#anyway this was the year of sad angry woman one sad angry man and a dude who writes catchy songs about hot womenthat get stuck in my head

[thisisapaige]

Clocked as Canadian by Spotify Wrapped

[fuctacles]

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Eddie was lowkey disgusted by how his uncle would talk about one of his neighbors. No, he doesn't think it's bad for old people to fall in love or have crushes. But it's weird to know these things about his own uncle. 

And it's also sad to watch, because it's been months of Stephanie this, Stephanie that, and nothing came of it, so he felt safe to assume the infatuation was one-sided. So when he tells his uncle he can't go feed her cats that week, he figures it's for the best. And not only because of Wayne's twisted ankle. To his surprise though, he doesn't seem fazed; he just waves his hand and says:

"Yeah, yeah, I know. No climbing the stairs with this thing." He pokes the cast with his crutch. "I've already volunteered you anyway."

Eddie raises his eyebrows because he surely misheard that.

"You did what now?"

"Told Stephanie I'll send you to feed her cats," Wayne says, confirming his fears.

"Why?! She has so many other neighbors!" Eddie points out, gesturing vigorously around the room, implying but meaning the flats surrounding them. 

Wayne clicks his tongue at him.

"Would you let in just any of your neighbors into your home? She already trusts me, and I'm vouching for you."

Eddie gapes at him, hating that he's making a valid point. Damned be his old man and his reasonable thinking. He crosses his arms because while it makes sense, it doesn't mean Eddie can't be angry about it. 

"When?"

"She's visiting her friend this weekend so she asked for Saturday evening and Sunday morning. And stay with them for a while if possible, so they don't go crazy. Ah, and the plant in the kitchen needs watering."

"Great," Eddie grits through his teeth. He's so delighted at the prospect of spending time with some old lady's cats. The whole place probably stinks of cat piss and he'll definitely kill the plant as soon as he touches it. (It was his only superpower, which is not what he aimed for when his five-year-old had been praying, thanks for nothing, Jesus.) He just hopes he won't have to meet her. Hearing some old hag complain about his clothes, hair, and general adolescence was the last thing he wanted on his weekend off. But, alas...

"She asked you to come over tomorrow so she can show you where everything is."

Eddie groans. 

------

It's a Friday afternoon, he's at his uncle's taking a break from college and work. He should be sharing a beer with the old man, complaining about the coursework, the professors, and other students, not picking him up from the hospital, and running errands while his foot is in a cast. And certainly not meeting up with old stinky spinsters. 

To add insult to injury, Miss Stephanie, (which, by the way, is such a typical old hag name) lives two floors higher and the elevator is perpetually broken. Not too high, but high enough for Eddie's anemic lungs to start collapsing. 

He stops around the corner to steady his breath, because regardless of his overall attitude, he didn't want to worsen the first impression. He already refused to 'dress like a decent man' and didn't want to wheeze into the lady's face on top of it. 

Once his lungs are functioning properly again, he walks into the hallway, looking for number 54 as Wayne instructed. He knocks on the door, hoping he didn't mess it up and is at the right place. What if it was 45?

It must have been because he was told Stephanie Harrington lives alone. 

"Uh, sorry, I must have—"

"Are you Eddie?" The woman who opened the door takes him in. At her feet, a tabby cat peers curiously at the new human.

"Uh, yeah? I'm looking for Miss Stephanie?" he offers awkwardly. Maybe that's the friend? Or a sister?

But the woman extends her hand and smiles brightly.

"That would be me, but please call me Steph. I wish I could drill that into Wayne's thick skull." She rolls her eyes fondly.

Her big, gorgeous eyes, framed by thick lashes. She's not an old hag, she could be in her forties at best. She's tall and curvy and her hair looks straight out of a shampoo commercial. She's gorgeous. Eddie shakes her hand in a daze.

"Hi," he croaks as he's ushered inside. 

"Come in, come in! I've heard so much about you, it's great to finally see you in person. I must say," she turns around and gives him a quick once-over. "Wayne's stories didn't do you justice."

Did she just check him out?

Eddie clears his throat, suddenly dry like his elbows during winter.

"Uh, same to you."

"Yeah?" She puts her hands on her hips, raising an eyebrow. "What does he say about me?"

"Good things only," Eddie assures her. 

"So you're saying I'm a bitch." She squints at him.

"No!" His eyes widen. "What?!" 

"Well, if he's saying only good things about me, and you say they don't describe me right..." 

Eddie gets the point she's making and quickly shakes his head.

"No, he just made you sound like a crazy old cat lady, and you're..." He waves his hand uselessly. "Not that."

She sighs softly, shoulders sagging a little. It would be easy to miss but Eddie's senses are heightened after his fuck up.

"I kinda am, though," she says with a shrug. 

Eddie feels the need to reassure her somehow.

"Well, you're not eighty and your place doesn't smell like cat litter, I think you're fine."

She barks a laugh, it's low and surprised and Eddie's cheeks are red because he's just digging further into the hole he's in, isn't he?

"Good to know the bar is so low."

Eddie groans, tired of doing damage control that's not controlling anything.

"I'm gonna shut up now."

"Please don't." Steph smiles wide and teasingly. "You're a funny one. Just like your uncle told me."

Eddie scoffs. He's going to have a word or two with the old man once he's back.

"Great, this is exactly the impression I was hoping to make."

At his words, the woman eyes him up and down again, and he can feel his cheeks heating up.

"Yeah? Not as the local punk satanist?" she teases, making Eddie bristle.

"Metalhead," he corrects instinctively and immediately winces.

"Ah, my bad. I'm not good at the subcultures thing." She smiles apologetically but it doesn't read well with how clearly amused she is. "Anyway, here's the plant I want you to water tomorrow evening. Just like, half a glass."

Right. Plants. Cats. He came here on a mission.

"Come on, I'll show you my cats."

There's only three of them and they come rushing from all corners of the flat at the rustle of a catnip bag. Eddie never saw high cats so he's glad to have this opportunity now. Stephanie points to the tabby he saw earlier.

"This is Dart, she's not actually mine, but my friend couldn't keep her at the dorms. This is Garfield," she points to the orange cat, making Eddie huff a laugh. She grins. "Yeah, don't tell anyone, but he's my favorite," she whispers, to which Eddie mimics zipping his mouth shut. 

Lastly, she points to the black cat rolling on the carpet. 

"And this is Arwen."

Eddie frowns.

"Like, The Lord of the Rings Arwen?"

"Yeah," Steph sighs. "Dustin named her. He's the friend I've mentioned. Dart is short for D'Artagnan and I've fought teeth and nail for Garfield not to be called Pippin."

"Pippin is a great name, though," Eddie points out.

"Maybe," she huffs, crossing her arms. "But I wanted one for myself, okay? Not everything has to be about Dustin."

"Is Dustin like, your brother or something?" 

"Kinda?" She frowns. "We're not actually related but I babysat him, and then we became friends. He just stuck around, somehow." The words sound angry but her face betrays the fondness she has for her friends. 

"That's nice," he offers. "I'm an only child, never met any cousins, and only ever had friends my age."

"Well, good for you. Maybe if I had friends my age I wouldn't be living alone with a bunch of cats."

Eddie frowns. 

"Hey, now..."

She cuts him off with a dismissive wave of her hand. 

"I'll show you where the food is." 

Eddie's in a daze when he comes back downstairs, only realizing his visit ended when he's standing in his uncle's living room. He's been gone for only half an hour but it feels longer. 

"How did it go?" his uncle asks, pulling him out of his reverie. 

Edie turns to him and blinks, fighting the cotton around his brain.

"Fine?" he offers. "She's not as old as I expected," he admits bluntly. His uncle snorts.

"What, just because she lives alone with her cats you assumed she's on her deathbed?"

Eddie winces. It's exactly what he did.

"Well, the people in her life weren't kind to her, so now she relies on her pets. Nothing wrong with that." Wayne shrugs. 

"What do you mean?" Eddie frowns, curious. Concerned. He goes to the kitchen, not wanting to seem too eager to get an answer, and grabs a beer for himself and his uncle. He opens the junk drawer to find an opener and hears his uncle answer from the adjacent living room space. 

"She doesn't say much about it and I never asked, but she's always alone on the holidays. Her friends visit a few days before or after."

Eddie walks back in and hands his uncle the opened bottle. 

"Thanks, son."

He nods and settles heavily in an armchair. Focusing his gaze on the label peeling off of his beer, he hums thoughtfully.

"No family?"

"Seems so." Wayne nods solemnly. "I think it was a conflict of lifestyle choices, but I'll be honest, I'm basing it off of rumors and my own assumptions." He scratches his cheek, frowning at the wall. "It's not my place to pry, though I offered to hear her out if she ever felt like needing an ear." He sighs. "I'm just trying to be a good neighbor. Invited her for dinner over Thanksgiving, when you couldn't come. I was surprised she's into basketball," he muses. 

Eddie was seeking answers and now was even more confused.

"You invited Miss Stephanie. For a dinner?" He raised his eyebrows. 

"Yes. She was alone, I was alone, figured I could at least ask. I'm still surprised she agreed. She declined all my other offers."

"Wow." A teasing smile creeps on his lips against his will. "You've been inviting a lot of women since I moved out?"

"Listen," Wayne takes on his stern voice and it takes all of Eddie's willpower not to cackle. He can see his uncle's mustache twitch. "Stephanie is a lovely lady, but she's way too young for an old man like me. And this old man is too old for romance anyway. Besides—" he cuts himself off like he realized he was saying too much. Which, of course, piques Eddie's curiosity. 

"Besides?"

Wayne shrugs.

"I don't think I'd ever be ready for someone like her."

Eddie makes a confused face. 

"The fuck does that mean?" he asks, irritated. 

"Rumors and speculations, son."

[imaginesbymonika]

Not a violent dog | Part 3

Pairing: Logan x fem!Reader

Plot: Back in Wade's world Logan meets someone he thought he would never ever see again.

Warnings: slight spoilers for Deadpool 3!!!! mentions of death, angst, cursing, fluff at the end if you squeeze your eyes at the screen, I haven't written in A WHILE so bear with me

A/N: accidentally posted the final part before this 😔 guys im sorry

Previous Part | Masterlist

„Y/N…“, Logan whispers and his hand moves up, almost as if he wanted to reach you. However, the door quickly shuts, leaving Wade and him alone in the small apartment. Logan lowers his hand before he moves over to the couch. You looked the same as the day he had lost you. The only distinction was in the way you looked at him.

„Well, that could’ve ended worse.“, Wade lets out and stares at the closed door for a few seconds before joining the taller man on the sofa. Who only growls at him in response. „She could’ve jumped you. And not in the hot way.“, Wade crossed his legs as he leaned back, he eyed how the muscles in Logan’s back became more tight. „Anything would have been better than seeing her walk away, Wade.“, Logan unexpectedly says, voice sad.

Outside while you wander down the streets you run into Vanessa, who quickly stops you by taking hold of your arm: „What-?“ But you don’t have to say a single word for her to know precisely what happened. Apparently, you were the last one to find out about the other Logan. “ Oh, sweetheart.“

Wade watches how Logan stands up to grab his jacket:“ Where are you going, big boy?“ „On a walk.“, he responds shortly through gritted teeth:“ And will you stop calling me that.“ With one swift motion he unlocks the front door but stops dead in his tracks when he catches sight of Vanessa, Logan takes a step to the side to let her into the apartment before walking out without looking back.

„Vanessa, sweetheart-.“, however before Wade can pull his girl into his arms her flat hand collides with his cheek. „How could you do that?!“, the brunette woman wanted to sound angry, because she truly was. But her voice came out shaky and pitiful:“ Why would you do that to her? You know what she’s been through with Logan. Don’t you think that maybe…just maybe you could’ve talked to her in private instead of confronting her with him like that?!“ Wade stares at her while his hand strokes the stinging spot on his cheek before he lets out a sigh.

„I just wanted to help.“, he suddenly whispers and his shoulders drop. Vanessa only shakes her head in disappointment:“ You should’ve thought about it first- hell, you could’ve asked me for advice. But this-?“ She scoffs and strolls into the kitchen area to turn on the coffee machine. Wade watches her for a few seconds before he tilts his head in surprise: “How do you know about that anyway?“

„Ran into her.“, she takes a mug out of the cupboard and scrunches her nose when she notices the dirty spots on the inside:“ She‘s a mess.“

She wasn’t wrong about it. After years of keeping this act up, playing someone you weren’t: someone who didn’t care- you had surpassed your breaking point. You never spoke about Logan, yes. But not because you didn’t want to you just…couldn’t physically bring yourself to it. The memories of what happened were way too unbearable that swallowing your feelings appeared easier and less messy. You didn’t want people to think you were vulnerable.

You take a deep breath while sitting down on a bench in Central Park, and you lean back. It’s a peaceful evening and only the faint sound of laughter from a group of teenagers sitting on a blanket cut through the night. God, how you missed Xavier’s school. But you knew that you had to go. Everything reminded you of him.

„Can I sit?“, someone asks from behind and you clench your jaw. „Please, don’t run.“, his voice was everything you didn’t envision him to be, and while you are once again standing on your feet you ultimately sit back down on the bench.

„Yeah, okay.“

[stillfacingthesky]

being trans is such a mindfuck. nobody knows who i am. i dont need to come out, im fine as i am. i hide behind my clothes. i dont recognise myself in the mirror. i dont know if i ever will. i want to transition. im scared of change. i want to be seen and known. i am in danger. queer joy is beautiful. i am more open than a queer person used to be able to be. someone like me was murdered yesterday. i saw their face on the news, and the reporter used the wrong name. wearing mens’ clothes brings me joy, and the joy is reminiscent of a little girl. i want to be pretty. my skin doesnt fit and my voice is not mine. im scared i might love my father more. i dont need to come out, i can manage this all. im going to die someday anyway, it wont matter. a kid was staring at me in the bookstore today and i saw my past in their eyes. i wonder if they saw their future in mine. i want to be someones boyfriend. i am my brothers sister. all bodies are beautiful except mine. god created grapes but not wine and wheat but not bread. god hates fags. there is something wrong with me. if i ignore it, itll go away. its not going away. it hasnt gone away in seven years. i dont want to be a stereotype. i love brash vulgarity. my mother thinks i am beautiful. i share her face. i know ill regret it if i never come out. i dont want to waste my life wearing a costume. i dont know if i want to sacrifice the life that ive had for the life i could have. someone out there understands me. someone else would kill me without regret. someone would cry if i was gone. someone would praise my killer as a hero. there are photos and illustrations of people like me in the past. our history has been erased. theyre still trying to erase us. i dont know if the present is worth the future. i want to be happy. i dont feel like i deserve it. ‘female’ leaves a bitter taste in my mouth. ‘woman’ makes me see stars. i am one but not the other. i am the ghost of the person i want to be. i encourage others and love them regardless. i am a hypocrite. ive been in hiding since i was thirteen. i want to be loud. my mother spent nine months creating me. i will spend the rest of my life creating myself. i am scared. i am angry. i am beautiful and sickening and i want to rip my skin apart to make space for something new. my rage is glorious. they will never understand. i do not need them to. i am so lonely. i am an artist and i want to be a masterpiece. they call my creation mutilation. i dont want to make my parents sad. i want my brother to like me. i am visibly queer. that man shouted at me to smile because he was treating me like a woman. what i have right now is enough. i want more. i don’t know if ill ever have it. if i die tomorrow, i will be buried in a dress. it will be a dress that is already in my closet, a pretty dress that i havent worn in years.

[iaure]

𝔩𝔬𝔯𝔡 ℑ 𝔴𝔬𝔯𝔯𝔶; 𝔱𝔥𝔞𝔱 𝔩𝔬𝔳𝔢 𝔦𝔰 𝔳𝔦𝔬𝔩𝔢𝔫𝔠𝔢

𝖞𝖆𝖓𝖉𝖊𝖗𝖊 𝖒𝖎𝖌𝖚𝖊𝖑 𝖔❜𝖍𝖆𝖗𝖆 𝖝 𝖋𝖊𝖒!𝖗𝖊𝖆𝖉𝖊𝖗

𝔭𝔞𝔯𝔱 2: 𝔴𝔥𝔢𝔯𝔢 𝔦𝔫 𝔪𝔶 𝔞𝔯𝔪𝔰, 𝔶𝔬𝔲'𝔯𝔢 𝔪𝔦𝔫𝔢 𝔱𝔬 𝔨𝔢𝔢𝔭 𝔭𝔞𝔯𝔱 3: 𝔦 𝔠𝔬𝔲𝔫𝔱 𝔪𝔶 𝔟𝔯𝔢𝔞𝔱𝔥𝔰 𝔬𝔫 𝔶𝔬𝔲𝔯 𝔫𝔢𝔠𝔨, 𝔴𝔥𝔦𝔩𝔢 𝔶𝔬𝔲 𝔰𝔩𝔢𝔢𝔭 𝔭𝔞𝔯𝔱 4: 𝔰𝔞𝔡𝔫𝔢𝔰𝔰 𝔰𝔴𝔢𝔢𝔱 𝔢𝔫𝔬𝔲𝔤𝔥 𝔱𝔬 𝔰𝔴𝔞𝔩𝔩𝔬𝔴 CW: self-awareness, stalking, obsession, delusion, ptsd, mention of a brother's death, thoughts of kidnapping. Written in the third person. Use of Y/N. Spoilers for Spider-Man: Across The Spiderverse.

˚ʚ♡ɞ˚ heaven have mercy on my simple soul. we might have another dearest series on our hands, but for miguel. god. jesus. i made this in one (1) day. it's two am.

wc: 1.7k

𝗧𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝘄𝗮𝘀𝗻❜𝘁 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗾𝘂𝗶𝘁𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝗲𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝗳 𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗱𝘆𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗮𝗿𝗺𝘀.

Miguel knew that feeling all too well. Gabriella faded away in his arms, a flash of technicolour and geometric shapes. An entire world, falling away and escaping from him, like grains of glass as fine as sand but still so colourful. That's what kept him moving. He never wanted someone to make the same mistake. But he was only a man. he couldn't be alone in the isolation of his own making forever. He built up those walls, praying he'd have the sense to never knock them down. But brick by brick, other people did. First was Jess. She was his friend, his sister in arms. Then Peter, then a thousand other faces and names and hearts and morals and everything that made Spider-Man, Spider-Man. They each took a brick, as though it was nothing. It was just by pure chance that she was the one to take that last brick. She was a new addition. Friendly, witty, quick on her feet. Just like everyone else. Another Spider in another place and another time. Another in a million, another clone, another warm body as fodder. But when Jess brought her to him, Miguel knew; she was one in a trillion.

She had stood next to Jess, firm, with a thousand yard stare like she'd been digging around Miguel's soul and yanking out her favourite bruises. Harrowing was a good word for it. Her estranged brother, a captain in the police, had died. She looked like she'd seen Hell. Fresh bruises, scarring, her suit torn in some places...and she stood tall.

"Spider-Woman, from Earth 7290. Also known as Y/N."

Jess spoke softly, a hand on Y/N's shoulder. Her breathing was steady but her eyes had glazed over, completely tapped out to the situation. Miguel felt his heart tug. He knew what it was like. Everyone did. Most Spiders were sad, upset, but she simply seemed...angry. Furious, even. Like if Miguel made a move towards her, she'd chew him up and spit him out. He'd seen people try to tame horses before, ones that would buck and kick and neigh until someone's leg was broken. It was like Jess was doing that. The one hand on Y/N's shoulder, keeping her in place.

"Miguel?" Jess spoke up, and he came out of his haze. "Are you listening?" "Yeah." He nodded, quietly clearing his throat. "Sure. Get her a watch." Jess shared a look with Y/N, one that he couldn't quite tell the reasoning behind, but the glance of her eyes was enough.

Spider-Woman of Earth 7290 took the last brick.

He'd see Y/N around, walking around the Spider Society and speaking with other Spiders. She seemed to hold that anger close to her heart, despite the other Spiders telling her that it'd get better over time. They'd healed, or got over it, or pushed it out of their mind. But not Y/N. She stayed mad. She stayed angry. Miguel understood that more than most. Mourning took time. So many had gotten over it after years. It wasn't fair to expect Y/N get it over it so fast. He didn't think so, anyway. After all, it was an anomaly that took her brother's life. A mistake. It had fallen off the proverbial map, but according to Jess, Y/N had 'handled it her own way'. Whatever that meant. Miguel didn't really care. All he worried about was her. Rather than just taking the brick off his walls, she smashed it in with a hammer and ran it over with a bulldozer. She had a wrecking ball to smash a single blue and red brick. And he hated it. Because what about Gabriella? What about his wife? Did their deaths mean nothing now? And how was this healthy? Granted, Miguel wasn't a healthy person. Not like that. But the sudden way his mind dedicated himself to her was absurd. Did it have to do with his DNA? With the spider mutation? Rapture? Mating season? There had to be an explanation. A cure.

But there was none.

Now, Miguel's mind was rotting away. He wished he could pry it open and take to it with tweezers, to prod out the parts that he hated. But his eyes lingered on you for a moment too long, and he knew he didn't stand much of a chance anymore. It was all Y/N, Y/N, Y/N. Even just the faint, passing scent of her was enough to drive him up a wall that very much shouldn't exist. Passing word of her wellbeing made him tune into conversations he was never part of. He began to develop a seventh sense: touch, hearing. sight, smell, taste, spidersense, and Y/Nsense.-the uncanny ability to know when she needed help. Trademarked, owned by Miguel O'Hara exclusively. Peter once teased him about how Miguel would suddenly jump up and scoot over to the cameras, checking in on Spider-Woman 7290.

The teasing didn't last long when given way to the severity of the situation.

Gradually, Miguel leaned into it. If he couldn't fight it, then join it. Revel in it. Let his eyes linger on her frame. Let his waking hours resort to thinking of her. Let him suffer. He deserved it. He began to follow Y/N around. What she didn't know wouldn't hurt her. And sometimes, Miguel would see enemies-a Vulture here, a Doc Ock there-and he'd help when she wasn't looking. Little favours here and there began cropping up. Getting her groceries. Taking care of her cat. Fiddling with the gas for the car of the one creep that kept following her around that was so sure she was Spider-Woman. Granted, the creep was right. But he didn't know that.

(He did. Love comes in many shapes and forms.)

Y/N never seemed to notice. She was off, battling her own demons and fighting the good fight in her own world. She was good and kind and still angry but she used that anger so well, and Miguel loved her for it. She burned with the anger of a thousand dying stars. She was everything. When Y/N would stop by the Spider Society, Miguel made sure to look good. Brush his hair, brush his fangs, make sure his eye bags weren't too obvious, or if they were, then they looked good. He was trying to get her to like him, after all. Check to make sure his suit didn't have any tears or holes. Because Y/N was gorgeous. She could drag herself in with her guts spilling out like roadkill and he'd still think she's the most beautiful thing to grace the multiverse.

The beauty of delusion, he supposed.

He was aware how delusional this was. He knew how absurd it was that he saw her and fell immediately. Was this what happened in fairy tales? Is this what Prince Charming felt when he saw Cinderella? The world completely spinning the moment there's even a hint of her? The complete dedication of his heart to this woman that barely acknowledged him...someone who would only glance his way if it was a requirement. Y/N was cordial to him, but little more. And it made his heart ache. She spoke to Jess more than she spoke to him. It felt wrong. It felt cruel, like a tease, trailing up and down his spine but never providing relief. One word to him was ten to Jess.

Miguel refuses to admit it, to accept that he was willing to stoop so low. But there was a brief moment where he thought about hurting Jess. Or getting her on some mission that would take forever. Breaking her bracelet when she least expected it so Y/N would have to come to him.

He'd never act on it. He was sure of that.

If there was one thing Miguel was proud of for himself, it was his restraint. He had the unparalleled ability to simply...hold off. Another day, he'd tell himself. Next time, he'd self-assure. Then another next time. Then another. Until heaven knows how many next times it's been, and he's aching for her to even look at him, but why won't she glance his way? Why was she so cold? He's done everything he could. Just look at him! For god's sake, just fucking look at him! That's all he wanted! Five minutes with your eyes on him, your undivided attention.

But no. Another day, he said. Next time.

But maybe he could simply...take Y/N away. Her world was inconsequential. It'd be easy to take care of any villains. He'd do it for her, single-handedly. She were everything. He could just keep her there, in his office, never allowed to leave. He could come back after a long mission to her loving arms, her warm embrace, flush to flush to flush to flush. He'd do unspeakable things just for her to trace the vague outline of his body with her eyes. If Y/N told him to kill, he'd do so without question anymore. Miguel barely had any control over himself.

The next time he saw her, it was while dealing with Miles. It was so much, all at once and never at all and undying and swarming his senses. It was so much that he didn't realise how much she'd been smiling at the two teenagers, how sweet her gaze got, the gentle touches and warm laughter and how Gwen and Miles looked up to her.

He didn't know Y/N had a soft spot for kids. And he found out most vividly when she was the first one to help Miles escape, blocking off what must've felt like half of the Spider Society with the same undying rage, now spent on protecting her new friend, the child she called such sweet things. That she saw as her own.

Miguel felt his heart shatter when he had to take her down. The way she fell into the floor, limp and dangling like she was nothing more than occupied space. His heart was wounded, wailing like a dying dog. She picked the newcomer, the anomaly, over him. Him, her one true love. Did it matter that she'd known it yet? No. It only mattered that she helped Miles escape.

Lord, he thought. I worry that love is violence.

[hellish-sunsets]

You're an Asshole - Pt 1 - How it Started

AN: should I focus on my requests or ongoing pics? Yes. Am a writing an Adam x fem!angel!reader where he becomes better out of pure spite? Obviously. Anyways enjoy!

Warnings: lots of swearing

Wordcount: 1,089

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“You're an asshole.”

It was a phrase Adam had heard uttered time and time again with anger imbued in every syllable. Over the thousands of years that passed, not once did that phrase ever bother him. Because he was right, wasn't he? He was Adam, the first man, made to be perfect by the angel's hands themselves. Everyone else could think what they want, it changed nothing about who he was. Even if that knowledge led to the same pride that felled Lucifer, even if this line of thought brought him to the very same sins he condoned the sinners in hell for.

But she called him an asshole, and despite all his ego, or maybe because of it, it hurt. There was no anger behind the words, no hurt. Perhaps there was the faintest trace of sadness, but more than that it was a cold fact. The clouds were white, the sky sat above and the ground below, and Adam the first man was an asshole. 

And for some reason he couldn't comprehend, it ate at him. At first he was angry. He cursed her out, spouted whatever vile and venomous words he could think of. How dare she think so little of him? HIM? He was ADAM, dammit! How dare she? Even after the two separated, he ranted and raved for days until even Lute was getting tired of his bitching, not to mention the others who had the displeasure of being around him at this time.

But then he got quiet, and that was even more terrifying. Adam and quiet did not mean anything good. 

He stayed in his office longer and longer, thinking. Why did it bother him so much? Why was he still thinking about it? That woman, why did her opinion matter so much to him?

He went over the facts to himself, trying to break down what bothered him so much. She was an angel, made in heaven for heaven, part of the heavenly choir. He had never met her before that day, had only heard her voice occasionally. He… supposed he liked her singing, even if the songs were a bit more pansy than his usual rock and roll. Some were pretty hard core, he guessed, just in a different, less angry way. He heard in some passing whispers that she went to various concerts often, but he had never seen her at one of his. 

When he had seen her at his concert that day, he had been… excited? Like her presence was some sort of validation. Not that he needed any fucking shitty validation, especially some pompous stuck up bitch of an angel. Still, he thought it would be fun to talk to her. He can’t even remember what they had talked about, he probably flirted cause hey, a bitch is a bitch. He could hit that. 

But then she called him an asshole, those big eyes staring into his like she was reaching into his very soul, seeing every part of his being and evaluating him as less than good. 

Then he called a meeting with hell, giving a rather… mediocre reason, something he clearly made up and no one remembered. Only two attended the meeting and neither was about to discuss what transpired there. Well, Adam wasn’t about to tell anyone in heaven. Even Lute wasn’t permitted to come with. And Lucifer was too much of a recluse to tell much of anybody.

For his part, Lucifer played along the best he could. He despised when heaven called him to meetings, the feeling paired with anxiety when Adam was there. He went because he had to, but the anxiety was eating him up inside. 

His footsteps on the tile floor echoed through the embassy like gunshots, making him cringe. 

At first, he thought the meeting room would be empty. It was too quiet, and Adam was always too loud, his voice carrying throughout the building, but when he got there he didn’t hear Adam at all. And yet, when he opened the meeting room door, Adam was in fact there. He furrowed his brow at the sight of the man sitting quietly, reading a paper he had in front of him, pen idly tapping against the table. Lucifer frowned and took his seat, the scrape of the chair legs against the tile reverberating through the room. 

A few moments passed before Adam put his paper down, pen clasped between two fingers, and leaned back in his chair. 

“So… this should be a fun meeting for you.” He said, tone… very, very carefully even. It sent an eerie chill down his spine, his scowl deep. This was very unlike Adam, and it concerned him. It felt like something terrible was about to happen and he just didn’t know it yet.

“Right, and that would be because…”

“I am sitting my ass here in front of you, asking you to shit talk me.” Adam said, and Lucifer's mind stuttered for a moment, staring blankly at the first man as he scribbled something else on his paper and looked back up with that stupid mask of his. “Just, like, be fucking honest about it. I asked Lute first, she was a real bitch about it. Figured you’d also be a little bitch about it.”

There was a heavy pause. Lucifer stared at him, just as confused as before. Adam's mask glitches slightly before settling on irritation.

“...but why?”

Adam gave an exaggerated sigh, voice condescending like it had to be obvious and Lucifer was the stupid one for not getting it.

“Because! That fucking bitch! She called me an asshole. Me! And I was told she was chill to hang with. Fucking bullshit! Now I've got a point to prove! I can be fucking nice. I can be downright delightful! I'll fucking show her! So, dipshit, tell me what makes me an asshole.”

“There it is.” Lucifer said with an exhausted sigh, crossing his arms and leaning back in his chair. He though a moment, a twisted sort of smile slowly spreading over his face. “How much time do we have?”

When Adam returned from his meeting, he was in an absolutely foul mood. His anger radiated off of him and affected everyone he passed like a fog of irritation. But he had his stupid fucking list, crumbled in his fist, ink smudged but still readable.

He would show that fucking stuck up bitch! He would be the most fucking delightful bastard in all of fucking creation, or fucking die trying!

[heavenlymorals]

Arthur Morgan's Depression

(Warning: Spoilers for RDR2 and mental health issues)

Arthur Morgan is depressed. Yes, I know the writers haven't exactly come out and said that he is depressed, but it does not take a genius to see that Arthur Morgan is a man who deals with many demons and monsters. Arthur Morgan has some sort of functional depression, and it is shown in many ways. In many missions, he seems downtrodden and sad, but he goes along with it anyway because what else can you do? He talks about himself in such a degrading manner in the mirror, and not just in a way that we all do sometimes, but in a way that invokes actual hatred of himself.

He thinks he's ugly when he's a conventionally attractive man. He thinks he's dumb when he's very witty and smart. He gets knocked down for his intelligence a lot by both Dutch and Hosea (we, as a fandom, need to stop pretending that Hosea is perfect because he really isn't). I know that dudes generally joke like that a lot, but those two aren't his “friends”; they are quite literally his father figures. It's different. His journal is filled with self-doubt, pain, and a general apathetic outlook on life.

But as I was playing “A Quiet Time,” one interaction between Lenny and Arthur stood out to me.

“Why ain't you never married?”

“'Cause no one will have me.”

In the context of this mission, I think this was written as an “oh damn” kinda joke, something out of left field to make the player laugh. But after thinking about it more, I realized something.

If you guys follow my posts, then you probably know that I love to interpret things from a sociocultural perspective—so let's do that.

Now, this is an obvious reference to Mary and how she rejected him in the end for Barry Linton to keep her family satisfied. It might also allude to Eliza or other female love interests that Arthur might've had at some point.

But it may also be a nod to the culture of 19th century America and what it entailed for men.

Arthur isn't married at 36 years old. Men were expected to be married generally by their twenties. He has no children or legacy—the only one he did have died years ago. He doesn't have property or a home—he's always on the move with the gang (given how defensive he got with that woman he picks up to go to Lagras, it's probably a point of insecurity). He has no respectable profession—he should've had an honest career by now.

He hopes that Dutch will get his shit together and have them put their outlaw ways behind them, but Dutch literally cannot, and Arthur is the one feeling the burn for it. He has missed so many milestones that he “should've” reached by this point, yet he is still doing the same thing he was doing since he was a young teen.

He can't bring himself to leave Dutch either, as he feels like he has a debt to pay to the man (“I gotta try! I owe him that, at least.”) that can never be paid.

And that has to fucking hurt. You already hate yourself on the outside by thinking you're hideous. You hate yourself on the inside because you think you're dumb. You feel unaccomplished, like a damn loser. And on top of all of that? You can't bring yourself to let go of all the factors that make you feel that way because “they're family” and “they need you.”

You're trapped, and everything feels awful. I'd be depressed too.

It might also be another reason why Arthur is jealous and angry at John. He has a wife, he has a child, he doesn't feel particularly obligated to the gang (hence leaving for a year), he has a chance to do better, and he just doesn't care. He's reached so many milestones that Arthur misses not because he wants them, but out of pure luck, and I'm sure Arthur feels bitter about it.

It's just sad, man.

[dckweed]

Can you write a fic about Hangman and his friend from childhood and when she found out she was pregenat, her (former) bf broke up with her? You can make it as angsty or fluffy as you want.

TIA

absolutely love this! i had a couple of ideas and i hope you love the one that i landed on for this prompt! again guys, feel free to send in more, i love new ideas! this is honestly alot longer than i anticipated it to be and im so so so sorry but i got so wrapped up in it for some reason but hi how are you? also, would we want a part two to this maybe? make Jake and Babygirl a series? idk man i could vibe with it. anyway, comment, reblog, send in asks <3

warnings: angst, fluff, mentions of pregnancy, mentions of abortion and guilt and shame.

disclaimer: I did not add in abortion to make a stance on pro choice, nor did i add it in to make a stand off to pro lifers. Please do not bring the matter of pro choice or pro life into my comments or you will be blocked from my blog. This is a topic that makes me incredibly angry as a woman, abortion may not be something thats for you or that you'll ever find yourself doing, but that doesn't mean that its not an option for other people. Not every person will make the same choices as you, can we please remember and respect that? Everyone has a different stance on this topic and that is okay, but theres no need to argue.

part two

'YOU'RE NOT ALONE, OKAY?' jake seresin.

When Jake had called you last week, he had heard it in your voice immediately, even though you tried so desperately to hide it. The sadness, the fear. Before you had even finished telling him how much you missed him, he had cut you off with a: "What's wrong, babygirl?" Babygirl. He had called you that from the day he'd met you, and it had annoyed you greatly at first but over time it came to be second nature to respond to it and you had stopped rolling your eyes after a year or so. You and Jake had been stuck together like peanut butter and jelly from your very first day together. You were 13 when you had first moved into his hometown, your family had bought the ranch right next to his and his mama had made her happy way over to come say hello, a grumpy and annoyed Jake in tow.

You often laughed at the memory, Jake had come off as he usually did, ego-fueled and jackassy, though you later learned that it was just a front to survive in his big family of all boys, where he just happened to be the youngest and treated like the baby. You had even called him a jackass on that day, and he quickly followed it up. "Babygirl, has anyone ever told you that you're a brat?" Even at 13 he had the playboy names that he'd learned from watching his older brothers. He was appalled that you swung your arm back and popped him one right on the cheek, leaving his eye black for the next two weeks. He was enamored by you immediately and from that moment on was by your side every waking moment of the day.

Relationships had come and gone for both of you, both of you having your hearts broken more than once and seeking the other out for comfort, there had been many a night spent on one of the others living room couch with fuzzy blankets and cake while one of you cried. You and Jake were so bonded that most of your partners took it threateningly, girls he liked enough to bring around his family (including you) took offensively to you almost immediately, and your boyfriends took his presence in your life personally, and this time? Well, this time was no exception.

"..you still there?" You sobbed out a terrible cry that had him sitting up straight on his couch. You felt terrible immediately and tried to reel it all back in, you were calling to congratulate him on the permanent placement after the uranium mission, all of which you had heard details about every single night. "Y/N, what happened?"

"Jake..he left me.." You cry, trying not to snot all over yourself as you looked down at your bathroom counter, panic flooding your tone. It had been two weeks since he'd been gone, and you had been fine because you knew you didn't need him, but you were scared now. Scared for your future, scared to tell Jake about the two positive lines on the two pregnancy tests sitting on your sink, because what if he left you too? "I dont even remember what it was over," Him, always him. "but it just hurts so fucking bad because it's like two fucking years of my life wasted on this goddamn asshole and he went and..just..left."

He had left. Had taken every single one of the things he had kept at your home, and had even gone as far as blocking your number, all because you said you had wanted to go take a trip to see your best friend Jake when he was finished with his detachment, even though you had just seen him two months before. He had called you a whore when you first told him you thought you were pregnant, it hadn't been more than two weeks since you'd last seen Jake and he was absolutely convinced that you two had fucked, even though he had been with you the whole time. You couldn't understand why every guy you dated thought that there was something between you and the man who had always been your best friend, or why his girlfriends treat you the way they did, but you tried not to dwell on it for too long.

"Y/N." Jake sighs, the sounds coming from your end of the phone absolutely tearing him apart. It always tore him apart, the way that you would fret and cry over these..these boys that hadn't ever treat you in the way that you needed to be treated, or let alone loved you in the way that Jake knew you needed to be loved, because he did love you in a way that you would probably never know. He had always been to afraid to tell you, too afraid of it making you uncomfortable enough that you would leave his life. Maybe not immediately, but over time, and that thought scared him even more than telling you how he truly felt because goddamn he couldn't and wouldn't ever imagine a life without his babygirl in it.

Two hours of crying on the phone, of convincing you to calm down and to take your damn vacation like you had planned, because you deserved it, and 14 hours later, Jake had you in his arms, held tightly to his always muscular chest as he basked in the feel of you, the scent of your hair and perfume. You looked a mess, you were a mess he knew, but he didn't care.

"I missed you so much.." You sniffle, pulling away from him. You wipe your eyes as you look up at him, his usual charming smile plastered across his stupidly handsome face, you couldn't help the smile that spread across yours at the sight.

"No tears, babygirl, no tears.." He says, bringing a thumb up to help you wipe your eyes. You lean into his touch, as if that was all the comfort you needed in the world and you watched the way his face softened, you loved that.

"Happy tears, i promise." You chuckle, leaning against him as he lead you to the baggage claim carousel for your flight. Your suitcases were easy to see, he'd seen them a million times before and didn't even need to double check to make sure he was right, he recognized the small stain on the bottom by the wheel that had been his doing. "You don't have to carry my bags Jake, you've already done enough by coming to get me."

"I always pick you up from the airport whenever you visit," He says, looking down at you as if what you said was absolutely insane. He grabbed the cases with ease and started wheeling them away, letting you carry your carry on bag. "Besides, if my mama ever found out i didn't carry a woman's bags for her, she'd drag me out of work by my ear and give me a talking to." He says only half jokingly. Mama Seresin had been a strict woman, but a loving one and had instilled all the southern gentlemen charms in all of her boys, quite proudly she liked to say.

"I know, and i feel like it's alot to ask, I dont mind carrying my own bags, Jake.." You say, following after him. You wore a baggy sweatshirt and some shorts, you knew it was hot in the San Diego area but you weren't wanting to risk Jake asking if you'd gained weight if your normal clothes looked different, you weren't ready to tell him yet.

"And i feel like it's the least i could do, you literally sat on an airplane for four hours just to come see me, you dont need to carry your bags to the truck too.." He says in a way that told you not to argue about it any farther, so you don't.

The trip to his truck isn't too long, he managed to find decent parking not far from the arrivals gates and you had planned your flight for a time when you knew it wouldn't be massively busy, but the drive to his off base apartment felt like it took hours. Jake talked most of the time, making sure the A/C was blowing on you at full blast because you looked sweaty, telling you about his friends and how they couldn't wait to meet the girl he was always talking about, about how he was looking forward to having a permanent position at the TOP GUN academy, even though it meant he couldn't be close to you at home anymore.

You listened the whole way, but your mind was on the little thing in your womb now, growing by the moment. Your mind was on the man who had up and left you as soon as you said it might have been a possibility because he swore you were a whore. Your mind was on your own Mama, who had passed away many years ago, you wished she was here to tell you what to do. You knew you could go to Jake's mama, she had always been like your own in some ways but you also knew that she couldn't keep a secret to herself, Jake would be the first phone call as soon as you were out of earshot and you didn't want him to find out in that way. You didn't want him to find out at all, afraid of what he would say, of disappointing him, you hated that thought more than you hated the thought of your Daddy being disappointed at you.

You had contemplated making an appointment at planned Parenthood, you knew you weren't too far along, it was still a possibility for you, but you couldn't bare the thought of it, as upset as you were. The universe had given you this curveball for a reason, you had to believe that, even if you didn't agree with it. You had to believe that this accident had a purpose.

You hadn't noticed that Jake had pulled into a small parking lot, or that he had even parked the car at all until his hand waved in front of your face, snapping you out of your reverie. "...Earth to Y/N..." You blinked rapidly a few times, taking in a deep breath as you turned to look at him. "You good?"

You smile forcefully, and his eyebrows furrow. "Sorry, i spaced for a minute. It's been a long couple of weeks, my brain wasn't all the way with it.." You say, looking outside the windshield. "Why are we at the beach?" You ask, your eyebrows furrowing now. A sandy strip of beach was in front of the truck, you could see the waves crashing against it and you could make out some people milling about, birds flying over head. If you squinted, you could make out a couple of surfers on the water, waiting for a decent swell to ride in.

"Because i live in the building right over there." Jake says softly, getting the feeling that something other than the breakup was bothering you. You were usually full of chatter, typically, jake couldn't get a word in edgewise when you were around, and he loved that about you, but today? Today it was all him and that worried him.

You glance towards the building to your right, confused. "Oh.." You shake your head and unbuckle your seatbelt, opening the door to his truck to get out when his large hand on your elbow stops you, his fingers wrapping around it and pulling you back towards him. "...Jake?"

He sighs, looking at you with that stern, but probing glance, as if he were looking into your soul. "..Are you sure you're okay?" He asks after a moment of hesitation, he wanted to know what was going on but he didn't want to push it too hard.

You could have cried right then and there, and you almost did as you could feel the tears welling in your eyes, your chin quivering as you tried desperately not to let them fall. You could only hope that he didn't notice. "Yeah," You nod, giving him the best smile that you possibly could, putting your other hand on top of his and giving it a squeeze. "I'm okay Jake, i promise.."

Jake doesn't believe you, not one bit but he knows that he'll figure out whats going on eventually, or you'll break down and tell him. You always did. He nods once, letting go of your arm before taking the keys out of the ignition and hopping out. You follow suit, having to jump down before joining him at the bed of the truck, where he lifts your bags out and sets them down.

The rest of the day goes smoothly, you settle into the guest room that he had made up for you, and you catch up with him on what he hadn't filled you in on over the phone. He made you lunch, and took you for a walk on the beach, letting you lean against him as you enjoyed the smell of the ocean.

Jake couldn't help but wish that he was able to do that with you all the time, hold you while you guys walked on the beach, or make lunch and eat it with you. He loved being with you all the time, and he always had, he just had never realized until it was much too late that it was because he loved you. He didn't like to dwell on it too much though, he didn't like the yearning and the sadness and anger it brought him. There was no need for it when you were with him now, even if only for a little while.

By the time sunset comes around you're starting to turn into the you that he's used to, the happy, goofy babygirl he had always known, and he can't help but think it's because you're happier here with him than you were with your ex, wishful thinking, he knew. But alas, a man could dream, couldn't he?

You were sat on the couch in Jake's living room, watching a game show like you used to when you were kids when you heard his phone ping with a text message. You chuckle as he groans grumpily, half asleep with your legs in his lap, and shifts to reach for his phone on the small table next to the couch.

You watch him roll his eyes and poke his tongue out as he types out a reply to whomever it was, you grin before poking him in the chest with your foot. "What was that eyeroll for?" You ask, half amused and half curious. You always were the nosey type. "Was it Rooster?" He had told you about how rocky their friendship was, but that it was getting better, you knew that Rooster could annoy the hell out of Jake without even trying and you thought it was absolutely hilarious because you knew that you used to do the same thing.

Jake sighs, looking at you with that million dollar smile of his. "If you must know, Babygirl," He starts and you cant help but giggle a little. "It was Phoenix, the squad are all heading to the Hard Deck and they wanted to know if I was coming." He says and you hum at him in response. "I'm telling them no, I'm sure you don't want to go and i don't want to leave you alone."

You think on it for a moment, staring at him before making your mind up. "Lets go." You say, sitting up and swinging your legs off of his lap. You miss the pout that he makes, his eyebrows furrowing at the loss of your touch. "I want to meet your other friends, i bet they could tell me some stories." You say with a giggle, going towards the guest room to change into better clothes.

Jake watches after you and stands with an exaggerated sigh after a moment. "Fine, but I'm only going so they tell you the good stories!" He says and you cackle knowing damn well that they would probably spin you some tales about the man you've known for a good portion of your life, you didn't mind because you could tell them some things that would make them piss themselves in return.

It wasn't long before the two of you are out the door, Jake locking it after you before walking with you to his truck. You were honestly feeling alot better about things with your ex after only being with him for a few hours, Jake always had that affect on you to make things feel better when it felt like the world was tumbling down around you.

You sing along to the country station as Jake drives, the windows down in his truck letting the ocean breeze flow through the cab as you guys go along the coast, and within a few moments you see the lights of the Hard Deck through the windshield and take note of the full parking lot.

"Damn Jake, is it always this busy?" You ask, slightly on edge by the amount of people that were probably in the bar, you put your hand on your tummy subconsciously, which Jake caught out of the corner of his eye as he found a parking space. That struck him as odd, you had never been the socially nervous person before.

That was Jake's first clue. You declining a chilled tequila in favor of water was his second, and honestly it was the only one that he needed to make the assumption. You never turned down tequila, especially after a breakup like this. Eyebrows furrowed in thought as he introduces you to his friends, Jake watches you throughout the night, merely sipping on his beer as he did, keeping an eye on you as moved throughout the bar.

Phoenix and Rooster absolutely loved you, they couldn't believe that you and Jake had been friends for as long as you had, or that you could stand to be around him and his ego. Bob had thought you were his long distance girlfriend from the way that he always talked about you, and the fact that he rarely every called you anything besides Babygirl. You chuckled at the trio, about to tell them that he had never once in your entire friendship called anything other than Babygirl if it wasn't absolutely necessary, when you felt your stomach lurch as Penny brought a plate of seafood around your area of the bar. Quickly, you excuse yourself, just barely making it to the bathroom before the vomit spews out of you.

Jake was hot on your tail, had even followed you into the bathroom to dutifully hold your hair for you, his large hand rubbing your back as you heaved the contents of your stomach into the toilet. "Jesus Y/N.." He says, a serious edge to his voice. He wasn't sure what he was upset about, the fact that you hadn't told him immediately, or that your boyfriend had left you. "How long?" He asks when you stand up, wiping your face with a paper towel he had handed you.

You let out a soft sigh, making your way to the sink where you splash your face with water, hoping that if you delayed the answer he would go away. He catches your eye through the mirror, arms crossed over his chest as he gives you that look of pure concern.

"..Two months, i think.." You finally say and Jake's jaw clenches. Your lip quivers, terrified that he's angry with you as scared tears well up in your eyes. "He..he called me a whore..he thought i slept with you and he called me a whore and he left and he took all of his things and he blocked my number and jake i dont know what to fucking do because this wasn't part of my plan!" You wail in one breath, completely breaking down in the bathroom of the bar.

Jake is almost startled by your outburst, but it quickly turns to anger at the words that left your mouth, at the accusation that your ex had made towards you. Jake knew you were a fiercely loyal person, you wouldn't have ever cheated on him, but he was more than certain that he would have cheated on you, how else could he have called you that so easily?

Jake swallows his anger, noticig your tears coming harder and faster down your face and crosses the small bathroom to pull you into his arms, letting you rest your face on his chest as he holds you, letting you sob all over his shirt. "It's okay, Babygirl.." He says, looking at the sight in the mirror. If there was one thing Jake Seresin knew for certain, it was that he was going to make sure you were cared for, it may not have been his baby but you absolutely weren't on your own in this, he wouldn't let you be. "You're not alone..i promise you.."

[usernameforaboredcat]

Wasn’t Fated To Succeed

{Spy Ace X Marine Reader}

(I thought of this idea from a manga side story where Ace breaks into a Marine headquarters and fucks around n thought “hey, I can make sum angst with this shit🤷🏻‍♀️” so tehe like look at him!!

He’s such a silly goofy guy I love this mf so much!! Anyway-

Warnings⚠️: Angst, very sad angst, smut, p in v, virginity loss, use of nicknames "princess" "sweetheart" "good girl" ect, fingering, groping, very very slow burn, like this might take a while to read, death, daddy isn’t the best lol

It didn’t take long for him to notice her.

Who?

That young woman maybe a year or two younger than him, sitting at the large table, leaning comfortably in her chair with her arms and legs crossed with an annoyed and tired scowl on her face. Whist on his infiltration mission, Ace got dragged into a Marine meeting. He was more in the back, hiding himself to stay unnoticed while listening in.

Something about her was trying to telling him something he couldn’t hear, and he was trying desperately to make out what it was. To be fair he had been listening to everything, making as many mental notes as possible.

“What about that Straw Hat kid?!”. His ears perked up. “That punk has caused enough trouble as is!”. A loud disgusted “uhg” echoes through the room, drawing all eyes to that girl. She’s wearing a white low cut sailor dress with a beautiful pink flower in her hair. “Is there something you’d like to say?”. She gets asked, the man talking in an angry tone. “First of all I don’t quite appreciate that tone of yours when talking to me”. She starts, her eyes like daggers.

Ace felt a shiver run down his spine, her cold tone freezing the temperature of the whole room. “And second I don’t think that child should be a problem of ours”. She leans forward in her seat, propping her elbows on the table and resting her chin on her laces together fingers. “He is a child, gentlemen. Us marines should be adult enough to not get too affected by him”. She finishes. “But miss! Haven’t you heard all the trouble he’s started! Lougetown! Alabasta! Water 7!?”. A man yells.

The girl rolls her eyes dramatically at his words. “Please, I quite frankly think we have much higher risks and problems than him! And even if we did follow through with his antics and arrest him, what exactly do we do? There’s no laws regarding child pirates so what? Do we execute a child? Just like how if a grown ass man committed theft we just give him a smack on the ass like a child who stole a cookie from grandmas kitchen?”. She questions.

The room goes silent, no one knowing how to respond or even daring to respond. Something switched in Aces mind, something that felt weird and funny and new. Seeing such a ice cold girl with a burning fire of true justice set his heart ablaze. She wasn’t wrong, there aren’t any laws about punishment for pirates under the age of 18. He couldn’t help but let out a quiet chuckle.

The girl stands up from her seat, resting her hand on her hip. “Now, personally I think we have more important things to deal with at the moment! Send a team out on a patrol of the city and see if there are actual problems we should take care of, report them back to me by the end of the day”. She explains as she starts to make her way to the door. “And if I find out that there’s been an incident that hasn’t been reported to me I’ll make sure to serve you at the next hot pot in the hot pot”. She threatens, then exits the room.

The room bursts into whispers and murmurs. The room started to clear out, the meeting ending basic after the girl had left. As Ace starts to make his way out, he hears whispers about her. “I don’t get why she’s here”. “Bitch really think she’s the boss of us”. “Hey! Don’t say that!”. “Why? Scared her daddy will kill you?”. “Yes!”. So her dad has a lot of power in the Marines then. Interesting.

The room had emptied, the halls slowly emptying with people heading off to their jobs. With not real job, Ace scrambles down the hall and walks into a random room. He sighs as he closes the door, the click of a sword being unsheathed makes him freeze. ‘Oh fuck’. He slowly turns around, seeing the girl from before standing behind her desk holding her swords handle in her dominant hand ready to pull out. “You’re not supposed to be in here”. She tells him. “Why are you here? And what’s your rank?”. She asks him.

He straightens up and chuckles nervously, scratching the back of his neck. “I just wanted to say that what you said back there was cool! A real sense of justice, I’ve never seen something like that from a marine”. He admits to her. “I see”. She mutters. She clicks her sword back into place and makes her way over to the little kitchen in the office, opening a cupboard. “Care for a coffee?”. She asks without looking at him. “No thanks, not a fan of bitter stuff”. He answers.

She nods. “Very well”. She only takes out one mug. “Tell me, are you new to the marines? With your wording ‘I’ve never seen something like that from a marine’ implies that you haven’t seen a lot of marines talk or any meetings”. She explains as she puts coffee grounds and sugar in her mug. “Yep! I haven’t been here too long!”. He answers. Technically he’s not wrong. “Tell me then, how are you finding the marines?”. She asks. “Definitely not annoying and sick of people telling me what to do”. He explains in a chuckle.

She lets out a small chuckle as she fills her mug with milk. “I can’t imagine having to listen to marine would be easy for someone like you”. She states as she stirs the milk. “Especially for someone like you, Fire Fist Ace”. She adds. Aces eyes widen, but he gets back his cool demeanour and tilts his marine cap up as if it’s his classic hat, his finger alit. “Guess it was only a matter of time before someone figured me out”. He chuckles.

She lets out a chuckle again, walking over to the kettle. “It only took me a second. Unlike my colleagues I’m good with faces. As soon as you walked in I was able to recognise your face”. She explains as she fills up the kettle with water and set it on the stove. “However I do not wish to report you or arrest you”. She adds. She tries to turn the stove on, but it’s refuses to turn on.

She lets out an annoyed sigh, turning back to the pirate. “Mind giving me a hand?”. She asks, her voice in a more softer tone. “Uh…sure!”. He agrees happily, walking over to her. He places his hand on the kettle and sets his hand on fire, the kettle slowly starting to boil. “So…how come you’re not gonna report or arrest me?”. He asks her. “Because I hate the marines”. She blatantly states.

The kettle quickly starts to whistle causing Ace to move his hand away, the girl grabbing the kettle by the handle and filling up her mug. “I’ve always hated the marines”. She walks towards her desk, taking a seat. She gestures him to take a seat in the chair across from her, which he does. “Ever since a young age we’re all taught the black and white of marines good and pirates bad, however those with a brain can tell you that it’s mixed. I’m only young but I’ve seen good pirates and bad marines”. She explains.

She leans back in her seat and takes a sip of her drink. “For example…That Straw Hat Luffy”. Aces eyes widened. “I had been keeping an eye of what’s been happening in Alabasta for a few months now but because of our affiliations with Sir Crocodile the marines never did a thing. I felt terrible, for the king, Princess Vivi, and their people! I honestly thought that Sir Crocodile was going to distort that poor country, until I heard that Straw Hat arrived and was able to take care of it. I’m honestly surprised someone just a year younger than me was able to take him down, colour me impressed”. She explains.

Ace let’s out a chuckle as he leans back in his chair, arms propped behind his head. “That’s my little brother for ya! He’s full of surprises!”. He laughs loudly. “You’re joking! You and Straw Hat are brothers?!”. She yells out in shock, almost dropping her cup. “Nope, Luffy’s my baby brother”. He confirms. “Hm, you learn something new everyday I guess”. She mutters. “So if you hate marines so much, why become one?”. Ace asks her. “Because like hell I’d let the corrupted marines stay in power and continue to ruin the world government. I’m just waiting for the day the head admirals kick the bucket and I’ll take over! With them gone, I’ll finally be able to fix this twisted government up”. She explains to him.

“Now it’s my turn to ask a question”. She sets her coffee mug down on the table, crossing her legs and setting her hands down on her knee. “Why are you here?”. She asks. “Simple! I’m here to gather information, is there anything else to it?”. He responds. “Well if that’s the case”. She takes a key out her pocket, opening a filing draw at her desk. She grabs a note pad and a pen, sliding it over to Ace. “What would you like to know?”. She asks him with a growing smirk, Ace smirking and chuckling in response as he takes the note pad. “Whatever you know”.

~

Ace had been around the marine base for over a week now, working as a small team with a very powerful woman in the marine world. (Y/n). That’s the name she told him, he trusts that it’s her real name and not a name she’s giving him just to play with him. They where a team of people from two worlds. Ace had thought she would have outed him by now, but instead she’d always vouch for him if he was ever in trouble and let him sleep in her office. In his eyes she’s truely an amazing person.

~

The room was quiet, the faint light of a candle lighting up the desk enough for the woman to work. She lets out a sigh as she finishes reading the last of the reports, crossing her arms and laying them on the desk to use them as a pillow. The door to her office opens without a knock, she knows who it is. “Hey hey! There’s my favourite marine!”. She giggles to herself and she looks up, seeing Ace closing the door behind himself. “Evening Ace, how was your day?”. She ask him in a soft tired tone. “Ah ya know! Pretty good! Almost got my ass beat today but I in fact was the one who did the beating!”. He says proudly as he walks over and takes a seat across from her.

“I wouldn’t recommend drawing too much attention to yourself”. She says as she look up at him. “I’ll be fine! I have you!”. He responds. She smiles to herself, tilting her head. “I can only do so much you know, have you forgotten the kind of number that’s on your head?”. She tells him, then letting out a yawn. “Hm? You okay?”. He asks her. “Yes yes, just tired from work is all”. She explains. “You want me to leave and let you rest?”. He asks her, concern in his voice. “No no no, it’s good that you’re here. It’s better when you’re here, I feel like I don’t have a stick up my ass”. She explains to him, laying her head back down.

“Aawww, you chill out around me! Aren’t you cuuuuuute”. He coos at her, heat rising to his face. “I mean you’re not a marine, I don’t have to try to impress you”. She admits in a soft tone, looking back up at Ace for him to see her reddening cheeks. “I wish you never have to leave”. She adds, smiling up at him. “It has been fun, but if I stay here any longer it might start to cause you trouble”. He adds to her statement.

“Hey, how about tonight we drink? To a better future!”. He suggests to her. She hums, smiling at the idea. “That sounds quite nice, I approve”. She agrees. “Actually-“. She gets up from her chair, walking over to the fridge and taking out a bottle of fancy expensive alcohol. “I’ve had this since my 18th birthday and I thought now would be a good time to use it”. She explains, grabbing two glass cups. “Wow! Pulling out that good stuff! Very nice very nice”. He responds, his hand on his chin as he rubs it.

“Only the best…for me!”. (Y/n) says happily as she grabs glasses, shrugging. She walks back over to her desk, popping open the bottle and pouring the liquid into the glasses. She takes a seat, the two taking a glass each. “Well, even with this funny predicament…I’ve enjoyed our time together”. (Y/n) admits, swirling the drink then taking a sip. “Why not come with me?”. Ace suddenly asks. (Y/n) looks at him wide eyed. “What?”. She asks simply. “Leave the marines, come join the White Beard Pirates with me! The old man would love ya, take ya in as if you where his own daughter”. He explains to her.

She continues to look at him in shock, then turning to look away from him. “Ace I-… I can’t just leave the marines! It’s all I know, it’s what I’ve grown up with. Besides, if I left the marines to become a pirate my father would for sure kill me”. She explains, the thought of death sending a shiver down her spine. “By the way, who is your father?”. He asks. “He’s a…an Admiral”. She answers, refusing to look at him. “Damn! No wonder everyone is so shit scared of you!”. Ace yelps, almost spitting out his drink.

“Hey! Don’t spit that out! It’s expensive!”. (Y/n) snapped at him. “You never told me that your dad was a fucking Admiral!”. He snaps back. (Y/n) scoffs and rolls her eyes. “It doesn’t matter anyway. You wouldn’t know what it’s like to have a father like that, especially a father that kills the innocent despite being a “man of justice”, yeah justice my ass”. She mutters, chugging the rest of the drink. “I’m guessing you don’t know my father then”. Ace chuckles. “Hey, I have a lot of people to do background checks on and to keep track of!”. She defends. Ace let’s out another chuckle, chugging down the rest of his drink. “Ever heard of Gol. D. Roger?”. He asks. “Okay now you’re fucking with me! No way your father is the King of Pirates like 20 years ago!”. She snaps. “Yeah…”. He mutters out. (Y/n) leans over and refills both of their glasses up.

“So tell me lil Roger Jr. What do you think about him?”. She asks, taking a sip of her refilled drink. “I don’t really care, I don’t see him as my father anyway! White Beard is my father and always will be”. He answers. (Y/n) smiles softly as she looks at the older man. “That’s cute”. She admits. “What about you? What do you think about your old man?”. He then asks her. “Ah. I don’t know, he treats me like his own personal army toy. He raised me to be a marine and I never really got to have a life. No friends, no other family, no hobbies, no nothing to me! I never wanted to be a marine or even a pirate, I’d rather just be a normal girl”. She goes on. She sees Ace looking at her with a soft smile, causing her to take another sip of her drink to hide her plush.

“I didn’t mean to go on”. She apologises. “No no no, it’s fine”. Ace reassures her. “I just…never really had the chance to talk to anyone like that”. She hums. “Oh Ace, you have no idea how badly I wish I could go with you. Travel the world, find who I am as a person, meet people of all different…well…everything!”. She rants. “But…I’m stuck here”. She chugs her drink again, quick to fill it up again. “Come on kid, you’re drinking a little too much”. Ace states, getting up from his chair and walks over to take her drink from her. “I’m not a kid! Don’t you dare call me that!”. She snaps, quickly chugging the drink before it can be taken away.

“Maybe we should get you to bed”. Ace says, taking the glass from her and placing it on her desk. “I’m fine, okay? I don’t need you to baby me like everyone else!”. She snaps, looking up at him. He chuckles down at her, amused by her cranky face. He reaches and grabs her chin with his thumb and pointer finger. Without thinking, he leans down and presses his lips against hers. Regret immediately flows through him, but it instantly vanishes when he feels her hands on his cheeks to pull him closer.

He could taste the alcohol on her lips, tasting it more when she opens her mouth to let him slide his tongue in. He pulls away from her, looking down at her to see her big pleading begging eyes and kiss puffy lips. “For a marine you’re absolutely beautiful”. He whispers just loud enough for her to hear. “For a pirate you’re incredibly handsome”. She whispers back loudly. This time, she leans up and kisses him. She pulls him closer by wrapping her arms around his neck, Ace leaning over and easily picking her up to wrap her legs around his waist.

He sits down in her chair, letting the younger girl sit on his lap. She pulls away from Ace, the two panting of the lack of air. Fire, want, and need builds up in their bodies, (Y/n) slowly starting to grind herself over Aces growing length. He chuckles at her neediness, rubbing her hips up and down. “Never in my life would I ever think I’d see a marine be so needy for a pirate”. He chuckles as his hands travel to her thighs and going over her dress.

He uses one hand to move her panties aside and the other running a finger through her wet folds. “Ah! Ace~”. She moans out, grinding against his hand. “Jeez you’re so wet already, it makes me want to take you here and now”. He teases. “Then why don’t you?”. She asks in a giggle, running her hand down his chest to his hardened bulge and rubbing it through his pants. Ace hisses at her actions, causing (Y/n) to giggle as she leans in close to his ear. “Although I’d rather be the one to take you~”. She whispers into his ear, then kissing his ear lobe.

“God!”. Ace let’s out in a loud groan. He grabs her chin again with his spare hand and grabs her chin, pulling her in closer. (Y/n) moans into the kiss, letting out a cry of pleasure as she feels him slide two finger inside her warm wet entrance. She pulls away and whimpers at the new slightly painful feeling, her legs shaking as he slowly drags his fingers in and out. “I just realized…you’re a virgin”. Ace states. “Oh shut up”. She gasps, slamming her lips back on his. Ace picks up the speed of his fingers, using his thumb to rub against her clit.

He pulls away from the kiss, moving his hand from her chin to the low cut neck of her dress. He smirks as he pulls the dress neck down, her boobs sliding out from the motion. He’d be lying to himself if he didn’t at least wanna cop one feel of her tits while here. He aggressively grabs her breast and squeezes it, pulling and pinching on the nipple. “A-! Aaaaaace~ please!”. She cries out, needing something more. “Pleeeeease let me feel you inside me!”. She begs. Ace smirks as he lets out a single chuckle, pulling his hands away from her as he goes down to his pants. With ease his undoes his belt buckle, belt and zipper, easily being able to hop with her on top for him to slide his pants and boxers down to his ankles.

(Y/n) feels a shiver go down her spine as she looks down at his erection. He’s so long and thick, probably the first time in her life she’s ever felt intimated. “What’s the matter? Scared?”. Ace chuckles, grabbing the base of his cock. “Quiet!”. She snaps. She puts her hands on his shoulders to use to keep herself stable. She lifts herself up and hovers over his cock, feeling his hot leaking tip against her entrance. “Take it slow princess~”. Ace coos her, his hands back on her hips and rubbing them to comfort her.

She sinks down on his cock, feeling his tip slide inside her aching hole. The aching feeling of need grows stronger and stronger, craving him to fill her up. Without thinking she sinks her whole body onto his cock, his tip slamming painful against her cervix. “Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!”. She cries, feeling as if electricity shock through her body. “Sssshhhhhhit! Ah fuck me! Shit you’re tight”. Ace pants out as he squeezes his eyes shut, feeling his cock getting squeezed so tight inside her he could explode inside her already.

He opens his eyes but his vision isn’t the clearest, light headed from the feeling of her insides. He looks at the girl on his lap, seeing her still trying to catch her breath as tears run down her cheeks, a painful grip against his shoulders. He slowly starts to rock her hips, sliding her up and down on his length. Her cries turn onto moans, starting to move her hips on her own. “That’s it, good girl~”. Ace praises, rubbing circles on her hips over her dress.

(Y/n) picks up speed, smoothly bouncing up and down on the pirates cock. Ace happily leans back in the chair, his limit approaching fast at the feeling of her right pussy sucking him in and trying to milk his cock of every single drop of his cum. More. More. He grips her hips tight, getting a tight hold on her and pulling her up and down on him, using her as a toy. A very pretty, very off limits, very hey she’s literally your enemy, toy.

He can’t help but start thrusting his hips up into her as he slams her down, the two meeting half way as Ace oh so desperately tries to chase his fast growing high. He needs to cum. Specifically he needs to cum in this marines perfect tight pussy. A now strong believer in the idea of if he cums in her it’ll make all his dreams come true. Without warning and a hard slam he releases deep inside her, his hot seed filling up her insides. (Y/n) shutters at the feeling of his warmth.

She pants as she tries to get off of him, but Ace slams her back down, drawing a whimper from her when she whimpers. “I don’t think so”. He pants out. He moves his hands under her thighs, swiftly picking her up and laying her on her desk. Ace smirks as he looks down at the marine, seeing her breasts raise up and down with each breath, her pussy still stuffed with his cock as cum starts to leak out the sides. He reaches over and grabs the forgotten bottle of liquor, taking a massive chug of it till the last little remaining drops are gone.

He leans down with each of his hand on either side of her head, her hips trying to move to chase the aching need of release she still hadn’t gotten. “We’ll be here all night until morning, hope you like the shitty coffee they have here cuz you’ll need it”. He tells her as he slowly grabs her ankles and pushes them up to her chest. “A-Ace~”. She whimpers, feeling him so deep inside her he might just be inside her womb. “You’re in for a looooooong night sweetheart~”.

~

The wind was cold, giving a gentle touch every time to touched her face. There’re no clouds in the sky, just a blue ocean above and in front of her. The sound of ringing and feet pattering rush over to the young lady’s sitting spot, some marine in a much lower rank than her running towards her with a transponder snail. “Miss! Your father is calling!”. The man calls. She reaches out and answers it. “Hello father”. She greets him. “Hello (Y/n)”. He responds with his bored gruffed voice. “What is the pleasure I have for you to call me out of the blue?”. She asks. “I wanted to check in that you’ve arrived to the base safely”. He answers. “I’d prefer you’d be here but you made the mistake that lead not to”. He adds. Ah yes, a mistake. A living, growing “mistake”. She runs her free hand over her stomach, only a few month’s pregnant by this point. “I’m sure everything would go smoothly without me, besides I’m not really in the mood to see something like an execution”. She informs him. “Yes, I’m sure”. He agrees. “How long now?”. She asks. “8 hours until that Fire Fist is dead”. He answers.

(Y/n)s grip tightened, her hands shaking. “Mr Akainu! We have to go!”. A voice is heard in the background of the call. “These idiots need me, I’ll be leaving”. And without a goodbye, he hangs up. (Y/n) ends the call on her end, shooing away the marine. She takes a deep breath as she closes her eyes, feeling the soft breeze on her face. She starts to hum a random tune as she rubs her stomach, hot tears falling down her cheeks. “I’m sorry, little one. I’m afraid your father won’t get to meet you”. She mutters under her breath. “Oh Ace, I’m sorry that this happened…I hope…I hope somehow that brother of yours saves you so I can see you again…and…and you to meet our little one…”.

~

The winds where fast, the breeze smelling like sea salt as music rode along the winds. “CAPTAIN!”. The crew pause their antics, looking towards the navigator. “MARINES APPROACHING!”. He yells. The Captain shoots to the head of the ship, sitting on the lions head. “Do we attack?”. The cyborg asks, getting ready to ready for an attack. “THEYRE WAVING A WHITE FLAG!”. The sniper informs them. “What do we do captain?”. The swordsman asks. Their captain looks at the oncoming ship, laughing. “This could be fun!”. He laughs.

The ship slowly gets closer, the two ships setting down their anchors. The pirates watch as the marines look over their ship to look at them. A young woman walks up to the side, a high ranking woman. Without a second thought she jumps down, easily landing on the ship. The woman is wrapped in a long white cloak, maintaining eye contact with their captain. “You’re Straw Hat Luffy, correct?”. She asks him. “Yeah? So what?”. He asks her. “There’s something I’d like to discuss, is there somewhere more private for us to talk?”. She asks. “Don’t worry, if you’re questioning my intentions your crew mates are free to join which I think you’d rather”. She adds. “Yeah sure, we can talk in the kitchen”. He answers.

He leads her to the kitchen and dining room of the ship, the crew following behind them. “So, what’s up?”. Luffy asks, taking a seat at his spot at the head of the table. “If I remember correctly your older brother was Fire Fist Ace, yes?”. She asks. Luffy shivers, looking at her with murder in his eyes. Why would a marine come to him asking about his brother NOW?! “Yeah, what about it?”. He asks. The woman smiles softly as she takes off her coat hanging around her shoulders, setting it on the table to reveal a sleeping toddler in her arms. A little girl, long black hair with freckles. She looks like… “I know Ace never got the chance to meet her, but I thought her uncle should at least know she exists”. The woman explains.

Luffy looks down at the girl wide eyes, his eyes softening as he looks at her. “Wh-what?”. He stutters out. “WHAT?!?!”. The other crew members yell out, causing the baby to stir and begin to wake up. She looks up at her mum, who sweetly looks at her. “Mama?”. She asks. The woman giggles as she points Luffy to her, the little girl turning to look at him with wide eyes. “Rouge, this is your uncle! You know that stretchy guy that grandpa yells about? Say hi”. She tells the little one. “Hi”. The little girl greets, giving a little wave. “Would you like to hold her?”. (Y/n) asks Luffy. He doesn’t answer, just taking the girl from her arms and holding her close to himself. The other crew members crowd around their captain, looking down at the girl with aws and coos.

“Aawww she’s so adorable!”.

“She’s so pretty!”.

“She sure does look a lot like her daddy”.

“Wow! You’re an uncle!

“Uncle Luffy!!”

(Y/n) takes a seat at the table as the Straw Hats coos and laugh at her daughter. “How old is she?”. Robin asks the mother. “She’s two”. She answers. “She’s so adorable! You and Ace really made the cutest baby I’ve ever seen”. Nami compliments, taking a seat next to the mother. “Thank you! A day doesn’t go by that she doesn’t remind me of her father”. She thanks. “Honestly with how much she looks like her dad I’m surprised there hasn’t been anything in the news about it”. Nami points out. “No one’s figured it out yet, which I’m hoping never happens. If anyone asks about her father I tell them it was a random I had a drunk hook up with at a hotel so I don’t know what he looks like”. She explains. “Hey Marine Lady”. Luffy calls, the mother turning to him. “Yes?”. She responds. “What’s your name?”. He asks. “It’s (Y/n)”. She answers. “And hers?”. He asks, referring to the girl in his arms. “I named her Rouge, after Aces mother”. She answers.

“Luffy, I have a request”. She then starts. “Yeah?”. He responds. “If something happens to me, weather I die in war or I get executed for birthing Aces child, no matter what if anything happens to me…please take care of her. Either she’ll get raised to be a marine soldier like I was or killed as well, I want her to live free and I know you and your friends will teach her the right things. I know you’d be an amazing uncle and teacher for her”. She explains to him. He smiles brightly and nods. “Of course!”. He says happily. His expression changes into a more serious one, but still with a smile.

“If anything happens, I’ll make sure to protect and save her! I won’t make the same mistake again!”.

[jqmalikhsgib]

blue skies

chapter: two

note: 5x10. ethnicity mentioned towards end of the chapter but it’ll most likely be the only time mentioned.

aaron watches while his son looks at the tv screen. jack had asked to see any and every home videos they’ve got of him and haley. he couldn’t deny jack that. he deserved to see his mom. even if it was just on a screen.

aaron gently walks over to his son before bending down slowly. “hey, buddy, it’s time for pjs.”

“can i watch one more time? im waiting for mommy.”

aaron looks over at the screen. he watches jack sitting next to a birthday cake while haley’s right beside him.

“i miss her too.”

“can i sleep in your room again?”

jack didn’t have to ask. aaron was going to let him anyway. “sure.” he goes around the couch and lifts jack up. after aaron changes his sons clothes and lies him down on the bed he rest right beside him. he waits for jack to fall asleep before he gently gets out of bed and heads to the kitchen.

he grabs a glass and pours himself a glass of scotch. aaron drowns the drink down instantly.

he didn’t want to feel anything. aaron wanted to forget seeing his wife lie dead on the floor, he wanted to forget letting foyet destroy himself, he wanted to forget his guilt.

he loved haley, no doubt in his mind. he just stopped being in love with her a long time ago. he knew why. he just couldn’t bring himself to admit that he’d moved on from the woman he fell for the moment he laid eyes on her.

haley had been his best friend since high school. when he was nothing but the weird kid who auditioned for a part in the schools play just to get her attention.

he felt guilt rushing through. maybe if he’d admit to himself that he’d moved on haley would still be alive. this was the gods, the universe, whatever’s out there punishing him for hurting not only haley, but yn.

he feels guilty even thinking about her while his wife’s rotting in a grave. aaron felt like a broken man.

he thinks back to the last night he saw her. the last night he kissed her, held her, loved her.

the more he drinks the worse it gets. finally he does something he didn’t think he’d ever do.

he grabs his cellphone and unblocked her number. he fights with himself on if he should call. his drunk brain clouding his judgement. he listens to the rings. he waits patiently before he finally hears the silence.

“yn?”

“aaron?

god he missed hearing her voice. she still sounds so majestic. he still remembers how she smelled. he remembers how she taste. his cock twitched just at the thought. he shouldn’t be thinking of this. his mind should be on his son. on his wife!

but he couldn’t help it. he spent three years missing her. three year of distancing himself from just the thought of her.

“god, yn, i missed you. im sorry, baby. so sorry for hurting you.”

the silence killed him. he needed to hear you. just one last time.

“aaron, i—im sorry about haley.”

you had no clue what to say. maybe apologizing about his wife’s murder wasn’t the right choice. you listen to his heavy breathing. you wait patiently before he speaks once more.

“i should be mourning her. i should be down on my knees praying for her return. i should miss her. i do—i do miss her! but i should miss her more. but all i could think, the moment i saw her was, thank god it wasn’t you. fuck! that’s sick isn’t it? im a sick twisted man. my wife was killed and here i am thinking of another woman. the mother of my child will grow without his mom. and a woman i slept with three years ago—no! the woman i fell in love with three years ago is listening to me yap about my fucked up brain.”

your heart broke for him. you knew he loved haley. knew he’d do anything to get her back. even if it meant sacrificing himself. he was drunk and frustrated, angry and pissed, sad and lonely. aaron was heartbroken.

“oh, aar! you—you’re a great man, okay?! a great father to jack and you were a great husband to haley,”

he laughs at that. “i was shit! i was a shit husband to her and a shit boyfriend to you. you both deserved better. jack deserves better. he deserves his mom. not his fucked up father who’s barely around.”

“don’t say that, aar! you’re a great dad.” he’d be a great dad to lizzy if he only knew.

“no! any child would be better off without a father like me!”

“stop, aaron! stop that right now or ill hang up on you and never speak to you again, you hear me?! you don’t get to talk down on yourself like that! jack needs you, alright?! he needs you more than ever now that his moms gone. do you hear me aaron hotchner?”

the silence took over once again before you hear him whisper.

“yes. yes i hear you, baby. i hear you.”

you sigh in relief.

“you need to get some rest, aar. please get some sleep for me. okay?”

“ill do anything for you. anything you need. i—im gonna fix everything, yn. gonna fix my relationship with my son, gonna fix my team, gonna fix us. you hear that, baby? im gonna make things right with you. gonna marry you and everything. no running away this time. please don’t give up on me?”

you closed your eyes as the tears gently shed. you knew he wouldn’t remember any of this once he wakes up.

“promise me now, honey. gotta hear you say you.”

“i promise, aar. i won’t give up on you.”

you soon hear him snoring. wiping your tears you end the call and cry yourself to sleep.

aaron wakes with a pounding headache. he sighs roughly before immediately going to the bathroom. he gently closed the door so he wouldn’t wake jack.

he looks in his medicine cabinet and grabs the aspirin before downing it with nothing. aaron looks at himself in the mirror. he looked like hell. he needed to wake himself up. he decided to grab a few clothes and take a cold shower.

once he was done he finally heads to the kitchen and makes breakfast for jack.

jack walks into to kitchen just as aaron finished up. he sets the plate down in front of his son as he then pours himself a cup of coffee.

once jack was done with his breakfast aaron decides to finish unpacking all of jacks things.

a few hours go by and they’re almost finished. jack opens his box of toys as aaron looks around.

“okay jack listen. i want you to figure out where you want to put all your toys, okay?”

“okay, daddy.”

“alright, sweet boy.” aaron hears a knock on his door. he rubs jacks head before walking towards the door. aaron looks through the peep hole before unlocking his door.

“chief strauss, i appreciate you coming to me.”

“oh, of course. this isn’t the time for you to be away from your son.”

he allows erin to come into his apartment before locking the door once more. the two adults walk over to aaron’s couch and sit down.

jack says hi, just as his father asked before going back to playing with his toys. “so, how you holding up?”

“im okay.”

“how’s jack?”

“he’s coping. i don’t think he fully understands everything that’s going on.”

“oh, right, well, how could he?”

aaron takes a deep breath before getting to the point. “you said that there was something you wanted to discuss with me?”

“yes, i do.”

strauss reaches in her bag and aaron some paperwork. aaron looks through it with a confused facial expression.

“this is retirement.”

“ive talked with the director. given the circumstances, there’s no reason you should have to return to the bureau. we can offer you full pension and benefits.”

aaron looks at her sternly. he looks at the paper once more before speaking. “are you saying that you want me to leave the bau?”

“well, obviously that’s your choice, but im offering a way out.” she starts. aaron looks at her once more before she continues.

“agent morgan’s promotion was temporary, but he exceeded our expectations, and im confident that i could make it permanent, if you decide to step down. the team would be together and you could be with your son.”

“and when would you like a decision?”

erin looks at him blankly. “i thought i would be leaving with one. what’s your hesitation?”

“i would just like to weigh all my options.”

“whatever you need.”

aaron walks strauss out before going back over to his son. he helps him put away his toys. once they finished aaron put jack down for his thirty minute nap.

he grabs his cellphone and dials yn number once more. he needed to apologize for his behavior. or at least that’s what he told himself as he hears her voice once again.

“aaron?”

“hey.”

“hi.” she whispers.

aaron stayed silent for a few hours before he continued to talk again.

“im sorry for last night. it was out of line.”

“it’s okay, aar. how are you?”

“ive been better.”

“im sorry for your loss, aaron. i know—i know how much haley meant to you.” you whispered.

aaron hums.

“yeah.”

“im having a hard time, yn.”

“a hard time?”

“yeah. i—you know how i feel about my job. how i worked my ass off to get where i am today. i chose my career over my wife, over my son! it cost me her, you know? she—she died because i couldn’t let go. and now i have this opportunity. a good deal to leave the bau behind and focus on being a better father to my kid but i still want to go back! i don’t wanna let go. is it wrong of me to feel this way?”

“it’s not wrong, aar.” you whisper.

“how is it not?”

“your job saves people! you catch the most evil and sadistic murderers, rapist, sociopath, and psychopaths. you save jack and other kids from having one less sick killer out there. it’s who you are and what you do.”

“but it cost me haley!”

“you know haley wouldn’t hate you if you went back?”

“that’s the problem.”

“jack wouldn’t either, aar. no one will blame you. if you went back to the bau.”

“i needed to hear that, yn. you always make me feel better.”

you listen to his steady breath. you miss hearing his heartbeat. miss being beside him as he holds you comfortably.

“im here for you, aaron. any time you need me.”

you knew despite everything that aaron would always be your person. maybe that means being single for the rest of your life but it was worth it. the memories you shared with aaron was worth even the heartbreak. you hope one day you’d be able to reconnect with aaron. maybe even be a family with him. but you won’t hold your breath over it. especially now.

you have no idea if aaron would ever want to be with anyone ever again. and you wouldn’t or couldn’t blame him.

“thank you, yn. that means a lot. may i—may i call you more?” aaron asked.

“yeah, aar. call me any time.”

“i should get back to jack.”

“yeah. goodbye, aaron.”

“bye, yn.”

the call ended. you got up as you lied right next to your sleeping daughter. she was the perfect mix of you and aaron. her hair was dark and curly, her eyes were hazel, she was definitely beautiful. you loved her more than anything. you’d do absolutely anything to protect your baby girl.

you feel her moving. her eyes slowly open. she blinks a few times before speaking.

“mamma? what ‘ya doing?”

“sorry, baby. just wanted to hold you a little. how was your nap?”

“okay, mamma.”

you kiss the top of her head before you pick her up and sit her in her high chair. you head to the kitchen and grab one of your daughters small bowls. you put a few grapes in it before handing the bowl to her.

“eat your grapes, bug. mamma will be sitting right there.” you point to the couch before walking over and finishing up last minute paper work.

aaron walks into his kitchen and sees his jess making pancakes for dinner. “oh, man, pancakes for dinner. is there anything better?”

“no, there’s not.”

aaron bends down as he watches his son play with his action figures.

“hey, jack, who are these guys?”

jack lifts up on action figure. “this is you, and this is the bad guy. they’re fighting.”

“who wins jack?” jess asked.

“daddy. no one beats daddy.”

aaron rubs his sons back. “aunt jessica’s almost got dinner ready. i forgot, what do we do before we eat?”

“wash our hands.” aaron helps his son out of the chair before jack walks away.

“he build those himself. i hope its okay?” jess speaks after jacks out of earshot.

“of course. listen, i really appreciate your coming over. all your help and support, its been great.”

“he’s my nephew, and you’re my family. ill be here as much as you want.”

aaron takes a deep breath before sitting in front of jessica. “the bureau has offered me retirement.”

“what did you tell them?”

“you know, jack needs me now more than ever. that means being here full time. after haley and i were apart, he didn’t have me very much, and that was hard, but i knew that at least he had his mom. and right now he really needs his dad.”

“of course he does, aaron. we both know you and haley didn’t separate because you stopped loving each other. your job just got in the way. your team needed you, and despite this offer, i doubt that’s changed. maybe you don’t need to retire. what if i stayed with jack when you had to be away? “

she was half right. aaron and haley did love each other but it was different. truth was they stopped being in love since jack was born.

with caring for their child and aaron being away for work, the relationship got so much more complicated. aaron noticed the changes in their behavior for awhile.

he would make up any excuse to stay at the office while haley no longer had that sparkle in her eye when she looked at him.

he didn’t admit it until he met yn. always telling himself the separation was temporary. jess didn’t need to know that though.

“jessica, i appreciate that,”

“please? it would mean a lot to me if you’d let me help you out with jack. for haley?”

you finished telling your daughter a bedtime story before shutting on her nightlight. right when you were about to leave you hear your daughters voice.

“mamma?”

“yes, bug?”

“may i hear ‘nother story ‘bout daddy?”

you simply smile. you never deprived your daughter of knowing her father. even just a little. she didn’t know who he was or what he looked like, but she knew he was a hero.

you told stories of aaron as if he was a superhero. in your eyes, he was.

you went as far as calling the bad guys ‘villians’ occasionally. she loved hearing stories of her crime fighting father.

“what do you wanna know, bug?”

“has daddy ever saved you?”

you think for a minute of how to explain the story of your abusive adopted parents to your three year old.

“yeah, he has. wanna hear?”

“yes, mamma.”

“once upon a time there lived a princess. your mamma. she was a lonely kid for a long time. one day a mom and a dad spotted her. they thought she was pretty and sweet. the princess thought they were kind when she talked to them. one day they took the princess home. at first they were the nicest. they bought her new clothes, toys, shoes, anything her heart desires. but once they took her in full time, forever and ever, they became mean,”

“oh, no mamma.”

you run your fingers through your daughters hair before continuing. “oh no is right baby. suddenly they forced her to cook, clean, and babysit their kids,”

“like ella?” you knew she meant cinderella.

“exactly! the little girl was bullied by the mom and dad as well as the kids. she felt lonely and hopeless. the princess decided to run away. she was still very young. only fifteen. but she survived. when she finally turned eighteen she and her best friend decided to find a castle together. when they found one they lived happily for many many years. then the princess met a prince. your daddy.”

your daughter gasped.

you chuckle. “she fell in love with the prince over time. but the moment she really knew was when the princess was in trouble,”

“what happened?”

“mom and dad found her and hurt her real bad. see, the prince was coming to visit the princess, so when she heard a knock on the castle doors she thought it was the prince. but it was mom and dad. they had found her and hurt the princess really bad.”

“oh, no. why, mamma?”

“because they’re villains and wanted to see the princess hurt. but before they could do anymore harm the prince rushed into the castle, fought mom and dad, and sent them away. he then took the princess to the doctor where they patched all her boo-boos while the prince stayed and held her hand. that’s when the princess finally knew for certain, the prince was the one.”

“im glad daddy saved you, momma.”

“me too, baby. get some sleep, okay? you get to see sara again while mamma’s at work.”

“ok, mamma. night. love you.”

“i love you too, baby. sweet dreams.” you keep the door cracked open before walking into the kitchen. you poured yourself some wine and continued reading the novel you’d started.

aaron stares at haley’s grave. he felt a presence next to him before looking up.

dave stares straight ahead. they stayed silent for a moment before dave finally spoke.

“i had a feeling id find you here. have you told her yet?”

“told her what?”

“that you’re coming back to the team? that fighting the bad guys is who you are.”

“i don’t have to tell her. she already knows.”

dave turns and rest his hand on aaron’s shoulder. he walks away. leaving aaron to grieve.

aaron stays a little while longer before heading to his own car and driving home. when he gets there he sees jack and jess on the couch. aaron silently tells jess to come here.

they walk to the kitchen before he speaks. “you’re right. my team does need me. and jacks gonna need all the family he can get.”

jess nods. she waits for him to finish. “may you watch him for a few days. i need to take some time. figure some things out.”

“of course, aaron. anything you need.” jess replied.

aaron nods his head before walking towards his room. he grabs his go bag and starts stuffing a few clothes in there before calling penelope.

“sir? are you alright?”

“garcia, i need you to look up someone for me.”

“anything, sir. what’s the name?”

“yn holmes. she’s from johnson city texas.”

“five names popped up.”

“she’s african american, garcia.”

“found her. she’s thirty-three, works at a local business as an assistant, lives with a woman named jane lopez, and has a three year old daughter.”

aaron paused at that. “what? what’s the daughters name?”

aaron hears penelope clicking on her keyboards. she gasped. “penelope?”

“elizabeth joan hotchner.”

aaron runs his fingers through his hair as he paces back and forth. “are you sure?”

“yes, sir.”

“okay. okay! do me a favor, penelope?”

“anything.”

“keep this to yourself. promise me garcia. no matter how many times they may pester you, don’t utter a word. is that clear?”

“yes, sir! i promise.”

“thank you. send me the address.” aaron ends the call. he was pissed.

[w3r3theli0nshunt]

Intertwined destinies

Simon ‘ghost’ Riley x Noora (fem reader)

Part IIII: Mission failed

Summary: You, Eleonoora Lintu, born in Finland were forced to be taken away due to the war. However you thought your life would be miserable and full of despair until a military man gets full custody of you and you meet your childhood sweetheart, Simon Riley. You two become best friends, both of you living a miserable life, you both gets stronger thanks to each other. That is until you get taken away by Finnish soldiers, separating you and your best friend. It’s been over 20 years until the two of you meet again. Now being adults, you have so much more than friendship in mind.

Warning! Displays of cruelty, extreme violence (not for the weak hearted ones), gore, smut, reader is called Noora.

Your mind is spinning in confusion at the event that happened yesterday. How Ghost called your name and how it triggered some sort of memory to pop up. Like a dream, an old childhood memory you never just could forget. The last display of love and concern before you became the cold and cruel version of yourself. It concerned you but at the same time bothered, if it was anything you hated is when you become vulnerable and weak. It made you feel worthless. Thanks to your lack of empathy, you could easily shove away any sorts of feeling that you didn’t like.

It was thanks to the loud knock at your door that pulled you out of the stupor. You became annoyed, you hate being disturbed. Especially at night, when you were trying to sleep. Not that you could sleep anyways.

“What?” You screamed annoyed, a hint of tiredness too.

“Open the door” you hear a dark voice, almost grunting. It’s ghost, which annoyed you more.

“Still angry at the loss?” You mocked, giggling.

“Open this door before I break it down” he now grunted, you could hear the anger in his voice.

You sigh in defeat, making your way towards the door, unlocking the door, before you can put your hand on the door handle, the door opens and Ghost lets himself in.

“Hey!” You scream annoyed as you took a big step back.

He closed the door and locked it before turning to meet your gaze with his. His brown chocolate staring deep into yours, a sea of confusion and irritation between the two of you.

“What the hell do want, barging into someone’s room in the middle of the night like some madman” you said now angry crossing your arms, brows furrowed, your eyes on his the whole time.

“I know who you are” Ghost said coldly as he started walking towards and you instinctively backing away.

“Simon Riley, does that name ring a bell?” He says as if he’s a detective interrogating you as he continues to walk towards until your back hits the wall.

He places his left hand flatly against the wall beside your hide as he held pictures in his right hand. He waves the pictures slowly in his hand as if he’s urging you to look at them, but you can’t see them well because of the dim light from your desk lamp.

Simon Riley, you knew him. You knew very well who he is. You knew he was your childhood friend, your first one. You knew everything that happened between the two of you. How you stood up for him, how you two bonded and how the two of you almost shared a kiss on a roof top. But he was dead to you, as was your once dad. They all died along with Eleonoora David’s, the daughter of Matthew David’s. You’re Eleonoora Lintu now. A cruel, cold woman who loves a good blood bath. You don’t know how to love, nor show affection. That’s not what you do anymore. You can tell that Ghost is trying to let out the demons in your head, for you to break down in front of him, confirming that know that Simon Riley. But you won’t give him that satisfaction.

“I don’t know him” you said as you coldly look into his eyes. Washing away any signs of fear or sadness for him to see.

“Bullshit, you know him” he said angrily as he began waving the pictures more rapidly now.

“It’s not very fitting of a lieutenant, you know. To burst into people’s room and accusing them of stuff. I told you once, but I will tell you again. I don’t know Simon Riley” you said, still keeping your cool despite the intimidation.

“Fine then. If you wanna be cruel, so be it. I can be just as cruel” he said as he slammed the pictures in your face, then with heavy loud footsteps walked out of your room. Slamming the door shut with such force, you could feel the vibrations in the floor and the headache you got from the loud bang. You could still hear his grunts as they became more fainter by the second, indicating that he’s walking fast. How did he know that the boy on the pictures was named Simon Riley? And why was he so pent up by your response? Does he know him? You thought to yourself.

You fall to your knees, picking up the pictures. It was old pictures of you and Simon when you were younger. The happiness in the two of you, the way you two smiled and how your eyes were lit up. You look at a picture where you were piggyback riding on Simon, you could see the both shocked and happy expression, still hear the scream you let out. And you could still hear Simon’s laughter thanks to your reaction.

You feel the tears falling as you go through every single picture that lay scattered across the floor. You cry for the first time in over 15 years and you let yourself do it, before getting cold again. These pictures are just painful reminders of the past, you have to get rid of them somehow. This will only affect you in bad ways anyways. Did Ghost really hate me this much, to be trying to use my past to break me apart? You asked yourself. You hated this man now for doing this to you.

You barely slept that night. Anger and frustration was chewing at your heart, you didn’t know how to cope with it so you put your cape on, covering at kinds of emotions as you turn cold again. Vulnerability my ass, you thought to yourself, grabbing your gun and vest as you made your to the shooting range area to let all your frustrations out.

You pull out your gun, disabling the safety of it, before aiming at the dummies before you. You shot without any mercy, hitting all of the 10 dummies on their foreheads within 10 seconds, with incredible speed and perfect aim. You take moment to credit yourself for the impressive work, with the adrenaline rush that kicked. You can’t wait to get on your mission, to be able to put your weapons to good use.

“Wow good work, partner” you heard a man said, hearing the clap.

You turn around to meet Leo’s green eyes, you felt relieved to know it was him.

“You’re turning sentimental, eh?” You mocked while turning around to work on your aim against a dummy.

Leo stands besides you.

“Still as cold as ice?”

“Don’t ask me dumb questions” you said coldly while shooting at the dummy.

“You know, being vulnerable doesn’t mean weakness. It’s what makes you human. You should try it someday” he said, sounding anything but cold. Not usually like Leo. He used to be as cold as you before. Before coming to this place.

“Vulnerability is what gets you killed. Don’t feel like mourning people that are as good as dead anyways” you say while coldly shooting the dummy before you. Leo’s mouth opened, shocked by your cruel words. You knew it was cruel of you, but it was too late to take back your words anyways as Leo walked away. You stopped shooting for a second before thinking about what you said. You shrugged it off as you reloaded your gun to begin shooting.

“Noora” you heard the captain call behind you.

You turned around in annoyance. Was he also going to give you a lecture? You’re fed up about people trying to change you. You hated when people got you feel anxious or sad, those weak kinds of emotions you were desperately beating yourself to keep deep inside. Low and buried from eyeshot.

“We’ve got updates on our mission. You’ll take the humvee with Ghost, Soap, Gaz and Price next week. We have information, but we need more and we’ll find it in the towers”

“Sweet, can’t wait to kill some bastards” you say in mixture of coldness and excitement as you put your gun on safety mode, before walking past David’s.

His heart aches as he longs for you to call him dad again. He wanted to be a dad again. He wanted to refer to you as his daughter. But it couldn’t only be one sided, he would still need your consent. He just wanted his little girl back for once.

Next week

The day arrived and you put all of your gear on, loaded your guns and stuffed knives here and there for a little extra. You can never be too careful. You jump into the humvee. Gaz, Soap and Price were all taking up the whole row of the seats, so you were forced to sit beside Ghost. The man you now hated. It’s like they planned it. You know all of them were good friends and yet they decided to let Ghost be the one to be seated beside you. Anger was bubbling in your stomach as you sat down beside Ghost, ignoring his intense stare at you. You kept an arm’s distance as you didn’t want to sit close to him.

Ghost was fuming inside. He wanted nothing more than to touch you, feel how warm your body would be against his, how small you’d be to his huge figure, how you would perfectly fit in his arms, how soft your lips would be as he abused them with his own, how your frustrated whimpers and moans would sound as you would beg him to fill you up. He was angry that you kept such far distance and that he couldn’t do anything to make you ‘accidentally’ fall into him for him to touch you. He loved you, under all those layers of pretence and denials. He hated the person you’d become. He hated how you could shut out the people that loved and cared for you so dearly. But he had to break the ice, those layers of thick ice that have been built year for year. Those layers that were covering your heart.

The road was very bumpy, causing you jump at times, almost making you fall into Ghost, but you were always fast to grip the seat to prevent you from falling into him. That was until you jumped so high you couldn’t grip the on time, so fell into Ghost’s lap. You laid above his lap, gripping the seat instead of him. Your chest on his lap. You were embarrassed, but were quick to hide it. You sat up, ready to scoot away from Ghost again, but he put his bulky arm around your waist instead preventing you from doing so.

“You should hold on to me during this ride. Would be a shame if you were already black and blue before the mission” he mocked you and it annoyed you. Reminding you of your hatred for him. You struggled releasing yourself from his grip, you squirmed.

“Let go of me right now” you demanded, you let yourself show your anger.

His grip only tightened around you and before you could throw an insult at him, the humvee stopped and the driver announced that you’ve arrived to the location. With that being said, Ghost let go of his grip which led to you instantly rushing out from the humvee. Ghost chuckled silently as he’s succeeded to provoke you. He loved provoking people, it was one of his specialties.

As fast as you stepped out of the humvee, the smell of something burnt assaulted your nostrils, but you couldn’t spot any fire. Strange, you thought.

“He should be inside. Remember, don’t kill him. He’s worth much more than a gold coin” Price said.

The men nodded as they started heading inside of the huge building that stood before you. You followed along, instantly met with soldiers that fired at you. Being the insane killer as you were, you fired back at them mercilessly as the men looked at you shocked. You gave them a glare as you continued to run further into the building. All of you separated to look in each room possible, looking for a sign of this ‘important’ man that had useful information.

You walked up a few stairs, oblivious that Ghost was right behind you like a phantom. You shot everyone you saw, the instant you saw their silhouette appear in your eye, you without a second thought pulled the trigger. And as fast as you pulled the trigger, they go limp as they fall. You didn’t notice that Ghost was behind you all this time, watching every move you did, until you heard his walkie-talkie go off. You heard Soap’s Scottish accent as he told Ghost that the man is hidden in a certain room. Ghost assured Soap that he would go there at once, as he turned away from you to walk away. You didn’t even bother to confront him about his ‘stalking’

You walk into a trashed room, unaware that an armed man was hiding behind the door waiting for you. It was a trap, but you didn’t notice. Because thoughts were slipping through your mind, affecting your skills and instincts. You walk into the room carefully as you hear a door close, before you can even take a good look at the sound, you hear a gunshot, then a ringing in your air. You shot the man in the without a second thought, blood spilling everywhere including your face. You hear grunts and bangs from the top floor, so you hurry up to find Ghost stabbing a man repeatedly before spotting you. He stops and stands up again from the corpse with a good amount of stab wounds. He stares at your shoulder, almost with a worried expression. You also look, wanting to know the hype, until you spot yourself bleeding a lot. You can feel how your legs starting to slowly give in and how exhaustion washes over you, but you take slow unsteady steps into the room. Before you hear someone curse behind you, instinctively you turn around and gets met by a sharp pain in your abdomen, causing you to flinch. But Ghost ran towards the guy, stabbing him as the pushed him down to the floor.

Unable to stand up due to the exhaustion, you let yourself fall down. Now being laid on the floor as you struggle hard to breathe. The adrenaline was slowly wearing off. You turned your head slowly, looking exhaustively as Ghost as he punched the hell out of the guy, grunting while doing so. You could see the man’s skull beginning to split in two due to the aggressive constant punches he was receiving by Ghost. Even if the guy went limp long time ago, Ghost stopped punching when the man’s head split in two and blood was pooling like crazy around the two of them. Ghost sat heavy breathing, his knuckles drenched by bruises and blood. Then he run towards you, sitting beside you. You were almost close to having your own pool of blood soon enough. You were going to die if you didn’t receive any medical treatment soon.

Ghost cupped your face shaking you, so you would remain conscious.

“Come on, you can’t fucking die on me” he screamed as he cradled your head, you could hear the worry and desperation in his voice. It melted a small part of that ice around your heart. You let out a weak smile, seeing this a good time to apologise for your behaviour. You were going to die anyway, you thought.

“I know Simon Riley, he was my best friend. I’m sorry for everything” you said in a low and hoarse voice.

Ghost’s hearty split in two. You were indeed Noora, his childhood sweetheart. There was no way he was going to let you die now. He pulled out his walkie talkie in an instant, holding it close to his face while his free hand still cupped your cheek.

“Hey, I need medical help NOW” he demanded with now a full voice of desperation.

“But what about the-“

“Fuck this man, someone’s dying for fuck’s sake” he screamed now sounding angry.

You could see how your vision was beginning to blur, you were slowly losing consciousness.

“Alright, I’ll send backup”

Ghost let out a sigh of relief as he turned his attention to you.

He could see your pale face, he felt how cold your skin was getting.

“Noora, don’t fucking dare to leave me like this” he said, now tears building up in his eyes, making them red.

The way he said your name, reminded you too much of Simon. A person you’d never get to see again. The thought of you not being able to see him again, made you inevitably sad. A tear streamed down your cheek as you fell unconscious and limp. Before it all faded it darkness and silence fell upon. The last you heard was Ghost screaming your name.

Then nothing.

[fuctacles]

| extra1 | extra2 | spicy time skip

!! updated ver !!

Eddie was lowkey disgusted by how his uncle would talk about one of his neighbors. No, he doesn't think it's bad for old people to fall in love or have crushes. But it's weird to know these things about his own uncle. 

And it's also sad to watch, because it's been months of Stephanie this, Stephanie that, and nothing came of it, so he felt safe to assume the infatuation was one-sided. So when he tells his uncle he can't go feed her cats that week, he figures it's for the best. And not only because of Wayne's twisted ankle. To his surprise though, he doesn't seem fazed; he just waves his hand and says:

"Yeah, yeah, I know. No climbing the stairs with this thing." He pokes the cast with his crutch. "I've already volunteered you anyway."

Eddie raises his eyebrows because he surely misheard that.

"You did what now?"

"Told Stephanie I'll send you to feed her cats," Wayne says, confirming his fears.

"Why?! She has so many other neighbors!" Eddie points out, gesturing vigorously around the room, implying but meaning the flats surrounding them. 

Wayne clicks his tongue at him.

"Would you let in just any of your neighbors into your home? She already trusts me, and I'm vouching for you."

Eddie gapes at him, hating that he's making a valid point. Damned be his old man and his reasonable thinking. He crosses his arms because while it makes sense, it doesn't mean Eddie can't be angry about it. 

"When?"

"She's visiting her friend this weekend so she asked for Saturday evening and Sunday morning. And stay with them for a while if possible, so they don't go crazy. Ah, and the plant in the kitchen needs watering."

"Great," Eddie grits through his teeth. He's so delighted at the prospect of spending time with some old lady's cats. The whole place probably stinks of cat piss and he'll definitely kill the plant as soon as he touches it. (It was his only superpower, which is not what he aimed for when his five-year-old had been praying, thanks for nothing, Jesus.) He just hopes he won't have to meet her. Hearing some old hag complain about his clothes, hair, and general adolescence was the last thing he wanted on his weekend off. But, alas...

"She asked you to come over tomorrow so she can show you where everything is."

Eddie groans. 

It's a Friday afternoon, he's at his uncle's taking a break from college and work. He should be sharing a beer with the old man, complaining about the coursework, the professors, and other students, not picking him up from the hospital, and running errands while his foot is in a cast. And certainly not meeting up with old stinky spinsters. 

To add insult to injury, Miss Stephanie, (which, by the way, is such a typical old hag name) lives two floors higher and the elevator is perpetually broken. Not too high, but high enough for Eddie's anemic lungs to start collapsing. 

He stops around the corner to steady his breath, because regardless of his overall attitude, he didn't want to worsen the first impression. He already refused to 'dress like a decent man' and didn't want to wheeze into the lady's face on top of it. 

Once his lungs are functioning properly again, he walks into the hallway, looking for number 54 as Wayne instructed. He knocks on the door, hoping he didn't mess it up and is at the right place. What if it was 45?

It must have been because he was told Stephanie Harrington lives alone. 

"Uh, sorry, I must have—"

"Are you Eddie?" The woman who opened the door takes him in. At her feet, a tabby cat peers curiously at the new human.

"Uh, yeah? I'm looking for Miss Stephanie?" he offers awkwardly. Maybe that's the friend? Or a sister?

But the woman extends her hand and smiles brightly.

"That would be me, but please call me Steph. I wish I could drill that into Wayne's thick skull." She rolls her eyes fondly.

Her big, gorgeous eyes, framed by thick lashes. She's not an old hag, she could be in her forties at best. She's tall and curvy and her hair looks straight out of a shampoo commercial. She's gorgeous. Eddie shakes her hand in a daze.

"Hi," he croaks as he's ushered inside. 

"Come in, come in! I've heard so much about you, it's great to finally see you in person. I must say," she turns around and gives him a quick once-over. "Wayne's stories didn't do you justice."

Did she just check him out?

Eddie clears his throat, suddenly dry like his elbows during winter.

"Uh, same to you."

"Yeah?" She puts her hands on her hips, raising an eyebrow. "What does he say about me?"

"Good things only," Eddie assures her. 

"So you're saying I'm a bitch." She squints at him.

"No!" His eyes widen. "What?!" 

"Well, if he's saying only good things about me, and you say they don't describe me right..." 

Eddie gets the point she's making and quickly shakes his head.

"No, he just made you sound like a crazy old cat lady, and you're..." He waves his hand uselessly. "Not that."

She sighs softly, shoulders sagging a little. It would be easy to miss but Eddie's senses are heightened after his fuck up.

"I kinda am, though," she says with a shrug. 

Eddie feels the need to reassure her somehow.

"Well, you're not eighty and your place doesn't smell like cat litter, I think you're fine."

She barks a laugh, it's low and surprised and Eddie's cheeks are red because he's just digging further into the hole he's in, isn't he?

"Good to know the bar is so low."

Eddie groans, tired of doing damage control that's not controlling anything.

"I'm gonna shut up now."

"Please don't." Steph smiles wide and teasingly. "You're a funny one. Just like your uncle told me."

Eddie scoffs. He's going to have a word or two with the old man once he's back.

"Great, this is exactly the impression I was hoping to make."

At his words, the woman eyes him up and down again, and he can feel his cheeks heating up.

"Yeah? Not as the local punk satanist?" she teases, making Eddie bristle.

"Metalhead," he corrects instinctively and immediately winces.

"Ah, my bad. I'm not good at the subcultures thing." She smiles apologetically but it doesn't read well with how clearly amused she is. "Anyway, here's the plant I want you to water tomorrow evening. Just like, half a glass."

Right. Plants. Cats. He came here on a mission.

"Come on, I'll show you my cats."

[softie-rain]

Step On Me

Part II - The President

Pairing: Sejanus Plinth/Coriolanus Snow

Summary: “Aren't you going to tell me when you fell in love with me?” Sejanus asked with a pout. Coriolanus froze. When did Coriolanus fell in love with Sejanus? Was he ever even in love with him in the first place? Coriolanus thought he had to be, at least at some point, because how else would he explain the way Sejanus was still haunting him after all those years?

Notes: woo new chapter! This one isn't happy but it's less sad than the first one. (I'd argue the ending is. Blame Scott Street) We have a song reference in this one too, let me know if you spot it (:

chapter: 2/7 (weekly updates!) prev. chapter

read it on ao3 here

The second time Coriolanus saw Sejanus, it was two weeks after he won the elections. 

Years had passed since his times as a peacekeeper in District 12, Lucy Gray Baird now only living in the furthest abyss of his mind, no one had memory of her in the Capitol, or in the other Districts. If they even knew about her in the first place. 

He had made sure to outshine the 10th Hunger Games by working hard as a gamemaker under Dr. Gaul during the following Games. His ideas had brought new interest to them, thanks to the addition of mutts and traps all around the newly rebuilt arena. His first edition as a gamemaker, right after Lucy Gray’s games, won by the girl from District 4, was probably the one he was the most disappointed by. The only reason being that everything was still in the projecting phase, and those goddamn drones still caused trouble.

But now, five years later, as he sat at his desk in his office in the Presidential Palace, he truly felt at home. It stung that Tigris was colder to him lately, sometimes he sensed some lack of support on her side. But she was still his cousin, and he knew they’d be together till the end, no matter what.

“President Snow?” Cassia, his secretary, knocked at his door. Although president for just a few weeks, Coriolanus was already used to the title. It felt familiar, like it was meant to be. Everything he deserved, was finally his. 

“Yes?” He responded. His secretary appeared behind the door, holding a plate of cookies. 

“Ms. Plinth passed by, she brought these for you. She also told me to tell you they’re inviting you over for dinner, her and her husband.” She said, leaving the cookies on his desk. Coriolanus observed them and nodded. He knew Strabo had a terminal illness, he wouldn't give him more than over one week of life. He assumed the dinner was Ma’s idea for Coriolanus to say goodbye. 

He considered it pathetic, but he had to go anyway. What impression would he give to the people of Panem if it got known that President Snow hadn't been by Strabo Plinth’s side, a man who had given him everything and considered him a second son, in the moment of his final breath?

“I will. Thank you, Cassia.” He said, grabbing one cookie to try it. He noticed Cassia was still standing in front of him, looking rather uncomfortable. “You can go now.” He added.

“She’s still here. She’s insisting on seeing you. I know you said you don’t want to be disturbed at any hour today but-” 

“Then you already know what to tell her. Go.” Coriolanus stated, more angry than he intended. Cassia bit her lip and nodded, quickly exciting the office and closing the door behind her. 

Coriolanus sighed and leaned back on his chair, passing his hand through his hair. He gave another bite to the cookie, quietly moaning at the taste. Ma’ Plinth might have been a sad pathetic woman (even more so as she aged), but her cooking was still as delicious as ever. 

“Coriolanus Snow, President of Panem.” Coriolanus almost choked on the cookie upon hearing the voice. He immediately got up, looking around the room. Like that night of many years ago Sejanus appeared in the corner. He was leaning on the wall right next to the window, observing Coriolanus. “I always knew you were going to get far. Even before the Academy, I would look at you and think ‘Man, this kid will do big things.’”

Sejanus was talking to him with an admiring tone, sounding almost proud of him, as if he was his mother. And, to be fair, it wasn’t far off from what Ma’ had told Coriolanus right after he was nominated President. The boy walked over to him and sat on his desk, looking at the cookies. “Can I? It’s been ages since I’ve eaten one.”

Without responding Coriolanus nodded. Sejanus leaned forward to grab one and as he did so Coriolanus took a good look at his neck. The bruises of the rope were still there, as fresh as ever, like the hanging day had been just the day before, as if no time had passed at all. 

“You seem surprised to see me.” 

Coriolanus raised an eyebrow surprised, gesturing to Sejanus. “Shouldn't I be?”

Sejanus shrugged and shifted on the desk, sitting with his legs crossed. “I visited you once already.” 

“Yeah, when I was nineteen.”

“And now you’re twenty four! Where did the time go? You look just as handsome though. Maybe even a bit more now.” Sejanus leaned in, winking at him. Coriolanus felt himself lightly blush and immediately shook his head, trying to recompose himself.

“And you look just as dead.” Coriolanus bit back, ignoring the effect Sejanus still had on him. When was he going to grow out of his stupid crush? He had finally realized and admitted to himself that he liked Sejanus years ago now, not shortly after his first post-death visit actually, and he thought he was over it. So why did he still make him act like he was twelve again, blushing for a compliment or for the slightest sign of affection by his side?

It made him feel weak, powerless. All that time and Sejanus still had such a strong hold on him. It made him wonder of his time in District 12, how Sejanus had always had that effect on him. Was all the power he felt over the boy just an illusion? Obviously not, or he wouldn’t have sent the recording to Dr. Gaul.

“I’m glad to see the guilt isn’t eating you alive anymore.” Sejanus said, sounding sincere. Coriolanus hated him. 

“It’s not.”

“Good. You look happy now.” He said, tilting his head. “Are you?”

Coriolanus frowned. “Why wouldn’t I be?” 

“You tell me, I asked the question.”

“Well, I am.” Coriolanus replied, shifting on his chair and crossing his arms. “So no need for you to be here.” He dismissed him, waving his hand at him.  

“I'm not your secretary Coryo, you can't just tell me to leave.” Sejanus said, as if it was a matter of fact. “I didn't decide to be here, you know?”

“Right, because my mind made you up, or whatever.” Coriolanus said, rolling his eyes, leaning his elbow on the desk and resting his hand on his palm. 

“That's one rational explanation, yes. Or maybe I'm a spirit and I lied to you.” Sejanus said in a neutral tone, crossing his legs on Coriolanus’ desk. 

The blonde boy frowned as the other's shoes dirty the surface and then looked up at him again. Sejanus was staring down at him smiling, and Coriolanus found himself missing his curly hair. Truly it had been a shame he died with his head shaved. He would have loved to see his hair one more time. 

Coriolanus had given up on trying to find a rational explanation for Sejanus’ first apparition, and he wasn't certainly going to start trying to find one for the second. 

Coriolanus cleared his throat and gestured around himself. “So you're proud of what I achieved?” He asked, smiling proudly. “Pretty great, isn't it?” 

Sejanus grimaced. “You did big things, that's for sure. But great? I wouldn't say that.” He said, sadness in his voice.

Coriolanus couldn't say he was surprised, though he felt disappointed. He expected Sejanus to congratulate him on what he'd done, but after all he knew his morals: Sejanus could have never been happy for Coriolanus when all he had done was making the tributes’ lives even more miserable. But he had also come up with the idea of the Winners Village in every district, and what about the money for the winners? Also Coryo's idea. Couldn't Sejanus for once be content with the lesser evil? 

“Well, I didn’t ask for your approval.”

“Yeah, I assumed you didn't when you turned me in.” Sejanus said laughing, as if he had just made the funniest joke. 

Tigris would call him resentful and here he had Sejanus still holding grudges of something that happened almost six years ago. 

Coriolanus scoffed and looked down at the documents he was examining before he got interrupted by Cassia, ignoring Sejanus’ eyes on him. He felt the boy shift next to him. Sejanus got up and started pacing the room, observing his surroundings. “Oh, look at this! It's beautiful! And fancy.” He said, pointing at the portrait they made of Coriolanus on his second day as President. 

Although Coriolanus hadn't exactly been euphoric to pose for that painting, he had to admit it was rather flattering to have it in his office. Every time he looked at it, every time anyone looked at his portrait could recognize the power Snow held. The hard and proud look he was represented with did him justice, so much that his secretary and most of his employees would on purpose avoid the painting when they entered the room. In Coriolanus’ eyes it was perfect: feared and respected by everyone.

But Sejanus was standing there, quietly, with his hands crossed behind his back, observing the painting with a smile on his face.

“I like it. Except for the eyes, they don't do you justice.”

Coriolanus scowled, trying not to snap at Sejanus. “Why so?” 

Sejanus turned to face his Coriolanus and his smile widened. “Yours are much more blue.” He told him, looking at him with those lovesick brown orbs Coriolanus worshiped. 

“Did I ever tell you when I realized I was in love with you?” Sejanus asked, walking up to Coriolanus. Coriolanus shook his head no.

“I'm afraid you died before you could.” He replied sarcastically.

Sejanus nodded. “Ah. True. Well, we have time now don't we?” He said excitedly, jumping on the desk again. Coriolanus sighed and pushed his papers aside, knowing it was useless to even just try and tell Sejanus to go away.

“We were fifteen.” He started, looking up. Coriolanus didn't know if it was to avoid his look, but his own eyes were fixated on Sejanus’ face.

“I've always known I liked you, since I first saw you. You looked so adorable, with those rosy cheeks and blonde curls!”

Sejanus smiled widely, and Coriolanus couldn't help but lightly blush at the thought of the Plinth boy being head over heels for him at such a young age, complimenting him like that. 

He also found himself getting used to the odd happiness and calm that seemed to be characteristics of post mortem Sejanus.

“Anyway, this day in particular we were at school,” He kept going, “And Festus was talking behind my back. I mean, I could perfectly hear him. I'm not sure if he meant for me to hear or not, actually. I never thought about it.” Sejanus commented, more to himself than to Coriolanus. 

Coriolanus rolled his eyes and cleared his throat, gesturing Sejanus to go on. 

“As I was saying, Festus was making fun of me. And then he said, I remember this clearly as if it was yesterday: ‘I think he should be repead for the next Games. That way he'd learn his place!’” Coriolanus gulped. He could see the hurt on Sejanus’ face. So many years had passed and he was clearly still affected by it. He wasn't sure if he could blame Sejanus (or accusing him of being pathetic) for that, though he usually would.

Even to Coriolanus, with that comment Festus had overstepped a line. 

“I remember running away, trying not to cry. Which I did, eventually, but only when I got to the bathroom. Which is when you found me.” Sejanus said, pointing at Coriolanus. 

“You knocked at the stall where I was hiding and asked me if I was alright. I lied, said I was fine.” Sejanus let out a laugh and shook his head. “You knew I was lying. So you insisted and kept knocking, until I opened the door and got out. And that's when I saw them.” 

Coriolanus frowned, confused. “Saw what?” 

“Ocean blue eyes, looking in mine. I felt like I might sink and drown, and die.” He replied, staring at Coryo. “You saw me crying and hugged me, no questions asked. Your hand touched mine, and that's when I knew. That I was utterly and desperately in love with you.” 

Coriolanus remembered that day. He had immediately followed Sejanus because he had assumed he had gone crying. Assumption that was confirmed when he heard the sobs in the bathroom. Truthfully he had rolled his eyes and sighed before knocking on the door, getting annoyed when Sejanus pretended to be fine. 

When he finally came out of the bathroom the site before Coriolanus was pretty pathetic: Sejanus had red and puffy eyes, he kept sniffing with his lips parted, how could he say he was fine when he looked like that?

The hug seemed like the only rational option to Coriolanus to put Sejanus out of his misery, an act of mercy. Apparently it had meant much more to him than Snow thought. Still, he didn’t see any reason to break the news to the boy, so he didn’t say anything about it.

“You’re welcome?” He said instead, which sounded more as a question than a statement. At least it earned a laugh from Sejanus. 

The Plinth boy kept staring at him lovingly without saying anything, and Coriolanus was starting to feel rather uncomfortable. He went back to study his documents, clearing his throat trying to stop his voice from breaking when he spoke. “Well now that you’ve told me your sob story you can leave, right?” 

His voice was cold, he had already shown his weak side to Sejanus last time, he wasn’t going to repeat the scene once more. Although he would have loved to feel the warmth of his hugs one more time. He despised that feeling, the one he always had around Sejanus, of caring, of attachment. Why couldn't he let him go? Why was it so hard, if he wanted to so badly?

“Aren't you going to tell me when you fell in love with me?” Sejanus asked with a pout. 

Coriolanus froze. When did Coriolanus fall in love with Sejanus? Was he ever even in love with him in the first place? Coriolanus thought he had to be, at least at some point, because how else would he explain the way Sejanus was still haunting him after all those years?

But when, that was very blurry.

He never really thought about it and even now, he didn't think there was a specific moment. In Coriolanus’ eyes Sejanus had just always been there, and the blonde's feelings just kept swinging back and forth from hatred to love. Whether said affection was platonic or romantic had never been the main focus of Coryo, who simply would try and go on with life fighting the urge to either slap or kiss some sense into Sejanus.

Uh.

Maybe the feelings had never been platonic.

Either way, he wasn't going to tell Sejanus any of that.

“Do you really want me to go?” Sejanus finally asked, tilting his head. 

He didn't seem upset or sad about it, it was a simple genuine question. One to which Coriolanus didn't know the answer to. “Yes.” He replied, looking down at his papers. But was it really what he wanted? What he needed? 

“But I'm assuming you won't listen to me will you?” He added looking up, only to find out he was once again alone, as he had always been for the past five years.

He went back to write notes on the documents, pushing away in the deep bottom of his mind the feeling of longing for Sejanus. 

In his head he could hear an echo, that he desperately ignored, and that sounded too much like Sej.

“Anyway, don't be a stranger.” 

[dark-elf-writes]

I have no clue anything about ff but where is the ‘Harry gets adopted by FF7 characters and finds out what a family should be” au

No one is more surprised than me that I haven’t written this yet tbh like who am I????

ANYWAY

Little Harry who has heard a woman’s voice from a young age telling him that he is not alone, that he is not a freak, that he will be loved and cared for more than he could ever know. He always hears her more when he is working in his Aunt Petunia’s garden. Can practically feel her in the way the plants bloom more beautifully than anywhere else on their street. His invisible friend that helps him find what little beauty he can in his world.

And sometimes she talks about her friends. About a woman who is as strong as she is kind, who loves freely but took no shit, who welcomed those with good intentions with open arms and threw anyone without them out on their arse. About a ninja with sticky fingers and the blood of a princess who would give anything for her people and have fun every step of the way. About a father who demanded the world to change for his little girl and decided to be the push that set it all in motion. About an inventor trapped in the place he should have been able to do good but unable to make anyone listen so he sent his inventions out to make change for him. About a pilot who was grounded against his will and decided to make those that would clip his wings choke on that decision. About a man who was only doing his job and was hurt over and over again for doing the right thing and who learned slowly that the things done to him did not make him a monster.

About a hero that led them all, each of them broken and shattered in their own ways, into a better world.

Harry liked the stories of the hero the best.

Then one day things get bad and Uncle Vernon gets far more angry than he normally is. Harry runs to the garden, hoping somehow that his friend, his only friend, could save him, and she does.

In a space that is more light and glowing green energy than any “world” should be, he sees her for the first time, softly smiling and reaching out to rub her fingers through his hair. She is the prettiest lady he has ever seen. Another voice laughs when he tells her so and a big man with kind eyes, a scar on his face, and hair just as wild as Harry’s grins at him as he announces that “this kid knows what he’s talking about.”

She smiles though there is something sad in her eyes when she speaks.“I can send you somewhere that will help for a time, but eventually you will have to come back. This planet is quite certain that it needs you in the future.”

Harry wants to cry, wants to scream. How does he have to go back! He doesn’t want to.

But something else sticks with him, something that makes him hurt before he even realizes what it was.

“Send me somewhere. Not us?” Not his friend who had told him so many stories and helped him grow flowers? Not this pretty lady and the man with such a kind smile? After everything he would still be alone?

It’s the man’s hand that lands in his hair this time, a comforting weight as he ruffles the tangled locks. “Spike and the others will be waiting for you on the other side. They’ll take good care of you. SOLDIER’s honor.”

Harry doesn’t understand, can’t understand really but “You’re my friend,” he tells the woman, frustrated tears gathering in his eyes. He doesn’t have the words to say anything more. To name the swirling mass of hurt and yearning in his stomach.

She seems to understand smiling sadly at him again before she leans down to press a kiss to his forehead. “You’ll still be able to hear me. More clearly than most I think. I will not leave you Harry Potter.”

Harry Potter is seven years old when he goes missing from the backyard of his Aunt’s house in a swirl of green light. He is seven years old when he wakes up in a shallow pool of water in a church that has seen better days with a man with wild blond hair and shining blue eyes watching him in stunned silence. He is seven years old when his first friend sends him to his hero for safety.

[miyuhpapayuh]

Can I be transparent for a sec? Mmkay.

I lost my job back in January over some racist ass mean girl shit and I haven't been able to find a job since then. It's almost may. By the grace of god, am I still held together but man if a bitch don't cry.

Bills never stop. Life don't stop. The fact that some over aged bully brought problems to her SECOND job and got an innocent black woman fired is crazy to me, I feel like they even blackballed me ya know? Nobody wants my ass.

Soon as I send the application off, it's coming back with a fat red NO on it. And I ain't never not do my job, so to pats that off as the THIRD and final excuse as to why you fired me is crazy.

Almost two years and still had that key in my possession til I brought it back to her ass, after she fired me. There's bitches that didn't even have codes to get in the building! I had that AND a key! Mind y'all, this was my second boss. First one got fired cause she truthfully ain't do her job, but me, always on time and ready to do my job.

We got paid $12 and hour! Who tf ain't finna do this silly shit? All I do and ring bitches up. So you saying I never rung a bitch up? Never opened/closed the store? Never cleaned my area? Never did a return? Never help a vendor? Never turn the fountain on/off? Never turned the lights on/off? Tv, either? Never put anything back? Never took something down for someone? Never carried something out for customers, which i eventually stopped on my own cause I ain't finna be no liability. This is not Lowe's. Never answered the phone? Nothing?! I just came to work and disappeared to narnia, apparently, and have y'all my ass to kiss? Yeah, okay. And how do y'all think that'll stand with no paper trail to back it up.

If I NEVER did anything, why was I still here and never written up a single time? You were my boss for five months and never wrote me up? Didn't confiscate my key? CONTINUED to let me open the store up? Tried to make me your errand girl? Picked a bitch who don't even clock ten hours a week your part time assistant manager but kept running to ME when shit would get weird and if redirect your ass to your OTHER assistant manager, because EYE do not get paid to be a secretary. Remember who you gave that job to, especially after being warned that she wouldn't be able to do the job.

Y'all, what the fuck is a part time assistant manager? Any other assistant manager we ever had clocked the full 40, cause it's a REQUIREMENT. Duh. Now part time and full time employees? Sure, but nothing else. Can't be a part time manager of a fucking establishment, that's so ass backwards.

So who would be asked to open the store a LOT if the other assistant was on vacation or whatever? Me.

If a bitch didn't ever do her job? Why call on me? Rely on me to fix problems with certain customers because you knew I'd handle it. Hell, I was helping this girl sell spaces in the store! If I never did my job? Why constantly ask me how many hours I wanted? Tell me about the other girls and how they're not doing what you want and yadda ya.

When girls started quitting, I took those long eight hour shifts to the chin to help you out. And you thanked me! Y'all she was on the phone talking to my assistant manager and they got me right before I left work to thank me for staying so late and being the only one to step up and be a team player and they appreciate me (mind yal I don't care about team player bs it just felt nice to hear that I was appreciated) and all that, just to turn around a MONTH later and say I never did my job?

I got fired over the phone because she knew how it woulda went down in person, but she also thought I wasn't smart enough to fight. First mistake.

This feels like a book lmao I'm knowing y'all prolly don't care but I just have to write this out somewhere, I just have felt so sad and angry.

Anyway. Painted tree is a boutique where people sale their wares, handmade jewelry, food, clothing items, candles, paintings, etc. you could either buy a kiosk or a booth and you were responsible for that and that alone!

So of course, there's vendors that sell shit outta their house cause they know nobody is paying attention, one of them any things this new manager was being brought in to fix cause it was starting to look like a hot mess, I'm not gonna lie to y'all, but I just worked there so whatever.

Of course me being me, I would also make a point to say something every now and again because you can't have us giving a spiel to the customers about the store, while not making sure that your current vendors are following those rules we're giving the new ones! Like???

Old manager was even telling her assistants to sale the spaces sight unseen and why make me privy to this cause you know ima tell y'all how illegal that is!

So the same part time assistant manager is involved in what ended up getting me fired. We started around the same time as cashiers and she's been trying her hardest to get this promotion at her other job, the full time job, but she's up against some sixty year old lady who's been in the company forever, so she's got seniority. Y'all already know how this ends up going. Shorty ain't get the promotion, right around the same time she gets promoted where we work.

On top of that, her husband should choke on something. I won't get into that but there was a point where she'd cry to us about him leaving her and even pimp herself to customers! I'm talking about"if y'all have any single daddies, older brothers, friends, tell 'em I'm ready to mingle!"

Inappropriate.

During the same time, Christmas Eve of 2022, to be exact, we get a text from our manager that the power was out and whoever was scheduled wouldn't have to worry about coming in. So I'm like sweet, see y'all Monday, merry new year whatever.

Of course this bitch gon text back and ask about the possibility of the lights coming back on and I'm like oh my god really. So managers like I'll let y'all know if I hear anything and get y'all to come in. Of course.

So what we ain't know was that this girl was camped out in the job parking lot, waiting to see if the lights came on.

Sure enough they did, cause why not?!?!? And she calls manager and tells HER that SHES gonna drop her kid off, change her clothes and come back to work! Told HER manager what the plan for the day was and you know it actually went down?!?? Cause she was a known snitch at head office, they don't like this girl! Our manager told us that they don't like her.

Anyway, so of course we have to come to work for like three hours and it's a waste because there was like 10 customers at most! My co worker and I are giving her shit because why were you in the parking lot waiting for the lights to come on?! You had nothing better to do cause your husband still hasn't come home?! DO NOT MAKE THAT MY FUCKING PROBLEM WHAT THE ABSOLUTE FUCK?!

She's telling the customers that we're making her feel bad and I'm just saying "good, I hope you do feel bad" got our asses at work for nothing, yeah feel bad! I could still be in the bed! Last minute Christmas shopping my ass! I'm mad!

So why does she end saying she wants to leave early?

Not the same person who said we should thanking her for getting us more hours? Not the one who was trying to gain sympathy from the customers? NOT THE ONE WHO CAMPED OUT IN THE PARKING LOT?!!!!

When I say my head swivelllllllled, it almost came off. All my coworker did was stare at her but eyeeee had words for her ass.

No way you just said sumn bout leaving early??? You literally waited for the lights to come back on so you could get us to come to work! We're here and only been here for like 2 hours, maybe her 3, and you wanna leave early?! You ain't going nowhere. If anything ima hitch a ride with coworker and we gon leave you here to lock up. That was funny of you to think you were leaving early.

Shoulda seen her face, like dare you!

I said if our manager goes for it and you leave early, I got words for her too. I bet she ain't get work early.

My manager and I even agreed that she was being ridiculous to even ask that question, being the one who made us come to work!

Yeah she ain't like me ever since that, but she also ain't buck her shit after that either.

So when we get our new manager, she feels like she got someone on her side because let me make note that the old manager was the best friend of the assistant manager that she works alongside now. So the playing field is leveled now.

So my sister and I have a kiosk to share, my art and her baking. We get both of the week and I make it look all pretty with our candy jars and cookies and paintings and jewelry that my mom made and what have you.

I come in a day before my week is up and my stuff isn't there. In fact, that now part time assistant is standing in front of a table, taking down a coffee display.

Do we do this on Saturdays? Absolutely. Do we use the other side to display our coffee so these booths of the week can still be presented? Also, yes.

So why is mine the one you MAKE SURE you take down? Right.

So I clock in and tell my assistant manager that I needed to go to my booth. I go to my booth and our stuff is out back crazy! I call my sister while I'm putting everything back. I mean candy dishes on the edge of the shelves, my paintings on the floor, cookies put behind things. Like she just dropped it off and kept it moving.

So were upset and I call my manager and let her know what's happening and she's telling me head back up front cause conveniently both assistant managers were leaving early so I needed to watch the front so I'm like okay just call her and tell her that I don't appreciate her just throwing my stuff around and she assures that she will.

So that ended up being translated like something to brush off cause when I had to call her back cause I couldn't find one of my stand to my paintings, which I ended up finding in the office on a shelf?! Which also ended up not being a big deal to my manager which I noted was not cool, she just kinda passed off a message like we she didn't know where your things went.

She coulda left my shit where it was sitting and let me know to move it when I got in. Could moved it into the office and let me put it back myself. I got agreement on this from my manager. So I'm just like okay whatever just tell her not to touch my stuff anymore if that how she's gonna do me. That was the end of it for me, cause just let me get my money pls.

So the next day we work together again, and like any other day we do not speak to each other cause she's wishy washy and I don't get paid to speak to you nor do you get paid to speak to me. So I speak to my other coworker cause she's not an asshole to me and I go about my day.

Why does the next day roll around and my manager asks me what do we need to do to solve the tension? I'm like what tension? I'm good. When she wants to start treating me like a human, then maybe she'll get so here with me but EYE am not the problem here?? I didn't do anything to her??

She's like, well she told me that you came in and didn't speak to her but you spoke to everyone else.

I'm sorry, I'm we in high school? Didn't I tell y'all that we are not friends? I know I've told y'all that so what's this about?

I told her that I'm not rolling out a red carpet for this girl and making her feel comfortable cause she's definitely not doing that for me! Like be real! Be serious! If I told you every damn time she ain't speak to me, you woulda been tired of me long time ago! I don't come to work for that! Tell her come talk to me and I get a comment about my attitude and I shrug it off like okay haha cause I'm not confrontational all the time, it didn't cost for that ya know? So the comment was unnecessary.

So a couple days go by and I end up texting my manager to chat when I got to work later that day just letting her know that I needed to get everything off my chest about this while situation cause it was starting to bother me how the whole thing was being handled.

In that conversation, I pretty much reiterated that I just would like to continue doing my job and not worrying about catering to anyone's feelings, cause we do not get paid for that. This girl had been treating me like an outcast for a whirl and it feels racist sometimes and she's quick to defend her cause duh and I tell her that I don't need anyone to tell me what they think about it so pretty much like girl save it, I still think it's racist and she tells me to send part time assistant manager a message to say like here's where we stand and we don't gotta get along but we gotta get back to work and let it be.

So I'm like ok cool, I type it up in my notes and send it to my homegirl like girl read this and lmk what you think cause she privy to everything that's been going on!

She like that's cool but I don't think sending her that will make a difference, cause I agree with you that she should do her job just mediate or something instead of getting you do it! Remember, YOU didn't do anything to her!

So my sister came right around that time cause she was picking me up, also putting labels on her products cause again we own a kiosk, and so I tell her about it and she immediately is like do not send her anything cause they can use it against you.

So part time assistant manager ends up coming in and when I say she beelines straight for the office, she almost hurt herself getting in there.

So my assistant manager ends up telling me that if I wanted to go home early o could cause we were really slow so I was like yeah I'll see y'all tomorrow, byeee

So a couple hours later, I get a text from my manager asking me if she could call me. I already knew what it was but I'm like there's no reason why she would do that.

So she calls me and someone from corporate was on the other line! wtf? So she goes into this spiel about cutting hours and then abruptly says that here's where we part ways.

So I'm like why am I getting fired? She dances around the question and goes on to say something about an attitude, and so I ask her if it's about the situation between we and ptam (got tired of writing that out) and if it is about that situation, is she also getting fired? Cause never did I speak to that girl about any of this, it was my manager and I talking. And she doesn't answer any of what I asks, she just keeps going back to its best that we do it like this and I'm like why? She then goes on on to say she knows I wasn't happy and I'm like how?? Why would I come to work to take your shift, both assistant managers and my own in this mf if I hated my job? Girl shut up! Like not making any sense?

So the lady from corporate takes over and starts talking like an inspirational speaker about how she met me and I can go anywhere and be the best I can be and there's better opportunities and I end up zoning out cause I'm just like how tf am I gonna pay my bills now? I don't have a job lined up. I cannot believe I just got died and she didn't even give me a reason— she thought I hung up and I'm like nah I'm here but I don't wanna hear anything else or continue this conversation, you want your key back? Cool. Do I even have a shift still, tomorrow morning? No, of course not. K, you'll get it back, bye.

Immediately I send a long email to corporate and tell 'em everything that's gone on, even told em how my manager has her boyfriend/fiancé drive an hour back down the road to another location for some damn labels because ours hadn't shipped out yet. This man is NOT employed there so there's no reason why he should be being employed to do her job for her!

I also terminated the contract for my stand cause now I'm no longer there to watch my stuff and if bitch gets away with throwing shit around once, she gon do it again. Told her rip that shit up.

Now my sister was mad at me but not for long cause she knew i was upset but I was NOT talking outta anger, I mean what I said but she wanted to see if she could figure out what's going on cause I'm not the only owner of the kiosk which is fair, so we head up to the job and the assistant manager that I worked closely with was there, looking like a deer caught in headlights. This is her norm but it pissed me off more than usual.

She tried breaking bad on me, telling my sister that I called this person and that person and told em all types of shit, now me being me again, I'm asking wtf I said cause when we first started asking her questions, she wasn't aware of this and that and wasn't even allowed in the email anymore lmao and for an assistant manager, that's a bold face lie to tell cause how the emails get answered? It's just you here, dummy! YOU KNOW WHATA GOIN ON BITCH!

So when I asked her what I said in the email she just said she wasn't allowed in, she gon smirk at me and say "you know what you said"... nah! Since YOU know what's in the emails, you tell ME what I said. After that she sobered tf up and that smirk went bye bye. She even backed away from the counter cause I was getting so agitated, and she's scared of me. We've also had it out before so she knows her limits and me not being her coworker anymore, she knew better than to test me.

So I end up separating from my sister cause the conversation was going nowhere, only for us to find each other again and assistant manager told her that I never did my job. Crazy as hell.

When I say I sent a total of three emails and called corporate and only one person responded to my email— the chief of staff, mind y'all! I'm thinking she finna come with it, right? Wrong. Everybody full of hot ass.

She telling me that there were concerns— none of which were brought me but ok— about my work ethic and there's claims from SIX of my coworkers that support me being away and not ready for work but clocked in, also multiple screenshots that support the idea of me not being fond of my job.

I asked that bitch to send me this concrete ass evidence so EYE can see what EYE said and y'all know I ain't get shit back. Not even crickets. Not even a tumbleweed, bitch.

One thing about me, ima ask to see the evidence. Y'all not finna act like y'all got something on me and not share it with the class?!? Come on, where's the fun in that?!

Couldn't take the time to fabricate some text messages or print out a write up and forge my signature! Nothing!

So when it came time for me to get my unemployment, of course they tried making that difficult too! But ima fight for myself. I've come to far in that, not to.

Got them ppl sending me questionnaires and in ever text box they provided, I went into lengthy detail about this whole situation, I was so tired of telling mfs that I wasn't aware of why I was even fired, it made me literally ill.

It was like I was talking in circles and nobody was listening to me, which is something that makes me physically violent. So something needed to be done asap, cause if I gotta sit my black ass at home, I'm getting my duckets in the meantime!

So I got fired of the 16th of January, right? On the 17th of February, I log into DES and guess who was approved for their well deserved mf money cause them bitches ain't have no evidence to support me never doing my mf job?! Yeah! YEAH!!!! I cackled all morning long bitch, it was so funny and hilarious and delightful!!!

But I've been looking for a job for the last three months and it's about to be May. By the grace of god and my mama do I still have money in the bank, but the unemployment is on its last leg and it don't know what to do. I just feel like a failure a lot of the time, it really sucks to keep getting rejection letters in my email but ima keep trying. Just don't know how much try I have left in me.

So yeah, if y'all made it to the end of my long ass diary entry, I appreciate y'all and hope y'all take care of y'all selves at these jobs cause they give not one fuck about ya, k? K, stay lovely and spicy 😘😘😘😘

[chrisevansonly]

Unspoken Feelings 🦋 (Harry’s Angel AU)

pairing: Harry Styles x Female Reader (Angel)

summary: never in a million years would you thought you’d find yourself in this position, watching the man you love have to fake love another woman…

warnings: angst, mentions of past toxic relationship, mentions of abuse, lots of self doubt, self conscious thoughts for reader, it’s just sad, minimal fluff

a/n: there will be a part two to this i think, i kinda wanna end this on a cliffhanger, but we shall see! no hate to olivia or anything of course!

word count: 1,092

Stupid, you almost felt stupid to sit here in a meeting room with Harry as his team ran through a potential public relations situation to help get views and attraction up for his new movie ‘Don’t Worry Darling.’ Now you knew why Harry was so adamant on having you come down to London with him this morning, and honestly you wished you hadn’t. 

“So, this PR relationship will last for one year to two years, you won’t be together all the time but when you are, you’ll need to sell it.”

You couldn’t even look at Jeff as he went through the contract with Harry, Olivia sat across the table looking almost smug, you knew this was all her idea, and sure maybe it wasn’t horrible to gain views, but the way he would need to kiss her, hug her, be seen out in public with her while you were almost tossed aside? That’s what was horrible. 

“You’re absolutely sure we can’t go shorter than this…?”

Harry had begun to squeeze your hand gently, but you were already zoned out, you didn’t want to hear anything else 

“Not if we want to sell it Harry”

Olivia, in any other situation she would have had a nice voice to listen too, but right now it sounded like nails on a chalkboard

“Olivia is right H, if we want to really sell it, it needs to last this long.” 

“Well, it’s just…how’s this going to look for Y/N and I’s relationship? M’not liking the idea of this” 

You sighed softly before removing your hand from his hold 

“Doesn’t matter Harry. Not like my opinion would matter, do what you need to.”

Before he could say anything, you excused yourself from the conference room and walked out, Harry would end up doing this stunt anyway and you’d just be forgotten, tossed aside and just a figure in Harry’s past. You knew Poppy had the day off so why not spend it with someone you knew would never make you feel this way, your older sister had been your best friend since day one, there was no doubt in your mind she couldn’t help you forget about this day.

-

“What the fuck is wrong with him!?” 

Poppy was fuming, she was beyond angry and honestly you thought it was justifiable 

“He has to do it Pop…”

“Bullshit he has to do it y/n, he’s got the option to say no, he’s choosing not to.”

Shrugging you took the final sip of your earl grey tea

“Well, I can’t do anything about it, and honestly it is what it is, I should have known this came with dating celebrities, just didn’t think my Harry would do this…”

Poppy wanted to add something else but seeing the hurt in your eyes was enough to have her coming over the couch to pull you in for a hug, which just caused the floodgates to open, tears falling down your cheeks, little sobs escaping your lips 

“Oh honey…”

“Am I not enough Poppy? What is so horrible about me that I get hurt over and over again? I-I don’t understand!”

Her hold on you tightened 

“Y/N, you are more than enough do you hear me? None of what you’ve gone through has been your fault, and yes Harry is being a right prick if he takes this on, but I know he loves you, and I know you are perfect for him”

Sniffling you sat up, shaking your head

“I’ll never be enough for him, look at me…look at Olivia, he’ll take this on and I’ll just be forgotten about.”

Hearing the exhaustion in your voice was enough to make Poppy’s heart clench, she hated to see you so distraught and upset, especially knowing the man who’d been making you as happy as you had been, was the reasoning behind it. 

-

The door closed softly at Harry’s flat, you’d gone back over after spending the rest of the day with your sister, truth be told you weren’t sure if you wanted to even be here, but you couldn’t hide from Harry forever.

“Hey angel, there you are”

“Mhm, sorry was with Poppy…”

“I know she uh, she called me when you left”

You nodded, moving past him and into the kitchen to get a glass of water, your only plan was to go upstairs, have a hot shower and get into bed to forget today ever happened

“I want you to know I am really sorry about today, if m’being honest I didn’t know they wanted to do that PR relationship stunt...”

“It’s fine H, do what you need to.”

Turning to look at him, his eyebrows pulled together almost as if he was thinking about what he was going to say next 

“I can say no”

“So why didn’t you?”

His arms were crossed over his chest, bottom lip tugged between his teeth 

“I-Well I guess I wanted to hear them out, see what the proposal was”

“So basically, make me look like an idiot while Olivia sat there having the time of her life knowing I’m about to be publicly embarrassed for the next two years? How do you think I feel Harry?  You’re going to go off, have a great time with her, while I’m left behind and forgotten about, once again not good enough for you.”

He shook his head moving closer to take your hands, but you stepped back 

“Angel, I promise you that would never ever fucking happen, I love you so much, and you’re m’world, I-I know this seems like this worst thing in the world, and I don’t know why I thought it was a good idea, but I promise you, that won’t happen…”

“That’s what you say now…I’m going to stay with Poppy for a while, let you figure out what you want…I love you H, you know I do but this? This isn’t something I thought you’d ever do to me…”

You didn’t want Harry to say anything to try and convince you to stay, so you left the kitchen and made your way upstairs, maybe you were an idiot for reacting this way, was PR always a part of celebrity’s lives? What was going to happen with you and Harry? These were questions you didn’t want to answer or know the answer too, right now all you had on your mind was getting out and getting space, Harry could figure out what he wanted, and if you were the girl, he even saw himself being with anymore.