#even if bill came back what would he say? nothing new. He would keep feeling no remorse about any of it. he would keep being horrible.

[happy74827]

hey pookieeee, how about mike and reader are like new to dating and mike just got his job at freddy’s fazbears pizzeria as night guard. and he has trouble paying the bills and stuff and taking care for abby. and reader is like lemme help you. and mikes like no i got it. just rlly angsty to fluff? if you get what i mean? thanks xo

Resolute Hearts

[Mike Schmidt x Female!Reader]

Synopsis: All you wanted to do was to save him from drowning.

WC: 2883

Category: Angst to Fluff, Happy Ending

I absolutely adored this request. I hope you were serious about the angst, because it is there and it is heavy 🫠

『••✎••』

Tears…that's all you could feel. You felt them running down your cheeks, and you could feel your lips trembling as you sat on the tile floor, hugging your knees to your chest. The surrounding air was thick, a suffocating feeling. It was hard to breathe. Your head felt light, and your vision was a blur. You took in deep, shaky breaths, trying to hold back the sobs you desperately wanted to let out.

You never thought you would feel this way. It was like everything you had worked for your entire life had fallen through. It was like nothing meant anything to you anymore. Your life, your family, your friends. They didn't mean anything to you. You didn't care about them. You were alone, and the only person you cared about didn't seem to care about you back.

The apartment was dark and quiet. You sat in the bathroom, the door locked, the lights off, the fan running to block the sound of your tears. Your roommate had left hours before, saying she had an early morning class. You didn't know why they even had classes so early in the morning.

It felt like decades had gone by since you sat there on the bathroom floor. The bathroom tiles were cold and uncomfortable. You were cold and uncomfortable. You didn't feel like yourself. You weren't the type to get so worked up about anything. You weren't the type to sit on a bathroom floor and cry over things you couldn't fix. You were the type to keep your head held high. To smile through everything, even if the situation was tough. To be the rock for your friends to lean on.

But, you felt alone. You felt so alone.

Michael, Mike. Michael was the one who made you feel alone. You loved him. God, you loved him more than anything. You loved him so much. You loved how caring he was. How sweet he could be. How considerate he was. You loved every inch of him and every inch of what he did for you. He was so considerate of your feelings; he never pushed you to do things you weren't ready for. So, why did his words hurt you so much? Why did his actions make you feel so small and worthless?

Why?

It had only been a few months since you started dating, and everything seemed to be perfect. He was charming, sweet, and an all-around amazing guy. You were so happy with him. He was everything you wanted in a boyfriend, and you were over the moon with how everything was going. He even seemed to care for you; at least, that's what you thought.

He had been distant for the past few weeks. You found yourself seeing Abby more often than you did Mike. You would wake up, and he wouldn't be there, only to find him passed out on the couch or working on a late project in the kitchen.

He said he was fine, but you knew he wasn't. You could tell he wasn't okay. You knew something was bothering him, but he never opened up to you about what it was. You thought about telling him it was okay. That he could talk to you about anything, he didn't need to keep it bottled up. He didn't need to worry you like that.

You did eventually open your mouth to say something about how he was feeling, but before you could even get the words out, he shut you down. He said he was fine that you were overreacting. That you needed to worry about yourself more and stop thinking about his feelings all the time. You just needed to trust him.

You believed him. You foolishly believed him until it all came crashing down. During one of your many late nights babysitting Abby for him, you accidentally stumbled upon papers that he left on the coffee table. One of which was a delinquency notice dated back to last week. He was behind on rent and had a couple of other bills that were due soon. You didn't want to add to his stress, so you figured it wouldn't hurt to try and help him with those.

Apparently, it did hurt. It hurt enough to make him snap at you when you decided to approach him the night before about it. Abby was tucked into bed in her room for the night, so you decided it would be a good opportunity to talk to him just as he was about to leave. How stupid you were. How naive. You didn't know what he was going to say, but you had no idea he was going to get so angry. So angry, in fact, that it ended up waking Abby up.

You felt your stomach churn at the memory of his voice getting louder, your name getting harsher, the tone of his words getting angrier.

"I said I can take care of myself, just like I've always done." He was livid, his face red with anger. He was trying to keep his cool, but it seemed that it was just too much for him. "Why do you have to get involved? Just butt out, alright?"

"I just want to help, Mike. You shouldn't have to pay for everything on your own. I just want to be there for you, like you are for me," you said, reaching out for his hands, but he pulled away from you.

"I don't need you to take care of me. I can handle this on my own. I've been doing this on my own for a long time," he told you, crossing his arms over his chest. He didn't want to be touched, you could tell.

"You're right," you admitted. "You're an adult; you've been taking care of yourself for a long time, and I shouldn't try to change that. But I'm here, okay? I'm here for you and for Abby. And I'm not trying to take care of you; I'm just trying to help you. Just let me help you."

"What the hell do you think this is?!" Mike practically screamed at you. "You think this is easy?! You think I don't want to get out of debt, huh? Do you think I like being in debt? I don't! But it's my fault, and it's my job to take care of it!"

"Mike, calm down! Abby is sleeping in the next—" You tried to reason with him, but he didn't want to hear any of it. He was too mad. He was too angry. He turned and grabbed his car keys, turning back to look at you, the hurt and anger evident in his eyes.

"Abby isn't your concern; she's my responsibility. She's my sister, not yours. You're just—" Mike stopped himself, not wanting to say the next thing that came to his head. But you were right there, in front of him, looking up at him with eyes full of hurt. You were so close, so close he could see the tears glistening in your eyes.

“I'm just… what, Mike?" You asked him, your voice hitching. The tears that you had been holding back began to fall. You were at a breaking point; you didn't know how to feel anymore. You didn't know what you were feeling. All you knew was that your boyfriend just screamed at you and hurt you with his words.

You felt a hand on your shoulder and looked over your shoulder to see Abby standing there. She looked up at her brother with wide eyes and a confused expression. She looked from Mike to you, then to her hand that was on your shoulder. You felt numb. You couldn't believe what was happening.

"Abby…" Mike took a deep breath. "Abby, go back to bed, okay? I'll be back soon." He gave her a soft smile. The one he always gave you when you needed it. She looked up at him, giving him the same sad look she was giving you. She rubbed her eyes and walked back into her room, closing the door behind her. Mike turned his attention back to you, but he didn't say anything. He looked like he had more to say, but the words just didn't come out.

And that was the last time you saw him.

You spent the next couple of hours curled up on the floor, crying until you couldn't cry anymore. You tried to sleep in the own comfort of your bed, but every time you closed your eyes, you would see his face. His angry face. The face he made at you the last time you spoke. The face he made when he screamed at you. You hated it. You hated everything about it.

It was around six in the morning when you decided to finally leave your room. It was cold outside, but you didn't care. You needed some fresh air. You needed to get out of there for a little bit. You needed to get away from the suffocating apartment, the suffocating situation. You needed to get away from everything that reminded you of Mike. You walked down the hall to the patio, and you were almost to it when you heard the faint knock on the door.

You stood at the entrance to the living room, listening to the faint knocks. It was the first time in hours that you heard a sound other than your own voice. Your eyes were glued to the door, your hands in fists as you listened. And listened. And listened. It felt like an eternity before you finally decided to get the courage to walk up and answer it, reaching for the knob and pulling it open.

There, standing on the other side of the door, was your boyfriend. Michael was standing there, staring back at you. His face wasn't angry. He wasn't mad anymore. He didn't look sad either. He didn't look like anything at all. He looked blank, empty. Like he didn't have any emotions, his eyes were void of the emotions that you loved so much.

He wore his security vest, the little medallion dangling in front of his chest. He had his name tag attached to it, and you realized he came straight from work. He had bags under his eyes, and his hair was a mess, sticking out at the side. His posture was slouched, his shoulders hanging low. He looked exhausted. But he was there, and he was standing right in front of you like he was the one who had been waiting for so long. Like he was the one who was worried.

"Hi," he spoke quietly. He almost whispered. It was soft, and it was quiet. His voice was scratchy and dry. He was trying to smile, but he was trying so hard to force one that it hurt you to see it. You felt a sharp pain in your chest at the sight of him. "Can we… Can we talk?"

"What are you doing here, Michael? You need to be home for Abby." You felt the lump in your throat rise up as you spoke. You could feel the tears coming back to your eyes, and you knew he saw them. He was always good at seeing through you.

"I couldn't go home knowing we're not okay." He looked at you with the saddest look you had ever seen. The look made you want to cry again. You didn't want to cry anymore.

"I… I can't right now," you said, moving to close the door in front of you. "I need some time to think." You started to shut the door, but his hand was quick to stop you from closing it. He put his foot in between the door and the frame and held the door open.

"Please," he begged, practically whining. He was so desperate. You knew he was desperate. You could see it in his eyes, the way his eyebrows were furrowed, and how he was clenching his jaw. "I know I shouldn't have said what I did last night. I was just… I was just angry. I didn't mean what I said, and I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. You're the best thing that's ever happened to me, and I don't want to lose you because of my shit."

"Mike…" you started, but he cut you off.

"I'm just not used to having someone around all the time… Having someone help me. I know I get angry easily; Fuck, I know I'm stubborn. I know that I get mad at myself a lot because I'm not perfect, but I'm trying. I really am. For the longest time, it's just been Abby and I and no one else. I never really had someone who was willing to take care of me… and I've always been fine. I'm fine." Mike shook his head. "But I don't want to be just fine anymore. I want to be happy, and I want to be happy with you."

You felt a fresh set of tears fall from your eyes. You couldn't help it. The words were too much for you to handle. The sincerity in his voice, the way he was looking at you with his big hazel eyes, and how his voice cracked as he spoke. He looked like he had more to say, but he didn't. He just looked at you. He looked like he was searching for something. And you realized it was your forgiveness. He was waiting for your forgiveness. He was waiting for you to give him another chance.

You thought about all the times he opened up to you. All the times he let you in, and you helped him out when he needed it. You thought about how he was there when you needed him to be. You thought about how he would smile at you when you needed him to, how he would make you smile even on your worst days.

"I think you owe a dollar for the swear jar, maybe more," you spoke softly, looking up at him with your red, puffy eyes. He gave you a confused look, but he soon realized what you were talking about. He chuckled as he wiped the tears from your eyes.

"Yeah, I guess I do. Sorry, Abby," he apologized, acting like he was talking to his little sister. She wasn't here right now, but you knew he still felt like he needed to apologize to her for his actions, too. He always felt the need to apologize. He felt the need to try and be a better brother. To try and be a better son. He looked at you with those big eyes of his. The same eyes you fell in love with.

"Hug?" you asked, a small smile gracing your face. You didn't know why you asked, but you did. You felt the lump in your throat slowly ease up, and you finally felt the air in your lungs start to flow. He smiled back at you, opening his arms, and you stepped into them, burying your face in his shoulder.

He pulled away and kissed your forehead, resting his on top of yours. He rubbed your back as you wrapped your arms around him. He felt safe and warm. He felt like everything that was missing.

"I still don't want you covering the debt," he told you. "But… I'll take the help. I can take the help. I'll take it as long as it's you." You could hear him smiling, and you squeezed him tighter.

"Of course. Of course."

Everything was falling back into place. It wasn't perfect. It wasn't fixed. There was still so much to work out, but it was starting to feel a little better. You felt a little better. You felt a little more whole again. The ache in your heart wasn't so bad. It was bearable, and you could finally breathe again.

"You can let go of me now." Mike's voice was muffled against the top of your head, and you realized you were squeezing him too tight.

Still, you didn't let go. "No, you're warm," you said, smiling into his chest.

He let out a small sigh, shaking his head. "Is this my punishment? Is this what I have to look forward to for the rest of my life?"

"It could be worse. I could still be mad at you," you replied, kissing the side of his neck.

"Well, in that case," he suddenly grabbed you by your waist and hoisted you up over his shoulder. He laughed as you yelped out in surprise, flailing your limbs. You felt the world turn upside down, and you screamed as he turned and walked back inside, closing the door behind him. "Let me show you how sorry I am."

He might've ended up causing Abby to be late to school that morning, but it was okay. It was okay because you were laughing. You were smiling, and most of all, you were happy.

You were happy because even though it wasn't perfect, he was trying. He was trying to make things better for himself and for you. And for the first time in a long time, it felt like you were finally home.

[am-i-the-asshole-official]

WIBTA for not telling my husband that I have cancer?

I (32F) have been married to my husband (38M) for five years, we got married after two years of dating and living together. I love him dearly and he's completely devoted to me, we have a great relationship and are good a communicating about most things.

I recently got good health insurance for the first time in nearly 10 years (US American ofc) and haven't been to the doctor regularly in the past decade for a lot of other additional reasons as well. The last time I had a pap was when I was 21 - shortly before my husband and I started dating. At that time I tested negative for HPV and had no abnormal findings. This time though there was some "unusual growth" that they took a scraping of, and a lab that came back positive for HPV.

It was one of those "we won't call you if there's nothing to worry about" things. And my doctor did call me, and informed me that I have cervical cancer. She said that it's very early and could be addressed pretty easily with an office surgery, I might not even need more than local anesthesia.

After getting the news I'll admit to being stunned and not really sure how to feel about it - I tend to keep my struggles to myself until I can sort through my feelings on my own. Trying to deal with other people's reactions to my difficult experiences just makes it harder for me to handle tough stuff.

Here's where I might be the asshole. I don't want to tell my husband. He would be incredibly distraught, and probably assume that it was his fault. I'm not blaming him, and HPV is incredibly common. Either one of us could have already had it prior to our relationship. To me, it feels easier to just do the surgery and play it off like something less serious (because he's obviously going to notice during the recovery that my downstairs is out of order - maybe say they were doing a biopsy on a potential problem and then later say it came back negative) than to have to shoulder his emotional upset on top of my own stress.

I handle our finances so there's very little chance he would ever find out, even when the bill comes due. Nobody but me and my doctor knows about this. Am I a huge asshole for wanting to do this on my own and not telling my husband?

What are these acronyms?

[sensei-venus]

S1 Robby Keene Liking A Good Girl

(Unedied) (Honestly kinda tame for S1 Robby, Drugs mentioned, Weed Smoking, Drug Dealing, Reader had mentioned anxiety??) ( @gemini-sensei )

😈💕He’s kind shy at first when he realizes he may have a crush on the new girl at school. He sees her in the hallways, in class, at lunch, in the parking lot. He sees her everywhere. It doesn’t help that she is a “good girl” in his book. She’s not rich or stuck up, she’s just too nice in his opinion and doesn’t do anything that he would consider bad. To him he had no chance with her, he definitely didn’t fit in her kind of world.

😈💕It wasn’t until he found out that she had anxiety super bad that his views on her started to change. It was weird how all of it started.

“I uh heard you might have some weed?” She was a little nervous as she corned him in the parking lot outside the school. The bell rang over a hour ago and his friends ditched him not long after. She had come out of no where, clenching the arm of her backpack. He raised a brow at her appearance.

“I have my card if that makes this better, I just don’t have enough money this month to go the dispensary. My insurance won’t cover the amount I need- I kinda wasted half of mine if accident. You don’t want to know.” She nervously giggled. It wasn’t like Robby was going to question her on it. Honestly he didn’t really care either. He looked for the nicest bag he had on him, and secretly he may have given her more then he said. She dished out a good few bucks before wondering off. Robby was quick to count it and noticed that she had given him WAY more then was needed. Before he could even say something she was already gone. He pocketed the extra and tried to not think about it.

😈💕It started to get harder for him to pretend his little daydream crush wasn’t starting to get bigger as the days went on. He started to see her more and more in and out of school. She would give him small waves and smiles, which he gave back in smirks and grins. He hoped he didn’t look like to much of a asshole. But with his friends watching be and to keep his guard up. The boys where already getting supsious of his feelings.

😈💕He really didn’t think she would come back to him for more weed after that month. But she did, asking for the same amount every time. She simply told him that it was cheaper to get it from him then the dispensary. He didn’t know if that was true but he didn’t care. As long as he got to spend a few minutes with her every now and then. She quickly started to warm up to him, no longer acting as nervous or scared around him. Smiling more and even cracking a few jokes which he admitted made him smile. She was just so cute that he couldn’t help it.

😈💕One day he just couldn’t take it anymore and asked her if she wanted to go smoke with him. At first she was little embarrassed but happily accepted his offer. He had no intention of taking her to the little hideout where the other guys liked to smoke. So he decided to take her to his place. His mom had been gone for weeks and even if she did find them in the apartment smoking, she couldn’t say much. Her drinking and pills where enough to throw back her way to get out of a little weed smoking. It was a Saturday when she came over. He tried his best to get the place cleaned up, made sure the light bill was actually paid that month. Showing up at his door with a bag full of junk food and a small giggle on her lips.

😈💕They spent the rest of the day on the couch smoking and watching tv. It was nice, it was nothing like when he smoked with the guys. They where always high and taking shit about anything they could think of. There was no peace and quiet which is what he liked. Just getting high and chilling out for a few hours. Reader seemed to like the same thing as she just sat quietly next to him. Only occasionally laughing and giggling at what they where watching. They both seemed to like watching cartoons while high. The pretty colors and high pitch voices making them laugh.

😈💕It started to grow late but Reader didn’t seem to care. She offered to order a pizza which Robby had no issue with. They ended up eating and smoking more while watching a late night show together. That was when things started to change in the vibe that was going on between them that night.

😈💕 “You ever shotgun before?” It was a smile question. She asked while looking over at him on the couch. Robby didn’t know what to say, he knew what it was but had never actually tried it. She slowly shook his head. Reader giggled saying “Well do you want to try it? You can say no if your don’t want to.” He raised a brow before thinking it over in his head. He could at least give to a try, and he would be doing it with Reader of all people. The girl he had a huge ass crush on. With a small nod Reader smiles and takes a nice drag of the blunt she was smoking. Soon enough her soft hands are cradling his cheeks as she leans over to him. Their lips meet in a soft kiss, her tongue prodding at his bottom lip trying to get him to open up. With just a small amount of energy he finally does. She gently blows a long stream of smoke into his mouth. He can’t help but moan a little as he takes it into his lungs.

😈💕A few seconds later the kiss gets hotter and hotter. He’s grabbing at her soft thighs and belly though her shirt. Her hands move, one cradling his neck and the other on his back. Her fingers dig into the flesh of his shirt covers back. He rolls his shoulders as his tongue works along side hers. Smoke escaping though their lips. He can’t tell who is being louder with their moans. As the minutes pass by he can tell this isn’t the high that’s making them like this so much. Reader is fully invested in this kiss. Robby smirks into the kiss as he starts to realize this must have been her little plan. Offering to help teach him how to shotgun. God she was so smart.

😈💕The rest of the night is spent kissing and cuddling on the couch together. Robby doesn’t even care anymore about school or his friends. If messing with the chubby good girl was so wrong, so be it.

[mischiefmaker615]

Purrfect

Rating: PG-14

Summary: There was something very strange and familiar with the cat you decided to take in..

Requested by: @Laer111ee

‘’I swear- every time I’m here, that cat is always starring at you..its kinda creepy’’

Your best friend turns your attention over to the couch where the black cat perched in an almost to-proper position with its striking and.. intense green eyes looking into your soul. Its tail flicked ever so slightly and even with the door open to your apartment where you both stood, he didn’t make a single move to dash out. Looking back at your friend, you merely shook your head with a light laugh and a wave of the hand.

‘’you mean every time as in aka, a week? He probably needs more time to adjust or something, he might be to scared to move much.’’

‘’well in any case, perhaps he would be a good source of comfort since ..what happened today..’’ her light demeanor changed back to concern as she grasped your hand. ‘’are you sure you don’t want me spending the night?.. I hate leaving you feeling like this.’’

You shook your head with your face doing a good job at hiding your held-back emotional state. ‘’I’ll be fine, really. My boss is just being an asshole, nothing new.’’

‘’yeah but.. he can’t possibly think you can do all that stuff by yourself.. not without going crazy with stress and-‘’

‘’I can handle it, promise’’ you reassured her, masking your irritation of the topic as she sighed and nodded, taking a step back with a small wave.

‘’okay.. I’ll see you next week then Y/N, take care of yourself..’’ she smiled before you finally closed the door.

Taking a deep breath, you rested your forehead on the door with your eyes closed, trying to keep your mind from going there; but it did. The tears began to fall as you thought of the turn of events that unfolded in such a short amount of time, you never really got a chance to process it until now. Avoiding the situation entirely was easy.. but not when your alone with your mind.

Your boss lost a lot of employees already from various reasons, so not only do you have to cover all of their shifts and work, but he decides to degrade you for not getting things done fast enough or well enough.. quit? With what other job? bills are a thing in this world and this world is an expensive place. You could handle the work if you really push yourself.. hard.. but the way he humiliated and treated you was your tipping point. It was good money though.. but at what cost now.. your mental state.

You punched at the door, pretending it was him before turning your back on it and heading to your room. Not even bothering to plop on the bed, you sat on the ground against it with your knees to your chest, burying your face as you cried.

‘’why do you cry love?”

The low, silky voice came out of no where, causing you to look up to find its source and got pierced with a familiar gaze. A man with pale skin, raven black hair and an attire containing a mix of green, black and gold gazed upon you with a concerned look on his face. His striking blue eyes dared you to lie at him and something from the stare alone seemed.. recognizable somehow.

How the hell did he get in, you didn’t know. Who the hell he was, you couldn’t tell yourself either- no matter how familiar he seemed to be. Most of these questions didn’t bother to leave your lips as they parted with silence. For some reason, you felt no danger from the strange man before you- perhaps you were trying to process his question rather than wonder why he didn’t threaten you for money or whatever.

‘’why do i.. what?’’ you stutter out, already feeling like an idiot as your fingers gripped the carpet beside you, trying to shy away from him.

‘’you weep with deep emotion darling and you seem to be in fine health so my only conclusion would be that someone out there had to have hurt you. At least, from what I pieced together from what your friend was saying.’’ He explained, his voice gentle as his eyes never left yours as he remained in his crouched position before you.

‘’my.. friend?- how could you possibly know- why do you even-‘’

‘’care?’’ he finished your sentence with a smirk and sighed as he seemed to study your features, his eyes slipping down below your neck once or twice before flicking up to your orbs again. ‘’because in my low moment about a week ago up to now, you’ve shown me kindness. Its only right if I show you the same.’’

You blinked at him as you tried to understand what he was saying. You.. helped him for a week? He over heard your friend.. that gaze looked to damn familiar- no.. he couldn’t possibly.. but his smirk seemed to show that he understood what you were thinking. ‘’your-‘’

‘’I believe you’ve called me by the name of ‘cat’, but if you wish a proper name, Loki will do just fine.’’

‘’Loki..’’ you breathed as you slowly raised a hand and wiped your cheeks, almost embarrassed at how you presented yourself while your mind tried to process that he was the very creature that you had been caring for for about a week. At least you had that much time to process since it was clear that this.. rather attractive man was not here to harm you- he probably already would have if that was his intention. ‘’being shown kindness honestly won’t help right now unless you plan on killing my boss.’’ You say with mild sarcasm but your body tensed when Loki nodded.

‘’that shouldn’t be a problem-‘’

‘’no!- I mean.. that won’t be necessary.. even if that bastard deserves a little pain..’’ you sigh and look away from him.

‘’what may I be able to do then love?’’ he said gently, a hand slowly moving to your chin to turn your face to look at him again, movements slow as to not spook you.

Gods his eyes were gorgeous.. ‘’nothing unless you know of a way to help me forget..’’ you sigh, your eyes threaten to tear up over the sensitive topic you tried so hard to ignore before your body froze.

His lips were soft as they suddenly and very gently pressed against yours. His hand remained on your chin while the other supported himself as he leaned forward against your knees that prevented him from getting closer, so he worked with what he could get at. The sudden action made your mind blank, focusing on only feeling as your eyes slowly closed and told yourself this had to be a dream. An emotional overload that left you exhausted and dreaming realistic scenes that couldn’t take place in real life.. which is why you kissed back. Hell, if this was a dream, then why not enjoy it. because.. come on, your cat becoming a person.. there was no way in hell..

You feel Loki’s slender hands rest against your knees as he used gentle pressure to begin spreading them, his thumbs rubbing pointless circles as he deepened the kiss by being able to lean forward more before he pulled away briefly with his forehead pressed against yours.

‘’I might not be able to help you forget entirely, but allow me to help you forget for at least a blissful moment..’’ he breathed, his eyes studying yours with a hushed tone before his lips took yours in a more passionate kiss. He kissed you, ready to stop if you wanted him to but you made no moves to stop him.

He was right, and it was working. Your arms wrapped around his neck while your legs parted for him to move closer, his arm snaking around your waist while his other ran down your side and down the side of your thigh to pull your leg against his waist. His tongue ran across your bottom lip and you were happy to oblige before he soon had his tongue massaging yours.

Moaning against his mouth, you felt your body relax against his while your hands ran down his chest, fingers studying and trying to figure out how to find an opening to his labyrinth of an outfit before you felt him smile against your lips. You resisted the urge to whine but pulled away enough to give him pleading eyes.

‘’alright darling, only because you asked so nicely..’’ he teased with his voice almost above a whisper before a bright green seemed to sparkle over the both of you. You almost felt a tickle before you looked down at the both of you once the light was gone, to find you both in your under garments and Loki’s eyes already drinking in your beautiful body with hunger.

Your eyes flicked up to his with slight nervousness but enough confidence to want this while your arms wrapped around his neck ‘’help me forget..’’ you whispered and his arms lifted you up onto the bed.

‘’as you wish darling..’’

~

Your eyes snapped open to sudden alertness, your body even flinching as if someone shook you awake.. but no one was there. You could tell you were on your stomach, in bed, with the morning sun peaking through your blinds and into your eyes. The bright light made you turn your body away only to freeze when your whole body told you you were sore.

‘holy hell what a dream..’ you thought as you winced a little and switched to laying on your back. Perhaps you were just sore from all the work you had to do- no thanks to your boss.. but at the same time, you felt well rested. Definitely not a result that would stem from your boss.

You brushed your hair more out of your face and sighed. You have never had an amazing dream like that before, it being over only made you disappointed to have to get up. If it were possible to go back to sleep and back to that dream, you’d stay in bed all day. Wait-

Your hands clutched the sheet around you out of instinct, finding yourself naked. You never slept like that.. Trying to piece things properly together and rubbing the sleep out of your eyes, you turned to make a move out of bed only to squeak out of surprise when you saw the cat you rescued stayed perched on your nightstand, watching you.

‘’..hello cat..’’ you said hesitantly, keeping the sheet closer to you as you stayed put before your brow raised. Didn’t that cat have green eyes before? ..not blue..

Leaning forward, you examined the cat closer that watched you with a calm manor and didn’t move an inch as you gently ran a hand against its head. ‘’..Loki?’’ you whispered, almost feeling silly to try to ask its name but it was worth a try right? What made your hand draw back with widened eyes was when it’s eyes suddenly changed color to the familiar green..

And licked its lips.

[cloudy-em]

ok mayhaps a carmen x fem!reader and she’s like his childhood bsf? then she just kinda shows up one day after not seeing him for years idk

ooh I like it!

xxxxxxxxxxx

The memories came flooding back to Carmen. He felt frozen. Richie had pulled him close, a hushed but audible sound in the busy kitchen and all Carmen could do was focus on what Richie said; "Y/N is here". Suddenly nothing else mattered, and Carmen rushed to his office, slamming the door behind him. He leaned back in the chair, breathing deeply to stall the anxiety.

Y/N, his closest friend. He remembered the day they met so vividly, it was like watching it on a screen. She was riding her bike down the sidewalk, doing her best to work with her helmet that was a little too big and her uncoordinated 5 year old body. She approached him sitting on the old wooden steps of his house.

"D'you wanna play?" she asked him. And the friendship took off flying. They took each other away from the pains of their homelives in treehouses and days playing by the creek. They grew older and stayed just as close. Carmen struggled in school and Y/N helped him with his homework, offering to do the math for him if he read the English novel. They skipped middle school dances together by sitting in that old treehouse that was quickly getting too cramped, smiling and laughing together.

But the times changed, like they often do, and Y/N's mom remarried and they had to move away from Carmen. He could feel the hurt still inside him as he wrung his hands, pacing the floor in his office. He felt betrayed; she did leave him to deal with everything alone. She had escaped the life she'd always led, moving out to some western coastal town where she would be happy without Carmen. The door opened, and Carmen whipped his head around to face it.

"Cousin," Richie said, seriously for once and not being an asshole. "She's still out there. Nobody's taken her order yet. Thought maybe the Chef would like to do the honors?"

Carmen stared back, wide-eyed, unable to speak.

"Ya can't run away forever," Richie told him.

Carmen took a deep breath, wiping his sweaty palms on his pants. As much as he didn't want to admit it, Richie was right. His dearest friend, the one he hadn't seen in a decade, was sitting in his restaurant. He could see her again, one last time. Maybe she'd recognize him and they would make small talk for a minute or two after she paid the bill and he would have closure. Or maybe she wouldn't recognize him and all he'd ever be to her was a lost memory.

It was undeniably Y/N. He knew as soon as he left the safety of the kitchen that it was her. God, she'd barely changed. As Carmen approached the table where she sat alone, he swore time was moving slower than it ever had.

"Good evening, may I get you something to drink?" he asked, cringing at how his words sounded.

"Carmy?" She practically squealed. "Oh my god, I can't believe it's you! It's me, it's Y/N." He smiled politely and bit his tongue to keep from saying, "I know".

"Wow, Y/N! It's great to see you," he said, trying to steady the shake in his voice. "What are you doing here?"

"Oh, you know, mom and Robert finally got divorced, and mom's old, so I helped her move back to where she grew up," Y/N said, softly. "I heard about this new restaurant, got rave reviews. Figured I would try it before I head back to New York."

"Oh, you live in New York now?" Carmen asked her. If only he'd known that, they were probably in New York at the same time. This meeting could've happened so much sooner.

"Yeah, I'm in marketing for a law firm," she said. "Well, what about you? What've you been up to?"

"Me? I-" but Carmen was interrupted by Richie.

"Chef," he said. "If you'd like to sit and talk with your...friend, I'm more than glad to take her order."

Carmen didn't have a chance to answer, because Y/N answered for him.

"Oh, Carm, please stay!" She said to him before turning to Richie kindly, thanking him and ordering an appetizer to share with Carmen. Richie nodded, walking back towards the kitchen.

The silence made Carmen uncomfortable as he sat across from his childhood best friend.

"So..." Y/N began, trying to keep her smirk behind her lips, but failing. The gesture made Carmen smile softly at her; she never could quite contain her joy or humor. "Chef, huh?"

Carmen nodded shyly. "Yeah. Revamped the place, I-I'm proud of it."

"You should be! It's great, Carmy, it really is," Y/N smiled, reaching her hand across the table for his hand. He didn't move his hand, letting her skin graze his.

"I'm glad to see you, I really am," Carmen told her, hoping for a split second that maybe, just maybe, they could repair what they once had.

"I'm sorry we lost contact, Carmen," Y/N apologized. "It's no excuse, but Robert didn't want me to keep talking to you. He wanted me to find new friends, and I- god, I'm just so sorry."

Carmen, let out a breath he didn't know he was holding. "It's okay, Y/N. I wanted you to find friends and I wanted you to be happy. Plus, it's just as much my fault as it is yours. We both got busy, and it was a stupid mistake. We'll make it better, yeah?"

Y/N smiled at Carmen's forgiveness and maturity and happy at his proposition to rekindle.

"Yeah, Carmy. We'll make it better."

[lightning-and-sparks]

what was your inspiration for Roland? And your inspiration for the other characters if you’d like to share

Oh my gosh, this is such a great question I’m so excited! This counts as Thorns Chronicles 2

So originally, Roland wasn’t supposed to be the main antagonist. He was just a namesake to throw into the position of manager. I also picked kind of a jerk name bc I’ve dealt with some jackass named Roland. Roland evolved into being a “wolf in sheep’s clothing” character where on the surface he doesn’t look intimidating but you kind of get a strange vibe from him. I wanted to make someone desperate enough to do what he did. He’s hellbent on getting back to Dancity bc his wife is dying and he only took the job as Jack’s manager to pay her medical bills because it was all he could get. I don’t want to say too much here but he is hinted to have a criminal background with his last client that almost ended his career. He also manipulates Jack on things he knows will provoke him, like his past, and possible relationships where he will be used, and wants to keep reminding him that he is nothing but a pretty face and a warm body, if you catch my drift. As a final thing on Roland, don’t underestimate what an animal backed into a corner will do.

Kelly (The Makeup artist) is based off my hair dresser and acts as more of a comic relief and familiar face. You see her in the very beginning and at the very end. She’s a mother and her empathy extends to Jack. She is employed by him so she doesn’t act on it (ex, when he starts showing signs something is wrong before talking to Korzo, chapter 7 I think?) She doesn’t see Jack Rose as the son of a dictator or a celebrity when he’s in her chair.

Kit Korzo (News Reporter) was my attempt to make a Cesar Flickerman character if you have ever seen hunger games. He’s built his life and livelihood around reporting and is well known for it. He wants Jack’s testimony on his mother but he’s patient enough to play the long game. Like other Eternians he is calculating and we will see him again. Also, @charminggold25 told me he reminds him of Ellen which is so funny

Foxx (bodyguard) is based on a real-life person u know and acts as an outsider looking in. He’s known Jack since he was younger and being employed by the Swans had saved him and his family. Although Night Swan wasn’t the greatest person, she kept him and his kids alive and for that, he’s indebted to the Swans. If not for their employment he would have turned back to a life of crime from which he came. He has three kids, (two daughters and a son) his middle child (the son) is a fan of Jack Rose and ultimately serves to bridge their connection. Foxx sees his son in Jack and also remembers how he was as a kid and feels compelled to step in even if just for his son. Like most Eternians, he is not particular about Dancinites so seeing Roland as an enemy is not that difficult. He’s come to see Jack as a friend rather than an employer and shares his triumphs and downfalls.

Sting (Bodyguard) is introduced a lot later than Foxx when Jack realizes the situation is too big for just them. He acts as a refresher character who adds some new eyes into each scenario. He’s less seasoned compared to Foxx and that breaks up Foxx’s stiffness. He lives in the same neighborhood as Foxx but lives with his grandmother (who taught him Spanish) Sting isn’t upset about the promotion but is happy to be included. Originally, he was named Gordy Sting after Gordon Sting who sings for The Police *COUGH COUGH* message in the bottle! But got switched to Sammy Sting bc the chapter he’s introduced in is a song sang by Sammy Hagar.

Electra (sound coordinator) She exists because I needed someone on the inside as far as technology goes. She’s overconfident and knows what she’s doing. She is from a different Eternian city and acclimated to Eternyx City well.

Soong (Doctor) is one of the first characters I made that we see. He’s distant and watches Jack’s gradual deterioration. Like most Eternians, he knows of Jack Rose but at surface level. He sees him after the initial encounter and watches how he shifts from fear to anger. Soong is last seen at the beginning of the second half of arc 1. He sees what happens to Jack at an intimate level. He also knows Roland and is afraid of him knowing what he’s capable of. He sees Jack first alone and scared but in their next encounter sees he is no longer alone. He is haunted by the image of Jack hemorrhaging on the hospital floor.

Sandy (tailor) comic relief character who is zero bullshit. Doesn’t see Jack or Wander as higher figures. Takes her job very seriously but she can tell something is up by the way Wander and Jack interact and puts in her two cents to Wander.

The man in the mirror: Bad ex of Jack Rose, his first (if u know u know) I’ll talk about him another time, He is called “Spike”

Characters are made for a purpose in Thorns 😉

[oh-for-fic-sake-library]

A kept woman

Masterlist

Summary: August deserves a reward for all his hard work in the cia. He was on the front lines protecting the national security of the nation, so a little waitress wasnt too much to ask for.. was it?

Warnings: obsessive behaviour, dark!August, kidnapping, spying, swearing, hints at captivity/Stockholm syndrome, hint of bdsm, dark fic.

A/n: well what can i say? I tried to make a drabble below 1000 words, lost track of the wordcount and here we are 😅😅 i hope you enjoy a little ark auggie though~

Free the typos! Not beta read so please ignore the typos.

 

Wordcount: 1445 (nailed it 😅😅)

It was wrong, he shouldnt do it. But he had, and couldnt deny the sense of pride and excitment he had. He was the hero, the white knight who came barreling in to the scene with his polished shoes and 200 horse power to rescue the innocent princess from her fate.

Okay maybe it wasnt that pretty, and there was a chance you didnt feel rescued yet. But you would! He just had to get you home and tie you to something and explain a few things.

August sighed as you tried to scream through your gag again and kicked out at the back of his seat. Though he bearly felt it. One, this was a Bentley;  a good quality car with sturdy padded seats. And two, noone can kick that hard with legs tied at the ankle, knee and thigh... god he hopes ou dont get rope burn, nothing would send him rabid then to see the red rope marks on your supple sking. The indents of a tight binding always made him a sexual savage, salivating at the sight of innocence bareing the twisted marks of rope.

He tried not to think about it. It'd do no good trying to calm his new kitten whilst having a raging hardon. Youd get the wrong impression and think he was going to rape you or somthing stupid. He loved you, he wouldnt hurt you; if anything you should be happy. Ecstatic even! Youd never have to work yourself to exhaustion again. Never worry about bills and rent or that disgusting lowlife youd paired up with. Youd live like a queen, august would give you a better life then anyone else. He wont hit you. He wont con you. He just wants to love you.

"Hush sweet girl, your fine, everything is going to be perfect you'll see. Im rescuing you" he uttered throwing a glance at you only to grunt, eyes locking on the plain soft looking panties that were now on display as your skirt was now tucked around your hips from you squirming. He gripped the steering wheel tighter making the leather creak.

"Oh look at you~ such a naughty little thing hmm? Is this really the time to be teasing me? When your helpless and scared?  bratty? Honestly, you cant even wait until we get home?" He spoke without thinking, smirking and releasing a low growl as he repositioned his rear veiw mirror to drink in your delectable form. Only to shudder as another muffled cry came from your lips, and you wriggled your bottom trying to coax the skirt back over yourself again. the scene made his cock swell. His need for you had become too much.

"Come now little one hush, we are almost home. Everything will be better when we are home" he offered calmly trying to ignor the raor od blood in his ears as his body began toghtening. It was takjng everything in him not to stop the car and scoop you into hos arms and just hold you for a whole. He wanted to ease your panic and sooth you. To comfort you, he never wanted you to fear him. Respect, love and obey. But never fear.

You were the girlfriend... ex girlfriend of a low life with a growing pill habbit. Working all the hours under the sun just to feed your boyfriends habit. Not that you knew that, the scummy bastard ha been telling you the rent was going up. And up. And up. It hadnt, the boyfr;ex had been useing your hard earned money for pills.

But you being the innocent little girl you were trusted him and made sure to up your hours to provide and keep the shitty roof over your head. August had found it strange that you were at the little diner from 5am to 9pm almost everyday. He made sure to leave you bigger tips during his undercover surveillance of the phone box across the road used by the cartel that owned the seedy bar next to it.

He hadnt exactly minded sitting in the diner all day poseing as a accountant sippjng surprisingly decent coffee staring athis 'work laptop'. Especially when he'd done a background search on everyonenin the place. Youd stuck out like a sore thumb, hed expected to see bad grades, high school drop out little slapper with maybe one or two kids and a dead beat husband with a drink problem who refuses to work because of some made up injury he got ten years ago in the forces or some shit.

Instead he found a smart woman whod just had bad luck. Kicked out from her 'god fearing' purity police parents for having an iud. You had excellent grades a degree in business management; which you were pressured into by your god squad parents. But now was stuck in a dead end job, paying off student loans, keeping a roof over your head whislt trying to create a nest egg to pay for a spot on the wall of a local well to do art gallery in the city.  Thats right, his polite little waistress was an artist, a sweet little painter. To say he was surprised you wasnt an aspiring influencer was an understatement.

It was when august saw your so called lover grasping you by the hair and shaking you violently behinde the juke box where he thought no one would see. Thatthe agent had taken more nottice of you. Your whimpers of fear and tiny yelps had moved him.

He'd watched closer, observes the bruises and grazes more carefully and made small talk. He'd sneered at anyone else who aproached him. He only wanted to be served by you. As the weeks went on he couldnt stop thinking about you and your situation. He could help. He needed to help you, protect you! If only youd ask him to. He'd sweep you up and carry you off into the night like a phantom.

He was well aware of his obsession,  but he didnt care. Dreams of you by his side safe and happy. Greeting him at the door after a hards days work with a huge grin and random paint smugdges over your face whislt holding up your latest masterpiece for him to see. He wanted you, he wanted to keep you. You were to precious for him to ignore. You needed him, and he deserved you, after everything he has done for the country he deserved having a little wife waiting at home for him. And so he decided to claim his reward.

He made a studio for you, all the paints and brushes you could ever want! He cleared every single piece of art from his walls to encourage you to paint, he wanted you to fill his home with your art. And live a luxurious life of a kept woman.

August smiled as his home finally came into veiw. A large glass and dark wood monolith perched on a rocky outcrop over looking a large private lake completely claoked in twenty five acres of thick forrest. He had been particular about this place. This was off the record, his retirement plan with everything he could ever want, from gym to sauna, steam room to wine cellar, dungeon and spa, he even had a panic room and mini bunker two levels below ground built into the rock.

"Now now dont fuss, we are home love. Now lets get you settled." He preened as you cried louder when the world became dark as he pulled into the underground garage. August was quick to remote lock the garage, then without further ado he plucked you from the back seat and carried you off into the house.

It would take time before you came arohnd to him again, but once you were settled and had spent a few weeks here in your little studio and realised he will take care of everything and you had absolutely nothing to fret about youd love it. And thats when he can woo you. He estimated in around three months time youd happily follow him into the dungeon for some playtime. Untill then he will just have to be patient with you.

[ourloveisforthelovely]

Never the Same Part 8

Regulus Black AU

Story Summary  Being Bill’s twin, you were always the supportive one. Now that you are stepping outside of your role everything is changing. For your family, it’s for the worse. For Regulus and yourself, it’s for the better.

Pairings: Regulus x Reader

Rating: Mature. Doesn’t follow the book

Part 7 Link 

______

Much to Regulus’ dismay, Walburga didn’t find a new place to “haunt.” Instead, she seemed to latch her claws in even tighter. She proclaimed that she would never leave her home. Nothing that either of her sons had to say could make her do something that she wasn’t ready to.

The good part was she started avoiding everyone and only came out of the master suite if she absolutely had to. This was just fine with Regulus and Sirius. Neither brother seemed overly joyed to have to deal with their mother. It reminded you of zoo keepers having to deal with a ravenous lion. If it wasn’t for Kreacher, you had a feeling that food would be just left at her door with no indication that it mattered if she ate or not. You wouldn’t have been surprised if Regulus and Sirius were playing rock, paper, scissors to decide who would be the unfortunate one to deal with Walburga that day.

You, typically, would have felt sorry for Walburga but after seeing the state that she left Sirius and Regulus in…your “give a damn” was slightly broken. There was also the fact that as your pregnancy progressed you were feeling worse with each day.

“How are you feeling?”

You sighed at Regulus’ question. Looking up from your pillow you gave him a frustrated look.

“Awful! My back hurts. My feet hurt. I don’t think I can stretch anymore and if I don’t stop vomiting…”

Regulus winced, slightly regretting asking that question. He wasn’t even sure why he did. Regulus knew that you were feeling awful. For some reason, he kept asking how you were feeling. If you threw something at him for asking, Regulus wouldn’t be surprised. Normally, you were perfectly sweet and patient but as the pregnancy was progressing… your patience was failing you.

“So…the same?”

Regulus added. You only stared at him. Regulus gave you an innocent shrug. You knew that he was probably as tired of you being pregnant as you were of actually being pregnant. He was too good of a man to say it, however.

“I am never doing this again. I used to want a big family but now I am thinking my parents are mental.”

Regulus chuckled as he moved to put his coat on. He was getting ready to go away for a week, which was also fueling your frustration.

“Well, lucky for you I have never had the desire to have a house full of children.”

You groaned.

“Good, because this is a one-and-done shot. I might possibly jump off of a building if I have to do this again.”

Regulus chuckled before kneeling down beside you. He gently pushed some of your hair away from your face and leaned down to kiss you.

“You can’t jump off of a building and leave me alone with all of these people. You’re the only one keeping me sane. Never mind the fact, that I know absolutely nothing about babies. What if I forgot ours somewhere?”

Regulus was relieved when you giggled.

“You wouldn’t forget them anywhere.”

Regulus blinked a few times.

“My mum and dad forgot me at a funeral parlor once.”

Your mouth dropped. Why this surprised you, you didn’t know. If Regulus told you that his father had forgotten his son’s name it wouldn’t have been entirely shocking. Orion Black seemed to be more of a conversational piece than a father and husband.

“Please tell me that you are joking.”

Regulus shook his head as his face darkened a bit. It was really no wonder that he turned out the way that he did. With his parent’s version of “love” it was a bloody miracle that he was able to talk to you in the first place…let alone be in a healthy relationship.

“Dead serious. I was alone with a corpse for like four hours until Sirius realized that I was gone. It was a lovely experience for a five-year-old to go through.”

You put a hand over your face. If you needed yet another reason to dislike your mother and father-in-law, you had one.

“That’s horrible! Regulus, you would never do something like that to your own child. You are a lot more self-aware than your parents apparently were. Why don’t you just sit this job out? Sirius can go for you.”

Regulus leaned down to kiss you again. He hadn’t told you the exact nature of this job. Something was going down at Hogwarts and The Order needed to get there fast. Regulus watched your face for a moment. He wanted to enjoy each moment looking at you…in case something happened. While Regulus didn’t plan on dying if something happened…he just wanted to enjoy the moment.

“It's already planned with me going. Sirius is going too. If you need me, Kreacher will be able to get to me quickly.”

You wanted to be selfish and tell Sirius to pack an overnight bag. He wasn’t the one expecting twins at any given moment. Regulus was. You had accepted the fact that the twins would probably come early. If Regulus was gone while you were in labor, you would personally throw the biggest tantrum on him that you could muster.

You also weren’t the least bit happy about being stuck in the house alone with Walburga. There were many other tasks that you would be doing versus being stuck in the house with your mother-in-law.

“Fine…if you have to…It seems like all of you are going. Is there something that you aren’t telling me, Regulus Black?

You asked as Regulus moved to stand up. He gave you an innocent look, praying that you would buy it. The last thing that Regulus wanted was to tell you exactly what you were missing out on. Regulus knew that if he told you where he was going you would demand to go. The further away you were from Hogwarts the safer you would be.

“Everything will be just fine. I promise.”

Regulus replied. He knew it was a lie. It was a bold-faced lie and he never should have done it but he did.

“Alright then. Please be careful. It's only a matter of weeks before the twins come and…I can’t do it without you.”

Regulus leaned down to kiss you once more.

“I’ll be back before you know it.”

Sirius stepped into the doorway to see if Regulus was ever coming along. He hadn’t said it but he was amazed at the turnaround Regulus made personally. What had been a moody sullen arrogant teenager had turned into the world’s best husband. You were the one thing that Regulus cared for the most in the world.

“Ready?”

Sirius questioned. Regulus’ grey eyes flickered to his brother before looking back to you once more. Putting a hand on the side of your face, Regulus forced a smile and again prayed that you were believing the bullshit that he was offering.

“See you soon.”

Sirius waited until the front door shut before turning to face his brother.

“You haven’t told her exactly what is going on at Hogwarts, have you?”

Regulus shook his head.

“No, she doesn’t need to know. I need to focus on the task at hand. I won’t be able to do that if she's running around fighting too. One of us will get killed and it will probably be me. Y/n is safe here with mother.”

Sirius muttered “fuck me” under his breath. If he knew anything, it would be the fact that you would be furious for not only missing what would be the biggest battle known to Wizardkind but the fact that Regulus lied. Sure, his brother’s intentions were good. No one’s pregnant wife needed to be putting herself on the line like that she needed to know.

“Reg, she’s going to be pissed.”

Regulus again glanced over his shoulder making sure that you weren’t anywhere nearby.

“Pissed or not, she and our children will be alive. She’ll forgive me soon enough. Now let's go and stop talking about this.”

The two walked in silence until Sirius started chuckling. Regulus’ eyes rolled over to his older brother with a scowl.

“What?”

He questioned. Sirius finally got a grip on himself before speaking.

“I would be pissed if you left me with Walburga. The old hag will probably be having Y/n help her organize her obituary scrapbook.”

Regulus rolled his eyes. The last thing that he wanted was to think about his mother. While Regulus really didn’t want to kill Walburga himself it was beginning to look like that was a decent option. The woman was making everyone’s lives miserable.

“When we get back, we need to make a plan to get rid of the old bitch. If we don’t, she will haunt us until she dies again…that is too long away for my liking.”

(several hours later)

You sat in a near haze listening to Walburga rattle on and on about her dead relatives. While Regulus and Sirius made no effort to hide their contempt for their mother (a prime example was Sirius purposely stepping on every crack in the sidewalk to “break his mother’s back.”) you were trying your best to be somewhat decent to her. It was getting harder as your pregnancy progressed. Your patience was thin and listening to this old bitch be nothing but rude to both of her sons was wearing on you.

“And that’s how Aunt Estrella died…Y/n are you listening to me?”

You blinked a few times to pull yourself from your trance.

“Yes…I am.”

Walburga shook her head.

“If you are going to lie to me at least make it about something good. Your eyes have been glazed over for the past half an hour. So, without my son hovering over you like an overprotective mother hen, I can talk to you properly now. What are your plans for the twins? It has to be getting near time for them to be born. I do hope that Regulus and yourself have made plans for a good nanny.”

You had to stop yourself from laughing at the expression on Regulus’ face when you told him that Walburga compared him to a mother hen.

“Actually, no. We haven’t made any plans for a nanny because they are our kids and we can take care of them ourselves.”

Walburga looked totally baffled by that comment. She had never once been without a nanny at least until Regulus was 7. If she had to take care of her children all on her own, it would have been a major inconvenience that Walburga just couldn’t phantom.

“But what about when both of you are tired…or when Regulus is working?”

You leaned back in your chair.

“My mother made it just fine. That’s with a lot more children than two running around. Besides, my mum will be willing to help me. Believe it or not, Regulus and I look forward to taking care of our children."

“Children should be seen and not heard.”

You moved to stand up as Sirius walked in. His disheveled appearance quickly caught your attention. You didn’t give Walburga a second thought before muttering, “I’ll have to get back to you on that” and going to your brother-in-law.

As you approached him, you realized that his eye had a massive cut under it and his nose had been bleeding. Panic surged through you as you realized Regulus wasn’t in the room.

“Sirius! Are you…Regulus? Where is he?”

Sirius attempted to fix his now-destroyed hair. He wanted to make a joke that it would take ages to make it look right again but your expression told him that you wouldn’t appreciate it like normal. The terrified expression on your face told Sirius that you were NOT in the mood for any of his humor at the moment.

“He’s fine! I swear! Regulus sent me. I need you to come with me and try not to panic…I would say to keep an open mind but there is no way to prepare you for what you are about to see.”

You felt your mouth drop at Sirius’ words. Telling you not to panic worked as well as stabbing you and saying “Ah, you’ll be alright…just ignore the bleeding.”

“Sirius…”

Before you could even finish the sentence, Sirius apparated both of you to what was left of Hogwarts. Your mouth dropped even further the moment that you saw the castle that you loved so much nearly destroyed. Looking around, all you could see was sheer carnage. Bloody students and other various adults were wandering around looking totally lost.

The moment that Regulus walked out of what was the great hall, you all but ran to him.

“Regulus!”

You had nearly knocked him down before Regulus could even get a word out. All that mattered to you was the fact that he was alive.

“Y/n…”

He started but you cut him off as you started looking him over in a state of panic. His clothes were dusty and torn in a few places. Thankfully, he appeared to not have much physical damage other than a bruised cheek and busted bottom lip.

“Regulus, what the hell?!”

“Y/n, I’m fine. Everything is going to be…”

You cut him off yet again.

“If you say fine, I am going to slug you! Nothing about this looks fine! I thought that you said this was a small job. Are you seeing the same shit that I am!”

Regulus reached out and cupped your cheeks.

“Y/n, I am okay. He’s gone… Voldemort is gone.”

“Harry! Oh, Merlin, is Harry…”

“He’s fine! He’s okay. I didn’t tell you because, given your condition, there was no way in hell that I was about to let you come here and be potentially hurt. I had to keep you and the babies safe.”

You looked around as a nearby wall partially collapsed. Turning back to Regulus, you mentally tried to ignore the screaming in your head that today could have very well been the day that you lost the man that you loved. Yes, the dark lord was dead but the good side clearly had a ton of losses too.

“What if you had died? How do you think that I would have felt knowing that I never got to see you again? What about our children…Regulus, I am…”

Regulus pulled you back into another kiss silencing any further words. You slipped one hand onto Regulus’ cheek before sliding to the back of his head and tangled in his curls. Neither Regulus nor yourself seemed in any hurry to let go of the other.

Regulus pulled away after a moment but didn’t move too far away from you.

“Because I knew you would panic…I’m alive, here and with you…that’s all that matters.”

You kissed him again as Regulus placed one hand on your stomach.”

“You really are the most stubborn man that I have ever met. If I didn’t love you so much I really would punch you in the face.”

Regulus chuckled as his eyes went to Arthur Weasley. He sighed immediately. Regulus knew what he had to tell you and he didn’t want to. He didn’t want to ruin the intimacy of this moment and break your heart but he had to.

“Y/n, I do need to talk to you about one thing though. Not everyone made it. We nearly lost Tonks and Remus.”

You stepped back as your eyes widened. In all of the chaos, you realized that you had yet to see any members of your family.

“My parents? Brothers? Ginny?”

You quickly asked. Regulus’ face darkened as he rubbed a hand over his face.

“They’re fine…everyone except Fred…darling, he didn’t make it.”

Regulus’ words felt like a bullet to your heart. Fred was gone. Everything in your heart came to a screeching halt as you looked around.

“Where are they?”

“In the great hall.”

Regulus replied softly. You took a few deep breaths before turning and running into the great hall. Regulus remained motionless for a moment before turning and going after you. This was the part that he dreaded. Regulus could deal with the fighting and chaos but the aftermath was something that he was not emotionally ready for. He would have to attend the funerals. See the loss in his friend’s eyes as they realized the ones that they cared the most for weren’t coming back.

When he stepped into the great hall, you were kneeling down beside George and Molly. Regulus had to look away. He couldn’t bear to see the look of sheer heartbreak on your face. It was bad enough when the Weasleys realized that Fred was dead, to begin with. Now here you were, the one human that he loved the most in the world, having to face the reality that your little brother was gone and nothing could be done about it. He would have to stand by and watch as you went through some of the darkest days and he wasn’t able to protect you…for once he could do absolutely nothing.

You, meanwhile, sat staring down at Fred’s face. His eyes were closed making him look as if he was only sleeping. Part of you wondered if he would suddenly sit up and say “Got you!” You prayed that would happen. For once, you wanted nothing more than for Fred and George to be playing one of their pranks…but you knew that wasn’t the case. The heartbroken look on George’s face, as he sobbed in Arthur’s arms, told you that this was no joke.

Even though you had your own heartbreak to deal with, you knew that George was experiencing devastation worse. Fred was George’s other half…the other half to the puzzle…now he was gone. You slowly looked up at Bill. Your own twin stood holding his wife but his eye was locked on your face. Without even speaking, you knew that the two of you were thinking the same thing. Neither of you would know how to make it without the other. Bill was the other half of your soul. He was the one who came into the world with you. While the two of you still had each other…George was not missing his other half.

In the noise and chaos, you could only think one thought…

Nothing will ever be the same again

_______

@amelie-black @jessyballet @knreidy1 @georgeweasleydumbhoe @criminalyetminimal @acciosiriusblack @siriuslyceleste @mimisparkle12 @teletubiswszpilkach @ell0ra-br3kk3r @livshifts @starsval @stelleduarte @millies0bsimp @coffeeaddictednymph @readtomeregulus @daddyslittlevillain @rogue-nyx88 @panpride @saramaple @missgorldafirst @i-love-scott-mccall @s-we-e-t-t-ea @buttercup-beeee @f4iryluvy @taylor-will-be-the-death-of-me @gugggu6gvai @jag9000 @quinis @yousmellllikecaca @mentally-unstable-hoe @haroldpotterson @padf00ts-l0ver @goldensunshineshit @aurorasnape12 @ad-astra-again @rubyroscoe1 @spideyxalmighty @lucasfilms77 @dumybitch @play-morezeppelin @ravenhood2792 @un-lovesherself @melaninnbarbie @marichromatic @brokencasbutt67-writer @authoressskr @hankypranky @summer-novak @moldy-old-boot @emiwrites3reads @shaylybaby2032 @li0nh34rt @tas898 @sprnaturallover @wontlookaway @shitfaceddaniel-blog @untoldshortsofthefandoms @deanwherescas @knight-of-gleefulness @mycuddlycorner

[kobenisgun]

I have been thinking about camboy!takemichi for weeks and i need to get these thoughts out before i forget.

TW/CW: MINORS DNI, use of sex toys, dick piercing, mommy kink, overstimulation, dumbification, humping, pegging, fem dom, dubious consent, and slight Tokyo Rev manga spoilers.

Camboy! Takemichi x Female!Reader

If anything needs to be fixed in the tags please tell me! And sorry for any typos this was barely proof read 😞

Word Count: 1678

Camboy! Takemichi who needs to find a different source of income, his job at dvd shop isn’t paying him enough and his landlord is only giving him two more weeks to pay rent.

He’s too embarrassed to go to his friends and ask them for help so he looks for different options. Nothing stands out to him until he goes on Twitter later in the day, one of his favorite...artists is promoting their Only Fans and cam-sites, that’s when it clicks. It all seemed easy, he could just make a video and post it on one of these sites, and someone would pay to see it.

Camboy! Takemichi who makes a new Twitter account to post a test video to see if anyone likes what he’s willing to put out. It’s a 2-minute video of him stroking his fat cock, it’s embarrassing the way he moans and whines into the mic, desperately bucking up into his hand. A cute piercing gets covered in his cum while he twitches in his hand. He has to turn off his notifications when he finally posts the video, not wanting to see any comments but he’s pleasantly surprised a few hours later. A ton of people in the comments and retweets asking for his site or Only Fans and he rushes to make an account.

Camboy! Takemichi who struggles with taking pictures and videos, people are sending him money and tipping him so much, that he feels disappointed in himself for having such amateur shots.

He practices different poses and camera setups before he gets the perfect angles. He’s so fucking slutty that his viewers can’t believe that he just started out, he wears a face mask that covers the lower half of his face. He even opens up a P.O. box because people want to send him stuff! He wears the pretty lingerie or the exposing costumes with a bright blush from underneath his mask.

Camboy! Takemichi who finally gets to move out of his shitty apartment and gets to move into a nice apartment complex, he doesn’t have to worry about rent as long as he spends his money wisely. His friends are so proud of him and they wonder what his new job is! He just laughs it off and changes the subject, he trusts them but he doesn’t want anyone finding those videos he makes.

Camboy! Takemichi who tries sex toys for the first time after a fan sent him some, is a mess the entire time he preps himself but the pings that signal tips coming through only encourage him to keep going. The first time he uses a dildo and a vibrator, the stream ends up being an hour longer than it was supposed to. The poor thing nearly passed out from overstimulation. His eyes rolled back, cheek pressed up against the mattress and his hand tried to push the bright pink toy deeper as he mindlessly babbled.

Black curls sticking to his sweaty forehead and his sensitive cock shooting out blanks. He smiled dopily through his mask after saying goodbye and turning off the stream. He was sore for the next few days but it was worth it. Being able to take his friends out for dinner and cover the bill, being able to pay rent on time— actually having the motivation to clean up his apartment. This was great. He loved his new job.

Camboy! Takemichi who starts talking to other creators idly, he mainly does it because he has no one else to talk to. He doesn’t expect to actually form a connection with you. You two start texting almost every day— you even trade numbers! No one’s seen Takemichi smile this much in a long time.

Takemichi didn’t think he would find anyone who would want him after he and Hina split. She seemed like the only person willing to deal with him..to be able to handle everything that came with him. Yet talking to you felt refreshing, not to mention how you always comforted him whenever he stressed over minuscule things. He couldn’t help but run to you every time, you always had an answer. You would take him out to lunch, go shopping with him— help him run errands, anything to ease his mind.

You were so sweet, so gentle with him. Something he needed after everything he went through, trying to fix everyone's problems— never getting to fix his own. You didn’t know the entire story..he dulled down a lot of things so you didn’t think he was insane but you still understood. You stayed up on the phone with him whenever he had a nightmare— sometimes you would even come over if things got especially bad.

You’d let him cry and cry until he eventually lulled himself to sleep out of pure exhaustion. When he woke up he was pleasantly surprised to see you still with him, a blush rising from the back of his neck to his cheeks when he saw how close you two were. He was practically tucked into you, your chin resting on his head while his face was buried in your chest, one of his legs tossed over yours while the other was bent towards his chest. He could get used to this.

Camboy! Takemichi who shyly asks you to join him on stream months later. You two only grew closer as time passed and you happily obliged, under certain conditions, you would be in charge. He had no problem handing the reins over to you for the night. He didn't expect to have cum this much in the last two hours, you really knew how to work magic— your eyes focused on him the entire time but moving so smoothly for the camera.

The only time you looked away was to read comments and thank people for tips since he could barely even talk with babbling. He lets out pathetic moans for his “mommy”, begging you to let him cum again and again.

Camboy!Takemichi who has his cheek pressed up against the mattress while you fuck him, desperate whines and moans escaping his lips as he begs for you to fuck him harder. He’s so close and he just needs you to brush up against that sensitive spot one more time. Your hand is wrapped around his sensitive cock, stroking slowly to match each of your thrusts while he grips the white sheets under you two.

Camboy! Takemichi whose whines quickly turn to tears while you suddenly pull out to try a new position with him. You lay back and he crawls into your lap, his eyes trained on your lips as you tell him to set his own pace and cum like a good boy while he rides you. He doesn’t think twice before sinking down onto your strap, his legs and arms shaking as he starts to move, every now and then you give a small thrust upwards that makes his entire body shake and writhe with pleasure.

He leans down and pulls you into a kiss, his thoughtful bouncing mow turned to desperate humping as he chases his high, cumming for the nth time and going lax against you.

Camboy!Takemichi doesn’t let you clean up right away, he pushes you against the bed before you can turn off the stream and nestles between your thighs. You’ve been taking care of him all night but you haven’t gotten off at all. He can't stand the thought of leaving you unsatisfied so he takes matters into his own hands.

His shaky hands push your lacy panties aside, his mouth practically watering like a starved man when he sees your pussy up close. God. You’re fucking beautiful in every aspect— he wants to scream. He never thought he'd be this lucky.

Camboy! Takemichi who makes the stream hours linger than it should’ve while he gets pussy drunk off eating you out. Your legs resting on his shoulders as he relentlessly sucks on your sensitive clit, his fingers working you open— curling inside of you. He’s not sure how many times you’ve cum but he can't get enough. The more you pull on his hair trying to get him to stop the more he wants to keep going.

He only moves his head away when he decides that he has to fuck you. His mind is blank with your slick dripping down his chin as he abruptly turns off the stream, closing his laptop and tossing the webcam aside before he’s in between your thighs again. He’s lining up his fat tip to your entrance and your whining for him to fuck you already.

Camboy!Takemichi pushes in real slow and takes your hands in his, pressing his body up against yours while he fucks you in a haze. Breathy moans escape both of your lips as you get lost in the moment. His hands only leave you so he can reach down and rub your sensitive clit, hooded eyes focused on you as you cum for the nth time that night. He cums one more time inside of you before pulling out and collapsing onto the bed next to you.

The two of you take a while before Takemichi gets up, going to his bathroom to run a bath and guiding you inside. He gets in with a mumbles a soft sorry and a string of apologies for taking it too far. His heart melts when all you do is smile and tell him that it's okay. He hums under your touch as you run your fingers through his black curls and press a soft kiss to his lips, telling him not to worry.

Camboy!Takemichi who curls up with you in bed— after you two change the sheets, your limbs tangled together and his head resting on your chest. He couldn’t be happier in this moment as you wish him a good night and press a kiss to his forehead. Your fingers rub small circles on the small of his back until he falls asleep.

𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐮𝐞?

[schrijverr]

Gimme Some Sugar

Eddie is originally from Tennessee and has the accent to prove it. He keeps it hidden after he’s been bullied about it, but after the Upside Down, he finds people he can be himself about. And who knows, maybe Steve likes the southern accent? (spoiler, he does).

On AO3.

Ships: Steve x Eddie

Warnings: bullying and period typical homophobia mention

~~~~~~~~~~

Let it be known that Eddie Munson doesn’t conform. He doesn’t care and will make sure that it’s everyone’s problem in the way he carries himself, in how loud he is. Eddie Munson is himself and he won’t be changed.

However, Eddie Munson also wasn’t born in Hawkins, only arriving in the small Indiana town in his first year of middle school at eleven years old. Before that he had lived with his parents, but when your father puts your mother in the grave, you tend to be taken away by CPS and dumped on your closest relative.

For Eddie that had been his Uncle Wayne, who had taken in a traumatized preteen and made it his life work to ensure the kid landed alright. Wayne turned his trailer into something welcoming, warm, allowing the kid to feel at home. Part of that was letting his twang that he had long since dropped to fit in, ooze out. A bit of familiarity within all the change and loss.

Because the Munsons weren’t from around here, most of the Munson family had been born and raised in Tennessee. Including Eddie.

Yet that familiarity meant nothing when Eddie came home crying about how everyone was making fun of him and calling him a cowboy. So, Wayne held the boy and cursed the meanness of kids, before helping Eddie hide his twang.

It faded over time and with it did the teasing. Soon Eddie wore a metal shirt to school and that was enough for them to find something else to tease him about. Cowboy Eddie faded to obscurity and he was more than happy with that.

So no, Eddie Munson doesn’t conform… most of the time. But a small town can get to anyone, including the anti-establishment and conformity metalhead.

If Eddie’s honest, had he known how he would end up, he probably would have kept the accent and fucked everyone. It’s his mama’s voice, the soothing rumble of his uncle after a nightmare, his own when he’s passionate or tired. It has a lot of memories and he shouldn’t have given it up as easily, looking back.

However, it’s too late now and he’s not going back. He’ll save it for his dramatics and his favorite DnD NPCs.

Of course, all those concerns about being mocked for one of his only good memories, fades the second Chrissy levitates before turning into a human pretzel in his living room. Then he is more concerned with getting the fuck away and out of there.

And it’s only the tenseness and how aware of his every move, how the others perceive him, judge him, that keeps the put upon accent in his voice when Dustin comes looking for him. When he pins Steve Harrington of all people to a wall.

God, his life is a mess.

However, it’s the mess that leads him to having some sort of family. He has always had his uncle Wayne of course, but now he has friends that haven’t dropped him after murder allegations (even once proven false), people that believe him, people who know. It’s nice. Maybe worth the three week long hospital stay (luckily bills paid for by the government).

Normally Eddie is very much against the government, a sentiment that hasn’t been helped by seeing what they were up to with the Upside Down. However, he isn’t above accepting a new house and paid for medical bills as a ‘sorry you got caught up in our illegal experiments, if you say anything you’re dead before you can blink’-gift.

So, he accepts that he is healed for free and doesn’t have to live in the trailer where he witnessed Chrissy die. And he tries to adjust back to life again.

It’s difficult to go back to normal, when people stare at you like you’ve personally come over and murdered their grandmother, but he manages. He has always held his head high and he’s not stopping now.

Though, he’s glad he can sit with Robin and Nancy and a newly returned Jonathan in the breaks, just so he isn’t alone. As well as Dustin, Lucas and Mike, currently the only other members of Hellfire and Max. However, what he likes most is Steve coming over after school and being able to hang out with him.

Eddie never thought he would be hanging out with Steve Harrington after school of all people and if you had suggested it to him in early March, he would have laughed in your face. Strange how alternate dimensions and nearly dying can shift one’s perspective.

But Steve has been a surprise. Not an unpleasant one, of course, just surprising. Because Steve is a really good guy.

Sure, he had admitted that to him in the Upside Down, but it’s only after, once he’s fully integrated into the group, that he gets to witness the extend of that. Steve has fully shed King Steve that he was known as in high school and has turned into, what Eddie can only describe as, a tired mother of seven.

And he’s not joking. He has seen Steve with a dishtowel slung over his shoulder, both hands on his hips with the gaggle of kids in front of him, heads hung low, as he scolds them, before giving into their wishes. Because Steve is not just a mom, he is also incredibly soft for those kids. The little bastards have him wrapped around their little fingers.

It’s honestly hilarious to watch. Eddie won’t describe it as the fall from grace of the great King Steve, more like the rise to protector of Sir Steve. Though he isn’t telling Steve that.

Yeah, okay, so maybe Eddie has a bit of a crush on Steve.

But it’s not his fault, okay! Steve has just punched him in the face with his overbearing caring (that is likely built on being the one between the others and death many times) and his kind attitude, even if he pretends to be annoyed. How he listens, offering an ear and a shoulder as well as advice if needed.

Like, Eddie has always heard that Steve was hot, but seeing that he was an asshole he never pinged on Eddie’s radar. Now, however, he’ll look at Steve in his polo’s and mom-jeans while he ruffles Dustin’s hair and it’s the hottest thing he has ever seen.

Or Steve will laugh at a joke made by Lucas and it’ll be about something King Steve would have never cared about, but he’s laughing, because he learned, because he cares for these kids. His head will be thrown back, showcasing his neck and he’ll clutch his side, showing off his arms. Not to mention that he looks so happy, which is such a good and deserved look on him. Yeah, it makes Eddie want to loose his mind.

And to make things worse for Eddie, it’s not just physical things that has him fluttering around Steve like a moth to the light. If it was purely physical, Eddie could shove those feelings aside until he got over it. But, like he said before, it isn’t, because what makes Steve so attractive is his personality.

It makes Eddie want to rip his hair out and he loves his hair.

Because Steve is just comfortable to be around and he has made it his mission to worm his way into Eddie’s life. Much to Eddie’s surprise, who had expected to be dropped by King Steve the moment the life threatening situation was over.

Only to wake up in the hospital with Steve sitting next to him, slumped over and asleep in an uncomfortable plastic chair. That takes him a moment to process, his uncle Wayne rumbling in that comforting twang: “There ya are. They ain’t telling me a thing ‘bout what happened to ya, but I’m glad ya have some friends. That fella hasn’t left your side in days.”

Uncle Wayne has never been one for deep talks, but Eddie is still glad for him there. He nearly cries and says in a thick accent: “Uncle Wayne, I ain’t never been so happy to see your face,” and means it with his whole heart.

Steve wakes up with the noise and Eddie manages to play off his accent due to being in a coma for a few days. Leaning into the carefully embrace, glad Steve remembered he is more stitch than skin at that moment.

And he still doesn’t know why he hid. His accent was something he loves, deny it as he might, it’s a good memory and after nearly dying together in a hell dimension that is hardly the strangest thing Steve has seen. But maybe a part of Eddie was unsure if the caring Steve he had seen would last beyond saving the world. Maybe he questioned if Steve being there was a sign of friendship or an obligation he felt he had.

Whatever it was he had hidden and it is weird to start now.

Still, Steve makes it very very hard, because Steve is comfortable. Steve makes Eddie feel comfortable. And Eddie associates his accent with comfort. So, he has to fight not to slip into it when they’re hanging out together. Because yeah, he and Steve hang out together now.

It starts with Steve showing up at his trailer after having stayed at the hospital until Eddie is discharged. When he opens the door and finds Steve, arms full of papers, his only repose is: “What the fuck.”

“I am going to be the most horrible friend right now, maybe even person,” Steve starts, the words almost a ramble, “but I have all the assignments you missed in the hospital and we’re going to make them. I have bribe snacks.”

“Wait, wait, wait,” Eddie says, completely confused. “You. Steve Harrington. You are here to help me with my missed assignments?”

“Uhm, yeah,” Steve looks bashful. “I- I mean, I can go, if you want to. I get it if you don’t want me here. I- uhm, guess I thought it would be less intimidating to start with someone there. But that doesn’t have to be me, of course. I can go. I should go.”

And Eddie never thought he’d see the day Steve was hesitant, afraid Eddie wouldn’t want to hang out with him. He also thought he’d never he’d see the day where he wanted to hang out with Steve, but here he is.

“No, stay,” the words are out before he can stop them, but Steve just looks so unsure and Eddie is pretty sure he falls the moment he sees Steve’s relieved smile.

“I can’t promise I’ll be much help,” Steve tells him. “Got knocked around a bit in Junior and Senior year, but I graduated so that counts for something.”

And Eddie jokes: “I don’t care, man. You brought snacks,” as he lets him in with a grin.

They take to ‘studying’ together, which is more Eddie complaining as he works while Steve pulls sympathetic faces and throws snacks his way. That in turn leads to Steve coming around just because. Until Steve is coming to check on him in the middle of the night, because he dreamed Eddie hadn’t made it, which blossoms in the two sticking together through bad nights on the flat roof of the new little Munson home or the sofa and kitchen.

So, yeah, that is where Eddie is now. Hopelessly smitten for Steve Harrington and very close friends that are so comfortable that Eddie finds himself nearly slipping into an accent. His accent. A strong Tennessee accent that he keeps hidden for some reason now.

If he allows himself to be honest, he knows that it is because he’s shy about it. Eddie has never been shy about anything, but the soft lilt of his voice, the twang that coats it, it’s personal. Private.

And yeah, he knows thousands of people talk like that and he doesn’t own it, but it’s a little piece of his childhood. A little piece of himself that has already been trampled over by the youths of Hawkins. And he doesn’t want to share it when it can be ripped up again by someone who has become so close and dear to him.

Still, even if the accent is hidden, old sayings his mama always used are coming out instead.

It’s currently nearing summer and the heat is seeping in. He and Steve are in his room, cramming for his finals that are coming up. Eddie feels like he’s dying. Not only is the heat killing him, but Steve is right there lounging on the floor in shorts and a tank top, beads of sweat rolling down his neck in a tantalizing way.

To distract himself, Eddie lets out a loud huff, fanning himself with his notebook, before loudly proclaiming: “I’m sweatin’ like a sinner in church.” Okay, so maybe a bit of the drawl was there.

But Steve laughs, “What?” sounding amused by his choice of phrase.

Luckily, Eddie often uses strange saying that Steve doesn’t know, because of his dramatics that he has developed over the years of being a dungeon master. So, Eddie just grins: “Never heard that one before, Stevie?” as he plays it off.

But then later, the two are watching as Dustin rages at a game in the arcade – the two have driven the whole gang there, since they no longer fit in Steve’s car alone – and Eddie can’t help but comment: “He’s havin’ a dying duck fit.”

Again Steve gives him that look. That fucking look. It’s a little confused and amused, like he doesn’t fully understand what Eddie just said, but he likes the sound of him talking so he doesn’t mind that he can’t fully comprehend it. Like he’ll listen no matter what and if the words sound good enough, he’s just happy to be amused by Eddie being nothing but himself.

It’s intoxicating that look. Makes Eddie feel special, maybe a bit insane. That look is dangerous, because Eddie is willing to do a lot to keep that look on Steve’s face.

And maybe the next time Steve is there to drive him to school and he is running around trying to find the last of his stuff, it’s on purpose when he says: “If it had been a snake, it would have bitten me!” as he pulls out his pen.

And it’s worth it, because Steve does the face. Then smiles fondly as he shakes his head, before replying: “Watching you run around like that gives me second hand stress. When is your van fixed again?”

“Steve Harrington, are you implying you want to get rid of me?” Eddie gasps, playing appalled, dramatically putting his hand on his heart.

Not expecting Steve to respond with: “Never,” which sounds too genuine and almost makes Eddie look for a meaning behind them that isn’t there. Steve is just a good dude, he reminds himself. He is attached to all his friends and that includes Eddie. It’s nothing special.

It’s nothing special, just keep repeating it, Munson.

But Steve makes it so hard. He’s just always there. After a Hellfire meeting, the van now finally fixed, Steve is there picking up the kids. When Eddie comes out of the building, his smile seems to broaden as he calls out: “Good game, Eds?”

Good game is such a sports term, but on Steve it’s cute. Or at least, that is what Eddie’s brain has decided about it. His smile back comes on his face without permission and he has to work to make it less soft and more of a grin as he replies: “Nearly TPKed the party, so yeah.”

“TPK?” Steve repeats, then lights up. “Total Party Kill, right?” looking so proud at the fact that he remembered.

Eddie melts and he nods: “Yeah, that’s right, big boy.”

If he wants to fool himself, he can say Steve blushes at his words, but he knows better. So, he just waves goodbye, watching Steve get into his car and drive away, trying not to feel too down at his departure. God, his crush is getting sad.

It’s getting sad and Eddie knows it’s all just building inside him ready to blow. He has never had the best self control (it’s one of the things that lead to him being labeled a freak, his inability to stop whatever was coming out of him mouth), so he knows that he will do something stupid soon and loose Steve and his friendship.

Yeah, loose Steve. He might be a great guy, but it’s still Bumfuck, Indiana and Eddie knows the chances of Steve wanting to be his friend after finding out Eddie is gay and into him. He knows his chances all too well. It’s one of the reasons he works so hard to conceal that soft part of himself, the part that isn’t loud. The part that can get hurt so easily.

As predicted it all comes to a head on a stuffy night nearing the summer break. Eddie has finished all his finals and now it’s just waiting for the horrid news. He has a chance, but that’s what he thought the previous years too. And with his new nightmares, the fear of not passing again is enough to keep him up at night.

Tonight is such a night. Uncle Wayne is off to work and Eddie is alone in his house, breathing quickly, feeling scared and alone. The thoughts in his head are too fast to grasp, but slow enough to stress him out. With shaking hands he dials a familiar number.

“This is the Harrington residence, Steve Harrington speaking,” Steve answers the phone, sounding too awake and formal for the hour. Chances are, he was already awake when Eddie called.

“Steve,” he greets. “I- uhm, It’s Eddie.”

“Hey, Eds,” Steve greets, sounding more upbeat, before realizing why Eddie probably called. “Are you okay, man?”

“I don’t know,” Eddie says, though he knows the answer is no.

And Steve knows that the answer is no too, so he tells Eddie that he’s on his way, before hanging up.

With the assurance that Steve is coming, Eddie manages to calm down a bit. Wandering further into the kitchen and putting on the kettle. When they first started hanging out after nightmares, they drank beer, but with more ease between them, they found tea to be more calming.

Still, he can’t fully calm down until he opens to door to find Steve. His hair is a mess and he’s still in his pajamas, as if he literally rolled out of bed and into his car. However, showing his obvious relief is a bit too revealing, so he just dramatically exclaims: “Well, I declare, Steve Harrington on my little old doorstep.”

Steve huffs out a little laugh, before stepping inside and hugging Eddie. Then he steps back, making Eddie miss the heat, as he jokes: “I live to surprise, Mr. Munson.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Eddie rolls his eyes, hoping his blush isn’t obvious.

They go further into the house, Eddie pouring them tea as Steve takes his now customary seat at the table. He looks comfortable there. At home. Very much at ease, since he has done this a thousand times before. A fact that Eddie tries not to have any emotions about.

He presents Steve his tea with a flourish, then sits down as well. He lets the mug warm his hands, his face close enough that the steam blows his face. It’s too hot to do that, but it’s calming. He remembers how cold the Upside Down was.

After a beat of silence, Steve softly asks: “Wanna talk about it?”

Both of them know that some nights you just want to sit in silence, while others you need to repeat what you saw, hear that it is over. Tonight Eddie doesn’t know. He blows out a deep breath, before saying: “It’s actually a bit stupid.”

“I called you last time, because a pile of laundry on my floor looked like a portal and you had to climb through my window, because I didn’t want to leave the bed,” Steve deadpans. “I think we’re past stupid.”

Eddie laughs a little. At the time, it hadn’t been funny to hear Steve’s panicked voice over the phone, before he was forced to hang up and race to the other side of town. But with the power of hindsight and humor to cope, the whole thing was pretty funny.

“Alright,” he concedes. “I’m just worried about my grades. And I know that’s, like, nothing compared to getting mauled by bats, but I don’t know what I’m gonna do if I fail again. Probably something illegal.”

“You already do something illegal often,” Steve points out, before shrugging, “but I get it. And it’s not stupid.”

“No?” Eddie asks, unable to hide the vulnerable tone in his voice.

“No,” Steve repeats firmly. “You’ve had a shit year already, this is something that’s been haunting you for even longer. Of course you’re gonna be stressed about it. But, you got this. I saw you study before the finals. If you fail again, I’m personally talking to the principal alongside my trusty assistant the nail bat.”

Now Eddie laughs for real, the image of Steve standing over principal Higgins with his spiked bat, forcing the man to let Eddie graduate is just too much. Though he won’t deny that he’s a little bit flattered too. Still, he can’t let Steve know that, so he just grins: “Well, I hope for principal Higgins’ sake, my studying was enough.”

“It was,” Steve says firmly, like an argument against him is futile.

Eddie smiles at him, then they fall silent, both drinking their tea. The air around them is comfortable and for a moment that is all Eddie needs to let go of the keyed up energy that has been haunting him.

On some nights they would stay in the kitchen after finishing their tea, usually still talking. But tonight is a quiet night, so they get up and put their mugs in the sink when they’re done. Steve sends Eddie a questioning look and Eddie’s eyes flick to the door. The roof it is today. Well, tonight.

It’s something of a routine. They’d been drunk, back in their beer days, and Steve had claimed something about being a boy scout and Eddie told him that wasn’t true. Naturally that meant Steve claiming he still knew navigating constellations and Eddie betting he knew more than Steve. So they ended up on the roof. It had been calming and quickly became tradition.

If they wanted noise, they’d flip on the TV and plop down on the couch, but on nights they needed peace, they went to the roof.

The two are practically experts at getting up there by now and soon they’re lying side by side, looking up at the stars. Eddie tries not to think about how their shoulders are touching and how he can hear Steve’s breaths.

But, like always, Eddie relaxes in Steve’s presence.

They watch the stars together, first in silence, before Steve starts telling Eddie about a few stars he has randomly clumped together. It’s a bit of game, since they figured out neither of them knew much about constellations.

For a long time, Eddie is content to let Steve talk. He knows he’s usually the center of any show, but he likes listening to Steve talk. His voice is deep and while he can’t string a story as well as Eddie can, he always calls back on memories and it’s impossible to stop listening.

Still, Eddie can’t stay quiet too long, so he takes over at some point. Throughout the night they have migrated closer together, since no matter how close to summer they are, the nights are still cool. So, they huddle close to keep warm.

Right now, Eddie is under Steve’s arm, his head resting on his shoulder, the rest of their bodies pressed together. His fingers playing with the hem of Steve’s shirt.

This position would’ve made him flustered before, but it has morphed into a comfort. He likes Steve, of course he does, he likes him more than he cares to admit. However, he likes Steve mostly because he’s such a calming presence and good friend. So, yeah, he maybe likes the closeness more than he should, but it doesn’t make him bumble like it used to.

It’s comforting.

They’re cozy and Eddie is gesturing with one hand, though he’s flagging, his eyes nearly closing as he talks. He’s so comfortable, he doesn’t notice that his voice started to slow down into a deep drawl.

“And tha’ right there is the lasso,” he murmurs, pointing at some stars. “Weren’t nothing those horses coulda done. Tha’ space cowboy was real fast. I reckon he coulda caught horses all day if they’d’ve let him. He’s a tad too big for his britches ‘cause of it, but ain’t nothing wrong with a lill’ bit of ego aft’r a stunt like tha’.”

“So they gave him a constellation?” Steve asks, sounding amused and a bit confused, which is pretty standard.

Eddie nods sleepily: “Tha’ they did, for sure,” as he drifts off, not seeing the incredibly fond look Steve is giving him.

It’s not unusual for them to fall asleep on the roof. It has happened so often Wayne knows about it (but maybe that had more to do with Eddie nearly falling on him while climbing down. Not the point). The point is, they sleep on the roof for quite a bit.

However, neither of them brought blankets, not thinking they would sleep there. So when the cold wakes them up, they climb down and fall into Eddie’s bed. Not wanting to bother with the extra mattress and both of them with enough chronic pain know better than to sleep on the couch.

When he wakes up the next morning, Eddie has all but forgotten about his space cowboy story and lets himself bask in Steve pressed so closely alongside him for a moment. Then he wiggles himself out of the bed and tiptoes out of the room. If Steve finally manages to get some sleep, then Eddie is going to ensure it lasts as long as possible.

Uncle Wayne is in the kitchen, making breakfast, which has become a habit to eat together. Eddie smiles and greets him, explaining Steve is staying over.

“Ah, Steve again,” Wayne replies, making a suggestive face.

Eddie knows what his uncle is implying and god does he wish that is the case, but instead he just shakes his head: “s not like tha’ an’ ya know it, uncle Wayne.”

“Y’all’re always together, a man hasta check,” Wayne tells him.

“I’d’ve told if there sumthing to tell,” Eddie pouts.

Wayne raises a brow and says: “An’ if ya get your head out of your ass, there might be sumthing there, ya idjit.”

“Whatever,” Eddie sighs. He knows his uncle means well, but he’s wrong, alright. Steve doesn’t like him like that, no matter how badly Eddie wants him to.

Luckily, Wayne lets it go as requested and they settle into the chairs as they talk about whatever comes to mind in the early morning. And it’s nice. He likes talking with Wayne in the mornings over coffee. It’s like it has always been, a little bit of normality after everything.

“So, I’m fixin’ to grab all my dice, since ‘m about to murder the party,” he’s regaling the latest DnD session for Wayne. “An’ Dustin’s madder than a wet hen, ‘cause his character’s ‘bout to explode first. An’ I rolled a bunch of ones! I swear, you ain’t never heard such noise.”

“I believe ya,” his uncle smiles, as he watches him gesture, the only one noticing Steve, who has rolled out of bed and is now watching Eddie with such an awed look. One Wayne has seen so many times before.

… If only those kids got their heads out of their asses.

“I mean, if I had my druthers, I’d’ve been a whole TPK,” Eddie tells him. “But there was nuthing to be done ‘bout it. The dice spoke, I’da been more upset if it weren’t such a great narrative moment, don’tcha know.”

Wayne nods again, but his eyes can’t help, but flick to Steve. Eddie notices and whips around, eyes growing wide as he spots Steve.

Rationally, he knows that Steve, the man who cuddled with him on the rooftop after nighttime stress, isn’t going to make fun of him for his accent. However, rationality and panic have never been friends and right now, Eddie’s brain is doing mostly panic.

“Steve,” he squeaks. “Uhm, hi, good morning. Howdy, haha, I mean, that’s, uhm- It’s nothing. Don’t worry about it. Just horsing around.”

But the more he speaks, the more worried Steve looks and Eddie already misses his soft just awake face, cursing himself for his big mouth. And the foot he has shoved in it. Especially when Steve’s brows pinch close together and he asks: “Are you alright, Eds?”

“Yeah, just didn’t- uhm didn’t expect you there,” Eddie replies, clearing his throat to turn his squeak into a normal voice.

Steve studies him for a few moments. It makes Eddie want to do something dramatic and weird to throw him off and get the attention away. But Steve knows him too well for that and it’ll only garner more suspicion. So, he just has to sit there as Steve figures it out. He might not be the smartest, but he’s perceptive, so it’s just a matter of time really.

“Your voice was different, like last night,” Steve notes after a few moments of silence.

“Uhm, well, yeah, I- uh, I’m-” Eddie splutters, unsure what to say. ‘Yeah, I’m not from here and I have been hiding my accent for no reason.’ or ‘Oh, yeah, I know you’re cool, I just was afraid you’d bully me over having an accent.’ Like, no thanks.

However, it seems like Wayne can’t take it any longer, so he just rolls his eyes and says: “That’s called an accent, son. We’re originally from Tennessee.”

“Tennessee,” Steve repeats, lighting up as he says: “Dolly Parton is from Tennessee.”

And it’s just such a Steve reaction to have that Eddie can’t help but snort, before laughing. He’s doubling over, cracking up every time he looks up and sees Steve’s confused face. In the end, he manages to hiccup: “Exactly, Stevie, ain’t very metal, now is it?”

“Are- Are you ashamed of your accent?” Steve asks, pieces fitting together as he watches Eddie’s face. Then he exclaims: “Why? It’s cute!”

“Wha?” Eddie splutters more, mind going blank at Steve calling him – well, his accent – cute. His mind still reeling he repeats: “Cute?”

“Oh, uhm, it’s attractive? I mean, cool,” Steve is fully blushing, still standing in the pajamas he drove in yesterday.

Apparently that is enough for Wayne, who gets up and says: “Well, I’m goin’ to bed, y’all can figure this one out. Good day, Steve.”

“Good day,” Steve manages to greet back, still rooted to the spot.

To be fair, Eddie is also pretty rooted to the spot. Because, Steve thinks his accent is attractive. Thinks it’s cute. Steve is still blushing. And also still quiet, because they’re still staring at each other and it is starting to get awkward.

Before Eddie can bring himself to say anything, Steve starts to speak in a manner that reveals how much he’s been hanging around Robin: “I’m so sorry, I have completely made it awkward and weird between us. You might not even be gay and if you are you don’t have to like me and I just sprung that on you. I- I’m gonna go. It’s okay if you hate me now. Again, I’m so sorry.”

And it isn’t until he starts to back away that Eddie catches up. He quickly jumps out of his chair, mentally wincing at Steve’s flinch, as he exclaims: “Wait? You like me?”

Steve gets even more red and he looks away, rubbing the back of his neck. His arms bulge in a way Eddie appreciates, though he’s more focused on Steve’s bashful face as he softly admits: “Yeah, trust me, Robin has made fun of me for falling for the metalhead. I’ve heard enough bad boy meets cheerleader jokes already. Sorry.”

“What’re you apologizing for?” Eddie asks, his accent seeping back in as he tries to comprehend the fact that Steve likes him. Him. Steve Harrington like him.

“For, you know, cuddling up to you and stuff while liking you,” Steve’s voice is almost a whisper now. “I’m sure I made you uncomfortable.”

“Well, now, doll, that’ll be pretty hypocritical of me, now won’t it,” Eddie replies, feeling extremely giddy. “Since I kinda did the same to you.”

It takes Steve a moment to catch on, then his face is splitting in two, a big grin appearing. “You like me too?” he asks, just to make sure.

“I sure do,” Eddie grins, stepping a bit closer, excited when Steve does the same.

Once they’re practically nose to nose, Steve asks: “Can I?” and Eddie is already nodding.

Steve leans in the rest of the way and Eddie mirrors it. Their lips meet in the middle, noses bumping slightly, before lips are pressed together. The whole feeling is electrifying. Eddie feels his heart beat loudly in his chest, his blood singing in his veins. He wants to live in the feeling forever, though they have separate for air.

They breathe, looking each other in the eye, matching goofy smiles on their faces. Steve softly whispers: “Does this mean you’ll say yes if I ask you on a date?”

“I ain’t saying no to that,” Eddie replies, feeling too comfortable and happy to put in the effort of changing his accent. Besides, Steve called it attractive and looking at his red face, Eddie thinks he might have meant it. He smirks: “Sumthing on your mind, doll?”

Steve swallows and goes to shake his head, before stopping himself and saying: “You accent. It’s really nice.”

“Why thank you,” Eddie grins.

Softly and a bit unsure, Steve asks: “Why did you hide it?”

Eddie looks away for a second, but starts talking before Steve can apologize for asking. “It’s my own lill’ thing, ya know. My mama’s a true southern bell, she never let nobody change her and I wasn’t about to either, but, ya know, small town kids are mean. An’ I ain’t letting them taint my mama’s voice with their crude impressions an’ jokes.”

“It suits you,” Steve tells him. “And I’m sorry you had to go through that.”

“’s fine, Stevie,” Eddie shrugs. “They found other things to bully me ‘bout soon enough.”

Steve winces like he always does when someone mentions the bullying crowd he used to be a part of, the guilt never fully leaving him. So, Eddie says: “But I trust ya with it, sweetheart. Who you used to be doesn’t amount to a hill of beans comparing to who you are now.”

That makes Steve smile again and he huffs: “I don’t know if you’re messing with me or if that’s an actual saying.”

“It is in Tennessee,” Eddie shrugs.

“Teach me some more?” Steve asks.

Eddie gets a devious grin on his face as he says: “Well, ya have ‘gimme some sugar,’ ‘course.”

“Yeah? And what does that mean?” Steve inquires, the soft amused look on his face giving away that he knows Eddie is up to something.

“It jus’ means askin’ for a lill’ bit of affection. A hug and kiss and all tha’.” Eddie informs him with a grin.

“Well, I can do that,” Steve replies and soon they’re kissing again, the ‘language lesson’ completely forgotten.

The date they go on turns into multiple, which turns into a full blown relationship. Their friends of course catch on and are very happy for them. It’s all something Eddie never thought he would have, so he basks in it.

Slowly Eddie gets more comfortable around everyone, until he stops giving a fuck what anyone thinks of him. They already think he’s a satanist cult leader, speaking funny isn’t anything worse at this point.

Which leads to him in the parking lot of the local grocery store, the kids all rambunctious over the barbecue they’re going to have at the Byers-Hopper house. Steve is loading the rest of the groceries into his car, while Eddie watches the kids muck about. He loudly yells: “Stop horsin’ around an’ get y’alls asses into gear. An’ put the goddamn buggy away, would’ya!”

That gets the boys’ attention, since they have to decipher what he said exactly. It’s a tactic that he uses often now that he has discovered it. Then they go to do what he says, a bit down that their roughhousing has been cut short.

Besides him Steve leans in and whispers: “You’re hot when you do that.”

Eddie smirks and leans against Steve as he replies: “Aim to please, darlin’,” indulging in Steve’s blush.

God, just a year ago, he couldn’t have imagined that he would be where he is now. He has graduated high school, has an amazing boyfriend and is loud and proud about who he is on all fronts. Though maybe not completely loud on the whole boyfriend thing, but they’re not exactly keeping it totally just friends even in public places.

So, yeah, let it be known that Eddie Munson doesn’t conform. He doesn’t care and will make sure that it’s everyone’s problem in the way he carries himself, in how loud he is. Eddie Munson is a southern homosexual and he won’t be changed.

~~

A/N:

This whole fic just comes from the fact that I think it would be hilarious if metalhead, rocker Eddie Munson sounded like every country singer out there. And like so many of my fics that snowballed :D

((I’m really bad at writing accents, but I tried very hard, so lets just ignore that for now))

Also I’d love to hear y’alls southern!Eddie headcanons, bc I’m not from the south myself (not even from the Americas as continents), so if actual southern people have input that’d be lit!

[khaleesiofalicante]

Not a Baby - An IALS Ficlet

He walked into the apartment building and sat down at the bottom of the staircase, right next to the elevator.

“You okay, kid?” the apartment supervisor, who was now dressed in baby blue pajamas, asked him.

He wasn’t okay.

His body was aching badly. 

This whole being a cop thing was so much harder than he thought, and what Hollywood made it out to be.

In the movies, they only showed all the super cool fight scenes, not about the back pain or migraines or the constant anxiety.

And they sure as fuck didn’t talk about the low pay which meant Max can’t even go for a fucking massage. He doesn’t even get free healthcare – unless it’s for a ‘job-related injury’ and apparently everyday pain that you have to endure to do your job doesn’t count as injury.

So, yeah.

He didn’t tell any of this to the supervisor, of course.

Max smiled and managed a nod instead.

Because he wasn’t really a kid either.

He was not baby.

It’s been a little more than a week since Max and David moved into their apartment in the Bronx. Two days since Max went back to work in his new precinct in the Bronx after all the moving and packing and settling in.

Things had been so magical during the first few days. The idea of living together with your soulmate could be nothing other than magical.

But what surprised him was how fast reality came crashing in. Because yes, now they had a place together. But buying a house was so much easier than maintaining one.

There were bills to pay and food to eat and so money to be earned.

David didn’t really have a paying job. Everything was on Max’s shoulders.

He had to provide for both of them and so he didn’t get to complain about stupid little things like back pain and migraines and anxiety.

Only babies complained. Adults got their shit together.

Max was an adult now.

He was 21. 

So, he wasn’t going to bitch about how much pain he was in to this random supervisor guy.

Or to his new captain who apparently had high hopes for Max.

He wasn’t going to tell his parents who would no doubt say, ‘I told you so’.

 He wasn’t going to tell Rafe who he’d tell him about his own migraines and back pain that were probably bigger and more painful.

And he most certainly wasn’t going to tell David, who would feel guilty.

So, he did what he always did.

He took a deep breath, swallowed down all the problems and pushed them deep inside himself where no one else would see them, got off his ass and went upstairs.

Because real men don’t complain. Because real men endured. Because real men provided for their families.

And Max was a real man.

He wasn’t a baby.

He didn’t need his bapak to give him a head massage or rafe to buy him his expensive protein shakes to stay fit or dad to say some nice words that made him feel better.

Yeah.

He didn’t need all that stuff.

He was an adult now.

Adults handled their problems like adults.

Right? Right.

He shoved the key inside and opened the apartment door and went in. David was probably asleep because it was close to midnight. Since it was Max’s first week at the precinct, he didn’t really get to have a say in his shifts and his patrol schedules.

That was another part of being an adult. Just doing as you’re told.

The new captain wasn’t as easy on him as Uncle Jace. But this was exactly what Max wanted. He wanted to earn his way into being a detective. That meant shutting up and getting the job done. 

Max’s thighs ached as he sat down at the kitchen table and put his face in his hands.

When he was still living with his parents, he wouldn’t have to do anything. Whenever he came home after training or from the precinct, his parents would take care of him.

But they weren’t here right now.

And he wasn’t a baby.

He had to keep telling himself that.

Babies don’t have their own apartments and babies don’t have boyfriends who are dependent on them.

Stop complaining like a little bitch and get yourself together, Max.

Okay. A list.

Eat something. Maybe David left something in the fridge. He hated eating food up. It never tasted the same and lost most of the important vitamins. Besides, he wasn’t sure if he had the patience to be heating shit up right now. He was starving.

Then a quick shower. Did they have hot water yet? He was supposed to install something. Right?

Then bed.

He had to go to sleep as soon as possible if he was to get at least seven hours of sleep.

Which meant he had to get off his ass right now and stop whining inside his head.

What was the first thing again?

Food? Yeah. Food.

The bedroom door opened, and David walked out. He looked sleepy and a little rumpled, as if he was in bed reading. He pushed his hair back with a hand and smiled at Max. “You’re home.”

Max smiled.

Because, good god, what a beautiful boy.

And because – home.

Home.

What a beautiful word.

He had created that word. For David.

Home.

And he wanted to keep it.

So, if that meant putting up with some pain that will probably go away soon and heating up the leftovers from dinner every night and joining David in bed and passing the fuck out until he repeated all of this tomorrow, then so be it.

His smiled dropped a little when he checked the time. “Why the fuck are you still awake?”

“Because you haven’t come home yet,” David said simply as he walked over to Max and pressed a kiss to his cheek. “Shall I serve dinner?”

“Go back to bed, babe,” Max sighed softly. “I’ll heat it up.”

“No need to heat it up,” David said as he walked to the stove rather than the refrigerator. “It’s still hot.”

“Huh?” Max said in confusion.

“I only finished cooking a little while ago,” David explained as he put down two plates at the table. “I know you don’t like to heat food up.”

Max frowned at the plates. “You haven’t had dinner yet?”

David started serving them spaghetti and meatballs. It looked fucking delicious. “I thought we could eat together.”

“David,” Max gasped. “It’s almost midnight.”

David looked confused. “Yes?”

“You can’t just not eat until I come home,” Max said incredulously. “That’s stupid.”

David’s face fell at that.

Ah. Fuck.

“I just meant,” Max said quickly. “You should eat on your own.”

“I don’t want to,” David said quietly. “Max, this is the only meal we get to have together on the weekdays. I really don’t mind. Unless you’d prefer to eat on your own. Then I can-”

“It’s not that,” Max shook his head. “Babe, it’s…You don’t have to is what I’m asking.”

“I understand,” David said in that sometimes irritatingly calming voice of his. “I’m saying that I want to.”

“You want to stay up late and starve yourself?” Max deadpanned.

“I want to have dinner with my boyfriend in my home,” David smiled. “And I want you to tell me about your day. Isn’t that what people do when they live together?”

“Is it?” Max asked.

“Surely it can’t be about decorating the place and playing the bills,” David chuckled. “There has to be more. This is it.”

Oh.

David reached out and squeezed his hand gently. “You bought me a house, mon ange. Now let me turn it into a home.”

Max softened at that. “Okay.”

“Now tell me about your day,” David said as he sat down opposite Max and started to eat. “How is the new captain?”

“He’s fucking weird,” Max replied. “Either he wants to me to be his protegee or wants to sleep with me. I really can’t say which one yet.”

David chuckled at that.

Max told him everything.

About the new friends he made. About how this precinct was actually a little more inclusive than the last one. About how he did miss Uncle Jace. About the cute dog he met during his patrol.

This was nice.

This was really nice.

When Max was done with his meal, and God what a fucking good meal it was, David gathered the plates and started to wash them. “Bath?”

Max wanted to protest that he could wash his own plates. But he was too tired. He nodded. “Probably a cold shower.”

“I got the supervisor to fix the hot water problem,” David said.

“Oh?” Max said in surprise. “Do we have to pay him?”

“I baked him cookies,” David grinned. “He seemed happy enough.”

“I bet,” Max chuckled. “Thank you.”

David just smiled. “I ran a bath for you. It should be ready by now.”

“Oh,” Max said.

Max took longer in the bath than necessary, almost falling asleep there, and let the hot water sooth the tired muscles.

When he got out, his whole body felt warm and relaxed, and he just wanted to sink into the mattress.

He grabbed a pair of boxer shorts and jumped into bed and let out a muffled groan.

Nice.

Nice indeed.

David walked into the room and nudged him up. “Your protein shake.”

Max blinked. “I didn’t buy that.”

“I did,” David said. “Is it the right one? I asked Rafael and-”

“Babe, that is really sweet,” Max whispered. “But we can’t afford to this every night.”

David bit his lip as he hovered next to the bed. “I think I could get a job.”

“No, you don’t,” Max said immediately. “You need to focus on your book.”

“Max, I don’t even know how to write a book,” David sighed. “I just got out of university, and I have no experience.”

“But you have lots of ideas-”

“An idea is not a book,” David shook his head. “I’m sure I will figure it out. One day. But right now, we have more immediate priorities.”

Max hated this. So much.

“There is a job opening at the publishing company,” David told him carefully.

“Babe, you literally hate that place,” Max argued. “You said you couldn’t wait to get out of there.”

“But wouldn’t working there be better than going back to the bakery or working in a coffee shop?” David asked him. “I might learn something useful.”

Max grumbled as he chugged on the protein shake.

“And Jackson works there!” David said quickly. “I’ll be fine. And we should be able to manage the expenses.”

“David-”

“You shouldn’t be the only one working,” David shook his head. “And I’ve already applied so this is not up for discussion.”

Max frowned. “Without asking me?”

“I knew what you’d say,” David shrugged.

“And what’s that?” Max demanded.

“Something about how real men don’t treat their babygirls like this,” David rolled his eyes.

Max giggled at that. “Real men don’t.”

“Well, I don’t want a real man,” David told him. “I want a man who is safe and happy and healthy.”

Max hummed at that as he put away the empty protein shake. “Are you sure about this?”

“I don’t know,” David said. “But I’m not really supposed to be sure about anything at this age. So, it’s fine.”

“Okay,” Max whispered. “I love you.”

“I love you too,” David whispered back and climbed into bed and turned off the lights. “Come here.”

He felt his boyfriend’s hands on his back, climbing up gently and carefully. Max sighed tiredly. “Babe. I can’t tonight. Sorry.”

David dropped a kiss to the base of his neck. “Just relax.”

He felt the boy’s long fingers dig into his muscles and jesus fucking christ, it felt so fucking good.

“Where did you learn that?” Max moaned softly as David finished the massage and rubbed soft circles on the dip of his spine.

“On YouTube,” David hummed. “Does it help?”

Max managed to turn around. He stared at his boyfriend. “You don’t have to do all of this.”

“Says who?” David asked.

“I’m not a baby,” Max said.

David smiled. “Says who?”

“I know they probably told you I need a lot of taking care of and all that,” Max mumbled. “But you don’t have to do all of this. You don’t have to take over for my family.”

“I’m not taking over for your family. I am your family now,” David whispered. “And there is nothing I love more than to take care of you.”

Max bit his lip. “Really?”

“Let me do it,” David whispered to him. “It makes me really happy I can do this for you.”

Max yawned and huddled closer to his boyfriend. “Well, if it makes you happy.”

David chuckled and cuddled him softly. “It does.”

Alright then.

Max supposed he could be a baby for a little bit longer.

[observers-journal]

Do you think that the whole controversy with Tenoch has caused ER to either be more popular among social media and the public or just less as if people are turning away from her? Especially since the 'so-called' evidence that she posted was used against her to call her out on her lies as well as her crimes and history. Also, I wonder if politicians who have tried to be associated with her, such as that one deputy who schemed with her to try to pass the stealthing law by dragging Tenoch, are avoiding and turning away from her due to probably realizing how toxic and criminal she really is. Because it's amazing how they are all silent instead of supporting her, even with the access to the media power that they have that they could use to promote her such as they did with her case as there is not much news going on except for what she posts on Twitter, even with her acid case. I could be wrong, but it seems to me that no one prominent is really on her side publicly, except her lawyer and followers, which makes her really all alone. She probably does these horrible things as a way to feel good about herself and have some self-importance, which would have been sad, if it wasn't for the fact that she tramples and hurts others with her family to do so. If there is one important thing that I have learned in my two and a half decades of life on Earth that is very true, it's that the bill always comes due, and I feel that her bill for all that she has done might be on its way.

Thank you for the submission, anon! You pose a very interesting theory, which I agree can be true.

I'm gonna be a bit more cautious here about my answer, mostly because everything is so chaotic, nuanced and layered it's hard to tease out a specific reason for this. Whatever I say is purely my opinion, so please take it with a pinch of salt.

She could be the case of "bad publicity is still publicity". If she truly is trying for a political career, this might bring her some exposure. Politics is usually dirty and messy, and any kind of exposure helps. I have a feeling she's not very big on her own, but tries to show herself by using the few contacts she has gained, and the nexus she has from her own family. She cares a lot about her carefully constructed image, coz that's what she has going for her. That public sympathy and an activist image.

On the other hand, an equally valid argument is the one you raise. And that I suspect too: this is gonna come back to bite her. Everyone acts to preserve their self-interests, and so we have seen people distancing themselves from her. The amount of stuff she and her family has going on is a biggg problem for her. It's not like other politicians are not toxic or criminal, they just hide it better.

She definitely created a big ruckus and then nothing came of it. So to some extent, I think her temporary social media popularity is down. Will it continue to be that way? I can't say. Does it reflect the ground reality? I don't know.

I don't want to pass any personal comments on her as a person, and keep myself limited to her case with Tenoch. I feel bad for her acid attack, but what she did to him was nasty. Terrible.

Here's what I suspect. All of our conclusions are based on publicly available info. Behind the scenes? She could have quieted down and shifted her focus elsewhere (other cases that are more important). She might have found solace in the fact that she was able to successfully deliver a blow to Tenoch's career. She might be covering up her criminal traces. She might be working on her network politically. Or she might be quietly planning another attack on Tenoch (I actually doubt that).

But boy do I hope he sues the hell out of her.

Sorry for such a long post! I had thoughts. I hope you keep the world bright through your goodness and optimism! 🫶

[struggling-with-time]

Smitten [Bradley "Rooster" Bradshaw x reader]

Pairing: Bradley "Rooster" Bradshaw x reader Summary: Phone calls in silence, and unsaid words, culminates throughout the years. Warnings/tags: Fluff, fluff, lots of fluff and pining Words: 4.5K Words Masterlist: Rooster Masterlist - Full Masterlist A/N: Big thank you to my friend @hufflepuffprincesse for 1 keeping Rooster alive in this and listening to me doubt every single sentence throughout. Also big love to @wiipes for beta reading everything <;3 REQUESTS OPEN

Bradley always thought you would have gotten tired of him after late-night calls on your family phones, sitting in the hallways racking up phone bills. Getting chastised by your parents for letting the phone bill spiral so far out of control. Yet, it was never more than a few hard words. How could your dad truly be mad at you for keeping in contact with your friend? When your dad was the one who demanded a divorce and to move to the east coast? How could Carol tell Bradley to get off the phone? When she was the one who told him to call you in the first place?

No, what drove your parents mad over the phone bill was how you seemed to spend all the time in each other's silence. Calling late at night, only for you to be sleeping on the kitchen floor come morning. Only for Bradley to mirror you at the end of his hallway.  

Everything kept making you both fall, even the snoring. You have heard nothing so sweet from anyone before. Quiet laughter only shared with yourself, when he would wake himself on the phone. Being unable to tell him you were still awake, listening to his breath, as he listens to yours. 

How you were both scared. You were only teenagers. Love was such a big word for him. Love was such an insignificant word for you.

Love meant an eternity, love meant to change, love meant puppy love that will last forever, at least until next week. 

It was a word that clung so heavily in the air that whenever the phone lines would connect you two; you seemed unable to say anything to each other. He wanted to tell you to come back, to stay nearby, but he knew he never could. It was all out of your control. You wanted to tell him to come to visit, to come to meet your new friends, see your new school. But you could never ask that from him, not after Carol's diagnosis. Not when he had told you she potentially wouldn't recover, and now they were just trying all they could to keep her around. 

Love was in the air, yet it was never a word that was in your mouth. Few words ever were. You still remember when Prom came about your old school when Bradley had called you. After all these years. After all this silence, the unspoken so close by, you felt as though you were choking when he simply said.

"Hi."

"Hey."

"It has been a while."

"It has"

You could barely stop laughing when you heard Maverick's voice on his end, egging him on to ask you something. 

"Uh, how are you?"

"Good, I'm good." 

The words had felt foreign to your lips. You weren't good, because Bradley was so far away. You could feel him trembling through the phone. It really wasn't the right time. It never really was to speak to each other. Silence had always been your comfort in the friendship. His presence. 

Letting you listen in to each of his movements, how Maverick was clearly whisper yelling in the background, about what, you couldn't really be sure, though the words, 'something more personal' stood out before he broke the silence once more. 

"...uh, so um... At what age did you get your first period?"

You blink, he cannot see it. You blink again. A moment passes, and then you can hear Maverick's voice through the phone, though your laughter drowns out any words you can make out. Bradley is clearly trying to sputter out excuses and reasonings for his choice of words. All intelligible to you, all more fuel to the fire of your laughter. 

"I'm sorry!" He squawks out, his voice cracking, and you can't help but laugh even more. Though his voice has gotten deeper over the years, he's still a teenage boy, and he's still Bradley. Awkward and the boy you wish to confess your love to. 

As much as you wish to stay talking, your dad cuts the interaction short when he tells you that you have to leave soon. 

"We'll talk later, Bradley. I have to go now."

"Yes, of course, um, I just, this wasn't what I wanted to, I swear, I just, listen."

"It's okay, you can just tell me later, but I have to go."

"No no, just it'll take a minute." You can hear him take a deep breath to try once more, however, your dad returns and throws your jacket in your face. Mouthing a quick 'We're leaving NOW' 

"I'm sorry. I really have to go. I'll call later, I promise! Bye Bradley!" I love you is left in the air as you hang up and rush on your jacket, before running after your father. 

On the other end of the country Bradley is leaning against the wall, he has failed for the 4th day in a row to ask you to prom. He knows how expensive it would be to get you back here, but with the help of odd jobs, and Uncle Mav pooling in a bit of money, it would all be nearly enough. 

He thought he could do it if Mav was there to back him up, but help him ask. But even then, the words get stuck in his throat, and the silence takes over. He just wants to be near your presence, he wants to be near you. 

You receive his prom photo in the mail, and you call him immediately, gushing over how adorable he looks. As all words once again clog up his throat. And he's left mindlessly agreeing with you. Unable to tell you how much he wished you were there with him. How he wished he could have taken you to prom. 

You never mention prom to him, at least not till you're older. 

You’re both stuck broke in different colleges, once again in different ends of the country. He's at UVA, all while you're all the way over at Caltech in California. You're proud of him for pursuing the Navy. He was so excited to tell you how he had gotten in, at a University near you. That it took you weeks before you could break his heart. You were going to Caltech, to pursue Mathematics and Statics. Even as you expected sadness, he was supportive and cheered you on. Ensuring if you ever needed a warm homemade meal, his parents and Mav would happily provide one.

Carol had beaten cancer, and you still remember the tight hug she gave you that summer when you had gone to see them. Bradley was very loved by the people who raised him, his mom, his dad, and his Uncle Mav. 

"Why do we always end on the other side of the country from each other?" Bradley says, the phone feeling heavy in his hand. Now the phone bill is all his own to pay, all his own to rake up and pay off. 

"Because life seems to work funny ways." He laughs at it.

"I um... I keep thinking about this thing lately, remember last spring? When we were talking and I asked you about your um..." Bradley trails off, and you laugh, not at him, but at the memory.

"Yeah, Yeah I do Bradshaw, you asked me about my first period." You stifle a laugh as he groans. 

"Yeah that... I uh, I tried to ask you to prom when we were younger."

A too familiar feeling clings to your lungs, making it all far too hard to breathe, the pressure rising as the words leave his mouth and enter your ear through the phone. All the way on the east coast, and he still finds a way to make you feel so hopeless. 

"You- You did?" You choke out, the words are heavy, and you can barely breathe. 

"Mmm, I uh, I had saved up money to fly you over but I, I never got to, I tried, I did, but I just, you're just so, and I just, I didn't know how to..." He trails off. Breathes in, you breathe, he breathes, silence falls upon the call. In the same way, it always does, you can feel his presence even an entire country away. 

Bradley wants to tell you those three words. He wants to blurt them out, every single time he hears your voice. He wants to yell it through the phone. Yet for all his years in University, he can't even utter them to you even once. 

Instead, just happy to actually smile at him when he goes home to visit. Even bringing your dad in tow with him to celebrate the holidays all together as a big family. Newly graduated, newly enlisted, and newly attained adulthoods are floating in the air. All shared over Christmas dinner. 

You find yourself more interested in merely listening to Bradley and his voice, than the stories he has already told you over the phone. A passing girlfriend he tells about, one that stuck around for a few months, and then they broke it off. Though Bradley never told you why, other than they didn't fit together. He could never tell her those three simple words. He could never admit to loving her. Not when he couldn't admit it to you. 

How could he ever declare that to anyone else, when you're sitting on his childhood home porch, leaning up against him? Giggling from the wine during dinner. Your parents are all enjoying catching up together inside, alongside Bradley's uncles. Both your families are small, but you love them to the heavens. 

"I'm telling you Bradshaw, your ''uncle'' Ice," you empathise the word uncle with air quotes, yet never leaving the arm Bradley casually holds around you. "I'm telling you, he's in love with Mav. They should honestly just kiss."

Bradley laughs at it. They all know it. Everyone who sees those two together knows it, yet it seems the idiots in love both can't seem to realise it. 

"Yeah, I know." Bradley gently traces the line on your tattoo. "Have you told your dad about the butterfly yet?"

You look up at him, and as he's looking down at you, your breath hitches. Despite practically lying on the floor, you feel out of breath. His eyes are so warm. You want to tell him those stupid words right there, tell him how beautiful he looks to you. How you want him to love you, how much you want to love him. Yet, nothing can leave your lips. Nothing that can answer his question, only words that will send him spiralling.

"I met a guy." 

Then the moment breaks, and he pulls his eyes away. To let them look at the stars, as though the vastness of the universe can distract him from the way his heart is beating in his chest. 

"Have you told... him?" 

"What?"

"Your dad."

"No, it's too early."

He breathes out, you can feel his body tensing up.

"About the tattoo."

You glance down at the way your tattoo is proudly presented to the world, as though it's not because Bradley once mailed you an entire package just to show you pictures of the pretty butterfly that had landed in his dorm room. The motive, the simple line of art, the simple meaning. A confession you can't seem to admit to anyone but yourself. 

"Yeah, he likes it. I um, I actually showed your mom before I called you."

Despite the way his laugh rings into the night, you can still feel how tense he is. 

"You did?"

"I wanted to make sure you wouldn't be making fun of me for getting a butterfly tattoo. She called me dumb."

"Of course she did. It seems to be the best word to describe us in her dictionary."

You hum, still unable to tear your eyes away from him, unable to move. Unable to change as the world around you rotates, unable to move on.

Bradley got the call that your relationship didn't work out with the guy while he was overseas. He had spent all the minutes he had gotten to call family and friends listening to you. He spent them all in silence listening to you. He whispered those dangerous words to you when he hang up. 

How those lovely words have turned dangerous in his pursuit to be like his dad and uncles. In his pursuit to be like those he loves, and who love him. Bradley wants more than ever to tell you how much he loves you and is more than ever unable to say a single word. How could he ask that of you? How could he make you love someone who might be gone tomorrow?

If only he could see how you've settled down nearby his mom, how you've gone back to your hometown, the place you spent most of your childhood years. How you visit his family more than you see your own dad. 

You're there every single time he returns from deployment, hugging him, holding him, embracing him. Hoping and praying that the closeness will never reveal how your heart nearly leaves your chest every time he's nearby. The way he renders you speechless even after all these years. The way you shudder every time you brush off his mom's words. 

"It's good to see you still love that doofus, even after all these years."

"Carol, you can't call him a doofus. He's a Topgun pilot now!" You chastise her, dodging the real meaning of the sentence, the real words, the ones you cannot utter. For how could you ever make Bradley love you when you cannot admit to anyone that you love him? 

"And so is his dad. And Mav and Ice, yet have you ever seen any of them with more than half a brain?" Her laughter is ever so contagious, making you laugh alongside her. As though your chest isn't heavy with the burden of her words, with the burden of your choices. With the love you hold for a man, you cannot love. 

Life moves on, life moves forward, and Bradley has become Rooster to many now. Lt. Bradshaw to even more, yet you remain stagnant, a dead-end job in a company that praises you for your brains and computer techniques. Dinner with yourself. With his parents. With his uncles. With him. With Bradley.

Phone calls that no longer rake up your phone bill, a phone plan that practically covers the whole world and costs you half each month. But it's worth it when you get to hear his voice when you get to be near him, even when he's so far away from you. Even when it's all so real, so chest-achingly real. 

Then he comes home, on leave for a couple of months, and instead of staying with his parents. He ends up on your couch. Never once does the smile leave his face when you're nearby him. Even as his complaints about the neck pain seem to be endless. He never once mentions anything about staying anywhere else. He lives with you. 

Even as the invitation for his uncle's wedding lands in your postbox, it's addressed to both of you, and Mr. and Miss. Bradshaw. He groans at the invitation, thinking your bashfulness is over the embarrassment, and not because you're flustered. He can easily picture how Mav laughed when writing this specific invitation. Bradley still goes red at the mention of the invitation. He has never told you how much he loves you, and now he can't stop thinking about how much he wants to give you his last name. 

The wedding is beautiful, and as much as Bradley tells you, he isn't crying. You can see how wet his eyes are as he stands as one of the best men at his uncle's wedding. Your eyes cannot leave his figure. You sit right by his mom, part of his family. Part of him. You're a part of Bradley. Everyone can see it, and everyone is there to witness it. For neither does the love in your eyes leave him. 

You sit by him at the table, squeezing his hand right before his speech. Words you've helped him practice, words that come naturally to him. Yet, when you're around, encouraging him, supporting him, being present. It's so hard to admit that he loves someone out loud. For you deserve to hear those words, you deserve to be on the receiving end of someone who can love you. Someone who can give you the world, and not just wordless phone calls and nervousness. 

The room is quiet when it's his turn to speak. He stands up and looks down at you. You smile at him; he smiles back, his face screaming adoration. You're happy. He's happy for his uncles. 

"My best friend once told me, albeit a bit drunk, that "Your uncles are in love, and should just kiss." which they did that Christmas." The room laughs, "and today we're gathered to celebrate them." His speech goes on, it's perfect it's beautiful. It has childhood memories in it. You never look away from him once, even when he looks at you for support. You're right there smiling at him. 

Dinner is over, dessert has been served, the cake has been cut, and most have migrated to the dancefloor to enjoy the last of the wedding party. You sit with Bradley, leaning against him, your eyes half-lidded. Merely soaking up his presence, he is really here, right beside you. You’re savouring every moment with him, the clock already ticking down until his next assignment. Two weeks is all you have until he leaves once more. Only two weeks left of cooking together, laughing together, being together. Until he once against has to travel the world, and you stay behind. 

You can feel Bradley jump a bit in his seat, you nearly pull away, but instead stay when his arm comes around you. 

His voice is hushed, one you’ve heard a thousand times before in the dark of the night. 

“Mav! Be quiet.”

“Ah, sleeping, got it.” You nearly crack a smile at that, yet you remain close-eyed and keep your breathing relaxed. You’re interested in this conversation now.

“Why are you holding flowers?” You can picture the look on Bradley’s face, the tight-lipped, head faced straight on, and his eyebrows slightly furrowed, his look of confusion, one he has carried ever since you got to know him.

“Ice didn’t want a bouquet. I didn’t want a bouquet…” Maverick trails off.

“Doesn’t answer my question?” 

“Listen, kid, just because we didn’t want a bouquet. That doesn’t mean we weren’t in agreement on who should have it. So use the bouquet, book a fancy dinner place. Ice can give you a list he has already thoughts of a lot of places-” Maverick stops himself, and you’ve lost your fight with your smile. You’re smiling wide, turning your head to burrow it into Bradley’s shoulder. “It seems someone is awake. I will find my husband. Heh, husband, I like that. See you later kiddos! Don’t have too much fun now!” 

You’re fully laughing against Bradley’s shoulder. You can feel the heat on his face. He awkwardly coughs when you look at him, his tanned cheeks lightly tainted red. His eyes dart around the room, as though they aren’t all looking your way now. His gaze finally lands on your eyes, full of life, laughter, and the adoration you hold for him. Full of love. Your eyes are full of love, and for once, he can admit to himself that you might love him as much as he loves you. 

“Will, uh, will you go out to dinner with me?”

“I would love to.”

He removes his arm, as you lean away from him, and he picks up the bouquet. He grips it a bit too tight, and you can hear a stem snap, your smile is reaching your eyes as he awkwardly hands it to you. The bottom of the stem still hanging onto his hand. 

“I love it, Bradley, you have great taste in flowers.”

Your laugh finally finds its way not only into his heart but his mouth as well as he joins you. The situation is absurd and everything you’ve ever wanted. If only you could already tell him how much you love him.

But the world is cruel and unfair. Promising you two weeks to enjoy each other. Instead, he’s called away much earlier. Only 3 days after the wedding, Bradley is shipped off once more. Maverick offered to pull strings for you two to finally get the date you’ve both been waiting for. Yet, you declined, knowing how much Bradley’s job means to him. 

Leaving him with a kiss on the cheek, and you with a promise that he’ll do his best to be back soon. 

How the world is cruel. 

His letters take weeks to arrive, and it seems yours takes even longer. His letters are filled with apologies for circumstances so far out of his reach. You can’t help but call him stupid when you write back. 

Robbed of the way you can feel his presence in a phone call, you read his letters until you have them memorised, and citeable in both directions. 

Spring has passed since the wedding. Summer passes with your dad visiting, talking about coming back to the west coast, talking about settling down in your childhood town alongside you. You visit his parents, as you always have, for family dinners, for birthdays, for Wednesday nights. Goose, his dad, tells you stories about his time as a pilot. Stories you’ve heard many times before, both from him and from Bradley. Stories that bring you comfort, and as such, you ask him to tell you once more.

Fall hits you in the face like a brick wall, bringing cold storms and dead silence. Your updates on his well-being come from his uncle Ice, the high-up Admiral. Deep conversations with his mom seem to plague the cold weather.

“Does it ever get easier?”

“No, but it makes the time you have with him all the more wonderful.”

She hugs you, embraces you, and holds you. She comforts you with the words Bradley has never been able to speak.

“Why did we have to wait for so long?” You whisper to her, one afternoon. 

“That’s not a question you should ask me, but since you are, you were both scared. Bradley has always been terrified of getting into the same accident that nearly took Goose from us. Even as much as Bradley has worked to become exactly like the men in his life.” 

Your next letter is simple. It’s everything you’ve ever wanted to tell him. 

It’s three words. 

I love you. 

Winter brings upon blankets, and hot chocolate, nights filled with deep regrets, and tons of returned letters. You haven’t heard a word from him since Summer and haven’t been able to send him anything since fall. The new year has come and gone. You’ve helped your dad move into his new house. You’ve picked up the hobby of knitting before promptly abandoning it after realising how much time it takes. 

You can feel your grip on reality seem to slip, as days muddle together, and leaving your bed becomes the hardest part of your day. Until you haven’t gotten up in three days. Your dad comes to get you to go outside, yet all he manages to do is feed you a little before leaving. You don’t react when your boss calls in the last warning. Now, you’re jobless, empty and it’s only February. Why does the world despise you so much?

Why did you have to wait for half your lifetime? When you finally find yourself being happy and content, the world rips it all away from you. You long for his warm eyes, his gently touch, the way he says your name. You miss his presence, whether beside you or on a phone call. 

Carol is the one to fish you out of your depression pit on a day in spring. She takes you out on a walk in a far too bright world. One that leaves your stomach churning and your heart aching. Then she sits with you, simply sits with you. She stays around you, recognising what has been dragging you down. Acknowledging that it’s okay, that it’s all going to be okay. Her voice never leaves calm or reassuring. Even when you’re practically hysteric at one point. 

The world mocks you, as it makes spring particularly warm, laughing at you as you miss his presence. 

And spring drags on, and on and on. The months drag on, the days barely crawl by, and the minutes feel stagnant. Until you get a new job offer, and you drown yourself in work. Anything you can do to not think about the man potentially halfway across the world. Only finding solace because the Navy hasn’t visited anyone. 

Then, after gruelling months, new coworkers, and a year that has been the worst in your entire life. Summer arrives, and you’re clinging onto Goose’s arm. You’re clinging to his dad’s arm. The one who’s soon to be pushing 58. The hangar is warm, but the heat is unbearable, and it’s all too terrible. You’ve waited for over a year, and yet, waiting for any more minutes feels as though you’re trapped in a personal hell. Then the copter finally lands, and you’re rushing straight for his arms. 

He catches you, and you fall against him, your legs unable to hold you up any longer. The tears already spilling from your eyes. But he’s here. He’s really here, and he’s speaking to you. 

“I love you, god I love you, I love you so much.” He loves you.

You look up at him, as his love for you is spilling over his lips.

“Can I kiss you?”

He stops and halts. His answer comes in the way his lips connect to yours. 

Bradley Bradshaw loves you. He will scream it to the world if he has to. He will tell you until your ears fall off. For now, he finally gets to. He finally gets to tell you those three words. Those embarrassing three words. Meaningless. Scary. Dangerous. Adoration-filled words.

“I love you.”

The warmth is sprouting in your heart, filling your heart and bubbling over. All else feels meaningless and ridiculous. All that matters is Bradley. Right here in his arms, all words seem to form the same sentence, your heartache replaced with love, as it all blossoms right through you. Letting the words spill from your lips in an attempt to make up for all the years that have passed.

“I love you. I love you. I love you, god I love you.”

Masterlist: Rooster Masterlist - Full Masterlist

A/N: This one is inspired by Smitten by Leanna Firestone and also this post by @warning-changes-fandoms. Reblogs are very much appreciated Tag: Sent an ask to be added

[queen-shiba]

Sweet and Somber Feelings

Author's note: I read @leonistic 's recent fic of Leona, and it inspired this shit that I've been procrastinating on due to writer's block.

Yet again, it was one of those days...

Leona never understood why, but sometimes there would just be days where he felt... off..

Though, it wasn't like he didn't always feel that way... It was just more bearable most days..

He'd be alone in his room where all his thoughts and memories could overwhelm him. He had no defense or leverage from any of it...

You'll never be king..

You're a curse to your people...

Why do you bother to continue living when you're worthless?

He couldn't stop these thoughts.

He didn't know why he kept trying... Why did he continue this? There was no good reason, he felt.

At this point, he was just a waste of space. A lump of nothing breathing in someone else's air.

He'd never get what he wanted, so why bother?

No one would ever love him... No one would miss him if he was gone, anyway.

Or... maybe one person would...

The door was pushed open, revealing the prefect in all her glory.

Newly retwisted locs, same old hoodie, and a nice pair of jeans ripped at the knee.

Seems like she'd gotten new shoes, too.

She carried a bag with her, full of what smelled like snacks. There was the strong scent of Ubuyu in a separate bag in her left hand.

Her gaze met his, though she did not smile, he could tell she was worried for him, and happy to see he was still alive.

Reign was never good with facial expressions, but he learned how to read the subtle body language.

"Hey." She greeted him, finally offering a sweet smile on instinct, closing the door behind her, "Feelin' alright?"

"... Not really.." He could be honest with her...

She wasn't gonna ridicule or make fun of him for having emotions. She always had this... odd logic..

Why bother making fun of someone? What does that get you?

Leona could never tell why she would think like that.

Truly, the way her mind worked was... fascinating.

He once asked if everyone back in her world thought like this, but she only laughed and shook her head.

Leona couldn't help but wonder what her life was like and what she'd been taught... To think this way..

After he had overblotted, she came to him just to tell him he wasn't alone...

If she endured similar things that he did... Then how did she think this way?

He didn't understand.

"I brought snacks! And I did my best to make Ubuyu since I know you like it." Reign settled down on the bed, opening up the bags, "You can pick whatever you'd like. We can talk whenever you're ready. Or if you want to.."

Leona nodded a little, leaning against her, seeking her warmth as the sun set outside.

Reign always did say she favored sunsets...

Hell, she'd even written an ode to them.

One day, he'd take her to see a sunset in the Afterglow. Maybe she'd like that one just as much, if not more.

"Reign.."

"Hm?" She turned her gaze to him, arms wrapping around him, keeping him close.

She smelled of coco butter and fresh laundry. Hair products, too.. all natural.

"How do you think the way that you do...?" He asked, "When you look at the rest of the world..?"

Reign tilted her head a little before finally understanding what he meant.

"I think about how I wanna be treated." She mused, "I remember my own hardships, and I see all these problems. I have plenty of moments where I hate the world, but otherwise, I think life is whatever I chose to make it."

Leona perked his ears a little at her words, "And what would you make it?"

"Hm... I'd make it one I can just enjoy. If I can't do something, I'll find something new that will make me happy. And..." With one finger, she tapped his nose gently, "I don't focus on everyone else's thoughts on me. They won't pay my bills or keep me alive."

Leona huffed a little at the words obviously directed at him.

But... It made sense what she was saying...

"I see..." He buried his face in her neck, inhaling her scent.

It brought him comfort to know she was there for him...

"Don't ever leave me, okay..?" He mumbled into her skin.

"Don't worry, I won't. You've got me for as long as you'll have me, Mpenzi Wangu."

There it was... that nickname..

"My love" in his native language.

Apparently, she'd been trying to learn it for quite some time.

Things in her world were similar to this.. He was always intrigued by her stories.

He didn't know where he'd be if she wasn't there to knock sense into him...

"Nakupenda..."

Reign smiled at his sweet words, and her fingers gently pet and fondled his ears in a way he adored, "Nakupenda pia."

What an oddball...

He loved her nonetheless...

The End!

[joanie-writes]

Ohhhh boy! Saw that requests are open and came rushing. I'm a huge RDR2 fan and I've read so much Arthur fic but I can't get enough lol.

There's this fic I've been wanting to write but can't seem around to get to and I thought maybe I'll share my idea, of you would like to write it.

So young Arthur and reader have to pretend to be a couple in a lavish party as part of a scheme with Dutch and Hosea. Throughout the years they had been great friends and enjoyed each other's company, but there had always been some underlying tension.

While sneaking around the mansion looking for documents they almost get caught but end up kissing and getting handy as a way to fool the guard as to why they were there lurking around.

After that barrier was breached they can't seem to look at each other in the same way. Neither want to lose their friendship but this new development makes it hard for them to keep their hands to themselves.

Thanks for the request, I hope this lives up to your ideas <3

Grand Gesture

Well that certainly wasn't supposed to be apart of the job.

Young!Arthur x GN!Reader

Warnings/AN: NSFW, unsafe sex - Arthur and Reader are both in their early twenties

Word Count: 3.3k

I caught him staring at me again. It made my heart jump into my throat like usual. 

I'm not exactly sure what changed over night, but one day Arthur went from being my closest friend to somebody that made my skin feel hot whenever I was close to him, somebody that distracted me from my chores, someone who I imagined a future with before I shut my eyes for the night. I'd never really had a crush before, I only seen the rare stranger that made me turn my head every once and a while, but recently I had only turned to Arthur. 

"Hey," I heard a voice after a quick pat on my shoulder, which brought my mind back down from space, "Dutch and Hosea want to talk about some lead when we're done here." Arthur sat at the table, joining me for an exhilarating dinner of stew. 

I nodded, taking a hopefully nonchalant deep breath before I spoke, "How was hunting?" I had to physically stop myself from cringing. I loathed the awkward small talk of late, it was like our friendship had fizzled into almost nothing. I prayed that he hadn't somehow found out about my feelings towards him, I've only written about it in my journal; not daring to tell anyone.

"Went fine, two bucks and a few rabbits." Arthur said, and I responded with a simple hum. Then the familiar awkward silence settled down, joining us for the rest of dinner. With our bowls joined in the steadily growing pile, Arthur and I took to Dutch's tent to learn about whatever goose chase he was setting us on now. 

Hosea and Dutch both looked up at us as we entered, Hosea smiling and saying proudly, "Ah, my star students." The both of us smiled, looking over to Dutch as he responded, "I believe they're our star students, Hosea, I taught them just as much as you did." 

Hosea batted his hand at Dutch, "Anyways, here's the idea. I scored an few invitations to this big party in a ritzy part of town for tomorrow night." I glanced over at Arthur, more than happy to see him in some sort of proper attire. 

Arthur's brows knitted with confusion, waiting for Hosea to continue, "The four of us will go in pairs, the goal is to mingle and try to pick up some new lead, because whatever is going on in Bradford is well hidden, you two can go together. But we have to act proper and blend in, nobody can know we're degenerates, got it?" 

-

The fabric was itchy and the sleeves were sort of tight, but I don't think I ever looked that put together. Dare I say, styled to perfection. Dutch and Hosea really went all out for this party, somehow they even managed to get their slippery hands on not one, but two stagecoaches that John and Bill would drive us all seperately to town in. A wolf whistle brought my attention upwards to John in the drivers seat, causing me to laugh and give a small spin. "You clean up good!" He let out his raspy laugh.

"You do." I turned to the sound of Arthur's voice, God I hope he couldn't see my heart about to burst at my chest. Arthur looked, so handsome. His hair styled with extra care, a suit that complemented his figure perfectly, and the usual swag that carries him to tie it all together.

I stood up straighter, clasping my hands together, "So do you." I smiled shyly, giving him a subtle glance up and down. 

Dutch pushed his head out of the carriage window, his baritone voice barking out an order, "C'mon you two, quit ogling get a move on!" I want to say that I saw a blush form on Arthur's face, but I couldn't be sure due to him quickly ushering me into the coach. With a snap of the reigns we were off towards the bustling town of Bradford. 

Arthur looked around the carriage, grinning once he found a bottle of champagne under the seat. "We can't show up seeing double, Arthur, Dutch and Hosea will be pissed." I chuckled, shaking my head as he popped the cork anyway. 

"Just a few sips to calm the nerves, you know how I get around fancy folk. Besides, where'd all your fun go?" Arthur teased, taking a drink from the dark green bottle. My eyes shifted to his adam's apple bobbing up and down as he drank, pulling it together when he handed me the bottle. He cheered as I lifted the bottle to my lips, taking a swig of the bubbly liquid. 

We passed it back and forth, deciding to leave some for later, to celebrate our findings or help drown out the sound of Dutch's disappointment lecture. 

Arthur got out first, giving me a polite hand out of the stagecoach. My gaze was brought upwards to the grand manor before us. Fancy lanterns lit the way towards the door, the door surrounded by gaudy statues, two fountains, along with plenty of butlers and a few armed guards to boot. It was surely that fanciest place I had been before. Marble floors greeted us inside, royal paintings that took up half a wall, dazzling chandeliers too. Arthur and I couldn't help but look around sort of star struck for a moment, our inner street kids amazed that we were set foot in what could be a castle. 

I made eye contact with Hosea, returning his sly nod, a wordless push to get to work. Arthur tapped my hand, motioning over to a group of snooty young men that he was going to integrate into, "They look like daddy's money boys, I'll go see what I can find out." He spoke close to my ear, both to convey his message over the string quartet playing and keep his plans private. But I only noticed how is breath on my skin sent goosebumps all over me. 

Almost frantically, I looked around the noisy ballroom, trying to find somebody of importance to strike up a conversation with. An older gentleman caught my eye, mainly it was the gold ring adorning his pinky and confident look about him. I grabbed a glass of champagne and went in for the kill. 

Mr. Perry as I learned, was an easy safe to crack, I quickly learned he was a very close friends with the host of the gala. I made sure to keep Mr. Perry's glass topped up, laughing at his dry humour and leaning in a little closer for his enjoyment. It wasn't long before he began mouthing off about some business he had with the host and a few other men here, ranting on their unwillingness to compromise and all of the money he was apparently wasting. His rant became a bragging fest in no time though, and as he talked of his fortune and how easily he had gotten it my attention drifted off. But in the midst of his boasting, his hand fell causally upon my waist.

My eyes widened slightly, and in the awkwardness again, I found myself looking around the room ultimately catching Arthur shooting daggers at the man with his hold on me. My cheeks grew hot. I apologized to Mr. Perry, not bothering with an explanation as I slipped out of his hold and made my way towards Arthur. 

"Who was that fool?" Arthur grumbled when I met him, I furrowed my brow, confused but flattered by his seemingly jealous reaction. 

"That was Mr. Perry, he's close with the host, I only let him touch me to try and get details." I informed him, wondering why I had just justified perfectly reasonable actions to my friend. 

Arthur flicked another mean stare towards Mr. Perry before turning back to me, "Hm, anyway, I got word of a safe upstairs, supposed to be holding some things of value." Arthur whispered the last part of his sentence. I nodded, wordlessly looking for a way to hunt down this safe. I patted Dutch on the back as I passed him, silently signalling him to keep watch for Arthur and I. 

With Arthur on my tail, we slipped into the other room, locating the servant staircase for a much more secluded way up. What we were met with was a labyrinth of sorts. "Let's split up, try not to run into anybody, give a whistle when you find something." Arthur said, both of us sharing a nod before separating in search of this prized safe. 

Rooms filled with riches proved fruitless somehow on my search, though I did manage to snag a fancy new pocket watch. While I was searching though yet another cabinet, I heard a soft whistle from the hall. 

I walked down the hall, listening to the muffled voices and music downstairs. As I walked into the room, Arthur was just pulling open the safe handle, "You're getting good at that." I complimented, smiling and taking a few papers from inside to snoop on. Arthur chuckled, slipping a few bill stacks into his coat pocket. I leaned up against the front of the big mahogany desk, skimming the words on the pages in search of anything important. 

The sound of the door knob turning caused us to look up at each other in dread. In a matter of seconds, Arthur shut the safe, rushed over to me, took my face in his hands and kissed me so passionately it made me feel almost drunk. He even pressed himself up against me to conceal the papers. I could taste the floral of the champagne, which mingled perfectly with the intoxicating smell of the cologne he had applied. Though it was only a moment, it was hot and needy, his teeth nearly clashing with mine but at the same time it was so tender, the edge softened by his plump lips.

My eyes shut the moment he pressed his lips to mine, only opening when I heard the heavy wooden door creak open, which caused Arthur to pulled away. "O-oh my," The butler gasped and his face turned a bright crimson colour, he cleared his throat before speaking, "I'm afraid guests are not supposed to be upstairs." 

"Sorry pal, we didn't realize, uh we'll get going." Arthur laughed softly, looking down and pretending to fiddle with the buttons on his pants to allow me to hide the papers on my person. I was too shocked to speak, to even look at Arthur really. The breath left my lungs yet again at the feeling of his hand on my lower back, guiding us out of the door being held open by the butler. Shamefully, we were chaperoned by that same butler down the grandeur staircase, catching the attention of Dutch and Hosea immediately. The embarrassment crept up my neck, making the room feel much too hot which only worsened when Arthur took my hand in his, I suspected to keep our little act going.

Following the two older men, we went outside, awaiting John and Bill in impatient silence. Hopefully John hadn't emptied the champagne, we'd need it to drown out the uncomfortableness. 

-

It had been a few weeks since my, interaction, with Arthur. And if I thought our relationship was off before, things got a lot worse. I couldn't bare to look at him, let alone be near him. He hadn't made much an effort to speak to me either, choosing to eat alone and always going out with John. 

I was in the outskirt of camp scrubbing some laundry in the stream when I heard footsteps from behind me. "Hey." I said to Arthur, standing up and dusting myself off, he seemed like he wanted to say something, I'd never seen him look so nervous before. 

"I just uh, wanted to apologize for what I did at the party I-" 

A boost of confidence suddenly bursted through me, the adrenaline pumped as I moved closer to him and cut him off with a kiss. Some kind of switch flipped in him, the nerves were gone and in no time he took control. Arthur carefully walked me backwards, unable to pry our lips apart and letting a tree catch my back. His hands were on my face like the first time, I couldn't taste champagne but the twinge of tobacco and mint wasn't terrible at all. I moaned into the kiss, my mouth left ajar as Arthur kissed down my neck, surely leaving marks on his way. 

Arthur mumbled against my skin, "You have no idea how long I've wanted to do this." I smiled, keeping him close with my hands around his neck. 

"Trust me, I know the feeling." I said, making him laugh while he returned to my lips, taking the chance to deepen the kiss. My fingers tangled into the honey blonde locks, focusing on the feeling of his hands sliding down my body, squeezing and appreciating me. 

"I need you, Arthur." I pulled away to whisper to him, smirking when I noticed the bumps appear on his skin, much like he had done to me at the party. Arthur raised his brows, his thumb absentmindedly stroking my hip. 

He cleared his throat, "W-where do you want to go?" I only smiled in response, abandoning the pile of laundry as I pulled him by the hand farther out from camp.

We both looked around, making sure nobody from camp was out this far. After a quick spin to look for anything to sit on, Arthur pulled off his coat and laid it out in front of a tree. He sat himself down and beckoned me to him, the blush on his face making both of us chuckle. The passion from before was quick to return with me now straddling his lap. 

Breathless, Arthur pulled away and looked to me, "Can I take this off?" He motioned to my shirt, looking more than pleased when I nodded. I helped him pull the fabric off my arms, a gasp leaving me as he kissed down my chest, taking my nipple into his mouth. My back arched with the feeling, my hands gripping the material of his shirt. Arthur moved back up to my neck, kissing the shell of my ear while I unbuttoned his shirt like he had done mine. 

I ran my fingers over the growing patch of his chest hair, smiling before beginning to leave my own signature over his skin. "I didn't know you felt this way, I um, I was so worried something had happened to our friendship." I told Arthur honestly, taking a break from loving up on him. 

"You didn't know? I thought you had maybe realized and starting hating me for it."  Arthur admitted with a soft laugh, stroking my cheek with his thumb. 

"I could never hate you, Arthur." I said, smiling and placing my hands on his broad shoulders. 

Spoken in between kisses, Arthur laughed, "We'll see about that." His hands held me close, moving down to grab at my ass, all while moving me to feel the swell in his jeans. Shyly, I skimmed my hand down his torso, watching his eyes close while I touched him through the denim. Broken out of his sudden trance, he reached down as well, taking things a step farther as he undid his pants, his length hitting his stomach in arousal. 

A familiar heat warmed my ears, he looked so good like this. Hot and bothered, leaned up against a tree and at my disposal. I took his cock in my hand, swiping my thumb over his leaking tip. "Shit." Arthur groaned, his hips thrusting himself up into my hand. I worked him up and down, keeping eye contact until he brought me close, connecting our lips once again. Arthur hummed into the kiss, even breaking it at one point to take a deep breath. He was so hard it seemed like it hurt. I reached down to undo my own bottoms. 

"Do you want to go through with this? I don't know if I'll be able to quit you after." Arthur spoke just above a whisper. 

"That is more than fine with me," I spoke as I tossed my bottoms off to the side, straddling him properly once again before continuing, "I haven't stopped thinking about the party, I wish that butler had just turned around." We both chuckled, Arthur's grip drifting to my waist. 

"I'm sure there'll be another chance to continue what we started there." 

A breathy moan left the both of us as my hips sunk down onto his length; he filled me up perfectly. It took me a moment to adjust, same with Arthur. I watched his eyes screw shut the second he felt the warmth of me, the squeeze. "God, you're so tight," Arthur pried his eyes open, looking up at me with an already glossed over look, "can I move?"

I only nodded in response, silent until his first thrust shot a wave of pleasure over me which caused me to throw my head back and involuntarily moan out his name. The sight seemingly spurred him into continuing his pace. Once I had familiarized myself with the blissful feeling, I took some of the weight off him and began moving with Arthur, lifting myself up and down atop of him. 

With my arms kind of half wrapped around Arthur's shoulders, I tangled my fingers into his hair once again, keeping him just as close to me as he was doing with me. "O-oh, there, again." I sputtered out the jumbled sentence, whimpering out a sound of pleasure with nearly all of his upwards thrusts. 

It didn't feel like all of the time I spent wondering and wanting had led specifically to this moment, like how they would describe the climax of a crush in the stories I would borrow from Mary-Beth sometimes. It felt beautifully unique, like I had chosen the right path to get here.

My clouded mind was no match for the warmth beginning to gather inside me. A groan from Arthur brought my attention upwards again, "I ain't gonna last much longer." His cheeks were pink and a sweat began to gather at his temple. My back arched at the feeling of his cock hitting that spot once again, and again. 

"Please, Arthur ugh!" I moaned, feeling him take the lead from me completely. My hips stilled as he desperately fucked himself into me, chasing. 

The feeling was an uninhabited release of control, of doubt, and of myself. With my legs shaking, I curled inwards, my head falling to Arthur's shoulder while I slowly fell from my place of ecstasy. Jagged and uneven thrusts brought Arthur through his orgasm, I could feel the hot finish filling me to the brim. He moaned and held tightly onto my skin, my skin adorned with red fingermarks at his ease. 

Slowly, I lifted my head, smiling softly at the sight of a faintly teary eyed Arthur Morgan. "That was-" He began and then stopped, searching for a word that could explain that experience.

"Yes, it was." I said with a laugh, lifting his chin and connecting our lips again finally.

Ever the gentleman, Arthur helped clean me up, affectionately doing up my shirt and fixing my hair with great care. And how could I not do the same for him.

-

"What's this gonna be like now?" 

I looked over at Arthur, sat beside me while we overlooked the lake where the gang was holed up by. The sun was shining on us, lighting up the blue in his eyes and causing him to squint, quite adorably I might add. 

"I mean, if you want to give us a try, I would really like that." I chose my words carefully, chewing on my lip while I awaited Arthur's answer.

"Of course I want to." He smiled, taking my hand in his and squeezing. 

So, I guess I could call that crush my boyfriend now.