human mumbled in that same soft voice. At least he wasn't switching back and forth this time.

"Bro. What?" Hawkodile put a gloved hand on Rex's shoulder, who tried to bat it away.

"Bring them back…" He slapped the chimera in the face, doing enough damage to leave a mark. Hawkodile put his hand to his face.

"I ain't fighting him! I'd rather fight you!" He turned to the shadowy figure, who raised his arms. When this happened, Rex mimicked the action.

"Are you scared of me, Hawkodile?" The human puppet swayed a little. He threw a punch to Hawkodile's stomach and an excited gasp could be heard as the punch did real damage.

"No. I ain't scared. You are. You're fighting me with an unwilling puppet." This got another punch in response. Rex's fist plowed into Hawkodile's outstretched hand. "But if that's what it'll take to wake him…" He grabbed the human and threw him to the wall of the arena. Rex slowly got up, showing no sign he was even aware of what just happened.

"I may be weak, but I can still fight…" It was so strange, like a different fight was going on in his head, one that was long overdue. "I have to… get them back…" The human lurched forward and went for another punch, which was easily blocked by Hawkodile.

"This is weird. I don't like this." Hawkodile grabbed Rex and shook him. "WAKE UP!" This effort was rewarded with a hard slap to the beak.

"Let them go…" He struggled to get out of Hawkodile's grasp. "They don't wanna go with you…"

"I gotta remember to ask someone about this." He threw Rex against the wall closest to them, but not near the shadow controlling him. As he threw, he could see the glow of a purple gem. Of course. The hawklike creature rushed into the shadows, taking advantage of Rex's slower speed. The human grabbed his tail just before he could reach the shadow to grab the gem.

"Don't go…" There was something pathetic, almost desperate, about the human's voice now. "I can't make the same mistake." His voice was suddenly the one Hawkodile knew him as having. It held a vague determination. It was like the puppetmaster was allowing glimpses into the nightmare his student was trapped in. He jumped on the lizard avian and tried to throw him down. "Let them go…" The voice was back to the softer one.

"Stop using a broken man's trauma to fight your battles!" Hawkodile got up and tackled the mysterious puppeteer. He grabbed the gem and threw a few punches for good measure. Rex grabbed Hawkodile and hit him with a left hook.

"Get away from her…" The sad little voice probably held more emotional weight in his head.

"Come with me to the castle, Emmet. We can end this once and for all." The being hissed softly. "Grab the gem from her. She wants to use it to hurt me." Rex blindly grabbed for the gem Hawkodile held in his hand. Hawkodile grabbed Rex's collar with the other hand and lifted him in the air so his ear was touching his beak.

"I KNOW YOUR HEARING IS SHOT, DANGERVEST. WAKE THE HECK UP." Hawkodile spoke with authority. The human blinked, starting to wake up. The chimera turned to the shadowy figure and rolled his eyes. "Tell Doom to wake up, too. She's dreaming if she thinks she can win."

"Not yet." The being laughed with a sickening laugh. Rex punched Hawkodile's face three times. "He's mine until the nightmare ends." The being turned to Rex, the tear shaped face more in view now. "Emmet. The gem. Grab the gem." The human continued to grasp at what may have been his opponent with a gem of some kind, but was only air in the waking world. Hawkodile could see a tear shaped head shake in the shadows. "The gem, Emmet! Why aren't you grabbing the gem? Don't you want to save me?"

Rex soon had the gem in his hands. Hawkodile tried to take it back from him, but the puppet held it close to his heart. "My love…"

"Let's go to the castle. We can stop the invasion and live happily ever after." The being smirked. Before the puppet master could move on, Hawkodile tackled him and knocked him out. The human collapsed on the floor, still clutching the gem. Hawkodile grabbed the Doom Lord and threw him toward town. He grabbed Rex and headed into the house with the exhausted human in his arms. The two were soon drenched in water that came from a bucket that Captain held in his arms.

"Why do I always wake up in pain?" Rex moaned as he tried to stretch out. He looked up. "Oh, Hawk. Didn't know ya felt that way about me." Hawkodile dropped him unceremoniously.

"Have I been pushing you too hard, Dangervest?" Hawkodile spoke when Rex had scrambled to his feet.

"Too hard? Bro, I just took a nap. I…" He sighed, rubbing his neck. "I can't explain it, but I feel like I'm about to make the same mistake I did when I was younger. I lost my home two times too many. I need you to push me harder."

"Can you handle that?"

"I can't afford not to. I need to get stronger. I promise I'll take training more seriously." Rex bowed to the hawk lizard, who grinned.

"Alright, Dangervest. I don't know what went on in that head of yours, but it's good to hear you're finally dedicated to training. I'm gonna create a schedule. This will include a proper sleep cycle. I'm expecting ya to follow it." Hawkodile began to walk toward the cabin. "And you aren't going to have an audience this time. I know older PC has been helping you cheat." The human followed behind the hawk. He wiped his now sticky hands, unaware that he had once held a gem in his hands.

[thatmexisaurusrex]

Oooo for your Lovely Pairings Event please hit me with post-tfatws SamSharon or any SamSharon if that’s too specific. If they wanna bring in a love interest that’s not brand new i feel like she’s the best choice because… secrets, known each other for long, friends, to enemies, while lovers. Full disclosure my brain isn’t focusing well but I will download and save if i can’t read yet. Thank you!!💜

Elektraaaaa! ✨ ✨ ✨ Thank you so much for the wonderful prompt, @elektraking! I can definitely write a SamSharon drabble post-TFATWS. I hope you enjoy! 🥰

Prompt 1: SamSharon

| Prompts | 2 |

It was a dimly lit bar. Smokey. Conversations were in hushed tones under the rhythms of a Jazz band on stage. There was something art deco to the furniture; gold geometry accenting emerald green velvet.

Sam slid into the booth. The one he always sat at. The one with the floral fountain pattern hand carved into the table. And as always, a waitress placed a cocktail in front of Sam without asking Sam what he wanted.

It was never the same waitress. It was never the same cocktail. Tonight, it was a peach-colored concoction poured over crushed ice in a hurricane glass with a full sprig of rosemary.

Sam smiled at the drink despite himself. Sam picked out the garnish, placing it lightly on a napkin as he took a sip.

"So?"

Her voice was smooth and dulcet. Sharon smiled as she slid next to Sam, her usual glass of scotch or bourbon in hand.

"Pear juice... lemon juice... vodka... and rosemary syrup?" Sam guessed, taking a few sips just to double-check on the rosemary syrup.

Sharon beamed.

"Right on the money," said Sharon, "As always."

Sam wanted to smile back. He wanted to joke with her. He wanted to be happy that he got to see her. They only had this night. Once a week every week like clockwork now that Sharon wasn't running from the law.

But he couldn't.

He needed to ask her. He'd been avoiding this so long. Because he... he liked Sharon. More than liked, really. They've been through so much together. They were friends. Or maybe more than friends.

But Sam knew what he saw.

"Sharon - " Sam started, but Sharon tried to bulldoze through Sam's thoughts.

She grabbed Sam's hand. Her hands were cold. Sam wanted to take them in his and warm them up. He could feel her shaking. Maybe because she was cold. Maybe because she knew what Sam was about to ask her.

"Cupid's Hope," Sharon blurted.

Maybe as a distraction. Maybe because she wanted Sam to know. Wanted to take that next step. To recognize that what they were both feeling for each other was more than just friendship.

"It's a. Um. Cupid's Hope," she said, uncharacteristically stumbling over her words.

Her eyes pled with Sam. To forget what he saw. To be in this moment with her. To just be happy. Sam wanted to so badly.

"Was that you?" whispered Sam, "At that black market auction?"

Sharon looked away.

"Could we pretend it wasn't?" asked Sharon halfheartedly.

Sam took Sharon's hands. She seemed to marvel at him as he warmed hers up with his own. He smiled at that.

"Is that a yes?" asked Sharon, a little hopeful.

Sam leaned over and kissed Sharon. Softly. A light, lingering peck.

"I wish I could," said Sam, because he did.

Sharon sighed.

"I thought you would say that," said Sharon, her shoulders slouching.

Sam held her hands.

"You could stop it," said Sam, knowing it was his turn to be a little desperate, "Whatever you're doing. Whatever you got yourself into. You don't have to be in it. You can walk away."

Sharon shrugged.

"What if I don't want to walk away?" asked Sharon, because she obviously didn't want to.

"I want to be with you," said Sam, holding those now warm hands in his, "But..."

Sharon nodded.

"I know," said Sharon quietly, the jazz band playing something melancholic in the background, "You wouldn't be the Sam I love if you ignored my extracurricular activities... Same time next week?"

Sam nodded, finishing his drink before he got out of the booth.

"Always," said Sam, because Sam couldn't give her up.

*****

This is a fic for my Lovely Pairings Event! If you want to send in a prompt, please check out the list of Sam pairings I have and send me an ask! 🥰

[theaudacitytowrite]

Hi dear! Congrats on 250 followers!! 😍🖤🥳

Could you write number 43 from the prompt list, please? 🥺🖤

Thank you so much, Kiki!!!! <333 Hope you like it:)

This one is a bit suggestive I guess...? Depends on where your mind is going... so proceed with caution? Mentions of possible smut if you squint

#43: “Why can’t we just lay down and forget the world for a bit?”

-

With a frustrated sigh, you threw your highlighter onto your notepad and book that laid open in front of you on the desk. You were trying to finish your research paper for several hours now. It didn't help that today was one of the most beautiful days outside as well. The sun was shining and the birds in front of your window sang the most melodious songs.

You cursed yourself for choosing this master of all things. Yes, of course, it was interesting and challenging in a good way, but sometimes you wished, you had picked something for which you didn’t have to go through so much effort.

“What’s the matter, darling?” Loki cooed into your ear when he suddenly appeared behind you. As his thumbs naturally found the exact spots where your muscles had formed agonizing knots and were hurting the most, he massaged them carefully and skillfully, earning an appreciative sigh from your lips.

“I’m trying to finish this stupid research paper. I only have one more topic for which I have to go through statistics and existing methods to compare mine to, but not a single piece of information I’m reading is sticking to my brain. I just can’t concentrate. I read this page eight times now and I still have no clue about what I was even reading.” you let your head fall back and pouted at Loki.

“That does sound frustrating,” he confirmed and softly pecked your lips.

“Why can’t we just lay down and forget the world for a bit?” you huffed exasperated, your arms falling to your sides as you let your body go limp on the chair.

“I know the temptation is strong but that wouldn’t help your predicament at all, my dove.” he purred, intensifying the pressure on a fairly stubborn muscle tenseness a little.

“I hate it when you’re right.” you groaned and chewed on your lips, contemplating if you should just give up on everything and open your own little café with a book nook. Loki quickly caught your attention again as he proclaimed an idea.

“I have a bargain…,” he began cryptically, “...something we both will profit from.” His hands stopped the soothing caress of your muscles and you turned around to be met by a mischievous gaze.

“What are you proposing, Mr. Laufeyson?” you raised your eyebrow in suspicion.

“I know the thought of work is unpleasant but you will get nowhere with procrastinating the whole day. And if I remember correctly, that deadline should be in a day or two?” you nodded slowly in agreement, still not sure where this was going.

"You’ve been working so hard the last couple of weeks, that we barely had time for ourselves… but tonight I wanna change that.” he drawled sultry, tugging you out of your chair. His arms swiftly slung around your waist, so he could hold you close, “Tonight it’s gonna be all about us. I’m thinking about a bottle of wine… a nicely prepared dinner… and after that, I can help you relieve all that pinned-up stress. Perhaps with a massage, a hot bath... however you like. I will pamper my little dove... a nice little treat for my good girl.”

“Where’s the catch?” you whispered full of anticipation. He grinned smugly at your sharp mind.

“You’ve got to earn it.” he smirked, “You gonna have to finish that paper… tonight.” he studied your pondering expression closely.

“It will be worth your effort, love,” he reassured you when it took you just a little bit too long to answer.

“Ok, just to recap… you gonna do anything I want?” you asked with a sly grin yourself.

“Yes, my dear. But only if you fulfill the end of your bargain.” he chuckled.

“And what if I don’t do it and continue procrastinating?” you defied halfheartedly.

“Oh… you will find out soon enough.” he grinned viciously.

“Deal,” you answered without hesitation. You didn’t plan on not fulfilling your end of the deal, but you also knew that any punishment Loki had in mind, would turn into a pleasant experience of some sort in the end anyway… so what did you really have to lose?

Taglist: @lucywrites02 @funsized-mimi @silver-lupines @variant59 @austynparksandpizza @tinctureofmaddness @user13cabs @marvelfanfn2187a113 @1marvelnerd3000 @lunalavenderfairy @onlyforloki @that-one-girl-that-simps @donaweasley @plainlo-inthemorning @with-inked-solace

Let me know if you want to be added:)

[candybowbeansies]

All I Need is You, You

Credit to the lovely thaidoodles for our daily bread. 🙏

warnings/notes: reader is preggers, ya'll are married ofc like in all the other ones, and i totally think this song fits Denki, our Electrocutie #2. 💞

Underage characters are Aged Up!

~Masterlist~

sickeningly sweet like honey under the cut! <3

You don't know how this escalated. Your husband was absolutely adorable. You had settled in the living room's couch and called the goofball up, missing his voice. He was out of town for a couple months. You listen to him begin to sing yours and his song, giggling happily.

'We are runnin' so fast And we never look back And whatever I lack, you make up We make a really good team And not everyone sees We got this crazy chemistry Between us'

It's been about a week since you found out you were pregnant, and two weeks since he left for work.

'Jump starting your car 'cause this city's a bore Buying e-cigarettes at the convenience store Making new clichés on our own little tour Let's ri-ee-i-ee-ide~'

You snort out laughter at the way he dramatically pronounces, hearing the grin in his voice.

'You don't have to say I love you to say I love you Forget all the shooting stars and all the silver moons We've been making shades of purple out of red and blue Sickeningly sweet like honey, don't need money'

You decide to join in on the fun, yourself, a little bit, singing along with him.

"All I need is you All I need is you, you~"

And he continues.

'We try staying up late But we both are light weights Yeah we get off our face, too easy And we take jokes way too far And sometimes living's too hard'

You join in again.

"We're like two halves of one heart We are, we are, we are~"

He repeats the chorus.

'You don't have to say I love you to say I love you Forget all the shooting stars and all the silver moons We've been making shades of purple out of red and blue Sickeningly sweet like honey, don't need money'

And you sing along one more time.

"All I need is you All I need is you, you~"

'Eat a pill stay and chill, you don't need to go I'm about to bring emo back if you leave my home I'd panic at the disco and you'd rather watch a TV show Then I'll squeeze your booty real hard like I'm kneading dough'

You laugh again, hearing the mischief in his voice.

'Pizza boy, I'm speeding for ya We can get married tonight if you really wanna!~'

You snicker to yourself at his serious tone, "We're already married, ya goof." as he continues.

'Me in a cheap suit like a sleazy lawyer~ And if you break this lil' heart, it'd be an honor~'

He repeats the chorus, one last time, as your mind wanders off. It's been a week since you found out you were pregnant. And he wouldn't be back for another month, at least. So, you figured telling him now would be a good time; better than letting him know when he comes home in a month. When he finishes singing, you open your mouth, the sound of your heart thudding in your ears too loudly to notice the muffled jingle of keys on his end, "Hey, baby?" you call, and he hums in reply, and the moment the front door located behind you opens, "I'm pregnant." you say, hearing his shocked sputtering behind you as well as over the phone, causing you to turn around to see his rather hilarious red-faced expression.

He was supposed to be out of town a couple months. Yet, here he was, home in two weeks. "You're pregnant?!" he finally exclaims, door wide open. You laugh, leaving behind the phone to launch yourself off the couch, running around it and into his arms. He hugs you tightly, a goofy grin on his face. "That's good news! Very, very good news! Can't wait to tell the gang!" he exclaims, shimmying you and him away from the door before kicking the door shut. Then suddenly, a pout replaces his grin as he releases you. "Wait. You didn't tell them first, did you? I mean--ow!" you halfheartedly smack him up beside his head, crossing your arms. "No. I was conflicted between telling you when you got home, or telling you sooner." you tell him. And like a switch, he brightens up again, plopping down his luggage before picking you up, making you squeal in surprise. "Good thing you told me now, then! 'Cuz I'm hooome!~" he exclaims, carrying you in a fireman's carry to the back of the house, as you laugh.

[spir1tfar3r]

Eighteen

Summary: Having pretty strict parents, you decided you’ve had enough. So you did something you’d never thought you’d do, you moved in with your best friend Rintarou Suna to piss them off. But you didn’t realize he was developing feelings for you.

Warnings: terribly written angst, underage drinking. I think that’s it?

Words: 1650

a/n: This is a repost from my old account

Masterlist | Haikyuu server | Ao3

18, crazy. Pulled up in your daddy's car. You wanna move in with me. Guess we're off to a heavy start

Suna couldn’t believe it. You, his best friend, stood at his door at 11 pm, asking to move in with him. You visiting would never bother him but you had never come this late within the day. He even noticed that you weren’t in the car he grew familiar with. Clearly meaning your parents had gotten upset with you and took your car, that you bought yourself, away again.

“You want to do what?” He asked, his voice a bit raspy from being woken up. Suna didn’t really wait for you to answer, moving away from the door and allowing you to step inside with your bag and closing the door behind you.

“I.. want to move in. Just for awhile. It’s mainly just to piss my parents off because I’m tired of them being so fucking strict all the time.” You sounded so unbelievably causal about this whole situation, Suna could’ve sworn you’ve done this before.

“So… you came to me why?” He asked, leading you to the spare bedroom. You had a tendency of staying in there whenever you two hung out, always worried about bothering him if you stayed in his room. He never minded. Why would he? You were his best friend and he’d do anything for you. And you knew that too well.

“Because you’re my best friend and I didn’t really have anyone else. My dad doesn’t like any of my friends.” You replied, setting your things onto the bed as Suna carefully leaned into the doorframe. He watched you curiously, not sure why this would have anything to do with him. They hated him the most from what you’ve told him.

‘Oh’ he thought. Finally realizing you were trying to make them super pissed off with you.

He didn’t care though. He would always jokingly kiss your cheek to piss them off himself. But he wasn’t sure if you moving in was the smartest idea. Sensing some hesitation, you turned towards him. “Suna please? I promise it won’t be temporary. Just for a few months”

It’s like you knew what you did to him. He sighed, way too tired to argue with you. “Yeah fine. I’m going to bed.” He muttered, turning and leaving the room to give you privacy and get some rest. This was going to a rough couple of months.

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

If long hair and tattoos are what attract you baby then you’re in luck

“Are you sure getting a tattoo is smart?” Suna asked as you looked through a book full of tattoos. You didn't answer however, humming in response to his question.

He knew what you meant so he sighed, feeling a little uneasy about it. Suna had gotten a few tattoos at this point but your parents refused to let you even think about getting one. After a couple of minutes you set down the book and turned towards him. He raised an eyebrow, already having a bad feeling when he saw the look in your eyes.

“Can we get a matching tattoo? I want a small volleyball but I’m kind of nervous to get one alone.” You felt bad asking him to get a matching tattoo, knowing that it would suck having if you two ever stopped being friends. Suna however didn’t really look bothered by it. In fact he nodded to your idea.

“May as well. I was getting another tattoo anyway.” He replied and you smiled, giving him a brief hug before you both were called to get your tattoos.

**

“Suna look!! They’re so cute!!” You said, showing him the little volleyball that was on the inside of your wrist. He laughed, never seeing someone that excited about getting their tattoo and you could feel the butterflies in your stomach.

“Congratulations on getting your first tattoo. You better let me pick your next one.” Suna said as he paid for the tattoos. You smiled as he took your hand and led you out of the tattoo parlor.

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

Suna realized he was in love with you in the third week of you living with him. He had come home from volleyball practice and saw you asleep at the table, your homework around you. Normally he’d wake you up and make fun of you for falling asleep but tonight was different.

You looked so peaceful and he couldn't think about waking you up. He gently put his bag onto the ground by the door, taking off his shoes in the process. He tried his hardest to make sure to close the door as quietly as possible but the soft click stirred you awake for a moment.

Realizing it was just Suna, you closed your eyes again and quickly found yourself back asleep. He thanked whatever god there was that you were too tired to stay awake. Even though it probably wouldn’t have lasted much longer from what he was going to do.

Walking over to the table, he began shutting your books and putting your stray papers in a neat pile so you wouldn’t lose them in the morning. After that was finished, he pulled the chair you were seated at out slightly. You groaned, feeling the movement so Suna had paused to let you fall back asleep.

When he knew you were out again, he carefully picked you up from the chair and carried you into your room. “Your” was a funny word to him now. So much of his home had become yours as well and he began getting used to the feeling of you being there with him.

He set you down onto the bed, making sure you were still asleep before he put the blanket you stole from him over you. “Night loser.” He mumbled as he placed a feather like kiss on your forehead and left the room. Little did he know, you woke up.

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

I drink, I smoke. You ate it up from the very start. Should've seen this coming from a mile away. I’ll play your game

“Suna!! Truth or dare!” Atsumu said, quite loudly in his drunken state.

You, Suna, Atsumu, and Osamu had decided to celebrate your acceptance letter to the university you wanted to get into. He hadn’t really drank much though. A little sad that you were going to end up leaving Japan for college. You however, we’re almost as drunk as Atsumu and he had to make sure you weren’t accidentally doing things you would regret in the morning.

“Uh… dare I guess?” He replied. The dares hadn’t really been bad. So far it was “prank call Kita”, “go ding dong ditch”, “message your ex”, and things like that. So Rin wasn’t prepared for what Atsumu dared him to do.

“I dare you to kiss Y/n.” The moment those words had left his mouth, Osamu choked on his beer, making you laugh. Atsumu had known about his crush on you so of course he had to use that against Suna now.

“They’re drunk. I’m not doing that.” He replied, feeling like shit if he took advantage of your drunk state. You rolled your eyes, moving over to him. You carefully took your best friend’s face in your hands before pressing your lips to his. Suna nearly froze, not sure what to do before he melted into the kiss, pulling you closer to him.

You pulled away first, smiling at him. “See! It wasn’t that bad!” Heading back to your original seat Suna took a drink from his beer.

You were going to be the death of him.

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

And I know it's just a phase, you’re not in love with me.

“You’re… moving out?” Suna asked as you sat on the opposite side of the table. You couldn’t even look him in the eyes. Why were you so hurt? You knew that this was only temporary. So why was it so hard?

“Yeah. I said it was only for a few months right?” You asked, laughing halfheartedly. You stopped whenever you noticed the way Suna was staring at you. He liked… hurt? That wasn’t the right word for it. He was heartbroken. The best friend he had gotten so used to being his daily routine was leaving.

Sure he could see you in school but it was almost over. You were about to graduate and leave him. Again. He didn’t say anything. Trying to process the words you had told him before he got up, giving you a very forced smile.

“Come on. I’ll help you pack.”

**

Closing your father’s car's trunk, you turned on your heel, nearly hitting Suna. You both hadn’t realized how close he had gotten so he took a step back, making sure he wasn’t in your personal space.

“Thank you for letting me stay with you. They finally realized they can’t keep forcing me to be their perfect child anymore.” Suna gave you a smile, but it was clear it wasn’t genuine like all the ones he had given you until today.

“I’m glad. Let me know if you need anything else.” He replied, opening your door for you and you nod, getting into the car. As he took a step away, you turned it on and began heading back to your parents home. Leaving your best friend alone.

As Suna got back into the house, it already felt empty without you. Rin couldn't help repeat the phrase “you were being used. This didn’t mean anything to them.” He tried to stop but it wasn’t long before his eyes began to stung and the tears began to prick at his eyes. Sinking down onto the floor in front of the door, he stared at the volleyball on his wrist, missing you so much already.

You wanna piss off your parents, baby. Piss off your parents. That's alright with me

[bbmyungho]

"Hey." Youngjae smiled when I opened the door; it wasn't the same as when we first started dating- it didn't reach his eyes fully, they didn't glitter like... someone else's did. It only cemented my decision further.

"Hey." I returned the smile, clearing the pathway for him to enter and shutting the cold air outside behind him. "So, how was work?"

"It was good; Chaeun took me to lunch at a place her friend just started working at, it was pretty good." He said, making himself comfortable on the couch. "What about you?"

"Good. Jun and I were scheduled together today so I wasn't bored out of my mind or left to handle the rush by myself." I said, as if I was testing the waters. We sat in what would have been a comfortable silence a few months ago, but now I didn't know what to call it.

"So... you wanna watch a movie or something?" He asked.

"I think we should break up." Okay, well, that was one way to do it.

"Um... what?" I sighed, leaning forward in my seat as I thought about what to say next.

"You said it yourself: things are different now, we've both felt it. We aren't in the honeymoon phase anymore, I guess." I looked up, Youngjae nodding at me to continue. "You're a great guy, Jae, I'm glad we got to spend these past few months together, but there's no denying we don't have the same time for each other and you've been acting different, not that that's necessarily a bad thing or this is your fault or anything, and I... I just think we're better off as friends." I finished. The silence was suffocating; I waited with bated breath for him to, I don't know, start crying and choking out that I was a terrible person that played with his feelings. But that never came.

"Alright. I agree, actually." He breathed. My ears perked up, eyes darting up to him in slight shock. "Things have been different. I don't think through any fault of our own, although... maybe slightly more mine. I know I've been acting differently, I know all I do is work; I know..." He looked up at me through his lashes, heaving out a deep sigh.

"So that's it then? Are... we good?" I smiled sympathetically. He returned the expression, leaning back on the couch.

"Guess so." We sat in a much more comfortable silence for a few moments before a small chuckle broke it. "This is so weird; shouldn't we be screaming and crying at each other right about now?" He asked.

"I don't know." I laughed halfheartedly. "I'm not mad if you aren't." I shrugged.

"'course I'm not. I'd be kind of an asshole if I was." He said. "I still wanna watch a movie though, since I'm here."

"I'll go get the popcorn, I guess."

ch 26 | masterlist | ch 27

taglist: @yaebbinnie @fixscafe @justasoftstan @serenadesvt @ktzuki @wooziujidoots @amymoonl @eesseokmin

[louhooo]

If I Didn't Care

Pairing: Bucky Barnes x Reader

Summary: Bucky finally catches a break.

Word Count: 3.7k

Warnings: Like, a handful of swear words, SO MUCH FLUFF AND SO MANY FEELINGS

A/N: I’ve been on quarantine for the last week and I was in a 1940s Bucky mood 🤷‍♀️ This and this inspired me.

As always, feedback is a very much appreciated and welcomed!!! 💘💘💘

Tick… Tock… Tick… Tok…

The wooden clock, the last thing you had of your granddad’s, sat nestled atop the pink crocheted doily Becca made for you four years ago. She claimed crocheting took her mind off of “it”.

You wrote to him when Becca gave it to you, telling him all about how talented his sister was and how he needed to hurry home so he could boast her up, too.

That’s how you were in the early letters; lighthearted. Blithe. Unfettered that Bucky was thousands of miles away, acting as though he was still at camp in Indiana. Steadfast on the notion that he would be home soon, and you could have your fella back.

Bucky read that particular letter for a few weeks while he was stuck in a trench. Some soldiers ribbed him about the “lovesick look” he gave the pieces of paper. Others shared an understanding pat on his back, as they themselves had memorized every word their sweethearts back home had wrote for them.

He tried writing back to you a few times, tried coming up with something smart to say that he knew would make you laugh… but he couldn’t. He was tired. And scared. And wanted to be home more than he could truthfully tell you.

I’m sorry it’s takin’ me so long, honey. I keep tryin’ to tell ya about what’s going on here, but I can only tell you so much… and none of it is anything you’d want to hear, anyways.

I just miss you, sweetheart. More than you know.

All my love,

Bucky

Sgt. James Buchanan Barnes, 107th

Two weeks later he was captured. 

You stirred beside him, pulling Bucky from long ago memories and into the present. He rolled to his side, gazing at you, memorizing the curve of your exposed back in the early morning light. You clutched the pillow under your arms, a soft hum coming from you.

You took a deep breath, stretching toes as you turned your head away from the window, not ready for the day to begin. Your face scrunched as you dared to open one eye, only to be met with a steely gaze and deep circles, and a warm smile that tried convincing you everything was perfect. You slid your hand across the bed until you met the warmth of his calloused hand and squeezed halfheartedly.

“Why’re you awake?” His smile deepened as he rubbed his thumb over your smooth skin.

“How can I sleep when there’s an angel next to me? If I sleep, I’ll miss it.” A sleepy grin spread on your face, and you huffed a laugh through your nose.

“You’re a real charmer, Barnes.”

“Only for you, sugar.” Bucky felt your hand tighten in his, and he moved your hands towards his mouth, placing a gentle kiss on the curve of your finger. You sighed contently and closed your eyes, sleep still fresh in your mind.

“What time is it?” You asked, your face half smushed against the pale blue linen. His other hand brushed the loose curls from your face, the tips of his fingers following the smoothness of your skin down your back.

“Almost six.” You hummed, in acknowledgement or pleasure, he wasn’t sure.

“Can we stay in bed forever?” He grinned and leaned over to kiss your shoulder.

“As long as you don’t hog the covers.” He laid on his back as he watched another lazy grin spread on your face.

“No promises.” Down below, the city was starting to stir, meaning the illusion of peace would be coming to an end for the time being. You groaned and pulled yourself closer to Bucky, seeking his warmth. “We hafta get up soon, don’t we?” Bucky chortled as you squinted up at him.

“’Fraid so, sweetheart.” You groaned softly and dropped your head onto the plains of his chest. He chuckled and rubbed his palm down the back of your head, smoothing your hair. You tilted your head and looked up at him, a tired pout on your face.

“Can you promise me now that we won’t make any plans for the weekend? I need 48 continuous hours with my husband.” An effortless chuckle vibrated in his chest and he stared at you with hearts in his eyes.

“Yes, ma’am.” Happy with his answer, you pushed yourself up, your lips landing on his, quieting the storm that lingered in Bucky’s thoughts. You started to pull away, but Bucky pulled you back in, cupping your face and kissing you like it was the first time. One hand stayed on the bed to keep your balance and the other laid on top of his hand, your fingers going over the metal band on his finger. You pulled back with a gasp, air filling your lungs.

You gazed at each other as you both worked to control your breathing, both forgetting that you needed to start getting ready for the day.

“If you keep kissin’ me like that, we’ll be late and—” Bucky pulled you back, swallowing your words before they had a chance to pass your lips. You moved so he could hover over you and he settled between your legs, rolling his hips.

The day could wait a little while longer.

“Buck?” Bucky blinked, subconsciously shaking his head as he turned to look at Steve. 

“Yeah?” Steve studied the man beside him, fear visibly seeping through Bucky’s pores. 

Silent fear. 

Fear that would never be spoken about to anyone, not even Steve. 

Bucky adjusted the hat on his lap and cleared his throat, hoping that distracting himself would make the situation easier.

Steve let out a tired sigh and settled in the spot beside his friend.

“Think your mom made her apple pie for us?” Bucky huffed a laugh, an easy grin spreading across his face. 

“Hell… I don’t even remember what it tastes like anymore. Hope she made two, ‘cause I’m not sharing any with you.” They both laughed, loud and freely.

Steve continued before he could stop himself. “Do you think Y/N’s gonna be able to leave the hospital?” Bucky’s laughter quieted, his grin fading away into the frown he’d had the entirety of the boat ride home. 

“Yeah. Her last letter said she would.” Bucky had written a letter to his mom, telling her to let you know you didn’t have to be there when they docked, that he’d understand if you were too busy. He shouldn’t have been surprised when just two and a half weeks later, he found a letter from you sitting on his bed.

Foolish.

Utterly stupid.

Completely moronic.

Those were just some of the things you called him in your seven page letter. And Bucky knew it. A part of him knew you’d show, and you had probably talked with the other nurses as soon as you heard his return date so that they’d help cover for you so that you’d be able to be there.

He knew that.

But the other, louder part of him feared that you wouldn’t be there. That, at some point in the years since you had last seen each other, you fell in love with someone new and just couldn’t tell him over writing. 

You can’t break up with someone in writing, Bucky, you had told him his last night home, so if you wanna break up, you have to do it now. But save your breath because I won’t accept it anyways.

Or, maybe what he feared most would be how you looked at him. Would you still see him as the same kid he was when he left, or would you only see the shell of who was left?

Someone shouted about seeing the Statue of Liberty and the ship broke out in cheers.

They were home.

Cloudy, warm water sat in the basin as Bucky took long, steady strokes down his face. He hadn’t shaved in almost a week, much to his mother’s dismay. When she dropped off a casserole earlier in the week, she, in that way that mothers do, stared in quiet disappointment at his jaw, never saying a word, but getting her point across perfectly.

Bucky finished shaving and wiped his face with a fresh towel and stared at himself in the mirror, resting his hands on the cool porcelain, his fingers curling over the edge. The circles under his eyes seemed darker and more noticeable with no beard to take all the attention.

“Honey?” You knocked on the door twice as a courtesy, and pushed the bathroom door open, “I finished ironing your shirt.” You smiled and brought in a cup of coffee just how he liked it. “It’s hanging up on the door.” You hummed in subdued surprise and stepped into the small yellow bathroom and smiled at Bucky in the mirror, your free hand running across his lower back as you stood beside him. “You look nice.”

Bucky grinned as he took the mug from your hand and took a drink, the hot beverage instantly soothing his mind.

“Thanks, baby.” He set the coffee down on the shelf under the mirror and took the drain out of the sink, setting the stopper up to dry. Your fingers ghosted over his left shoulder and he tensed, inhaling sharply. His head turned quickly and he stared at you, an apologetic grimace on your face.

“Sorry… Are they botherin’ you?” You stared closely at the angry scars that littered his arm, looking for any sign of irritation that might be causing his discomfort. 

He knew what you meant. Wanted to know if they were hurting him in any way, not just tangibly. After Switzerland, doctor’s had been able to save his arm, but the scars and pain that it left him made him wonder if it was worth it. They told him he suffered damage to his nerves, so he’d never be able to use his left arm the same way.

But when his arm started to heal a few weeks after his surgery, the doctors were bewildered. 

Amazing, they’d told him. 

It wasn’t. Not really. It was just another reminder of what he went through when he was captured.

“No… they’re fine.” Your eyes flashed to his, giving him chance to change his answer. “I’m just anxious about my interview.”

“Oh, Buck, you’re gonna knock it outta the park! I guarantee they don’t let you leave without hiring you on the spot!” You turned to face each, taking his hands in yours. He squeezed your hands and watched his thumb rub over your knuckles.

“What do I tell ‘em? ‘My wife thinks I’m great, so you hafta hire me?’” You chuckled and shook your head.

“No, just tell ‘em I make the best chocolate cake, so they be glad they hired you come the holidays.” Bucky chortled, skimming his thumb over the gold band on your finger. “Tell them you’re the best mechanic they’re ever going to find, and not hiring you would be the dumbest thing they could do,” you pulsed your hands, “I can go to lunch early if you want me to walk with you to the interview?” Bucky let out a long sigh and finally met your gaze.

“That’s okay, sweetheart. I wouldn’t want you to be late gettin’ back to the hospital.”

“’S not that big o’ deal. I’ll have one of the girls cover for me if I’m not back.” He gave you that soft smile, that smile that told you he wanted to tell you no, but didn’t want to hurt your feelings. You took a deep breath and studied him, reaching up to wipe the small bit of shaving cream that lingered by his ear. “Fine… I’ll stop, I’ll stop.”

“Thanks, Y/N,” a gentle kiss to your forehead and you separated, Bucky taking his coffee and going to the bedroom to get dressed. You stared at yourself in the mirror, wondering if you were simply making up the annoyance Bucky held for you, or if it was factual, and now he was stuck with someone who pestered him. 

He’ll talk to you if he wants to, Y/N, your friends affirmed, don’t take it personally. My Johnny does the same thing. They all do it.

Not Bucky. 

Your Bucky shared his soul with you years ago, and now he was hiding it from you, and nothing hurt you more.

Bucky left the apartment at the same time as you, not needing to, but not knowing what else to do with his time if he stayed at the apartment. 

He showed up at the auto repair shop two hours early and settled on the bench just outside the front door, attempting to read the newspaper he bought on the way there.

It was going terribly.

He wasn’t able to get past the first paragraph without getting caught up in his thoughts and losing focus. He tried reading about the new player the Dodgers just bought thirty times before he gave up and watched the birds up in the trees.

The bell chimed above the door and an older man in grease covered denim coveralls, wiping his hands with a rag, stood in the doorway looking Bucky up and down.

“You here for the interview?” Bucky stood up quickly, smoothing out his brown suit and taking off his hat, holding it to his stomach.

“Yes, sir.” He raised a brow.

“You’ve been sittin’ out here for nearly an hour. Don’t have anything better to do?”

“My wife told me if I break her radio again, she’ll put me out on the street.” The man chuckled, still wiping grease and grime from his hands. He stuffed the rag into his back pocket and extended his right hand to Bucky.

“I’m Walter, but everyone calls me Walt.”

“James, but friends call me Bucky.”

“Ya got a strong grip. Well, Bucky, come with me, we’ll go to my office.” Bucky grabbed the newspaper and folded it quickly, following Walt through the front door. They took a short walk through the garage and went into Walt’s office that sat in the back corner of the shop, giving him the best view of everything in the garage. Walt motioned for Bucky to sit in one of the worn wooden chairs in his office and shut the door behind them. 

“I didn’t mean to make ya change your schedule for me. I woulda waited until it was time.” Walt chuckled gruffly, waving Bucky off as he sat in his swivel chair, the wood creaking as he settled.

“I felt sorry for ya. Guys were makin’ bets on how long it’d take ya to come inside.” Bucky chuckled, shrugging off his embarrassment.

“Who won?”

“Me. They’re out gettin’ me a Coke as we speak!” Bucky laughed and relaxed in his chair, his nerves not consuming him for the moment. “So, tell me about yourself, Bucky.” Bucky rattled off facts about himself: where he served, what he did overseas, how long he was overseas, and where he got his training when he got back home. Walt raised his hand, cutting Bucky off. Bucky stopped talking and Walt lowered his hand, resting it on the arm of his chair. “You said you had a wife?”

“Yeah. Her name’s Y/N.”

“How long you been married?”

“Got married last May when I got back from vocational school.”

“Any kids?” Bucky shook his head.

“Not yet.”

“Did you meet her when you got home?” An easy grin made its way to Bucky’s face and shook his head.

“No, I’ve known her since we were kids.” Walt’s eyebrows raised in surprise.

“She must really like you if she let you make her wait that long.” Bucky chuckled.

“I’ll tell ya Walt, I’ve had pretty stubborn women around me all my life, but she takes the cake.” Walt laughed, the deep sound echoing in the small office. “I lost count how many times I asked her to marry me, and I almost had her convinced, but then the war happened,” he shrugged his hands, “and then there were other things to do. She told me we could get married when I got home. Said it’d give me somethin’ to look forward to.” Bucky huffed, “She still made me wait until after I was done with training.”

“She work?”

“She’s a nurse at Kings County up on Clarkson.” Walt hummed. “You married?”

Walt took a deep breath, holding the edge of his desk as though he was steadying himself. “Lucy and I have been married for about twenty five years. We have ten kids, six sons, four girls.” Bucky couldn’t stop his eyes from going wide.

“Doesn’t sound very quiet at your house.” Walt chuckled and leaned back in his chair, resting his ankle on his knee.

“Some days are better than others… I still wouldn’t give it up for anything in the world, though.” Bucky grinned, heartened by the sentiment. Walt let out a sigh, “Well, Bucky… you’ve got the training I’m lookin’ for, so, tell me, why should I hire you?” Bucky took a deep breath. 

Tell them you’re the best mechanic they’re ever going to find, and not hiring you would be the dumbest thing they could do.

“Truthfully, you’re not gonna find a better mechanic.” Walt raised his brows. “I’m hardworking and someone you can count on to show up and get the job done. I’m the best there is.” Walt blinked. 

“So…” Walt started, “let me get this right…. You’re tellin’ me, that you’re a better mechanic than myself, someone who’s been a mechanic for over twenty years?” White, hot fear started coursing through Bucky’s body.

He swallowed thickly, his stomach dropping, “Uh… yes, sir?”

The men continued to stare at one another, Bucky preparing himself to be thrown out on his face, if he wasn’t pummeled first.

Could Walt see the sweat on his lip?

What were you going to say when he came home with a broken nose and no job?

Would you finally regret marrying him?

You were nervous.

You had expected that Bucky would call the hospital after his interview and tell you how it went, good or bad. You knew what time his interview was, and the more and more time that passed without hearing anything from him was starting to worry you. You finished up your charts for the night nurse and as soon as the last ‘i’ was dotted and ‘t’ crossed, you grabbed your bag and said your goodbyes for the weekend.

You walked down the stairwell and out of the staff exit, coming to a halt as soon as you stepped onto the sidewalk, the door shutting behind you. There was Bucky, still in his brown suit, leaning against the wall with that boyish smile you’d fallen in love with.

“Hi, sweetheart.” He stepped closer, pulling a bouquet of red roses from behind his back. You gasped softly and took the flowers as he handed them to you. “How are you?” He kissed your cheek and you stared at him, trying to decipher his mood.

“Hi, honey,”  he held his arm out for you and your suspicions quieted, a bashful grin forming on your face. You took his arm and you both fell into a leisurely pace as you walked home. “This is a nice surprise.” You smiled at him, adjusting the grip on the bouquet. Bucky, without being asked, reached for the flowers and held them in his left hand, freeing your hand.

“I just missed you,” he turned his head and grinned, “and I realized it’s been a while since I walked you home from work.” Your hold tightened around his arm and you could feel the hearts grow in your eyes.

“It’s not my birthday, is it? Our anniversary maybe?” Bucky smirked at you out of the corner of his eye, knowing what you were hinting at.

“No, ma’am. It’s just an ordinary Friday.” You hummed, forcing your eyes ahead.

“Strange.” He hummed in agreement and you shook your head good naturedly and walked in silence with all of the city noise. You came to a stop after a few minutes, waiting for traffic to pass. You looked at him, “I’m gonna hafta ask, aren’t I?” Bucky looked at you nonchalantly.

“Ask about what?” You gave him an exacerbated look, a laugh escaping his mouth. 

You laughed with him, “Tell me! The suspense has been getting’ to me all day!” Bucky laughed more, the creases by his eyes deepening. 

“We’ll hafta stop at the grocery store before we go home.” He led you across the street, ignoring your expectant glances.

“James Buchanan Barnes, if you don’t tell me—”

“Ask me what we needta get at the store.” He raised his brows at you keenly. You stared back at him, blinking a few times before you sighed and gave in.

“What do we need to buy at the store, honey?”

“Flour. We’re almost out.” Your face twisted, visibly confused by what Bucky was talking about.

“We don’t needta get flour? I’m not makin’ anything.”

“Well, I kinda already told the guys at the shop you make the best chocolate cake, so I really don’t wanna show up empty handed on Monday morning.” You came to a standstill just in front of the grocery store, pulling Bucky to a stop as well. You stared at him with big eyes.

“You got the job?” Your voice was soft, barely audible over the commotion of rush hour. Bucky simply smiled, and you knew. You squealed and threw your arms around his neck, the shock of which made Bucky drop the flowers on the ground so he could catch you. His arms wrapped around your waist, holding you tight, unaffected by the stares of everyone around them.

How could he be bothered with you in his arms?

As soon as you were home from the store, and everything had been put away and the roses put into a vase, you and Bucky sat at the kitchen table and he recounted his day. You listened attentively, a permanent grin fixed on your face. When he was done, you stood leaning over to kiss his lips.

“I’m so happy for you, baby.” Bucky smiled and gingerly pulled your hand until you settled on his lap. You sat contently with your legs crossed, and combed back his hair with your nails adoringly.

“Thanks, sweetheart.” You continued to scratch his scalp tenderly as he rubbed his hand over your lower back. He chuckled to himself, “Ya know, I was half worried you’d leave if I didn’t get the job.” Bucky watched the smile on your face slowly fall, his own grin disappearing at the loss of yours. You stopped pushing your fingers through his hair and sat back so as to see him clearer.

“What?” Bucky started to stammer.

“Well, I-I just mean that, ya know… I’m your husband. I’m supposed to take care of you, a-and I can’t treat ya how I’m supposed to when the jobs I find barely pay enough to put food on the table or a roof over your head.” When Bucky got home from overseas, he was less than willing to take any stipends the government was giving to veterans. Every dime Bucky received went directly into savings, even when everyone tried convincing him he should use it. He wasn’t going to use that money unless he absolutely had to.

I’m not gonna need it, he’d told everyone, I’ll just go back to the factory and pick up my old job.

When he’d gone to the factory, he realized that wasn’t the only guy in Brooklyn looking for work. Steve and the other Commandoes tried helping him, telling Bucky to stay with the S.S.R like them, but he couldn’t. He couldn’t when he finally had you back. He couldn’t risk it, even if the pay would have been able to give you the life you deserved.

After he finished training, he started calling every auto repair shop in the phone book, asking if they needed a new mechanic. After eleven phone calls that ended in rejection, Bucky was defeated. Slowly, when the small jobs he found on construction yards weren’t enough, the savings started to go, and you subtly started working a few more hours every week.

Bucky was beginning to wonder if the crease between your eyes was going to be permanent.

“Honey?” You blinked and took a long, steadying breath.

“Have I ever told you that I don’t feel like you treat me right, or that you don’t take care of me?”

“Well, I—” You gave him a firm look and he stopped himself.

“Yes or no.” Bucky let out a deep sigh.

“No, ma’am.”

You nodded your head. “No, I haven’t, you’re right. Because I have never once thought that about you, Bucky. Not once. And I think you know full well that I would have told if I had.” Bucky stared glumly at the ground, taking the reprimand in silence.

“I just wanna be able to buy you new dresses if you want them, or finally get you a real ring. I’m gonna be able to do that now with what they’ll pay me at the shop.”

“Bucky, I know you think I’m embarrassed to ask my friends for hand-me-downs, or that I’m upset that I never got a flashy engagement ring like my friends or the other nurses… but I’m not. I’ve been wearing hand-me-downs since I was ten years old, Buck. Why on earth would I start getting embarrassed now? And, as far as I’m concerned, the ring on my hand is just right, because you gave it to me, and that’s all I wanted.” You cupped his jaw tenderly, lifting it until he was looking at you. “You will always be what I want, James.” 

You felt Bucky melt in your hand, and he sighed, resting his head on your chest. He breathed you in, and you continued to sit in each other’s quiet embrace, the sounds of your heart beat steady and strong in his ear.