#because she’s afraid of having something she worries she’ll put before her duties

[consulaaris]

i am having….. so many zori/thancred thoughts rn

[misasimagines]

jjk characters when you’re scared of a bug

included characters: Yuji, Megumi, Maki, Nobara, Gojo, Nanami, Choso rating: sfw warnings: bug mentions but I avoid any concrete details because ya girl is Terrified of Bugs! I use flowery language to refer to them also because again! ya girl is Terrified of Bugs!

Yuji:

will kill bugs for you if you’re scared! But he’s not the best at catching them if they move around. He’ll go and punch the wall and then you look and it’s running away and he’s screaming because it’s coming at him.

He might accidentally put a hole in the drywall because he slapped down on it too hard. Like yes, it’s dead, but he’s also now bleeding and you are not getting your security deposit back.

Slaps gnats/flies/etc out of the air but also ends up knocking things down when he does- basically, Yuji is at 110% power and 2% environmental awareness. You need to stay out of the way.

If seeing a buggie gets you paranoid and freaked, he’ll investigate every corner of the now-quarantined room and will be using DIY bug-repellents until you feel safe. He doesn’t make fun of you for being scared or paranoid. He agrees they’re freaky! He only can be brave because he has you to protect!

Megumi:

He’ll catch and release, he won’t kill, but he will make sure it is deposited far enough way that it won’t be coming back easily.

He thinks you’re a little ridiculous for being so scared but he won’t tease you about it. Maybe at first, but then he sees your eyes are all glossy and your shoulders at all tensed up and he’s like, okay, okay, I got it, don’t worry about it.

He just has you leave the room and then warns you when he’s going to walk by with the horrible beast trapped in a cup. He also, and I gag to say this, would not be afraid of even touching the horrible monsters with his hands if necessary. Could Not Be Me.

Megumi will search around the room at your behest to make sure there are no other creeps lurking about. You probably have to point out all the areas you’re most afraid or else he’ll only look in the more obvious spots. He’ll even go out and get bug-repellent/killer so you stop pacing around and jumping whenever your hair brushes against your bare skin....

Maki:

If she knows you’re freaked by bugs, she kills them before you even know they’re there. She isn’t bothered by them, but she also doesn’t like them in her home. They aren’t paying rent or cooking her dinner, they don’t get to stay. 

Keeps a heavy duty bug killing spray on hand and whenever she sees/hears you fleeing from a room because you’ve been ambushed, she’s marching right in there and killing it asap. She prefers spraying them to hitting them with her hand or a shoe or something because it’s just cleaner and she doesn’t want to end up with holes in her walls like Yuji’s place.

If you’re paranoid about it afterwards, she’ll help you replace the sheets, vacuum, dust, etc so you clean up the place rather than just scoot stuff around checking out the place.

She will tease you for being scared, but she’s not mean about it...most of time. She’ll say that, knowing you, your fears are correct and you probably could get your ass beat by a gnat-

Nobara:

She says she’s not scared, she’ll do her duty to protect you, you’re too baby to take care of yourself but that’s okay because she’s there- you never said it could fly!!! She’s screeching and slamming the door shut behind her and announcing that you will never go into that room again.

She has to pull her hair back, suit up, shoe in one hand, spray in the other, and then she’s bursting through the door and you hear the thump of the shoe hitting everything and anything, the spray coating every possible surface, and Nobara’s battle cry. It’s dead! You need a new lamp!

They’re scary, she isn’t so much scared of them as she is afraid of where they are when she can’t see them. It makes sense, totally. She doesn’t tease you so much as she likes holding it over your head as something she does for you. Not in a mean spirited way, she just likes that you rely on her for this!

She’ll help clean up the area and make sure nothing else is hiding around, but ultimately she’s calling someone else over to do the job of exterminator (probably Yuji and Megumi...)

Gojo:

He sees you’re scared and puts on an act like Every Single Time. Honestly, it kind of snaps you out of being freaked. He jumps up and he’s like, where’s the villain who’s scared my darling?? and then he’s grabbing a shoe and stomping into the afflicted room.

He kills it, makes sure you hear the sound of it being beaten to death, and then checks around to make sure there’s nothing else before he lets you back into the room.

It’s in his nature to tease you, but you’re so upset and uncomfortable that he reels it in. He just makes a dramatic speech about saving and protecting you and then gives you a hug and asks if you want to get out of the house for a bit.

Takes you out for ice cream or something so you can relax and then when you go back, he might have called in a maid service to clean up so you could feel comfortable knowing that everything was bug-free.

Nanami:

At first, he kind of thinks you need to get over it and take care of it yourself. But then he realizes that it’s just one of those phobias that isn’t something you can rationalize, and he steps up.

Prefers catching and releasing them, but if you’re freaked out, he’ll just kill it to appease you. It doesn’t bother him that much. What bothers him is that how did this stupid bug get into his impeccably clean apartment?

He doesn’t tease you about it, he doesn’t make a big deal about it at all. The lack of energy he puts into it helps you calm down a lot easier. Just another day, not some cosmic retribution or curse on from a vengeful goddess.

Coincidentally always suggests a cleaning day after an enemy has been spotted, and he always focuses his attention on the room it invaded while letting you take care of other rooms.

Choso:

He doesn’t have a problem with bugs, but he does have a problem with it scaring you and that means it has to be punished. He does feel a little guilt at having to kill the terrible brutish monster on your bathroom ceiling, he thinks about it’s family, but then he kills it and flushes it because it knew the risk it was taking wandering in here... This is the tragic outcome.

It’s not that deep babe-

Cleans the place, like with the heaviest duty cleansers you have, so there are no remnants of it. Like Yuji, he’ll mix together some DIY repellents, but unlike Yuji who would google what to do, Choso just throws together things that he’s certain will kill bugs- and maybe also you guys! Don’t mix bleach with anything!!

If he catches the infiltrator first, he will take the chance to catch and release it. It hasn’t scared you yet so no crimes have been commit.

[chaoticpuff17]

When the Chips are Down

part 13

masterlist

Namjoon calmed down, if only by a  little now that both mom and baby were confirmed to be healthy and safe. He was still nervous about every ache and pain she had, but he hovered a little less. He was also more affectionate after their night together and the revelations the following morning. It was as though she’d given him the greenlight for him to smother her in every bit of affection he’d been holding himself back from. In a way it was like the first weeks of their marriage all over again. He brought her flowers, spent his evenings home with her. He ate breakfast with her every morning as if they were a normal happy couple. It was oddly idyllic.

Though that didn’t last long as her due date creeped closer and closer until it finally came and went setting everyone on edge again. 

Miss In was convinced that it was a bad omen and was doing everything in her power to try to induce labor. She tried everything from encouraging her to take more walks or serving spicy foods in the hope that they would help bring on labor. Y/N herself was no less anxious for the pregnancy to be over. Her back ached. Her ankles were swollen, and her little girl had taken to sitting very low and uncomfortably in her belly. The more uncomfortable she was, the crankier she became, and the crankier she was, the more on edge Namjoon became. 

The pair were sitting in the library simply waiting for any sign of the baby coming when Namjoon received a call on his cell. 

“What?” he barked, drawing Y/N’s attention from her book. She didn’t normally pay too much attention to his phone calls, but then again, they very rarely provoked such a strong reaction from him. Namjoon liked to keep most of his business out of the house and way from her. “Take him to the clinic. Is the girl secured? Good. Keep her there and make sure she doesn’t leave.” there was a pause as whoever was on the other side of the line spoke. “I don’t care if you have to put him in a headlock and force him to go. He needs to get checked out.” 

The call ended abruptly, and it was clear that whatever had happened had put Namjoon in a foul mood. 

“What’s wrong?” she asked, setting her book aside. 

“Taehyung’s been stabbed.” 

“Stabbed?” 

“Aerie, his fiancee, managed to stab him in the thigh. Jimin is getting him to the clinic to get it looked at.” 

“She stabbed him?” she asked, pleasantly surprised by the news. From what she had heard. The poor girl didn’t get much freedom under Taehyung’s care. She hadn’t met the woman herself, but she liked her more and more by the second. 

“You stabbed me.” Namjoon reminded her grumpily, running a hand through his hair in frustration. 

“I wasn’t aiming for you.” she shot back, rolling her eyes. “Do you need to go take care of that?” she asked, noticing how antsy he seemed.

“No.” he sighed, leaning back in his chair with a groan. “You could go into labor at any time now.” 

“I’m a week past due.” she huffed, glaring down at her belly. Their baby girl refused to make this easy on either of them, and it was incredibly frustrating. “I don’t think this little girl is going to decide to come within the hour it’s going to take you to check on Taehyung.” 

“She could.” he responded with a wry but tired smile. “She’s stubborn like her mother.”

“Yes, because it’s completely possible for me to go into labor and have the baby all within an hour.” she was clearly unimpressed, but Namjoon grinned. 

“She could. She could take after you and keep us both on our toes, and you haven’t been feeling well.”  

“Go.” she leaned back with a groan. “It’s better than you hovering. Your presence is not magical. She’s going to come when she’s going to come, and I’ll be in just as much discomfort when you get back.” she raised a brow waiting for Namjoon to move or say something, but he didn’t. “If there’s any hint of a possibility of labor, I’m sure Miss In or whatever babysitter you have on duty will call you.”  

Namjoon was going to protest, but his phone rang again drawing both of their attention. Everyone knew that Namjoon had taken time off for the baby. Getting two calls within a span of five minutes couldn’t be good.

 “What?” he growled, already on edge from Taehyung’s call. “What!” he barked, shooting upright, clenching the phone in his hand so hard that Y/N was almost afraid that he would break it. “What do you mean she’s gone?” 

“Namjoon?” 

“Of course.” he sighed, standing up. “I’ll be right there. Is her tracker online?” 

“Namjoon?” she asked again, growing more concerned. She knew from personal experience that running did not have pleasant consequences here. 

“We’ll get her back, Hobi. Don’t worry.” 

That sent a cold bolt of fear down her spine. She had assumed that it was Aerie that had run. It would make sense after just having stabbed Taehyung, but hearing Hoseok’s name changed everything. If Hoseok was calling about a runaway, then Iyla was probably involved. She’d told her sister to run. She was proud of her sister for trying, but she hated to think of what would happen if she was caught. 

“Namjoon!” she demanded, voice rising shrilly as he hung up the phone. “What’s going on?” 

“Your sister is just as foolish and stubborn as you.” he growled, striding toward the door. 

“Is she alright?” 

“She dug the chip from her arm and ran off.” he laughed, the sound harsh and grating with no real humor to it. His gaze on her was dark and brooding a clear indicator that he was positively fuming. “So no, I don’t think she’s alright. She certainly won’t be when Hoseok gets his hands on her.” 

“Namjoon!” she gasped, standing from her own chair. “You promised she wouldn’t be hurt. You promised.” 

“I won’t be held responsible for the consequences of your brat of a sister’s actions. Whatever Hoseok has planned as a punishment, I stand behind it.” she opened her mouth to protest, but Namjoon was swift to cut her off. “I won’t allow my brothers to go through what you put me through, even if the woman in question is your sister.” 

He wasn’t blind. He could see how upset this had made her, but there were rules in his kingdom that not even she could be an exception too. Her sister certainly wasn’t going to be an exception even if it upset her. 

With a sigh, Namjoon crossed the room back to her, pressing a kiss to her hair before leaning his forehead against hers. “I’ll be home soon. Try not to worry.” 

“How can I not worry? You’re hunting down my little sister like an animal.” 

“I have Tae to check on, your sister to find, and Hoseok to calm down. I don’t need anything to happen to you.” She took a step back, refusing to look at him, her jaw clenched. “I’ll call Jungkook to stay with you.” 

“If anything happens to Iya…” 

“She’ll be safe and sound at home where she belongs soon enough.” 

He turned to leave again only to be stopped in his tracks by what she said next. “Did you really think she wouldn’t try?” she called after him. “Can you blame her? None of us asked for this.” 

“Whether you asked for it or not, jagi, this is your home, your family, and abandoning your family is unacceptable.” 

He strode off leaving Y/N alone in the library her mind whirling with the possibilities. If there was any deity watching over them, Iyla would be able to get away safely, but their family seemed to be particularly forsaken in recent years. She could hope that Iyla would be able to get, to stay away, and if that wasn’t going to be possible, she at least hoped that her sister would be alright when they caught her. She knew full well though that no one was going to update her on what was going on. No one ever kept her updated on Namjoon’s business, and she had a hunch that this would qualify as Namjoon’s business. 

“Miran!” she called striding out of the library. 

Almost immediately the shy maid popped up as if from nowhere. She was her silent shadow in the estate running to get her whatever she needed and reporting on her to Miss In and by extension Namjoon.

“Yes, buin?” 

“I need you to tell me the moment that Namjoon comes back home.” 

The maid nodded quickly. She was a mousy girl, but she was endearing and very eager to please. “Is there anything else I can do for you, buin? Miss In says you should take a walk today.” 

“She’s said that every day for the past week.” 

“Well we can’t argue with Miss In.” a new voice chimed in bringing their attention to Jungkook who stood at the other end of the hall with a wide smile.

“Kookie.” she breathed out a sigh of relief. If there were any of Namjoon’s people she could get to tell her what was going on, it was Jungkook. She moved as quickly as she could, practically throwing herself into the younger man’s arms. This was the first time she’d seen him since she’d been back, something about him being out on assignment, and it was good to see him. “I missed you.” 

“I missed you too, noona.” he laughed, tightening his arms around her. “It’s good to have you home.” He pulled back observing her bump. “You got big, noona.” 

“It’s rude to comment on a lady’s size, Kookie.”  she playfully scolded, but took his hand and pressed it to her belly where the baby was moving. “That’s your niece, who refuses to come out.” 

“A niece?” his eyes were wide, excited. “Hyung doesn’t tell me anything.” he whined.

“He doesn’t tell me anything either.” she scoffed bitterly. “Have you heard anything? Do you know what’s happening with Iyla?” 

Jungkook shook his head. “I know that Taehyung hyung is fine. He’ll recover, but Aerie is going to be in serious trouble when he gets home. But Namjoon and Hobi hyung are looking for Iyla now.” 

She sighed disappointedly. “You’ll tell me if you hear anything else?” 

“I don’t think hyung wants you to know.” he shook his head sadly. “She’ll be okay, noona. Iyla is tough, like you.” 

“She shouldn’t have to be like me.” 

“I’m sorry, noona.” there was a moment of awkward silence as neither of them quite knew what to say now. Jungkook couldn’t tell her anything, and even if he could, there was no new information to share. “Why don’t we take a walk?” 

“Alright.” she sighed, taking the arm that Jungkook offered. Everyone had been very careful with her especially for the past week. She was having trouble moving because of the swollen ankles and the discomfort they caused, so she was appreciative of the extra support even if it was frustrating. 

They walked for a while, catching up, asking and answering questions about the baby, but there was an unspoken tension. Neither of them knew what was going on outside of the estate. It had her worried, and no matter what Jungkook tried, he couldn’t get her mind off of it. It seemed like nothing would, until the first pain hit. 

“Noona?” Jungkook asked frantically hovering over her has she hissed in pain half bent over. “Noona, what’s wrong?” 

Another pain hit, sending Jungkook into a frenzy as she cried out. “Get Miran. Get Miss In.” she demanded, clutching her belly. 

“Noona?” 

“Jungkook.” She snapped, looking at him with wide nervous eyes. “The baby’s coming. I need you to get help.” 

He nodded resolutely, helping her to the patio so she could sit before dashing into the house to get help followed by the sound of Y/N crying out in pain. 

part 14

[ladydimitrescuspet]

Make Me Feel Better - Chapter 2

AO3 Link, enjoy and tell me what you think so far if you want!

***

You woke up after a few hours of sleeping, grateful that you had run into Heisenberg.

"Hey sleepy head, you hungry?" Heisenberg asked. You nodded your head. "Good, cause I made you something. Alcina called." Heisenberg said.

"And?" You replied. Heisenberg shrugged. "What did you say to her, Heis?" You asked.

"I told her that you were fine and you'd come back to the castle when you were ready." Heisenberg replied. You nodded your head. "Now, eat and tell me what happened." Heisenberg said as he put the plate in your hand.

You sat the plate on your lap and looked at him. "Daniela said some not so nice things to me. It was nothing, really." You said before taking a bit of your sandwich.

"What kind of not so nice things? My niece is one to speak before she thinks, but not to someone who is as close to Alcina as you are." Heisenberg said.

You sighed. "I won't go into details, but the gist is that she wishes that she could break me like the little fragile toy that I am. She wants me dead, Heisenberg." You replied.

"And you ran away because?" Heisenberg asked.

You laughed dryly. "I don't belong there, in that castle. I'm not one of them. I'm just some mortal that happened to catch Alcina's eye and she granted me some mercy." You said. "I weaseled my way into their family and because of me I'm destroying it." You put your plate on the table in front of you, losing your appetite.

"Y/N, you're not destroying the family. Elise and Victoria love having you at the castle. Alcina loves having you at the castle. I love having you here and at the factory. Just because Daniela said some bad things to you doesn't mean that you ripped us apart." Heisenberg said. You had a few tears rolling down your cheeks and wiped them away. "Listen to me, you can stay for as long as you need to, but I really think you should go back to the castle. Back to Alcina. She was very worried about you when she called."

You nodded your head. "I should go back. I want to go back, but..." You trailed off. Heisenberg stood up. "Do you think Alci will be upset with me?" You asked.

Heisenberg grimaced. "Oh, you're in a heap of trouble with my sister. You're lucky I found you before she did. At least with me by your side, I can put in a good word with her." Heisenberg said.

"She sent Daniela to Mother Miranda's." You said. Heisenberg raised his eyebrow. "She's not going to hurt her, is she?" You asked.

"It depends. I'm sure Mother has called Alcina and asked her why she's sent Daniela to the church. And Alcina will explain, Mother will see no reason for her to be there being that she doesn't care about you, Alcina will get frustrated and tell Mother to do something about her incompetence regardless of what Mother believes, and then Alcina will hang up. She'll probably break a few things and then she'll... You left her all alone, Y/N, some poor maiden is probably going to get the brunt of her frustration taken out on them." Heisenberg said.

Your eyes widened. "Natalie," You said softly. "Heisenberg, we have to go. We're probably too late, but we have to go." You said as you quickly got up. Heisenberg frowned. "I, um, I had Natalie tell a lie to Alcina. I said that Alci wouldn't hurt her if I said so, but Alci only listens to me sometimes. I'm worried about her, Heis." Your lip trembled as you spoke. You really hoped that you hadn't just sentenced your friend to her death.

"Just wait right here." Heisenberg said. He walked over to the phone and called someone. "Hello, sister." Heisenberg said into the phone, you rushed to his side. "Y/N would like to speak to you." Heisenberg handed the phone to you.

"Alcina?" You said into the phone. She was breathing heavily like she'd just run a marathon. "Alci, please don't hurt her." You said.

Alcina growled into the phone slightly. "I don't believe you have a say in what I do or don't do, my dear." Alcina replied. You whined a bit. "If you didn't want your little friend to be punished then you should've thought about that before you left the castle grounds."

You sniffled. "Alcina, please, just wait. I'm sorry. You're right, I shouldn't have left the grounds. I just, I, I'm sorry. Let me make it up to you just please don't hurt her." You pleaded with her over the phone.

Alcina hummed. "You have until nightfall to make your return. If you fail to return by then, I'm afraid you won't be too pleased about your little friend upon your late arrival. See you then, darling." Alcina replied before hanging up. You could hear the grin in her voice.

You handed the phone back to Heisenberg. "Can we make it back to the castle before nightfall, Heis?" You asked.

Heisenerg nodded his head. "We'll have to head to the factory. It'll be about mid-afternoon before we get there, but with how connected the factory is to my sister's castle, we should be there with time to spare." Heisenberg replied. You let out a shaky deep breath, you wouldn't forgive yourself if anything happened to Natalie. "Hey, don't worry, my sister won't hurt that maid. Alci's probably just made some empty threat just to get you to come back to the castle."

You frowned a bit. "Alcina never makes empty threats, Heis. I know she's your sister and you've known her for a very long time, but if she makes a threat, she intends to act on it." You replied. "We should get going." You said as you headed towards the front door.

Heisenberg had been correct about how long your journey back to Castle Dimitrescu would take. You had run most of the way back when the castle came into view, panting heavily as you banged on the door and waited for it to be open.

You let a small smile hang on your face as tears started to form in your eyes. Natalie had opened the door. "Oh, Natalie, thank goodness. Are you alright?" You asked as you pulled back to inspect her.

She knitted her eyebrows in confusion. "I'm fine, Y/N. Is something wrong?" Natalie replied.

You growled a bit. "Where's Lady Dimitrescu, Natalie?" You asked through gritted teeth.

"She's in her study. She's waiting for you and Sir Heisenberg, requested that I bring you two to her when you arrived." Natalie said. "She gave me a nasty grin after the order, sent shivers to my spine, in all honesty."

You gave her one last hug. "Take the rest of the evening off to rest yourself. Eat dinner if you haven't. I'll be to your quarters to check on you later." You gave her a smile before dismissing her. You turned around to see that Heisenberg had finally made it to the castle. "It took you long enough, slowpoke." You said.

Heisenberg rolled his eyes and pushed you slightly. "So what's the verdict? Did my sister drain your little friend or is she still alive and kicking?" Heisenberg asked. He closed the castle doors behind him.

"Her name is Natalie and she's fine. I gave her the rest of the night off." Heisenberg opened his mouth to say something. "Her staff will behave themselves for the remainder of the night, they now not to cause any disturbances in the castle when she is off duty." You added before sighing. You removed your coat and hung it up. "Alcina's waiting for us in her study. I suppose we shouldn't keep her waiting any longer, I'm sure she knows that we're here."

Heisenberg scratched the back of his head. "Yeah, we probably shouldn't and she probably does. Whatever happens, I'm right by your side." Heisenberg replied.

You gave him a small smile. “Thank you, Heis, I appreciate that.” You said.

“Karl.” You raised an eyebrow. “My first name is Karl. I figured since we’ve gotten better acquainted that you should know.” You kept yourself from grinning at his name. "Do not make me regret this, Y/N." He said as he started heading up the stairs.

"Oh no, no, you won't, I promise. I just, the name, it fits you, it really does." You replied. ou saw him wave you off. "I swear! It means free man, strong man, and manly, right? A lot on the man meanings, but it really does fit you just like Alcina's name fits her. Your names were wisely picked."

"I'm not the one you should be trying to butter up, Y/N." Heisenberg said. "But, you're not wrong. However, when we get to Alcina's study, you better be ready to do a lot of pleasing. Lots and lots of pleasing." Heisenberg said.

Your face flushed. "I'm sure she'll send you out of the room and back to your factory before dishing out my punishment." You replied. The two of you had finally made it to Alcina's study and you knocked on the door.

"Enter." You heard Alcina's muffled response through the thick door.

You opened the door, your hand shaking a bit as you pushed down on the doorknob. "Honey, I'm home?" You said. Alcina didn't look up from what she was working on. "Come on, Al, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have run away." You looked over at Heisenberg who was admiring the walls of Alcina's study, you elbowed him.

"Ow." Heisenberg said quietly before clearing his throat. "Y/N is willing to do whatever's necessary to make it up to you, Alcina. Whatever is necessary, Alci." You didn't really like the emphasis he put on whatever. You scowled at him and he gave a half-hearted shrug. "Sorry." He mouthed at you.

"Heisenberg, you may go, but do not leave this castle under any circumstances, understand?" Alcina looked up with a raised eyebrow. Heisenberg nodded his head and slipped out the study, closing the door behind him.

"As for you, my dear, head down the hall to my chambers. I will attend to you once I am finished in here.” Alcina said.

You nodded your head. “Yes, Lady Dimitrescu.” You replied as you turned to open the door. You didn’t really use her title often but now seemed like an appropriate time for it.

“And pet?” Alcina said, a sly smirk appearing on her face.

“Yes, My Lady?” You responded.

Lady Dimitrescu made a face. “Bathe first. I assume you know how I expect to find you in the room, yes?” You nodded your head. “Good. Have a maid assist you if you must. And don’t fret, your mistress won’t be long, floarea mea mica. You may leave now.” Alcina shooed you away before going back to her work.

You quickly made your way out of the study and headed to her room. “Angelika, I need you to run me a bath and then set up for the Lady, if you don’t mind.” The maid nodded her head and went to run you a bath. You had no idea what Alcina had planned for you, but you knew that you were in for a long night with her.

[messrmoonyy]

number 3 from the physical touch list (hiding face in neck) for remadora please :)) (no pressure)

Not me neglecting previous prompts/requests because this one the one I got motivation for.

Prompt from this list.

I used this to do my spin on the aftermath of the Battle of the Seven Potters, Cause I like anxious overprotective Remus🙃😗✌🏻( I also changed like. The entire dialogue from the original scenes because why not ). Think battle of seven potters but add a little ✨spice and drama✨. I went off on a total tangent on this tbh. As I do with every prompt it seems. Anyway. Hope you like it my dear anon.

Pairing: Remus lupin x Nymphadora Tonks

Warnings: none

Check my masterlist for all my other writing!

She was late. Incredibly so. Her and Ron should have been one of the first pairs to arrive at The Burrow, he’d arranged for her to have one of the shortest routes. He’d not told her that of course but he was quite sure she’d known he’d gotten a little too tetchy and secretly spoken to Alastor. But he had a right to be over protective didn’t he? This was was his wife. The woman he had literally, and in every sense of the word, sworn his life to. Sworn his dying breath to protect her, care for her.

Yet he’d let her put herself in danger. He could have tried to persuade Alastor to let him and George go the same route as Dora and Ron, or at least in the similar direction. He knew he had to be focussed on the war effort, knew he had a duty to protect the children. But… he also had a duty to protect her. His wife. His Dora. And now for all he knew Bellatrix could have struck her down, her body lying lifeless in a field somewhere.

He wasn’t a particular calm man at the best of times, his stress had its own stress, but he had never felt worse than he did in that moment. He’d already practically attacked Harry, was in no way of any comfort to George and Molly. Or anyone else.

So he was waiting out of the way by the window, constantly looking up at the sky through the glass and waiting for her to materialise through the burrows guards, come skidding over and laugh at him for being anxious over nothing. But the sky remained clear of her vibrant hair and her joyful laugh. The stars practically mocking him as he waited.

“ she’s a tough one. She’ll be okay “ Kingsley had appeared at his side “ Bill and Fleur, Ron and Tonks. They’ll all be here soon. Stop fretting Remus “ Remus almost laughed at the sheer stupidity of telling him not to fret over her. As if he ever did anything else. He always worried for her safety, had done long before they had even become a couple. Waiting up for her to come home from late shifts at the ministry in the days she’d stay at Grimmauld, worrying about her when she’d turn up with a new bruise or gash from something. Marrying her had simply made him fret more.

He’d never felt so protective of anyone in his life, never thinking he ever would either. Yet here he was, constantly putting her first and wanting to do nothing but take care of her. She never left his mind, was his first priority forever and always. He didn’t even want to think about what he’d do if he ever lost her, if he ever failed to protect her.

“ Bill and Fleur were scheduled to arrive as one of the last. Dora and Ron should have been one of the first pairs here “ he said it slightly more harshly than intended and turned to apologise to his friend immediately after, but as he did there was the sound of something passing through the guards outside.

Remus charged outside, almost tripping over his own gangly limbs as he went. He froze to the spot in a mixture of shock and relief as Doras broom appeared in the sky, the bristles smoking and charred as she made an unsteady decent to the ground. She landed in a long skid,stumbling from the broom and directly into Remus’ arms. She practically fell into him and would have knocked him to the floor if he hadn’t been stiff as a board.

“ Remus “ she gasped, hugging him so tightly it took the air from his lungs. But he didn’t even care, he’d give his last breath if it meant dying with her there in his arms. Because she was alright. She was right. There “ was so worried about you. The death eaters and- fuck I know you’re really no good on a broom and you bloody hate flying at the best of times. Merlins balls I was so scared “ she rambled so fast Remus barely understood what she was saying to him.

His hand slipped into her hair in some attempt to hold her as close as he could, still trying to accept that she was really there. Safe. Alive. He had worried for nothing of course. He should have known. She was tough. So much tougher than he gave her credit for it seemed.

He gently pried her out of his grip slightly, needing to see her face just to make sure it really was her. That he wasn’t dreaming it.

“ where were you “ as had most of his words that evening, it came out a little harsh but she didn’t seem to care. She reached up to cup his face in a soothing manner that was the complete opposite of his previous words to her.

“ Bellatrix. Wants me dead just about as much as Voldy wants Harry. Missed our port key. But I’m fine. Ron’s fine. We’re fine. You’re fine? “ he could feel tears welling in his eyes and he felt a bit stupid, but he couldn’t help it. Words failed him and he simply just nodded and pulled her back into his arms “ fucking deatheaters “ she grumbled.

He pressed his face into the crook of her neck, breathing in her scent and letting it calm him. She smelt like the fresh air, her hair all wind tousled and the slightest hint of smoke. Probably from her charred broom. Her hand rubbed gentle circles into his back and it made him feel… small. Which was funny with how much smaller she actually was compared to him.

“ sweetheart… I’m fine “ she said softly, clearly reading his fear still evident on him “ Remus “

He lifted his head as her hand patted him lightly, but he couldn’t bare to part from her again just yet and his forehead dropped to hers.

“ I’m afraid I underestimated you once again, darling. I knew deep down you’d make it back to me, I’m getting far too old to be worrying like this “ he said with a hint of a smile.

“ oh don’t worry, you won’t get rid of me that easily. Take more than a few of old Voldys mental lackeys to take me out. You’re stuck with me now. Im going no where “ their faces were so close he could feel her cheeks shift as she smiled with her words. Her nose brushed against his before she pressed a kiss to his lips. He usually was rather strict on his avoidance of showing affection to his wife in front of well… anyone really. But he happily kissed her back, even if he did cut it off a little shorter than he truly wanted. Still wondering at the back of his mind if any of the order were secretly judging him. It’d never escape him no matter how hard he tried not to care about it.

As they pulled apart she then only seemed to notice that there was blood on his hands and his jacket. She took a step back, her hands suddenly searching for an injury.

" blood? Remus? " her hands were frantic as she yanked at his collar, pushed up his sleeves, searching for anywhere she could find an injury. He grabbed ahold of her hands and shook her slightly so that she would look at him, it was clearly her time to fret and not his.

" Dora. Dora relax. It's not mine. It's not my blood. George was hit.. don't worry he's alive. He's lost an ear but he's okay. So am I. Not my blood love, it's not mine " she couldn't seem to help herself then and dived for lips again, holding his face in her hands and kissing him harder than before. He still couldn’t help but be a little reluctant but kissed her back, his embarrassment of kissing her in front of others not mattering when they were both just thankful to be alive and with each other.

" I'm just so happy you're alive " she whispered when she pulled back, resting her forehead to his. He opened his mouth to say something else but suddenly she was yanked out of Remus' embrace and shoved away, her clumsy legs stumbling in the gravel and she fell quite ungraciously onto her ass with a grunt of pain. Remus immediately rushed to her side in confusion.

" what the fuck! " she shouted and Remus looked up to see that Kingsley had been the one to pull her away, his wand now pointed at her face.

" Kingsley! Lower your wand! " Remus immediately jumped to her defence, crouching beside her and placing a hand to her shoulder  " Dora are you okay? Dora? "

" someone betrayed us we have to check everyone. You didn't even confirm her identity Lupin, she could have killed you. Look I didn’t mean to knock you down- we have to be certain you understand? "

" are you bloody mental?! " Dora yelled again, rubbing at her elbow that she’d clearly hurt on the way down.

" Kingsley... lower your wand she got Ron back safetly it's quite clearly- "

" we have to check " Kingsley said cutting off Molly, who had come outside with the commotion. Remus helped her back to her feet and then grabbed her hand, stepping in between her and kingsleys raised wand.

" lower. Your. wand. " his voice was commanding as he could muster, Kingsley was his friend. But Dora was his wife. And she came first. And he would put himself between her and a raised wand any and every time. No matter who was on the other end of it.

" Nymphadora Tonks gave me a present for my birthday last year. What was it?" Kingsley asked, ignoring Remus entirely, his wand still pointed at her as she was half hid behind Remus’ body.

" this is ridiculous! We're all turning on each other now? "

" answer the question " Kingsley ignored Remus again, which only made his blood boil more. He was already on edge that evening with the fear of losing his wife. This wasn’t helping to lower his stress levels.

" I know my own damned wife- "

" what was it! " Remus drew his own wand then at the increase in Kingsleys anger, pointing it in Kingsleys direction.

" Remus! "

" lower. Your wand. And step away from my wife " he demanded, not wanting to hurt Kingsley… but willing to if he had to.

" you don't even know if that is your wife"

" please! Stop the both of you! " Molly shouted.

" fucking hell " Dora said and held onto Remus hand harder, stepping better into view " I gave you a new set of quills because I charmed your last lot to throw them self out the window whenever you touched them. Happy? " Kingsley was quiet for a moment longer " now drop your wands. Both of you " Kingsley looked to Remus before finally lowering his wand. But Remus couldn’t. He felt betrayed almost, that someone he thought as a friend would do something like threaten the woman he loved.

Dora pressed gently on Remus' wrist to make him too lower his wand when he didn’t do it if his accord immediately " Remus. Lower your wand...Remus “

" this is exactly what Voldemort would want. To see us all turning on each other. We cannot let ourselves get paranoid like this " Remus said bitterly, wrapping an arm around his wife protectively and finally dropping his wand arm. He knew that Kingsley has been right to check in a way. He had needed to check. Though there were much better ways to go about it rather than pointing a wand at her head. To hold a wand to a witch or wizard was one of the most disrespectful things you could do.

" someone betrayed us "

" Dora and I are never out of each other's sight long enough for anyone to have made a switch or have her as their spy. And you know that. How dare you hold a wand to her head. How dare you " Remus was itching for an argument. And Dora could sense it, also so incredibly good at reading his emotions and thoughts before even he was.

" Remus " she said softly, lifting a hand to gently turn his face to look at her instead of glaring at Kingsley " Remus look at me " she ran her hand gently through his hair and he instantly seemed to relax. His own muscles losing tension without his consent at her touch. She had a knack at being one of the only people to get him to the calm down in almost an instant. Sirius and James had been the only other people he knew that could " relax. It's okay " she transported them into their own little bubble. As if the others were no longer in the burrow too and she kept him there, gently rubbing at his hand until his first unclenched and angry breaths returned to normal.

[vs-redemption]

Aaa im so sorry for bothering you! Can uou do my request from before (homeless kid) but now with hawks, shigaraki, and fatgum please? Im so sorry if its any trouble but your writing isFANTASTIC!!!!!!!!!

A/N: Phew! Sorry for the wait, but I wanted to make sure I gave you something I was proud of. And don’t worry! You aren’t bothering me. I was actually kind of wishing you’d included Hawks in the first request, and Shigaraki was a fun challenge to write! I really hope these meet your expectations.

A Surprise Meeting (Hawks, Fat Gum, and Shigaraki meet their abused child)

Warning:⚠️Mentions of child abuse and homelessness.⚠️

You can read the same scenario but with Bakugo, Iida, and Aizawa HERE You can read the same scenario but with Todoroki and Dabi HERE

Hawks

Hawks knew his patience would be put to the test whenever the Hero Commission called him in for a face-to-face meeting. He’d opened up his agency as far away from the head office as possible for the sole purpose of avoiding their overbearing attempts to control not only his career, but his personal life as well. He appreciated everything the Commission had done for him to an extent. After all, he never would’ve ended up as such a successful hero if they hadn’t taken him in as a child and given him intensive training to perfect his quirk. There were a lot of things he’d hated about living under the Commission’s thumb though. Because of that, he really hated whenever he had to go back there.

“Thanks for coming today, Hawks.” The president of the organization herself had come to greet him. He gave her a roguish grin despite the fact he wanted to role his eyes. He hated when they thanked him for obeying when it wasn’t like he had a choice anyway. “There’s someone we’d like you to meet.”

Hawks followed the president as she led him deeper into the facility than he’d been in a long time. His wings twitched behind him as unpleasant memories began to surface in his mind. He felt confused and uncomfortable when he was brought into a small observation room that had a view of one of the commission’s training spaces behind a large two way mirror. “Are you going to explain what this is all about?” Hawks jokes to try and ease his own tension, “Or are you keeping me in suspense on purpose?”

“I was going to ask you the same thing,” The president’s face remains stoic as she turns away and speaks into an intercom. “Bring her in.” Hawks looks into the training room on the other side of the glass and sees a random agent of the commission step through the door with a tiny little girl following closely behind. She looked to be around two years old. Hawks’ jaw drops in disbelief when he sees the two fluffy wings sprouting from the child’s back. He’d seen other people with wing quirks before, but this kid’s resemblance to him was uncanny. Her hair was darker than his, but the black markings around her golden eyes had his mind reeling.

“Of course we did a DNA test,” the president says flatly. “She’s definitely your child.”

Hawks steps away from the glass and runs a hand over his face, letting the information sink in. The commission had so much influence over his personal life that he’d mostly stayed away from any sort of relationship, knowing that there’d be too much drama over maintaining his image and reputation for him to actually enjoy having that kind of connection with someone. Admittedly, he had bent his own rules and caved into pressure once or twice after graduating the commission’s program. He wasn’t proud of it, but he’d mostly done it out of spite for all the years he’d spent being micromanaged.

“A woman dropped her off a few days ago,” the president’s voice turns sharp. “How could you let this happen?” Hawks wasn’t interested in a lecture at the moment, so he ignores the question in favor of moving closer to the glass and looking at his daughter more intently. She was cleaned up and wearing a standard uniform provided by the commission, but Hawks didn’t miss the painful looking scratches on her face or the raggedy, burned up ends of the feathers on her wings.

“What happened to her?” he asks, surprising even himself at the low tone of his voice.

“The mother admitted to doing most of it,” the president rattles off the information in a clinically detached way. “They’d also been living out on the street for a while as well, so who knows what might’ve happened.” The news was heartbreaking for Hawks. He hadn’t lived in ideal circumstances at that age either, and he wouldn’t wish that sort of life on anyone.

“Your wings didn’t start to grow back until you were a bit older, so we’re assuming it’ll be the same for her,” the president seemed oblivious to the emotional state of the hero standing next to her. “We’ve already started her on a special diet though, and she’ll begin her training regimen at the beginning of next week.”

Hawks wasn’t sure if it was some bird trait related to his quirk or just the knowledge that he was the kid’s father, but some sort of instinct kicked in with such intensity that it washed away any feelings of duty or habits of obedience that had been programmed into his brain.

“You’re not keeping her,” he says fiercely. The president just raises her eyebrows at him.

“The mother left her in our custody,” she states. “You should be thankful that we’re willing to overlook your mistake. With any luck, we’ll be able to groom this girl into a hero just as spectacular as you.”

“If you don’t release her to me, it’ll be you that’s made a mistake,” there was a promise of something terrifying in Hawks’ tone that seemed to finally shake the president’s resolve.

“You really think you’ll be able to be a decent parent?” she asks coldly.

“I won’t let her be robbed of a childhood like I was,” Hawks declares firmly. “If she wants to be a hero, she can make that decision when she’s old enough to do so.” Thankfully, the president decided not to argue any more. Hawks turns back to the window and allows himself to relax a bit. Looking over his daughter again, his heart filled with a love so strong it threatened to overwhelm him. He made a vow to love and protect his little girl so that she had the safest and happiest life possible.

Fat Gum

There was nothing quite like the feeling of walking around the lively streets of Osaka at night. People of all walks of life tended to come out around this time, and the delicious smell of cooking food filled the air. Taishiro Toyomitsu, better known as Fat Gum, could think of no better city to do his hero patrols. The crime rate was a little higher than in other places, but it was worth it for him to have easy access to the yakitori, yakisoba, and okonomiyaki stands that kept his quirk plenty fueled up.

Tonight he was in high spirits as he walked down one of the more famous shopping streets, stuffing his face with incredible snacks, and having friendly encounters with both locals and tourists alike. A couple of young musicians were playing on one of the street corners, so he tossed a few coins into their cup. Everything seemed to be fine basically, other than a few people who’d stumbled out of bars and needed help getting to a taxi. It was one of his more tame patrols, but he wasn’t going to complain about that.

He noticed that he was being followed near the end of the night, when most of the shops and restaurants were starting to close up. The busy streets began to empty as people hurried to catch the last few trains, and only when there were just a handful of people left out sweeping the sidewalks did the figure emerge from the shadows. Fat Gum was surprised to find that his pursuer was a young boy around nine years old with strange, aquamarine colored hair.

“Hey there, kiddo!” he kept a huge grin on his face but still kept his guard up just in case. “Can I help you with anything?” The kid looked to be in pretty rough shape as he gazed up at the BMI hero who towered over him. Fat Gum didn’t like the poor condition of the boy’s clothes, or that he appeared extremely dirty. The most concerning thing of all was how emaciated the boy looked. He could practically see the bones in his arms, and his cheeks were sunken with hunger. He wondered when the poor thing had last eaten a proper meal.

“I’m sorry to bother you,” the kid finally speaks up after a moment. Fat Gum finally noticed that the boy had started shaking like a leaf. He wasn’t sure if the boy was just cold, or if he was actually afraid. He watched as the kid reached into his back pocket and pulled out a tattered old photograph. “By any chance, do you know this woman?” The boy flinches away while holding out the paper for Fat Gum to see.

“I’m not gonna hurt ya, buddy!” the large hero says while taking the photo as non-aggressively as possible. “Let’s just take a quick look at this and… oh.” He recognized the woman staring back at him from the picture. He hadn’t seen her in almost a decade. He’d lost contact with her once she’d broken his heart after a short romantic affair. “Uh,” Fat Gum felt a little awkward, “Is this your mom?” The boy nods his head while keeping his eyes closed. “Then,” Fat Gum chuckles nervously, “am I your dad?”

“Yeah,” the boy mumbles before letting a few tears slip out, “I’m sorry.”

“Sorry?” the need to be a hero for this boy was stronger than his discomfort with the situation. “If anyone should be sorry, it’s me. How could I have not known about this until now?”

“Mom wouldn’t let me tell you,” his voice cracks with emotion. “She said you’d be mad.”

“Well, that’s just silly!” Fat Gum shakes his head in disbelief. “Where is your ma’ now?” The boy finally glances up and meets his eyes. They were the same shape and color as his own.

“She got arrested yesterday,” he admits, sounding embarrassed. “Another hero caught her pickpocketing. She sometimes asked me to help her, but I haven’t been feeling well lately. We don’t have a place to stay either, so we had to find a way to get food.”

Fat Gum hated the thought of that woman not only keeping the existence of his son a secret, but also forcing a young boy to break the law. Perhaps that was why the boy looked so scared. He probably thought he was going to get in trouble too. Fat Gum had other ideas though.

“I’m really sorry that happened to your mom,” he says sincerely, “but she will have to pay for the crimes she committed.”

“I know,” the boy looks back down at his feet.

“But there’s no reason you have to follow in her footsteps,” Fat Gum says cheerfully. “I’m more than willing to take you under my wing. That is, if you don’t mind.” The boy finally allows a tentative smile to grow on his face. He clearly liked the idea.

“Well then, first I think we should get you to a doctor,” Fat Gum reaches down and gently pats the boy’s head. This time, he doesn’t flinch away. “And after that, I’ll make sure you get a decent hot meal! No kid of mine is going to look like skin and bones.” The boy eagerly agrees and allows Fat Gum to scoop him up into his arms. He had a feeling it was going to be a dream come true to finally have the fun and affectionate father he’d always imagined.

Shigaraki

People were always going on and on about how hard public servants worked and how important their jobs were. Heroes, police officers, firefighters, health workers… sure, they all had hefty responsibilities, but nobody ever considered the absolute nightmare it was being the leader of the League of Villains. Shigaraki wanted to see someone else try to manage the group of ragtag, lawless, misfits that he’d been left in charge of. It’d be one thing if they were all there to support him and his diabolical plans, but unfortunately a good number of his followers were just hanging around in the hopes of an opportunity to continue the work of the Hero Killer, Stain.

Stain had always been a sore spot with Shigaraki, ever sense the man had shown up at his hideout just to criticize him for not having a clear goal. He’d never admit it out loud, but the jerk might have had a point. At first, he’d just wanted to kill All Might, but that was only because it was what his master, All For One, had wanted. After All For One had been arrested, Shigaraki was sort of left without a guiding hand or a clear path to follow. He still wanted to kill All Might. And he wanted that annoying Midoriya kid dead too. When he really thought about it, Shigaraki just kind of wanted everyone to be dead.

The door to the villain’s hideout clicked open suddenly, making everyone in the bar turn to see who’d arrived. It was just Dabi, trailing in the scent of burnt corpses. Shigaraki clenched his teeth and sighs in annoyance. That ugly fire user was supposed to be out recruiting people to the League, but all he ever did was incinerate any potential members he came across.

“I didn’t know we were running a daycare service now,” Dabi comments lazily while grabbing a stool at the bar and signaling Kurogiri for a drink.

“What are you talking about?” Shigaraki felt the prickling urge to scratch at the flaking skin on his neck, but managed to control himself. Dabi was always trying to get a rise out of him and the worst thing he could do was take the bait.

“Some crusty looking rugrat is hanging around outside,” Dabi shrugs. “You might want to do something about that.” Shigaraki wasn’t sure if the annoying man was messing with him or not, but he sent Twice to check it out just in case. The last thing they needed was a lost child attracting the attention of any heroes. A few minutes later, Twice returned with what looked like a four year old boy trying to claw his way out of his captor’s arms.

“Put me down!” The kid protests before opening his mouth and biting down on Twice’s fingers. The villain drops the kid who lands with a thud on the floor.

“There really was a kid out there!” Twice gestures to the boy dramatically, “He’s completely rabid though! It’s the cutest thing I’ve ever seen!”

“You picked the wrong place to run away to,” Shigaraki walks up to the boy feeling irritated. “You should’ve stayed with your mommy and daddy.” The boy glares up at him from the ground and Shigaraki gets a big shock. Aside from the hair color, it was like looking into a mirror. The boy had the same piercing red eyes as him. The skin around those familiar eyes was dry and irritated, just like his own too.

“You ARE my daddy!” The kid blurts out and the atmosphere in the bar gets extremely uncomfortable. Of course, the silence is broken by a snort from Dabi.

“Oh man,” he shakes his head. “I can’t believe someone actually had the stomach to sleep with you.”

“Shut up, Dabi!” Shigaraki tries to swallow down the panic and horror bubbling up inside him, but the persistent itch on his neck seemed to double in intensity over this unexpected news. He gives in, reaching up to scratch at the damaged pale skin below his ear. It had been All For One’s idea for him to have an ‘experience’ with a lady. He’d said it was an important part of becoming an adult, but now Shigaraki could only see it as a huge mistake. A voice drifted through his mind, telling him that it would only take five fingers to make this whole problem go away.

“Where’s your mommy?” Toga skips over happily, unable to resist inserting herself into the situation.

“I don’t know,” the boy was putting on a brave face, but it was clear that he was afraid. “We had to leave our house and sleep outside. Mommy said it was because my dad was a villain, but then she was gone when I woke up.”

The story struck a chord in Shigaraki. He’d been left abandoned without a home as well at a very young age. The last thing he wanted to do was sympathize with the brat though. What he wanted was for the kid to disappear. The idea of a guy like him being a parent was laughable. He was barely an adult himself, and he had enough on his plate right now. A small child was only going to be a burden. His fingers twitched, ready to activate his quick as he continues to look down at the helpless boy at his feet. The conflicting feelings inside him were making the itching flare up terribly. Every inch of skin on Shigaraki’s body felt like it was on fire now.

“You’re just like everyone else, aren’t you?” the boy suddenly slumps forward, the fight going out of him. “You hate me.”

A weird resolve washes over Shigaraki at those words. No. He wasn’t like everyone else. If there was one thing all the member of the League of Villains had in common, it was that they’d all been rejected by friends, family, and even heroes for traits they had little or no control over. This boy was just as much a victim of this crooked society as the rest of them.

“You’re forbidden from ever leaving this building,” Shigaraki states flatly. “And don’t expect anyone here to coddle you or clean up after you. The moment you become a nuisance you’re back out on the street.” The boy nods in understanding while finally pushing himself off the ground. Shigaraki wasn’t sure what he’d just signed up for. The only thing he knew for sure was that his job had just gotten a lot more complicated.

[pa-panda-heroes]

Hi! This is chest surgery anon! Im sorry I didn't see your character limit! So sorry! If your requests are open, could I have possibly Dabi, Shigaraki, and Toga? And as for the medical stuff anything is fine with me! You can go all out if ya want! Thank you so much and again so sorry!

Aww, sweetheart!! It’s okay!! I understand <3 a lot of people tend to miss character limits and a while back I didn’t have one, so i take no offense to it! ( ◠‿◠ )b I hope you’re recovering well still~

Dabi, Tomura, and Himiko helping out their s/o who has had chest surgery!

Dabi:

Oof. He understands the struggle of recuperation, hardcore. Because of his staples, stretching too much for Dabi is sometimes agonizing. And replacing the staples into torn skin? Hell itself.

So while he’s not that great at encouragement and would be a nurse with horrible bedside manners, he’d rather do things for you and leave it at that. Dabi can reach out for your phone or your drink, or help you wash your hair if that is a problem for you (he’ll get frisky if you’re well enough, though! He’s a greedy bastard at times).

A lot of his staples he can’t reach, so oftentimes you have to help with that. But now, it’s you that needs help, and he’s kinda relieved in an odd way. It makes him feel less weak, so he’s more than happy - though he won’t admit that - to help change your bandages and keep everything clean and drained out.

He’s a professional at being careful with stitches if there are any, because he has experience from his staples. Bandages, however, are a different story. He has to be really careful not to wrap them too tightly or too loosely, which is hard to do when it’s not your own body.

If you’re stuck with a drainage tube or more (or just regular seepage), he won’t be bothered much by it. After all, he has seen and smelled much worse with his own problems and there’s the burning people alive part. Almost nothing fazes this man.

One concept he doesn’t understand, though, is the whole “it will look worse before it looks better” part. Hold up - you just had surgery, doesn’t that mean it should be, ya know, healing? Why does it look like you got hit with a truck y/n are you dying what tHE FU-

Bruising happens sometimes, Dabi. It’s cool. Swelling means white blood cells are doing their part to repair damaged tissue, higher temperature just means increased blood flow. You have to look up several explanations on the internet before he finally gets it. You’d think he would have experience in this department!

Will 100% secretly whine about it all, though. He’s a massive cuddler behind closed doors, so with your stitches, limited movement, and the likely pain, he’s practically frothing at the mouth to fully cuddle and then some. He knows you can’t help it, though! So he pouts in total silence.

Tomura:

When you tell him you’re gonna need help during your recuperation, he’s totally fine with it. It can’t be that hard, he’ll say. Helping you get dressed? Nah, he’ll be fine. Can’t help cook? That’s fine, he’ll get take-out because he can’t cook for shit. But bandages? Oh.

He’ll be fine, he says. He can do it without looking away, he says. But when it comes to it, Tomura is gone. He’s lost. What the fuck is that? Is that a tube?! Why is it swollen?! Tape is nOT MEANT FOR HUMAN BODIES, Y/N-

You poor thing, you have to teach him how to help out. Removing bandages, cleaning everything with antisceptic, watch out for drainage and note down its color, don’t tug on the stitches, signs of infection - all of it. But at least he’s a good listener! He may not know why he’s doing it, but he knows what he’s doing now, at least.

Tomura won’t be totally clueless to everything. If you’re in pain, he’ll bring out painkillers and something to wash it down with before you can even ask. He’ll also ask if ice or a heating pad is okay. He’s a little clueless, but he’s got the spirit. He’s pretty observant, too.

Tomura will get plenty of pillows to put under your arms if you have to hold them a certain way, too. But they get in the way of his putting his head on your lap, so he’ll get all mopey and just use one of the pillows under your arms. Except he can’t get comfortable because it just isn’t the same, so he’ll constantly adjust his head.

His bedside manners won’t be great, he’ll be gruff when telling you to get better, but you know he means well because he won’t look you in the eye. And because he spoils you with treats like his life depends on it, even though that’s really not the kind of diet you need.

Entirely unfazed if you need help bathing. This, he knows how to do! Unlike Dabi, he won’t get any funny ideas and carries on as if he’s bathing himself. Tomura’s utterly silent most of the time, but it’s not difficult to sprout a whole conversation out of him. It’s really peaceful and serene, and he much prefers it over cleaning out any drainage...

Super gentle, sometimes too gentle. Tomura just worries about hurting you. If you share a bed, he will absolutely refuse to sleep in bed with you and instead opts for the floor next to you. He’s a very active sleeper and he’s afraid he’ll end up whacking you with an arm or something. But then, he has to be close to make sure you’re okay or if you need anything. Hence why he ends up on the floor next to you.

Himiko:

She’s creepily compliant when you ask her to help out during your recuperation. But poor Himiko has no idea what this entails for herself or you. She’s used to creating wounds on other people, not fixing or healing them.

Himiko is average height (for a Japanese woman), so reaching things won’t be a major issue unless you’re much taller and store things up high. ...she’s really good at climbing, though, but if memory serves her, you don’t like it when she does that!

Doesn’t mind blood, swelling, bruising - you name it. The sight, the smell, none of it bothers her at all! In fact, seeing you all banged up and bandaged makes her love you more! It’s like you’re all beaten up and bloodied, and she thrives off of it. She really kinda hates that you’re trying to heal and get better.

Of course, when there’s pain she doesn’t quite care much for that part. You’re not like yourself when you’re hurting so badly, she can tell, and it makes her really nervous and anxious. Himiko gets really quiet and mopey, and even more clingy than she already is.

She’s also pouty because she can’t hang off of you like a sloth off a branch. Himiko is too cuddly for her own good, so on a normal day she’s constantly all over you in any which way. It’s just in her nature. However, if you’re able to reverse the rolls, she’ll be much happier!

Really bad at bandaging. Really bad. She forgets to keep everything clean and what to use, she tends to be rough around the sutures, and she can’t get a bandage to keep in place to save her little butt. There’s tape everywhere when she’s done, and half of it won’t stick. How do people do this for a living?!

She’s not a great nurse. Not really. But she’s definitely a source of entertainment. Himiko talks to herself under her breath a lot, and sometimes she’ll say the funniest things when she’s confused about how to do something. Doesn’t matter if it’s her nurse-ly duties or be it cooking and getting clothes for you.

Himiko won’t really bother looking up medical jargon and what’s needed to help you in that department. It’s not that she doesn’t want you getting better. She just really enjoys having you rely on her even if for a short while! It’s more time you get together after all, and she’s super clingy.

[fiveisnumber1]

A Mother’s Love - A Timeless Side Piece

A/N: Happy Mother’s Day! Here’s a little side piece featuring our favorite mom, Grace! ❤️

_________________________________

Grace stared at the picture that the shaggy man had handed to her outside the Southlife Hotel. It unsettled her. Was this her Reggie or was that man who handed it to her truly just delusional? She didn’t know. She wanted to believe that this was all a misunderstanding but something ate at her. Was she putting you at risk by being with him? All these close calls and times where you could’ve gotten hurt synced up with the knowledge of the president coming to Dallas. You had never been in any danger before and in the span of a week your life had been threatened multiple times. Grace needed to know that this was all just coincidence. 

Taking a car to the D.S. Umbrella Manufacturing Co. building she snuck inside with the spare key Reginald had given her. Entering his office, she looked around through the papers and desk drawers but found nothing. Maybe she was letting this all go to her head. But then out of the corner of her eye she saw a light coming from...behind the bookcase? Curious, she walked over and started to pull the bookcase trying to access what was behind it. The case moved with ease and opened like it was a door. When it was wide enough Grace peeked her head in and her eyes went wide. There was a secret room back here. Carefully she stepped inside and slowly looked around. There were tons of blueprints and notes hung up on bulletin boards all around the room. What was this stuff?

 As she approached the table in the center of the room Grace noticed a thick file folder laying on top of it. Opening the folder, She found a flurry of images all relating to the president before finding a printout of a map showing the route the motorcade was supposed to take tomorrow. Her heart raced and her voice wavered as she said,

“Oh, my God.” She continued to look at the map in shock until she heard a voice ask, “What are you doing in here?”

Her head shot up and looked over towards the entrance. There stood Reginald looking on with a blank expression, his hands in his pockets and he quietly waited for a response.  “Not sure what I could say that would overwrite the obvious.” Grace responds nervously

Reginald nods his head and leans against the frame of the entrance. His eyes still on Grace as he follows up, “Fair enough. New question, then. Why are you doing it?”

IF she was going to get an answers it was going to have to be now. 

“Are you involved in somethin' nefarious?” Grace asks

Reginald stands up straight again as he slowly starts to walk over to Grace. “Quite often. Did you have something more specific in mind?” He questions back

Grace backed up a little bit to put some space between her and Reginald. She felt crazy in this moment, like she was torn in two. This was her Reggie, he would never hurt anyone but these pictures she found made her feel otherwise. Not knowing how to explain herself Grace rambles, “That- that shaggy man at the consulate, the one who chased after us with the boy.”

“Calls himself Diego.” Reginald states

“Yes, that's the one. He...he thinks that you want to harm the president.” “I see. You take the word of lunatics these days?” Reginald inquires

Grace felt backed into a corner. She needed to lighten things because she didn’t know what she could trust at this point. If she could just get some positive reassurance, that’s all she’d need. “Not over yours, but these...these photographs, they're all about the president's visit tomorrow, aren't they?” Grace questioned “You know there are aspects of my work I cannot discuss. You've always respected that line.” Reginald comments “I don't need to know the details, Reggie. I just need to know that you're not involved in what I'm afraid you might be.” Grace states

Reginald takes a step forward and asks, “What are you really afraid of, my dear?”

Grace wasn’t born yesterday. She knew what he was implying. He was implying that she was afraid of him, and in a small way she was. Grace started to realize all the things she didn’t know. All the secret meetings behind closed doors and the late nights in his office. She barely knew anything but the surface of who this man was. Grace looked at him with sadness and confusion in her eyes, “There's so much about you I don't understand.” “I could say the same about you.” Reginald replies with a smirk

Grace can feel herself shake as she takes a step towards him. Her heart felt like it was being torn in two given all that had happened in these very few moments. She still loved him but loving him felt much harder with ever roundabout dismissive answer he gave her. Practically begging him for a straight answer. Grace says, “I want to share my life with you, Reggie, but I need to know you're a good man. I need to know you would never hurt the president.” “As I said, there are elements in my life that I can't discuss with you. Someday, I hope to share it all with you. Until then, I'm asking you to trust me.”

Tears built in her eyes. This wasn’t going to work. She wanted to know that no harm would be done to an innocent person and he could not give her that answer. He gave her no answer at all. If he could not guarantee the safety of the president how could he ever guarantee the safety of you. “I can't wait that long. I'm sorry.” Grace states as she starts to walk away

“Grace. Wait.” Reginald calls out

Grace stops in place and turns on her heels to face him. Before he can say anymore she answers,

“No Reggie. If you can’t tell me that you’re not going to harm the president with your work how do I know one day your work won’t cause us harm?”

“I would never let that happen.” Reginald states firmly

“How can I believe that when you won’t tell me what’s going on? It’s not even my safety that I’m worried about. It’s the safety of my daughter. She has been put in harms way enough and I refuse to have her come close to harm ever again.” Grace exclaims

“She’ll be safe if we all stay together. Please just calm down.”

Calm down? She couldn’t calm down if the safety of her child was on the line. A child who Reginald took in and help to raise. Yes, you were an adult the whole time but the three of you made a family. Grace though Reginald had seen you as his daughter but he couldn’t even give a straight answer about protecting you. 

“Reggie, It is my duty as a mother to protect my child and if you’re involved in something that can end up hurting her then I don’t want any part in it.” Grace angrily retorts

Reginald looked at her, taken aback. He had never seen her so angry before. Actually, he had never seen her angry at all. Grace silently looked at him before attempting to turn away. Trying to keep her there, Reginald blurts,

“There’s things about her that she’s not telling you, Grace.”

Grace turned back again and narrowed her eyes at him. Her tone sharper as she remarked,

“Well, everyone has secrets Reggie. You would know that.”

“She needs to be around me, someone who can handle her.” Reginald harshly explains

Grace couldn’t believe what she was hearing. He was talking about you as if you were a pet to be trained or like some kind of lab rat. You were a person not some kind of object to be used. Disgust coursed through her veins.

“Handle her? My daughter is not some animal Reggie!” Grace yelled “She doesn’t need to be handled she needs to be loved and protected from the dangers of this world.”

“Grace, please just listen to me, (Y/N) is more than just your daughter!” Reginald exclaims

“You’re right! She’s my world!” Grace yelled back “Y’know, I always wondered why she was so abrasive and sarcastic with you and now I see why. She saw your true colors when I couldn’t.”

“You cannot just take her away from me!” Reginald shouts

“I can and I will.” Grace firmly replies “Now, I’m going back to the house to take my things and my daughter as far away from you as possible.” 

Finally turning around, Grace storms out of the room and out of the building towards her car.

“Grace!” Reginald called behind her

There was no response. She had left and it became clear in that moment to Reggie that a mother’s love would always trump that of a lover’s trust.

[whump-town]

Scratch

Here is the Scratch fic. I sincerely love the beginning but the ending makes me want to scream in frustration. However, I simply can not stand to look or think about it any longer so cherish this fic for the first 800 words and pretend the last 400 don’t exist because... it’s just miserable writing and I can’t fix it 

There used to be a point in time when Derek Morgan despised some of the additional duties of the Behavioral Analysis Unit. Aaron had been the barrier of that bad news, physically bringing him the sign-up sheet and explaining the general ins and outs of each option. Hotch always does the hostage negotiation class and it’s where he fits best. He was there when Dave, Jason, and Max started the book they teach out of. Being a hot-headed thirty-something Derek wanted to go to bars and hang out with friends in his spare time and he wanted nothing to do with the academy. If anything, he’d like to stay out of that hell-hole as best he can and away from the little savor complex having adrenaline mongers that it holds within its walls. But he’d grown… and more than that he saw things that he can’t forget. Fallacies and stumbles happen when agents aren’t taught by people who know what they’re doing. He’s watched them happen to his family and, suddenly, it didn’t matter all that much if he had to spend his Friday morning with cadets. 

While Aaron works in the lecture halls, Derek spends a lot of time teaching the hand-to-hand combat class down in the academy’s basement. Every few months, when the class sizes diminish as the season dies down and the cadets graduate, Derek hassles them all down there to his thrown of rubber gym mats and the stench of sweat. He’s always met with hesitation and outright dismissals but he gets every last one of them down. Reid laughs him off, anxiously trying to provide every reason under the sun as to why he doesn’t need to be down there. “Hotch doesn’t even put me in the field that much!” and “why do I need that? Why can’t you protect me?” They all present him with similar points. Garcia doesn’t actually ever go in the field, the best taste she gets is going to local precincts. Hotch nods and listens but ultimately promises to get some time in someplace else, running maybe. In Derek’s experience, the only running Hotch does is into fires so that’s obviously not helping too much. 

Derek has wrangled them all down. JJ goes without complaint, she enjoys rough-housing down there with him. He teaches her to protect her left flank, which she has an awful habit of leaving open. Emily will make her way down and raise hell but she’ll listen when he tells her to drop her shoulder more or to shift her weight a certain way. Derek’s trouble comes in Reid and Garcia and, though it’s both surprising yet not, Hotch. He’ll bait the other two down with snacks and the promise of lunch or a dinner date and they’re satisfied if not just putting up with him. Hotch… well, he has to catch him at the end of a seminar and ask him, in front of the students, to do it otherwise Hotch will just glare at him. Which is what he’ll do when Derek asks him in front of the cadets but Hotch has a dash of anxiety and wedged between Derek Morgan standing in his way stopping him from being able to go lock himself in his office and a hoard of cadets, he always cracks. 

He doesn’t do it to torture them (no matter what Reid and Garica think). He does it because...

He remembers the feeling of the cold November breeze drying his sweat to his skin when he heard Hotch’s shout sound through the woods. To find Reid digging his own grave in a dark cemetery hardly able to stand and collapsing right into their arms. The way that Garcia had whimpered and held his hand a little tighter when they walked past the dark stain of her blood sitting right there on her front steps. For the vomit that had crawled up his throat as he ripped the carpet in Hotch’s apartment. Jerking too hard and feeling the blood soaking into his clothes. For the ache of his knees when she cradled Emily on that floor, begging her to stay with him. Her fingers are already cold. For having to listen to JJ’s screams months after she was taken. Finding her in the closed-off rooms sobbing and being reminded all over again what had happened that day and what would have happened if Emily and Hotch hadn’t found her.

He’s just… he’s so tired of seeing them get hurt. 

“Hotch’s going there now.” 

Derek sits up, eyes darting around the car as he realizes if they’re all here Hotch is entirely alone. “Without back-up?” he asks. “That’s crazy. He can’t go in alone like that.” 

Dave shrugs, “well, I’d love to talk him out of it but he’s made his mind up. There’s no stopping him.” Dave meets his eyes through the mirror, face twisted in his own frustration with Aaron’s course of actions, but leaving them unspoken. “We’re right behind him, Morgan. He’ll be fine.” 

Derek averts his gaze to the window, clenching his jaw to ride out the tide of anger boiling over within him. Sometimes he finds that he can’t stand working on this unit. Not with Dave and people like Aaron and Emily. All the hiding and the faking, it’s too much. It’s exhausting. Derek loves Emily, he does but he can’t stand the tiptoeing. The way they have to play every new hand dealt like everything is going to be fine. Like Hotch isn’t going to put himself in danger. Like Reid isn’t too young to be doing the things they ask of him. Like being a family somehow saves the day.

“Be careful,” Dave advises. They don’t know what they’re walking into. Their only way to see insides hasn’t answered their calls. Not Garcia’s and not the three Dave tried to get through. “One of ours is in there,” Dave adds as if they can forget. As if the most pressing thing on any of their minds is finding Hotch. Afraid of what they’ll find but the need to find him regardless of what waits on the other side of that door is stronger. 

Derek goes in first. Reid presses in close, buzzing with his anxiety. The kid can never really get his mind clear but it’s worse when the danger is as clear as it is now. As they stand outside of the door knowing that whatever waits on the other side is entirely out of their control. And that can mean anything. “Ready?” Derek asks, but he’s not waiting for an answer.

The door opens without him needing to force it in but the house is bathed in darkness. Derek’s eyes dart to the only source of light, to his left a desk lamp, but he’s got to clear what’s in front of him. Leave someone else to assess that. He steps into the hall and throws up an arm as something sharp slices through the flesh of his forearm, his only warning the moan of an old floorboard. There’s a tangle of arms, their sight stolen by the way the walls of the hall consume the meager light from the desk.

Derek’s hand throbs as he punches blindly at ribs, finding no resistance, just bone. The other man puffs, caving in as Derek steals the breath from his lungs. The knife glints in the light, as the man turns his wrist but Derek sees it and he smacks it away with the flat of his palm meeting the man’s wrist hard. It’s over just as soon as it started. Reid gets a clear shot from the mouth of the hallway and Derek shoves the other man off and away from him. Staggering quickly to kick the knife further away.

His arm stings as he leans against the wall, moving his gun to throw the beam of his flashlight at his attacker. Finds the blood attached to the white dress-shirt. To the sharp jaw and the worry lines that he knows all too well. “Oh, God.” Derek falls to his knees, arm suddenly forgotten, as he defends himself from what’s left of Hotch’s fight. Slipping in his blood as Hotch tries to force him away, terrified. “Hotch--” the older man lands a solid blow to Derek’s sternum and all Derek sees is red as his vision dances and he struggles to pull in a breath.

It’s just enough time. Too much.

Pulling himself on rapidly numbing arms, Hotch slips in his blood. His adrenaline is working against him as his arms quake beneath him but there is still a threat and he has to eliminate it. Has to stop it from hurting the team. Peter is going to kill them. He knows. He knows it and he’s the only chance they have. His fingers curl around the knife but he can not force his legs to work. Can’t bend his knees. 

“Hotch! Man, it’s me. It’s--”

No. Tears sting his eyes as he thinks about the real Derek Morgan. His friends, his family. About the son, he’s left at home again. Waiting for him to come home. He’s not sure he’s coming back this time but that’s beyond his control. He can save the others. He needs them to live. Crying out as his arm gives out from beneath him, chin hitting the floor hard as his body gives out from beneath him, Hotch knows this is it. He’s got no time left but he won’t let Peter Lewis hurt his team.

The second bullet rips through the air and he feels it lodge itself in his chest. 

Peter is right there.

He doesn’t feel the third.

Derek cries out, his shout ripping his throat as he puts himself between everyone else and Hotch. Pulling the knife from Hotch’s cold limp fingers and throwing it down the hall as far as he can. “Hotch,” he cries, shaking the older man. “Hotch, man, look at me.” He grabs Hotch’s jaw, shaking his head. Trying to draw something sort of reaction out of him but only getting choked, strangled breathes. The wet sound of the blood hitting the back of his throat before it pools in his mouth. Gushing past his lips, trailing down his cheeks like a tear.

“Fucking help me!” Derek cries at the officers loitering-- all caught in the web of confusion. They’d just watched the downed man attack the special agent. They watched him go for the knife again, try to end it. It’d been their bullets that stopped him. They stopped him… “Move!” Derek screams at them. “Move! Do something! I-- I need help!” 

JJ drops down on Hotch’s other side, her hand swiping through the blood on Hotch’s face quickly. Her thumb cleaning it away as quickly as it appears, her other hand coming to cup the side of his head, shushing him gently as she strokes his temple. “It’s okay,” she soothes, calmly. “You’re okay, Aaron. We got Peter Lewis. We got him. You’re okay.”

He fights against them, struggling but ultimately too weak, to pull away from JJ’s warm palm and the hand Derek uses to keep both his arms down. He can’t go anywhere forced to look at them and he’s torn between the way his eyes deceive him. JJ’s hands are cold, they’re always cold. Peter Lewis wouldn’t know that. He wouldn’t know how softly his name rolls off her tongue, quick to slip in Aaron when he doesn’t even know he needs it. How she says it and he can feel his humanity slip right back into place. 

Peter Lewis couldn’t produce that panicked crack in Derek’s voice. The way Derek throws his words like punches. 

He’s not sure what’s real. 

“No, no, no!” Derek pushes at him, sending bolts of pain along his chest but Hotch can’t do it any longer. Each breath pulls more weight across his chest. The cold spreads down his arms, fingers hardened by its bite. He’s done. The confusion-- his vision fading in and out-- but he knows that when he closes his eyes the hands touching him are Derek and JJ. When he opens them again… he doesn’t know what is real.

“Stay with me,” Derek commands but he’s slipping there’s nothing. His hands are covered in blood and he’s torn between leaning into JJ’s palm and being convinced that maybe the voice in his head is right. This is all a trap. But he’s dying and he’d rather do it here with the fictive parts of them in his mind than with whatever is real.  

JJ squeezes his hand, worrying his knuckles with her fingers until he squeezes back. “Just hold my hand,” she encourages. “Just squeeze my hand.” He’s there but he knows his brain will lie if he opens his eyes. She's right there, he tells himself. Right there. “Hotch!” JJ shouts, feeling his hand start to release. She folds her own over his, forcing the grip. “Hotch! Hotch, answer me!”

[fallingforyou123]

You Will Never Be A God-Une

Warnings: Slight language, implied smut, alight angst

Word Count: 1.7k

A/N: Here is the official part one! Hope you'll like it, reblogs and feedback are always appreciated!

Series Masterpost

The sheets hung loosely around her frame, the only thing keeping her from being exposed to the cold air. The stranger laid beside her in a dazed out state, chest rising ever so slowly. A small cloud of smoke engulfed the both of them, a bad habit Stevi had picked up from an ex of hers.

“Those will kill you one day.”

“No more than sleeping with strangers will.”

“Touche.”

Stevi moved to get dressed, keeping quiet to avoid another conversation. Leaving was always bad, but leaving when there was still so much to be said was the worst. She couldn’t quite place it, but there was a feeling, something small sitting in her gut. It worried her, she’d never felt like this with a stranger. So safe and comfortable.

“Stay. Just till the morning, I’ll have my driver take you home.” Came the voice from the other side of the bed.

“No, definitely no. I have rules, no names, no staying. I can’t”

“What a lonely life you must live, to disconnect so much from those around you.”

Stevi looked at him, truly looked at him. He looked so much different than the man she met a couple hours ago. His perfectly gelled hair was nothing more than a brown mess atop his head, his eyes were clouded with a sleepy haze, and his suit had been replaced by a very thin sheet. He looked like someone she could see herself falling for back in university, she had to remind herself that this was a man with a lot of money, someone she’d probably dig up dirt on for an article.

She shook her head, she needed to leave.

After she finished dressing, she grabbed her bag from the front room and slipped out the door. Checking her phone she saw a couple missed calls from Brooke and an enthusiastic ‘be safe!’ text from Poppy. She quickly both, ensuring them that she was not dead in a ditch somewhere, before ordering an uber and hoping in the elevator.

***

The rest of the weekend had gone by in a blur. She’d spent all of Saturday nursing her hangover with ice cream and old reruns of Golden Girls in bed. Then Sunday was brunch with the girls at a little cafe where she was forced to share every detail of the events that unfolded Friday night, only leaving out how weird she had felt in the strangers' company. And then all too soon she was getting ready for a week of meetings and interviews.

Walking into the office, Stevi was greeted by her boss informing her that her 11am was now Stevi’s and ‘oh, look, he’s early.’ She mentally groaned, there was not enough caffeine in the world to make this worth it. Don’t get her wrong, Stevi loved her job, but god did she hate her boss. She was flakey, and whenever anything didn’t appeal to her, she’d simply give it to Stevi with barely any notice. There were far too many nights that she had to stay late because she was given a column to write only hours before it was due.

With a heavy sigh, she walks into the conference room, hoping that this won’t last long. “Good morning, my name is Stevi, I’ll be doing the interview today since Diane couldn’t be here.”

“Rule one.”

She whips her head up towards the man, “What?”

It’s in that moment that she realizes who this is, the man from Friday night. And coincidentally, Tom Holland. She should’ve known the other night who he was, his name and face had been plastered on the bulletin board for weeks, one of their most anticipated interviews this year. Tom was not only a pretty face, but the youngest CEO to be running an international company in decades. His father had started Holland and Co. Publishing almost 30 years ago, and only a few months ago he handed it over to Tom.

“I said, rule one darling. You’ve broken it.” She’d forgotten how lovely that voice was, remembering how captivating it was to have him whispering in her ear.

“I heard what you said, Mr. Holland.”

“Call me Tom, you’ve more than earned that privilege.”

“This is my place of work, not some stupid nightclub, I keep things professional here.”

Neither of them take their eyes off the other, a silent war taking place between the two of them.

“Well, if you’re such a professional, stop looking at me like you’re wanting to fuck me.”

A small gasp leaves Stevi. She stands up to leave, gathering her things, and looks at him with venom in her eyes, “Mr. Holland, I’m afraid that this interview is over, if you would please talk to the receptionist she will reschedule you in with someone other than me.”

A small look of shock crosses Tom’s face before he too stands, reaching out to grab Stevi’s arm, “Wait, I'm sorry. Sit down, I’ll be civil.”

Reluctantly, she does. Placing her notebooks in front of her and pulling out the recorder. Before she begins she gives Tom a warning look, “One word, one single word out of line, and this is over.” To which he nods and sits back, hands folded in his lap, looking like a true business man.

***

The rest of the interview goes by smoothly, only a couple of suggestive looks being thrown her way before he bites his tongue. Stevi’s never been more relieved to finish something in her life, the tension between the two becoming almost unbearable as the interview went on. “Okay, I think that’s all we need for the article, a draft will be sent to your assistant to go over before we publish it in next week's business column.”

Stevi stands quickly, ready to put everything behind her and spend the rest of her day hiding in her office. Before she can leave, a hand is wrapped around her arm once again, and body right behind her. “Let me take you to dinner, darling. A reward for being good.”

The voice in her ear sends a shiver down her spine, and for a second she debates it, “Tom, I can’t. I don’t mix business with pleasure, this is already a conflict of interest.”

“More of those damn rules. Live a little, let your guard down for once.” He looks at her with pleading eyes, something that makes him look more like his true age. That feeling sneaks its way back into again, and for a moment, while she stares into his eyes, nothing else exists. Just the two of them and a world of possibilities.

“If I say yes, this stays between us. The people we are here, and the people we are then are not the same. My job may not seem dangerous to you, but it could be very bad for me if someone gets the wrong idea.”

Tom nods, he knows all too well what she means. “Tonight at 7, meet me at The Garden on 22nd, I’ll make the reservation.”

She agrees, lets him put his number in her phone, and gives Tom one last smile before heading down the hall to her office.

She jumps when she sees someone sitting at her desk, “James, what are you doing here?”

“What, can’t check in on my favourite captain?”

“Not without a secret agenda, and last I checked, I have nothing to report to you, I’m off duty.” Stevi walks towards him, pushing his legs off of her desk.

“Ah, sweetheart, you’re never off duty. Not when you’re talking to men like that.” James points out the door, to where Tom can be seen talking to the receptionist.

“That is none of your business, James.”

“I want details, everything you can find out about him, on my desk by Friday, you know what’ll happen if it’s not. Have a good day Stevi.” And with that, James walks out of the room, leaving a chill hanging in the air.

Stevi suddenly can’t breathe, the four walls surrounding her feeling like a cage. She quickly grabs her things and walks to Dianes’ office, telling her there’s a family emergency and she’ll work on the article at home. Within minutes she’s scrambling to get into her car, dialing Poppys’ number, needing someone to calm her down.

She spends the rest of the day on Poppys’ couch trying to recover from her near mental breakdown. This life was never something she wanted, she’d been dragged into it by her ex. After he failed to complete a simple task, he was killed in their apartment, and she was responsible for finishing it out. But it’s never that simple, one task turned into two, and then four, and now she was too far in to be able to leave.

All too soon, it was 6:30 and she was leaving for her date with Tom. She’d left Poppys an hour ago, promising her that there was nothing to worry about, it had just been a bad day. She drove in silence, not wanting to focus on anything but the road. She got to the restaurant right on time, quickly being seated in one of the private rooms. She’d been here once before with her parents when she first moved to the city. They’d taken her out to celebrate and they’d spent the night drinking fancy wine and eating more food than they could’ve ever imagined.

Lost in her memories, she didn’t realise how much time had passed since she’d arrived. Checking her phone she saw that it was now quarter past, and no sign of Tom. She tries texting him, thinking maybe he’d gotten off of work late. By 7:30 she starts to panic, she’s 2 glasses of wine in and still no sign of him. To no avail, she calls him, worry turning into anger when it goes straight to voicemail.

It’s almost 8 when the waiter informs her that Tom has called, he won’t be making it, but to order whatever she likes and he’ll pay for it.

And so she sits there, wine glass in hand, wishing she’d never even met Tom.

[electrictoes]

Greater Than Being Loved

For @dailysvu’s Sonny Carisi Week

Day 3: Trust Relationship: Amanda Rollins / Sonny Carisi

Read on AO3

“Do you trust me?” he says it with a grin on his sun-kissed face, showing off his missing front tooth as he does so. He’s leaning forward, one hand on the first rung of the monkey bars and the other on Bella’s back. He’s stretching out, the soles of his sneakers bent against the warm metal of the platform they’re standing on.

Bella shakes her head, tries to step back from him, but his hand is firm on her back.

“C’mon,” he says, “I won’t let you fall.”

“You will,” she whispers, shaking her head again. “Sonny, I’m scared.”

“I’ll go first,” he says, “I’ll go backwards so I can see you.” He lets go of the bars and her to turn around, and Bella watches with wide eyes as he tips himself backwards, leaning off the platform just enough to grip the bar behind him, his back curved as stretches outward. Bella gasps out as he kicks off of the platform, letting his legs swing in front of him, holding himself suspended by the tight grip of his hands on the unyielding metal of the bar.

He glances over his shoulder, reaching behind himself to move another rung further along, Bella still watching with worry on her face. “C’mon, now you,” he says.

“You can’t catch me, Sonny. You’re swinging.”

“It’s safe,” he promises her, like he doesn’t have a purple bruise on his elbow from falling from these exact same monkey bars last week. He sighs, releasing his grip on the bar and letting himself drop straight down, landing roughly on his feet, the impact reverberating up his legs. “Bella,” he insists, looking up at her from the ground now, “Trust me, I’d never let anythin’ happen to you.”

She reaches one hand out tentatively, her eyes on him below her, and he yells up to watch where she’s putting her hands. He watches, worrying his bottom lip between his teeth as she grips the monkey bars first with one hand, then the other. “Come on, Bella!” he says - proud of her for trying. She takes several deep breaths before she kicks off, her feet swinging beneath her, and a smile breaks out on her face that’s as wide as his is.

“I’m doin’ it, Sonny!” she says, and he cheers along with her. She reaches out a hand for the second bar, then the other, her legs dangling below her as she begins to move.

She makes it to the third bar with no problem, but when she stretches out for the fourth one she loses her grip, her sweat soaked hand slipping against the bar, and she’s dangling with one hand, panicking in mid-air even as he moves to stand directly beneath her.

“Just swing your arm back up,” he says, but he knows it’s not going to help. Bella screams as she lets herself fall - but he promised she could trust him, so he’s quick enough to sort-of catch her. It’s clumsy and awkward, he’s only a little bit bigger than her, but he does grab hold of her before she hits the ground, her leg connecting painfully with his stomach as he does so.

“I’ve got ya,” Even though he’s winded and he’s twisted his shoulder a little bit trying to catch her, Sonny is still smiling when he helps Bella upright on the ground, brushing wood-chips from her bare knees, “You okay, Bell?”

“You caught me,” Bella says with a smile, racing off to climb back up to the platform - she looks down at him with trust in her eyes as she stretches out to try again.

It takes another six attempts before she makes it all the way across, and Sonny has a fresh bruise on his chin where her foot connected with his face on her fourth try, but he doesn’t mind at all.

Sonny wants to be trusted. He wants to protect people, wants the people around him to know that he’ll do everything he can to keep them safe. He’s been that way for as long as he can remember - he’d taken his big brother duties very seriously when Bella was born - but that need to be trusted, to be a safe space, grew much bigger than always being ready to catch his little sister.

He’s reliable; he’s a confidant. His sisters tell him things they’d never tell their parents, never tell each other. They trust him to keep their secrets and to help solve their problems.

He was fourteen when he’d sat next to Gina on the bathroom floor, letting her squeeze the blood out of his hand while they anxiously watched for the lines to form on the at-home pregnancy test she’d bought at a drug store in Manhattan earlier that day. She’d come into his room, shaking and afraid. The, “Don’t tell Mom and Dad,”  that fell from her lips was an unnecessary instruction. Sonny could be trusted with this.

Mom and Dad had gone grocery shopping, and Bella was at a sleepover, so Gina had unlocked the bathroom door and tugged him in to wait beside her. He squeezed her hand back just as tightly, letting her rest her head against his shoulder, didn’t object as her warm tears dripped down his collar, “It’s gonna be okay,” he whispered to her, “Whatever it says.”

Her fearful tears had turned to sobs of joy when the test came back negative, and he’d hugged her, and promised never to tell a soul.

He was sixteen when he found his mother crying in the kitchen after school; she was sat at the dining table, her head in her hands. He knew by the quiet of the house that his sisters weren’t home; knew his father wouldn’t be back from work for a couple more hours. He’d walked tentatively towards her, whispered, “Mom,” carefully, so as not to startle her.

She had held out a hand and he’d gone to her. He’d sat with her, put his arm around her, comforted her like she had comforted him throughout his childhood. She had cupped his cheek in her hand, given him a watery smile, “Dominick,” she’d said, and he knew that this was something big. “Your father doesn’t know,” she’d started.

He kept his arm around his mother as she told him what she’d done earlier that day - about the unborn baby who would have lived a life only of pain, about the cruel situation she’d found herself in, and the only way she could see out of it. How she’d made a choice she never expected to make. They had cried together; he had grieved the sibling he would never have, but he had never broken her confidence.

Trust comes in different forms. Becoming a police officer was about trust, in a way. That same desire to be trusted. To protect. It’s not as black and white as that - the world doesn’t work the way it does in the movies, and people don’t trust him implicitly because he wears a badge. He has to earn it - has to show people they can trust him, and over time he thinks he gets pretty good at it - getting victims to trust him enough to open up, making perps trust him enough to let their guard down.

He has to trust his partner. Has to, because sometimes that’s all that stands between him and a bullet. As a beat cop, he trusts his partner - to an extent. He’s an old school cop who says things he probably shouldn’t, but his heart’s in the right place and he wants to do a good job.

As a detective, working homicide, he trusts his partner. He’s a good man, a good cop. But homicide doesn’t work out - he wants to do more. He wants to stop the murders before they happen - get people out of a bad situation before it gets worse. But SVU is hard, and he tries to find his place as he’s shunted from borough to borough, each time trying to fit in with the crowd he’s just left behind. But Manhattan sticks; once he loses the front - and the moustache, which in hindsight was as much of a mistake as Gina told him it would be - and grows into a better detective, he learns from the squad and they begin to trust him as he begins to trust them.

He’s never had a partner like Amanda Rollins though. Never had anyone in his life he trusts the way he trusts her. As a partner, first and foremost - she has his back on duty and off and he’ll have hers too. If he’s walking into danger he knows she’s by his side, and knows she’ll always protect him. He’d take a bullet for her without hesitating.

He trusts Olivia, and Fin - early on Nick, later Dodds, eventually Kat - and over time he trusts them with more than just keeping him alive on the job. With small parts of his personal life - first, he trusts them with Tommy’s case, then he starts to trust them with little parts of himself; stories, memories.

It’s still not like it is with Amanda. Amanda he tells things he’s never told anyone - he tells her about his first crush, about the embarrassing way he’d broken his arm when he was ten; he tells her his fears, his hopes. He lets her into all the dark places of his life. She trusts him right back. Not as readily, not as simply - but when she’s in hospital, pregnant with Jesse and afraid of the future, she lets herself cry in front of him and he knows. Knows that this bond is mutual and more than anything either of them have had with a partner before.

Their faith and trust in one another is put to the test more than once - there’s a sting of betrayal when he leaves for the DA’s office that threatens to close off the barriers he’s broken through. It doesn’t last.

He’s her safe place. She never says it aloud he but he feels it. Feels it in the way she trusts him with her children; feels it after Bucci when she collapses against him in the elevator, lets him hold her and he whispers that’s he’s got her; feels it at the hospital with her father hooked up to machines down the hall, and nurses and relatives assuming they’re together.

That trust goes both ways. It’s her he lets check over his injuries after his stay in the homeless shelter; it’s Amanda who wipes Tom Cole’s blood from his face, and it’s Amanda who’s there for him after Mia’s case goes sideways. It’s Amanda who’s by his side seconds after Henry Mesner comes at him in the court room, and it’s Amanda he calls at night when the dark is creeping into his head; it’s her he trusts with his fears as much as his triumphs.

He falls in love with her without even realising it. He just wakes up one morning and knows he’s done for.

And then - then one warm summer evening, the lights on the Hudson behind them, the sounds of a celebration just feet away, Amanda trusts him enough to take a leap - to press her lips to his and risk everything they’ve built to create something even better.

“Do you trust me?” he says it with a grin on his sun-kissed face. He’s leaning forward, arms dangling over the beach hut railing in front of him, the sandals on his feet skimming the sand covered deck they’re standing on.

She nods her head, taking a step closer to him, her hand sliding across his back.

“Good,” he says, “Because there’s somethin’ I wanna ask you.”

“Okay,” she whispers, nodding her head, “Go on.”

He pushes himself off of the railings, rolling back onto his heels as he looks at her. He doesn’t speak at first, his sandals make a quiet grinding sound as he steps back over the sand, only moving a few inches, still close enough that her hand stays resting on his back. He turns his gaze back to the beach; there are four wooden steps going from the front porch to the beach itself, and just a few feet away Jesse and Billie are building sandcastles - grains of sand are clinging to the remnants of sun block on their arms and legs, and Jesse had wound a beach towel around her shoulders as the temperature dropped, the sunsetting beautifully just beyond them, neither girl noticing, too caught up in their task.

He turns to look at her after a few seconds, that grin back on his face, “You know I’ve always got your back, right?” he says, and she moves her hand away, steps around so that she can rest both of her hands just above his hips, so that she can look him in the eye as she nods.

“You’ve mentioned it.”

He ducks his head, his cheeks pinking beyond the light sunburn covering his face, “Amanda,” he says, his voice serious.

“Dominick,” she answers, almost teasingly, then she smiles at him, “I trust you more than I have ever trusted anyone,” she tells him firmly. “Partners, right?”

“Partners,” he says with a soft smile, “I thought we might make it official?”

“You’ve got me,” she tells him, pushing up on her toes to press a kiss to his lips, his right arm winding around her waist as she closes the gap between them, his left making its way to her neck, drawing her in even as the girls turn, hollering with laughter and thinly veiled objections to the scene they’re making on the deck.

When they draw apart his eyes are locked on hers; he’s smiling at her with his whole face and he gleefully lifts her off the ground, just a few inches, her feet dangling in the air below them as he spins with her in his arms, laughing as he calls out to Jesse and Billie to come celebrate with them.

[whattheflameo]

Tonight I Wanna Cry

This’ll be posted on AO3 as soon as they send me my invite, since I have somehow never made an account, but until then, Imma post it here bc I need the distraction of forcing myself to edit.

Kya drops the plates into the cupboard with a bit less care than she probably should, but nothing breaks and the clatter makes her feel a little bit better. She slams the door shut for that simple satisfaction, too, before stomping her way into the living room and grabbing the laundry basket.

She and Lin have just had their first... well, not fight. More like disagreement. 

Kya had brought up trying to schedule a date night, again, and Lin had been unable to give her a set date, again. They haven’t had a proper date since Kya moved in to Lin’s apartment a month ago. She’s really not asking for much, Kya thinks as she grumpily folds a set of leggings, just wants an evening out with her girlfriend. And Lin could at least have the decency to say that she’s busy, rather than hedging with another "I don’t know, Kya, I need to check my schedule..." and never following through. The date could be in a month, for all Kya cares, as long as there’s some acknowledgment it is going to happen.

After the fifth try, Kya had finally called her out on it. Lin had immediately gone on the defensive, which had in turn put Kya on the defensive. The conversation had devolved into snapping back and forth before Kya had thrown up her arms and declared it over. She’d gone back to putting away dishes, and Lin had stalked off to their bedroom to do something or other. 

She folds the rest of the laundry in a huff, letting it fall slightly more rumpled than she knows Lin prefers. But when she’s finished, she crosses her arms and looks down at the piles and can’t bring herself to leave them. So she sighs heavily and refolds everything more neatly, and keeps thinking about Lin as she does. She knows Lin’s job is demanding. She had known that going into this. And yes, she’s frustrated, but there are more productive ways to go about explaining that then making veiled, vaguely-aggressive statements. Especially when dealing with Lin. Before Kya knows it, it’s been an hour since they had stormed away from each other, and she’s absentmindedly refolded the same tank top a dozen times. 

Lin isn’t going to be the first one to apologize. She’s been working on her emotional constipation, and Kya’s been helping, but they’re not that far yet. So, picking up the folded laundry as an excuse, Kya makes her way to the bedroom.

Lin is sitting on the bed with her back to the door. She doesn’t say anything, and Kya breathes a sigh of relief. She had halfway expected to be thrown out before even making it through the door. Lin’s shoulders and back are absolutely rigid with tension. One of her hands is up by her face, as though she’s holding her forehead like she does when she has a headache.

"Um, hey," Kya greets eloquently. Just because she’s better at this than Lin doesn’t mean its easy. She crosses over to the wardrobe to put away the laundry. "Does your head feel okay?"

Lin doesn’t respond.

"Do you want me to get you some tea? Or do you want me to try and heal it?" Kya tries again. When she still receives no answer, she turns around and puts a hand on her hip. "Look, Lin, I know we argued but-" 

She stops as she really looks at her girlfriend. From this angle, the side of Lin’s face is exposed. She’s grimacing, teeth clenched together and eyes shut tight against the actual tears that are running down her face. Her entire body is as tense as her back was; it doesn’t even look like she’s breathing. "Lin? Lin, Spirits, what-" 

Kya is across the room in a heartbeat. She kneels beside the bed and rests a hand over Lin’s where its fisted into the comforter almost unnaturally tightly. Her heart aches as she realizes that rather than holding her forehead, Lin’s other hand is cradling her scars in a comfort habit she rarely allows herself.

The only thing that could possibly have caused this is their argument. Kya is more than willing to label it that if it has this much of an effect on Lin. She can count on one hand the number of times she’s seen her cry, nearly all of them as children. Back then, Lin crying had been an earth-shattering event. Literally. If she was upset enough to cry, the ground around her would quake with emotion. Air Temple Island still bears the scars. This... this isn’t that. Every inch of Lin is deathly still. There’s no sobs, no shaking, no shouting or storming or any of the things Kya once associated with an upset Lin. She wonders for a moment what in the world could have caused such a dramatic shift, but then realizes its unsurprising considering the Lin she knows now.

This Lin has spent years of her life constructing a steel wall around herself. Has crafted a nearly-perfect facade of the immovable chief. Has had to force her emotions aside time and time again to protect those around her and do her duty. This Lin holds herself stoic until her emotions are suffocated like a flame, until she can control them again and pretend they were never there in the first place. But even a trapped flame leaves smoke, and even stifled pain looses tears. 

Kya’s heart shatters at the thought. "I’m sorry. I didn’t realize how much that upset you." 

"I-" Lin tries, but she can’t seem to finish. "I’m fine-" 

"You are not fine. I can practically feel your shoulders locking. And if it’s about anything other than our conversation, feel free to tell me otherwise."

Lin visibly takes a breath, forcing her features into a more neutral expression and avoiding Kya’s eyes. "I’m sorry," she says next. Her voice is so strained Kya’s own throat aches with sympathy. "You don’t have to stay. It’s not what you signed up for."

Spirits. Is that what this is about? 

It’s too much. Kya moves up onto the bed, declares "I’m going to hug you," and gives her girlfriend ample time to move away before throwing her arms around her and tucking her into her chest. Lin doesn’t resist, but she doesn’t relax, either. "I’m not going anywhere. We had a fight, Lin. That doesn’t mean I’m leaving."

She’s met with silence. After a moment, she can feel Lin’s jaw shift as it clenches again. There’s the soft dampness of tears against her neck. Kya rests her chin atop Lin’s head. "It’s okay. You’re allowed to be upset about it. You’re allowed to cry, Love." She strokes a hand through Lin’s hair, and Lin lets out a shuddering breath. A fraction of the tension releases from her shoulders. Her arms eventually come up to grip at the back of Kya’s shirt. It’s not the breaking of the dam that Kya had secretly hoped for, but thirty years of habit are hard to unlearn in one night, so she counts it as a win that Lin is no longer actively trying to force her tears away.

Later, they’ll talk about it. Lin will tell her she’s sorry again, that she knows quality time is important to Kya but that a confidential issue at work has been keeping her too busy this month. That she’s been hedging the question because she’s afraid Kya will leave when she realizes just how little time Lin has. Kya will explain her worries, how she’s started to feel like Lin’s ignoring her concerns. That she knows there will be times that a case keeps Lin away, and that it’s okay as long as Lin is honest with her and just tells her about it. She’ll repeat, as many times as it takes, that even if Lin feels the need to hide from the rest of the world, she can’t hide her fears and emotions from Kya if they want this to work. That she doesn’t need to hide them from Kya anyways. There will be hugs and tea and compromises and hopefully some mind-blowing make-up sex. Lin may even promise to take a few days off to spend together after this case is closed. 

For now, Kya holds her girlfriend, and rocks them back and forth, and silently curses the world that has beaten Lin into not being able to release her emotions, and keeps reassuring her that it’s okay to cry. 

[mc-lukanette]

42 Lukanette Thoughts

Marinette waiting until Luka’s birthday to give him a response to his confession. He’s absolutely “offended” and she’s just grinning at him.

Luka not being able to swim despite living on a boat. Bonus if Marinette invites him and Juleka out to the swimming pool one day and the absolute love-struck dork finds himself unable to say “no” to her. Juleka thinks it’s hilarious that he can’t just admit to Marinette that he can’t swim, so she has a blast constantly making everything worse, like telling Marinette that Luka doesn’t have a swimsuit so Marinette’ll end up making one for him.

Marinette thinking about the whole “LadyNoir” situation while she’s sketching in her notebook. She finds that she doesn’t even like the way her name meshes with Chat’s. One thought leads to another and she - while not even thinking - ends up writing “Lukanette” in her sketchbook. Cut to her hanging out with Luka later and showing him the designs she came up with that day, meaning that Luka ends up seeing “Lukanette” so casually written in her sketchbook.

Luka Knows™️ but also has to hide it because he can’t have Marinette thinking that he’s crushing on Ladybug. This eventually leads to him telling Ladybug that she can come to him at any time, which leads to nights of Ladybug giving him the snake so he can go on patrol with her. He’s not ready for her lowkey flirting and has to keep reminding himself that he’s not supposed to react since she doesn’t know that he Knows™️.

AU where Kitty Section never became a thing, but it turns out that Marinette’s good at writing lyrics. She actually ends up singing along to a song that Luka never had lyrics for and that’s how she becomes his lyricist.

A concept: switching around “Frozer” and “Captain Hardrock,” meaning that, when Luka goes to comfort this “stranger” walking onto deck, he might not even hear about the ice rink. If he does, they’re not close enough for her to ask him to come with her but he offers her some quick ice skating lessons before the “third-wheeling date.” If he doesn’t and thus gives Marinette no lessons, Adrimi ends up happening due to Marinette staying mostly off the ice due to clumsiness and constantly feeling bad over seeing Adrien and Kagami there, which leads into “Captain Hardrock” where she meets Luka again without any sort of Adrien influence (outside of her getting over him).

Marinette always being made fun of and called “funny” due to her clumsiness when she was little. Likewise, Luka was always considered too “soft” so he began to see it as an insult. Once they’re older, they end up calling each other “funny”/“soft” and suddenly find that it hits very different when it’s THEM saying it to each other because they can tell that there’s no maliciousness there.

Post-reveal friendly shenanigans where Luka is somewhere, idling on his phone, when a flash of red and black swoops down and snatches it out of his hand. He looks around, confused, then manages to catch the sight of Ladybug this time as she swoops back the other way and hands his phone back. He sees that she took a picture of herself winking + sticking her tongue out with his phone and now he can’t stop grinning stupidly to himself.

Marinette waking up after a stressful/exhausting day, then seeing the time and frantically calling Luka, worried that she’d missed an event or something. There’s a light chuckle on the other line as Luka reminds her that it’s Sunday and nothing’s going on so she should get back to sleep.

Post-Guardian Marinette things where Luka is her confidant who she told about her guardian status. Marinette occasionally lets the kwami free whenever she knows that Tom and Sabine won’t come up to disturb them, but it leads to a “problem” of sorts. Pollen, of course, calls Marinette her “queen,” but now that Luka is there also, Pollen calls him her “king” and Marinette and Luka are collectively dying.

Silly thing: snakes of all kinds being attached to Marinette. She’ll go to pet stores and they’ll boop their noses against the glass, wanting her attention. Luka feels unnecessarily smug post-dating because he’s her snake and no one else is.

Luka Knows™️ and finds a way for Marinette to vent about her Ladybug duties without her having to tell him her identity, like mentioning things that happened with Ladybug that day and giving her an opening to talk about them, if only from a faux-outsider’s perspective.

Luka having a terrible day, to the point where he’s legitimately worried about being akumatized. He decides to call Marinette as an akuma starts flying past the window, and just hearing Marinette’s voice alone fills Luka with such positive energy that the akuma is immediately repelled like wow ok i’m out. He watches the akuma leave with a smile and whispers, ”You’re amazing, Marinette.” “W-what?? Did you call just to tell me that?” “No, but it’s true.”

Marinette decides that she wants a challenge and asks Luka if she can make a full guitar for him. He knows he’d be stupid not to agree, but then Marinette shyly adds a condition: he has to name the guitar after her. Luka has no idea how to explain to her that he’s already named a guitar after her so she might have to settle for her guitar being “Marinette 2.”

Luka Knowing™️ and it makes him legitimately upset at how much stress and responsibility has been placed on her. He ends up getting akumatized so he can take her earrings, not to bring them to Hawk Moth, but to “save” her.

Viperion in a particularly tough akuma-related battle. Ladybug legitimately doesn’t know if they’re going to make it out okay, so she ends up finding a moment to confess to him. Cut to later when he ends up having to go back with Second Chance, erasing the moment from time, and apparently he’s just supposed to focus and pretend like he’s okay and he is SO getting her back when this fight is over.

Marinette being afraid to confess to Luka directly, so she’s constantly dropping hints that she likes him and Luka is picking up on none of them because he’s convinced that she still likes Adrien. The rest of Kitty Section is constantly getting on his case for not pursuing Marinette and he’s just like, “But she likes Adrien?” while having like 3984723748234 texts from Marinette just from that day alone.

Marinette deciding to use her Instagram to ramble, leading her to post some pictures of Luka and talk about how nice/sweet/handsome he is because surely he doesn’t follow her account so it’ll be fine (spoiler alert: he follows her account very much and Juleka makes a game out of trying to catch his reaction every time Marinette posts about him).

Post-dating, Marinette insisting to Luka that she “doesn’t want to mess up their first kiss,” and therefore they have to practice kissing each other first, apparently missing the point that it won’t be their first kiss if they’ve kissed each other before. Luka tries to explain the fault in logic but she’s not backing down and, really, who is he to refuse if she wants to kiss him a bunch?

Adulthood Lukanette “cruelty” on Marinette’s part where she decides that she wants to propose to Luka and puts the box with the wedding ring inside one of his guitars with the excuse that she was replacing the strings for him, then leaving Luka to realize what she did later.

Juleka asking Marinette who her favorite hero is because she was getting into a debate with Luka about it and they couldn’t agree. Marinette shyly peeks up because Luka is right there, but nonetheless admits that her favorite is Viperion.

Marinette visiting the Liberty and noticing Luka not playing his guitar and just staring off into space, a soft, loving look on his face. She asks Juleka about it, who casually brushes it off as, “Oh, he always does that when he’s thinking of you.” “When he’s thinking of WHO now????”

Post-dating in which Marinette freaks out over even the smallest contact with Luka just because she’s on a happy emotional high. (”You wanna hold hands??? Like--my hand??? Holding yours??? And our fingers will be intertwining and everything?? And we--stop laughing, Luka, these are important questions!!!”) Bonus if what gets her to take a huge step forward and just passionately kiss Luka is someone mocking their relationship and her proving them otherwise thusly.

Marinette gets a pet snake, names it “Viperion,” and happily uses it as an opportunity to gush about Viperion the second Luka questions why she chose a snake as a pet.

Marinette complains sometimes about Luka being “too tall” but really, it’s perfect for hugs, so-- (even if she still pouts about the fact that she can’t kiss him simply by being on her tip-toes).

Lowkey headcanon that Juleka and Rose purposefully set Marinette up with Luka since they’re like, “Luka’s missing!” in “Captain Hardrock” when Luka is in his room that Juleka shares with him and it would’ve been the first place to go look for him.

Luka being so used to messes and just leaving them alone thanks to living on the Liberty for so long and being around his mother. It’s a really hard habit to break when he starts living with Marinette and he’s extremely apologetic about it.

Luka posting a lot about Marinette/him and Marinette on Instagram and Marinette “fighting back” (bonus if she doesn’t do it intentionally) with posts about Luka/her and Luka/Kitty Section.

Why limit oneself to balcony scenes when you can have houseboat scenes too???

Marinette being offended by any polls where Ladybug wins over Viperion except Luka is offended by her opinion and it’s just them going back and forth about why Ladybug/Viperion should be more popular.

Tikki agreeing with Master Fu that Marinette and Adrien are “made for each other” but being a closet Lukanette fan in secret. That tiny Kitty Section shirt that Marinette made on Instagram is hers.

Pre-”Captain Hardrock,” Luka thinking he’s subtle asking for details about “the girl who broke his sister’s photo curse.” He’s not.

Marinette taking a music class and of course she asks Luka to help with things that she doesn’t understand. Bonus if she’s so into trying to learn that she doesn’t notice when she’s making him blush, like her casually sitting on his lap and asking him to physically instruct her on where her hands should be.

Post-dating, Marinette “bribing” Luka to do things using kisses. Bold of her to assume he wouldn’t have done it anyway, though he won’t say “no” to kisses either.

Marinette, being carried/protected by Viperion, knowing that she needs to leave to transform but also he’s very warm and nice so maybe just a little longer, this akuma isn’t that dangerous/disruptive anyway. (Viperion may also be indulging himself too but she’ll never know.)

“It's amazing how you can be so composed all the time, Luka! It feels like it's impossible to know what you're thinking!“ “Really? But I just think about you all the time, Marinette.“ “*DOESN’T KNOW WHETHER TO BE FLUSTERED OR OFFENDED BECAUSE HOW DARE--*”

Whenever Marinette does that thing where she closes her eyes and raises her head proudly... I feel like Luka gets the sudden urge to either kiss her or cup her cheeks.

Marinette and Luka having “silence challenges” in adulthood where they give each other affection and the first one to make a noise loses. The challenge never lasts long.

I just presume that Luka has sixth senses that go off the second Marinette is completely over Adrien.

Post-reveal and post-dating where Luka expresses concern to Marinette about the whole “destiny” nonsense with Adrien being Chat Noir and Marinette lets Luka know how she feels about that by showering Luka with lots of kisses.

Luka not realizing what he said to Marinette in “Silencer” until he goes home and Juleka asks him what they’d been talking about. His face turns progressively redder as he makes the realization.

Post-dating, Marinette not being used to the abundance of affection that Luka’s going to give her due to how many times she failed with Adrien.

[lassieposting]

otp questions for skugwife plz 🥺

1. Who said I love you first?

He did, about three seconds after laying eyes on her for the first time. He was Not Subtle. In his defence, he was in a field hospital at the time, covered in his own blood, and was high off his ass on pain relief, so.

2. Who laughs and kisses their partner on the cheek while their partner isn’t happy about something trivial to try and make them feel better?

Wifey. She's kind of handicapped here because Skug does his best to shield her from the worst parts of himself and the grim truth about war. He doesn't outright lie to her, but he'll censor what he tells her, leaving out the death and the blood and the gore, because he's grown up terrified of becoming his father and he's desperate to be the man she thinks he is, to be someone who's worthy of her love. He doesn't want her to ever look at him and see a killer. If she has to think of him at war, he wants her to think of her gallant hero who always saves the day. So a lot of the time, when he gets into a black mood, she doesn't actually know what's really distressing him. She knows he has nightmares, but he always claims he doesn't remember what they're about. She knows that sometimes he'll nick himself with a knife while he's helping her with dinner, and when she turns around he's just standing there watching his hand bleed like he's suddenly somewhere very far away, but she doesn't know why he gets like that. She knows he has days where she'll say his name four or five times before he even seems to hear her, and an unexpected gunshot from one of the neighbouring smallholdings will have him trembling and running to check on her. But she tries, when he's quiet and distant and sad. She'll hold him and stroke his hair or sing to him or take him out walking in the sunshine, and eventually he'll take her hand and kiss her knuckles and apologise for being an arse, and she never really knows how to tell him that she doesn't mind him having those days at all, she just wishes she knew how to make him stop hurting.

3. Who cuddles up to the other after a long day at work, and this soon escalates to a playful pillow fight?

Skug. They're a cuddly, affectionate couple anyway, but his favourite thing in the world is laying his head in her lap and having his hair stroked. The man melts. They'll cuddle up in the evenings and he'll keel over for her as soon as she pats her leg like come on then and they'll just. Catch each other up on what they've missed since the last time he was home, while she pets him. She'll tell him the latest drama in her friend circle and how her father's been dodging the advances of an elderly patient, and he'll give her a censored, family-friendly version of what he got up to at the front - so, all the funny stories, but with all the gore and death and hard choices edited out. If he says something sufficiently ridiculous, she'll swat him in the face with a cushion. Sometimes he'll fall asleep there and she'll keep playing with his curls until she thinks he's well and truly out of it, and then pick up her needlework to do over his head while he sleeps.

4. What is something that they gave one another that has a lot of meaning?

When they're courting, she makes him a scarf and sends it with the courier with one of her letters, because she didn't like to think of him being cold on night watches. It's red and has zero magical properties whatsoever, it's no Bespoke creation, but he wears it on every mission.

She has a locket with his portrait in it. He's ADHD as fuck and hates sitting still for hours, but she playfully tells him one time that he's "been away so long I almost forgot what you looked like," and he takes it seriously and makes sure that never happens again.

5. How would one another describe their partner?

Very similarly. They both think the other one is their better half and that they don't deserve them. She loves him because he's brave and clever and funny and not afraid to stand up for what he believes in. He loves her because she's good and kind and loving and makes him want to be a better man. They're that couple that are so caught up in each other's virtues that they completely miss each other's flaws.

6. Who wraps their arms around their partner as they look them in the eyes and compliments them with a goofy smile?

Skug, every time they go somewhere they'll be surrounded by His Kind Of People.

Wifey is a salt of the earth working/lower-middle-class sort of girl. She has a job. She's grown up doing all the cooking and cleaning for her father, and she continues to do a lot of it even after she gets married and Skug hires servants because she can't stand to be idle. She has a very limited education; she didn't spend her childhood being fussed over by governesses or taught to simper and dance and paint. So she feels very out of place at fancy Sanctuary parties, surrounded by Skug's superior officers and their sophisticated upper-class wives. She's worried about embarrassing him, she's worried about making him look bad, she's worried about being laughed at or insulted behind her back for being too common or too forthright or too lacking in pretty manners.

He'll pull her to one side before they're announced and remind her that she outshines every other woman in the room, that most of these people are boorish and ignorant anyway so who cares what they think, and that she's got nothing to worry about: she's far more charming than he is and the laws of probability suggest that if anyone is gonna put their foot in it and embarrass the other one, it'll be him.

7. Who loves saying ‘my wife’ or ‘my husband’ or ‘my spouse’?

Wifey, especially when they're newlyweds. She has absolutely no idea how she managed to land him. He's hers now, forever. She has to keep saying it to convince herself it's true. Skug is a bit baffled, but having someone so happy to lay claim to him gives him major heart eyes. He's not used to having someone be proud of him and want to show him off like he's something worth bragging about.

8. Who always talks about how amazing their partner is when their partner isn’t there and they just light up with genuine love and happiness?

God, both of them.

In Prussia, a few months after they get married, Morwenna Crow takes one for the team and spends three solid weeks indulging Skug while he talks about his wife just, constantly.

On Wifey's side, she has a gaggle of girlfriends who appear at the door of her lovely new home to take tea at the first opportunity after her honeymoon wanting all the salacious details. And? She has so much to tell them. Like a lot of young women at the time, the most she was given in the way of sex education was a vague lecture from an older married friend about Marital Duties that didn't really serve a purpose beyond making her really, really nervous about her wedding night.

(She tells Skug about this lecture while she's sprawled all over him somewhere between round two and round three on said wedding night. She's confused. She was told it would be distasteful and unpleasant and painful. Why would her friends lie to her? He laughs, and strokes her hair, and tells her her friends' husbands are clearly doing something wrong.)

So. She returns from her honeymoon with a lot of new information to share with her poor, deprived friends. She's not the only married woman in the group, but she's the only one who married for love, so the unmarried girls are looking at what they want for themselves, and the ones who married for wealth or status are lowkey living vicariously through her.

These gatherings are deeply unnerving for poor Skug. He'll pop into the parlour to kiss Wifey goodbye before he goes out riding with Ghastly, and like eight smirking women politely sipping tea will chorus good morning, Skulduggery like they know something he doesn't know, and something about the way they look at him makes him feel like they're starving and he's a juicy steak. And then he'll close the door behind him when he leaves the room and hear them all immediately explode into giggles. What the fuck do they talk about in there??? At least once he's asked Wifey if she's plotting to sacrifice him, or something.

9. Who loves it when their partner kisses them good morning?

Skug. When you've spent the last 6+ months snatching at sleep on a hard bed with itchy blankets in between night watches and enemy attacks and commando raids of your own, it becomes a real treat to get a full nights sleep and wake up in fresh sheets in your own bed with your wife pressed up against your back, kissing your neck and touching you under the blanket. He knows he's safe when he wakes up with her, and he misses feeling her burrow into his arms when they're apart.

10. Who shows the other how to balance a spoon on their nose?

Skug.

11. Who loves to pull pranks on the other? What type of pranks do they pull and do they pull their pranks off?

Wifey's favourite is to tell Skug she invited her father to stay for a week and watch him frantically try to arrange his face into any other expression than "horrified". This is doubly funny if he just came home and he's raring to get her into bed - "Oh, darling, we can't, Papa will be here shortly, and he's due to stay until Thursday next, you'll simply have to wait," - but she never lets him believe it for long. She's not, like, cruel.

12. What is something small that they would randomly pick up for one another?

Spending money is Skug's love language. He's always buying her "just a little something"s. Hair ribbons, jewellery, new dresses, books, paints...anything he sees and thinks she'd enjoy.

She bakes for him, when he's home. She doesn't think the army feeds him properly, and she knows he eats like a horse. Coming back from Ghastly's to the smell of homemade bread is one of his favourite things about being married.

13. Who is the one who can’t stop laughing when trying to tell a joke?

Wifey. She'll be doubled over wheezing, red in the face, and Skug will still have no idea what the joke is. She didn't get that far. She's the kind of person where, many hours later, he'll ask, "So what was that joke you wanted to tell me?" and it'll just. Set her off again.

14. Who would plan the other a surprise birthday party?

Skug. He's often away for Wifey's birthday, but he'll always try to wheedle some leave out of Corrival so he can come home and spend it with her. It doesn't always work - a lot of the time they simply can't spare him - but he does his best.

15. Who picks the other person up when hugging their partner?

Skug is a 6'4 beanpole of a man who likes small, petite women. Wifey is like 5'3 tops and he picks her up all the time. She weighs, like, nothing to him and she's really into how strong he is, so getting swept off her feet all the time doesn't bother her.

What does bother her is when his lanky ass forgets to bring things down from the top shelf before going away for a few months. She can't reach up there.

[celosiaa]

Hi Connor, I hope you’re doing okay!!!!! 💖Thank you for letting me write this lil fic for your post about leaf pile shenanigans!!!!!! Everything you write, draw and headcanon for the Emmaverse is so perfect and I am so excited to write something within this beautiful AU. This got away from me a bit, but I hope it brings you some joy and you can vicariously enjoy the great outdoors through Jon, Tim, Martin and Emma’s mischief 🍁

From the front window of their new house, Martin has watched the tree turn from a bare-boned thing to blossom to vivid leaves firm even against summer storms. The tree has grounded him through sleepless nights with Emma since her arrival last year, through Tim and Sasha’s return to their lives, through Jon’s nightmares. A lighthouse against the Lonely. The house surveyor had told them to cut it down, unsure of how deeply its roots might reach, but Martin couldn’t bring himself to make the arrangements. He feels that he should give it something back, a repayment for its solidity, and so he has tended to it through the seasons with gentle dedication.

Alas, the leaves are a hazard now that they’ve turned orange and fallen. The rain turns them slippery, and Martin doesn’t want Emma to trip on them when she bundles him out of the door on the mornings he gets to take her to nursery, excited to have her Dad there after a long stint of nightshifts. Nor does he want them to disrupt Jon’s journey to the car on the days that his joints are stiff and he needs his cane. So he sees raking the leaves as part of his duty both to the tree and his family.

Martin falls into a happy and methodical reverie, until Tim interrupts: “You missed a spot.”

Tim is sitting with Jon on two rickety camping chairs they’d dragged out of the garage, ostensibly so they can watch Emma and an off-duty Iris play on the lawn. They’re both holding cups of tea, steaming in the cool, clear autumn air, and they have—until now—been catching up about work. It’s a busy time for them both: Jon is welcoming the new students, and the fire department are running their usual campaigns about safety with Halloween decorations and fireworks. Recently, Tim’s team even payed a visit to Emma’s nursery school to give a presentation, which she had gushed about for weeks afterwards.

Now, though, they seem to be up to something. As glad as Martin is to see them getting along, after so much and so long, he’s not sure he likes the matching mischievous looks on their face.

Martin pauses, leaning on the rake. He’ll humour them, just this once. (It will happen again, of course, but Martin always likes to pretend it’s a one-off.) “What do you mean, I’ve missed a spot?”

“He’s right,” Jon says, schooling his expression into one of seriousness, although the roguish glint lingers in his eyes, “By the drain.”

Martin doesn’t look, still playing along with his most petulant expression. “I started by the drain. It’s spotless.”

“We would never criticise your immaculate raking technique, Martin,” Tim promises, as if offended by the implication.

“We just wouldn’t want Mrs Jenkins complaining about her driveway flooding again,” Jon adds solemnly, placing down his tea, “Are you sure there are no leaves by the drain?”

“I’m one hundred percent sure,” Martin insists, trying not to smile and let on that he’s onto them.

“Because I can count at least seven from here,” Tim says, also balancing his tea on the concrete by his feet.

Jon tilts his head. “I would say eight.”

Tim nods exaggeratedly. “Jon says eight. And he remembered to wear his glasses today, so I trust his judgement.”

Only because Martin physically put the glasses on Jon’s face this morning, while Jon was going through the process of making cinnamon porridge half-asleep and on muscle memory alone. But Martin doesn’t mention this to Tim. Not that Tim isn’t well aware of Martin’s fussing, having—along with Jon—been bundled into a coat and scarf and gloves before being allowed to sit outside, justified by worried mentions of asthma flare-ups and ear infections and setting a good example for Emma.

Martin places a hand on his hip, still leaning on the rake. “Eight, you say?”

Tim and Jon nod in unison.

“That does sound like quite a lot of leaves,” Martin continues.

“You can never be too careful,” Jon says.

“Sometimes, the worst hazards start off small,” Tim tells them, “I would know.”

Martin quirks his eyebrows. “Perhaps I should check the drain, then.”

Jon nods, just once, managing to still look very serious. “Perhaps you should.”

“Well, then,” Martin sighs, taking his weight off the rake and beginning to turn towards the drain at the end of the driveway they share with their neighbours. He makes sure to speak loudly with his back turned. “Where on earth are these eight stray leaves?”

There’s the sound of a scuffle behind him, the camping chairs creaking and skittering on the concrete driveway, and a breathless laugh as Tim and Jon’s feet hit the ground in unison. There’s not much space between the camping chairs and the leaf pile, so Tim and Jon’s run-up is short but effective.

Martin turns just in time to see them launch themselves into the leaf pile, and he’s glad he constructed it on the grass rather than the concrete, because Tim and Jon don’t always think things through when they’re being competitive. Their landing is significantly cushioned, at least, and they end up on their backs, pillowed by red and orange leaves. Jon blows one out of his face and Tim laughs, loud and carefree, the sound echoing against the house.

“I won,” Tim declares.

“You did not,” Jon protests.

“Oh, I very much did.”

“Tim, if you are suggesting that—”

“If I’m suggesting what? That I was the county best at long jump between the ages of eight and eleven, and that gave me a natural advantage in this particular competition?”

Jon props himself up on his elbows on the leaf pile and looks imploringly at Martin, his glasses askew and a leaf stuck by its stem in the left hinge. “Martin.”

“I couldn’t possibly have seen who won,” Martin says, “I was busy inspecting the drain, which—like I said—is spotless.”

It’s at this moment that Iris lets out a slightly confused woof, as Emma abandons the mudpies they’ve been making together to copy her Baba and Uncle. She squeals, her little legs moving at full speed as she waddle-runs towards the leaf pile.

Martin’s too far away. He drops the rake, shouting, “Emma, no!”

But, of course, she doesn’t listen. She has a very specific mindset when it comes to times like this, an unshakable determination: Emma, yes. She runs to the leaf pile, stops clumsily in front of it, and then promptly jumps into its depths. Or, more accurately, she falls face-first into the pile, arms outstretched, her red wellies only just leaving the ground, and disappears through an Emma-shaped hole between where Tim and Jon are lying, looking somewhat dazed by the turn of events.

There’s a breathless moment, a frozen snapshot when the chilly late-afternoon turns momentarily sinister, all long shadows and suspended breezes. Martin doesn’t move, doesn’t hear the echoing clatter of the rake, until there’s a flurry within the leaf pile and then Emma emerges with a raucous giggle.

Everything rushes back into motion, the autumn colours warm and the moment welcoming again. Emma has popped up from the leaf pile like a meerkat from the ground, inspecting her surroundings, an image that is reinforced by her knitted hat with the attached bear-shaped ears. There’s a bright grin on her face, and a lyrical quality to her laugh that tells Martin she’s excited rather than hurt or afraid. Iris is circling and snuffling around the leaf pile, somewhat confused but not overtly concerned, and Jon smiles fondly as he picks leaves from the wool of Emma’s hat while Tim shakes with the force of his own laughter.

Martin’s breath whooshes out of him in relief and he finds himself laughing too, a little breathless. “God, Emma, you—please be careful, sweetheart.”

“I win, I win,” Emma says, clapping her hands together. Her mittens make her applause sound padded and soft.

Martin gives Jon a long-suffering look. Jon looks back, half-apologetic, half-look how happy she is, habibi. And it is true, Emma looks happy, rosy-cheeked and still laughing as Iris now makes her way into the leaf pile, too. It’s adorable. Martin’s losing sight of the possible dangers in favour of the cuteness, the fact that everyone is just fine. Better than fine. They’re happy, all of them.

“Alright, I concede defeat,” Tim announces, “Emma gets the title of Ultimate Leaf Leaper.”

Emma squeals in delight again. Jon pulls her further out of the leaves so she can sit on his lap, giving her a kiss on the cheek before he goes back to picking leaves out of her hat. Tim lifts his hand and Emma reaches across to give him an enthusiastic high five. Martin thinks he is going to melt into a puddle from the joy of it all.

“Stay right there,” Martin says to them, all thoughts of raking abandoned now, “I’m getting the camera.”

*

Later that night, they’re propped up in bed—Jon reading a battered library book about syntax in 19th century literature, and Martin clicking through the photos he’s uploaded from the camera to his laptop. Emma is fast asleep in her bedroom, after a bedtime story about a hedgehog making a home from leaves that Martin hopes will dissuade her from jumping into any random leaf piles she sees out and about, although he promised she can still play in the ones they make outside together.

“I’m definitely emailing this one to Sasha,” Martin says, angling the laptop towards Jon.

Jon folds the book carefully closed and looks at the photo. Tim and Jon are both half-engulfed by the leaf pile, with Emma sitting in Jon’s lap and Iris doing her best to likewise perch on Tim. They’re all grinning at the camera, bundled up in their coats and scarves and hats. It’s adorable.

“She’ll love it,” Jon agrees.

“It’s a shame she couldn’t come today.” Martin chews his bottom lip, shutting the laptop. “I don’t think we have any recent photos of her.”

“You’re not in it either,” Jon murmurs.

“Oh, well, I—someone had to take the photo.”

“Remind me, then,” Jon says, leaning over and kissing Martin’s hair, “To ask someone to take our picture when we go pumpkin picking.”

“Since when are we going pumpkin picking?”

“Since Emma told me she wanted to and I spent two hours Googling places nearby.”

“Not spooky—?”

Jon gives him a withering look. “Not spooky Google, no.”

“Good.” Martin smiles, a little shy. “We’ll get a family photo, then. At the pumpkin place. And we can frame it. And put it on the wall next to this one, and the one I’m going to take of Sasha and Tim next time they come over, and—oh, and that one of Emma on her first day at nursery I keep meaning to get printed!”

Jon smiles softly. “Our family.”

“Our family,” Martin agrees, “I’m really happy, Jon.”

He’s so happy he’s not sure what to do with it. He’s scared it will disappear, like fog through his fingers. He’s scared he doesn’t deserve it. He doesn’t tell Jon any of this, but Jon seems to understand, to feel it too.

“So am I, Martin,” Jon says, “So am I.”

Martin thinks of the tree, of its changing leaves, its vulnerability to the seasons, the way it antagonised the previous tenants of the house. And yet it’s still there. Martin thinks of his contentment in the same way, as he falls asleep next to Jon: a thing that might change, might grow, might retreat sometimes while blossoming at others, but it has deep roots, and he has no plans to cut it down any time soon, not anymore.

There we go!!!! I played Emmaverse bingo with myself with how many headcanons I could remember and get in here, but I’m sorry if I forgot anything or if the ages/order of events are a bit muddled!!!!! Thank you again for letting me write this, I had so much fun!!!!💖💖💖

[paradise-creator]

Amorette's song:

Another one done! Love triangles can be fluffy as well! Note that the reader is based on me so it would be easier for me to write.

Tw: Self-degradation, negative thoughts

The different blue hues dance around the heavens as the sun comes down slowly. It was still quite late in the afternoon, maybe 3? Or 4? It was another day at school, there was nothing out of the ordinary. Well, school already ended and the after school clubs are doing their thing. The volleyball team are still at it in their practice. “Let’s make the most of the time, okay?” A silver haired male said as he pulled the tangerine and blueberry away from each other. “Koushi! Tobio!” A female voice then echoed. The silver haired male, Sugawara, and the blueberry, Kageyama looked at the entrance of the gym. They found a short female right outside the gym door trying to find the two. The two of their faces light up before subtlety glaring at each other.

“They are over here!” Daichi then called out as the two were deep into their tension. Once the female entered the gym, their little feud ended. “Hey there Sugar!” Sugawara said as he beckoned for you to come. “Hello my lovelies!” You then said as you walked towards them. “Sorry for suddenly coming in,” You added as you walked in the gym. “No! It’s totally fine, we don’t mind you here,” Daichi said as he chuckled. “Hey!” Yachi then greeted as she walked towards you. As you were pulled away by Yachi and Kiyoko, the boys continued to practice. But there is something that seemed different, to you and the girls, it seemed like nothing is wrong. But the other members knew otherwise.

“You better not slack off, Kageyama!” Sugawara teased as he received the ball. “Shouldn’t I be the one telling you that?” Kageyama responded as he finished setting to Hinata. To which was blocked by Tsukkishima. “May the best man win~” Sugawara said as he smiled at the other setter. “May the best man win,” Kageyama responded as he looked down on the silver. “What are they talking about?” Narita asked. “They are not talking about volleyball?” Ennoshita asked skeptically. “When did the two of them joke around the court with each other? I mean, Sugawara, yes but Kageyama?” Narita reasoned as he looked at the two. “And ‘may the best man win’ maybe they are talking about something else,” He added as he continued looking at their antics. “Let’s not focus on that now,” Ennoshita said as he pulled the shorter to practice.

Daichi then called out a 10 minute break. You, Kiyoko, and Yachi then gave out their water bottles and towels. You gave Sugawara and Kageyama’s items like usual. “Thank you,”Kageyema said as he bowed his head slightly. “Thanks Sugar~” Sugawara said as he started drinking. “Have you thought about it?” Kageyama then said. “About the date?” You then said as you looked at him. He flushed red and looked away, nodding. “I told you I’ll go yesterday, Tobio,” You then said as you looked at him. “Just wanted to make sure,” He then said. Sugawara then pouted and back hugged you. “It will me my turn soon, right?” He then asked as he placed his head on your’s. “Soon, soon. And you make it seem you both are dating me,” You responded as you patted Kageyama’s head. “Kageyama and I did agree to take turns in trying to capture your heart,” Sugawara then said as he stopped hugging you.

“You have a point,” You then said as you started to tend Hinata. “You really had to bring that up?” Sugawara said, slightly annoyed. “I just wanted to make sure,” Kageyama then said as he looked at Sugawara. “You could’ve done it when I’m not there? You knew she had to cancel out on my date because she was busy,” The silver then said as he pouted. “It’s fun to see your reaction,” The taller then said before he walked away. “Fun? Oh come here,” Sugawara then said as he started to chase the taller. You then looked at their antics and stared. What the heck were they doing? They started chasing each other for no reason yet again. “And here we go again,” Asahi said as he chuckled. “It is entertaining in a way,” Daichi then said. You glance at the two before putting your eyes at the two yet again. They then noticed your gaze and froze. They forgot that they weren’t supposed to fight in front of you. Even if it looked playful or fun.

“Boke! Are you observing us?” Kageyama then yelled at you. You chuckled and looked away. “And what if I am Tobio~ And are you sure I am JUST observing” You then teased as you looked back at him. He blushed and looked away as he huffed. “Aww~ Sugar, put your eyes on me as well~” Sugawara playfully whined. “Let me note take in peace~” You then said as you chuckled. “Boke! Boke! Why are you even taking note on us?” Kageyama then said. “Weren’t you the one who asked?” You then asked. Kageyama realized what he said and what he asked. He huffed and walked away, not wanting to seem flustered. “Are you taking notes of all of us or?” Sugawara then said as he went closer. “Everyone,” You then responded as you gave him a notebook. “These are good,” He then said as he read it. “Suga! Break’s over!” Daichi then called out. “I’ll be borrowing this,” He then said as he went towards Daichi.

Kiyoko then walked towards you after the two setters dealt their business. “So, have you decided yet?” She asked as she sat beside you. “As much as I would love to become manager, I just don’t I’m cut out for it,” You responded as you looked at the people playing. “If you say so, but you really are suited for it,” The taller female said as she looked at you. “Plus, the team needs moral support. I mean Yachi and I can provide it but you seem to know how to really lift up the mood,” Kiyoko said as she then stood up and smiled. “I’ll continue my duties, but please think about it? Plus~ the boys always seem to perform better while you are here,” Kiyoko teased. “Whatever~” You responded as you continued looking. “I don’t mean to sound rude or anything! I’m just really curios and I-“ Yachi started overthinking but then you cut her off. “It’s fine, Yachi! Go ahead spill it!” You then said.

“Do Sugawara and Kageyama like you? Those two seem to always try and outdo each other when you are here,” Yachi then said. You then flinch as you sighed. “I wanna say happily, yes. But sadly, yes, they both like me,” You responded. “I mean both of them are amazing and all! I’m just confused and afraid to hurt them,” You then confessed as you checked out the two setters. “Both of them are so beautiful in both their looks and personality,” You then said as you buried your face in your hands. “I’m just confused but I also don’t wanna drag this on,” You then added. And as silence fell your mind wondered.

Why you? Out of all the people why you? Why love someone who’s emotionally unstable? A girl whose primary source of comfort are x reader fanfics? A girl whose head is head is full of fantasies, insecurities, and scenarios that didn’t even happen? As more and more thoughts swirl around your head, Yachi had already left you, not wanting to disturb what “peace” you have. Tears prickle your eyes as more and more scenarios, insecurities, and fear settle in your mind. “Are you oka-“ Kiyoko was about to ask. “Excuse me, sorry,” You then said rushed as you left the gym. Yachi was about to follow you but was held back by Kiyoko. “She needs space,” The 3rd year merely said and the blonde nodded hesitantly. “She’ll come back eventually, right?” The shorter asked and Kiyoko merely nodded.

When you left, both Sugawara and Kageyama looked at the entrance, wanting to follow where you went. It was not until a few more sets of games did the team notice their longing and unsteadiness. “You can go and find her,” Daichi then said. And the moment that left his lips, both of them went flying. “Kageyama! You check the library I’ll go check the roof top,” Sugawara then said.

You, on the other hand, were under a tree in the campus. A place that you only go to when things get rough. As tears streamed down, you buried your head in your knees. “Here we go again,” You then stuttered as you sighed. You felt numb, why were you even crying in the first place? What made you sad? Your mind tends to forget to be able to protect you from any more harm. You then looked up the sky and let your tears roll. Oh, now you remember why it made you sad.

“I’m scared,” you squeaked as you wiped away your tears. “Help me, I’m scared,” You added as you curled up into a ball.

You are just useless. Always causing pain to others. Such an idiot, can’t even get her life together

Scared? You better be. Pain will arrived soon.

Such a cry baby, crying over the simplest stuff. Why can’t you be like your best friend? A person who is always going to be better than you.

As more and more thoughts came to haunt you. Memories also came to loom over you. Reminding you of all the things that happened between Sugawara and Kageyama. You started to mumble things to get it off your mind. Or started trying to get your breathing steady.

“We like you!” Both Kageyema and Sugawara confessed as they bowed, startling you. “You see sugar, we weren’t going to tell you about it. But someone just had to slip it out,” Sugawara said, slightly annoyed. “I’m sorry!” Hinata whined as he hid behind Asahi. “Don’t worry though! Kageyama and I already agreed on things. So you don’t have to worry your little head,” The silver then added. “Y-yeah,” Kageyama then said. “Agreed on things?” You then said as you looked at them. “Just don’t worry, Boke!” Kageyama then said.

As time passed, you found out more about their little deal. Their number one rule is to never fight in front of you. Which currently is being broken. Kageyama had bluntly told you how sometimes you can be overbearing. But before he can even finished with what he was saying, he was cut off. “You can’t just say that to her!” Sugawara said as he looked at Kageyama in disappointment. “I’m not even done talking,” Kageyama then said as he glared at Sugawara. “And she’s asking me, not you,” He then added as he turned back to you. Sugawara sighed and chuckled darkly. “That’s why I’m going to make her fall for me. You don’t know how to take care of her,” Sugawara then said uncharacteristically. Thus pissed off the blueberry and now they are having an argument. Yelling at each other as you felt smaller and smaller. “Guys stop it!” You said as you then tried to stop both of them.

Sugawara looked at you with a soft expression but he turned back to Kageyama. The two continued to yell and scold each other back and forth. No matter how hard you tried, they didn’t break apart. “I’ll be the one she will love romantically!” Kageyama then yelled. “As if you are able to even take care of her! I’ll make sure she doesn’t get hurt,” Sugawara then yelled back. They both then glared at each other, talking without words. But then their frenzy of insults started again.

Hinata and Yamaguchi went to you and led you out. “Does this always happen?” You then asked as you looked back. The two led you out and kept you company as the others break the fight. “No, it usually isn’t this bad,” Yamaguchi then said as he sighed. “Both of them must’ve had a bad day,” Hinata added.

How long as it been going on for? You know that YOU are hurting them greatly. You’ve seen them cry because of you and it hurts, right? It feels like knifes are stabbing your heart as you see them tear apart. They don’t fight in front of you but you know they do. YOU are the cause of their suffering, and yet you don’t seem to realize how deep that wound would be.

Kageyama sat in the gym alone, and tired. He didn’t know why he felt this way. But what he did know is that he just wants for it to be gone. He and Sugawara had just finished fighting and he was tired of it. He sat there with his eyes focused on the ball. He wanted to practice more but his body was not cooperating. You went inside to see him just sitting there, which is unusual. So you went to him, sat beside him, and hold him close. You knew that he was sad, it was obvious, and he didn’t even attempt to hide it. “It’s okay, I’m here. You don’t have to keep it in,” You then said as you placed his head on your shoulder. And with that, he cried.

“Please make it stop,” You whimpered as you continue to cry. You covered your ears as you curled up. More and more thoughts came to haunt you. Breathing became harder and your body trembled. You were scared, scared of getting hurt, of getting left alone, of being alone. It was scary and you feel like the world is spinning.

Sugawara leaned on the wall, he currently was at the back of the gym. He felt lost and scared. This whole love was all new to him. And out of all the people that could’ve fallen for you as well, is his kouhai, his superior, Kageyama. His tears fell down as he let his mind drift into the void. You were looking for him and found him in this state. Since he was too busy with his thoughts, he didn’t notice you coming up to him. He yelped once you held him in a hug. He tried brushing you off and making excuses but you kept your arms around him. “You don’t have to be strong in front of me. Cry all you want, I’m here to help,” You then said as you held them close. He relaxed and let loose, crying unto your shoulder.

Them crying because of you, it hurts. Your heart and chest ache as you continued to cry. You just want this pain to go away. For their pain to go away. And yet here you are, your feelings all jumbled up. You don’t know what to feel or how to react. Kind of ironic since a lot of people would consider you an empath. More and more thoughts consumed you and making you feel worse.

Little did you know, the two hard already seen and heard most of your little break down. Sugawara looked at your figure with teary eyes. His heart clenched when he heard your mumbles and your pleas. He hated the fact that he was causing you this pain. He knew how sensitive you are and yet he choose to pour his feelings on to you. He wanted to help you and for once, he wasn’t able to get words out of his mouth. But he merely walked towards you with one of his hand reached out to you and the other on top of his chest. Kageyama, on the other hand, had no idea on what to do or what to even say but he followed his upperclassmen’s league. He didn’t understand on why it hurts just looking at you crying. And he also didn’t understand why his heart aches to hold you and comfort you. Even if he knows nothing on how to comfort a girl, let alone his crush.

“Hey sugar,” Sugawara then said as not to startle you. But you refuse to look at him, not wanting more memories to play or thoughts to plague. “H-hey, y-you okay?” Kageyama asked awkwardly. “We’ll sit here, okay?” Suagawara then said as he sat in front of you, Kageyama doing the same. As you continue to sniffle and cry, Sugawara and Kageyama let you have your silence for a while. It broke both of them to see you in this state. You are a very strong person, a person who rarely cries in front of people. And seeing you in this state, makes them sad. “Hi,” You then said as you looked up a bit. They took this signal as to come closer. “Ready to open up now, princess?” Sugawara then said as he pet your hair. Kageyama looked at him with a confused look, still doesn’t know what to do. “Why don’t you hold her hand, hm?” Sugawara then suggest. Kageyama then hesitantly reached out and hold your hand gently.

“Hugs please?” You then asked as you uncurled yourself. Your eyes were red and puffy. Your lips were trembling and became a darker shade. Your nose and cheeks were also a pinkish color. Sugawara and Kageyama somehow found it cute. Yet it was also a heart breaking sight as you were hurting. They both then attempted to wrap their arms around you. Which didn’t work, so Sugawara let Kageyama hold you in his arms as he would comfort you through words. Sugawara placed his hand on your hair and caressing it. “If you don’t want to tell us, it’s fine. But me and Kageyama would be honored to hear your thoughts,” Sugawara whispered. “Yeah, we want to know what you are thinking,” Kageyama said as he looked away.

As they continued to comfort you through words and touch, you calmed down. “Are you okay now, sugar?” Sugawara said softly. You buried yourself in Kageyama’s chest. “Kinda,” You then said as you looked at Sugawara. His eyes showed love and compassion, it was very soft as well. “Are you willing to tell us why you are crying?” Kageyama said as he looked down at you. “No,” You then said as you tried to pull away from him. But Kageyama didn’t let you go nor did he allow it. “I know I shouldn’t force you to tell us. And I’m not trying to but please we just want to help you,” He then said as he let go of you. “Kageyama is right. I- We hate seeing you like this,” Sugawara said as he gentle place his hand on your cheek.

“But if I tell you, you both would hurt more,” You then muttered as you look away from their gaze. “Sugar…” Sugawara then said as he wrapped his arms around you. “Please don’t bottle them up anymore,” He then added. “Now that I think about it, it does seem like we are both dating you,” Kageyama then said out of nowhere. Sugawara glared at him but soon softened when he heard you giggled. “Thank you guys really. I have no idea how you both fell for my idiotic self,” You then said as you wiped your tears. “I should thank you for even giving me a chance,” Sugawara said as he kissed your forehead. “Yeah…” Kageyama then said as he patted your head.

“You are standing between two mountains. So I understand it can get overwhelming. But remember that we are your friends as well. We agreed to do this and will endure everything and anything for you. Okay? So don’t feel bad or else I’ll hit you,” Sugawara then said seriously. “Boke, I don’t care what happens to me. As long as we are friends it’s fine,” Kageyama then said as he hugged you. Surprised, you let out some tears and hugged them both. “Thank you,” You said as you held them tight. “It’s not a problem, Boke,” Kageyama then whispered. “We should head back? Or maybe we can go a little detour?” Sugawara suggested. “And we’ll be heading back, no more tug of war from you two,” You then said as you started walking away. The two then looked at each other and smiled. “Wait for us!” Sugawara then said as he caught up with you and so did Kageyama.

Maybe, just maybe, one of their wishes would come true. Sugawara or Kageyama? You choose.