#aunt and grandfather and aunt's boyfriend are coming over

[unopenablebox]

taking a selfish 2 hour break from my mediator job (“being related to these people”) to write fanfiction

[megamett44-lover]

can you do the reader seeing matt with a little kid (around 5 or 6) and getting some crazy baby fever? thank youu <3

UGH I LOVE THIS

Matt Sturniolo x Reader

Summary: In which Y/n brings Matt to her family reunion

Warnings/Notes: She/her pronouns

Requested? Yes!

Dress Up

Bringing Matt home with me for my annual family reunion was insisted upon by my parents. My whole family absolutely adored him, always asking me to bring him around more. Hence why now, here we were, about a ten minute drive away from my grandparents home, where everyone would be meeting.

Having never met my extended family before, it was understandable for Matt to be nervous. He held my hand as he drove, lightly brushing his thumb over my knuckles every few seconds.

“You okay?” I ask, squeezing his hand lightly.

He looks over at me, trying to hide his nervous expression. “All good.” He says.

I nod, turning my attention back to the road. “You don’t have to stress, everyone is gonna love you.”

He chuckles. “If I can win your dad over, I’m sure I can do anything.”

I roll my eyes. “Please.” I say. “You never had to win him over. He was practically calling you ‘son’ before he even met you.”

“Right.” Matt laughs.

Siri breaks our conversation, telling us to turn left and our destination would be on the right. As we pulled into my grandparents drive way, a wave of nostalgia hit me. The long gravel path leading to an old white plantation house surrounded by the most beautiful flowers. I had helped my grandmother plant different flowers in her garden for many Summers when I was younger. The neatly trimmed hedges wrapping around the edge of the porch that my grandfather always insisted on keeping up himself because “nobody else could do the job right.”

I noticed many other cars parked out front, indicating a lot of my family members were already here. As we parked, I kissed the back of Matt’s hand. “Ready!” I asked.

“For sure.” Matt smiled.

As we walked onto the porch, the sound of laughter could be heard from inside. We didn’t even have a chance to knock before my grandmother opened the door.

“My Y/n!” She said, embracing me. “I’ve missed you so much!”

“Hi, Gran.” I say, returning her hug.

As we pulled away, she noticed Matt beside me.

“Now this must be the young man I’ve heard so much about.” She smiles at Matt.

“All good things, I hope.” Matt chuckles nervously.

I laugh. “Gran, this is my boyfriend, Matt.”

“Pleasure to meet you dear.” My grandmother says, embracing Matt as well. Pulling away, she smiles at us both. “Well come on, everyone has been asking for you.”

Walking instep with my grandmother and Matt slightly ahead, she leans in and whispers softly. “He’s handsome!”

“Oh, Gran!” I laugh.

“I’m serious!” She says. “If I was only 60 years younger, I’d give you a run for your money.”

As we walked into the crowded parlor, we were greeted by a chorus of “Hey” and “Welcome home”. A lot of family come up to me, since the last time I had seen most of them I was young. Most of them were eager to meet Matt, having heard I was dating a “famous Los Angeles boy”.

Excusing myself for a moment, I go grab a couple waters for Matt and I from the kitchen.

“Oh hey, Y/N.” My aunt says, seeing me enter. Her and a collection of other family members were working on tonight’s dinner, the smell immediately making me hungry.

“Smells great in here.” I compliment, grabbing two bottles of water from the fridge.

“Thanks!” She beams at me. “Oh, your cousins are around here looking for you. They wouldn’t stop talking about how excited they were to see you.”

I laugh. “I’ll keep a look out for them.”

My aunt and uncle had two twin girls, Charlotte and Katherine. They had just turned six and they were adorable. I had spent a lot of my youth babysitting them, resulting in me having an older sister relationship with the girls.

Walking back to the parlor, I notice most of the family had gone to the back yard. Scanning the yard, I cannot seem to see Matt anywhere. I grab my phone to text him, but then I hear giggling coming from down the hall followed by a deeper laugh that I recognize to be Matt’s.

Walking down the hall, I notice the light in the playroom is on. I hear a few voices coming from inside.

“We’re going to make you look so pretty.” I hear a young voice that I recognize to be Katherine’s says.

“Oh, really?” Matt asks.

“Yes!” Charlotte assures. “Y/n is going to love it!”

I peek in the doorway to the playroom to see Matt sat on the floor, with my cousins braiding his hair. I notice he has a few hair bows in, along with a feather boa around his neck.

I giggle softly, watching my cousins give him a makeover.

“Can we paint your nails?” Charlotte eagerly asks.

Matt looks down at his nails, the old paint peeling off of them.

“I think I’m in need of a manicure, so sure!” Matt agrees.

“Kat, grab the princess stickers and pink polish!” Charlotte demands.

Hearing this, I accidentally laugh too loud, giving my position away. All three of their heads whip in my direction.

“Y/N!” Charlotte and Katherine say in unison, running up and hugging my legs.

“Hi, girls.” I say, bending down to hug them. “I see you’ve stolen my boyfriend.”

“Don’t you think he looks pretty?” Katherine asks, motioning towards Matt.

“I think he looks gorgeous.” I say, making eye contact with Matt, who chuckles softly.

“We were going to paint his nails, do you wanna help?” Charlotte asks.

“Of course!” I say, eagerly.

“Yay!” Both girls say in unison.

Sitting down, we begin painting Matt’s nails a bright shade of pink, complete with princess stickers on every other finger. When we were finished, we slowly walk Matt over to the mirror to check out his new look.

“I look awesome!” Matt says, bending down to the girls level. “Thank you, girls.” He opens his arms for a hug, as both girls practically tackle him.

I smile softly, my heart warming at the sight.

“I think next time, we should bring our princess dress for you to wear.” Katherine says.

Matt laughs. “I think that would be amazing.”

“Yeah, but we have to bring the Cinderella dress.” Charlotte says. Katherine raises a puzzled eyebrow. “To match his eyes, duh!”

“What do you think, Y/n?” Charlotte asks.

“I think he would make a beautiful Cinderella.” I smile, causing Matt and the girls to laugh.

A loud voice interrupts our laughter from the kitchen.

“Girls, dinner!” I hear my Uncle call.

“Our dad wants us!” Katherine tells Matt. “But we’ll finish this makeover another day.”

“I’ll be counting on it.” Matt winks, ruffling her hair.

The girls laugh as they run down the hall to the kitchen. I look at Matt, who’s covered in glitter from the feather boa.

“I’ll be their Cinderalla, as long as I’m your Prince Charming.” Matt says, pulling the boa off.

I laugh. “God, you’re cheesy.” I grab his hands, looking at the pink artwork on his fingernails. “I can’t wait to have this life with you one day.”

He pulls me into a hug, covering me in glitter. “I promise, one day, we’ll have all of this.” He says. “Every day.”

I lean back, grabbing one of the braided strands of hair. “I’m really digging these braids, though.”

“Yeah?” Matt laughs.

“Yeah.” I smile, pressing a small kiss on his lips.

“Now c’mon, I’m starving!” I say, leading him to the kitchen.

Matt stops on his tracks. “What, dressed like this?” He asks.

I smirk. “What, you embarrassed?”

“Never.” He replies, putting his boa back on before we exit the playroom.

[zepskies]

Love Actually - Part 3

Paring: Soldier Boy/Ben x Reader

Summary: You and Ben steel yourselves in order to meet your crazy family for Christmas dinner.  

AN: And here’s Part 3, lovelies. Stick around after the end for a special announcement (new BMD fic dropping next weekend)!

Remember, this is set in the same world as “Break Me Down,” and set before “Checkerboard.” There will be a few references to the original story in this. But on the whole, this can be read as a stand-alone!

Word Count: 5,300 Warnings: 18+ only! Smutty smut ahead. Lots of fluff and a potential overload of feels.~

Part 3: “Auld Lang Syne”

You leaned down, subtly grabbing his thigh.

“I need you,” you whispered in his ear. The tone of your voice set his blood alight with new interest.

Ben’s resulting smirk was subtle, but edged. “A tour it is.” 

Ben got up from the couch, giving you a thinly veiled look of smugness. He knew you’d come around. 

You nearly rolled your eyes. 

But when you told your grandfather your plans to show your boyfriend the rest of the house, he just waved the two of you off. He was too invested in the baseball game to give it much thought.

Which left Ben to follow you up the stairs, where he admired the curve of your ass in this little dress. He couldn’t help himself. He reached out and grabbed a delectable handful. 

You gasped and clung to the guardrail. You shot him a warning look over your shoulder, despite your smile. 

Not yet, your gaze told him. But you took his hand and guided him the rest of the way up. His grip tightened on yours.

All right. He could wait.

When they got to the second floor though, Ben started to get curious about the large two-story house. 

“I thought you said your mom had debts,” he said. “Supposedly, that’s why you took on the job of hunting me down.”

You chuckled humorlessly. “Don’t let that Betty Crocker apron fool you. She’s a degenerate gambler.”

Behind you, Ben’s brows rose a bit.

You paused a step. “Or, well, she used to be. As you know, my family has issues.”

He snorted in response. Something else occurred to him though.

“Is this the house you grew up in?” he asked. You full on stopped walking then. 

“Oh, no,” you said, with a firm shake of your head. “She sold that house after the divorce. She bought this one with the settlement money.”

Ben ruminated over that as you led him into the guest bathroom. He closed the door behind him with a soft click, and by the time he turned around, you were there with your warm hands on his chest, shoving back his jacket.

He smirked and shrugged it off the rest of the way, then draped it on the doorknob behind him. He started with unbuttoning and rolling up the sleeves of his black dress shirt. 

You watched him with hunger in your eyes, running your hands down his firm chest and solid abs. 

You heaved a breath of relief when he pulled you in. He wrapped his arms around your waist and started kissing down your neck. You clung to his arms and tried to stop yourself from digging your nails into his nice shirt. 

“What changed your mind?” Ben asked.

“Are you complaining?” you quipped.

“Always a fucking smartass,” he rejoined. And his lips left you, with him giving you raised brow. His thigh slipped between your legs, a slow and torturous friction. “Maybe I’ll just leave that pretty pussy on fire.”

Ugh, you thought. He could be so annoying. You leveled your stern eyes up at him. 

“I need you to fuck me. Right now,” you said. “Or I’m gonna rip my aunt’s face off.” 

You reached down to cup his length firmly through his slacks, earning a grunt from him. It ended on a groan when you grazed him with your nails. He chuckled deeply.

“That’s kinda hot,” he replied. An understatement. The hairs on his arms were standing up, along with his cock. 

You smiled in amusement. “You would think so.”

He grabbed your arms and meant to kiss you, but you stopped him with your fingers against his lips. 

“Two rules: this lipstick doesn’t come off. And no. Ripping. The dress.”

By no means did you want to get caught doing this. You already felt guilty, and you two hadn’t even done anything yet. But you needed this, or else you weren’t sure you could get through dinner without any violent incidents.  

But you could tell that Ben was annoyed at being given restrictions as he stared down at you. 

“You’re making a lot of fucking demands tonight,” he said, squeezing your arms a bit.  

You smirked and tilted your face up to him. You leaned up, nearly brushing your lips with his. 

“Isn’t it more satisfying when you have to work for it?” you asked.

Ben huffed, and almost rolled his eyes. If there was one thing you enjoyed doing, it was testing his fucking patience. 

But then he smirked. “Fine.”

He gripped your arms tighter and turned you around, pressing you against the pristine granite countertop. You met his darkened gaze in the mirror.  

You knew then that he was going to do one of his favorite things: taking you from behind while he made you watch. It wasn’t the first time, and you knew it wouldn’t be the last. But you parted your legs, your lower belly quivering with anticipation as his thigh encouraged you.  

His hands soothed down your arms, dragging across your body, squeezing your breasts over your dress while his lips burned down your neck once more. His teeth grazed your skin, making you shudder.

You then remembered to turn the faucet on in the sink. It would create some more background noise, and hopefully disguise your moans as his hands traveled down your body. 

You helped him slide the skirt of your dress up, tug your pantyhose down to your ankles without ripping them. 

“Hmm, I like the black lace,” he murmured behind you. His fingers dragged down your skin along with your panties.

“I know,” you replied on a shaky breath, as his fingers teased the slit of your pussy from behind, brushing between the folds. “You bought ‘em last week.”

“Did I?” he mused, as his fingers found your clit. He rubbed a bit roughly, drawing a pleased sound from your lips. “I’ve got good taste.”

A smile broke out across your face. “See? I never need to pay you any compliments. You can stroke your own ego just fine.”

Ben tilted his head at you. He peered around your shoulder to catch your eye. You gave him a sly look over your shoulder, though it was edged with desire.

“Oh yeah?” His words were a challenge. His fingers entered you then, earning an even deeper moan from you, though you tried to taper it down. “Maybe I should let you stroke your own too, huh?”

You shook your head, biting your lip. Your inner walls were already clenching on his fingers, and you had to grab his arm and the counter for balance. 

“Ben, please,” you whispered more raggedly. His smirk took on a wicked edge. 

“Oh, now it’s please?” he said, his voice drawing deeper, more gruff. “Please what?”

You couldn’t speak. His fingers were working overtime pulsing inside you, while his other hand joined, parting your folds to press on your clit like a button. You were so fucking close, you could taste it…    

But as soon as that coil began to truly tighten, Ben withdrew his fingers. You panted for breath, and your gaze snapped up to his in the mirror. You glared at him. 

“What the f—”

“Answer me,” he demanded. “Or I really will walk the fuck out right now.” 

Big talk, you thought, from the man with a rock-hard dick. But you blew out a breath and conceded to his demands. 

“Please,” you said, reaching back to stroke his cheek, running your fingers through his hair, bringing him closer. Your hand clenched in his hair. And with the other, you took his hand, still wet from where it had been inside you, and brushed it against your slippery folds. 

“This is all because of you,” you said. “Only ever for you. Fuck me until I break an ankle in these heels. ‘Til I can’t fucking breathe.”

Ben’s chest warmed. And it wasn’t just about his pride.

Somehow, you gave him everything he wanted to hear and more. Maybe that was part of what he loved about you. Even when you demanded from him, you gave him more of yourself.

So he gave you what you wanted. He guided you down onto the counter and rucked up your dress. Per rule #2, he did it gently enough so he wouldn’t rip the fabric. 

You heard his pants unzipping, felt the weeping head of his cock against your folds, teasing you for a moment. You gripped the counter and made a sound of pleading frustration. 

“I gotcha, baby,” Ben said, lowly in your ear. He gripped your hip and guided his cock inside you, nice and slow. You both breathed hard, trying to keep your voices down. He then bottomed out, and it made your inner walls flutter and tighten. He made a gutteral sound, low and pleased. “Such a good girl.”

His darkened green eyes fixed on yours in the mirror. It was heat and desire, but it was also deeper. It always had been, ever since he met you.

And for you, his gaze alone was a molten caress. If you had it your way, you could very well spend the rest of the night in the guest bathroom. In this very moment… 

But it had already been a while in here. You didn’t know how much time you had left before someone came to find you two, so you squeezed his hand on your hip. 

“Get going, cowboy,” you teased, but it was really a command. Ben saw it in your heated gaze in the mirror, meeting his. He slid out of you slow at first, but snapped back in harder. It made you jolt, but also shudder and squeeze him from the inside out. He wished he had the time to do this how he wanted, taking his time, but that was one thing they didn’t have.

He made up for it by taking you hard and deep, putting you through your paces. You held on for dear life while trying not to let your voice raise higher. It was a challenge for you, and you knew Ben liked hearing your voice. But when he hit a particularly good angle, you couldn’t help but cry out a bit. 

He brushed your hair away from your neck and pressed his lips there. He had to bite down to stifle his own grunts. It had you gasping at pain mixed with pleasure. 

He was getting close too; you could feel it in his wilder thrusts, in the tightening of his hand on your hip. You needed just a bit more.

“Ben,” you whispered. He heard the ragged need in your voice. He saw it in your eyes when he met them in the mirror, desperate for release.

“Tell me,” he ground out. 

You took his hand guided it again down to part your folds. He took the hint and once again circled the pads of his fingers against your clit—this time with purpose. Your breath hitched as the coil in your belly finally snapped and released its warmth. 

He gave you a few more hard thrusts before his hips stuttered as he groaned, and he spilled inside you. 

Oh shit. You still hadn’t gotten your IUD replaced…

Oh fucking well, you thought, as your core still quivered with pleasure. This was worth playing a bit fast and loose with your birth control.

For a while, the sounds of your mingled breaths were almost drowned out by the water running. You turned off the faucet. Then your eyes met Ben’s in the mirror, and you smiled. 

The corner of his mouth raised. He slid out of you, but you kept him close with a hand around the back of his neck, tangling your fingers in his hair. Part of you couldn’t believe you just fucked your boyfriend in your mother’s house, in the guest bathroom of all places. But you felt all the better for it. 

Or at least, you no longer had a desire for blood. You stroked the arm that still held you upright, more bracing now than restrictive. You felt his seed spilling down your inner thighs, but you couldn’t yet force yourself to move. Your legs were still shaky. 

However, you knew you could rely on the strong pillar of his arms holding you. Ben rested his cheek against your hair, pressing a kiss there.

“You’re beautiful tonight,” he said. 

Your eyes widened with soft shock. When it slowly faded, you bit your lip. Your body shook with quiet laughter as your brows rose high.

“Right now?” you asked. With your dress rucked up and your pantyhose rolled down to your ankles.

“Yeah. Right now,” Ben said. “A fucking sight.” 

And he meant it. 

You could tell, and that warmed you down to your toes. Your smile softened as you rested against him and closed your eyes for a moment.

“You don’t know how glad I am that you’re here with me,” you said. “Thank you.”

“I’ve got some idea,” he murmured, smirking as you once again trembled with a giggle. 

You reluctantly detangled yourself from him to reach down under the sink for a washcloth. Ben let go of your waist, only so he could take the small towel from your hand. You looked up at him in confusion, but he leaned around you to run the cloth under a bit of warm water from the sink.

He then got down on one knee in front of you, and proceeded to clean you up himself. Your eyes widened as you stared down at him. Your breath caught in your throat. 

He’d never done this before. Something about it made you blush. The sheer intimacy of it, probably, of his hand running the warm cloth up your bare inner thighs. His free hand held one of your calves, his thumb resting just under your knee. 

You had to reach for his shoulder to stabilize yourself when the cloth swiped between your thighs, against your sensitive core. It made your lower belly tingle again with a spark of arousal. You breathed in slow and deep before you spoke.

“Not that I’m complaining, but…” you trailed. You weren’t even able to finish your question. 

Ben met your gaze with a raised brow. “What, can’t take care of my girl?” 

It took you a moment, but eventually you smiled. The kind of smile that made your insides warm and buoyant, and your stomach clench.

You had a feeling he’d overheard you and your sister talking earlier. It wouldn’t have been the first time he’d eavesdropped with his superior hearing.

Your expression faded a bit when something occurred to you. You tilted your head at him.

“You heard everything my aunt said, didn’t you?” you asked. 

Ben paused a moment, holding the towel against your inner thigh. His lips drew downward as he remembered what he’d heard while trying to concentrate on the baseball game with George. 

“I’m just sayin’!” Trina said. “He might have forever, but you certainly don’t.”

If Louisa hadn’t stepped in when she had, Ben might’ve had to ruin his new suit, if not the evening.

“Seems like having a big fucking mouth runs in your family,” he muttered. 

You snorted. “Yeah, but mine’s endearing. She’s just a bitch, still bitter from her divorce.”

Ben didn’t answer. Though after he finished cleaning you up, he rested and elbow on his bent knee. His free hand dragged up your thigh and over your hip, squeezing soft flesh.

“Yeah well, put her in her place next time, or I will,” he said. His tone was edged, and you gave him a wry look. 

“I’ll try not to give you the chance,” you said. 

“I mean it,” Ben said. His gaze bore into yours, unyielding, even from where he knelt at your feet. He stood to his full height, tucking in his shirt and zipping his pants back up as he went. 

“No one’s got the fucking right to talk about our business,” he said. “And you better not listen to a goddamn word. About me, and sure as shit, not about you.”

A small, sharp breath got stuck in your throat. Just then, you found you had to swallow past a swell of emotion lodging in your throat. 

His hands found their way back to your hips and squeezed gently, but with purpose. You read it in his eyes. 

“You hearing me?” he asked. 

You nodded. “Yeah.”

Your aunt was someone who always “meant well.” You had gotten far too used to swallowing your tongue for your mother’s sake. And at the end of the day, you usually knew how to let Trina’s words roll off. You’d certainly had plenty of practice.

But regardless, your heart grew for this man. 

You took his face between your hands, and you kissed him deeply, breaking rule #1.

You took a few more minutes to fix your clothes, your hair, and yes, your lipstick. 

When you two eventually went back downstairs, the table was nearly set. The appetizers and wine remained, along with the plates and silverware. All that was missing was dinner itself. 

“Okay, looks like dinner’s about ready. I’m gonna go and help,” you said. You gave Ben a parting smile and let your fingers run down the back of his arm. He shot you a wink, and one last pat on the ass. 

You had to stifle your squeal, sending him a playfully warning look on your way to the kitchen. You stepped back in to see your mom pouring the cranberry sauce into a serving pitcher. 

“Oh, glad Miss Congeniality could grace us again with her presence,” Trina remarked at the sight of you. 

You gave her a flat smile. “What do you need?”

“We’re serving. Help your mom,” she said, nodding behind her. You wordlessly agreed and went over to Marie, who gave you a curious look. 

“Where were you all that time?” she asked. Louisa looked over with the same question in her eyes. 

“Well, I said hi to Grandpa,” you said. It wasn’t a lie, and technically, nor were your next words. “And then I gave Ben a tour of the house.”

When the fuck is dinner already? Ben thought as he approached the dining table filled with mini quiche, pigs-in-a-blanket, and other appetizers. His stomach was starting to growl something fierce. He was craving real food, but he still grabbed one of the small plates.

While he surveyed the layout of finger food, Great Aunt Silvia sidled up next to him with her cane in hand. Ben noticed her out of the corner of his eye. According to George, she’d had a hip replacement last month. 

“Hey, there,” he greeted somewhat politely, if distracted by adding food to his small plate.  

“Oh, my days. You’re Soldier Boy,” she said in surprise. Her eyes twinkled with delight.

Where’ve you been, lady? Ben thought in annoyance. Oh, that’s right. Passed out in a damn oxy coma.

Before he could respond with something half gracious, he felt a bony hand get a meaty handful of his ass. 

He actually flinched, more at the suddenness than anything else. A pig-in-a-blanket flew from his plate and rolled off the table. 

Ben gave the old woman an incredulous look. What the fuck? 

“Excuse me?” he uttered. 

But of course, she played dumb. And she ducked quick when you came over with the mashed potatoes in large bowl. You set it down on the table, but you noted the grouchy look on his face as he looked past you into the living room. Great Aunt Sylvia waddled away with the help of her cane, back to her nice recliner. 

“What’s the matter?” you asked, earning his attention.

“Silvia’s a wily old broad,” he muttered. At the look on your face, however, he felt the need to clarify. “Apparently she got my ass confused with the quiche.”    

You bit your lip, and your eyes widened. You had to stifle a shocked giggle as you glanced past him to your great aunt, who’d taken her usual seat by her brother. You slid Ben a knowing smirk.

“I thought you liked older women,” you teased. 

He scoffed. “Gotta draw the line somewhere. I think ‘hip replacement’ is that line.”

“Not running for the Astroglide, huh?” you whispered in his ear.  

He grimaced, even though he also wanted to laugh. He just shook his head. 

“Jesus Christ, enough.”

You stifled a laugh through your nose and soothed his arm. 

“Here, help us with getting the ham on the table. Maybe we can avoid another member of my family playing grab ass.”

Once Christmas dinner was all set on the dining table, you were practically salivating. You had a hard time deciding on what to try first: the ham, the sweet potato casserole, the cranberry sauce, or stick as much of all three on your fork as you could.��

You went with the latter, and Louisa eyed you with a laugh. 

“What?” you asked with your mouth full. It got Ben’s attention as well.

“You do this every year,” Louisa remarked. “It’s like you forgot how long it takes to get dinner on the table in this house.”  

“I’m freakin’ starving,” you admitted. 

“Yeah? Worked up an appetite, did you?” Ben asked, a bit pointedly, despite the way he sipped at his wine. (And paying you back for that Astroglide quip). 

You shot him a warning look at his audacity.

Louisa seemed to be the only one who caught the exchange, with a suspicious brow raise. 

“So Ben,” Trina began, around a mouthful of ham. Already her voice set you on edge. “What was it like in the ‘40s? You know, with the Nazis and everything.”

You and Ben shared a subtle glance. His jaw clenched. 

Fuuuucking hell, you thought.

From the head of the table, Grandpa George looked over at his eldest daughter with an annoyed glint in his eye. 

“Katrina, do us all a favor,” he said wryly. “Keep stuffin’ your face.” 

You bit your lip against a grin. Louisa shared your same problem, snorting into her Diet Coke. 

Trina looked adequately indignant, but to everyone’s relief, she just pursed her lips and speared at her plate.  

The rest of dinner was interesting, to say the least, with many questions thrown to Ben about his celebrity days. He ate up the attention, just as you thought he would. It seemed your little escapade upstairs loosened him up too. He told his favorite stories, editing the more graphic anecdotes out of some of them, you noticed gratefully. 

The atmosphere only got tense when Ben bit into some kind of casserole Marie made. The texture was soft and stringy with green beans, but there was something unpleasantly sweet, and even crunchy in the middle. Uncooked noodles, maybe? Frankly, he wasn’t sure what he was eating. 

“You all right, hun?” Marie asked him. 

“What is this?” Ben asked, pointing down at his plate with a fork. 

“Ah.” Trina peered at his plate, and then the suspect casserole. “It’s probably not quite right. God love her, but my sister’s no Gordon Ramsay.”

You frowned as your mom’s gaze fell. Her lips drew downwards in disappointment. 

Before you could speak up, Ben’s voice stopped you. 

“You know what,” Ben said. His voice was tight, in a way that told you he might just snap. Your aunt’s questions had gotten more intrusive and annoying over the past hour, too much even for him to let roll down his back. He was used to dealing with shitty press, but Trina was fucking relentless.

Someone better fucking muzzle this bitch before I do it for her. 

The words were about to fly out of his mouth, in a very real threat. Ben only took his belt off in public for two reasons: a good fuck and a good old-fashioned hog tie. Your aunt was about to get the latter. 

However, he could tell by the way you were gripping the edge of the table, you were bracing yourself for whatever he was going to say next. All eyes were on him.

Ben drew in a breath. With every cell of effort left in him, he turned to Marie with a smile. As pleasant as he could manage. 

“I was just trying to figure out what you put in this, because it’s delicious,” he said.

Marie blinked with a bit of surprise, but then, she brightened. 

“Oh…well, it’s just green bean casserole. A bit of butter, some Campbell’s cream of mushroom soup. That classic recipe,” she said.

But she paused, in a way that told Ben that the other shoe was about to drop. 

“…And I just added a few raisins and walnuts this time. For some texture,” she said with a shrug. “You know, something different.”

She smiled at Ben, while he and the rest of the table tried not to grimace. Who the fuck puts raisins in cream of mushroom? That’s just wrong.

“I’m glad you enjoyed it,” she said.

Ben offered her a nod, but he had to take a long sip of wine to wash the unpleasant mix of overbearing salt and sweetness down. 

He felt your soft hand squeeze his under the table. When he looked over, he found your subtle, thankful smile. The corner of his mouth raised, however slightly. 

The night ticked on, and Ben subtly checked his watch while he chilled out on the couch. He was at the edge of the festivities now, as your family was exchanging gifts by the modest Christmas tree in the living room. 

He surveyed them all—warm and comfortable with one other as they joked and hugged and talked and laughed. Even Trina looked less irritating. 

Ben felt a bit like an intruder. 

Hell, he didn’t think he’d ever had this. A quiet, family Christmas.  

Though he was a bit surprised when Marie was the first one to walk over to him. She sat down on the couch and offered him two gift bags. One was larger than the other.

“You didn’t have to,” he told her, but she waved him off.

“Nonsense. When I saw this, I couldn’t help thinking of you,” she said. Ben began opening the larger one first. It was a simple, dark blue bag. 

“You might think it’s silly,” she said, folding her hands in her lap in a slightly nervous gesture. “Feel free to return it if you don’t like it.”

Ben pulled out a nice bottle of whiskey. He actually appreciated this one. 

“Oh! That’s from Louisa,” said Marie. 

“Really?” He glanced over and found Louisa sitting on the floor beside you. 

You were busy trying to cut through a present Grandpa George had wrapped with duct tape, just to be an asshole. (He did this to you every year, precisely because it frustrated you so much.)  

But Louisa looked up and met Ben’s gaze, giving him a wry smile and a lazy soldier’s salute. His lips quirked, and he inclined his head in wordless thanks.

“This one next,” Marie prompted him. She tapped on the second gift bag, which was bright green and shiny. 

There he found a leatherbound journal and a set of silver ballpoint pens. They looked expensive. They also reminded him of a set his father used to keep in his desk, in his study. Even the smell of the leather brought him back to that room, filled with books, crisp ink-filled pages, and tumblers of whiskey.  

“I’ve worked in a hospital for over ten years, in the psychology wing,” Marie said. “I see a lot of veterans. Lisa, my friend who’s a nurse? She told me that writing things down can help with memories you want to keep, and sort through the ones you’d rather not.” 

Ben held her gaze for a moment, but it soon fell to the journal. He didn’t really know what to say. For once, he was at a loss for words. 

Mostly because he was irritated. He didn’t need what she was offering, and implying…

Still, it was hard to get mad at someone like Marie. It would be like all those times he’d snapped at his own mother, leaving him feeling hollow inside afterwards. He’d always apologized to her later…in his own way. 

But that was a long time ago.

“Sorry,” Marie said eventually. “I know, you’re too busy for all that. But at least you’ve got the whiskey.”

“Thank you,” Ben said. But the reserved smile he offered her was more genuine than even he expected. The journal and the pens still laid in his lap. 

Marie smiled warmly, and in it, Ben saw your inner softness. The way you cared about your family and your friends, and him…he knew then that it began here.

Marie gave his cheek a motherly pat. Ben allowed it, begrudgingly.

“We’re so glad you’re here, honey,” she said. “I hope you had a good time.”

He was a bit relieved when she finally moved on. She headed over to Louisa, who was opening one of her gifts. You got up off the floor returned to your boyfriend with a wrapped box in your hand. First, you admired his small haul. 

“Look who’s popular,” you noted with a grin. Ben gave you a bemused look and put the gifts back in their respective bags. 

“I’ve got one more for you,” you said, with a teasing smile that made him suspicious. You handed him the box, which was about the size of a large book. The sticker said it was from you, to him.

His brows furrowed. “What’s this?”

You already got him the watch. But at your gesturing, he ripped the green wrapping paper off to find…a photo album. 

“Really, what is this?” he asked. 

“You can’t tell?”

“I know what it is—”

“Well, then open it,” you prodded. You sat down next to him as he started flipping through the album. 

The very first picture wiped the curious expression from his face. It was his mother, crisp in black and white. She was young and beautiful and smiling almost shyly for the camera on a windy day. 

Right beside it, there was one of his parents’ wedding pictures, old and yellowed around the corners. The third was a faded picture of the club where his parents met. His mother had been a singer there. 

You leaned over with a hand on his shoulder. Ben looked over at you.

“What the hell did you do?” Ben he asked. His face was hard to read, but he didn’t look upset. His tone was more resigned.

“I found your stash of pictures under the bed, so I thought I’d put them together for you,” you said. You bit your lip in worry, hoping he would like it. You weren’t sure of his reaction yet.

After a moment, he kept flipping. Next were a few pictures of himself, incredibly young and already with a familiar cocky grin. There was even a rare picture of him and his parents together. He remembered when and where it was taken—at his father’s birthday, right after Ben got kicked out of boarding school. 

He hadn’t looked at these pictures in…hell. It’d been decades. He'd retrieved them from an old storage locker last month, but hadn't gotten around to actually opening up the box. Now, he supposed, he didn't have to.

But the album then skipped ahead, by a lot, because the next row of pictures was unfamiliar to him—ones you must’ve added. 

They were of the Supe Affairs team. One was a group picture Hughie managed to grab with all of you in it. 

There was another right beside it, of Hughie trying to lift Ben’s shield. 

“When the fuck did that little shit get ahold of my shield?” Ben groused.

“No idea,” you said with a smile, and you flipped the page. There was an old school polaroid of you with Frenchie and Kimiko, sharing milkshakes. Then you and Annie, clinking cocktails together. Followed by you and M.M. trying to beat Butcher at backgammon. 

And then one of you, your friend Yvette, and her son Devon in Central Park. Another beside it, on that same day, where Ben had an arm raised high and parallel to the ground, and Devon clung onto his arm with a wide smile. 

Ben lingered on that picture for a moment. He was too engrossed in it to see you glance at him, smiling.

He flipped to the next page, where there was a picture of just you and Ben, sleeping in the jet on the way back from a rare field mission you were a part of. He was still in his supe suit, with an arm thrown around your waist. You were resting on his chest, and both of you were completely knocked out. Ben quirked a smile at that one. 

On that page and the next was a series of pictures from the past few months. He didn’t know this, but you’d been collecting them from your phone and had gotten them developed. 

There was the first time Ben got you to ride a motorcycle with him. You were apprehensive, clinging to him for dear life while he grinned. It had taken him a while to convince you to hop on, but the only thing that worked was finally telling you the truth. 

“You really think for one damn second that I’m gonna let you fall?”

The next picture was one he got of you, fresh out of the shower with a towel barely wrapped around you. You were clearly annoyed, but also amused that he’d surprised you with the camera. Ben now pointed to it.

“That one’s my favorite,” he grinned.

“Shocker,” you said with a chuckle. “Keep flipping.”

He then got to one you took of him. He was sitting out on the balcony, half-dressed with a cigar puffing away. The sun was setting beyond him. You caught his profile as he turned to look at you over his shoulder. 

It was a good memory for you, and some damn good photography skills, if you did say so yourself. 

But there was another picture that drew Ben’s eye. It was one that Annie sneakily took of you and him on a night out with her, Hughie, Kimiko, and Frenchie. After a bit of alcohol and cajoling, you’d managed to get Ben out on the dance floor. You were both dewy with sweat from dancing. The lighting was off because of the darkness of the club. 

But the way he was holding you, looking at you with fire thinly veiled behind his eyes, and the way you were looking up at him, like you’d never been more satisfied than to be right where you were…

It was a damn perfect moment captured in four corners. And as Ben’s finger traced the edge of them, he couldn’t stop staring at what it held. 

Until you leaned in and kissed his cheek. 

“Merry Christmas,” you said. And you hoped it was officially a good one.  

When Ben once again turned his head to look at you, he couldn’t help but reach out and frame your face with his hand. He then leaned in and kissed you, unhurried, but with an underlying passion. 

Delightful heat crawled down your spine. You grasped his collar to keep him where you wanted him. 

Meanwhile, the two of you didn’t realize that the rest of your family was surreptitiously watching the little scene. Trina and Marie shared amused smiles. George was glad to see that you finally seemed happy. Sylvia was, once again, passed out in the recliner.

Louisa’s expression was more reserved…but her eyes softened. Maybe she didn’t have to worry about you so much after all.

And when Ben finally parted from you, he thumbed gently at your chin.  

“Merry Christmas, sweetheart,” he said.

You and Ben left your mother’s house with plenty of leftover food and a haul of presents, which you both brought upstairs into your apartment. 

“So, I know there were some snafus, but it was nice, right?” you asked him as you made your way into the bedroom.

Ben was already there at his dresser, taking off his new watch and placing it back in its black suede box for safe keeping. He considered your words with a nod, and a smile you couldn’t see.

“It wasn’t bad,” he said. 

You nodded in satisfaction. That was practically a glowing review, coming from him. 

His gaze found yours in the mirror, those perfectly red painted lips forming a smile as you approach from behind. Your hands travelled through the bows of his arms to unbuckle his belt for him. 

“I know you did me a lot of favors today, but I’m gonna need one more,” you said, with a coy smile curving your lips. “I need your help taking off this lipstick.”

Smirking, Ben turned in your arms and leaned back casually against the dresser. Using his unfastened belt as leverage, you leaned up in your heels and met his lips in a slow, but fiery kiss.

His eyes unconsciously closed as the scent of your perfume once again invaded his nose. It was less powerful by now, but it still clung to your skin like a soft imprint. He liked it. 

After your lips drew away from his, Ben watched you make a show of undoing the small latch on his pants, and then his zipper. He sunk his fingers into the soft waves of your hair, and he gave you a charming grin that once got him starlets and movie deals. 

“Well, I’m nothing if not a gentleman,” he said.  

You smirked at that. You didn’t know if fucking you in your mom’s house constituted as gentlemanly behavior, but you’d let that slide. 

And you did some sliding yourself, down his strong thighs and onto your knees. He could take care of you all right, but you prided yourself on taking care of him too. 

AN: And there you have it, folks. 😜 What did you think? From bathroom shenanigans and Christmas dinner to some good old-fashioned gift giving. I think we covered it all! lol

Keep Reading in the BMD-verse:

Coming up next, we have a more angsty mini series:

Summary: A few weeks after you and Ben celebrate your first Christmas together, Ben is returning from another mission with the Supe Affairs team. When he discovers that you’ve been taken, he’ll do whatever it takes to find you. And then, to help you heal.

▶️ Next Story: Wake Me Up

Soldier Boy Masterlist

Main Masterlist

Tag List:

@deans-spinster-witch @this-is-me19 @waynes-multiverse @mrsjenniferwinchester @samanddeaninatrenchcoat @spalady26

@spnwoman @syrma-sensei @wirdbeimaufhebengebunden @muhahaha303 @123passwort

@xoxovienna @katherineann814 @lollag0w0 @globetrotter28 @nancymcl @ashbatz @secretdreamlandmentality @kristophalis @wonderland2022 @emily-winchester @shelh93 @sl33pylilbunny @spoonmynoodle @chernayawidow

@buckybarnes-1917 @asgardprincess97 @sometimes-i-sing @itsyellow @karnellius @kimberleymjw @is-this-a-febreze-commercial @iamsapphine @sanscas @se-fucking-hun @lassie-bird @jessjad @yepimthatperson @fromcaintodean @stoneyggirl2

@spnfamily-j2 @im-a-slut-for-fluff @lacilou @venicesem @mimaria420 @vanillawhiskeyflavoredkisses @tearsfortheyouth @agalliasi @chriszgirl92

[the-swift-tricker]

breaking down the members of the batfam:

bruce wayne (emotionally repressed autistic dad/tired but loving/"i'd die for you. ask me to die for you.")

alfred pennyworth (beloved grandfather and backbone of the house/"cool you were in the circus too alfie?" "a different type of circus master richard"/the most flexible on the whole no killing rule thing)

dick grayson (embarrassing "stay silly" older brother/eldest child/self-titled "bruce's little angel")

barbara gordon (adopted bruce more than he adopted her/this family would not survive without her it support/only one who knows how to work the router)

jason todd (the try hard wanna be cool accidentally cool but not in the way he meant brother)

tim drake (gifted child syndrome overachiever middle-child-and-mentally-ill-about-it bisexual nerd)

damian wayne (asshole baby man with a heart of absolute gold and a closet full of swords/tiny and feral/why does he have so many swords??)

stephanie brown (the goldilocks of the family/showed up one day and refused to leave/heartbreaker/know-nothing know-it-all, "get your feet of the furniture, stephanie")

cassandra cain (the darling daughter/autistic queen/"cuddled nicely" and "bit my ass" rolled into one/don't look directly at her too long or you'll fall in love)

duke thomas ("finally someone normal around here"/"oh no he's just as bad"/the day shift/probably does way too many light related puns)

selina kyle ("hot milfs in your area"/bruce's lover on the down low that literally everyone knows about/enamored by his autistic swagger/not married to bruce but would take the kids in the event of divorce)

kate kane (fucking rad lesbian wine aunt/kicker of ass, spoiler of nephews and nieces)

harper row ("alfred where did this punk child come from?"/"SHE'S GOTTA GUN"/best music taste out of any of them/once turned a lawn mower into a drag car/it was awesome)

lucius fox (other grandpa/ twead wearing dad/"bruce you need to pay your taxes"/"bruce getting shot point blank in the back is not advisable"/"bruce the hague tends to frown on child soldiers")

lucas fox (conceivably he should be smarter than getting mixed up in all this/still got mixed up in all this/"don't you think batwings a little too...on the nose?" "says the guy that calls himself batman")

helena bertinelli (cranky cousin that is beloved by a few and feared by all/"why doesn't her boyfriend have a face?"/"SHE'S GOTTA CROSSBOW!")

harley quinn (bisexual vodka aunt that's really just bruce's friend from college/has invited herself over for every hanukkah ever since finding out bruce is jewish too)

[virahaus]

How about a "my big fat greek wedding" obikin au or how I'm gonna call it the "my big fat tatooine wedding" au

Anakin has a big extended family and when he starts his relationship with the much older than him Obiwan he just knows how much grief his family is gonna give him.

Just the thought of calm, reserved Obi-Wan, an only child with only Qui-Gon as his father and few close friends, who likes to spend his evenings reading, getting thrown in the chaos of Anakin's big and loud extended family once they get serious. After the engagement Obiwan goes over to Anakin's house to officially meet everyone and gets smothered in noise and people lmao

Anakin's family includes Shimi and Cliegg, his step father, and step brother Owen, with his wife Beru and infant child, his adopted sister Ahsoka and her boyfriend rex who tends to bring his numerous cousins over, their dog treepio and the cat artoo, plus Anakin's childhood friend kitster and Padmé with her fiance Sabe, his college friend Aayla who tend to just drop by their house at any given opportunity. His great aunt Jocasta who comes and goes just to scold them all about their education and his great grandfather Yoda who nobody knows exactly how old he is.

They have so many family traditions, one more bizzarre than the other, and Obi-Wan just tries to go with the flow and perhaps escape the shovel talk from everyone in the family.

Also Anakin needing to be comforted by Obi-Wan because of the insecurity of being too much, and Obi-Wan saying that he'd rather be with him than be in his silent and calm apartment 🥺🥺

[sunflowergirl522]

The Cousins

Pairing: Eddie Munson x Reader

Summary: Eddie meets your big extended family for the first time

Word Count: 2504

Eddie Masterlist

Eddie’s stomach was churning as he pulled up in front of your house to pick you up for your grandma's birthday. He’s met both her and your grandfather before and they liked him like your parents liked him, but now he was going to be meeting all of your aunts and uncles and cousins. He’s even more nervous than he was the first time he ever publicly played anywhere with the band. The only reason he knew he’d be able to get through this is because you were gonna be right by his side. 

Your family meant the world to you and you were so excited for them to meet Eddie and for Eddie to meet them. Your parents had left earlier to help your aunt set up and cook before everyone showed up and you’ve been ready to go since a little after that. You’ve just been waiting for Eddie to get off of work to get you.

You knew how anxious he probably was. He was super nervous to meet just your parents but this was almost all of your extended family. And you’re not a fool you know there’s a lot of them on your mom's side and that it can be overwhelming for newcomers especially ones who care so much like your sweet boyfriend. So to help ease his nerves you baked him his favorite cookie for the trip there.

“Hey Eddie baby!” You greet with a smile as he gets out of the van while you turn to lock the door.

“Hey Dollface, you ready to go?” He stops halfway down your walkway as you start making your way over to him in your long flowy skirt and crop top.

“Yeah, are you?” You let him take you into his arms wrapping your own around his waist.

“Ready as I’ll ever be. You look real pretty today.” He places a kiss on the top of your head after he finishes speaking.

“You say that everyday.” You roll your eyes smiling into his chest before pushing away and giving him a little twirl. “You like it? Mom found a bunch of her old clothes from the sixties and seventies and gave them to me again. They’re all very Stevie Nicks.”

“You’d look pretty in a burlap sack Princess. Now come on, don’t wanna be late for gram's birthday do we?” He catches your hand and pulls you back to him, leading the way to the van. Eddie opens your door waiting till you’re safely inside before shutting it and rounding to his side.

“Oh, here I baked you this to help with your nerves.” You hand him the tupperware in your hand before he has a chance to start the van.

“Oatmeal raisin? Baby, you shouldn’t have. You wanna share with me while you tell me where to go?”

“Sure.”

You direct him to a country house in what seems to be the middle of nowhere. Your family had money, it’s something he’s known since the two of you met, but seeing this much property all for one family really puts into perspective just how much yours has. Before he can start driving up to it he stops the van and takes a few deep breaths. Maybe he’s a little more nervous than he thought he was because he’s hyperventilating and can’t get himself to drive the car any further.

“Eddie?” You had zoned out to the Metallica album playing through the stereo and hadn’t even realized the van had stopped until a few minutes had passed. “Oh my god Eddie! Are you okay?” 

He nods his head and croaks out a ‘fine’ not wanting you to worry even though he feels like the van is closing in around him. You know he’s lying though, Eddie doesn’t normally have panic attacks but every once in a while one will sneak up on him. You unbuckle yourself and open your door to get out.

“Alright hold on baby I’ll be right there okay?” You rush around to his door before opening it and leaning into the van to pry his white knuckled grip from the steering wheel. “I’m right here baby, let’s get you out of the van and into some fresh air okay?” As soon as you get him out of the car you sit him down on the gravel road leading up to the house and crouch in front of him. “You’re gonna get through this Eddie.” You bring his hands up to hold your face knowing that the physical touch will help him. 

“Breathe with me baby okay? In and out.” Eddie follows your lead of taking a deep breath in holding it for a few seconds before letting it out. The two of you do this a few times until his breathing is back to normal and his heart rate has slowed down. You smile as he calms down and place a kiss on his forehead. “I’m proud of you. Do you wanna talk about what caused it?”

“Just overwhelmed I guess. Now come on we gotta get you up there and stop blocking the road.” He stands up after shrugging and pulls you up with him.

“Eddie? Do you want to just go home? I can tell them all that I got sick so we weren’t able to make it.”

“You’ll be with me the whole time right?” You nod at him. “Then I’ll be fine. But, maybe you should drive up there in case I freeze again.”

“Okay.”

Eddie feels better almost immediately upon entering the house. You’re all smiles and refusing to let go of his hand as you lead him through the place looking for people. You find your parents first and your mom immediately pulls him into a hug and it’s suddenly like he never had a panic attack, her hugs were always healing in that sort of way. 

“Are there a lot of people in the kitchen right now?” You ask your dad knowing he’d give you an answer more honest than your mom because she was used to a lot of people.

“I’d start in the dining room, only Amy and her husband are in there.”

“Thanks.” Your hand goes back to its home wrapped up with Eddies before you head into the next room over. 

“Y/n! We’re so glad you could make it.” Your aunt pulls you into a hug as soon as you get close enough and you’re quick to embrace her back. “Is this the boyfriend we’ve been hearing so much about?”

“Yeah, Eddie this is my aunt Amy and that’s her husband Dave. This is my Eddie.”

“You’re getting a hug too c’mon.” Eddie hesitates but goes for the hug anyway. Once he separates from her Dave shakes his hand in greeting. “The kids are in the living room I think.” It’s like she read your mind with what your next question would be.

“Alright, I’ll find them after I’m done introducing Eddie to the others.”

Eddie meets five more aunts and their husbands two of which being your great aunts, and your uncle and aunt, who are twins, and their wife and husband. There were also all of the older cousins you had who were hanging around with the adults. All of them pull him into greeting hugs and it’s made clear to him why your love language has always seemed to be physical touch.

“C’mon let’s go find the kids, I’m pretty sure I know where they are.” You pull him through the house to a closed door where you can faintly hear children from the other side. “This used to be my playroom when I’d visit.” You quickly explain with a fond smile before opening the door. There’s five kids in the room of various ages it seems. Two girls are playing with dolls, one boy is playing solitaire in the corner, and another boy is chasing a giggling girl around the room.

“Y/n!” The smile that graces your face as the running girl sees you is bigger than any Eddie has ever seen and you drop his hand faster than you ever have in order to meet her in the middle and lift her into your arms.

“There’s my little vampire bat!” At the sound of your voice the other kids look over and the boy playing cards rushes over to you before anyone else can.

“Y/n, come see my game. I’m winning!” He grabs one of your hands and starts to pull you over to the table he was sitting at. You follow along easily adjusting the girl hanging on you so you can still have a grip on her with one arm. Eddie can’t help but smile as he watches you interact with your youngest cousins.

“Who are you?” His attention goes to the three sets of eyes staring up at him.

“I’m Eddie. Y/n’s boyfriend.” He quickly adds the last part after forgetting that they might not know that. The girls ooo and giggle a little bit at that. Eddie takes his hands out of his pockets and crouches to be closer to eye level to the kids in front of him. “Who are you guys?”

“I’m Cooper.”

“I’m Stacy and she’s Jenny. We’re sisters.”

“Pretty names for pretty girls.” He smiles at them and Jenny peeks out from behind her sister's back. “How old are you guys?”

“Twelve.”

“Eleven.” Cooper and Stacy speak at the same time and his eyes bounce back and forth between them before looking at little Jenny.

“I’m five.”

“What am I, lunch meat? Where’s my hellos?” You interrupt the group walking back over the other two children hot on your heels. You pull Stacy into your arms while looking over her head at Cooper. “You too old for a hug yet?” He shakes his head giving you a hug after Stacy parts from you. “Hey Bambi!” You lift Jenny into your arms and spin her around gaining her laughter. 

“Did you meet these guys then Eds?”

“Yeah.”

“Good. These two are Amelia and Ethan. They’re both eight.”

“Hey.” Eddie waves at them before straightening out.

“Kids, your grandma should be back soon, come out to surprise her!” One of your aunts yells through the house.

“Alright, come on guys.” Amelia grabs the hand that isn’t supporting Jenny on your side and you shoot a questioning look Eddie’s way making sure he doesn’t need it. He just smiles and gestures for you to lead the way out.

“Ladies first.” Stacy grabs Eddie’s hand on her way out following you and he follows behind her while making sure the boys are coming too.

“Do you like playing cards?” Ethan asks as he walks beside him.

“I don’t play much but yeah.”

“What about soccer?” Coop chimes in.

“Most I’ve ever done for soccer is pass a ball around. I’m not much into sports.”

“Well what are you into?”

“I play guitar a lot and I play Dungeons and Dragons with my friends when we can.”

“Are you in a band?” Stacy looks up at him in awe like he’s some famous musician.

“Yeah but we’re not all that popular yet.”

“Why not?”

“I don’t know.” Everyone quiets down as you join the rest of the family and you can’t stop smiling at how the kids seem to like Eddie. You knew they would, he just has a way with children. And really you were closer to them than you were to most of your other cousins so it really mattered the most that they liked him and he liked them. 

At some point you must’ve lost Eddie. One moment he was next to you and you were getting deep into conversation with your aunt and the next he was gone. You weren’t sure how long he was gone but just assumed he left to go to the bathroom or something until about ten minutes had passed and he still wasn’t back yet.

“I’m gonna go find Eddie, make sure he’s not freaking out somewhere.”

“I think I saw him head that way with one of the kids.” Your aunt Beth points towards the front of the house in response.

“Thank you.” Knowing that he’s probably with the kids eases your worries. They probably just pulled him away to play rather than him disappearing to have a panic attack.

You make your way through the house and exit through the front door before you hear a giggle that can only be coming from Jenny. You walk down and around the porch to find Eddie and all the kids in the yard. 

He’s passing a ball between Cooper and Ethan while talking to Stacy who’s sitting out of the way. Amelia is hanging off of his back the way she normally would anyone who would let her. And he has shy little Jenny sitting on his hip talking away and he nods in acknowledgement in between looking up at the boys to kick the ball back to one of them and responding to whatever Stacy said.

You stop to watch the sight in front of you with a smile on your face. You had helped raise all of these guys so in a way you felt like they were also partially your kids. And it meant the world to you that Jenny was opening up to him, she barely even looked in the direction of newcomers, she was so shy. It’s why you started calling her Bambi. And she normally just sticks to you or her sister. You make a mental note to tell Eddie about that so he knows how much her being attached to him means.

“Y/n!” You cringe as Amelia yells your name in Eddie’s ear. Your lovely boyfriend doesn’t react negatively to it though, doesn’t even bat an eye as her voice probably ruptures his ear drums. He just looks towards you smiling and waves before quickly moving his free hand around his back to stop your cousin from jumping off of it too fast and hurting herself.

“Woah slow down Spidermonkey.”

“You seem like you’re having a good time.” You pick Amelia off of his back and help her climb around you to your own. 

“What can I say, I found my people.” The smile on his face, the pure joy in it, the way you know he feels at home with the kids, makes your love for them grow exponentially more than you ever thought it could. The fact that Eddie would probably be freaking out internally if they hadn’t dragged him off to play has you feeling so thankful that they did.

“You’re good with them.” You poke Jenny’s nose as you speak while Eddie stops the ball again and passes it over to Ethan.

“Good enough to have my own?” He sends a flirty smirk your way and wiggles his eyebrows and you laugh at him.

“Stick with me for another year and try again.”

“I’ll hold you to that, you know?”

“I know.”

Eddie Taglist(Closed): @sadbitchfangirl @notbeforelong @munsonswhore86 @navs-bhat @emotionaldreamer @magicalchocolatecheesecake @awesome-badass-cafeteria-sauce @fangirling-4-ever  @gaysludge @audhd-dragonaut @eddiethesexy​ @mazerunnerrose @tvserie-s-world @midnightsgetawaycar  @goldylions @venomsvl @spacedoutdaydreamer @livslifeonline @mushroomelephant @hb8301 @ginnupp @saramelaniemoon @kaylshunter @nojamsonmytoast @vintagehellfire @esoltis280 @cole22ann @spikedhe4rt @let-love-bleeds-red @siriuslysmoking @ladybug0095 @toobsessedsstuff @3rriberri @alana4610 @gretavanfleas @ficlibrary420 @literally-a-ferret @sparkletash @herejustforjj @aactuaaltraash @gloryekaterina @frogsdeservelovetoo @quixscentsposts @wormm-mom @eddiemuns0nl0ver

Everything Taglist: @matchamunson​ @bubsonnobx​ @practicalghost​ @katsukis1wife​ @crustyowos​ @yourfavdummy​ @protecteddiemunson4vr​ 

[canon-vi]

Eira's attitude towards the others:

Reaper:

Mom didn't say much about Grandpa, except that he worked hard, but Dad speaks very highly of him.

Geno:

Grandma is very beautiful! I love looking at her in mom’s photos!

Hope:

I am amazed at her long braid, did she braid it every day? I am amazed by this woman!

Dream:

Dad speaks badly about grandpa... Well, I’d better ask mom later, I can’t even pull anything out of dad with claws

Ink:

Well, mom and dad spoke badly about her somehow... I don’t know... I’ll refrain

Nightmare:

Um... I don't remember...

Cross:

Oh, that baker, dad doesn’t really like him, like, I don’t know, I like his baked goods, did he have bad ones before or something?

Merciless:

I feel sorry for him, Aunt Drop is really crazy, and dad isn’t even going to do anything about it...

Lux:

Dad hates her... We'll have to find out why! Detective Eira will take care of it!

Pallete:

Even though dad doesn't do anything with Aunt Drop, I still love him, he works so hard

Goth:

Mom is very beautiful! I want to be like her, but I don’t really want to lose my hair yet, haha—

Drop:

Aunt... Strange... The way she treats Mr. Merciless and baby Daff...

Elva:

This little thing is always pretending to be me in front of my friends and trying to kill someone! ... Why doesn't she understand that murder doesn't require witnesses?

Daffodil:

Poor baby... I don't understand why dad doesn't do anything about all this?

Bonus:

Callisto:

Dad says he's bad, mom says he's good... I don't know

Taisiya:

Dad didn't talk much about her, I didn't even know that dad had another sister

Artemis:

Queen Artemis? She always looks so sad, is it because dad chose mom over her? I would be sad too, but I think that guy wouldn’t have lived long because of Eli

Sunshine:

Crazy beauty! She's a lot of fun! Also, if I don't want to listen to Eli's ravings about mushrooms, then I can send her to her

Vivi:

I saw her on the street several times, but she always pretended that we didn't know each other, I hope Daffodil is okay with Aunt Vi

Shelki:

I often help her dress fashionably when she can't! Aunt Shel is very kind!!

Tace:

... Is she really older than me? She looks 10... But she likes my and Eli's wings! She's also very cute

--------------------------🦊----------------------------

Elva's attitude towards others:

Reaper:

Looking at grandfather’s work, their family life looked as if grandfather went out to buy bread and returned with milk all the time

Geno:

I like to listen to my grandmother’s stories about how she ignored my grandfather, now I know how I will torture my future boyfriend!

Hope:

Hope is so old... And why did she love someone like Grandpa Dream? I thought with age comes wisdom... He doesn't deserve you, Grandma Hope!

Dream:

I don’t know, I don’t give a fuck, I didn’t even see him

Ink:

She cheated on my grandfather, how else can I feel about her? The Drop is probably all in her, crazy

Nightmare:

Some kind of evil guy... I don't know

Cross:

A? Who? Baker? Do you think I remember every baker I see? Am I crazy according to you?

Merciless:

He’s seriously like Drop’s hostage, what kind of eternal BDSM games do they have there? Does Merciless know a safe word?

Lux:

I only saw her in photographs, and then in Miss Hope’s photo album, dad cut out all the photos with her from his photo album

Pallete:

Dad is creepy, I love mom more, otherwise he sees what that crazy woman is doing with Mr. Merciless and Daff, and doesn’t do anything!

Goth:

I love my mother, I also want to become Death in the future and then all the offenders of Eri will go to the bottom in the lava lake of hell!

Drop:

She's crazy, what else can I say?

Eira:

My bitch, I like the way she braids my hair, it’s beautiful and comfortable! How the hell does she do that?

Daffodil:

No matter how sadistic I am, even I feel sorry for this little girl, her parents are fucked up, both of them

Bonus:

Callisto:

Until you decide who to believe, mom or dad, you can go crazy, so I don’t know

Taisiya:

If it weren’t for my mother, Eri and I probably wouldn’t have known about her, well, we’ve never seen her and don’t even know where she lives

Artemis:

Queen Artemis, I heard that she was dad's beloved, but for some reason he decided to stay with mom... Why?

Sunshine:

She's crazy... She's fun to be around! I wonder if she can dye my hair too?

Vivi:

Uhh, I only remember how she argued very strongly with Drop and took away Daffodil, then it was very loud, she was screaming so much... I understand her, Drop is a crazy bitch

Shelki:

Aunt Shel is very funny! I love looking at her schyte collection!

Tace:

She's creepy... This is cool! I like her!

--------------------------🦊----------------------------

E. L. A. by @anotherrosesthatfell

E. L. A. Queen by @itzcherrybonbon / @abloomingsunflower

E. L. A. Sunshine by @il1ketulipz

[mrsbakashi]

here i am once again writing holiday-themed stuff because it's one of my favorite times of the year and i just had these scenarios in my head during christmas eve, so why not write it? hope you enjoy it!

🎄 BRINGING HIM HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS - KAKASHI HEADCANONS 💝

summary: you bring your boyfriend home for the first time during christmas eve and your family fall in love with him.

a/n: this is 100% based on my family/friend's family so it's kinda personal, i guess, but i hope someone else also identifies with it :)

⚠️ cw: christmas, family (not perfect), chubby reader, hard-to-deal-with mother, low-key fatphobia

🎁 it's the first time kakashi is meeting your family, and he's very nervous about it, tho he tries to play it cool. he knew it was important to you, that your family was not perfect, but that you adored them, so he wanted to cause a good impression, he wanted them to like him - specially your grandmother.

🎁 at first when you arrive he feels a little awkward, shy and quiet, but as the night goes by, he starts to feel more comfortable and at ease.

🎁 your grandma falls in love with him the second she sets her eyes on him - he brought her flowers, but she was already in love before that. she's in awe of everything he says or do. she starts to refer to him as "prince charming", which is exactly how she refers to your grandfather, even after he passed away. that's a very good sign, and it makes you really happy.

🎁 at first your mother is shocked at how handsome he is, and for a while that's all she can focus on - part of her wonders how a man like him ended up with a girl like you, but she tries to not let it show (it's not that she thinks you don't deserve to be happy, she loves you, in her own way, but she does, it's just that she's very hard on you, specially because of your weight because she was bullied into losing weight by her husband, so she unconsciously believes that big people are not worthy of love).

🎁 kakashi rarely leaves your side, always keeps an arm around you - except when you go help your mother setting the table and finish the food.

🎁 when you're busy he sits and talks with your cousins, that are like your little brothers and want to know him and see if he's worthy of you, and not just a player - they end up thinking he's amazing. i mean, he's charming, handsome, funny, charisma king, it's impossible not to love him.

🎁 your family has secret santa every single year, and it's always incredibly fun, funny and messed up. you asked him to join this year, but because it was his first christmas there, he wanted to let everyone feel more comfortable with him before taking part in your traditions. you get a self help book from your aunt because she thinks you could really use it - it's sweet in a strange way.

🎁 you sing on the karaoke, dance a little to the loud noisy music your sister chose (the ones that remind you of your childhood make you scream like crazy with her) and play every stupid game your mom comes up with to make everyone interact more - AND YOU WIN! not all of them, but like, most of them, and it's all kakashi's fault because he's amazing at everything.

🎁 you, your aunts and your mom try to make him drink more, but all he has is a glass of wine.

🎁 of course your mom ends up making a horrible comment about how big you are, and that your dress didn't fit well and that you should lose weight, take care of yourself, specially now that you had a handsome boyfriend - kakashi hears when she's talking to you, and he doesn't want to be rude, so he shows up hugging you and saying he thinks you look perfect.

🎁 towards the end of the night when everybody's already half drunk your aunt approaches you and says something about how handsome kakashi is, and how happy she is for you, because you look visibly light, happier and better. it's really sweet.

🎁 your mother makes sure kakashi are at least a little of everything and invites over for the weekend. you tell her you have other plans, she ignores you and says she'd love if he could make it.

🎁 on the way home you talk about the night, the food and your family and he tells you he loved everyone, specially your grandmother and your cousins. and he really did. because he didn't have any family anymore, he had forgotten how crazy and lovely it can be, and today specially he felt like he belonged somewhere - to you and your family. now they were like his family too, with their flaws and everything, they made him feel part of them. and that made his heart warm.

kakashi's taglist: @smutteedreams @justmyownreality @nightingaleflow @allyallygator @thetimelesschild @jyotsna-d @rocknrollsoul76 @crimsonxuchiha @hellogeckofriend-blog

fill this out to be part of my taglist :)

[quite-right-too]

Vengeance is Mine, Sayith the Lord

Summary: James was only supposed to be gone for a week. It was just a training exercise. So why were two soldiers standing at Rose’s door? And why do they want to come inside? Notes: This is for the wonderful @bronzeagepizzeria who told me they would love more of this when I dropped the drabble as a ficlet. I also don't know anything about the British military so this is from all the research I could do based on how little information they put out there. The funeral is a standard American military funeral. Please enjoy!

Read here on AO3

As he buttoned up his uniform coat, James looked at himself in the mirror to make sure everything was in order. He didn’t see Rose until she had come up from behind him, wrapping her arms around his waist. He smiled and turned around in her arms so he could see her face to face.

“Why do you have to go?” Rose whined, burying her face into the scratchy fabric covering his chest. His arms tightened around her as he pulled her into a tight hug.

“I don’t want to, love,” he murmured into her hair as he rubbed her back. “I have to. It’ll only be for a week while we validate our certifications again. Just some simple training exercises.” He planted kisses to her hair, smiling as she relaxed in his arms.

James wasn’t a man you would have expected to join the military. In fact, even he didn’t expect to join. She had known him since primary school after he grabbed her hand in his and whispered “run”. They had stayed connected at the hip since that day, being there for some of the hardest times in each other's lives. She was there for him when his parents died, leaving him to live with his cousin, Donna, his aunt, and his grandfather. He was there when her ex-boyfriend Jimmy tried to break into her flat while her mum was gone after she had broken up with him.

In year eleven, he and his friend Jack had made a pact that they would join the military when they got out of secondary school, much to Rose’s dismay. Even though Jack was simply an exchange student from America, he quickly became friends with James and Rose.

They all stayed friends, even when James and Jack honoured their pack and enlisted — James to the Royal Air Force and Jack to the United States Air Force. Tears were shed the night before James was set to go to the Royal Air Force College. Confessions of love were made, kisses were shared, and James promised Rose that he would think of her every single day he was there.

After a gruelling ten months of James being away and countless love letters shared between the two of them, Rose got to proudly watch her boyfriend graduate as an official officer of the Royal Air Force. Her mum comforted her as she cried, watching him receive the highest award you can earn during your time there: the Dacre Sword.

“The Dacre Sword is awarded to the officer cadet who is considered by the commandant to be the best of the intake,” the voice over the loudspeakers boomed. “Today, it is awarded to Officer Cadet James Noble, who is to be commissioned as an Engineer Officer.”

As soon as the ceremony was over, she ran to meet him. He swept her up into a big hug spinning her around. “God, I’ve missed you so much. My Rose,” he whispered into her ear. Setting her down, she met him with a beaming smile. “Oh, hold on. Close your eyes.” Rose followed his instruction.

“Okay, open up.”

She looked down to see James, wearing his dress uniform, on one knee. In his hand was a small velvet box with the most beautiful ring she had ever seen. A large sapphire was surrounded by tiny diamonds, all entwined in intricate metalwork. “James…” Rose gasped, her hands coming up to cover her mouth.

“You have been my best friend since primary school. I’ve loved you ever since the day I met you. Since ‘run’, really. Having you in my life has saved me time and time again. I would love to keep you in my life, no matter where it takes me. Rose Marion Tyler, will you marry me?”

“Yes! Oh my god, yes!” she shrieked, throwing herself into his arms as he stood up. This hug was even tighter than the one before — and James leaned down to kiss his fiancée . WHen they broke apart, he slipped the ring onto her shaking finger.

“How did you keep this during training?” She moved her hand, properly admiring the stones in the sunlight.

He shrugged, a smile on his face. “Your mum brought it here for me.”

Eight months later, after James got back from specialty training, the duo was married with their families in attendance. He was able to stay in London, purchasing a nice flat together as a married couple while he made the two-and-a-half hour commute to RAF Coningsby, where he was currently stationed. As an Engineering Officer, his job was to manage a team of Flight Engineers and monitor upkeep of the aircraft on his base while also helping facilitate testing.

It had only been five days since James left for his week-long training seminar. Rose had been regularly conversing with him during his time away over text or at night when he would call her before lights out. However, it was already one o’clock in the afternoon and she hadn’t heard from him. Figuring he was just having a busy day, she continued with her chores for the day.

That was until she heard three loud knocks at the door.

Opening the door, Rose was surprised to find two military members standing in front of her. A man and a woman, both dressed in the all-too-familiar dress uniform that she had seen her husband wear time and time again. The blue-grey jacket matched the trousers — a light blue dress shirt and navy blue tie were worn underneath. Their peaked caps were set carefully atop their heads, eyes visible just underneath the short visor. 

Her heart sank as she saw the look in their eyes.

“Mrs. Tyler-Noble, my name is Squadron Leader Nathan Campbell and this,” he stated, gesturing to the woman next to him, “is Flight Lieutenant Sarah Wright. May we come in?”

“Of- Of course,” she stammered, offering them entrance. They took their caps off as they entered, pausing as Rose closed the door. While the officers were staying professional, she could see the dread in their eyes. She led them into the living room

“Let’s have a seat,” Flight Lieutenant Wright offered gently.

Rose could barely think. The anxiety settling in her stomach made her feel like she was going to throw up. There was only one reason the Royal Air Force would send officers in this way. She didn’t even realise Squadron Leader Campbell began to speak, his words shooting straight into her heart.

“The marshal of the Royal Air Force has entrusted me to express his deep regret that your husband, Flight Lieutenant James Tyler-Noble, died due to an unforeseen equipment failure during flight at RAF Brize Norton. The marshal extends his deepest sympathy to you and your family in your loss.”

Rose shattered. Sobbing, she could barely breathe. Flight Lieutenant Wright moved to sit next to her, rubbing her back comfortingly. “I’m so sorry, Mrs. Tyler-Noble. Is there anyone we can call to be with you during this time?” The woman’s hand rested atop hers, helping ground her as she worked on regulating her breathing.

“My-” she hiccuped, “my mate Jack. Jack Harkness. He lives down the street. Please. ”

Her phone was handed over to the tall man who had moved to stand next to the Flight Lieutenant. The mobile was already opened to Jack’s contact, leaving him to step just outside of the room to call.

“Is this Jack Harkness?”

“ Yes, who is this? ”

“My name is Squadron Leader Nathan Campbell. I am a Casualty Notification Officer with RAF Brize Norton. I’m calling you by request of Mrs. Rose Tyler-Noble to come to her residence during this difficult time.”

“ I’ll be there in ten minutes. ”

The minutes felt like hours before Jack rushed in the door, freezing when he saw the two Royal Air Force officers with Rose. “Oh, Rosie,” he murmured, advancing and pulling her into his arms. Gripping his shirt, Rose broke down into more sobs. Her tears stained his shirt while he rocked her back and forth, holding her close to him. 

They didn’t even notice the other two people leaving.

It took thirty minutes until Rose had calmed down enough that she could pull back from her friend’s embrace. “Rose,” Jack said quietly, “I am sosorry.” He noticed when she didn’t say a word, just gripped his shirt tighter.

Per Rose’s request, Jack stayed with her in her flat. Her excuse was that she needed help trying to get everything handled properly — but he knew it was because she couldn’t be alone. That was okay. He would always be here for James and Rose.

Jack took sole responsibility for planning the funeral. It was the least he could do to help take the overwhelming weight of the task off of Rose’s shoulders.

“So,” Jack sighed, stepping into the kitchen where Rose was making them tea. “The Royal Air Force doesn’t have a set military funeral.” Rose’s head shot up, looking at him quizzically. “However, you are allowed to plan it as you choose. Would it be okay if I planned a standard military funeral that we would have in the United States? The entire procession is meant to be respectful and-” He couldn’t finish his sentence before Rose slammed into him, hugging tightly.

“Yes, please,” she cried. “Give him everything.”

Four days later, Rose found herself staring into the mirror that James had been looking over himself in right before he left. Instead of her husband in his uniform, she found herself dressed in black, the traditional colour for mourning. Her engagement and wedding rings stayed on her finger. She had made her decision and she was never going to take them off.

The ride to Brookwood Military Cemetery was hard — the heavy silence, unsaid words hung thick in the air as Jack held her hand the entire drive there. The morning was gloomy, exactly as one would expect for a funeral.

As Jack parked the car, he opened the door for her and held out his arm for her to hold onto. She accepted, trying to focus on the feeling of Jack’s coat under her hand versus the reason they were there. He was wearing his United States Air Force dress uniform — something he almost never did since he’d been living in England. It was a bit rough, the dark blue fabric of his uniform coat matching his trousers. The same light blue shirt and dark blue tie was worn underneath, the shoulders of the coat had his silver rank insignia on them. His dark blue peaked cap helped cover his eyes, hiding the grief in them.

They made their way to the graveside and met with Jackie under the tent that covered the seating area. “Oh sweetheart,” she cooed, pulling her daughter into a tight hug.

Rose did her best to keep herself presentable, hugging her mum back. “He’s gone, mum.”

“I know. ’M so sorry.” Her mum understood better than most what it’s like to lose a spouse so early. Having lost Rose’s dad when Rose was so young, her heart broke watching her own daughter experience the heartbreak.

More people began to file in. Various people in military uniforms were greeted by Jack, while James and Rose’s family went straight to her. She tried to mentally keep note of who all was showing up. His cousin, Donna. His aunt, Sylvia. His granddad, Wilf, who bore his own uniform from his time in the Army. After the first half dozen people, it all became a blur. When the time came to move to their seats, Jack sat to her left while her mum sat to her right. On the other side of Jack was James’ family.

The hearse arrived, prompting the soldiers there to stand at attention, Jack included. A team of pallbearers, wearing the same Royal Air Force uniform she was greeted with when she received her husband’s death notification, carried the casket to the grave site while the soldiers all saluted. They gently set it on a pedestal underneath the large tent before stepping back. Laid delicately over the top of the casket was the Union Jack. 

Jack had explained the general walkthrough to her before the funeral. The flag over the deceased represented the respect given for the member’s dedication and sacrifice to their country, as well as respect for the family’s loss.

The pallbearers stayed at attention through the ceremony, even as everyone else sat down while the chaplain began to speak. “Good morning family and friends. My name is Chaplain Virgil Hughs. It is my honour to welcome you today, as we gather here to remember the life and service of Flight Lieutenant James Tyler-Noble.”

“These hallowed stones tell the story of our country one name at a time, the stories of men and women who answered the call to defend our nation. They have answered that call in times of war, but also in times of peace, so that you and I might enjoy those freedoms laid before us. These freedoms have often come at a terribly high price. There are 37 acres that make up Brookwood Military Cemetery. Since 1852,  countless members of our armed forces have been laid to rest on these grounds. As we look out across the landscape, I encourage you to remember this: No plot on this sacred ground can be purchased; each must be earned. And we know that Flight Lieutenant James Tyler-Noble has earned his place among us here today.”

Rose held back sobs as the Chaplain bowed his head. “Let us pray.”

As she closed her eyes, the man’s voice seemed so far away as all she could see was images of James. “O God, who by the glorious resurrection of your Son Jesus Christ destroyed death, and brought life and immortality to light: Grant that your servant James, being raised with him, may know the strength of his presence, and rejoice in his eternal glory; who with you and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.”

They had never been religious. In fact, James never even claimed a religion in all the time she knew him, but the idealism of him in the afterlife gave her a sense of peace that she didn’t know she needed.

“For our comrade in arms, Flight Lieutenant James Noble, our nation bestows military honours. In life he honoured the flag,  and in death the flag will honour him.” Two of the uniformed soldiers who had been standing through this walked up to the casket, carefully lifting the flag to waist height and began to fold it. The triangular fold was precise in its presentation, held in the white gloved hands of one of the squadron leaders.

Walking stiffly until he stood in front of Rose, kneeling down onto one knee and presenting the Union Jack to the grieving widow. Her hands shook as she accepted the flags. The squadron leader looked into her eyes, the blue of his reflecting his sympathy during the service. “On behalf of Her Majesty the Queen, the Royal Air Force, and a grateful Nation, please accept this flag as a symbol of our appreciation for your loved one’s honourable and faithful service.”

With those words, her resolve broke. Messy tears streamed down her face while she pulled the flag tightly to her chest. Jack rubbed her back while her mum wrapped her arm around her daughter’s shoulders. “Please,” she wailed. “James!”

The rest of the service went by without fail — everyone paid their respects and began to file out. Jack and Rose stayed behind until it was just them. Rose rested her hand over the wood, trying to maintain that connection with the love of her life.

Jack silently reached into his pocket, pulling out a small medal. A Purple Heart — awarded by the President of the United States to a US military member injured or killed in the line of duty. Jack had received his after being injured during an IED attack on his squadron and saving every single member at great risk of death himself. 

“Today, we remember the service and sacrifice made by Flight Lieutenant James Tyler-Noble,” Jack began. Rose recognized his words as a speech similar to the one he had received when the same medal that was in his hand was awarded to him. “To all who shall see these presents greeting, this to certify that the highest authority has posthumously awarded this Purple Heart to Flight Lieutenant James Tyler-Noble, Royal Air Force Engineering Officer. His ultimate sacrifice for his nation will forever be remembered.” The medal was set gently on the casket as Jack held a crying Rose in his arms. 

While James may be gone, Rose will always have the memories they had together. In eight months time, she will have a beautiful daughter, Mia Jamie Tyler-Noble, who looks just like her father. And shining down from the stars, her late husband will proudly watch on as his daughter grows up and joins the Royal Air Force in his honour.

[luverofralts]

Arkhelios Adventures

The sun was much hotter than usual in Arkhelios, forcing its residents or visitors into either air conditioning or a pool to cope. Fortunately for Theo, his grandmother owned a pool, even if it wasn't as big as the Rivales'. While his parents were at work and all their kids were home from school for the weekend, it had fallen to Elaine to watch the Bellamy children. Saturnia and Abe were both napping in the air conditioned guest room and the twins had gone to visit with their father and Evren, leaving Theo mostly left to his own devices. He'd asked Ironman if Adam could come over and the former servo had agreed. Grandma Elaine certainly wouldn't have allowed it, but Theo had asked an adult resident of the house and gotten permission. He wasn't a lawyer like his aunt, but he was pretty sure that this was a foolproof plan to get what he wanted.

After splashing around in the pool for a bit, the boys had pulled out a floating toy to lounge on in the sun. Theo could feel the warmth of Adam's skin pressed against him and the faint throbbing of his pulse in the hands that wrapped themselves around him. He was pretty sure that this was as close to heaven as it got, seeing that he felt so happy that he just might die of it. 

"The sun is nice," Adam murmured into Theo's shoulder. "I wish our school had a pool. We'd have a lot more opportunities to snuggle like this."

Theo wasn't sure if his face was hot because of the beating sun or from the sudden heat that engulfed him when he thought of making half naked aquatic snuggling a regular part of his day. 

Still, he was haunted by the knowledge he'd promised to tell his boyfriend. After their sleepover two days ago, they'd studied for an upcoming test, had a pop quiz in potion class and then they'd been freed from school. The weekend was now theirs to enjoy, with plenty of time to have serious conversations. Theo wasn’t sure how to broach the subject, and Adam hadn't pushed him on the matter. He looked a little more worried than usual, but ultimately, he trusted that Theo would bring up the mysterious topic on his own.

"We need to have that talk I mentioned the other day," Theo said quickly, before he lost his nerve. "About the guy I met."

Adam's face changed in an instant, suddenly fully alert.

"The hot guy you don't want to dump me for, but is still going to be scandalous to me? I'm all ears."

Adam stared at Theo expectantly while Theo adjusted himself on the float. For reasons he wasn't sure about, it was surprisingly difficult to just say the words he needed to say. Maybe it was his own experience with scandalous accusations in his family that held him back from just confessing what he'd been told. Adam didn't deserve to feel the same way Theo did about his own father.

"I went home after school with Oliver Goldman, remember? For the project we were assigned by the witches' council?"

"That moldy soup you handed my dad? I'm sure he only let you pass because we're dating and Oliver is the queen's little brother. That thing stank!"

"Hey, I'm good at blood magic, not stupid potions!" Theo protested. "Not to mention that Oliver did absolutely nothing to help me. The guy's a dick, no matter who his sister is."

"And?" Adam prodded, looking anxious that their complicated conversation had started with the queen's brother who could do no wrong with their teachers. 

"And I met his next door neighbour. His name was Ewan."

"Lots of people are named Ewan," Adam frowned. "Prince Ewan, Queen Claudia's grandfather, died young and tragically. It was out of respect for him that so many people in his family and around the world named their kids after him. I mean, my own dad is named after him; he was my dad's great-half-uncle or something."

"Yeah…but he told me that he wasn't named after some long dead prince. He's named after his father, Ewan G Maricourt."

There was complete silence for several minutes while Adam processed Theo's words.

"I don't have a brother," he said slowly, looking disturbed at the idea. "I would know if I had a brother. Why wouldn't my dad just tell me about him otherwise? I know he's had relationships since the divorce, but none that got serious enough to introduce us to. And he married both my mom and Miruna's mom when we were born, so why wouldn't he have married this kid's mother? Was this supposed brother a kid or was he older?"

"He looked our age, but he implied that he was older and more mature than me," Theo replied. "He was kind of a jerk too. He refused to get my name right."

"Do you think he was lying? I mean, we're not rich, but we're also not poor. Our family has connections, but there are so many other families that are better off. Do you think it could be a lie to kick my dad off of the council it to cause a scandal before Miruna's wedding? Theo, this could be a big deal, I need to talk to this guy before this story gets out of control."

Theo frowned. The thought that this mysterious guy could be a trap meant to hurt Adam's family hadn't occurred to him. He'd spent too long getting flustered by this Ewan's appearance and attitude to accurately advise his boyfriend.

"Well, he lives next door to Oliver's parents," he said. "His brother or something used to be friends with Queen Claudia growing up. He looked happy to see the queen again."

"Her Majesty was there when you met this guy? Theo, we need to get a handle on this before it gets out! The queen's old 'friend' and his little brother who claims to be my dad’s kid? This could ruin everything!"

Adam tried to control his breathing so that he didn't start hyperventilating, but it was hard to stay calm. Adam usually worried about even the smallest detail in his daily life, and this was just too much to handle.

“Okay, we need a plan. Who should we ask for help? Should we ask anyone or should we keep this quiet? No. No. If I tell someone, that means they’d know and might ruin things. This could be a trap to test how we’d react in a difficult situation. What if someone is planning a terrorist attack on the wedding and needs to see how Miruna’s family would react? No one’s solved the terror attack in Twikkii Island and that’s been years! What if this is being planned by the same people? The queen’s wedding might be their next target!”

“Or your dad’s just as bad at birth control as mine is,” Theo pointed out, trying to get his boyfriend to stop spiraling. “Trust me, I know from experience that these things probably aren’t terror attacks. Your dad is just a hoe. You get used to it after a while. My dads won’t stop cheating on each other; I probably have a million half-brothers. It’s not the end of the world. Your dad’s not married, so there’s not even an affair. Things are fine.”

“Or things could be wildly out of control. We need to know if this guy is dangerous.”

“Which means what? Asking your dad for a list of ex-girlfriends? Running a DNA sample with my creepy Aunt Oriana? What will help you feel safe? We’ll figure this out together, Adam. I promise.”

“Together!” Adam exclaimed quickly. “That’s it, Theo! We need to act together. If we can verify this guy’s story and he’s trouble, we can warn my dad and Miruna. I do need your help though. What’s the easiest way to accurately determine if two people are blood relatives that we have access to?”

“Uh, Aunt Oriana’s secret lab and all the machines I can’t touch in there?”

Adam shook his head.

“Too risky,” he replied. “She’d ask questions about running a paternity test and she’d need a sample of this guy’s DNA to work with. How would we possibly get one of those without raising suspicion?”

“In his garbage. Crime shows and Aunt Lucy say that that’s the best way to learn information about someone,” Theo stated proudly, confused by the disgusted look on his boyfriend’s face. “If they throw it away, it’s legal to rummage through.”

“What? No, gross. I’m not going diving in people’s garbage,” Adam stated. “Think about it though. A DNA test is beyond our skills, but what are you specifically in school studying?”

“Blood magic obviously.” He paused, trying to recall any important warnings his teachers had given him regarding his area of expertise. “Adam, I don’t think that- I mean-”

“Can you do it? Can you make a spell that will tell us if there’s a blood connection between two people? I think I’ve heard about one or two when the council still met at our house a few years ago. If you could cast a spell, you could tell me if he’s my brother easily. You could probably even submit it to school for extra credit.”

Theo paused, hesitating with his reply until he’d really had a chance to think this through.

“I think there’s a spell in my textbook,” he said slowly. “I’m really not supposed to practice this stuff unsupervised though. It can be dangerous and I might need another witch to help if I lose control of it.”

“Well, you have another witch,” Adam pointed out. He snapped his fingers and Theo’s backpack filled with textbooks left Theo’s messy room and landed by Adam’s feet. “This will be easy.”

Theo could feel his stomach churning from anxiety, but tried to keep smiling. His boyfriend needed this and it would be great practice. This was what Theo was studying for after all. It would be easy.

“Okay.”

“Okay, so we need a wand, some chalk, three drops of blood from the caster and salt,” Adam read.

He and Theo were curled around a hastily drawn magic circle, flipping through pages in the advanced blood magic assigned curriculum. After about twenty minutes, they’d found a spell that would work for what they needed it to do. It was a spell of revealing, of drawing together a bloodline. Theo was pretty sure that it was intended for some dark purpose, but he’d use the spell responsibly. They studied basic magical ethics in school; he’d be fine.

“Hmm, but in order to see your bloodline, you need to be the one casting the spell,” Theo pointed out. “I can’t cast the spell on you, you need to be the one shedding the blood and invoking it yourself.”

Adam’s face fell as he considered his options.

“I...I don’t think I’d be good at that,” he sighed. “Blood magic isn’t like formal magic and it’s hard enough for you to do. I’d probably end up wiping out my bloodline if I tried. Maybe there’s another spell that you can cast, like a curse that makes me see the truth or some kind of hex.”

“Not really, no. That’s not how blood magic works. It’s personal, that’s why I have to hide my true name, you know that. Blood, names, spells, it’s all intensely personal. All my teachers don’t even really encourage me to do some of these spells. Like a few for an exam, but overall, it’s something dark and horrible and not to be done. It’s why I’m pretty much the only kid in school learning it. My kind of magic is dangerous and bad.”

Adam’s face fell upon hearing those words and he immediately wrapped his arms around his boyfriend.

“None of that is true,” he insisted. “You’re a great warlock and your type of magic is valid and worthy to study. You’re great at it and I won’t stop until the whole world is okay with you studying it. No one is going to look down on you, not when I’m around.”

Theo smiled gratefully at his boyfriend. Some days it really did feel like he was studying some forbidden, dark magic that people looked down on him for and it wasn’t easy, especially when his potion work was poor and his attempts at formal teleportation had nearly ended with him losing a limb.

“In fact, you do the spell,” Adam suggested. “We’ll use a loophole. If I join your bloodline to mine, you could see the connections in my family. You could get closer to this Ewan without suspicion even. You can connect people, the sovereign wanted you to join your parents together. It should be easy.”

Theo stared at Adam in shock, trying to process this strange request.

“You want to join our bloodlines? Like how joined? Demonic marriage like my parents wanted or combining them in a more conventional way....like with a kid? You do know that’s why my powers are so strong and uncontrollable, right? Because conflicting curses were sealed into one embryo and I was going to explode one day and take half of my bloodline with me? Getting a paternity test done by my aunt would be a lot easier than any of that.”

“No, not with marriage or a kid,” Adam quickly replied. “My uncle died because he was messing around with that idea. I could never do something like that, my mom would never speak to me again. Obviously we wouldn’t be doing that. Not ever. Especially not with a kid!”

Theo released the breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding at this assurance. He hadn’t thought that Adam was serious about any of that, but it was better to make sure. The Darktides did have a family history of pushing magical limits.

“Sorry. I’m sorry,” Adam sighed, pulling away from Theo shamefully. “I was just thinking about ways we could work together on this, while worrying about the chance that this whole half-brother thing could be some kind of trap. You’re just really strong and I thought that...well, it’s stupid. You’re right. Blood magic is really personal and permanent. I get it. We’ll do something else.”

A worried frown spread across Theo’s face as he watched Adam internally battle his own fears and reservations. Clearly, whatever he was thinking, he was extremely conflicted and stressed. Theo thought back to when he’d learned about Georgiana and could certainly commiserate. It wasn’t easy reevaluating who you thought your parents were and the many ways they could disappoint you.

“Well, look, it’s not all permanent with blood magic. There are different levels of blood joining. We could even try making a homunculus together in a bottle, that might be enough to work a temporary joining spell. There’s lots of different spells in my textbook. I was just surprised. It’s a good idea, but that’s kind of a lot to just throw at a person.”

Adam smiled, though it didn’t look sincere to Theo’s well trained eye.

“What’s the smallest level of joining we could do then? Something temporary. Something that won’t last for even the whole weekend. Then there’s no danger to either one of us. We just have to pay this Ewan a visit, see if he’s my brother and things will go back to normal right after.”

“A blood pact maybe?” Theo suggested. “We combine my magic and your bloodline to complete one mission: is Ewan your brother or is he not? Easy.”

“Easy,” Adam agreed. “I’ve always wanted to try blood magic, even if I’m not the one casting it. You and me, working together, doing magic. It’s romantic, don’t you think?”

Theo nodded confidently. This was romantic, as romantic as it could be anyway, investigating a potential half-sibling that was kept a secret. For a day at least, he and Adam would share their bloodlines and bind themselves together. What would it be like to feel his magic flow into Adam and have Adam’s ebb back in reply? They’d be stronger together, that was for certain. Maybe this could be a regular thing, especially a day before a magical exam. Surely it wasn’t cheating on a test if some of Adam’s formal magic guided Theo’s spellwork.

“We’re on a mission together, one that could save a royal wedding from disaster,” Theo teased playfully. He didn’t believe Adam’s paranoid worries, but it certainly sounded more adventurous to be saving a wedding from certain peril than investigating whether Adam’s father knew how to use birth control. “Okay, get the silver knife out of my backpack. It’s in with my pencils, I don’t use it very often.”

Adam did as he was instructed and held up the knife expectantly.

“Do I just stab it somewhere?”

“No, put your hand in the magic circle,” Theo commanded. “You need to use your true name for it to work. That’s your whole name and you have to say it in the proper way or the spell is weaker. Close your eyes and focus on your breathing. What’s your name and how does it sound when you think about yourself? Take a deep breath, prick your finger with the knife and say your name loud and clear.”

Theo held his breath again, waiting for his boyfriend to follow his commands. It was always risky doing blood magic with a partner in case they weren’t honest with their name or intentionally said it wrong or without the proper emphasis on the correct words. Most people were given their true names at birth and only chose how the sounds would be pronounced, while others rejected their given name and chose both the words and sounds that defined their magical essence. Honestly, he was dying with curiosity to hear Adam’s true name and had been since they were kids. It was something so private and sacred and he had chosen Theo to hear it over anyone else.

Adam took a deep breath and pierced his finger as commanded. He held his hand in the circle, watching as drops of blood fell, illuminating the circle’s magic.

“Adam Sebastian Casper Medora Darktide-Maricourt.”

Theo tried to hide his delight at this revelation that only he had heard, but was probably failing. He could spend an entire evening replaying this moment over and over in his head, committing each inflection to memory and truthfully, he probably would.

And he added Medora to his name, just like a true Maricourt would! That’s how he sees himself, and only I know it!

Still gleeful at this turn of events, Theo tried to focus on the task at hand. He reached for the knife and repeated Adam’s actions.

“Theodosius Ulysses Bellamy.”

A sudden spark of green flame flooded the circle, and disappeared as quickly as it came. Theo scanned the relevant page in his textbook and chanted the written latin, trying not to mess up any of the difficult words.

“Bind us together until we learn the truth about the blood connection between Adam Sebastian Casper Medora Darktide-Maricourt and Ewan, uh, Maricourt. Let me, Theodosius Ulysses Bellamy, be the vessel for this bloodline to gather and connect with each other. Let me see the truth that has been hidden. Bind us in this purpose.”

The rings of the circle hummed with life around the two teens, indicating that the spell had been successful.

“Did it work? Are we different now?”

Theo examined his hand carefully. The magical flames had seared his self-inflicted wound closed, but he still felt relatively normal.

“I’m not sure, I-” Theo stopped mid sentence when he saw the quiet flicker of magical energy flash the closer he was to Adam’s body. To test this discovery, Theo tried waving his hand in the opposite direction. When the light reappeared only when Adam’s hand was near his, Theo beamed.

“I’d say it worked! This is amazing! We did it!”

While Theo celebrated, Adam once more looked worried.

“Um, are you sure that was this Ewan’s name?” he asked quietly. “I mean, if no one’s aware of his existence, why would he have my dad’s last name? Does that matter?”

Theo paused to consider the question.

“Um, I don’t think so. I was picturing him when I said it and like I said, the true name of someone just makes the spell more powerful and accurate. I think we’re fine.”

“There are a lot of Ewans running around though. Are you sure?”

“Well, most of the ones that you know of are named after a family member,” Theo decided. “So they’ll be connected by blood anyway. If we find a blood connection to the Ewan we’re investigating, then he’ll be connected to the other Ewans too, which should end the spell. I think we’re fine.”

“Alright then. Let’s clean this mess up before your grandmother comes to check on us and has a heart attack. Then we have a possible brother to find.”

[winterreigned]

“Oh my god, did you just say that out loud?” // @theyoungwclf

𝙤𝙝 𝙨𝙝𝙞𝙩 , 𝙙𝙞𝙙 𝙨𝙝𝙚? she cannot help the gaping hole her mouth turns into , a shell-shocked expression over coming her previously stony face. family parties with the tully side of their family had always been a drag , though they had grown even worse as sansa got older. the only saving grace she could find was she was now old enough to hide behind a heavy pour of red wine.

uncle edmure was fine enough , their grandfather too , but their aunt lysa was enough to sour the entire occasion. she was a bitter woman , with vile opinions about robb , she was heavily envious of their mother ( sansa had seen through this since she was a young girl , but her mother held onto hope that they could restore the relationship of their childhood ). her son , their cousin robin , was just simply weird. when he played with bran , he surpassed even him. arya had always said it was because he was breast fed until he was ten , and perhaps this was true. the worst of the lot , however , was her aunt's boyfriend petyr. according to their mother , he had it bad for her as a girl. he was desperate and erratic. aunt lysa , in all of her widowhood , decided this would be the man to bring around ( and in truth , sansa wasn't surprised ).

petyr had a certain knack for being wildly inappropriate. during these parties , he'd hit on their mother , act fine around her aunt , then find sansa , corner her , and try to put the moves on her. it was disturbing , and this man clearly was a pervert. which is exactly what she let slip out of her mouth as he entered their mother's living room. catelyn stark's appall was noted , a gasp and glare coming from her towards sansa. this wasn't typical , usually she was the ' good one ' , would act ever the lady when her mother had company. the heavy pour of wine , however , ( and the several additional ones she had shared with robb and jon prior to their aunt's arrival ) did not allow sansa to simply fall into line.

❝ save me , ❞ she whispers harshly to robb. though , she cannot find herself to muster up an apology. ❝ go stub your toe or something. distract them. ❞ sansa replays her comment in her head ' oh look , aunt homophobe brought the old pervert again. ' OOPS , but not truly. it was well worth it.

[hyacinth-sims]

Even in the dark, it felt as though her brother’s silver eyes pierced into her soul. Tybalt was terrifying in his own, unique way. It was never the fire that scared her, the burning rage that emitted from him whenever a Monty gave him a sly remark or a threat—

No, it was the ice. It was the cold bitterness that seemed to freeze a room in an instant. It was unpredictable, and Juliette couldn’t even guess how he’d react. Would he lunge for Romeo right then and there? Would Juliette have to place herself between them? She glanced over to Romeo—who looked just as terrified as her. 

But somehow, Juliette was blessed with Tybalt only opening his mouth instead of punching Romeo in his. “Juliette,” He began sharply, “Why exactly is there a Monty in your bedroom?” 

There wasn’t much of an answer that Juliette could give him that would satisfy him. Not one that would somehow salvage her very little time with Romeo. Still, she desperately searched for one—but Romeo was the first to speak. 

“I guess I should…probably get going,” Romeo murmured, eyes firmly planted on the ground. While it was likely for the best, Juliette couldn’t pretend that she wasn’t angry at her brother for scaring off her boyfriend. Especially when they barely had any sort of quality time together to begin with. 

Tybalt stared at Romeo for a moment, his arms crossed as he nodded. “That would probably be wise,” He answered flatly, unmoved as Romeo scurried past him. That left Juliette and Tybalt to stare at each other, waiting for who would speak first. 

“How long has this been—“

“Please don’t tell grandfather—“

They spoke over one another, stopping in their tracks. Tybalt was the first to speak again, Juliette conceding as she stared up at her elder brother. “Why shouldn’t I tell grandfather?” He asked, furrowing his brow, “And how long have you been sneaking around with that Monty boy?” 

“It’s been about a month and a half,” She confessed with a frown, “And haven’t things around town been good since then?” Juliette bit her lip, looking up at Tybalt, “I mean—no one’s died, grandfather doesn’t randomly bring up the Montys anymore, and no one fights in the streets anymore!”

She paused, narrowing her eyes at Tybalt, “Well—most of us don’t fight in the streets anymore.” Of course, Tybalt would find any excuse to fight Mercutio. And Mercutio—well, he was always convinced that he’d finally win that time.

Tybalt seemed rather unamused, that same scowl remaining on his face. “You have a rather strange way of pleading with me, Juliette,” He stated, “Slyly insulting me is a fascinating tactic to use.” 

“Am I incorrect?” Juliette retorted, raising an eyebrow. “You have an aptitude for that sort of thing,” She mentioned, “Regardless of the status of the feud.” 

Her brother murmured something under his breath, momentarily pinching the bridge of his nose in frustration. “This is not about me, Juliette,” The tall boy answered, “This is about you and that Monty boy.” 

“And would you really enjoy making sure that people are killed over me and Romeo?” Juliette asked him, deeply frowning as she crossed her arms. “We’ve already lost our parents, and Romeo lost his too you know!” She pointed out, “His aunt as well—things are finally calming down and it’d be terrible to ruin it now!” 

Tybalt was silent for a few moments, which scared Juliette more than his words ever could. However, a small sigh was a good indicator at least. “I will not tell grandfather,” He stated, and Juliette wanted to engulf her brother in a joyful hug. 

“However,” He quickly added, Juliette stopping in her tracks. “There must be some ground rules if you are to continue seeing that boy,” Tybalt explained, “With the main one being that there will be no Montys in the house, I can protect you by not telling grandfather but I will not be able to if he catches you sneaking in with him.” 

It was a frustrating rule that her brother had come up with, especially since it would mean that her already short amount of time with Romeo would dwindle further. But Juliette knew that he had a point, it would be wise to avoid any possible chance of getting caught. 

“Alright,” Juliette stated with a nod. “Now, I need to text Romeo and hopefully you didn’t scare him off for good,” She added, rubbing her temples in stress.

Tybalt simply turned around, still in the doorway. He glanced at her over his shoulder, “If he is scared off by one mere, lukewarm encounter—he is not the one for you.” 

“Goodnight, Tybalt,” Juliette replied as she waved him off.

[hannahhook7744]

Saving Christmas!

Summary; Ben finds out why Chad and Audrey aren't going home for Christmas this year and decides that he's going to save Christmas for his old friends. Takes place around d1. Trigger warnings; mentioned death, unintentional neglect, emotional abuse, sick child, unintentional favoritism, sick child, etc.

🎅🤶🧑‍🎄🎅🤶🧑‍🎄🎅🤶🧑‍🎄🎅🤶🧑‍🎄🎅🤶🧑‍🎄🎅🤶🧑‍🎄

"Hey what are you guys doing for Christmas break this year?" Ben asked one day over lunch. 

It was a particularly wintery December 1st when the question was asked and Jane, Doug, Lonnie, and four very excited vks answered almost immediately. 

Mal and Jane were going to the Moors with FG to celebrate it.

Doug and Evie were going over to Snow White's castle with his family to celebrate.

Lonnie and Jay weren't celebrating but still had plans. 

Lonnie was going home to visit her family. 

Jay was going to Agrabah after being invited to by Aziz and Jordan. 

And Carlos was going to be spending it in London with the Radcliffes after their niece, Amber, had sent him an invite. 

After sharing that his grandfather was coming over to celebrate it with him, Ben noticed something.

Audrey and Chad had been eerily silent for the conversation. 

And looking back, it didn't take Ben long to realize that Chad hadn't spoken much all morning. 

"What about you two? What are you doing?" The brunette asked, shooting the two a sweet smile.

Thinking that they were just getting put off by the new group dynamics again. After all, it did take some getting use to —going from a tight knit group of six friends to ten almost overnight. 

And Chad always did have trouble warming up to new people. 

"Uh, we... aren't celebrating this year" Audrey replied, uncharacteristically awkward when it became apparent that Chad wasn't going to. 

The blonde hadn't looked up from his tray to acknowledge any of them since they sat down and was just playing with his food, looking downtrodden.

The amount of prunes, chocolate pudding, and pizza on his plate had stayed the same despite the fact that lunch was nearly over. His pumpkin spice latte hadn't been touched either. 

Ben couldn't help but feel concerned now that he noticed it. After all, the prince never turned his favorite foods down but here he was. Doing just that. 

And the fact that he and Audrey now apparently weren't celebrating Christmas—THEIR FAVORITE HOLIDAY—either was just worsened the concern he felt. 

Apparently he wasn't the only one feeling that way either. 

"WHAT?!" Jane yelped, "but you guys love Christmas!"  

"Yeah. What's going on?" Doug added. 

He and Chad had slowly began repairing their friendship after Ben's coronation after Chad had apologized to all of them for his behavior over the year. Plus their families usually spent Christmas together since Snow White was Chad's (non-fairy) godmother. 

No one had mentioned anything about plans changing to him. 

Audrey gave them a tired look– as if almost asking 'really?' Before sighing and halfway giving in to their questions. 

"Grammy is still upset that Ben and I didn't work out, Ariana is smug about it and has a new prince boyfriend, and my parents, aunt, uncle, and fairy Godmothers are too busy to attend this year. And since I really don't feel like being criticized over every little thing this year with no one there to buffer it, I've decided to stay at school with Chad."

No one was quite sure how to react to her snappish response. But the vks– Evie especially– looked downright murderous. But instead of commenting after a few painfully long silent moments, Jay decided to prod some more. 

"And you can't just celebrate with Chad, why?"

Audrey shot the thief a harsh glare, confirming everyone's suspicions that she had been avoiding the question, before begrudgingly answering. "Because Chad has absolutely no motivation to decorate because this will be his first Christmas without his grandfather, Prudence, and Duke who died before the school year started since before he was adopted." 

Ben got a sinking feeling in his stomach as he glanced over at his oldest prince friend. Oh. Oh.  

Oh no. 

Suddenly the pudding on his own tray didn't seem as appetizing anymore. 

Surely he hadn't gotten so caught up in his kingly duties that he had forgotten to check in on his fellow prince to see if he was doing alright? And surely he had checked in on Audrey after the love spell wore off? 

Looking back at the events of the school year and Chad's and Audrey’s behavior made him realize that he had, in fact, dropped the ball on this one. But before he could say anything, Doug spoke up. 

"But, uh, why isn't Chad going home? Not that I don't understand he's upset—" he said quickly after the hard stare the princess gave him—"It's just that he and his family usually spend the holiday at Aunt Snow's with my family and Jane's, and besides Fg and Jane, no one's mentioned a change in plans."

Audrey gave a long sigh. "Doug, his sister has a heart condition, remember?"

He nodded, likely wondering—like the rest of them were—what Chloe had to do with anything. 

Audrey continued.

"Well, because of that, it's dangerous for her to get sick because it can weaken her heart more. So their parents decided that with the Pixie flu going around that it's best that they stay home. And since Chloe is going to be in bed and his parents are probably gonna continue to try and get the Tremaines off the isle nonstop even more than they did before your proclamation the entire holiday, Chad decided it's best he doesn't return either. You know, since he could get his sister sick and will probably just get overlooked while he's there. "

Doug caught on "which also means that we can't visit them at the castle cause we could get Chloe sick if we do. And Chad doesn't want to make Chloe feel bad by going anyway."

Ben swallowed. 

He hadn't thought about that.  

Suddenly Chad behavior paired with his unkempt hair and him still being in pajamas made much more sense. 

Chad was feeling forgotten again. And this time, only Audrey had been around to try and keep him out of it. 

It was like Chloe being born all over again, except this time no one had caught onto how he was feeling and people had actually died.  

And Audrey had been suffering in silence alongside him.  

He had to fix this. 

For both of them. 

So he said the first thing that came to mind "why don't you two come and celebrate it at my place?" 

Everyone stared at him like he'd grown another head. 

Chad looked up and Ben felt even more confident in his decision.

"Ben, I don't think that's a good idea," Audrey replied softly. 

"Why not? It's not like you haven't stayed at our place before."

"Your parents hate us."

Ben shook his head. "That's not true. Mom and dad love you guys and grandpa's been dyi–begging to see you two again. "

Audrey didn't know what to say to that and finally, Chad spoke up. 

"Well.... If you're sure they wouldn't mind, then we'd like that."

Ben grinned in response "I'm positive. Trust me."

The bell rang before the conversation could continue any further and as the group flooded out of the cafeteria, their moods lifted. 

🧑‍🎄🤶🎅🧑‍🎄🤶🎅🧑‍🎄🤶🎅🧑‍🎄🤶🎅🧑‍🎄🤶🎅🧑‍🎄🤶🎅

Big thanks to @eahravinqueen and @panthera-tigris-venenata for the help. Happy Holidays y'all.

[imnobodysbaby]

heyyy! would you mind teasing the next/any part of your knoxbe fic? <33333

ooffccc!! sorry for not updating tho~ been planning to post when I finish the first 8 to 10 chapters so I won't keep ya hanging!!

but okay so far I've got 6 Chapters ready and here are some from certain chapters that I did 😌🫶🏻

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Phoebe's POV

I followed and noticed a bunch of old photos. There's a black and white photo of her with a man, they’re sitting at a front porch, laughing, staring at each other, they looked really young and in love, the one that you kind of just see once in a lifetime. I smiled staring at the picture and for a moment an image of Knox’s smile flashed in my head. A lightning strike hit my heart, is it crazy to think that someday, that could be us too?

Nonny was staring at me and saw me smiling, “That’s Cooper’s grandfather, it was our first house.” Nonny stared at the picture too and I could see tears forming at the edge of her eyes. “I met him when I was your age, you know? Ever since then we never left each other’s side. I loved him so much.”

yes I stole this from Timeless by TS sorry not sorry akdhsjdh

——————————————————————————————

Knox's POV

Colorful lights everywhere, seriously how can I miss this place? “Wow, this place looks amazing!” Phoebe exclaimed as we were walking toward the ticket line. I put my arm around her and she put her hands on my waist. She was looking around, mesmerized but all I could do was look at her.

I can see her freckles through the bright lights, her long beautiful eyelashes and her pink lips turning into a wide smile across her face as she soaks in the beauty of the place. I let out a soft smile thinking that months ago, I could never score a girl as beautiful as Phoebe. I still think that she’s way out of my league and I never thought she would actually go out with a guy like me. Even if I asked her before, I don’t think she would’ve said yes, or that she would even look at me. Then that horrible Truth or Dare game happened, and I actually got to know her. All those times I never actually thought of asking her out immediately, she was just a friend. A great friend. A friend that I just want to hang out with and get to know better, and a friend I would protect.

Then on that fateful night of Eli and Ashton’s wedding she kissed me, and I had to smack myself over and over to make sure it wasn’t a dream. She’s such an amazing person, more than she gives herself credit for, she’s one of the bravest people I’ve ever met and I don’t think she realizes that.

Phoebe met my eyes, “You’re staring” she said.

“Busted.” I said then planted a quick soft kiss on her lips.

KnoxBe first date, they went to a movie but the place has a twist! ;)

——————————————————————————————

Phoebe's POV

I heard cheering in Owen's bedroom and the sound of video games. Mom doesn’t seem to be around and Emma went back to work with my aunt so she’s barely here.

So that’s why he’s not texting me back I thought, then put the tub on the kitchen island. I marched down to Owen’s bedroom and knocked on the door before opening it. And there they are, bags of chips and sodas everywhere. Knox, wearing his faded gray hoodie sitting crossed legged on the floor next to Owen who is still in his pajamas, both wearing headsets and holding the controller. Knox looks at me dumbfounded and nudges Owen who still has his eyes glued to the screen.

Knox clicks the pause button and Owen exclaimed, “Hey! Come on we were about to take them down…” then caught sight of me, “Oh hey Phoebe, you’re home early” Owen said with a sheepish smile. He started acting like a normal 13 year old again and not the creepy one he used to be, and I honestly think Knox has a lot to do with it.

“Yeah, cause apparently my boyfriend is busy.” I said looking at Knox. He rubs the back of his neck, the thing he usually does when he’s embarrassed or nervous. “Sorry, Owen really wanted to play. He texted me earlier” he stood up and walked towards me then scooped his one arm on my waist and gave me a kiss on the cheek.

“Could you guys not do that here? Did you bring any food?” Owen asks then removes his headset. “Yeah, it’s in the kitchen. Luis made Lasagna” I said and Owen immediately ran past me and Knox and onto the kitchen.

——————————————————————————————

Knox's POV

I’m actually impressed and proud of how far my sister has come. I can feel the pressure creeping up on me, I can feel my dad about to bring it up.

Not when my girlfriend is around please I thought. I don’t want to look like a complete loser in front of her.

As they talked, I avoided my dad’s gaze.

Kara and Phoebe seem to be getting along too. While they talked dad suddenly lowered his head to me and held up his index finger indicating for me to listen closer.

Here it is, oh no. The chicken suddenly doesn’t taste good anymore.

“She’s great Knox. Take care of her and don’t screw this up.” Dad said his voice sounded really candid and I felt his eyes staring through me. But instead of feeling nervous—like most of the time when my dad gives me orders, I felt relieved.

First because he did not open up the topic of What Am I Going to be After High School and second, that she likes Phoebe so much that he actually warned me not to screw up.

“I won’t dad. I promise.” I said and he nodded then went back to his dinner.

I looked at her and heard my dad’s words in my head. Yeah, she’s great.

I smiled and Phoebe caught sight of me. Kara and Mom are looking at Kara’s phone, “Oh that would look great on Katie! Have you shown her this?” my mom said and I blurted out what they said after that. My attention was all on Phoebe, “What?” she asked in a low whisper.

“Nothing, you’re doing great.” I said and she squeezed my hand, “Thanks.” she replied and we stared at each other for a while until my sister called her again.

Everytime I stare at her, time just stands still.

Dad’s right, I’ll be the stupidest man alive if I screw this up.

Phoebe had dinner with the Myers :))

——————————————————————————————

AAHHKKK I DID MY BEST 🥹🥹🥹

ENJOOOOY!! 🫶🏻🫶🏻🫶🏻

[doueverwonder]

Alfred going out of town and giving Gil a full list of all the ghosts and what they MIGHT do to bother him before he leaves;

they're ghosts so like, typical mentions of murder and sickness under the cut

"okay, we'll go oldest to youngest, first off is Harald, Björn, and Sigurd, brothers. Vikings died of hypothermia in the 1020s after getting lost and being left behind when everyone else went back to Greenland, or Iceland I don't remember don't tell them that though. If the room suddenly gets cold, like windows frosting over cold, it's them. Make sure their blanket fort didn't fall over and the space heater in their room is still on and they'll probably calm down after."

"Arthur is my great x8 grandfather, he died in 1779 from food poisoning. He built the house if you try doing any major changes while I'm not here to convince him into it or at least calm him down you are at his mercy. His major thing is he'll fuck up your cooking, but he'll also leave like trails of feathers sometimes cause he was tarred and feathered not long before his death for being a loyalist"

"Molly and Lorenzo are a pair, they're like always together they both died in 1904 of tuberculosis so y'know trauma bonding i guess. Molly was a maid and Lorenzo was a cook working for my great-great aunt, the one that left me the house. Lorenzo can move stuff but usually only when he's pissed or bored, so just leave like a soccer game or the food network on and he'll be fine. Molly is the one you can hear humming or singing sometimes, but like you should be used to that by now."

"Katya, Ivan, and Natalya. Second set of siblings in the house. They were russian nobility but fled in 1917 to the US. They came to a party held here in 1920 thrown by someone who supported "the Russian people" and were poisoned. Ivan doesn't have his head because when they went to get rid of the bodies they didn't check that he was completely dead, and cut his head off. If you hear clattering in cabinets it's Katya and Natalya looking for his head. Nothing will actually move don't worry. Uh... if you want them to be quiet they really like the movie Anastasia yes, I know it's stereotypical, make sure the switch it to Russian dub though, their English isn't top tier"

"Remember when we did a walk through of the house and they told us the floor supports were fairly new compared to the rest of the house because like 60 years ago they collapsed and some guy died in the basement? Ludwig, he usually stays in the basement and doesn't bother anyone, if you walk through him you'll end up covered in like constuction-ish dust so just be careful."

"Then there is Tolys, in 1978 he and his friends went camping somewhere around here all got high, one of his friends got paranoid didn't realize who it was and killed Tolys. They freaked out and we're pretty sure dumped his body in the lake on the other side of the property. If you walk through him you'll get high, but like super nervous and paranoid even if you're not usually like that when you're high. Y'know"

"Mei, youngest ghost in the house, was murdered while her and her boyfriend were messing around after prom. Kinda like Ludwig but she just sleeps in the attic, warning though if she does come down while i'm gone she'll start drama and again not my problem. I'm not actually sure if she has any 'powers', um just don't go in the attic and wake her up and you won't be finding out either"

Gil just standing there,,, why me,,, as predicted he's going to walk through Tolys like 3 times on accident and is going to so paranoid all weekend poor guy ;-;

[fouralignments]

Q1. What inspired you to write the fic this way?

I came back to Blessed By Khonshu, My Son Comes Back to Me after the death of my dad and the loss of myself during those two years of doing care work, I did not for myself, I pushed my thoughts, my feelings downward just did what I was told.

The day of my father's death...I knew something was up, I felt something was wrong as my sister and her boyfriend was over; but nobody was telling me anything. I just went about my day as usual. I made brownies at the say so of my Aunt because my sister was deeply upset. They wouldn't even allow me to go into his room. It was until the evening that I pressed my aunt on it; but she didn't give me a straight answer; I wasn't getting her subtext, I'm actually autistic and one of my challenges is not picking up on social cues; so my mom came in and I screamed at her wanting to know WTF; she finally told me that my father was dying. Not even an hour later, my father died.

It was the worse kind of ableism; infantilization. it came from my mom. She withheld information and made a decision for me. I'd never been so angry and enraged in my life. I find myself not wanting to forgive her. It hurt and cut so deep.

I just felt like I didn't matter. Afterwards, things came out my grandmother treated my dad like shit along with her other children and fucked them big time; she just didn't care and because of my dad's dyslexia he was illiterate (this is pre-ADA). It made a lot of things make sense growing up and how my Dad barely interacted with my grandmother and grandfather; I don't blame him.

I wanted just to write a novel to vent my frustrations; so I chose this one. It started off as quick writing style not as intensive as The God and The Thief to keep people happy while I wrote that and it slowly starting becoming more and more important in my life and so the writing style became fuller.

Q2. What scene did you first put down?

The first scene that I put down was chapter 1, it OG was posted on Tumblr after an emotional breakdown that I had during my Gender & Globalization class; I was not in a good place emotionally. I had to write something dark, so I stayed up until 2 AM to write it.

Q9. Were there any alternate versions of this fic?

I would have to say there is some cross pollination between versions of En Sabah Nur in my fics.

But there are alternate versions of scenes like when Sabah Nur is connecting to the world through electronics. I was going to write a page just seeing all things he gets into like hacking all the universities in the world and getting the world's history; language files, breaking into Boeing, Raytheon and defense industry forcing them to go congress to explain what secrets got out; shutting down and causing a fire in a Trask industry production plant and shutting down a vital important part that came from Denmark so basically all his electronics and Trask industry filing for bankruptcy; shutting down pipelines in the US; shutting down trains in the Soviet Union; nearly causing black outs and watching all old documentary and broadcasts and tv shows and basically turn ALL TVs on.

Chapter 6 was OG chapter 3.

Like had planned on Erik leaving in chapter 3 (I was going to add an extra scene where he is packing up)

Charles going into Cerebro again and but unable to find Peter and going through his connection the Scotland meadows (chapter 5), however Sabah Nur laid a trap for Charles. Which makes sense with the arrow description in chapter 6. Charles's powers being de-buffed; it nearly kills him; Cerebro destroyed; Erik senses something wrong goes into rescues him and Charles wakes up that night with Erik next to him (he still DEEPLY cares about Charles).

What I have planned is more absolutely terrifying of what Sabah Nur can do. THERE Is a FUCKING reason why En Sabah Nur is considered a god. It makes him FUCKING TERRIFYING.

Charles contacting Raven on an brick phone to see if she can find Peter, waking her up in the middle of the night.

In chapter 5 that OG was Peter stirring the pot between (under Sabah Nur's control; Charles contacting him with Cerebro) Charles and Erik of one another's jealously and it was going to end with Peter losing hope and knowing no one is coming to save him. Peter needs more agency.

Then I made another twist after listening Both Reached for the Gun Chicago (Musical) ; its foreshadowed in beginning, its practically telegraphed.

@mysticillusionfox