#dreamland burning

[stanford-photography]

Wheel of Fire By Jeff Stanford, 2023

Buy prints at: https://jeff-stanford.pixels.com/

[heademptysimirror]

Kirbtober Days 29 & 30: Last battle ability & Dark

Notes: I WOULD have done more for Day 30 but it's 11:45 and i gotta wake up pretty early tomorrow.

[almightyhamslice]

Stage 2-5, Pitch Mama's stage!

Pitch has gotten lost again, swept away by strong underwater currents after a mishap with some Squishys. He nearly drowned! Fortunately for him, Kine is adept at swimming against currents and has come to his rescue with Kirby and Gooey in tow.

Kine helps Gooey and Kirby navigate through the stage's underwater caves, but he must eventually leave them so they can free Pitch (cuz you can only have one animal friend at once). Before they separate, Kine seals Pitch in a bubble so he can breathe underwater (he's just a little guy! He can't hold his breath that long). The currents are strong and there are so many Gordos in the sea! Gooey swims ahead, pulling Kirby along with him with his tongue. It's very dicey, Kirby's afraid Pitch's bubble will pop!

In the end, Pitch is finally reunited with his mom! And she's so glad to see him again. Her canon name is Pitch Mama but I call her Picchi because it has a similar feel (it's just the Japanese name for Pitch) but its more of a proper name since her canon name is more of a descriptor. She and Pitch are very close, but she initially lost him after he learned to fly-- he's such a fast flier on his own and he's so tiny! She lost track of him! Picchi is a harpy just like he is, but she can transform into a human sized bird rather than a. bird sized. bird. you know what I mean LOL.

Regarding Gooey, you may wonder why he's fine sitting with his head underwater in the fourth image. His biology is... very strange. Because Dark Matter is a primarily space dwelling species, Gooey doesn't actually breathe. That's also why he has no inhale and merely uses his tongue to grab enemies. So when underwater, Gooey isn't really concerned about himself, but he is worried about Kirby and Pitch and wants to get them out as soon as possible. I guess this is a real character development moment for Gooey! They'd be screwed without him I think?

Fun fact, I almost died in this level when I played it! Which would've been terrible and it would've meant I would have to start aaaalllll over again since I would've lost Pitch! I also played it singleplayer, and that's why there's a Stone Kine drawing. I'm sure I've mentioned that I play this game in singleplayer before-- Gooey isn't REALLY there but I want him to be in these illustrations because he is very important to the story!! and to me. Gooey Is The Key To All Of This.

[beebfreeb]

What the. It's September 16th. Happy birthday DIDL

[annamatix]

never in my life would i ever have guessed that i would be analyzing no body, no crime by taylor swift herself for a school assignment

not complaining i’m actually loving this so much

(we’re analyzing the main characters in the books we chose to read & one of the questions was “what song does this character have on repeat? explain throughly how this song fits them” and since the character is solving a murder i chose no body, no crime. now i have to explain how the lyrics fit the book. having the the time of my life rn)

[mukuberry]

the sleeping sleeper has awoken

[lokislittlesigyn]

have listened to the new glass animals album

[horromcom]

me when criminal f/os

[whumpshaped]

FINALLY A WHIMPER!!!

give him a headpat for that, he's earned it

mmm now for other fun things to do...

mmm ice and salt pressed against his skin to give him some frostbite

last one for refresher. im finishing this tonight :) shouldve done this ages ago im sorry (no asks for this game anymore please !)

tw interrogation, burns (frostbite more like)

"We're making good progress," you say encouragingly. "Really, your tongue is looser by the second, hm?"

"Just stop," he chokes out, panting. "I won't tell... I can't tell... Please..."

You stand up and pat him on the head, then go to the company freezer to take out some ice cubes this time. If he won't tell, at least you finally have a chance to test this out.

"Listen, listen to me," the guy tries to get your attention again. "I can't, okay? Please, I know this is your job, but I can't–"

"Shut up, man." You take some ice and salt, walking back over to to him and putting some salt on his face. "Either say the magic words or shut up."

You press the ice onto the salted area, making the man whimper and whine again. He doesn't seem like he cares much his image anymore.

"I can't fucking tell you, please listen to me!"

You sigh, salting his other cheek as well.

[ethereal-maia]

It’s here!!

Marya was very intruiged by how this girl thought. She was very different from all the girls Marya had grown up with, the girls who always had somewhere to be, who acted like they knew better than you. Dahlia seemed more… real? Actual? Like someone who wouldn't hold your relationship at arm's length, only to be brought in after careful consideration and casual degradation. This new girl didn’t act that way. Dahlia was sincere, genuine. She seemed determined to make a unique impression on everyone she met.

—

In which Marya Hendriks meets Dahlia Remanse for the first time.

—

This fic as a whole is meant to flesh out Marya Hendriks’ character and give her a girlfriend because I think she deserves it. I would be over the moon if you gave it a chance!!

[i-like-gay-books]

forget ipod nano. i think we all need to revert back to the times of walkmans (the ones for cds, not cassettes). i think we all need to be able to only listen to music that we've bought physically or that we burned onto cds. playlists need to be mixtapes again. we need to give them out as gifts instead of just sharing spotify playlists with each other. we need those little cd case things to carry as a purse or hook onto our belt so we can switch out the cd when it finishes. we need to strip music from library cds and burn it onto our own discs. i think that would fix society.

[almightyhamslice]

Kirby's Dreamland 2 world 1! I have a lot of KDL2 to post I'm sure... It's a much longer game and I'm much more passionate abt it than I am about Kirby's Dreamland. Plus, now we have actual copy abilities!!

[notdeadyetnatural]

Scully tricking not-mulder into handcuffing himself to the bed thinking their gonna sleep together and then pulling a gun on him 😳🫠

[emmyrosee]

Sometimes, Suguru can’t find it in himself to sleep.

It’s when his mind is louder than he anticipates, and it’s too late for him to take an aid to knock the thoughts loose and free into the night sky. His legs shake, he tosses and turns every five minutes, he feels sick to his stomach as his body becomes with fatigue worse than being physically sick, and sometimes, he gets so frustrated he screws his eyes shut and wants to scream, throw a tantrum to release the feelings that claw his heart.

He’d never do it though. Not with you next to him.

Not as your own mind swirls in dreamland, deep and secure and safe in bed next to him. He reaches out to gently thumb your bottom lip, and when you grunt softly at him, he chuckles and sits up.

He could get up. Call it a night, get started on work for tomorrow and try again tomorrow night. He can watch tv, see if there’s any news on, or perhaps read until his eyes burn like he’s done the past three nights.

“Suguru?”

Your sleepy voice shudders him out of his thoughts, your voice wobbly and not ready to face the day in the cutest way possible.

“Sugu?” You sleepily mumble again, brows pinched in the center as you knuckle an eye, “what’re you doing?”

“Nothing.” It’s not really a lie, is it?

You hum and sit up, and he’s quick to try and coax you back to lay down. You shouldn’t have to be awake for his sake, not when it’s his mind that betrays him in such ways; you deserve to relax and be restful.

You don’t have to be awake for his sake.

You mewl and rest your head on his shoulder, “can’t sleep?”

“No, baby… not tonight.” He laces his fingers with yours and brings your knuckles to his lips for a loving kiss, “but I’ll be okay. You go back to bed, yeah?”

“Don’t want you to be alone,” you pout sleepily. He laughs again before wrapping an arm around you, tugging you close while you curl into his warm side.

“Wanna hear about my dream?” You ask, barely even functioning.

“Sure. Lay it on me.”

“I dreamt I was with Shoko,” you yawn, eyes rolling back in exhaustion. “And we… were walking… I had chicken legs…”

He tries his hardest not to laugh, fingers massaging the muscles at the base of your neck lovingly. “Then what?”

“Gojo… was a pig.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah.”

He chuckles and burrows his nose into your warm scalp, relishing in the feeling as for the first time that night, his mind shuts the hell up, as if the loud thoughts from his head would wake you up.

You start to snore softly, mouth slacked and eyes rolling back exhaustedly. He guides you both to slowly lay back down, not wanting to wake you up again because of his inability to sleep. Your body lets him manipulate you into a laying position, but your arms stay wrapped around him.

“I love you,” he whispers against you, squeezing you close.

You grunt back at him, and he closes his eyes to try and let your comforting, sleepy embrace lull him to a semblance of sleep.

[berryhobii]

Thinking about bf!Mingyu who will totally let you use him however you want, no matter the time of day or the location.

He could be dead tired after a flight and while he’s normally a light sleeper, exhaustion will just lay too heavily on his brain and send him into a deep sleep.

You were happy to have him back home after a few weeks apart, your own idol schedule keeping you busy but when everything calmed down, all you could think about was your precious boyfriend. He had recently returned from a visit with his parents and you were so incredibly happy for him. You know how much he misses them and it warmed your heart to hear about all his stories when he returned. He was practically beaming with happiness.

Your precious baby was just so adorable. You two had spent the entire day lost in your own little world; cooking, cuddling, and talking about everything you haven’t been able to.

He had chatted with you until he eventually fell asleep, the jet lag finally catching up with him and his gentle voice trailing off as he was swept into dreamland by your tender caress and soft lips pressing against his cheeks.

Little did he know, you’ve been slowly losing your mind for the past 15 minutes because of a wet dream that just startled you awake. You were sweating despite the cool AC, your heart pounding, and the heat between your legs too hot to ignore.

You and Mingyu had a really healthy sex life. Well, as healthy as it could get with your conflicting schedules but there was no denying how attracted you two were to each other. You could just look at him for a few seconds and you’d be ready to go at it. It also didn’t help that Mingyu kept slapping your ass whenever he’d walk by you or that he recently returned to his natural hair color which you’ve vocalized multiple times as your favorite. And it really didn’t help that he’s been walking around shirtless the entire day, feeding your eyes with his flat tummy and broad shoulders.

You could barely keep your hands off him today but you also didn’t want to ruin the sweet moment so you held back from jumping his bones.

And now you’re wide awake and silently wishing for relief.

The room was pitch black since that’s how you preferred to sleep so you slapped around your bedside table for your phone, squinting as the light burned your eyes a little.

3:14AM

Neither of you had a schedule tomorrow so you were planning on just spending that time together as well so you wouldn’t be wrong for waking him up, right? And sex would put him back to sleep and help him sleep better, right? You’re pretty sure that’s one of Newton’s Laws and science is science so….

Turning on your bedside lamp to a low light, you rolled over to appreciate your boyfriend who was resting on his back; his fluffy hair splayed out over his pillow, one of his buff arms laying by his head while the other rested on his tummy, and his plump lips opened slightly as he slept.

You almost hated to wake him up.

Almost.

“Gyu…” You whispered, fully expecting him to immediately wake up since he was such a light sleeper. You shouldn’t be surprised though. He always slept like this after a long schedule or plane ride.

You tapped his shoulder lightly, calling his name again. His eyebrows furrowed a little but he still didn’t wake up.

“Mingyu, wake up.” Then with another tap, his face scrunched up before his lashes fluttered; his eyes opened a little but closed again at the light of your lamp.

A soft, hmm?, came from him and your heart could have melted if all the heat in your body wasn’t currently focused in your nether regions.

“I’m sorry I woke you but….”

“What’s wrong, angel?”

Oof, you think you just fell deeper in love with him. Pet names were a secret turn on of yours. Mingyu normally just called you by your name or nickname which was fine but cutesy pet names were your favorite.

Now take that combined with his raspy sleepy voice? It was like a shock right to your cunt.

Swallowing thickly, you said, “I can’t sleep. I need…..you.”

He let out a sleepy sigh and nodded his head, groaning as he stretched out his weary body. He was about to lift up but you stopped him, his skin feeling cool under your hand.

“No no, baby. I’ll do the work.” Accepting his fate, he flopped back down on the bed. You leaned over him, rubbing your nose against his. “Thanks, baby. Sorry to wake you.”

“It’s okay. I don’t mind.”

Pressing a few pecks to his lips, your hand trailed down to reach into his pants, gasping when you felt his cock that was halfway hard.

You breathed out a little laugh. “Excited already?”

“Always for you.”

Humming, you kissed him once more before moving down until you were perpendicular to his body, your knees tucked under yourself. He helped you tug his shorts halfway down until they rested at his thighs. Just enough to reveal his hardening cock.

Gripping him lightly, you leaned forward to lick a long stripe up his shaft. You heard him sigh and felt his hand start to rub up and down your back, a comforting touch that made your heart flutter.

Holding him steady, you took his cock into your mouth, relaxing your throat so you could take him all the way down. Mingyu’s cock was bigger than anything you’ve ever had before so you’ve had to work extra hard over the years just to be able to take it. His leg twitched a little, his soothing hand on your back halting for a moment before restarting.

Since you weren’t planning on getting him to cum from head, you decided to go easy and just rile him up enough to get him to full hardness which didn’t take very long at all.

Pulling off of him, you wiped your mouth before rising to wiggle your own shorts off. Neither of you slept in with underwear on which just made this kind of sex 10 times easier.

You climbed on top of him, your knees on either side of his waist. His hands gravitated to your thighs, squeezing the fat there lightly.

“Do you need help?” He asked to which you shook your head.

“I don’t think I’ll last long anyway.” You replied as you leaned forward to press your chest against his. You reached under yourself to grab his cock and lined it up with your dripping heat.

Mingyu groaned at the feeling of you running the head of his cock up and down your wet folds. “How are you this wet already?” He moved his hands to your ass, spreading your cheeks to give you better access.

“I’ve been wanting your cock all day.” You admitted, gasping when the thick head slipped into your tight hole. Mingyu kept you spread open as you slid down his impressive girth, the thickness splitting you open and knocking the air out of you when it was completely inside.

“Shit, hurry up baby.” He cursed, pulling his lip between his teeth as he tried to hold back from fucking up into you. Although you wouldn’t complain if he did.

Adjusting your knees and rising up to lean your hands on either side of his head, you began throwing your ass back on him. Each drag made the curve in his cock rub against your sweet spot, your sopping walls already making noises that was like a direct rush of endorphins to his brain.

His hands gripped you tighter, helping you move against him.

You moaned. “F-fuck, Gyu. Feels so good. Gonna cum.”

One of his arms wrapped around your back to pull you down, the other still keeping you spread as he began snapping his hips up to meet you. Each stroke felt deeper than the last, your tummy burning with need. The feeling of your cunt wrapped around him had woken him up even more, the need to bury himself in your dripping walls overpowering his need for sleep.

Your nails dug into his shoulders, your mouth dropped open as he delivered mind numbing strokes, the clap of your ass against his pelvis m loud in the darkness of the room.

“Don’t stop—oh shit! I’m bout to cum!” You babbled, calls of his name and more pleads of him not to stop falling from your lips as hot pleasure courses down your spine.

He holds you close, breath ragged against your throat and a needy whine coming from him as your walls clenched around him incredibly tight.

A few more well placed thrusts and your brain is temporarily short circuiting as an orgasm engulfs that leaves your ears ringing and vision blanking out for a moment. You don’t stop moving your hips against him, your body shuddering as you continue to chase that residual pleasure.

Mingyu was right behind you, forcing your hips down so that he could bury himself all the way to the hilt, moaning your name as he shot hot ropes of his cum into your spasming walls.

Chests heaving, you lifted up a bit to capture his lips in a kiss. He relaxed against the mattress, melting into your affection and exhaustion trying to take him back to dreamland.

“Thank you baby.” You murmured against his lips, his hands running up your shirt to feel your skin.

“Anytime.” He hummed, ready to fall back asleep but he was jolted awake when he felt your walls tighten around him. He hissed as your hips began to move again.

“One more time?”

[bluesidez]

Hello!!! Love that you’re taking requests now 🫶🏽 would you write a domestic!miguel fic? Like showing the chaotic but fluffy dysfunction of the O’Hara household. Miguel and the reader already have two kids, maybe reader is pregnant with the third (if you’re comfortable with writing that)

I just really need some fluff in my life lol 😅

[Five Peas In A Pod]

lab taster: @scorpihoooe 🩻

pairing: Miguel O'Hara x Pregnant!Reader

summary: No family's life is exactly perfect, but it doesn't make them any less beautiful.

content warning: lots and lots of fluff, mentions of vomit, mentions of pregnancy and pregnancy cravings, mentions of food, could possibly be suggestive? but not enough to warrant a huge warning, a lot of crying but I promise it's not sad

word count: 4.3k, not proofread

a/n: I apologize for this being so late! But I'm really happy with how it turned out, so I hope you enjoy it as well!

“Finally.”

Miguel slid under the covers, grunting as he inched towards your back. His breath was warm on your head as he positioned one arm under one of your pillows and another around your waist.

“How are we feeling?” he kissed your scalp and rubbed down your stomach.

“Not too great, she’s been kicking for the past forty minutes.”

“That’s no good,” Miguel shifted to place his mouth on your shoulder. “What’s wrong, mija? Did you miss me?”

Your baby girl brought her feet to where Miguel held his hand, tapping away like there was there was no tomorrow. Miguel chuckled and wrote a pattern into your skin with his thumb.

“I’m glad you two are having a lovely reunion, but I’d like to go to sleep.”

Miguel kissed up your shoulder and neck as you sighed.

“Hear that Gabi? Can you calm down until tomorrow? Mama needs to sleep so you can keep growing. We can talk in the morning.”

Like magic, Gabriella’s little feet slowed to a halt.

“She hasn’t even seen you yet and she’s already a daddy’s girl,” you weave your fingers through his over your stomach. “What’s next? She’ll look like you too?”

“Mm,” Miguel placed his lips behind your ear. “I hope she looks like you. She’ll be the most beautiful in the world.”

You smiled, “Yeah?”

“Of course.”

Miguel took his hands down your body and massaged your hip and lower back. You groaned and melted into your pillow, arching your body into Miguel’s hold. With his ministrations and your daughter giving you a break, you start to fade into dreamland.

You could almost visualize your next craving you were going to make tomorrow. A big bowl of mashed potatoes with chunks of pickles, bacon, and caramel drizzle. Maybe some sprinkles too.

The door of the bedroom creaked, Miguel looking over his shoulder.

“Daddy? Mommy? I threw up.”

Miguel’s hands paused and he heaved a heavy sigh.

There was a dip in the bed and a shuffle of slides across the floor.

“Is your stomach still feeling funny, bub?”

You turned your body to watch Miguel bend down and check your second oldest for soiled clothes. Daniel shook his head and tucked his chin into his chest, eyes welling up with tears.

“Hey, hey, what’s the matter?”

“I’m sorry,” his voice was shaking. “I didn’t mean to.”

You got up on the edge of the bed and walked around to the other side. You sat on your knees next to Miguel and pressed the back of your hand to Daniel’s forehead. He wasn’t burning up, but he was trembling.

“We know you didn’t mean to, honey. Sometimes, we just get sick. It’s ok!”

“Yeah, buddy. Papá gets sick all of the time.”

“Really?” Daniel looked to Miguel with big doe eyes, a baby picture of Miguel brought to life.

“Absolutely.”

“And Mama has to nurse him back to health-”

“Ok! Here,” Miguel tugged at the sleeves of his shirt while you laugh. “Let’s clean you up and get you some medicine. It was probably really scary, huh?”

Daniel nodded his head as Miguel helped him take off his pajama pants.

“C’mon. Let’s take a quick bubble bath. How does that sound? No need to be sad,” you gave Daniel a hug and kissed his cheek.

“I’ll get the sheets and clothes in the washing machine and join you.” Miguel said as he helped you up. So much for cuddles before bed.

Miguel was quick to scope Daniel’s room. Any smell of tonight’s stir fry mixed with the chocolate milk from lunch and your waves of morning sickness might come back. He was quick to transfer the sheets to the washing machine and spray the room down with disinfectant. Luckily, the damage wasn’t drastic, so a quick change of sheets and a mop to the floor was all that was needed.

By the time he got to the bathroom, Daniel was wrapped up in a green dinosaur hoodie towel with a smile on his face as you blew raspberries into his cheek.

Miguel gasped, “Are you two having a party without me?”

Daniel folded his hands under his chin and nodded meekly, face rosy.

“Nonsense!” Miguel swept him up in his arms. “There’s no party without Papá, no?”

The hall filled with giggles as Miguel airplaned Daniel back to his room. The chatter amongst them filled the noise as Miguel reassured Daniel that he and mommy would only be a room away if was feeling sick again.

He ran lotion over his body and placed him in paw print pajamas. He wrapped him tight in the covers and shifted the star night light on the nightstand. With a whisper of goodnight, Miguel inched his way to the door.

However, the crumbling face of the five year old as Miguel looked through the crack tugged at his heart. He opened the door, swept Daniel up, and trudged back to his own bedroom.

Walking into the room, you were laying down with the opposite side of the duvet flipped up and an extra pillow in between yours and his.

Your face was knowing, a shake in your shoulders as you watched Miguel rock a clingy baby in his arms to the bed.

“Joining mommy and daddy, Daniel?”

“Uh huh,” he crawls to the middle and pulls the covers up. You lay a hand on his tummy over the duvet as Miguel slips in with a deep sigh.

He turns and places his hand over yours, the two of you acting as a shield. “I love you’s” and “good nights” are exchanged and a kiss between the two of you is shared before Daniel whines about wanting a kiss too. Both of you laugh and kiss him on his cheeks as he settled into his pillow.

You rub his chest lightly, something that put him to sleep easily as a baby.

His eyes start to close, almost gone to the world, before he jerks back up, startling Miguel whose eyes were just as heavy.

“Papá, can you sing the night-night song?” Daniel pleads.

A soft breath escapes your nose as you watch Miguel blink his eyes open and comply.

“But you have to go to sleep after this, bub.”

Daniel promises to do so as Miguel starts up a lullaby about a baby that wants to sleep but can’t.

It works on you too, the low drum of his voice holding you in his arms as you held your baby in yours.

Gabriella moved, and as softly as you can, you take his hand to your stomach. With this, she taps softly to his palm.

Miguel smiles sleepily as he watches you take a little breath, the rise and fall of your chest showing that you were in a deep sleep.

He only stops singing when he’s sure all three of you are asleep.

“Jaime, I’ve asked you five times to get up already. Get it together.”

There was only one more hour left before everyone needed to be out of the house or else you’d be late to your appointment.

The lump in the bed only moves a bit before it’s still again.

“Jaime, please. I don’t want to have to pull you out of the bed.”

Today was already starting out all over the place. You woke up sweaty and achy, the heat radiating from your furnace of a husband and your snuggly son was too much. Your ankles felt a little more swollen than usual, and you wanted chewy spicy rice cakes with extra cheese, but the heartburn wouldn’t be worth it.

You sighed as your eldest stayed put. A soft pat to the bed only earned a whine and a wiggle from him.

Looking towards the growing footsteps at the door, your husband was frantic and glaring at his watch as if it cursed him.

“What’s the holdup? We need to be in the car soon and Daniel has to be at school early for a field trip.”

You held your hand out to the bed, face defeated.

“Son.”

Jaime shot up with a wobble to his lips and a scrunch to his face at the tone of Miguel’s voice.

You folded your arms, half concerned, half offended.

“I know you hear your mother asking you to get up.”

“But-“

“Jaime O’Hara.”

The tears start to fall as he shuffles out of bed and goes to the bathroom, his cries pitiful and broken.

He swings the door like he’s about to slam it only to close it softly at the end, the sound of his voice carrying through then hallway.

“Was I too hard on him?” Miguel’s shoulders drop.

“No? I don’t think so. But I think there’s something he’s not telling us.”

“Is there something going on at school? Did we miss an important date?”

The two of you stare at each other as Jaime continues to sob in the bathroom.

“There’s no award ceremonies. He hasn’t said anything strange about his classmates. His birthday isn’t until the end of the year. He does have his game coming up.”

Miguel gasps and runs his had through his hair, “He’s been worrying about his 3-pointers nonstop. He’s probably nervous about it.”

He puts his face in his hand and mumbles through his fingers.

“How could I forget?”

You pat his shoulder, “Don’t worry about that right now. What’s important is that we talk to him. Check up on him, calm him down, explain things to him, and encourage him. Right?”

“Absolutely,” Miguel kisses your temple. “You’re so good at this.”

A snicker follows his statement, “And so are you. Now, can you go stop his crying while I make sure Daniel hasn’t made a mess in the kitchen? He’s too quiet.”

Miguel’s eyebrows shot up again as he realized he left the kindergartner to his own devices. The last time he did that, he walked onto a floor covered in flour and dusty, giggly baby.

“Smart idea.”

“Mm hm.”

Miguel turns and heads towards the bathroom, giving it two knocks before asking to come in.

Jaime takes a deep breath and pushes out a yes.

Miguel opens the door to him crying in the mirror while he puts up his toothbrush. If it were anyone else’s child or baby brother, it could have been funny and dramatic, but Miguel sees himself in the way his entire chest jumps when he breathes in.

He hopes Jaime always feels that home is a safe place to cry and yell, something his own parents never offered him.

“Do you want to tell me what’s wrong?”

He left his frustration with the frantic morning at the doorway and stepped inside. With one hand on the counter and another arm resting on his thigh, he squatted down to Jaime’s level.

His son rubbed his eyes from the inside of his elbow to his arm, “I kept messing up.”

“Messing up what? Your shots?”

Jaime nodded his head, curly hair bouncing along with it.

“At practice, Coach made us do Around-the-worlds and the further from the goal, the more I kept missing. But the game is soon, and I can’t mess up at the game.”

His voice reached its highest point and he bit his lip in order not to cry again.

“Oye, está bien. That’s just practice, mijo. The game isn’t until a few more days. There’s plenty of time for us to get to a court and do some more drills. I know it feels like a lot right now, but we can always work to be better. Understood?”

Jaime nodded his head.

“Can you look at me?”

Jaime pouted as he turned to Miguel.

“I apologize for not giving you the space to explain yourself this morning. I was rushing and I didn’t take the time to check on you. For that, Papá’s sorry. Lo siento, mijo.”

With a calmer demeanor, Jaime forgives him. No whines and no hesitation.

“Still, when you’re feeling like this, you need to communicate, ok? Mamá was there and you could have told her that you were worried. You could have even called for me and I would have come running.”

“I didn’t mean to hurt Mamá.”

Miguel bit the inside of his lip in order to not coo, “I know you didn’t. Would you like to apologize to her like I did to you?”

Jaime collided with Miguel’s chest and wrapped his arms around his neck. He could feel the movement of his head nodding.

“Ok, buddy. Let’s go find her after we get your uniform on.”

Jaime wasn’t budging from his spot so Miguel let him cling off his neck as he got up. One day his eldest might not want to do things like this again, so for now he’ll cherish it.

One blazer, some knaki shorts, and a button down later, Jaime was all ready for school.

“And what do we say when we’re feeling down about ourselves?” Miguel asked as he tucked in the end of Jaime’s belt.

“Nothing can stop me from the path I want to take, not even my doubts.”

“And?”

“O’Hara’s may make mistakes, but O’Hara’s bounce back. O’Hara’s succeed.”

“¡Exactamente!” Miguel patted his back.

“¿Papá?”

“¿Sí, mijo?”

Jaime held his hands up, silently pleading with Miguel.

With an easy tug, his son was in his arms. As tall as he was getting, he was still Miguel’s baby.

In the kitchen, you were leaning over the island as you listened intensely to Daniel talk about types of dinosaurs. You looked up to your son in your husband’s arms and you knew they had a good talk.

Miguel strode up to you and looked at Jaime expectantly.

“I,” he picked at his uniform tie. “I’m sorry for not listening to you this morning Mamá. I was sad but that- that doesn’t mean I was supposed to ignore you.”

Your eyes started to water, “I forgive you, Jaime. I’m glad you were able to figure out what was wrong. Can I give you a kiss?”

“Yes, please.”

With that, you kiss his cheek and place a hand on his head.

“Papá, pick me up too!” Daniel huffs out.

Miguel complies, holding him in his other arm like nothing. You giggle at the three of them, all very similar in some way. Their skin, their hair, their smiles. Your precious, precious boys.

A sharp kick to your stomach causes you to suck in through your teeth.

“What’s wrong? Are you hurt?” Miguel asks with a pinch in his brow.

“No, I just think a certain someone wants your attention, too.”

You gently press your stomach to your husband’s, hoping that he could feel Gabriella’s tap dance performance.

“She’s going crazy in there,” you mumble.

Miguel can kind of feel her little feet through his shirt, but really, he was staring at you.

Even as you frowned at your stomach, you were still so beautiful. Your skin was glowing, you were giving him more smiles than ever, and the pregnancy was treating your body right in his eyes.

“Mírame.”

You peer up at him and it’s like a halo appears above your head. He’s quick to slot his lips against yours and hold it, the feeling of warmth settling into his bones.

“Eugh,” Jaime scrunches his face up in disgust.

You pull back and shake your head with a heated face, brought back to reality. Daniel is giggling behind his hands.

Miguel turned to Jaime and bombarded his face with kisses to, leading the 9-year-old to scream bloody murder. You joined Miguel on his attack, not stopping until Jaime waved his white flag.

The two of you looked at each other and then at Daniel simultaneously who squeaked when he saw you grin. Laughter filled the kitchen as the three of you gave Daniel some love.

Mornings were for chaos, but they also brought you together.

By the time Miguel was walking to the car with his kids, it was far past his estimated time.

He turned and looked at you still standing by the kitchen counter.

“Baby, c’mon.”

“But,” you pause, smile growing on your face. “The baby wants to be carried, too.”

You think he’s about to brush the comment off with a sigh but he gives a “One sec” and disappears into the garage with the kids.

You go to gather your purse and your water, checking that all of the lights and appliances are turned off.

“Ok,” Miguel rushes back in and claps his hands, “vamos.”

Three blinks at his wrestler stance and it clicks. You walk to him and your feet leave the ground.

“You’re so silly,”

“Just in love, mi amor.”

The gel was still as cold as ever, you could never really get used to it.

Looking to Miguel, you could see that he could never get used to sitting next to you in these rooms either. His grip on your hand was tight and solid.

The obstetrician slid the transducer on your lower stomach, her eyes sliding over the screen.

Gabriella’s little heartbeat bounced through the room, fast and strong.

Miguel’s grip on your hand loosened as he smiled at the screen.

“Baby girl is looking good,” the doctor says. “Everything is in place and she’s growing perfectly. You both should be proud.”

She paused and looked at you both, specifically at Miguel, “I would be worried about how she big she’s getting at this stage, but I can see why. How tall are you?”

“Uh, 6’9.”

A whistle passes her lips, “Godspeed, Mama. You’ll need it for the next several months.”

“Two boys and my only girl is going to give me a run for my money,” you mumble.

Jaime and Daniel were so tiny when they came out, both of them barely showing at five months. Gabriella is close to being almost twice their size at this rate, and the soreness all over your body was showing it.

At least your husband made time to make you feel good in more ways than one.

“Is there anything that she should look out for? Other than the obvious?” Miguel asks, always the worrier.

“No, I think you guys are good to go. I’ll get you some pictures of the baby and get you checked out. Just keep taking your vitamins, get plenty of water, get those feet up, and stretch as much as you can while you still feel like it. The least stress you have, the better.”

Your stomach is wiped clean and in no time, you’re back in the car trying to decide what to get for lunch.

“I feel like I should have asked more questions,” Miguel’s fingers tapped on the wheel.

“I’m sure you’ll have more that you can call her for later, baby. Right now, I want a milkshake.”

“You need some nourishing food, too.”

“Is that what you want Gabriella?” you ask your stomach. No taps, no spins, no twirls. “What about a milkshake? Chocolate oreo? Extra whip cream?” Gabriella thumps three times.

“My girl is already so smart,” you say to Miguel who scowls.

“Already so spoiled.”

“You love it, though.”

“Mm.”

Miguel swore he would never be like those fathers that only connected to their children through their own expectations of them, and to be fair, he was the complete opposite.

Though seeing him stand at the bottom of the bleachers with a baseball cap, folded arms, and a stern face gave the impression that he was that type of dad.

“¡Ay, eso es faulta!”

“Babe. Maybe let’s let the coach and the referee do their jobs.”

“They don’t know what they’re doing. That was clearly a foul and my son should be holding the ball right now.”

You sighed and continued to chew on your nachos with Daniel who was just happy to be out of the house later than usual. Miguel was about to burn a hole in the gymnasium floor with how stiff he was standing.

Behind him was a family that couldn’t see, leaning around him.

“Miguel, honey, please sit down so everyone can see.”

He sits and folds his hands under his chin. His muscles bulge through his jacket as his legs bounce.

You place a hand on his leg and put a water bottle to his lips. He takes a few sips and focuses back on the game.

“Let’s go, Jaime! Make it count!”

He’s back on his feet again as Jaime gets ready to shoot some free-throws.

Jaime looks at Miguel, a hint of fear in his eyes. Miguel brings his hands up and pushes them down, motioning a deep breath.

“You got this, mijo. Just like we practiced.”

Your son dribbles once, twice, and takes the shot.

The basketball flies through the air and brushes the rim of the basket. It spins and the gym goes quiet. You don’t realize your holding your breath until it comes back when the people behind you stomp on the bleachers.

Jaime looks to Miguel with the brightest face he could muster. Miguel almost springs through the ceiling with how high he jumps.

“That’s my son,” he claps his hands like thunder, chest puffing up. “That’s my son!”

The game continues with Miguel milliseconds from fighting with the official, Jaime looking to Miguel for encouragement, and you smacking the back of his thighs whenever he was standing too much.

When Jaime made the final basket, you were scared Miguel might do a backflip.

Jaime ran to him and jumped in his arms, Miguel spinning him around and laughing with glee.

“I did it, daddy! I did it!”

“¡Eres increíble, mijo! I’m so proud of you.”

“Did you see me, mommy?”

“I did! I couldn’t take my eyes off of you!”

Daniel jumps up and down, “You made the ball go whoosh! And, and, and when it went in everybody screamed!”

Jaime and his brother played together as the gym started to empty out.

“What do you say we celebrate with some pizza?” you ask Miguel as you watch Jaime help Daniel dribble.

“I think that’s an excellent idea.”

“And what do you say to carton of cotton candy ice cream after the kids go to bed? Maybe even a soak in the bath?”

Miguel looked to you as you blinked your eyes at him. You slid your hands down his arm and tilted your head.

“You want vanilla wafers too?”

You nod.

“And strawberry syrup?”

“You’re such a good husband.”

You pull him down to kiss him, heart soaring.

“Mamá! Look what I can do!”

“No, Daniel! Don’t jump off that!”

“If I hear that raccoon sing that song one more time, I’m going to lose it,” Miguel bit into a slice of pizza.

You reached across the table to wipe some ranch off of his lips and lick it away.

“I like the song! He’s a little off-key, though.”

Miguel had a grimace on his face, the energy from the building overwhelming. Or perhaps it was Daniel clinging tight to his side whenever the mascot came close to their table.

A couple of kids ran by, running towards the line for laser tag.

You listened to them go over strategies, all very serious coming from them.

“God, I can’t believe he’ll be 10 soon. I don’t know what I’m going to do.”

You poke the straw of your cup in and out, pout on your face. It felt like just yesterday you and Miguel were setting up his nursery.

“I remember him grabbing my finger at the hospital. So strong for someone who couldn’t eat solids yet.”

“Now he’s running around and blooming into this perfect little boy,” you sigh, watching him catapult into a ballpit. You should definitely make him take some vitamins later, just to be sure.

“And this little boy is the sweetest,” Miguel kissed the top of Daniel’s head, who seemed to be pre-occupied with a coloring book you packed.

“And once our little girl is in our arms, it’ll be so special,” you say. “She’s already making an impact.”

“I’m already crazy about her,” Miguel grins.

“And I’m ready for her to come out,” you snicker. “I have a feeling that whatever she’ll do will involve these rapid fire feet.”

“I need to get some new running shoes then,” Miguel replies in all seriousness. Daniel interrupted him with a drawing of a T-rex.

“When she gets here,” Miguel comments in between his praise for Daniel’s skill, “how do you want to celebrate afterwards?”

“I don’t need anything. Just maybe a plate of food I couldn’t eat and a comfy bed.”

“Mamà, c’mon,” Miguel held your hand across the table. “That can be arranged easily. I mean something especially for you for doing something so amazing. It can be anything. I’ll make it happen.”

Your heart sped up, a bit giddy.

“Well the last time we took a trip to an island and,” you panned to Daniel, “we both know how that ended. Maybe the mountains?”

“We can do the mountains. Or just you and your friends if you want.”

Miguel thought about you all bundled up and cozy, enjoying s'mores and wine in a sweater and a blanket. Peak cuddling form.

“That would be very nice. Thank you, Miggy.”

“Of course. Now what do you say to a friendly game of arcade racing?”

“There’s nothing friendly about leaving you in the dust.”

Miguel scoffed and slid Daniel into his arms.

“It’s on.”

As always, if you enjoyed, please like, reblog, and COMMENT! This was very sweet to write!!