#glad we can all agree that cuddle piles are more important

[ariadne-mouse]

Tiny Hut: has a 10ft *radius* which means it is a generous 20ft across from side to side, or 314 sq ft

Artists and Writers everywhere, absolutely correct: it's small enough that whoever's in it simply must all pile together like a basket of puppies

[hawksugarbaby]

Hawks x reader- snowed in

Fluff

The snow piled up around the door like Icing sugar decorating a cake and the windows frosted over with frozen icicles dangling from the ledge, threatening to pierce the soft snow. "It's so cold Kei" you ran your hands up and down your cold arms layered in goosebumps and pressed your glacial feet against his calves making him jolt forward "JESUS CHRIST!" he shouted wiggling away from your feet making you giggle.

"I'll put the heating on and close the curtains? That might help" he shrugged sending a crimson feather to do the work for him "mhm, you mean your wings will do it for you" you smile softly curling into his side and he grinned putting his arm on your head "you make a wonderful armrest" the bedsheets crinkled and shifted with your feet that kicked his shin jokingly "ouch, i'm in agony" he said casually without any indication he was in pain (because he wasn't) and you pouted angrily turning your head away from him which made his arm fall onto the bed "aw i'm sorry princess, you make a wonderful girlfriend too!" he kissed the back of your neck wrapping his arms around you and rolling you on top of him. "I love you~" he sang, drawing out the love and you dropped your annoyed expression, A bright smile etched on your face instead. "I love you too!"

Keigo wrapped his wings around you blanketing you in crimson feathers that kept the heat as close to you as possible. "Your pretty kei." you said bluntly, keeping your (e/c) eyes on his ruby pools "thank you baby so are you" you said kissing the tip of your nose making your face scrunch up and your eye's crinkle at the corners in a smile. Your legs tangled together and your arms were going numb, crushed between you and your boyfriends chard chest from the lack of options on where to put them.

"Your wings are so warm" you muttered nuzzling into his chest like a big cat, the thumping of his heart was steady and soothing and you matched your breathing to his without reasoning "are they? I never knew that" he sighed placing one hand against your head stroking your hair softly. "Yeah they're like a whole ass radiator connected to you" you said and he hummed in response. "A whole ass radiator?" he repeated teasingly and you snickered "a whole ass radiator" the confirmation made the two of you laugh slightly and keigo peeked out the window, the blinding white blurred from the frozen glass but as if waiting for it a frozen stalagmite fell from the ledge impaling the snow quickly. "Thank god we're not standing under those right now" keigo mumbled and closed the curtain again.

"I wish we could build a snowman or something" you sighed, leaning your head up again and wiggling to find comfort "yeah me too we could have- ow okay you just kneed me in the dick and I do not appreciate that" he wheezed his face burning red and eyes streaming tears "oh my god i'm so sorry I didn't even realise" you gasped kissing his face over and over as if it would alleviate some of the pain, you wiped the tears running down his face with your sleeve and buried your face in his chest. "y'could kiss it better" he teased earning a slap in the chest "KEIGO!" his chest vibrated and he squirmed.

"that feels fucking weird. Don't shout at my lungs what did they do to you?" he turned his face away like a dramatic character from a Shakespeare play and you rolled your eyes "I dunno but your still breathing so they have that to apologize for" keigo's mouth fell open in shock and his eye's rounded in amusement "i'm hurt" "no your not you liar" "I am truly in pain, I don't think I can go on" he clutched his shirt and said "just know I always loved you" then sank his head onto the pillow heavily his tongue lolling outside of his mouth.

You wailed loudly and dropped the back of your hand to your forehead "whyy! My one and only love, I'm sorry I never should have treated you so cruelly" your dramatization made the blonde laugh and you gasped "HE'S ALIVE!" the volume of your shouting was enough to have the neighbors bang on the wall in annoyance "SORRY MY BOYFRIEND WAS FUCKING DYING!" you shouted through the wall and rolled your eyes sinking back into keigo's chest and turning to your cheek rested against him instead. "Rude" you tutted and Keigo nodded in agreement, knocking his head against the headboard that banged against the wall annoying the neighbors further.

"Keigo I have a question" you lead the conversation and keigo panicked, what if you proposed, what if you asked him to propose, what if you wanted a dog, what if you wanted kids, what if you wanted food, oh god what if you wanted takeaway! With the snow building up to the letterbox he didn't imagine you would manage to get any takeaway to the house right now. Please don't want takeaway. "Do you like this house?" okay it's not takeaway "I think i'm content here but I wouldn't mind something new" he admit scratching the back of his neck and looking at the wall behind him "not a fan of the neighbors either" he stuck his tongue out and you chuckled drumming your fingers against his forearm.

"so I was wondering if you maybe, at some point it doesn't have to be now, and you don't have to make a decision right now but-" "spit it out princess, your stalling" he smiled stroking your cheek gently with his thumb and you sighed mumbling something under your breath earning a glower from your boyfriend. "Would you wanna move in with me? Eventually, If you want, you don't have to but I think it would be nice" you lowered your voice at the end.

Keigo laughed and kissed the top of your head "yeah I think that would be nice" he agreed and you grinned, a giddy feeling developing in your head and you wiggled in excitement. "If you keep wiggling your gonna create a problem you'll have to deal with" he smirked and you immediately stopped moving "I take back the proposition you can stay here with your horny ass." you tapped him on the nose sitting up and moving so you were straddling his stomach.

His wings couldn't wrap around you as well when you were sitting up so he dragged a blanket over your shoulders and tucked his wings back underneath him. "Could we get a bigger house? Maybe one with a nursery..." you trailed off. Fuck. there was the kid's question he was afraid of. Keigo figured he should ask the all important question soon, you had been dating for 4 years but keigo had never been so committed to a relationship before, maybe it was the abandonment issues or how his job filled up his life but you were special you were different. Maybe it was time for this conversation then.

"You want kids with me?" he asked in disbelief sitting himself up and sitting against the headboard analyzing you carefully like a trap "of course I want kids with you. Not right now but in the future i'd like kids" keigo had never come to terms with the idea of someone wanting to spend their life with him but as the snow fell caging you in he suddenly didn't mind more days like this. Talking and cuddling for the rest of time would be amazing but kids were scary to him, he wanted to be better than his father and he wanted to be there for his kids, pick them up from school and help them with homework but would his work get in the way?

"Kei I know you had an awful childhood, and I understand why you might feel... cautious about the idea of having children, but you are the only person I would even ever consider worthy of dating me never mind raising our kids" you comforted, kissing him softly placing your hand on his and squeezing tightly. "I just don't know if i'd ever be a good dad, i'm barely a good person, I literally just about function as a human" his eyes darted around the room for something to focus on but they kept landing on you. You were what he should focus on right now. "Baby you would be an amazing dad, a busy one yes, but an incredible one! And sure you're a little dysfunctional but so am I! Your an amazing person and I love you okay and if you don't want kids right now that's okay, we have all the time in the world-" "-we have until menopause" "we have until menopause"

He sighed and swallowed thickly "okay." he said curtly, nodding away to himself and pulling you in for a hug wrapped up by his wings. "Okay?" you raised your eyebrows and tilted your hand rubbing your cold hands up his back "I'd like kids eventually. But not right now I think I wanna marry you first" he sighed brushing your hair behind your ear and pulling you into a tight hug and crossing his fluffy wings behind you "y-you wanna marry m-me?" you stuttered and he laughed "of course I wanna marry you I just don't know your ring size yet and I didn't know if you want to marry me" he kissed your forehead and you smiled softly "of course I wanna marry you!" you exclaim wrapping your arms around him and barraging him with kisses across the bridge of his nose. "I'm glad because I wanna marry you too"

You lay there for a while longer just talking, it didn't matter what you talked about, you made a conversation out of it. "Can we PLEASE get a cat" you whined giving him your biggest puppy dog eyes but he remained stoic "we're not getting a fucking cat they just try to pull my feathers out and it's really annoying" he shook his head raising his palms to the sky "but they grow baack" you wiggled your arms and he chuckled and pet you on the head "i'm sorry baby it just really hurts and I don't wanna deal with that every day" he apologized and you sighed knowing you wouldn't get your way "what about a puppy then" "babyy"

You snuggled once again into his chest, filled with joy at the prospect of marrying keigo. "The snow isn't clearing up" keigo sighed knowing there wasn't much in his fridge right now "I don't have much to eat but I don't think I could get groceries right now" he tapped his chin and you popped your head up "to the kitchen we shall go and imma make the best damn meal we've ever had" you challenged yourself and keigo smirked "I could have you for dinner" he nuzzled into your neck and chuckled and you tutted tapping him on the head "Sorry baby you aren't a big enough portion size for me" you quickly jumped up dragging the blanket behind you like a cape and disappearing around the corner like the phantom of the opera. "My dignity" he lamented and strolled behind you.

You opened the fridge and immediately shut it again "you have chicken" "yep" "and only chicken" "yep" you smirked to himself and you sighed pinching the bridge of your nose and opening the fridge again and digging for something that resembled a meal. Eventually you had a chicken breast, a couple strips of prosciutto, various cheeses, flour, various spices, basil leaves, butter and olive oil. "Put a pan on with olive oil and butter will you love" you pulled out a chopping board and got to work butterflying the chicken breast "yes chef!"

You stuffed the chicken breast and basil and wrapped it back up in the prosciutto keeping it sealed together. "is the pan warm?" you asked, eating a handful of grated cheddar in the meantime and he nodded holding his hands over the pan for heat "OW okay rude" he pulled his hand off when freckles of oil jumped up and burned his hands. "Silly" you put the chicken in the pan and you jumped at the sizzling whirling behind hawks who folded his wings around you "it's okay baby don't worry" he said going full protection mode.

You served the meal and garnished it with basil and cheese skipping back to bed to eat the meal together. "Y'know this does look better than any KFC I've ever eaten" he praised and wrapped his wing around you turning on the tv that you only really needed for background noise as you usually talked over it anyway. "Hey kei" "yeah baby?" "I hope it snows like this all the time"

[kurohoely]

mask (sakusa x y/n)

What happens when Sakusa realizes masks are better off than on?

genre: hurt/comfort, sakusa is in time skip!

wc: 2.2k

It was known that Sakusa is reserved, he only shows his most relaxed self to those who he trusts, which includes you. He can show those random, whacky emotions, teasing you and giving some gen z emojis but being open and vulnerable? That’s just not him.

You have been dating him for almost a few months now and a lot of people were surprised that you both actually worked out. The dynamic you both have was something people often quote as ‘not compatible’. You knew him before since you both have few classes together in college but who would’ve thought from those unintentional crossings lead you here. Sakusa’s character is pretty obvious and you kind of get it by now how he works and acts but was there any difference between before and now? Why does it feel like the walls are kept up, and builds higher than before?

You tried to initiate a lot of things. He does too but he was indeed more awkward, baby steps as you call it. Despite all that, you appreciate him, all the things he did were definitely out of his comfort zone. You kept saying to yourself that he's trying, remembering that he was the one that confessed first. You hold onto that memory in hope that it will be dynamic throughout the relationship.

But how about right now? With the new season up and running, you kept seeing less and less of him. Countless lonely dinners and cold bedsheets. Rescheduled dates and missing out on one another. You almost excused Sakusa for forgetting your anniversary, thinking it was a given. You signed up to be with someone that has no constant rhythm in their life, always the next big thing to keep their lives afloat. Again, you put on another layer, masking away, reasoning to yourself that things will work out. You don't want to bother him, let alone be the reason why he is stressing out. Patience has always been a good nature of you but sometimes, you question if you should stop being selfless and start being selfish. He is your boyfriend after all.

Sakusa noticed the subtle changes that happened. He felt that you were perfect. Too perfect, as a matter of fact. He wanted to sit down and try to understand why and where this was coming from because he definitely didn't confess to you for perfection. He wanted you. Not any other version. Pure and transparent. No mask. But as much as he wanted to, it is still out of his nature, and with the season starting, it will be quite some time before he can bring this again.

Mid through the season, work is piling up, matches are getting tougher each time they win. That’s a given. You came to almost all of his games and have them recorded on tv. Whatever the outcome, you will always be proud of him. He was basking in his prime condition; you were there for him and his plays were getting synchronized with the team at a rate that even the coach was surprised. He left the thought at the back of his mind, focusing on what he has to do first. After each match, you both have this little ritual, spending some alone time together starting with dinner as both of your schedules sometimes don't overlap quite nicely. Sakusa told you about his plays as if you weren’t there to witness it all and you can’t blame him. You love seeing the sparkle in his eyes when he talks about how good it felt when spiking. The conversation flows naturally and you both talked about how your days went. You were both walking diaries of each other. Not until Sakusa flipped a page that has been long overdue.

He cussed himself to have the audacity to forget about this issue. He doesn’t like this. It was as if he’s taking advantage of your facade, your mask. Even though Sakusa tells you many times that you need to wear one physically, this was something that he wished to be stripped off completely. He hates it. He hates that he can't be a safe space for you. Someone you can let yourself breathe from the suffocating expectations from the outside world. But what he hates the most is that you changed yourself to accommodate his own ignorance.

Sakusa flipped his match schedule. It looks like there won't be another match in 5 days. He called Meian and Iwaizumi if it’s okay if he takes a few days off from practice. Both of them were surprised that Sakusa would even ask for a day off but they agreed anyway. He’s not the type to ask for one so this must be something really important.

Saturday shifts are hard. You only have one day of rest before hustling again on Monday but oh you were SO GLAD that your manager said that you can have a paid leave on Monday after helping out on a side project for some other team.

You pushed your shared apartment door, dragging your feet inside. You saw Sakusa peek his head from the kitchen. He took off his apron and walked to you, grabbing your bags from the floor and giving a peck on your cheek. You went to the bedroom and saw the bath bomb that you bought impulsively on your previous date. A bath sounds nice, you thought to yourself.

Filling up the bath to a slightly hotter temperature, a much-needed one to shake that fatigue out from your body and start your long weekend with a fresher body. Gently dipping your toes, you hold the sides and lower yourself in, letting the heat seep into your skin. As you were shuffling your position, a knock on the bathroom door.

“Can I come in?”

“Doors unlocked so yeah baby come in”

Sakusa twisted the knob, letting himself in. He sat on the floor next to the tub, a rare sight for Sakusa and you. He folded his arms on the dry part of the tub and stared into your eyes. Losing himself in your mind, finding where he actually belongs. He knows this isn’t the right time, not even a good one, to bring up this matter but it has been pushed back for too long, he couldn’t care less about what setting it was in right now. You were always firm on your stands, confronting those to have the middle ground in everything but now, it was as if he’s with someone else.

“Hey sunshine, how's the bath”

You flushed at the pet name he called you. When was the last time you heard that softness, that warmth? The sense of home and belonging to another person, solely wanting to give your whole life away in exchange for his.

“It's pretty nice. Do you wanna join in?”

“Hmm sounds nice.”

He removes his mask and strips quickly, submerging himself into the tub in front of you. He pressed his muscular, toned back to your chest, taking its warmth into his body. Taking in whatever he could take from you between his skin and yours. Your scent, your heat, your touch, the friction, sensation - everything. He knows he wants everything but how about you? He sometimes thinks that he forced you into the relationship, going above and beyond to go with how he handles things. His fussy attitude when it comes to cleaning, being in crowds, and towards people in general. Whatever the train of thought was, he needs to know, He can’t bear seeing his future bland and monotonous because you were not there. You were his yellow, heck, you were his entire spectrum.

“Hey y/n, I know it's not a good time to ask this but, did I do something that makes you uncomfortable? I know I’m not good with words or being affectionate, doing all those sweet things that you see in movies but the last thing I want you to be is forcing yourself to be something that you are not.

“If there’s anything wrong that I did please tell me I…”.

“No! You did nothing wrong. You were perfect but maybe too perfect. I have this feeling that you weren't being yourself for quite some time. It's like you have this mask that you put on whenever you are with me. I know you are sensitive in nature - both to other people and towards yourself, which is why I fell in love with but aren't relationships supposed to be a two-way thing? I need to know what’s bothering you so please talk to me. I want you to feel safe with me. I want you to be your most comfortable as if both of us are the only ones that are living on this earth. I wish I could come and talk to you sooner about this but I got too caught up in the games. It's my fault. I’m sorry. I’ll try to be braver on confronting things like these. I’ll try to be more attentive to the small things”

Hearing this from Sakusa made your heart burst into so many emotions that were buried for so long. Happy, sad, hopeless, desperation, anger, guilt but most importantly, longing. You could only cry when he finished his last words. You were gasping for air, clawing yourself into Sakusa’s shoulders to grip on whatever you can. Wet streams trickled down Sakusa’s nape, dampening them. Sakusa was flustered as if it was the first time he ever saw you broke down. The first time? Oh God, how much has he been missing in this relationship...

“I’m sorry Omi. I was trying to be understanding. I tried to make this home at least a space where you can have at least some peace. I wanted to be with you more so badly but I know by asking it, you have to take time off or you might just think I'm annoying. And I hate it. Words cut more for me since it is the least effort to bring out but weighs the most. I don't think I can bear with it. So I avoided it. I avoid creating any chances that would lead us to fight. But then, it hit me when you started to slip away, distancing yourself subtly. Our dinner time became shorter, we didn't even cuddle anymore because your muscles were sore and I want them to heal fast so you can play your best. It seems like it backfired huh?”

Sakusa was taken aback due to a lot of things. How he finally was able to hear you say his pet name, the range of small things that you do, putting him as your topmost priority when you yourself are buried down, succumbing to earth more and more. How could he be so blind? It hurts him. It hurts him that you didn't even consider being comfortable with him. It destroys him that all of your actions were threaded with the thoughts of him when he did nothing, even worse, he forgot. Sakusa felt a sting poking through his heart, thin-like rods thrusting through it slowly. He felt a burning sensation that he was sure he didn’t like. If he felt this after hearing all of these, what about you? You’ve been carrying these for weeks, stretching out to months, yet you’re still here. How did he end up with someone as thoughtful and wonderful as you? He turned his body around, facing you. Your legs tangling together, bringing you inside his embrace, pushing your foreheads together. He lets out a breath after his thoughts finally reach a verdict.

“Hey bub, it’s okay. We’re here now. I’m sorry it took my dumbass this long to have this conversation. You don’t know how much you meant to me even though I barely show it. Please know that at least. I love you. I love you so much, too much that I cannot imagine waking up the next day without you. You were the reason I can handle Atsumu’s ass, thinking about if I can go through that part of the day, I can see you again. A little reward from me to myself. I asked for a few days off, shall we do a bit of catching up session?”

A tint of coral pink brushes lightly on top of your cheeks. Seeing Sakusa being all vulnerable and open, is a view that you wish no one will ever see besides you. You smiled and chuckled lightly.

Sakusa's heart swells. There it is. The smile that got him smitten all over. The small chuckle that you made was a symphony to his ears. It was as if at this moment he fell in love again. He found the you that he fell for but even deeper. He swore that day he would never make you feel like this.

You both get out, drying yourself together. Omi blow-dried your hair and you did his. He's pretty good at managing your hair because of his curls. You both did a random 14-step Korean skincare routine and cuddling around watching your favorite movie - Pride and Prejudice. Sakusa never understood why you liked this movie so much but today he finally does. When two lovers placed down their masks and finally faced each other, all became visible. The adoration in one's eyes, longing for the warmth of the other, to finally be together.

[sugarmaplewings-fics]

Warm

Pairing: Kirishima x reader

Warnings: This one’s a little spicy, there’s some implied smut and nudity + kissy kissy (it’s really nothing major tho). Fem!reader (only bc he refers to you as his wife). Hmm, bit of hurt/comfort? Just a bunch of fluffy flirting with dashes of angst and spice (okay maybe a lot of angst)

Author’s Note:

Hello! Here’s the long-ass Kiri fic I’ve been working on! This is actually just loosely based on the request—I really took it and ran I guess 😅. I kept changing my mind with what I wanted to happen until I eventually wound up with this!

Ignore how it’s basically Bath Bomb but with Kirishima

Anyway I hope y’all like it!

-Sugar

*✲ﾟ*｡⋆♡⋆｡*ﾟ✲*

*✲ﾟ*｡⋆♡⋆｡*ﾟ✲*

Your consciousness bloomed back into being at the sensation of lips trailing kisses down your shoulders. Daylight pierced into your cracked lids, faintly illuminating your bedroom with the caress of a new sun.

A body pressed up against yours, his broad chest and shoulders wide enough to support the width of your own back. His mouth languidly worked its way over your bare skin; from your back, to your neck, over your shoulder. He moved as if he had all the time in the world, and he was more than willing to spend it all on you.

You hummed and shifted, signaling your newly awakened state. A thick forearm you weren’t previously aware of tightened its grip around your waist, his palm gliding over your stomach and up to your chest. It moved up and down, before finally stopping to give you a gentle squeeze.

“Morning, Eijirou,” you said, a laugh already in your sleep-worn voice.

“Hey, Princess.” His chin slotted in the juncture of your shoulder and neck, his cheek pressing against yours. “Sleep well?” His own voice was so low and quiet and deep in the mornings, making your nerves fire in an odd excitement within you.

“Of course I did,” you smirked, ignoring the stirring in your chest. “I’ve got you.”

He chuckled, and finally a small shiver shot through your body at the sound. “Glad the feeling’s mutual.”

You ducked out from under his chin, turning to your other side in order to face him. His chest pressed against yours as you hugged him back, and you couldn’t help but notice how warm it was under the covers like this. Finally you met his eyes, (E/C) meeting glittering vermillion in the morning sun for a long moment.

“You’re so beautiful,” he whispered, brushing a stray strand of hair out of your face. “I swear, I married an angel.”

Your heart sped from its steady beat, heat climbing the back of your neck. “Eiji!” you mumbled, flustered, hiding your face between his pecs.

He chuckled again, and at this point, you swore he was doing it on purpose. “It’s true. Gorgeous, perfect—what more could I have asked for?”

You smiled against his skin, and you felt his warm hand gently begin to stroke up and down your back. You cuddled in silence for a minute, growing lost in the touch of the other.

“This is nice,” he sighed, drawing you impossibly closer. “I finally get to spend my whole day with you.”

You lifted your head again to look into his face, smirking. “Is your plan to spend it all in bed?”

He shrugged. “That wouldn’t be a bad thing. Think about it—here, finally alone with me, all warm and snuggly? No stress, no responsibilities, just . . . me. And you. It’s been too long since we’ve had something like that.”

“Yeah,” you agreed, perhaps too readily. Eijirou’s face fell. “Hey,” you crooned, taking his cheek in your palm. “I understand you’re busy. You’re out there being the best hero ever. Do you know how proud I am of you? My Red Riot, saving the day out there. It’s worth the wait.”

His ruby eyes glimmered as they affectionately bored into yours, leaning into your touch. “I still feel bad I can’t be here for you like this every day.”

“But then it wouldn’t be as special.” Your thumb stroked his cheekbone, finally pulling him into a kiss. It started out soft, but Eijirou was quick to escalate the gesture. He devoured your lips enthusiastically, just like he always did, licking and nibbling at the skin.

Warm, you couldn’t help but think, as your heart pounded and blood rushed towards your face. Warm as his fingers laced with yours on his cheek, warm as your skin touched without a centimeter separating you.

Kisses with Eijirou were addictive, and once you started, you could scarcely bring yourself to stop. With every push and pull of your lips, it was as if pure joy had flooded your veins. Even after all these years of being together, you basked in the truth that he could still make you feel this way.

His lips pecked the corner of your mouth, then moved down, down to your jaw, then your neck.

“Eiji,” you breathed, a smile tugging your lips up.

He met your eyes again, removing his tongue and teeth just enough to innocently question, “What?”

“I—weren’t we—it really is—” you began, but your brain was already distracted, focusing on the way he sucked and nipped at your skin, moving ever lower.

“Are you actually going to stop me?” he asked, kissing your collarbone.

You gulped. “No.”

It was a few more hours until you got out of bed.

…

“Eiji.”

You spoke his name and tapped him on one shoulder blade, muscled and kissed by the sun. He grumbled, asleep once more, nuzzling closer into your bosom.

“Eijirou, it’s noon,” you said, glancing at your bedside alarm clock and shaking him again.

“So?” he mumbled against your skin.

“So I’m hungry,” you pretended to whine. “Let’s make breakfast. Or lunch. Brunch, yeah.”

He sighed, dramatic, hugging you tight. “But I don’t want to get up.”

“I’ll make us pancakes,” you offered, threading your hands through his soft red hair.

He didn’t move.

“—with extra bacon and sausage,” you added.

He looked up, eyes meeting yours as his chin settled on your chest. “Okay, I’m listening.”

You chuckled, ruffling his bangs and poking at his nose. “Come on, you have to get off of me. We can cuddle again later.”

Eijirou finally straightened, letting you slide out from under him. You both stretched and moved towards your dresser; Kirishima choosing a pair of gray sweatpants while you opted for one of his old t-shirts and a pair of shorts.

Eijirou trailed after you to the kitchen, leaning against the counter while you rummaged through the fridge for a few ingredients. Within minutes, you had the batter mixed, and you poured it into the hot pan with a satisfying sizzle. Your husband watched with interest from behind, chin perched on your shoulder and arms resting around your waist.

“That one looks nice,” he’d comment every now and then. “Good job, babe.”

His hands stayed ever-present on your body, mostly resting on your shoulders or hips as you finished making breakfast. You ate with him, making light conversation as you plowed through the stack of pancakes and meat.

When you were done, you spent some time catching up around the house. Eijirou helped you wash the dishes and fold and put away the laundry. He insisted on doing it all by your side, happy to chat while you shared effort on the chores.

“How do you keep up with all this?” he asked, setting one of his t-shirts on the bed, freshly folded. “With your job and everything, it’s amazing that you still do so much.”

You shrugged. “I manage. It’s not so bad. And don’t completely discredit yourself, you still help when you can.”

“Well, of course I do,” he said, carrying a pile of clothes to the dresser. “You shouldn’t have to take care of everything by yourself.”

“Yeah,” you agreed, “but you have other things to do that’s more important than dusting behind the TV.”

He came back to your side again, putting his arm around your waist and pulling you in so he could kiss your temple. “I’m just thankful you’re here to keep up with the house.”

“And I’m thankful you’re here to spend time with me today.” You popped up on your toes to kiss the corner of his mouth, taking the now-empty laundry basket back to the laundry room.

“Would you like to watch a movie together?” you asked when you were back in the doorway. “The evening is young. We can make a snack and go back to cuddling on the couch. How does that sound, huh?” You grinned and wiggled your eyebrows, trying to sound convincing.

“Sounds perfect to me, babe,” Eijirou said, striding up to where you leaned against the doorframe. “But I think the only snack here is you.”

You rolled your eyes. “Ei-JI—AAA!”

He picked you up and slung you over his shoulder, grinning his shark-toothed smile as you laughed.

“I meant popcorn!” you said, pretending to struggle.

Kirishima landed a gentle smack to your behind and made a little pop noise with his mouth.

“Ugh,” you said, going limp.

“Shall we continue to the living room, my lady?” he asked.

“Fine. But I don’t think ladies are supposed to be carried like a sack of potatoes.”

He chuckled, already making his way down the hall. “You’re the finest sack of potatoes I’ve ever seen.”

“Hey!” You landed the softest of punches against his back, still lighthearted in the situation.

He set you down once you were back in the kitchen, going to the pantry to grab a bag of popcorn. You sat on the counter to watch him put it in the microwave.

“I’m always scared I’m going to burn these,” he admitted, grinning sheepishly as he tried to decide on a time to put in.

“I do it for a minute and fifty seconds,” you said, childishly swinging your legs.

He inputted the time as you said, the microwave humming to life as the turntable began to spin. Eijirou turned to you again, moving so he was between your legs. “Now, about my snack.”

You snorted, giggling until he cupped your cheek in his hand. He slotted his lips against yours, pulling your body flush into his. Your hands wandered over his bare skin, tracing the blade of his shoulder before gliding up into his hair. You let your fingers lace through the vibrant red strands, anchoring yourself and pulling him in further. Your legs even went as far as wrapping themselves around his waist, your feet meeting at the small of his back.

Eijirou hummed into your mouth, happy to savor you, glad he was there to hold you. The microwave beeped that it was done and you felt his attention shift momentarily, but soon he was back to cherishing you, getting lost in your taste and your touch. How could he care about anything other than you right now? You were his everything, his world, his reason to be. He kissed you harder, not caring that he was running out of breath. He just wanted more of you, wishing he never had to stop. His hand traced over your thigh, longing for you to somehow be even closer.

The microwave beeped again, impatient that it hadn’t been opened.

“Are you going to get that?” you asked, pulling back.

“Yeah,” he grumbled, but he still insisted on giving you a few more chaste pecks before he moved.

You released him and hopped down, wandering into the living room with your husband right behind you, newly equipped with a steaming bag of popcorn.

“What should we watch?” you mused. “Ooh, how about Star Wars? It’s been a while and I know it’s one of your favorites.”

“Okay,” he said, settling next to you on the couch. It was a good idea. You were right about him liking it, but he’d also seen it enough times that he could place all his focus on you. There was no way he was going to let your little make out session go interrupted like that.

“Why don’t you go turn out the light?” you asked, already turning on the TV.

Eijirou stood, walking up to the switch on the wall. It was then that he felt his phone begin to vibrate in his pocket. He flicked the lights off as he fished out the device. He figured it was junk, but then he saw it was his work contact. His heart began to sink.

“Who’s that?” you asked, apprehensive when you saw the expression that had already come onto his face.

“The agency,” he said, voice low and small.

He wanted to think they were just calling because he’d left something in his office. Or maybe it was a mistake and they hadn’t meant to call him at all. But they wouldn’t contact him on his day off like this if it wasn’t an emergency. Kirishima wasn’t so naïve that he’d think otherwise.

What if he just didn’t answer? What if he ignored it and went back to you? You were the one he wanted to spend time with. This was his evening off—your evening to be together.

But he had a job. He had a responsibility. An innocent person’s life could be at risk. What kind of person—what man, what hero—would he be if he selfishly ignored it? His passion demanded sacrifice, and that was just something he had to live with. He only wished that you weren’t the one who always had to get hurt.

He never knew his thumb to feel so heavy as he pressed receive.

You watched him put the phone to his ear, watched his face fall further as it seemed your collective suspicions were confirmed. He shot you an apologetic glance before he briskly strode off in the direction of your bedroom, still listening to what his secretary was saying on the other end.

You looked back to the TV, the ‘st’ still present in the search field from when you’d typed it in only moments before. Sighing, you turned off the screen, sitting back into the couch.

Maybe he wouldn’t be gone long, you thought, chewing on your lip. Maybe you’d still have time to be together when he got home.

But you knew that it was little more than a lie to yourself. You knew he never came back soon.

The front door slammed shut somewhere else in the house, and you were alone again. You lifted your left hand, examining the glittering rubied ring that rested on your finger. The ring that claimed you as his. The ring that had made you a Kirishima.

You twisted it absentmindedly, appreciating the sensation of friction against your skin. You’d known what you were getting into when you’d accepted the ring. You’d known as soon as he’d gotten down on one knee nearly two years ago. Being wed to a hero wouldn’t be easy. Not only were you in danger just being involved with him, you were also going to be alone a lot.

And even still, you’d accepted. You always cherished every moment you were able to have with him. Every cheesy, teasing joke, every kiss, every time he’d come home to you exhausted and tired and dirty—you still loved it. Because you couldn’t even imagine spending your life with another. Maybe in some other reality, you’d find someone who loved you as much, but here, you wanted Eijirou. No matter what it took, you’d be the one waiting for him to come home. It was your shoulder he’d cry on, your chest he’d fall asleep in, your lips that were there for him to claim. And nothing would change that.

You knew how guilty Kirishima felt about leaving you. He didn’t like that he’d essentially forced you into being his housewife, even though you still had a day job of your own and didn’t really mind.

Being a hero is what he wanted to do his whole life. You saw how passionate he was about his job, all the wide, toothy smiles he’d display to the live TV cameras when he’d win another battle. His job was something he loved, and you wouldn’t dream of getting in the way of it. It wasn’t perfect, nor was heroing as glamorous as some made it out to be. But this was his dream, and you would continue to be his number one fan no matter the circumstances. If only it didn’t have to take him away so much . . . .

You munched on a handful of cooling popcorn—not burnt—wondering what you should do with the rest of your night off. You certainly couldn’t spend it sitting by yourself in the dark.

You stood, stretching. This was nothing new for you, you could be independent. But a part of you couldn’t help but selfishly wish it didn’t have to be this way.

…

Kirishima fumbled to put the key in the lock on your door. He’d done his work for the day, he’d won. But had he really?

God only knew what time it was. The house was dark when he opened the door, stepping in and taking off his boots. He knew the drill by now, setting his duffel bag down to rest in the genkan before trudging through the shadowy rooms of his home. Could he even call it his home? Sometimes he wondered if he was still able to say he lived here.

The bedroom door was cracked open. Eijirou peeked in to see your shadowy form asleep, alone on the large mattress in the masses of blankets. He sighed and toed his way into the guest bathroom where he knew he was less likely to disturb you, cringing when he flicked on the bright light.

He caught a look at himself in the mirror as he stripped off the hoodie he wore to and from work. His hair was a tangled mess, sweat and grime still smeared on his skin. The shower sputtered to life, the din of water droplets hitting tile filling his ears. It was almost comforting; letting his thoughts drown to a low, unpleasant hum beneath the sound.

Water rolled over his skin, washing away what should have been his victory. No one’s life had really been in danger today, but he’d still stopped a villain from potentially destroying someone’s business. Why wasn’t he as happy as he should be?

Kirishima wearily went through the motions of taking a shower. He just wanted to fall into your arms and sleep, but first, maybe he should apologize for ruining your evening together. Had he even said goodbye to you as he rushed out the door?

At least he smelled considerably better when he stepped into the bedroom, changed only into a pair of loose basketball shorts. He walked up to your slumbering form, wondering if you’d wake up if he were to try and take you in his arms.

Eijirou already felt like he was in heaven as soon as he felt the soft mattress under his body. He practically melted under the already warmed blankets, the lids of his eyes suddenly feeling like lead weights when his head met his pillow. His arm draped over your side out of habit, pulling you closer into his chest before he even realized what he was doing. You began to stir, and Kirishima frowned. He hadn’t really wanted to wake you.

“Eiji?” you mumbled, still half asleep.

“It’s me,” he whispered in your ear. “I’m home now.”

You ran your hand over your face. “Did you eat? What time is it?”

“Shh, go back to sleep, honey, don’t worry about me.” Eijirou placed a soft kiss on the skin of your neck, rubbing circles on your midsection in an effort to soothe you back to rest.

“But I do worry about you,” you protested, voice still hushed. “I’m your wife.”

He sighed in defeat. “Alright, I haven’t eaten anything,” he confessed, “but I’ll make sure to get breakfast in the morning. I’m too tired right now, I just need to hold you and sleep.”

“Are you sure?” you asked, already moving to stand. “It’s not good for you to not eat like this. I’ll get up and reheat something for you—”

“I’m fine. Really, please.” He held you down and nuzzled into your neck, not caring about the way your hair tickled his nose with every breath.

You took his hand, lacing his thick fingers with your own. “Did everything go okay?”

“Yeah,” he mumbled. “They just needed some emergency backup. I’m sorry I ruined movie night.”

“Oh, honey, it isn’t your fault.”

Eijirou sighed again. “I know.”

“I’m not upset with you.”

“You never are,” he mumbled, and there was a strange bitterness to it that made you frown.

“Well, it’s a part of your job—”

“Why can’t you just be angry with me?” he interjected. “Why don’t you hate me for having a job that always takes me away from you?”

You froze at his outburst, shocked. “Eijirou—?”

“I—I’m sorry.” His voice cracked, instantly regretting the way he’d spoken to you. “I shouldn’t have—”

“No, no, baby.” You turned onto your back, shuffling so Kirishima could lay his head on your chest. “There’s something going on. Please talk to me.”

He nuzzled closer into you again, holding you in his arms as your fingers began to twirl around his hair. “I just wish I didn’t have to leave you so much,” he admitted softly. “I want to be here for you.”

“But you love your job, right?”

“Of course I do.” He looked up at you so his chin rested in the valley of your chest. “But I love you more. And I feel like I don’t show that to you enough.”

You brushed his bangs out of his face, your hand moving down so your thumb could stroke his cheek. “Eiji, I know you love me.”

“Yeah . . . ,” he trailed off. “But I want to show you. Every day, like I did when we were younger. I don’t feel like it’s manly for me to leave you here by yourself all these nights, and come home late, and not be around. You deserve better than that. I want to contribute more. I want to be here for you. What if—what if something happened to you and I couldn’t protect you?” His voice seemed to break at the thought, his arms wrapped around you squeezing you even tighter.

You hummed, taking in his laments, fingers still carding through his long red hair. “I know you’re under a lot of pressure right now,” you murmured, hoping to soothe him with your actions, “but you should know by now that I am more than capable of taking care of myself.”

He nodded against your hand, but his shadowed face still looked glum.

“And yes, I miss you and I wish we had more time for each other, but I’m sure that someday it’ll change. Your job is tough right now, Ei, but this is your dream. Every day, you’re doing amazing things and I couldn’t be more proud of you. This is what you want to do in life, right?”

He nodded again. “Of course.”

“Then I’m going to support you. If this is what comes with being a hero, then we’ll just have to . . . adapt. Take things as they come, you know? You’ve got a lot on your plate and I want to help you. I know you doubt yourself sometimes and it only gets worse when you’re tired like this.”

“Mhm,” he agreed, voice a little airy and distant. He took your hand in his and began to press slow kisses to your palms and knuckles. You could see the shine of his eyes becoming more obscured by the droop of his lids.

“Maybe you can try to get a week off next time?” you suggested. “And maybe tell Bakugou to hire better back up so you won’t have to get called in like that.”

“A whole week with you,” he mused, sighing. “I’d get spoiled at that rate.”

You bent forward to kiss his forehead, smirking. “It’s nothing you don’t deserve. Either way, we’ll talk about this later, sleepyhead. You still have to go in tomorrow. Maybe it was a good thing we slept in today.”

He chuckled, turning the both of you on your sides and sliding up so he could have better access to kiss all over your face. You couldn’t help but smile at his gentle, languid movements; still determined to display his love for you even half-asleep.

“This is my favorite part of the day,” he murmured, lips ghosting over your cheek. “Coming home to you. I just feel so . . . comfortable around you.”

“You should,” you said, poking the tip of his nose. “I’m your wife.”

“Yeah. But you’re also like, warm and stuff.”

Was he even still conscious at this point?

“Goodnight, Red.”

“Goodnight, my little lovebug.”

And so you began to drift off with him. You had to admit, it had been cold and lonely sleeping without him. But now his presence overwhelmed you in all the right ways, from his fresh-out-of-the-shower scent to the feeling of his arms caging you in against his chest. You felt comfortable, yes, but also warm. 

So warm.

*✲ﾟ*｡⋆♡⋆｡*ﾟ✲*

Taglist: @aahilovetheatre​ @basicaegyo​ @hyunmin-1404​ @iiminibattlehero​ @katsugay​ @nabo39​ @pyrofanatic​​ @rainy-skys-and-bright-stars​ @sendhelpimstupid​ @sxngwoos-ash-box​ @xoxopam4​

[yourlmanburg]

movie night // karlnapity x gn!reader

(hi! this is my first post on tumblr and i’m still learning how to use it haha, requests in my askbox would be highly appreciated please i will literally love u so much <3)

word count: 1,565

summary: you and your boys took the night off from streaming to spend some time together

request?: nope, but my requests are open!

---

“Is there anything else y’all want?” Nick asked from the bar stool he was seated on, scribbling down a quick shopping list. Both Karl and Alex shook their heads, Nick just about ready to head off before you piped up from the sofa in your open plan apartment, a sly yet lighthearted smirk present on your lips.

“Yeah, actually. Popcorn, crisps, sweets, and just any snacks you can find, really. Also, make sure you guys cancel your streams tonight - we don’t have any lore planned, do we?” you looked at each of your boyfriends who you met through the Dream SMP, and they returned your gaze with very confused expressions. Even so they shook their heads again to provide an answer to your question. 

“I mean, I was gonna hop on the server with Will for a bit, but I can leave that until tomorrow if you’d like?” Alex asked, obviously curious as to what his partner had in mind. You were quick to assure him that your little idea could wait for a day the four of you were free, though you weren’t completely convinced that it would even happen at all if that were to be the case; you’re all very busy people.

“If it’s something important to you, baby, then I’m sure we can work something out,” Karl said with a soft smile, both Nick and Alex humming in agreement. “Although, dare I ask why you want us to cancel our streams?” he asked sheepishly. You considered keeping it from them, but gave in to the anxiety-inducing question of whether it was really important enough or if you were just being clingy.

“Well, I just thought, maybe, we could, you know,” you stammered, worrying the three a little bit. They exchanged glances, wondering if they’d perhaps done something wrong. “We haven’t really spent much time together recently, and I thought we could maybe have a movie night or something? I’m sorry, I know I should’ve planned this out properly with your guys’ input, it was just a last minute thought. We really don’t have to do it, Alex I know you said you had streaming plans and that was before I mentioned any of this and-”

“Babe,” Alex cut off your rambling before it spiralled into something more, as it often did, chuckling slightly and walking over to you with his arms out wide. You let him wrap them around you and you reciprocated the action, close to tears at this point due to the whirlwind of anxiety racing around your mind over something that warmed your boyfriends’ hearts, instead of annoying them and getting in their way as you’d predicted. “I’m sure we can miss out on a day of streaming to spend some time with each other, right? We have been pretty busy, like you said.” He smiled, looking deep into your eyes before leaning in for a sweet kiss.

Nick cleared his throat upon seeing you trade kisses without him, not even bothering to cover up his laughter. Of course, you sarcastically apologised and gave each him and Karl their own kisses too, Alex doing the same.

“So, is this everything we need?” Nick checked one more time before heading out the door, leaving once you’d looked over the list and didn’t see anything missing.

“Alright then lads!” you turned to Alex and Karl once the door closed, a large grin gracing your face. “Go and grab all the pillows, cushions, blankets, plushies - go and grab every comfy thing we own! If we’re gonna do this, we’re doing it properly, Okay?” they both instantly scrambled to the king sized bed and pretty much stripped it, while you crouched in front of the cupboard that the relatively large TV stood atop. Your eyes skimmed over the many movies you owned, the innocent Disney ones mixed in with the more gruesome and gory horrors like Saw and The Shining.

After a good few minutes of sorting through the discs and picking out a variety of movies to suit everybody’s tastes, stopping at some point to cheer Alex on in a wrestling match on the sofa against Karl, you’d finally found about six hours worth of top quality films. You looked up at the clock on the wall and it had just gone four pm, meaning that if you settled down by five at the latest then you’d be done by about eleven, making it the perfect time to head straight to bed so nobody would be overly tired in the morning. But there was no use worrying about that, this was supposed to reduce stress, and worrying about time was the opposite.

You’d sneakily chosen a couple of very scary horror movies, knowing that Karl wasn’t the biggest fan of them and it’d be an easy way to get lots of cuddles out of him; he didn’t hate them, but they weren’t exactly his cup of tea, either. You stood up and helped him and Alex set the blankets and cushions up on the sofa, collapsing onto them once you were done. 

While leaning your head on Alex’s shoulder, he snaked his arm around you and absentmindedly grazed his fingers up and down your arm. You closed your eyes and you must’ve fallen into a light sleep as you were a little dazed when you opened your eyes to see Nick gently shaking you, not remembering him getting back. Alex was in the kitchen with Karl and you could hear them trying to figure out how to pop the popcorn, even when you knew there were clear instructions on the box.

“Hey, love.” Nick greeted you warmly with an even warmer kiss, planting himself beside you and wrapping an arm around you, much like Alex had not even half an hour ago. You leaned into his side and closed your eyes again, listening to his steady heartbeat.

“I love you.” you murmured softly, feeling Nick press a kiss to your temple and muttering a small “I love you too.” 

“If you’re tired, we can always do this tomorrow, honey.” he said, causing you to sit up and jokingly look at him with a shocked face.

“After all the hard work and planning that’s gone into this? I shall not wait!” you yelled dramatically, the both of you laughing at your antics. While he pulled out his phone to scroll through Twitter and alert his fans that there would be no stream today, you stood up to check on the other two. It took them a good few minutes to realise you were watching them, positioned against the counter with a fond smile on your face. It was moments like these that really made you consider how damn lucky you were to call these three yours; sure they were dumb idiots, but they were your dumb idiots, and there was nothing that could change that.

They had just about managed to microwave the popcorn kernels without exploding the whole apartment or something stupid, and were beginning to pour all the snacks into bowls. You helped by taking the full bowls and placing them on the table between the sofa and the TV, sneaking a few bites here and there. Once you were all ready and cuddled up, you on Nick’s left, Karl on your other side and Alex beside Karl, the first movie was finally starting up.

You’d gone easy with this one, choosing Tangled, a very well-known classic. If you knew them, you sang along to the songs no matter how in tune you were or not, and if you didn’t then you simply sat back and enjoyed them. The movie ended and you realised you’d have to stand up again to start up the next one in the pile, when Karl offered to do it for you. Before you could even do so much as protest, he stood up and walked over to the DVD player, looking back at you with a horrified face as he saw what was next: The Silence of the Lambs.

“I hate you so much, Y/n.” He said with a loving smile, knowing you well enough now to see right through you. “If you wanted cuddles, you could’ve just asked!” You chuckled as he put the second movie on, returning to your side and resting his head on your chest. The four of you happily munched on the snacks that were almost gone by now, holding each other close if you got scared.

That movie finished, and then the next, and then the next. By this point you were shoved against Alex, Karl lying over the two of you and Nick. It was about half past eleven and you were all clearly tired, so you decided to call it a day and head to bed. You did your usual nightly routine, whatever it consists of, and collapsed into bed, shortly joined by Karl, then Nick, and finally Alex. As usual, you were sandwiched in between Nick and Karl, and you held onto the former tightly.

“Thank you so much for tonight, guys, I really missed you.” you admitted halfway through a yawn, seconds away from passing out.

“I missed you guys too, I really did.” Karl agreed, and so did the other two. You drifted off in a happy silence, glad to have spent the evening with the three men you loved so dearly.

[thenovelartist]

Burned Beginnings, Chapter 9

<<Previous  Next>>

25. Shooting Star

“If you could wish upon a shooting star, what would you want?”

Leaning back further in her balcony lounge chair, Marinette looked up to the sky to spot the few stars whose glitter could surpass the light pollution Paris offered. “Can you even really see them?”

In the chair beside her, Adrien turned his head up towards the sky. “Well, not really, but if you could, what would you wish for?”

Marinette hummed. “Like, what kinda wish are we talking about? Are we talking a genie wish or realistic wish?”

“Um… realistic wish,” Adrien answered. “Specifically, it’s been a little while since you decided not to pursue fashion, so have you decided what to do next?”

Marinette looked at him, only to see him looking inquisitively back at her. “Not quite yet,” she said before turning back to the sky. “I guess the more time goes on, the more that a part of me wants to have a job that would allow me to be around clothes in some way.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah,” she said. “I had to take a little time away from designing to clear my head, but… I think I’m ready to start picking things up again because I miss it.”

“I’m really glad to hear that,” Adrien said, his voice earnest and gentle and soothing.

“I’m not quite sure what that future looks like yet,” Marinette confessed. “But I think I’m ready to start moving forward on it. I’ll do some searching, maybe look for a boutique or tailor shop to work at.”

“I think that sounds like a really good idea, Marinette.”

She turned back to Adrien, only to melt under his affectionate gaze. With this man at her side supporting her like that, she felt like she really could do anything she put her mind to.

“Enough about me,” she said, shifting in her chair so as to face him better. “What about you? What’s your wish? Don’t think I forgot our promise you made me.”

“I didn’t,” he assured, twisting in his own seat to face her more. “I’ve been looking. And don’t judge me, but… I decided that I want to continue working for your parents.”

“Yeah?”

Adrien nodded. “I’ve done my own soul searching, thinking about what kind of jobs I might take. Deciding if I wanted to go to university or find a trade job. Laid out all my options that sounded interesting along with all the pros and cons of those jobs on so many pieces of paper that I lost my desk under that pile. And what I came to is me realizing I’m really happy with where I’m at and the people I’m working with. I did think about going to my old fencing school, though, and taking up that pastime again. But I’m uncertain if my reputation would precede me or not.”

Marinette shrugged. “If that’s what you want to do, doesn’t hurt to try.”

A small smile picked up Adrien’s lips. “We’ll see. I won’t rule it out yet until I know the answer.”

“As happy as I am to hear your progress,” Marinette began. “I also can’t help but wonder if you will for sure be happy with that. Because I feel like there’s more that you’re not telling me.”

For a moment, Adrien studied her with a small amount of surprise before relaxing with a sigh. “You really know me, don’t you?”

“Well, you do return the favor,” she said with a wink.

He huffed in amusement. “Yeah… guess I do.” He then took a fortifying breath. “Marinette, I definitely should have asked you this before I proposed, so I’ll ask you now. Do you want kids?”

Marinette’s brow furrowed in confusion before her stomach twisted into a knot. “Did we really never talk about that?”

A slight panic began to settle in Adrien’s expression. “No, I don’t think it ever came up.”

Exasperated, Marinette tapped her forehead with her fist. “Wow, what a fail,” she muttered before turning back to him. “Yeah, I do want kids. Two or three sounds like a good number. Is that okay with you?”

Marinette watched as Adrien’s shoulders relaxed as relief washed over his face, and she took that as a good sign. “Two or three sounds amazing.”

“Good,” Marinette said, feeling a sense of relief settle over her, as well. “I’m glad.”

“That being said,” Adrien continued. “Back to me working here, part of me wants to take up your parents’ legacy and then one day, be able to give the option of passing on the legacy to our kids.”

A gentle breeze blew by them, yet despite that, Marinette still felt her cheeks grow hot. “You…”

Adrien grinned. “I mean, there might end up being some other place I’d like working, but for the first time, I feel like I belong somewhere. I belong with you and your parents who’ve welcomed me with open arms. And cherishing and protecting that is more important than my job, you know? So, I want to stay here and be a part of this warm place with the people I care about and build something around this warmth. That’s my dream.”

Her heart hurt. She wasn’t even sure why it hurt, only that there were too many thoughts and feelings and emotions piling on top of each other and weighing on her heart. “Oh Adrien.”

She stood from her own seat, only to plop down in Adrien’s lap. He grinned, instantly cuddling her close to his heart and pressing a kiss to the top of her head. “You mean the world to me, Marinette. And I don’t really care anymore about shooting for the stars when I can have something far more grounded and stable and warm right where I’m at.”

She settled against him, nestling under his chin and relishing just being there with him. “Only if that’s for sure what you want.”

“It is.”

“Then you will always have my support.”

He squeezed her close once again, holding her tightly. It spoke all the words she needed to hear, yet he still whispered, “Thank you so much, Marinette. I love you so much.”

She smiled, feeling warm and oh-so-very-happy. “I love you, too.”

 26. Moonlit Dance

It had taken months of planning and scoping out venues and securing everything needed. But finally, things were almost completed and the wedding was a month away.

Adrien was stoked.

However, there was still one thing he and Marinette had to sort out.

“We are not waltzing at the wedding.”

“Aww. Why not, princess?”

Marinette’s nose crinkled as she pouted. “Because…”

“Because?...” Adrien prodded. He didn’t think he was being unreasonable considering he’d let Marinette plan most of it and only wanted a couple things himself, this one included. Marinette had originally agreed… before hearing what it was.

“Because I don’t want to accidentally step on your toes.”

Adrien snorted in his attempt to hold back a laugh. “Come on. I’ll show you. It’s not that hard.”

“I seriously doubt that.”

“Oh?” Adrien raised a brow, growing grin on his face. “Is that a challenge?”

Marinette glared at him.

He chuckled then held out his hand for her to take as he bowed before her like a dance partner would. “Come on, princess. Partake in this moonlight dance with me.”

Marinette looked around the balcony they stood on, one covered with her chairs and a little table and basket plants. “There’s like… no room up here.”

He… had to concede to that. “Not for a waltz, no, but that’s not the point.”

Marinette glanced at his hand before looking back up at him, the fight leaving her eyes. “You really want to?”

“Well,” Adrien drawled out, feeling a bit mischievous. “If I’m being perfectly honest with you, this isn’t quite the moonlight dance I’d like to do with you.”

He watched confusion shroud Marinette’s face. “Huh?”

In a flash, he snatched her hand, pulling her flush with his chest. She gasped at the action, her eyes wide like a deer in the headlights. Chuckling, Adrien lowered his lips next to her ear. “Yup, but the wedding is a month away, so I can wait until then,” he whispered.

Marinette, sharp as she was, caught his implication immediately. Sputtering, she shoved his chest, pushing away from her. “A-adrien!”

It was rare whenever Adrien caught Marinette totally off-guard like this. Normally, she had the upper hand or at the very least was able to retort back. But to see her so flustered stoked a fire in him, and if anyone thought he was going to waste the opportunity he was given and not continue to press his luck as far as it could go, they were wrong. “Awww, what’s with the surprise, princess? No witty comebacks today?”

She pouted, turning her face away, likely to hide the blush on her cheeks. “Oh, shut up.”

He snorted a laugh. “Wow, you’re really off your game if you’re resorting to snapbacks like that.”

“And you’re nothing but a tomcat if your head goes to the gutter with the words ‘moonlight dance’.”

“Only if it gets under your skin.”

“... okay, that was purposefully bad wording.”

“Look whose head is in the gutter now.”

Marinette rolled her eyes. “Why do you always have to start these things?”

“Um, excuse me, but I have a hickey on my collarbone that says otherwise.”

She huffed, turning her head away and remaining silent

Adrien grinned, stepping up closer to her once again. “Oh? Did a cat catch your pretty tongue? Let me see.”

Before he could pull her face back towards him, she turned, sticking her tongue out at him.

And he caught her face in his hands and kissed her.

It didn’t last long, but he had made sure to kiss her hard and fierce, wanting to keep her surprised and on her toes. “Aww,” he teased once he had forced himself to pull away. He had to restrain himself to not immediately go back in for more. “This cat almost caught it.”

She looked positively red now. “Adrien, I swear…”

“Hmm?” he goaded. “What was that? Couldn’t quite catch the end of tha—mmpf!”

She didn't let him finish. She dug her fingers in his hair and yanked him closer, smashing her lips on his.

Oh, it was on.

He shoved her backwards. She struggled against him, not wanting to let him win. She never wanted to let him win. But they’d done this enough times for Adrien to know she wasn’t mad about his actions, or else she would have stopped and told him to knock it off.

Since she didn’t, he took that as an okay to keep shoving her backwards into the wall. She moaned into his mouth, suddenly using the wall to her advantage and pressing her body against him, and Adrien practically forgot how to breathe.

Gradually, what had started a battle slowed to a sensual tango as lips and tongues and hands lead and followed in time. Adrien was going to die between the way Marinette raked her fingernails along his scalp and across his shoulders and down his arms and…

Shit, what were they doing again? Because Adrien’s mind was shrouded in a thick haze that only allowed him to think of one thing.

Marinette.

She won this battle. Just like she did every time. He was such a goner when it came to her that he rarely minded. If marrying this woman meant she’d harass him within an inch of his life then turn around and black his mind out like this…

Where did he sign up and how fast could he do it?

It took him until much much later to realize the answers were A) he already had and B)less than a month’s time.

 27. Future Kids

It was a week after the wedding, and Marinette and her idiot husband were just getting back from their honeymoon. The amount of make-up both of them would be wearing for the next week was shocking. And that was just on the visible marks they’d left on each other.

“Home sweet home,” Adrien said, opening the door to his-apartment-turned-their-apartment. He still had half a year left on his lease, in which time they’d go on the hunt for a new place. For now, the challenge of living together would be complicated less by moving. And it was best not to break the lease early if they could help it.

“My boxes are still everywhere,” Marinette commented, referring to the fact she’d brought several boxes of her things over. She still hadn’t moved all her stuff over yet, half her sewing supplies still residing in her parents’ house for the time being until they figured out where everything would go in the small place.

“You’re just settling in. I don’t mind it for now.” Adrien then turned to her, wrapping his arms around her waist to pull her in close. “This mess just means I get to have my wife live with me now.”

Marinette couldn’t help but smile, but before she could say a word, her phone went off. Adrien pouted, muttering something about the phone stealing her away, but she just laughed it off before checking it anyway.

“Oh, is it your mom?” Adrien said, looking at her phone as well. “Answer that.”

She shook her head. Adrien loved her parents and her parents loved him. Had Marinette not married him, they probably would have adopted him.

She answered the phone. “Hey, maman. I’ve got you on speaker.”

“Hey, Sabine,” Adrien said, sunny smile back on his face.

“Hi, Adrien,” her maman warmly greeted. “I won’t make this long for now, but you know Tom and I want to hear all about your trip. So, how about you come over for dinner tonight?”

“Yes!” Adrien instantly answered.

“Glad to hear it. Then I’ll see you both tonight at seven?”

“Sounds like a plan.”

“Um, I’m still here,” Marinette cried, good-naturedly.

“Sorry, sweetie,” her maman said with a giggle. “But it’s not like you have objections to that, right?”

Actually, Marinette did have objections, but she also knew that her parents were either going to ask her now or later, and since that ‘later’ might end up being during work, she might as well get it out of the way now. “No. No objections.”

“Great. Then I’ll see you both tonight.”

“See you then, Sabine.”

“Bye, Maman.”

“Bye, you two.”

After Marinette hung up, the smile dropped from her face as she sighed.

“Huh? Something wrong?” Adrien asked.

“No, not necessarily.”

“Yeah? What’s ‘not necessarily’ entail?”

Marinette took a breath. “Maman and Papa are going to start with asking about the trip, but I know them, specifically my papa, and at some point during this conversation, they—specifically Papa—are going to ask when they can expect grandkids.”

Seemingly unperturbed, Adrien just shrugged. “And we say ‘we don’t know yet’. Field the questions. It’s not like we don’t want kids, but neither of us know when the best time would be to start for them. Easy.”

“You say that now,” Marinette grumbled.

Adrien tilted his head, looking a little like a confused puppy.

Cute.

“Is that the wrong answer?”

“No,” Marinette dismissed. “It’s just that you say it so easily.”

“When it comes to your parents, talking with them is easy.”

“Then I’ll let you field those questions,” Marinette said, slipping out of his embrace. “I am going to go shower.”

“Oh, can I come with?” Adrien asked, sparkle in his eye and hope in his voice.

She scoffed, feeling a little bit of heat creep up her neck. “No, because I actually want to shower.”

“So do I.”

“Then wait your turn.”

“Why, though? Can’t I just come with you?”

“I don’t know. Will you behave?”

“I promise!”

Marinette huffed. “Yeah, I know what happened over the honeymoon. I don’t believe you.”

“So cruel,” Adrien said, pantomiming being stabbed in the heart. “It wasn’t like you slipped into the shower against my will two nights ago.”

Marinette paused. She supposed she did do that.

But considering what followed, it was hardly ‘against his will’.

“So…” His smile suddenly turned devious, and Marinette found herself thinking that grin was incredibly hot. “I guess I’ll just have to call ‘fair fair’ and return the favor.”

Okay, whatever you say, Hot Stuff. Do your worst.

She shoved that thought down as quickly as it came up, knowing she had to remain responsible or else they were totally going to miss dinner. She checked the time on her phone, biting her lip in deliberation. “Here’s the deal,” she eventually said. “Set an alarm; we shut this whole thing down with plenty of time to make ourselves presentable before we go over there.”

Adrien looked like a cat that got the cream, and Marinette knew by the racing of her heart that she was in trouble. But she’d realized during her honeymoon that she’d signed up for this.

She’d also realized during the honeymoon that she really didn’t mind.

[jombocostello]

bucciarati gang x reader

Anonymous asked: Hello! Can I get a platonic/ brotherly Bucci gang comforting a member who’s just gone through a breakup with a longtime partner? (May or may not be in this situation and needing some cuddles 🥺) thank you in advance and I hope everything’s good for you!

Yes of course!! I hope you’re feeling better and I hope you enjoy these! My messages are always open if you want to talk too!

Giorno

- Giorno's a soft-spoken guy; in your time with Bucciarati's gang, he's probably the one you know the least about. Still, he's extremely friendly, and the two of you get along really well.

- When you show up to your mission with Giorno with your head dipped and a far-away look in your eyes, he can instantly tell something's wrong. "Are you alright?" he asks you, eyebrows knitted in worry. You just wave a hand and shrug, telling him not to worry and to focus on the mission at hand. Hesitantly, Giorno agrees, though he's not done thinking about this.

- The job goes on without a hitch, and you and Giorno hurry away to the getaway car. As you both hop in and buckle your seatbelts, Giorno looks at you through the rear-view mirror. Your eyes meet his in the reflection for a moment and then you shift them away, frowning.

- "Is there something you want to talk about?" he asks gently. "You can feel free to tell me anything."

- You suck in a deep breath, wincing as your breath shuddered. "...Are you sure? I don't want to bother you," you murmur.

- Giorno reaches out and takes your hand; you're both a little startled by his forwardness. "Of course. It's not a bother."

- You smile a little, but your face doesn't read as very happy. You lean back, your hand still resting loosely in Giorno's. "Okay. Well, I... I ended a long relationship recently. And I don't - I really don't know how to describe how I'm feeling. I just..." Your voice trails off, and Giorno watches as tears up in your eyes. You lower your head and Giorno can see your shoulders shaking.

- Moved by the instant need to make you feel better, he takes your other hand as well. You blink, tears running down your face, and you watch as Giorno rubs his thumbs in circles over your palms. He leans in a little closer to you and smiles faintly. "You're an amazing person, (Y/N). I'll be with you every step of the way through this, alright? I know you can do it."

- You muster up a smile, genuinely touched by Giorno's tenderness. "Thank you. Really." You look away, sniffling. "I'll try."

- Giorno lifts a hand and brushes a tear from your cheek, surprising you. When he brings his hand back to yours, though, he holds a small, pink rose petal. "What you're feeling right now is going to help you grow," he says softly, gingerly placing the petal in your palm. "You're going to come out stronger. And I'll be there to help when you need it."

- You're overcome with emotion; you lean forward and hug Giorno tightly. He's a little startled by this, but he's happy all the same, and he hugs you back. "Thank you," you whisper in his ear. "I'm sorry for springing all this on you right now... We should probably head back."

- "Don't worry," he replies. "You can talk to me about whatever you want." He leans back and starts the car, and as you drive away, he turns to you and smiles widely. You find yourself smiling back.

Bruno

- It's early in the morning when you get a phone call on your cell phone, which is sitting on the other side of your room. Yawning loudly, you roll out of bed and pick it up. Before flipping it open, you briefly glance at the mirror hanging from your wall; you look dead tired. It's no surprise, really... You haven't been sleeping much.

- "...Hello?" Your voice is groggy and you blearily rub your eyes.

- "(Y/N). How are you?"

- Your eyes widen, and subconsciously you fix your posture. It's your boss Bruno, who never calls unless he has important business. "Uh... Hi. I'm alright." The lie rolls off your tongue without a second thought.

- "That's good." Bruno pauses. "I hope I'm not being too forward, but I'd like to go to dinner with you tonight. I can pick you up at seven if that's alright with you."

- "Sure, that would be nice." He pleasantly says goodbye and hangs up, and you set down the phone in mild confusion. That had been the last thing you were expecting. Bruno is your boss, and he's a close friend, too - but he's never asked you out to an excursion like this. You wonder for a moment if it's because he's noticed how out of it you are lately. It's certainly a possibility. You just shrug and get ready for the day, keeping Bruno's invitation in the back of your mind.

- After a day of errands, the time comes, and Bruno arrives at your place in a sleek, classy sports car. He steps out of the driver's seat and circles around the vehicle, opening the passenger door and offering his hand. You smile, a little miffed by his silence so far, and take his hand. After you're both seated, he drives off.

- You wind up at a restaurant that you've never been to before. You'd wanted to try it, but it had always been astronomically fancy and you figured you'd never find the right occasion to go. It seems Bruno is the one who found the perfect time, as he leads you to your table and pulls out your chair.

- Bruno orders a bottle of wine for the both of you, and finally, he turns your way and speaks. "I hope you're not too confused by my sudden invitation," he says, the smile on his face audible in his words.

- "Not at all!" you reply, smiling as well. "Well, maybe a little confused... But certainly not upset. This is wonderful."

- "That's good." Bruno's smile drops a bit, and you watch him closely. "I wanted to see you tonight because I've been a little worried. You haven't been yourself lately, and I just wanted to check up on you. (Y/N), are you alright?"

- You feel your throat tighten before he's even done talking. "I - I, ah..." You can't force yourself to lie. You dip your head a bit, speaking a little sheepishly. "No. Not really."

- Bruno starts to reach across the table but his hand freezes halfway; he's not sure whether he should take your hand. "Well, if you want to talk..." He decides now, and his fingers gently wrap around your palm. "I'm here."

- You suck in a breath, raising your head. "I've just been going through... Well, going through a breakup." Bruno's eyes soften in concern, and you nod slightly. "So it's been hard."

- Your wine arrives suddenly, nearly making you jump. Bruno lets go of your hand to pour you a glass. "I see." He places the glass in front of you and you drink some, thankful to be given a break from talking. Bruno doesn't drink, though, and you frown. "You're important to me, (Y/N). We've known each other for a while and all I want is for you to be happy." You had been the first person to join his team, so you're pretty close.

- You smile, taking a quick sip of wine. "Thank you, Bruno."

- Dinner goes well, and your food is delicious. After the meal, you and Bruno get up and head back to his car. He opens your door and you thank him as you sit down.

- "How was your food?" he asks you as he slides into the driver's seat and starts the car.

- "It was great. Thank you again, this was a really wonderful surprise."

- Bruno smiles gently at you and you've never felt more comfortable. "Of course, (Y/N). I'd love to do this again, any time you like. Alright?"

- You reach out and place your hand over his, and he blinks, looking at you with mild surprise. You just grin and reply, "Alright."

Mista

- As you walk into Libeccio on a bright Sunday morning, you're greeted by only Bruno and Mista. "Hey, guys," you say as you pull out your chair and take a seat. "Where's everyone else?"

- Bruno glances up from the papers that are sitting in front of him to look at you. "Oh, this is just a minor problem that we need to clean up. I figure the three of us will be more than enough to take care of it."

- You nod, crossing your arms over your chest. "Alright." You look over at Mista, who's busy eating garlic bread without a care in the world. "Hey, Mista," you say, and he stops eating to look at you. You grin. "Bet you're glad we don't have anyone else here with us, huh?"

- Instantly Mista nods obnoxiously, and you nearly laugh out loud. "Four people... It's just not for me." You sigh, the remnants of a smile on your face.

- You head out after a quick cup of coffee, and in minutes you've reached your destination. You all pile out of the car, looking around warily at the old, half-collapsed building you've arrived at. "There's nothing to worry about," Bruno says to the two of you. "I just have to go get a document that was left inside by our associate. I need you two to stand guard outside."

- "You got it, Boss," Mista says with a firm salute. You laugh a little at the gesture. Bruno leaves, and that leaves you with the group's resident gunslinger.

- You both summon your stands, and you stand together outside of the building. You're both silent for a while, until the Sex Pistols start whining about being bored. "Shut up!" Mista groans, swatting at them. "We'll be out of here in no time." You really don't have the energy to reassure the little guys, even though you usually do like talking to them.

- Mista seems to notice this, and he glances over at you. "...Hey, (Y/N), are you okay? You seem out of it."

- You shrug. "Uh... It's nothing."

- This tips Mista off to the fact that it absolutely is something. "Really, what's up? You know you can tell me anything. My lips are sealed." He mimes zipping his mouth shut, and you roll your eyes.

- "...Fine." You cross your arms over your chest, sighing. "I... I just broke up with my partner. A few days ago."

- For some reason, you're expecting another wisecrack, but that's not what you get - Mista walks over to you and puts his hand gently on your arm. "I'm sorry to hear that," he says quietly. "It must suck."

- You nearly laugh at his choice of words. "Yeah. It does suck."

- He looks at you for a moment, and then in a quick, casual motion, he wraps his arms around you and squeezes. You blink, completely surprised by this. After a few comfortable moments, he pulls away, then suddenly his eyes go wide. "Shit, I hope that wasn't weird, I - I didn't even think about it and - "

- "No, don't worry," you say, cutting him off. "It was nice of you." You give him a small smile.

- "Oh. Well that's good." You both fall silent again, staring out at the alley before you and looking for any potential enemies. After a few minutes, Mista speaks. "I'm buying you ice cream after this."

- You look over at him, eyebrows raised. "Did you just say you're gonna get me ice cream? What are you, seven?"

- "Shut up!" Mista whines, and you laugh loudly. "Ice cream is good as hell. It'll do wonders for your spirit."

- "Well, I can't argue with that." Your wide grin settles into a little smile, and the two of you stand closely together until Bruno finally arrives.

- You all hop into the car, Bruno at the wheel and the two of you in the back seat. "What's your favorite ice cream flavor?" Mista asks, grinning widely. "Wait - lemme guess. Are you a classic vanilla type?"

- "Uh..." You honestly don't have a favorite, so you decide to humor him. "Sure. Yeah."

- "Hell yeah!" He reaches out and gives you an unprompted high-five, surprising you. "I knew it. I'm a genius." A few moments later, Mista's expression softens. "Hey, listen. I'm really sorry you're going through this. I know it's tough, so... I'll be there for you. Don't hesitate to come to me about anything."

- You'd never expected to see this kind of seriousness from Mista before. "Thanks, man. I appreciate it." And with that, you lean back in your seat, feeling good about the future for the first time in a while.

Narancia

- You hadn't planned on talking about your recent breakup with any of the members of your group, but when Narancia invited you to the local arcade one day, you knew he could tell something was up.

- You meet up with him outside of the glowing building. He stands in front of the doors with an impossibly wide grin and...a bouquet of flowers? "Hey, what the hell is this for?" you say, laughing as you take them. "Seriously."

- "I guess I just wanted to surprise ya! It worked, I guess." He's right; you were surprised. You run the flowers over to your car and gently place them in the back seat, then return to Narancia.

- "So what's the plan?" you ask as you both enter the arcade. The sounds of the seemingly endless games is almost shockingly loud.

- It doesn't seem to phase Narancia in the slightest, though. "Come on! We're playing that dancing game. What's it called...?" He ponders that for less than a second before grabbing your arm and dragging you over to the large game in the back of the room.

- Almost instantly, he's shoved some tokens into the machine and you're all set to dance. "Choose, the song, (Y/N), I know you'll pick a good one!" You can't seem to stop smiling at the utter enthusiasm Narancia's showing, and you pick a relatively easy song.

- You stumble a few times, but after a moment you get the hang of the game. Narancia isn't doing very well - he doesn't seem to feel the rhythm very well - but his energy is more than making up for it. Once the song is over, you see that you've beaten him.

- "I never could've expected that, dude," you say, laughing under your breath. "I mean, don't you choreograph dances and make Mista and Fugo learn them with you?"

- "Yep!" Narancia shrugs. "Guess I was off today. But you beat me!" You wonder if he let you win, but who cares. You appreciate the gesture if that's the case.

- The two of you spend the rest of the day playing every game in the place. Once you're done, you end up with a sizeable pile of tickets, and you decide to spend them on two huge stuffed animals - one for you and one for Narancia, to commemorate this nice day.

- "I really had a good time today!" you say to Narancia as you walk to his car. "Thanks for inviting me, I had a lot of fun."

- "Sure!" Narancia's voice drops a bit, and you raise your eyebrows. "And I hope you feel better soon. I know you haven't been feeling your best, but I know you'll get through it. You're tough as hell, (Y/N), that's why you're on the team!"

- You're really touched by Narancia's words. He doesn't even know what happened, and still his words of comfort are perfect. "Thanks. Hey, I'll see you later, alright?"

- "Yeah." He picks up his stuffed animal and has it wave goodbye, and you snort. He's a pure ball of sunshine, and that's just what you needed.

Abbacchio

- Of all the member's of Bucciarati's squad, Abbacchio is probably the hardest one to talk to. You don't think you've ever held a full conversation with him on your own, and even if you tried, you have a feeling he'd just laugh in your face and walk away. All in all, you're pretty intimidated by him.

- So of course, as fate would have it, the two of you are assigned to take care of some business one late night. You grab a taxi and then walk a ways until you reach your destination.

- Abbacchio is there waiting for you, with his arms crossed over his chest. "You made it," he says, voice dripping with sarcasm, and you wince. This is really the last thing you need right now.

- It's a fairly serious mission before you two: you have to kill non-stand user employees of the boss who have stolen a fairly large sum of money from a neighboring capo. Thankfully, you succeed, though you do make a couple minor mistakes that do nothing for Abbacchio's mood.

- Abbacchio hails a taxi and slides the driver some of the money you've just recovered. "If anyone asks, you never saw us. Alright?" The driver merely nods and gestures for you to get in.

- It's a silent, somber ride. You're too anxious to look at Abbacchio. You're a little embarrassed by the rookie mistakes you made tonight, which you've never done before - but you're going through something pretty big right now and that's probably the reason for them. It's only been a little while since you ended your relationship, and it's been pretty hard coping with it. This situation certainly isn't making it any easier to feel better.

- You get back to Abbacchio's place quickly. You start to wave goodbye as he opens the door and stands up, but he shocks you by grabbing your arm and pulling you out with him. "Come with me," he says lowly. "I just wanna talk for a bit."

- You're terrified. He's almost definitely going to chew you out over your mess-ups tonight. You really can't do anything but nod, and with that he turns around and leads up up to his apartment.

- It's...a lot cozier than you'd expected. There's a lot of artwork up on the walls, and a record player sits on the far side of the room. You wonder what he's been listening to. "Would you like a drink?" he asks, taking out a bottle of red wine.

- "Ah, no thanks." That's oddly hospitable of him, considering he's monumentally pissed off at you right now.

- You watch him put the bottle away and take out a can of coffee grounds. "Coffee, then? I know it's late, but you're probably cold."

- He's right; coffee actually sounds good right now. "Sure, if it's not any trouble."

- He doesn't say anything to that, just gets to making it. Shit - is it trouble? You stand and watch him from the doorway in an anxious silence until finally he's done, and he gestures for you to join him on the couch.

- You sit down and he hands you your coffee. "Cream and sugar?" he asks, and you nod your head.

- "Yeah - both." He quickly grabs your coffee back from you and walks back to the kitchen, then returns with two mugs and sits down next to you. He hands you your drink and you take a sip, careful not to burn yourself. It's perfect for such a chilly night.

- "So." You look up at Abbacchio, whose expression can only be described as...severe. He drinks some coffee then sets down his mug, locking eyes with you. This is about to be horrible. "What's wrong?"

- "Huh?" Did you say that out loud? Did he say that out loud? You blink, trying to parse his question.

- "I can tell you're not feeling well. You never would've made the mistakes you did if you weren't distracted. So what's on your mind?" He pauses, and then adds, "If you're comfortable talking about it."

- "...Oh." You're completely shocked by this twist. Abbacchio's expression doesn't read as severity, it's concern. He knows something's wrong. "Well, yeah. I'm fine with talking about it." Are you? You steel yourself and continue. "I, ah... I just ended a relationship recently. That's all."

- Abbacchio frowns. "I'm sorry." He's silent for a bit, and you're stuck in an awkward little moment with him while he thinks of what to say. "I've been through it too, and I know how hard it is. You can talk to me about it, if you want. Maybe not right now, though - it's pretty late." He's right; it's long past midnight.

- "Alright. Thanks, Abbacchio. I really appreciate it." You quickly finish your coffe and gently set down the mug as you stand. "I should get back home. Thank you again. I would like to talk to you later, if it's okay."

- "Of course." He smiles - you're pretty sure that's the first time you've witnessed him do anything other than scowl. "I don't have good advice, but I'm more than willing to listen."

- You smile back. "Then yeah. I'll take you up on that." You open the door softly. "See you later, Abbacchio. Thanks for the coffee."

Fugo

- Sometimes, Bruno likes to call all of his team members to Libeccio just to share a meal. Today is one of those occasions, and you walk into the back room at the restaurant to find Fugo and Bruno engaged in what seems to be a highly intellectual conversation.

- "Yes, well, there's so many clauses that could apply to - oh, (Y/N)!" Fugo looks over at you and smiles. "Nice to see you."

- "You too." You take a seat next to him and grab the glass of water that's in front of you; there seems to be one for everyone. "Where is everyone? Am I early or something?"

- Fugo sighs. "No, everyone else is just late." You laugh a little under your breath at how seriously disappointed Fugo seems in his teammates; he's always been a bit of a perfectionist. "But whatever. How have you been?"

- Not great, to be honest. "Alright," you answer, quickly sipping your water. "My life's been pretty uneventful. You?"

- Fugo doesn't seem fully convinced by that answer, but he doesn't say anything about it. "The same. Nothing really happening. Bruno, though, is apparently horribly busy."

- Bruno laughs and shakes his head. "That's an overstatement and you know it. I've just been taking care of some paperwork."

- Slowly but surely, the rest of the gang arrives, and you all share a great lunch. Afterwards, you move to leave, but Fugo grabs your arm before you can walk out the door.

- "Hm? What's up?" You turn to him, eyebrows raised.

- "Are you doing anything right now?" he asks rather forwardly. He's not a very timid guy. "If you're not, I was wondering if you'd like to take a little walk, in that park down the street a ways."

- "A... A walk?" It's kind of a weird request, but you're honestly not doing anything. "Yeah, sure." Fugo smiles and leads you out the door towards the nice park.

- Luckily, it's a really nice day out today. It isn't too cool or too warm, and you're dressed perfectly for the occasion. After a short walk, the two of you reach the park. "I haven't been here in a long time," you comment. "Not since before I started working with Passione."

- "Really?" Fugo looks at you in mild disbelief. "That's funny. I come here once every couple weeks. It's nice for calming my nerves, especially after I have to hang around with those stupid assholes." Narancia and Mista had been being particularly dumb today, and Fugo got pretty upset over it. It's just how he is, and you're glad he has something that can brighten his spirits.

- "Do you want to talk?" You blink, looking over at Fugo. He isn't looking at you; instead, he's staring out ahead of him as he walks steadily forward. "I know there's something on your mind. Feel free to talk to me."

- "Oh. So you can read me that well, huh?" you ask, laughing a little. Fugo just nods. "Well... I guess. I've just had a lot on my mind lately."

- "Oh."

- He's not prying at all, and you can tell he'd be alright if you just left it at that, but for some reason you're compelled to continue. "I broke up with my partner. Not too long ago. It's been tough, trying to adjust and everything." You blurt everything out at once, and you're amazed by how good it feels; he's the first person you've told about this.

- "Shit, that's horrible." Fugo seems to realize that you're right next to a bench, so he pauses and sits down. You follow suit. "...I'm really sorry."

- You've never gotten the impression that Fugo's particularly good at talking about feelings, so it really means a lot to you that he's willing to try for this. "Don't apologize," you murmur. "It's not your fault."

- "I know, I just... Going through that must be really difficult." Very hesitantly, Fugo moves to take your hand, and you smile when you feel him do it. "You can tell me if you ever need anything. You're important to our team, (Y/N), and it won't do to have you upset." Realizing that that sounds a little impersonal, he pauses before speaking again. "That is, I want you to be happy."

- Fugo squeezes your hand and you smile a little wider. "Thanks. I will." Fugo's never been so genuine with you, and you're more than grateful. You know you've found the most wonderful group of people, who can help you get through just about anything.

[aomine-ryo]

headcanons or scenarios on GOM + kagami + himuro meeting their s/o's three brothers and an older sister for the first time. these siblings are overprotective of their little sister, to a point wherein they are watching every movement of the boyfriend. btw, i love your writing!!

I’m glad you like my writing :) Sorry this took so long, it was kind of challenging to come up with ideas for this, but it was still fun! Hope you like it xx

Headcanons: GOM + Kagami + Himuro meeting their s/o’s overprotective siblings

Kise

Kise was quite confident about having dinner with your family because parents tend to love him

You tried to warn him that your siblings were overprotective, but he was so sure that they’d like him

Your siblings wouldn’t shut up when they heard that your “model boyfriend” was coming over

“I heard that all teen models are assholes, why do you like him?” one of your older brothers asked

“He’s not an asshole. Be nice when he comes over,” you told him, even though you knew that none of them would listen

The second the doorbell rang, your siblings pounced up

You went to get the door after telling them to stay put, though you felt them lurking around behind you

Kise greeted you with a kiss on the cheek

He wanted to kiss you on the lips but he noticed the eyes that were glaring at him

“You weren’t kidding when you said they were overprotective huh?” he whispered to you as he took his shoes off

Kise wasn’t too nervous though, even with all the eyes on him

He did his best to keep his hands off of you in order to impress your siblings, which was the right call, although you weren’t a fan of it

Everyone sat around the table for dinner, which was practically an interrogation for Kise

He was barely even able to eat because the questions came flying at him one after the other

“How’d you meet Y/N?” “Are you really that good at basketball?” “How long have you been a model?” “Do you really love Y/N?” “Are you good at studies?”

Even your parents began to get tired of hearing your siblings’ questions

Kise answered them all perfectly though, telling them exactly what they wanted to hear

Kise was a very likeable and charming person, so he slowly began to win them over one by one

By the end of the evening, Kise was joking around with them as if they were old friends

You followed Kise outside after he said his goodbyes to your family, promising to text, call, make plans and whatnot with each of your older siblings

“How on earth did you get them to like you?” you asked him, finally able to breathe now that you two were alone

“I told you not to worry. Although I think I might be forced to come over again to hang out with them.”

“Fine by me,” you smiled, before placing a kiss on his lips as a thank you for putting up with everything

Midorima

You had been dating Midorima for only a month when your siblings found out about you two

You tried to keep it a secret from them for as long as possible but they still found out pretty quickly

You invited Midorima to your house for a study date and told him that your siblings would be home

Before Midorima had to go meet them, he made you tell him everything about each one of them

The boy took notes.

When you got home from school with Midorima, you introduced him to your siblings who were all sitting in the living room

You immediately whisked him away to your room before they could scare him away with their questions

Your oldest brother instructed you to keep your bedroom door open

“Are they going to pass by the room every two seconds?” Midorima asked, noticing how each of them would slowly walk past one by one

“What do you guys want?” you called out to them, knowing that they were lurking outside

They piled into your room

“Just making sure that there’s nothing funny going on,” one of your three brothers spoke

“We’re just studying,” you sighed, feeling a headache coming from all this

Midorima seemed to notice this

“I promise you that I’m not going to hurt your sister, but you’re going to give her a headache if you keep this up,” Midorima said to them bluntly, “we have an important test tomorrow, so do you mind if we get to studying?”

Your siblings swayed at Midorima’s forwardness and finally decided to leave you two alone

“Are you feeling okay?” he asked once they were gone

You squeezed his hand and placed a kiss on his cheek as a way of saying thank you

There weren’t many guys who could get your siblings to back off, but thankfully Midorima was one of them

Aomine

You were a bit hesitant to invite Aomine over to meet your siblings

He was a complete softy with you, but you didn’t put it past him to unintentionally get on the bad side of your overprotective siblings

Aomine had already met one of your older brothers in school

Word got around school that the two of you were dating and your older brother immediately hunted down Aomine to scare him

However, Aomine didn’t get scared, he just told him to “back off and mind your own business”

So, Aomine was already in hot water with one of your siblings

You brought him home after school one day because your older siblings were begging to meet him, though neither of you wanted it

After introducing them, the two of you went to the living room to watch a movie

Aomine’s every move was being watched

He didn’t seem to care though, as he put his arm around you and pulled you close to cuddle

The second that happened, the older brother that Aomine had met in school popped into the living room saying, “hey, you two, keep some distance!”

You were about to move away, but Aomine kept you from doing that

“We’re dating; putting my arm around Y/N isn’t going to kill them,” Aomine shot back

After that, your siblings seemed to leave the two of you alone— though they hated his guts

They still kept an eye on you though

When Aomine left, your older sister told you to stay away from him

But you didn’t care too much about what they had to say

You knew Aomine would only ever keep you safe

The two of you agreed that Aomine should never come over while your siblings were over, for the sake of everyone’s peace of mind

Murasakibara

You had invited Murasakibara to come over to try the cheesecake you had made the day before

You completely forgot that that your siblings were home for the holidays

So you were forced to introduce Murasakibara to them

Your boyfriend had met your parents before, and they loved him, but your siblings were still watching him like a hawk

Your sister wasn’t too worried, but your brothers were definitely intimidated by his height

Murasakibara didn’t seem to care though, because he was fixated on the cheesecake you were serving him

“This cheesecake is delicious, Y/N... but could you please tell your brothers to stop staring at me?” Murasakibara requests, feeling put off by their gazes

You told them to go away, but they didn’t budge until your mother intervened and told them to not bother you

(Your mother really liked Murasakibara because he’d always compliment her cooking when he came over)

He didn’t like the way that they were bothering you about your relationship

He offers to “crush them” but you had to stop him and tell him to ignore them

“Now thanks to them, I can’t enjoy this cheesecake”

Over time, your siblings start to warm up to him because they realise that he’s harmless

But Murasakibara still held a grudge for the way they ruined his experience with the cheesecake

Akashi

The first time Akashi met your siblings was at your house when your parents called him over for dinner

He understood that they were quite protective of you because they cared for you

And he did too

However, the way their eyes followed Akashi’s every move was a bit annoying to him

He still maintained his polite composure though

Akashi kept his hands off of you for the most part because he knew that it would set your siblings off and he wanted to win them over

You knew that Akashi was a gentleman, so you didn’t worry too much about him leaving a bad impression

Without doubt, your siblings were soon under Akashi’s spell and thought that he was the perfect boy for you

It was still strange to watch your siblings be so welcoming to Akashi, considering that they disapproved of almost every relationship you were previously in

You were thoroughly surprised when you kissed Akashi’s cheek and they said absolutely nothing about it

“How’d you get them to like you?” you asked him, wondering if Akashi was some sort of wizard

“Did you not want them to like me?”

“No, it’s just that they’ve never liked my boyfriends before,” you admitted

“I guess I’m different then,” he smiled

You thought that you didn’t care what your siblings thought of your relationships, but once you realised that they liked Akashi it was like a weight lifted off your shoulders

You were definitely grateful that they liked him, because it made you sure that you should hold on to Akashi for as long as you could

Kuroko

Before meeting Kuroko, your siblings kept asking you questions about him, concerned for your safety

Kuroko came over one day for tea during one of his walks with Nigou

That was when he met your siblings

The second they saw him with that adorable dog, they immediately knew that Kuroko was harmless

Your older sister got distracted by Nigou and diverted her attention to him instead of you

Your brothers still kept an eye on you though

Kuroko was very polite with them, even when they asked him some not-so-nice questions

“How do you play basketball with that size?” one of your brothers asked

“It’s a bit difficult, but I manage. You should come watch a game sometime so I can show you,” Kuroko said, sipping his tea with a blank expression on his face

It didn’t take them long to end up liking Kuroko

Perhaps it was his innocent eyes or his polite words, or both

But your siblings ended up finding Kuroko to be a sweet boy

Plus they could definitely get used to seeing the adorable Nigou more often

Your siblings still acted tough around Kuroko, but they definitely didn’t mind that he was your boyfriend

Kagami

Your family was very interested in basketball

All of your older siblings, including your sister, played basketball in high school

So when they found out that you were dating a basketball player, they had to meet him

They decided to tag along to one of Kagami’s games and they were definitely impressed by his skills

After the game, you ran up to him and hugged him to congratulate him on the win

Your siblings followed you and glared at you when they saw you all over him, so you quickly pulled away from him

You introduced them to Kagami and they began to act intimidating as if they weren’t in awe during the whole match

They succeeded in making Kagami a bit nervous though; he really wanted them to like him

“You played really well today, they were all so amazed,” you said to Kagami, trying to ease the tension

They eventually began to discuss basketball— the thing that they were all passionate about

Just like clockwork, talking about basketball got your siblings to develop some trust and liking towards Kagami

Within the matter of minutes, one of your brothers was challenging Kagami to a one-on-one as if they were best friends

You knew that Kagami wouldn’t back down from a challenge so you had to step in

“Hey, he just played a game, I don’t think a one-on-one is a good idea,” you said

The two of them reluctantly agreed and decided to have one some other time

Your siblings wanted to head home, but you decided to go get some food with Kagami so they bid their goodbyes

Your oldest brother had to get at least one threat in there, “Take care of Y/N, if you hurt them we’ll hurt you!”

He said it so cheerfully, which was somehow more terrifying

Kagami assured them that he’d keep you safe, and you couldn’t be happier that your siblings were okay with your boyfriend

Himuro

Himuro came over to your house after school to hang out and play some video games

You had completely forgot that your siblings were at home though so you had to introduce him to them

Himuro knew that they were overprotective of you so he tried to joke around with them when you introduced them

However, they didn’t seem to sway at his attempt, which intimidated him

The two of you spent most of your time in your room, playing

The door had to be left open though

Himuro avoided getting too close to you because he felt like he was being watched

Your siblings could often peek in whenever you two would go silent after cheers and yells

And they would just glare at Himuro, which made him really uncomfortable

Himuro was a very patient person, but he started to feel himself get very annoyed by the hostility from your siblings

So when one of your brothers shot him a glance for the fifth time in the past hour, he decided to speak up

Himuro walked over to your door and began to talk to him

“Hey, I understand that you’re just concerned for Y/N, but there’s no need for you to constantly glare at me,” Himuro said to him

Your boyfriend was quite a smooth talker so he managed to convince your brother that he had no bad intentions

And just like that, he earned the respect of your brother

You couldn’t help but give him a kiss when he returned to his seat next to you

“What was that for?”

“Well, I don’t think they’re looking now that you stood up to them.”

An adorable smile spread across his face as he turned back to the TV, going back to the game

Your competitive spirits took over once more and the worries of your siblings watching over you faded away

[honey-dewey]

Memories as Hard as Beskar

Pairing: Din Djarin/Reader

Word Count: 3,627

Warnings: Description of injury, mentions or pregnancy, flashbacks

Permanent Taglist: @phoenixhalliwell

Traveling with Mando had been the best part of your life. For almost three years you’d dedicated your skills as a nurse and mechanic to him and his ship. And he had repaid you in the only way he knew how. Unfortunately, your travels were long gone, halted after you found out you were pregnant. Leaving your beskar protector, you settled down to raise your babies, hoping beyond hope you would never see the man who had once enchanted you.

“Buir? What’s this?” 

You turned, sighing and herding your girls closer to your side. Zhulk and Ono, your twins, were both at that stage where curiosity won over in their minds, and they insisted on checking everything out. Sometimes you didn’t mind, but you knew just how corrupt the galaxy could get, and more often than not, you sought to protect your kids from that horror. 

“On’ika, come here,” you said firmly, tucking Ono to your side. She gripped your skirt, the coarse fabric rubbing against your leggings. You put a hand protectively around her head, smiling to the familiar baker who gave the girls honey buns when you weren’t looking. Even now, she slipped them bites of raisin bread, winking at you.

Zhulk skipped off once you’d grabbed bread, ever the troublesome twin. “Zhul’ika!” You shouted, following after her with Ono by your side. “Zhul’ika you get back here this instant!” 

Zhulk turned, running backwards and sticking her tongue out at you. “Make me!” 

“Oh you little jerk,” you growled, planting Ono with the baker, hitching up your skirt, and racing after your unruly daughter. Zhulk may have been fast, but you had endurance. All those years outrunning bounties would do that to a person, and you couldn’t help but remember the last time you’d been on a chase like this. 

You grinned, feet hitting the ground and sending vibrations up your legs, but the thrill of the chase was enough to help you ignore it. The quarry in front of you, your beskar protector beside you, nothing would ever be able to deter you from this life. 

“Left!” You shouted, signaling to your left. The man beside you began to veer off, taking a shortcut that would lead him to cutting the quarry off. Meanwhile, you kept up the chase, glad your protector had trained you well. 

“Zhul’ika!” You shouted, seeing her turn a corner and pass out of view. “Haar'chak Zhul’ika, get back here!” The instances of the foreign language were second nature by now, a slip up and a tribute at the same time. 

Zhulk turned yet again to run backwards and immediately smacked directly into someone, falling flat on her back. You rushed up, grabbing her by the scruff of her jacket and pulling her to her feet. 

“Are you okay?” You asked, checking her over for injuries. When she nodded, you gave her wrists a light smack. “Or'dinii! You scared me! Don’t ever do that again!” You stood, taking Zhulk and lifting her onto your hip. She gripped your tunic, hiding her face in your shoulder. You smoothed a hand over her hair. “I’m so sorry she ran into you,” you said to whoever she’d crashed into. “She’s young and foolish and.” You stopped, finally looking at the man. 

It was a mandalorian. Pure silver beskar and that faceless helmet, he was so familiar it made your heart hurt. 

“It’s okay,” he promised, before walking off. 

You let out a breath, chest aching. There was no doubt. That had been your Mando. The one you’d trusted, the one you’d loved. The one you’d left. That day, that horrible day, flashed through your mind. 

You pressed a hand over your belly, trying to gauge whether it was bigger or not. Four used tests were scattered around the fresher, each one saying the same thing. 

Positive. 

Sighing, you tried to keep a level head. There was only one possible father, but you could never tell him. He’d probably kill you. 

Smoothing a hand over your bare belly, you smiled, already feeling a gentle maternal instinct burning through your veins. You would already die for the bean in your stomach, and you couldn’t even see it. 

In that moment, it was decided. You gathered your meager belongings from your bunk and left, leaving behind a hectic and happy life for one more stable, more suited to your new status as a parent. 

“Buir?” 

You snapped your head towards Zhulk. “Yes?” 

“Who was that?”

Faltering for a split second, you shook your head, turning to scan for Mando again. “I don’t know cyar’ika. Why don’t we go get Ono and go home, okay?” 

Zhulk buried her head in your shoulder and nodded slowly. Her chase had worn her out, something you were thankful for. Ono was still waiting for you with the baker, and you held her hand tight the entire way home. 

Dinner was a calm affair, with both Ono and Zhulk staying quiet while you walked around in a trance preparing the food. Your hands moved of their own accord, chopping and cooking. Meanwhile, your head was playing back images of your life almost seven years ago. 

“Mando!” You shouted playfully, looking around for your missing mandalorian. “Mando, come here!” 

Mando came out from around the corner, blood still leaking sluggishly from his shoulder. You pat the mattress beside you, inviting him to sit. “C’mon. A broken warrior is no good in a fight. Let me fix you up.” 

Chuckling, Mando sat beside you, stripping out of his shirt and exposing the wound. You expertly sewed it up, smeared it with bacta, and wrapped it in a bandage. 

“How can I ever thank you for what you’ve done?” Mando asked, despite knowing the answer you gave every time. 

“I can think of a few ways,” you purred, pressing a hand to his chest and feeling his heartbeat, wild under your fingers. 

“Buir!” 

You snapped out of your thoughts, nearly cutting the tip of your finger off as the knife in your hands came down. “Yes On’ika?” You said, turning. 

Ono tipped her head. “Are you okay?” 

“Of course.” You smiled, placing the knife down and walking to the table, kissing each of your girls on top of their heads. “I’m going to finish up, okay? Then we can eat. And guess what? There’s uj’alayi for dessert!” 

Both girls smiled, the promise of the cake making them behave while you finished dinner. 

Once they’d eaten and you’d ushered them off to bathe away the uj’ayl syrup residue, you were finally able to relax. Unfortunately, relaxing always brought back the memories. The memories of him. 

“Cyar’ika,” he said softly, playing with the hair that fell over your exposed ear. “Cyar’ika, are you still awake?” 

You nodded, turning in the absolute darkness to find your mandalorian. “Barely. Why?” 

Mando shrugged, you feeling his shoulder move beneath your ear. “Can’t sleep.” 

Sighing, you traced a pattern into Mando’s bare chest, occasionally feeling the soft edge of the bandage on his arm. “Close your eyes my love. I’ll be here when you wake, as always.” 

The sound of your girls wishing you goodnight pulled you from your reminiscing. You echoed their words, feeling a soft tug on your heart. Everything you’d ever done was to protect them, to keep them blissfully unaware of the life you’d led and the danger that faced them. You followed the girls into their room, tucking both of them in with a smile. “Sweet dreams,” you said softly. 

“Buir?” Ono asked. “Can you tell us a story?” 

“Yeah!” Zhulk agreed. “Something exciting.” 

You smiled, settling down on Ono’s bed and gesturing Zhulk close. “Something exciting? How about a story about me?” 

“We said exciting!” Zhulk pointed out, cuddling to your side. 

“My life was exciting!” You argued playfully. “This is how your Buir met the scariest man they’d ever met.” 

You launched into the story, making it PG so as not to scare the girls. It was a true story, but not how you met the scariest man you’d ever met. Oh no, this was the story of how you met your mandalorian. 

Alarms blared from every angle as you raced down the dingy corridors and navigated flawlessly to the med bay. The station had never been this alive, not even when men had been dying. The injured person must’ve been important. 

You skidded to a stop in the med bay, seeing a man you’d only ever heard about laying on one of your cots. The beskar killer. The mandalorian. 

Ran had only ever spoken about the Mando briefly, and it was mostly to tell you he was dangerous and very good at his job. Now, he was bleeding out, and you were the only nurse on board the entire damned station. 

Swearing violently, you moved automatically, prepping as if this were any other patient. You wheeled Mando into an operating room, transferring him to the rubber OR table and turning to get yourself ready. Gloves, a black apron, and a mask over your mouth and nose was all you were able to manage before turning back to your patient. 

The stories about Mando persisted, despite your adrenaline. Never removed his helmet, not ever, and he resented droids. You wanted to ask him if the helmet rule applied to the rest of his armor, but you didn’t have time and he wasn’t exactly conscious. Instead, you set up a scanner to scan his head and look for injuries behind the beskar. Typically, you’d have a medical droid around to help, but said droid was still outside the room. You didn’t want any more reason for Mando to kill you when he came to. 

Piling the armor in a haphazard stack, you cut Mando out of the rest of his clothes, tossing the heap of bloodstained fabric into a bag. Leaving him in his underwear, you took a quick catalog of injuries. His leg was cut down to the bone just above the knee, his ribs were clearly broken, both his arms sported heavy burns from the elbows down, and according to the scanner, he was concussed. Aside from the severe, he had some small scrapes that added to the mess he was making and the blood that was starting to drip onto the floor. 

You began with the worst of the injuries. It took some serious reconstruction to put Mando’s leg back together in a way that would remain functional, but you did it. Finally stitching his skin together and spraying the injury with bacta, you wrapped it in a bandage and smeared your bloodied glove on the scanner’s assessment bank. It trilled and whirred while you checked for pneumothorax. Thankfully, the broken ribs hadn’t punctured a lung, so you moved on to assess the damage level, praying you wouldn’t actually have to cut Mando open. 

The scanner trilled again, displaying Mando’s blood type. You grabbed a blood bag and a pain reliever, hanging both on an IV hook and finding a vein. It was quick work, and you were suddenly less scared you would accidentally kill Mando as you watched his vitals stabilize somewhat. 

You continued your exam of the broken ribs, deeming the break not serious. It was a relief, despite how much pain Mando must’ve been in. At least you wouldn’t have to cut into him to put his ribs back together yourself. 

Moving on to the burns, those were easy enough to treat. A strong burn cream mixed with bacta to help accelerate the healing, and you were methodically wrapping Mando’s arms in bandages. 

His concussion was another thing entirely. You know you had to leave it alone, just like his ribs, but without examining his head fully, you had no idea how severe the injury was. 

You stepped back, looking down. You were absolutely disgusting, bloody from fingertips to shoes. You sighed, replacing your gloves and removing your mask. Grabbing a sponge, you carefully began to clean Mando down, wiping away the blood and eventually working his limp body into a fabric medical gown. Laying him back down on the rolling table, you sighed yet again. Today had been too long. You needed a break. 

Gripping the bed sheets, you blinked tears from your eyes. Both your girls were long asleep, cuddled up to your body. You lifted Zhulk out of Ono’s bed and put her in her own, tucking the blankets around her and pressing one last kiss to her forehead before you went to go get some sleep yourself. 

You had a blissfully dreamless sleep. Usually when you remembered meeting Mando, you dreamt about helping him escape with the Razor Crest, you alongside him as you flew away from a horrible life and into one that you could be proud of living. 

Now, ten years later, you had to wonder if you were actually proud of what you’d done. 

The morning came quickly, and you got ready to walk the girls to school. They were both waiting in the kitchen, yawning and rubbing their eyes. 

“Good morning!” You said cheerily, putting two bowls of cereal on the table. “Who’s ready for school?” 

Neither of your girls answered. Instead, they just ate slowly, which was to be expected this early in the morning. 

Thankfully, they woke up a bit more by the time you had to leave, ushering them out the door and towards the school. 

You never made it. 

Instead, you were interrupted by blaster fire and screaming, your old instincts forcing you to herd Zhulk and Ono into a building, putting yourself between the outside and the door. You had no blaster, but you wouldn’t let anyone hurt your girls. Not without killing you first

Unsurprisingly, Mando came skidding around a bend, spotting you and, likely on instinct, grabbing your hand and forcing you to run beside him. You followed, despite your want to stay behind. “Let me go!” You yelled, taking a sharp turn and yanking Mando along with you. “My kids! I have to protect them!” 

“They’ll be fine!” Mando shouted back, holding his arm protectively across his chest. 

“Dammit Mando! They’re in danger!” You took another turn, backtracking until you were at the back door of the building you’d put Zhulk and Ono into. Breathing heavy, you shoved the door open and slammed it shut just in time. 

“Buir? Is that you?” 

You let go of Mando’s hand, kneeling down to wrap your girls in a firm hug. “It’s me. We’re safe here ner ade. We’re safe.” 

“Who’s that?” Ono asked once you’d let her go. 

“Oh.” You’d almost forgotten Mando was behind you. “This is a very old friend of mine.” 

You could feel the twist in your gut at the word friend. He’d been so much more at one point, and yet, you’d abandoned that bond for a word as simple as friend. 

Mando sighed, falling into a wayward chair, and you were finally able to look around. The building was an old cantina, and you ushered the girls into a booth before pulling a chair up beside Mando. 

“You left.” Was all he said after a minute of crushing silence. 

“I did,” you agreed quietly. 

Mando glanced at Zhulk and Ono, who were playing a card game on the table. “I take it they’re the reason.” 

“That life was no life for a child,” you confirmed. 

Another longer stare, and then the question you’d been dreading was finally asked. 

“Who’s the father?” 

Before you could find a way to respond, blaster fire echoed throughout the cantina. Mando jumped to his feet, shoving a bag into your chest. “I’ll get this from you later, just go!” 

You slung the bag across your back, took your girl’s hands, and began to run. 

It was a long trip home. You went the confusing route, throwing anyone off your tail if you had been followed. Eventually, you ushered the girls into your house, locking the door and settling in the living room. 

Which was when you noticed the squealing. 

The bag on your back was moving, small squeals and general noises of discomfort coming out. You opened the flap, immediately cooing and lifting the small green baby out of the bag. “Oh look at you,” you said sweetly, fingers ghosting over a small wound on the baby’s head. “Let’s get that all fixed up, okay?” 

You were as gentle as possible with the baby, eventually putting him between Zhulk and Ono on the couch, tucking the three children beneath a blanket and heading off to find your blaster. It was old and probably needed to be adjusted, but it would protect you well. 

Hours later, a familiar knock echoed through the house. You jumped up, opening the door and revealing Mando on your doorstep. You pulled him in and locked the door behind him. 

“Kitchen, now,” you directed, falling into an old pattern despite the years. Mando followed you, sitting in a kitchen chair and allowing you to check him over, tsking as you patched a wayward injury on his forearm. He was quiet, removing his armor and making himself at home. 

“Where’s the child?” He asked finally, once you’d put the first aid kit away. 

“With the girls,” you said. “Safe.” 

Mando stood. “Those girls. Why didn’t you tell me? I could’ve helped. It would’ve,” he paused, trying to find the words. “It would’ve made me feel better to know you were safe.” 

“Dammit Mando!” You hissed, trying to keep quiet. “You think I didn’t want to? To call you and ask you to pick me up? The girls, Maker, those girls never needed a life like that, but I did! I always did!” 

“So why’d you go?” Mando asked, coming close and placing his warm hands against your arms. “Why’d you leave?” 

You sniffled, unaware that you’d started crying. “Can’t you see? They look nothing like me Mando. Don’t tell me you’re that dull.” 

“I want to hear you say it.” 

You took a breath. “They’re yours Mando. You’re the father.” 

Despite seemingly already knowing, Mando was dead silent for a while, simply pressing the cold of his beskar against the warm of your forehead. Eventually, he pulled the helmet off in one swift movement and kissed you, running a hand down your back and securing you close to him. When he pulled away, you were met with familiar brown eyes, eyes he had passed on to his kids. 

“Oh lord,” you muttered, tracing his features with one finger. “I always knew they looked like you, but this is scary.” 

“I know,” Mando murmured. “I’m sorry I never came back for you.” 

“I’m sorry I left in the first place.” 

Mando chuckled. “I guess we should start over. Hello, I’m Din Djarin.” 

You laughed. “Hello Din. I am madly in love with you.” 

“Feeling’s mutual,” Din promised, kissing you again. 

“Buir?” 

You practically shoved Din away, whirling to find Zhulk and Ono, holding the baby, standing in the kitchen’s entry. “Hey. Why aren’t you asleep?” 

“We heard a noise,” Zhulk said, looking up at Din. “Is he really just a friend?” 

You knelt down, pulling the girls close. “You know how I told you many years ago that your other Buir wasn’t around anymore. That it was only ever going to be me.” 

Both girls nodded. 

“Well, that’s your other Buir.” You gestured to Din. “He’s a mandalorian, a very dangerous kind of person.” 

Neither of them seemed fazed by that. Instead, they immediately accepted this new reality and left to go play a game. You stood, marveling at how easy that was. “Such is the mind of a child, I guess,” you mumbled. “Anyway, Din, why don’t we get caught up. I’ve got some uj’alayi, if you still like it.” 

The rest of your day and most of your night passed in a blur of information and conversation. Din told you about the Child, and you told him about your girls. 

“I’ve been quested to bring him to his kind,” Din said when you asked him about his plans for the future. “I know I can’t ask you to come with me. My quest is dangerous, more dangerous than my life before. It would put you and the girls at risk every day.” 

You took his hand. “Din. I’m sure we could stay safe somehow.” 

-two years later-

You smiled, watching Zhulk and Ono run around with Grogu. You and Din were staying with the Jedi who’d taken Grogu a year ago, simply visiting for the week. Your swollen belly prevented you from doing much besides watching, the next addition to your family ready to arrive any day now. 

“Mesh’la?” Din came up behind you, putting a hand on your aching back. You smiled, kissing him as he bent down. 

“Yes?” 

“Have you decided on a name? He won’t stay in there forever, you know,” Din joked, kneeling down to kiss the swell of your stomach. 

You laughed, reaching down to card through your riduur’s hair. “How does Jullat sound? I liked that one best.” 

“Jullat Djarin,” Din mused, standing and putting an arm around your waist. “I like it.” 

Jullat, as if sensing that this was a precious moment, began to kick. You laughed, pressing a hand to your belly. “Yes my little Jull’ika, I know. You’re just as ready as I am.” 

Din smiled. “I’m so proud of you,” he said, kissing your cheek. “So very proud.” 

You rubbed your hand over your belly, looking out over your life now. What had once been a lonely clan of three with a single parent hiding from their past was now a beautiful clan of almost six, all together. Remembering Din’s wedding vows, you pressed yourself to his side to get his attention. “We will raise warriors,” you murmured, watching Zhulk chase Ono around. “Do you think we succeeded?” 

Din nodded, kissing the top of your head. “I think we did.” 

“Buir! Come here!” Ono shouted, passing by you. “Zhulk’s trying to kill me!” 

You chuckled, nudging Din. “That’s your cue,” you reminded. Din smiled and walked off to give Ono the advantage in their game. You sat on a stone, watching your family, all together, as it should be.

[baddestbitchcas]

Falling For You

Word count: 3.7k

Summary: Fluffy as hell and Dean and Cas go ice skating. It’s a beautiful afternoon. Enjoy :))

Also on ao3 here

—————————

Around 10:00 am, Dean finally stirred awake. Keeping his eyes closed, trying to hang onto the remnants of sleep, he rolled over and searched the sheets beside him. Instead of finding the warmth he was looking for, the bed next to him was cool and empty. He grumbled to himself; Cas must have gotten up already. Damn, he loved waking up next to the angel and spending his first few moments of the day cuddled up to him. Well, just because Cas wasn’t here didn’t mean he wasn’t close by. With a light-hearted sigh, Dean finally opened his eyes and swung his feet to the floor. He pulled on a pair of sweats and padded out of his room to find Cas. Instantly, he was hit with the smell of fresh coffee. Ah, Cas. He grinned as he turned the corner into the kitchen. Cas was leaning against the counter, sipping from a mug of steaming hot coffee. He smiled lovingly at Dean, and for a moment the hunter just stood there, drinking in the sight before him. Cas was so beautiful in the mornings. His hair was messy and sticking up in the back, and his eyes were soft and peaceful. He wore a soft, threadbare shirt that had belonged to Dean, and a pair of his pyjama pants hung loosely off his hips. Dean’s eyes fell to the bit of tan skin that jutted out at his hip, and his breath hitched slightly in his throat.

“Morning, sunshine,” he smiled at the angel and he crossed the room to kiss him. “You look beautiful. Mornings suit you,” he mused before pressing their lips together. Cas blushed and ran his free hand along Dean’s bare chest.

“They suit you as well, Dean,” the angel said, moving his hand up to tug on Dean’s bedhead.

“Mmph,” Dean mumbled. He was still half asleep. As if reading his mind, Cas pulled a second mug of coffee seemingly out of nowhere and handed it to Dean. He took it appreciatively, and brought it to his lips. The coffee was perfect- Cas always knew how to make it just right. He grabbed Cas’ hand and led him into the next room and onto the couch. They sat next to each other, silently sipping their drinks, fingers still laced between them. It was a few minutes before either of them spoke- they were content to just enjoy each other’s company, and Cas was giving Dean the chance to fully wake up. When Dean finished his drink he sat the mug on the table beside him and pulled Cas into his arms. Cas, still slowly sipping his coffee, savouring it’s warmth, pulled his legs up and leaned into the hunter’s chest.

“Okay,” Dean chuckled, ‘I’m awake for real now,” he planted a kiss in Cas’ hair. “How was your night?”

“Pleasant. I spent it laying next to you,” Cas said, smiling up at Dean. “You were very peaceful in your sleep last night. Were you dreaming?”

“Nah. If I was, I don’t remember it,” Dean replied, “I don’t usually remember my dreams. Only the important ones.” He felt his cheeks redden, and he was glad the angel was momentarily distracted taking another sip.

“What are the ‘important ones’ about?” Cas asked, and Dean could feel his head tilt against his chest. He grinned. He wasn’t really embarrassed- it was Cas afterall.

“You,” he punctuated his statement with another kiss on the top of Cas’ head.

“You dream of me?” Cas’ voice was quiet.

“Of course, Angel,” Dean chuckled. “What else would I dream about?” Cas hummed, but left it at that. “What do you do all night anyway? Just watch me sleep?”

“I think, mostly. It’s comforting, being in your presence. Peaceful,” Cas said, nuzzling deeper into Dean’s chest.

“What do you think about?”

“You,” Cas answered just as simply as Dean had, causing the hunter to chuckle.

“Glad we’re on the same page then,” he grinned. “Hey, let’s do something today!” Cas shuffled so he was sitting up and looking at Dean. He smiled back.

“Okay! Like what?” his eyes were lit up at the prospect of spending the day with Dean. They weren’t working on any cases right now, and Sam and Eileen were spending the weekend visiting friends. They had the place to themselves with no obligations standing in the way- a chance they hardly ever got.

“Well, I had one idea…” Dean bit his bottom lip, he had no idea if Cas was going to go for this. “But if you breathe a word of this to Sammy, I’ll be pissed.”

“What is it?” Cas asked curiously, tilting his head again.

“Okay, well you know the pond behind the bunker?” he started, as Cas nodded. “I noticed the other day it looked frozen over.” Cas grinned as he realized where Dean was going with this.

“Dean, would you like to go ice skating?”

“I just think you would enjoy it, that’s all,” Dean mumbled, but he couldn’t fight off his own grin.

“I would enjoy that very much. Is this a date?” Cas wondered.

“Sure, I guess it kind of is,” Dean laughed.

“Do we need to get dressed up?”

“No, babe. It’s not a fancy date. Just ice skating, being outdoors together. We can hold hands and fall together,” Dean leaned over and kissed the angel’s cheek, “We should probably wear something warmer, though. Don’t want to freeze,” he said, pulling on Cas’ thin shirt.

“I told you, angels don’t feel cold, Dean,” Cas stated.

“Still, if I’m gonna be all bundled up, you are too.”

“That seems fair,” Cas agreed, getting up off the couch. Dean stood too, and they walked hand in hand back to their room.

Dean crossed the room and pulled open his dresser, rooting through the piles of clothes. When he looked up, Cas was pulling on his normal white dress shirt.

“Hey hey hey,” Dean straightened up quickly, “Not that one.”

“Not what one?”

“Not that shirt, I said I was gonna bundle you up,” Dean grinned.

“Is bundling me up code for playing dress-up, Dean?” Cas asked teasingly.

“W-what? I don’t play- I don’t play dress up,” Dean sputtered, face turning pink, “That’s not what this is at all,” he cleared his throat.

“Dean,” Cas smiled warmly, “I like it when you dress me up.”

“Really?” Dean asked, his eyes narrowing.

“Yes. I think it’s sweet,” Cas stated. Something about his matter-of-fact tone settled Dean.

“Okay fine, yes. Sometimes I like to see you in not your usual get up. What can I say? You’re hot.” It was Cas’ turn to blush, and Dean’s lips stretched into a grin. He walked over to the angel, and tugged his dress shirt back off, pausing to press his lips to the other’s collarbone. Cas sucked his breath in and a hum bubbled in the back of his throat. Dean grinned again and thrust something soft into Cas’ arms.

“Put these on,” he said as he took a step back, giving the angel space to change. He walked back to the dresser to pick out his own clothes. He grabbed a plain t shirt and pulled it over his head, followed by his warmest flannel made up of red plaid. He tugged on a pair of thick blue jeans, and when he finished buttoning them up, he glanced at Cas. He was wearing a similar flannel shirt to Dean’s, but his was made up of blues and greens. All the buttons were done up except the top two, so Dean could see the slight dip in his chest where his collarbones met. He also wore another pair of Dean’s jeans, the denim snug against his hips. He looked good. Dean let out a soft growl of appreciation as he took in Cas.

“Fuck,” he murmured, “You look so great wearing my clothes.” He stepped closer to the angel, hooking his fingers into the other’s belt loops. He tugged and Cas staggered forward until Dean caught him in his arms. He smashed their lips together, and for a moment just savoured Cas. He would never get tired of this. After a while, they separated, both panting slightly. As much as they both wanted to stay like this forever, they had a date to get to.

“Come on, Angel,” Dean said, grabbing Cas’ hand and pulling him from the room. “We need a couple more things.” They wandered down the hall, finally reaching a storage closet. Dean opened the door and pulled down the box he was looking for. He opened it and sifted through its contents. “Perfect!” he exclaimed, pulling out two wool hats, two scarves, and two sets of thick mittens.

“Dean, is this really necessary?” Cas questioned as he took his half of things.

“It’s all about the experience, babe,” he replied, kissing Cas swiftly on the cheek. They grabbed a couple jackets to finish bundling up and Dean pulled two sets of skates out of the same closet. He grinned at the angel, “C’mon, you’re gonna love this.”

They made their way outside and down the familiar path, through the trees to the pond. As the pond came into view, Dean’s heart sunk. Cas noticed the frown on his face and stopped suddenly.

“What is it? What’s wrong?” he asked frantically.

“I don’t think the ice is thick enough… I don’t think we’ll be able to skate,” Dean said, trying not to sound too upset.

“Oh,” Cas replied shortly. He paused, then let go of Dean’s hand to walk towards the pond. He crouched at the shore and rested his palm against the melting ice. Instantly the ice visibly hardened. Dean was confused until he saw the small glimmer radiating from Cas, almost invisible in the sunlight. He was using his grace to freeze the ice- and smooth it out from the looks of things. The pond was now glistening in the sun, smooth and polished like a mirror. The scene was breathtaking. Cas stood up slowly and turned to face Dean, a smile spreading wide across his face.

“Is this acceptable?” He asked cheekily.

“Cas, man. You’re amazing,” Dean grinned back. How lucky was he? They found a rock to sit on as they did up their skates, Dean helping Cas into his. As he stood to balance on his, he looked down and realized Cas had never done this before. Cas looked up at him nervously. “Okay, stand up, and make sure you balance on the center of your feet. You’ll be okay, I’ve got you.” He pulled the angel to his feet, and they both wobbled for a second. “If it makes you feel better, I haven’t done this in a million years. Bobby used to have a pond that froze in the winters, so sometimes when Dad would leave me and Sammy there we’d do this. But I was, like, 8. I don’t really know how,” he chuckled, and they wobbled again. Maybe this wasn’t a great idea. Cas sensed his wavering courage.

“It’s okay, Dean. I’ve got you,” he parroted Dean.

“At least if we fall, we’ll fall together,” Dean laughed. Even if this was a terrible idea, it was sure to be fun. They each drew in a breath and took a step out onto the ice, mittened hands holding tightly onto each other. So far so good. “Okay,” Dean let out a cautious breath, “Now you just sort of...glide your feet…”

“Like this?” asked Cas, as he imitated Dean perfectly.

“That’s it! You got it!” Dean praised. Of course Cas was good at this, he was an angel. But as soon as that thought had come into his head, he felt himself being yanked downwards. Cas had fallen and taken him with. They both exclaimed as they hit the cold surface. Cas grumbled and Dean laughed.

“Dean, I’m sorry,” Cas said hurriedly, “Did I hurt you?”

“Nah, I’m alright, don’t worry about me,” Dean placed a quick kiss on Cas’ pink cheeks to show he was fine, “Let’s try again,” he said, pulling the angel back to his feet.

“Dean, I don’t want to hurt you. Maybe we should not hold hands-”

“No!” Dean exclaimed, “this is a date, we’re holding hands.”

“But if I fall again, you’ll fall too,” Cas pointed out.

“Well, that’s a risk I’m willing to take, come on,” he pulled on the angel’s hand and they started again. Surely enough, a few moments later they were back on the frozen ground. This time Dean winced, and even as he tried to hide it Cas noticed. He grumbled, and Dean could tell he was upset. “Hey, it’s okay,” he whispered, bringing his hand up to cup Cas’ face. The motion was awkward because of the giant mitten covering his hand, but it was sweet nonetheless.

“I don’t want you to get hurt,” Cas whispered back, defeated. He sat there for a minute, staring at the ice. All of a sudden, his eyes snapped up to meet Dean’s gaze and a smile spread across his face. Determination flooded his eyes and he leapt to his feet, bringing Dean with him. Now it was Dean’s turn to stumble, the sudden movement catching him off guard.

“Fuck!” he blurted out, losing his balance. Cas was quick though, and caught him before he landed back on the ground.

“I will not let you fall again today,” he soothed, still holding onto Dean inches above the ground.

“Oh yeah?” Dean asked breathlessly, lost in Cas’ gaze. “How’re you gonna do that?”

“I have an idea,” Cas mewed, but he didn’t explain. Instead he simply pulled Dean to his feet. “Okay, let’s go again. I’m ready this time.” Dean didn’t move. He could see how determined the angel was, and he didn’t want his spirit broken when they inevitably fell again.

“Cas, we’re both still very new at this. We’re probably gonna fall again-”

“We won’t fall,” Cas interrupted.

“Well I love your enthusiasm, but Cas-”

“Dean,” Cas seemed to look directly into his soul and Dean’s breath hitched. “Trust me.” And that was all it took. Of course Dean trusted Cas. And hey, if the angel said they weren’t going to fall, maybe they wouldn’t. Dean squeezed Cas’ hand and off they went, gliding over the smooth surface. At first, Dean didn’t notice anything different besides the lack of falling. Suddenly skating seemed a lot easier, and they were gliding along the ice at a steady pace. Now Cas was the one supporting Dean, holding him up and pulling him along. At the change in dynamic Dean allowed himself to not just look straight ahead, but take in his surroundings. The glint of the sun hitting the ice, the peace of the still forest at the edges of the pond. The way the light shone in Cas’ stunning blue eyes and painted streaks in his hair, and how it cascaded down his wings- Wait, WINGS?

“Cas-” Dean spluttered, stopping suddenly and almost falling again. Like he promised, Cas caught him- although this time not with his arms, but with a giant wing.

“Yes, Dean?” Cas asked innocently, a smirk dancing on his lips. Dean didn’t know what to say, so he simply stood back up. He placed a kiss on Cas’ mouth and looked back at the incredible sight behind him. Stretched out impossibly wide behind him were two beautiful, midnight coloured wings. They were dark but somehow rainbows bounced off of them in the sunlight. Glistening oil slick hues twisted down the feathers in an intricate fashion. They seemed to absorb and radiate light at the same time, a subtle glow bouncing off of them, scattering prisms all around them. They were the most stunning thing Dean had ever seen. He was awestruck, dumbfounded, and overwhelmingly in love with the gorgeous creature in front of him.

“Cas,” he muttered again, “you’re beautiful.” There was so much more he wanted to say, but he couldn’t find the words. The sight of Cas’ wings, part of his true form… This was more intimate than anything he could dream of. This proved the bond between them and solidified Dean’s already concrete feelings. If it was even possible for him to fall more in love, it was happening right now. He felt years of thoughts and feelings bubbling in his chest, and tears sprung to his eyes. Jesus. This was supposed to be a light hearted date, and here he was crying. He let out a slow breath, and hoped Cas could somehow understand all the emotions radiating from him right now.

“I love you,” he whispered, looking into the angel’s deep blue eyes.

“I love you too,” Cas whispered back, leaving it at that. As Dean had wished, he could feel the longing coming from the hunter. They didn’t need to say anything else, they both knew.

With that, they kept going, skating circles around the frozen pond. As it got later in the afternoon the sun began to set, throwing blazing light over everything. The glassy pond glowed golden beneath their feet, and what the sun was doing to Cas’ wings… Dean needed a moment to soak it all in. He told Cas his feet were getting sore, which was the truth, and went to sit on the rock from earlier. He insisted Cas continue without him- he was enjoying himself too much and Dean wanted to watch him.

Cas guided him to the edge of the pond and placed a soft kiss on Dean’s lips before allowing him to sit. Once he was sure Dean was situated he took off rapidly towards the center of the pond. Dean watched in awe, Cas was graceful. He flew around the ice, sometimes quickly but often taking his time, enjoying the moment, always with his wings fluttering out behind him. As he built up confidence he allowed his wings to move a little more. Aware of Dean’s eyes on him he showed off a little, feathers dancing smoothly in the wind. They maintained his balance while swirling around in the air, casting rainbows as they moved. Between the golden shine of the ice and the light bouncing endless colours off his feathers, the scene didn’t look real. To Dean, it looked like a dream, or maybe Heaven- angel and all. Cas was getting into the movements, adding spins and twists to his laps. Dean watched the love of his life enjoy himself and thought about how free he looked. The thought brought tears back to his eyes- if anyone deserved this it was Cas. Suddenly he couldn’t bear to be so far away. He stood up shakily and began skating towards his boyfriend, a lot less gracefully than Cas. The angel noticed him and met him in the middle, pulling him into his arms and wrapping his wings around both of them. They stared at each other for a moment, drinking in the beauty of one another in the glory of the sunset.

“You’re beautiful,” Dean murmured, resting their foreheads together.

“I’m nothing next to you. God’s perfect creation,” Cas whispered back.

“Says the angel,” Dean chuckles, uneasy from the compliment.

“I mean it, Dean. In this moment,” Cas gestured and looked all around them, “in this moment, there is nothing more perfect than you.” He lifted his hand, which Dean noticed no longer had a mitten on it, and used his fingers to delicately trace the freckles on Dean’s face. They stood there for another moment, drinking in each other, Cas continuing to go over ever detail on Dean’s face.

Dean didn’t know what to say, so he crashed his lips against the angel’s. He had passion searing through his body, lighting up every nerve. Being here, in the beauty of his angel, love of his life, surrounded by peace and perfection, with not a damn worry in his mind… Hearing Cas say those beautiful words to him… For the first time in his life, he was really and truly and contentedly happy. He was wrapped in the wings and arms of his lover, and he was safe. Nothing could touch them now.

“I love you, Cas.”

“I love you too, Dean.”

They remained there for a while, enjoying each other, sometimes kissing and sometimes just listening to each other breathe. Cas pulled Dean along and they skated a few more laps around the frozen pond. Dean let Cas lead, enjoying his angel taking control. Only when Dean began to shiver did they stop. The sun was now hidden behind the trees and it was darker; Cas’ wings were no longer throwing prisms but instead appeared to be a deep onyx colour- inky black in the dim light. And suddenly, Dean blinked and they were gone, just like that.

“You’re cold,” Cas stated, bringing his hand up to rest against Dean’s bright red cheek.

“Well yeah, we’ve been out here all day,” Dean chuckled, “I don’t know how long I can keep this up, I’m already gonna be sore tomorrow as is.”

“Come on, let’s get you inside,” Cas said, leaning in to brush a soft kiss against Dean’s frozen lips. He shivered- partially from the cold, but mostly from the feeling of Cas’ lips on his. They began gliding towards the edge of the pond and back towards the rock but as they reached their destination they both toppled backward and landed on the ice. Without the help of Cas’ wings they had fallen again, but this time they both laughed.

“I think we got over confident,” Dean smiled, “come on, we’re almost there.” They- cautiously this time- made their way the few more steps to the rock and planted themselves firmly, taking a few minutes to pull off their skates. Before Dean could get his boots back on Cas was holding his feet in his hands, rubbing soothing circles on the bottoms. Suddenly they didn’t hurt as bad.

“Let’s go inside and have a nice hot bath,” Cas murmured, looking up at Dean through his thick lashes. “It’ll help with the cold and the soreness.”

“Whatever you want, Cas,” Dean grinned. A steaming bubble bath with his angel sounded like the perfect ending to this day. “Let’s go,” he pressed their lips together, savouring the lingering cold before lacing their hands together and making their way back to the bunker, leaving the perfect afternoon behind.

[prose-for-hire]

My heart lives in Texas

[A late (and final) 12 days of Christmas fic]

Pairing: Fred x fem!reader

Request: Can you please write something with a female reader from a different country thats friends with and crushing on Fred and she can’t afford to go back to her home country to visit her family so Fred invites her to come to Texas with her to see Freds family or something?

Requested by: Anon

Warning: Mention of homophobia.

You had moved to the U.S. from your home country a year or so ago. It had been quite an adjustment at first. Angel investigations had taken you on once they realised you were fluent in several demon-languages. You had studied extensively when you lived back home.

You arrived at a similar time as Fred returned from Pylea. You bonded instantly. Fred was a sweetheart, and you adjusted back into life together. She leaned on you, she trusted you instantly. There was a calming aura around you and ever since she returned she leaned on you. You became close friends.

You both moved into Angel’s hotel and spent most days and nights together. You whispered through your traumas, comforting each other. You would often share a bed, cuddling together. So close with her arms draped around you.

You told each other it was platonic, it was because you needed each other. Cared about each other. You could only sleep so long as the other was in bed beside you.

But you both had feelings growing inside. Such deep and unending feeling they made you dizzy. Neither of you spoke of the way you felt, because things may change. And change frightened you both. Because you had gotten comfortable in your routine. In the way that you lived now, together.

Your friends tried to nudge you into speaking about your feelings, everyone knew that you were in love. It was plain as day.

Angel had asked you to come into his office. It was coming up to Christmas and everyone was discussing their plans in the main room. Fred was talking about going back to her parent’s house which is something she hadn’t been able to do in a long while.

“Y/n, I’m only asking you in here ‘cause we’re friends… right?” he added that on the end a little unsure and you nodded with a little smile.

“Right!” You assured him with a small smile.

“I’m not great with advice, but I just wanted to say somethin’. If you, uh, don’t mind” He started, you and Angel had become close and he wanted his friends to be happy, “You and Fred, you’re meant for each other. I’ve seen a lot and it’s not often you find something like you have with her”

“You can all tell, can’t you? That I like her?”

“We can tell you love each other. Go for it, at least some of us deserve to be happy” He murmured, alluding to the low mood of the rest of the team and himself.

“I don’t want to push her into anything… she’s special” You said softly. Angel nodded, staring into the distance as if he knew the exact feeling you harboured intimately. You were about to speak, offer him a friendly ear if he wanted to talk when there was shouts for you both in the other room

Another case. Another demon to fight.

You managed to complete the case after a lot of hardship. The demon had terrorised the hotel, taking all of the decorations and incinerating them in the melee.

When you were all sat around, exhausted surrounded by piles of smoking ash, most from vampires and the rest from the Christmas trees, Cordelia commented that at least you had the holidays to look forward to. Angel had insisted everyone take time off.

You were very quiet at this. You had thought about going home but it just wasn’t possible this year. The cost of tickets and the guilt you’d face should something horribly go wrong in California.

Fred saw you thinking, your brow furrowed slightly and she worried. She slipped her arms, looping them with your own as she leaned against your shoulder. Your eyes kept closing, you were blinking slowly. She whispered, telling you it was time to go to bed.

She led the way, taking your hand in hers as everyone watched you go. They understood and had stopped commenting on your affection. They had all silently agreed to let you figure it out naturally.

You slid into bed and she got in beside you. Your arms were open for her as they always here. She cuddled up to you, settling in her usual place. The space between you felt smaller and smaller each night.

She spoke softly, recounting her day as you managed to stay awake long enough to speak your mind too. She asked then, after a moment of silence what was troubling you. About the season.

And you explained, near poured your entire heart out about all your emotions. You were suddenly wide awake and retelling every worry and anxiety you had over leaving and returning home.

You couldn’t bare it if it had changed at all and yet if it was the same it would perhaps be harder to return. Los Angeles was your adopted home now, you wanted to see everyone but the cost was too much and she frowned.

You didn’t wish to be alone but you weren’t able to go. You couldn’t explain it any other way.

As you slept, she started thinking about her own thoughts. She had been reluctant to leave you, she had felt torn between her family Christmas and spending time with you. As the light of dawn started to filter through, she made a decision.

Once she realised you couldn’t go home for Christmas it wasn’t even a question that you would come with her. She had bought the tickets without thinking and insisted that she couldn’t celebrate without you there. You meant too much.

She of course gave you the choice, but you didn’t even have to think about it. You said yes, instantly.

You left together on the plane. You touched down on Christmas Eve. You felt like you might see Santa himself as you flew through the sky. It was a wonderful sight and she held your hand almost the entire way. She gushed and gave you her entire family history as you made your way there.

You went straight to her parent’s house. They had seen her since she returned from Pylea but not very often. They were so excited that she was coming for Christmas.

You walked over the threshold and were immediately greeted by her parents. They presumed you were dating already by the way she spoke about you. Fred had come out already when she was younger and her parents were so lovely about it.

“Aw, y’all look so cute together!” Her mother smiled wide and hugged you both at the same time.

“Mom, it’s not like that” There was a little glint in her parents eye as they exchanged a look at her words. It was only a matter of time, in their eyes. Fred then walked towards her father smiling, “Hey Dad”

She hugged her Dad as you smiled at them both. They both embraced you as if you were already family. They were so friendly and so down to earth - you loved them. And luckily, they absolutely loved you.

You had an evening meal. In the Burkle house, the Christmas Eve meal was almost more important than the one the next day. Because it was usually the three of them, making it more intimate with the extended family arriving tomorrow. Apparently there was a lot of them. Her Mom had been working hard to cook and her father had laid the table for you all.

You set your bags away and washed up before you ate. You smiled at Fred’s childhood home before you descended the stairs again and sat around the table while Mrs Burkle served up. You complimented the way the house was decorated and had her mother almost blushing at your words.

As the meal went on, there were plenty of subtle prodding to see what kind of relationship you were truly in.

“We’re so pleased to finally meet you, Y/n. Fred has said so much about you on the phone” Her father nodded as he chewed on his meal.

“You know our neighbours down the street have two adopted children now. Isn’t that wonderful? They’re amazing Moms” Fred’s Mom continued to gush as Fred shifted slightly at her words despite her best intentions. She then leaned into the table a little more to say to you, “Our Winifred has always been such a caring soul, we’re glad she’s found someone just as kind”

“Oh, thank you Mrs Burkle. This meal really is amazing” You smiled as Fred slipped her hand under the table, resting her hand on your thigh. She kept it there through the rest of the meal, rubbing her thumb every so often. She wanted contact with you, she didn’t want to be away for you for a moment.

After the meal ended, you made sure you assisted Fred’s Mom and helped clear away the dishes.

“And she’s polite too!” You heard her whisper too loud to Fred before she followed you into the kitchen. It made you smile, even if you hadn’t managed to speak to Fred about it alone that at least her family thought you were good enough for her daughter.

You helped wash up and engaged Fred’s Mom in conversation while you assisted her. She made you really smile. You turned to leave, going to find Fred, your heart a magnet to hers. You couldn’t bare to be apart. But her mother took you by the hand, telling you that you are part of her family. That you would always be welcome here.

She also warned you not to mind any of the extended family tomorrow if they say anything rude about you and Fred. In fact, she promised they would be sent out of the house quicker than you could say Happy Christmas.

You smiled at the floor, you really did feel like one of them already. She squeezed your arm again before nodding and letting you go and find your Fred.

You stayed in the living room with her parents for a while before retiring to her childhood room. They provided a camp bed for one of you on the floor, but nobody in the house was convinced it was going to be used that night.

Fred had an idea, she wanted to show you something she would do when she was younger. She opened her balcony. It was only small but she laid blankets out so that you could stargaze together. She rested against the wall and she gestured for you to join her, which meant you were now sitting between her legs. She wrapped you in a light blanket and you nestled together despite it not being that cold.

You and Fred sat together, the cool breeze was welcome. You leaned back, your head resting against her chest. She stroked your hair softly before sliding her hands down to hold yours.

“Your Mom thinks that we’re dating” You said softly, your words so light they danced away with the low breeze that whistled around you. Your hands weaved between each other as you leaned further back against her.

“Mhm, she does that with every friend I’ve had since grade school” Fred chuckled, which was true. But, her Mom had a lot more reason to think so this time.

“She’s going to fight your homophobic relatives for us” You chuckled.

There was a silence. Fred shifted under you slightly. You moved up to sit and turned to look at her. You worried that you had said too much, spoken of it as if it were laughable. You hadn’t meant it that way at all.

She looked down slightly, tucking a piece of hair behind her ear as she realised what was coming. You could easily hurt her here. Tell her that this wasn’t what she hoped it was.

But, of course you would never do that.

“Fred, I haven’t said anything because I didn’t want to push you, after everything you’ve been through” You began your speech and shuddered despite the lack of cold, these were words you had practiced in your mind for such a long time it didn’t feel real that you were saying them now, “I love you and the biggest gift that you could give me this year would- would be if you would be my girlfriend?” You asked, your voice caught in your throat at the end.

Her eyes shone, watering with all of this emotion. It was made even more prominent in the moonlight. She couldn’t form words, she just nodded yes vigorously. You embraced, wrapped around each other on the balcony, a tear falling from her eye now. This was all she had ever wanted. You pressed your lips to hers, only briefly, there would be a whole night and beyond for more. This moment was yours. And you were going to cuddle under the stars once more.

You held her so tightly, laying her down. You were flat on your back with her tucked into your side now. You couldn’t take your eyes off her now, the stars would be nothing compared to her.

She whispered that she would stargaze at night, hoping that her soulmate would be looking up at the stars too, wherever they were. That one day, she would return to this balcony with the one she loved and share blankets this way. That one of the first weeks, when you had first starting sharing a bed she had pictured watching the stars with you.

You spent the rest of the holiday period, and beyond, exploring your romantic relationship. She took you around the places she used to frequent. You both struggled to leave, this place would be special to you both know. It was perfect and you swore to her from that day that a piece of your heart would always live with hers in Texas.

[solarianvoidthearoace]

Excerpt#2 of my Gerry Keay/OC Magical/Mythical CollegeAU

Part 1

CN/TW: Relationship negotiations (narrative), mushy confessions, narrative mention of abusive past relationships, narrative mention of (aversion to) sex - two sentences after "Aside from being asexual"

Characters entering a long-distance relationship, anxiety, discussion of mental illness, reference to past trauma, character experiencing an affective breakdown, character being in a dissociative/shutdown state, self-depreciation and trying to shut people out, it/its pronouns for Michael Shelley, he/they pronouns for Gerry, they/them pronouns for OC

“These last weeks… I…”, he looked away. Gerry finally looked away. He closed their eyes with a pained little smile. His next words barely above a whisper. A quiet confession,

“I thought about kissing you.” When he could look at Yanis again, they returned his little smile. Both seeing that the other didn’t dare hope, still. Yanis pressed against Gerry’s hand on their face,

“None of that sounds romantic, to me.” Which made Gerry chuckle,

“I do hope so. I’m not in love with you.” Yanis nodded, turning to press a kiss to Gerry’s palm. They lay there in quiet, processing the moment and letting their feelings calm back down. That emotional turmoil subsiding.

When Gerry’s hand slid away, he raised a brow at Yanis. A bit helpless and his tone insecure,

“Where does that leave us?”

Yanis shrugged,

“Wherever we both want, I’d say.” Gerry nodded, looking away again, half hiding in the pillow,

“I just needed to let you know.” Yanis moved closer, their shoulders touching and them pressing together from the waist down. They raised a hand to Gerry’s hair, loosely carding their fingers through.

“Do you want a relationship? Give that a try even though it will be long-distance?”, their tone gentle, as quiet as they were talking. Gerry whined,

“I don’t know.” He turned back towards them,

“I just know you’re important to me and I want to be close to you.” Yanis nodded,

“I can’t stand the thought of our goodbye being forever either. I want to be close to you like this, I want to listen to your rambling and when you infodump about something I have little clue about. And I love how we can turn so many things into hourlong debates for the fun of it just to agree after all. I’m really happy with how much we can cuddle, can touch each other. And even with one or two of your stims straining my misophonia, being around you is grounding.” Gerry nodded, another pained smile twisting their face. Yanis cooed, then shushed him,

“Don’t you start crying now. I still need to know whether you want us to try getting committed.” Gerry chuckled at that, though it was rather watery and the first tear slipped. Yanis took a deep breath, letting their hand trail from Gerry’s hair to their cheek,

“Long-distance queerplatonic relationship, what do you say?” Gerry closed his eyes for a moment, humming and finally smiling.

“Can I please kiss you already?”

They did decide to label their being together as a committed relationship. There were still some negotiations and discussions to be had, around what they both wanted, their needs and boundaries. They did have the first of those discussions the very same day. Gerry elaborating on what they liked about Yanis dragging him around. Yanis reassuring him they will always make sure Gerry stays comfortable with that. On another matter, Gerry had known about Yanis not being interested in sex. That coming up wasn’t a surprise. Aside from being asexual, Yanis knew that they personally found penetrative sex rather underwhelming. They weren’t disinclined towards the general idea. But having had one too many ex-partner get upset with them for not meeting expectations… Yanis was ultimately rather averse to sex. Which, to Gerry, didn’t matter. And Yanis had to concede that, both of their mythical nature gearing them towards seduction and sexual indulgence, they both had a solid grip on how to deal with that on their own. Making out, mutual groping and feeling each other up was very much appreciated, though. And they both knew the other would stop if they asked to. They felt no need to bring sex into their relationship if they weren’t both enthusiastic to do so.

It worked well. They talked on the phone and through video calls every week, in addition to texting every day. And when Yanis’ semester abroad came around, Gerry was all too happy to welcome them into his London home. An apartment he shared with Michael. While it was a bit sceptic, parading the brother shtick of having to approve Gerry’s partner, Yanis grew friendly with him pretty quickly.

They shared Gerry’s bedroom for the entirety of Yanis’ semester in London. Leading to some late-night shenanigans, fumbling and groping implicit, between them. Aside from getting a taste for what it could be like to move in together when they both had graduated. And being together like that was generally nice. Solidifying their relationship as the right choice for them both.

After Yanis’ semester abroad, they were left with either of their semester breaks. And since that didn’t always line up, it was bound to happen that one of them still had lectures and courses wrapping up while the other was in their non-term already.

Because of that, they had decided Gerry would come visit Yanis. And that Yanis sending them the spare key to their flat was just most convenient. Having lived together, they had seen a few of the more ugly sides of each other. Both carrying trauma with them and sometimes buckling under the load of their respective mental illnesses. Especially Yanis hadn’t been able to hide their, sometimes attack-like, affective breakdowns even while Gerry and them had simply hung out. And while it obviously wasn’t pretty and did put their evening activities on hold, Gerry never once felt burdened by Yanis.

And during their stay in London, he had been unable to hide their own affective breakdowns, their own flashbacks and shutdowns. But Yanis had taken care of Gerry all the same, not even needing prompting to help Michael in calming Gerry down. Simply waiting for instructions how to go about that in the best way.

They simply had had to acknowledge that either their mental illnesses, with attacks and meltdowns, were just part of their relationship. That accommodating not only their own but their partner’s mental health and neurodiversity was part of the necessary groundwork for them.

And they never once had had a problem with that. With needing to reassure each other, with taking care of each other as well as giving one another space when needed.

Still, Gerry’s anxiety didn’t like that his train connection to Yanis’ university city was delayed. They had been looking forward to cooking together, having a stressless evening. But the European railway network being what it was, one delay piled up to two, to three. Until, when Gerry finally made it to Germany at all, they were a solid three hours late. On his train route that would have taken 8 hours in the first place.

And he couldn’t get a hold of Yanis.

Gerry knew they had had lectures that day but even then, Yanis should have been at home around 4 in the afternoon. It wasn’t that he needed to know what they were up to instead. But Yanis not answering to texts ever since Gerry arrived in Brussels… what had been almost 8 hours now… it worried Gerry.

Of course he was worried. And in turn suddenly glad to have a key to Yanis’ flat. He knew they both had expected him to arrive some time around 6 in the evening. When he finally did let themself into Yanis’ flat, it was almost 10 at night.

The flat was dark. The curtains being left open wasn’t unusual but Yanis, needing glasses, would usually put on lights when it got past 9 in the evening. Frowning, Gerry set down his bags by the door.

Shooting them another worried text message. With how quiet it was in the empty-appearing flat, he could hear the faint buzzing of Yanis’ phone.

As Gerry went looking for it, he found the device abandoned on Yanis’ bed. And being closer to the bathroom now, they heard laboured breathing.

When he poked their head into the bathroom, Gerry felt a cold shiver running through him. Yanis sat on the floor, curled up around themself. They were pressing themself into the corner between bathtub and tiled wall. And even in the dark Gerry could easily see them shaking and shivering. A sudden sob startled them both.

“Yanis?”, he pushed the door open, slowly coming closer. Getting onto their knees a good distance from Yanis still.

“<i>Kleines</i>, what’s the matter?” Yanis tensed, taking a shuddering breath before they slowly looked up. Seeing Gerry there with them, they whimpered. Struggling before they could speak,

“I’m sorry. I…” Before mortification cleared their face,

“How late is it?” Gerry shook his head, slowly coming closer,

“Doesn’t matter. Are you okay?” Yanis blinked, turning away. Sighing, Gerry reached out for their shoulder. When Yanis didn’t pull away from their touch, he moved close enough to wrap an arm around them. Neither spoke a word while Gerry slowly stroked their back. When he felt Yanis loosen up a little, he tried again,

“Do you need anything? Are you okay?” Yanis closed their eyes,

“I’m fine. And if you want to leave, I wouldn’t fault you.” Gerry almost sat back in surprise.

“I mean it”, Yanis’ voice gaining strength again,

“I would never hold it against you if you decide I’m not worth the trouble. Or you just can’t handle seeing me like this. I’m glad you care but I understand if I’m too much. You can leave me, I’ll manage.”

Gerry didn’t know what to say. The words bringing back that cold chill and feeling like a gut punch at the same time. Searching Yanis’ face, they retracted his hand.

Very slowly, he moved away. Only getting back to their feet when there was a good distance between them and Yanis.

Leaving the bathroom, he felt a stab of guilt. But Yanis remained quiet. Assuming the worst case, Yanis had had whatever breakdown or affective attack had left them shut-down like this a good 8 hours earlier. Gerry felt nauseous even considering that. And with how Yanis had left their phone in another room, they must have had a bad mental health day in the first place. Otherwise they would have messaged him, asking they help them through the breakdown via text.

Grabbing a bottle of water and a blanket off the couch, he went back to the bathroom. Yanis had shifted. No longer curled up where they sat. Instead their legs were stretched and their body turned towards the tub, head resting on the brink.

Like this, Gerry could take a proper look at them. Well, as good as the lack of lighting allowed for.

[meganshinsou-tm]

i’m still here. (a)

☙ pairing: bakugou x reader / bakugou x kirishima

☙ theme:  angst

☙  cw/tw: profanity, grief/mourning, emotional distress, slight talk of wanting to die, could be seen as unhealthy grieving but there are no right or wrong ways to grieve, talk of death.

☙  a/n-request: so here it is, the spontaneous continuation of ‘i’m here’ - i just couldn’t help myself, I needed to get this out of my system. It hurts for a bit but I promise it gets better - also hope you don’t mind the end pairing, baku needs love and he deserves to be happy with that person. 

It’s been four months and Bakugou is - well he’s as good as he can be.

Sometimes he likes to think that the days are getting progressively better but then he finds himself awake way past the hour of midnight, walking around the house aimlessly and searching. Searching for something that he doesn’t even know. After a few more hours of talking to himself and cleaning random things, eating a small snack, Bakugou finally finds himself in bed tossing and turning until sleep finally takes him. 

Izuku and Kirishima have become his rocks and practical caretakers. 

They check in on him constantly but in a way that isn’t overbearing. Both of them make sure that their friend doesn’t stay holed up inside the house for longer than needed by becoming gym buddies, dragging him out to guys’ nights with them and the squad. Bakugou goes without too much resistance. Of course he rather stay in and wait for something that’ll never come but he knows he has to keep his sanity and he knows that you would kick his ass for sulking and wallowing in grief for too long. So he goes and by the end of the night, he’s always happy that he did but he’ll never admit that to the two idiots he calls his best friends. 

And more than anything, Bakugou is grateful how they have never brought up the topic of … moving on. Because they know better - everyone does. 

Of course everyone agrees it’s way too soon to even consider Bakugou trying dating again but not only that, anyone who knows the guy knows that he probably never will even think about trying to find anyone else. You were it for him.

You weren’t like everyone else. 

It’s cliche to say but you were indeed special - you completed Bakugou in the ways he was imperfect and flawed yet you still loved those parts of him. His edges were still rough and brash but you somehow softened them without changing truly who he was because well - you loved him for who he was and the way he was. Such a fucking sap you always were. 

Bakugou doesn’t move to a new home, he doesn’t want to or need to. Your home wasn’t massive; it was the perfect size for just the two of you. 

And it was only a few weeks ago that he finally found the strength to part with your belongings. It was a rough day but thankfully the whole squad was there. Kirishima may or may not have tried to bribe them with beer and food but obviously it wasn’t needed, they were gonna be there for their friend no matter what. 

Starting out, Bakugou was okay while packing everything. Everyone reminisced on fond and happy memories of you. Izuku and Kirishima felt a sense of relief from seeing the blonde genuinely smiling a few times and hearing his laughter. For a moment they thought everything would go smoothly for the rest of the day but nothing ever really goes smoothly when you’re saying goodbye to what’s left of your deceased spouse.

It was when Mina and Sero started to pull out of the driveway in the U-Haul that Bakugou bolted out the door after them. Kirishima and Izuku were right behind him and barely managed to catch him before being hit by a truck. 

The three of them rolled around on the black-top road, all shouting and crying. 

“Let me fucking go you pieces of shit! Fuck!”

Kirishima bared his teeth, trying to fight back his own sobs from the heart wrenching sight of seeing his best friend like this.

“Kats, please calm down, don’t do this!”

Bakugou only growled and tried to blast off an explosion in his face but Kirishima knew better and hardened his skin to block it. Izuku choked on his own tears and ended up using black whip to help pin down the uncontrollable blonde, despite him and Kirishima being over 200lbs and holding him down the best they could.

“Kacchan, you could’ve just fucking died, you’re gonna hurt yourself!”

“I don’t fucking care … let me … I - I can be with her.”

Izuku and Kirishima both went rigid at those words and looked at each other with tear filled eyes before resting their weight on top of their broken friend in a pile there in the middle of the road. For the next half hour they all stayed there, crying and holding Bakugou together until he finally exhausted himself and didn’t fight about Kirishima picking him up and carrying him back inside.

“Kats I don’t care if you hate me for doing it but I’m calling a professional tomorrow. We love you … I love you man but we can only do so much for you. Please … just let us help you. We can’t lose someone else we love.”

Izuku nods in agreement and they bring Bakugou to the bedroom and tuck him into the bed like a child. He doesn’t complain or try to bite their heads off for it. 

“We’re proud of you for today Kacchan, please know that. Y-You still have the important things,” Izuku sniffles as he places a worn-looking rag doll cat in Bakugou’s arms. “You’ll always have the important things.”

Kirishima tries to smile as Bakugou turns his back to them and cuddles the item close to his face. It's instinctive and totally against his control but Kirishima reaches out and combs his fingers through Bakugou’s hair and it gives him hope when he feels the blonde relax under his touch.

“Try to get some rest Blasty. We aren’t gonna leave you alone so if you need anything, we’ll be here.”

A few weeks and plenty of therapy sessions later, Bakugou is back to doing okay. He’s back to being able to stay home alone without needing Izuku or Kirishima crashing on his couch. He returns to work and some days it helps while on others it hurts. 

It’ll take more time to get used to Kirishima being his new side-kick but as long as it's him, he’ll be okay. 

Life slowly but surely starts to get easier … until those nights like tonight where Bakugou is wide awake at four in the morning. It’s been a while since its happened and truly Bakugou is exhausted but he just can’t sleep - he doesn’t mind though. It’s nights like these where he’s glad to still be awake with tired eyes and body because it’s nights like these where you come to him.

It may be crazy but Bakugou is adamant that you’re still there sometimes, your spirit at least. And when he's exhausted and delirious enough like he is now, you’ll become more than just memories and a presence. Soon enough you start to become real again and he can feel you holding him close and petting his hair. Feel those soft kisses on his lips and all over his face and neck. Bakugou can see those bright eyes again and feel your own warm skin against his in bed. 

And even though he really is getting better at all of this, he still has his moments. He’s only human after all. A human who lost the most precious and important thing in his life so tragically. So no one can blame him for feeling the things he does and for having a down moment - hell even his therapist reassured him of that. 

‘Everyone grieves in their own way and these occurrences don’t mean you’re crazy. Just as long as you see them for what they truly are and know that eventually they will end.’

It hurts to think that these will end so Bakugou cherishes them and prolongs them for as long as he fucking can. He gives into the phantom feelings, finds comfort in them. Then he starts to hear you and you talk to each other. He tells you how some days he’s okay and others he just misses you so fucking much and he doesn’t want to go on, he wants to be with you. 

In those times you quiet him with kisses and hums, telling him it’s not time yet. 

“The world needs you,” is whispered upon his skin and it makes him groan in disagreement.

“Fuck the what the world needs - I need you!”

You chuckle and lightly flick the tip of Bakugou’s nose and he wishes it hurt like it used to.

“You don’t need me Katsuki, if anything, I’m not what you need at all right now … at least not like this,” you speak quietly but still smile. “But you will always have me. I’m all around you.”

Bakugou pouts and you brush your thumb over his bottom lip before looking down and taking his hand in yours. Your finger traces the hard edges of the wedding band that’s now a matte black color after he found a jeweler who was able to add a small amount of your cremains into the material of it.

“You literally take me everywhere you go and even before then, I’ve never left you. Someone’s gotta watch over your crazy ass. I’m just glad Red is there to help me out.”

Bakugou smirks and moves to nuzzle the crook of your neck, his hair tickling the underside of your jaw and causing you to giggle and hold him tighter. The sound pains him and Bakugou starts to softly cry. You hold him even tighter and he holds you with a death grip.

That feeling is returning in him and he hates it. It’s overwhelming and it's cold. It’s hopelessness.

“How am I supposed to keep doing this? I don’t want to spend four more months like this … I don’t want to spend years like this … fucking - tell me how I can get you back, I need you … I fucking need you so much, I can’t - “

“Shh, baby breathe, I'm here - you know I’m always here.”

Bakugou frowns hard and buries his face into your chest to muffle the heartbreaking sob he lets out, his fists start to smoke and he shakes his head.

“But you’re not! You’re not fucking here!”

He pulls away from the pillow he’s burning now in order to breathe and scream out in agony. Bakugou continues until his vocal chords feel raw and there’s a giant hole in the wall above the headboard from him repeatedly punching it. Looking down through teary eyes, Bakugou notices his knuckles are bloody and throbbing in pain. A few minutes pass and he’s on his knees hunched over in the middle of the bed, sheet-rock is crumbled all around him on the covers and he sighs, wiping angrily at his tears. 

Soon the feeling of fingers in his hair, scratching against his scalp soothingly causes Bakugou to deflate and he sinks back as you hold him close, back to your chest and your cheek pressed against the top of his hair. He clings to your arms around him. Tears roll from his irritated and red eyes, snot down his nose as he sniffles. 

“I’m sorry,” you both whisper out in unison.

You press kiss after kiss against soft ash blonde hair, against ruddy warm cheeks and tear filled eyes. Bakugou suppresses his whimper, he can feel what's coming and he doesn’t like it.

“Call him … you need him right now, do this for me please,” you speak upon the side of Bakugou’s neck. 

Bakugou grunts and leans over to grab his phone from the nightstand, laying down on his side in the process. You move with him and place yourself before him to hold close, letting his arms wrap tight around you. The ghosting of fingers against his cheekbone makes Bakugou look down at you with red tired eyes. He can see the choice in your own and can feel it in the way you lean in and kiss his lips so softly that it feels like air before pressing your forehead against his.

“You’ll be okay Katsuki, I know you will. Just - breathe for me; and always know that I’m right here baby,” you whisper while placing your palm to the space over his heart.

Bakugou’s bottom lip trembles and he nods. He shifts to press his face into your hair, inhaling the scent of strawberries and cream that's ingrained in his senses as his eyes squeeze shut before kissing the top of your head and letting out a long breath.

“I’ll be okay.”

When his eyes open, Bakugou swallows the lump in his throat and eases the death grip he has on the charred pillow. He sighs and swipes a finger across the screen of his phone and moves to lay on his back, pressing the device to his ear.

It rings only a few times before a raspy voice is answering with concern.

“Kats, what’s wrong?”

Bakugou looks up from his newspaper and cup of coffee when the door to the backyard opens. He smirks and pushes his glasses up the bridge of his nose and watches as Kirishima and Ghost both come barreling in. The giant mastiff is slobbering and panting, so is Kirishima, except the slobbering part - well sort of. 

“Whew - oh hey sleeping beauty,” Kirishima gleams and takes a step towards where Bakugou is seated at the kitchen counter, lips puckered and arms open wide.

He’s stopped by a finger to the mouth, halting him from going any further.

“Don’t even think about it, you’re disgusting!

Kirishima gives those stupid puppy eyes that everyone, even himself, were always weak to and a whimper coming from below makes Bakugou look down to see Ghost also giving her own literal puppy eyes. 

“You’re both pathetic, there’s no way I’m - oof!”

Bakugou is tackled off his seat and onto the ground by Kirishima, knocking his glasses off in the process. Ghost joins in and smothers him in an abnormal amount of slobber as she licks his face excitedly and Kirishima kisses his cheeks - which, gross, he doesn’t even care that he’s kissing where there is drool. But Bakugou can’t help cackling and grinning as he tries to shove them off. 

 “Both of you fucking stink, get offa me! You need baths!”

Kirishima smirks and pulls away enough for Bakugou to wipe his face.

“I’ll make you a deal Blasty, I shower then give this pretty lady a bath - if you make us breakfast!

Kirishima firmly pats and pets the giant dog, looking at his boyfriend with a playful light in his red eyes.

Bakugou sighs, “If it’ll get you gross animals off then fine!”

Smiling victoriously, Kirishima sits back on his knees and helps with pulling the dog away. She quickly forgets about them and trots off to her toys in the living room. Kirishima offers his hand, Bakugou takes it and together they stand from the floor. 

Bakugou rolls his eyes but smirks and playfully pushes at Kirishima’s shoulder. His wrist is caught and Kirishima pulls him in for a hug. It’s sticky and sweaty but a smile forms on his face and Bakugou accepts it without question, along with the gentle kiss to his temple.

“Slept okay?” 

Kirishima asks, running his fingers through Bakugou’s hair when they pull away from their hug. Bakugou leans into the touch and nods.

“As good as I could with two giants hogging the bed and snoring loud enough to shake the fucking walls.”

Kirishima chuckles and takes Bakugou’s hand, letting his thumb brush over the black band that still remains on his finger, he smiles fondly at it.

“I’ll take that as a ‘I slept great babe!’”

Bakugou snorted and patted Kirishima’s chest, leaning in to kiss his sweaty cheek before lightly pushing him away and wiping the salty taste from his mouth. 

“If you want breakfast, you better get your rank ass in the shower and hold up your end of the bargain.”

“Aye, aye captain!” Kirishima salutes with a massive smile and turns to jog out and towards the bedroom.

Shaking his head with a smile, Bakugou picks up the mess of his forgotten newspaper on the counter. He skims over the front page and smiles at the picture taken of him and Kirishima. Their backs face the camera, Kirishima’s arm around Bakugou as they look upon the cherry blossom tree that was planted in your memory at one of your favorite parks. It had bloomed just in time for the one year anniversary of your passing and there were numerous gifts left around the trunk of it from fans and friends.

Bakugou runs a finger over your printed name on the paper and for the first time since that one night, he feels you pressed against him, hugging him close from behind and pressing your cheek to his back. Smiling, Bakugou rubs at your hands over his stomach and he looks up when he hears Kirishima walking back into the kitchen with a question that he doesn’t hear.

The redhead looks him over confused at first and Bakugou just gives him the softest and fondest smile, still rubbing over the space of his stomach and Kirishima’s eyes widen. He crosses his arms and leans against the fridge, smiling at Bakugou while he states softly.

“She’s here.”

[i-am-a-closet-fanfic-fiend]

Sexiled (Part 18/23) ~ Steve Rogers x Reader ~ College!AU

A/N: Hi Lovelies! Happy Monday! So I had planned 22 parts for this fic and finished them but then I decided I really wanted to rework this scene back in so now it will be 23 parts. (That should be the last change but I’ll let you know if it isn’t lol) A special shoutout to @captainscanadian​ for encouraging me to put this scene back in because I really love it and I think it’s important to the characters and their relationships. It is angsty though. Fair warning. On to the story. 

Summary: Thanksgiving fun leads to a trip down memory lane when Sarah pulls out the albums. Steve opts out, leaving you worried and wondering. 

Characters/Pairings: Steve Rogers x Reader, Sarah Rogers, the Barnes’ are mentioned and appear briefly

Rating: T 

Warnings: Angst, Feels, Insecurity, Health Issues (Stevie was a sick kid), 

Word Count: 1725

Series Masterlist | Main Masterlist

Thanksgiving with the Barnes-Rogers clan was a beautifully boisterous event. The dining room table was already laden with food when you arrived. Dinner was full of easy conversation and embarrassing stories about the boys from Becca and Winnie. Bucky and Steve disputed every word, but you knew who was telling the truth. Your pats to their heads as you were helping to clear the dishes told them as much.

Once you were all full you piled onto the sectional to watch The Santa Clause. Cuddled up under the blankets with everyone, you had never felt so at home. You searched out Steve’s hand under the blanket and twined your fingers together. He squeezed your hand in return, shooting you a bright smile before you dropped your head to his shoulder.  

It was still early when you got back to the apartment, hearts and stomachs full.

“You know all those stories Winnie was telling got me thinking that we should pull out the albums,” Sarah suggested as you shrugged out of your coats.

Steve took both of yours to hang up.  

“I would love that!” you agreed excitedly.

“Great. I’ll go grab them from my room.”

“This is going to be so much fun. I can’t wait to see you when you were little,” you grinned up at him, until you noticed his pinched expression “Steve, what’s wrong?”

“Nothing.” His fake smile did nothing to alleviate your fresh concern. “I’ll go put the kettle on.”

He kissed the top of your head and hurried into the kitchen without another word, leaving you stunned. You’d never known Steve to act like this.  You were about to follow him when Sarah called for you. You helped her carry down fifteen albums and spread them out on the hardwood coffee table.

She had just opened the one with Steve’s baby photos when he returned with two mugs of tea.

“Here you go.”

“Thank you.”

You expected him to retrieve his own mug and come join you, but instead he stood rocking back on his heels for a moment before speaking.

“I’m pretty wired. I think I had too much sugar. I’m going to go for a walk.”

Sarah regarded him closely but much to your surprise didn’t question him or attempt to make him stay.

“Of course. Just make sure to bundle up. It’s supposed to start snowing.”

“Will do. I’ll be back in a little while,” he promised, smile a little more genuine this time.

He kissed you on the cheek before leaving, but you still had a pit in your stomach.

“Should I be worried?” you asked once you heard the door shut.

“Oh no, sweetheart. Steve does this sometimes when he’s upset. It helps him clear his head. He’ll be back in a little while.”

“Did I do something to upset him?”

“No. No, I expect he doesn’t want to look at old photos. It’s still hard for him.”

“Of course.”

You were distracted as you looked at the first few pages of the albums, not even really seeing the photos in front of you. You felt terrible for missing it. And being so excited about something that upset him. Of course it would be hard for him to look back at pictures before his dad passed away.

“Sweetheart, you did nothing wrong,” Sarah assured you.  

“Am I that transparent?” You sighed.

“Please never play poker.”

You chuckled at her attempt at a joke, and when she pushed the album towards you, you took it, reverently flipping the pages paying attention this time.

 You giggled delightedly when you came across a Halloween photo of Steve and Bucky from when they were six dressed as Superman and Batman respectively.

“Am I missing something?” Sarah asked.

Sure the photos were cute, but she hadn’t expected such a strong reaction from you.

“I have to show you something.”

You quickly scrolled through the gallery on your phone and pulled up a picture of the three of you from Thor’s party.

“Oh my goodness.”

“I can’t believe they didn’t tell me they had already dressed up like them.”

“They probably knew you’d get the photo from us. I think Rebecca scanned it for blackmail a few years ago. Oh, you three are so cute.” She hesitated for a moment before leaning in, continuing in a shy tone. “Do you have more pictures I can see?”

“Of course.” You slid closer on the couch so you could more easily show her your phone.

“Steve tells me everything, but I so rarely get to see pictures. It’s nice to see him normal and having fun after he struggled so much in high school.”

You nodded your understanding and began right from the beginning of your relationship with Steve. You’d never been so glad you curated your phone gallery.

 By the time you ran out of pictures on your phone, Sarah was fighting to stay awake.

“I think I’m going to have to call it a night, sweetheart. I’m sorry.”

“Don’t apologize. Thank you for sharing these with me,” you gestured to the albums.

“Thank you.”

“Do you mind if I keep looking through these?” You were certain you wouldn’t be able to sleep until Steve came home.

“Of course. Good night, sweetheart.”

“Good night, Sarah.”

She kissed you on the forehead before going upstairs.  

 Steve still hadn’t come back by the time you’d looked through all of the photos through high school graduation. If you didn’t know it was Steve, at first glance, you might not have made the connection. But the longer you looked the more you could pick out the stubborn set of his jaw and the determined look in his eyes. Even at his sickest, a third of the size he was now, he radiated strength. It made you fall in love with him even more.

Eventually you decided to get changed into your pajamas to wait for Steve. You were just coming back downstairs when Steve walked in the front door, brushing snow off his shoulders.

You didn’t think before you were throwing yourself into his arms, squealing at the cold.

“Well, hello there. I could get used to that kind of welcome,” he grinned down at you, giving you a quick peck. You were happy to see that the looked much lighter.

You hugged him as tightly as possible.

“Sweetness, what’s the matter?”  

“I’m just glad you’re home now,” you admitted, burying your face in his neck. “I’m sorry.”

“Sorry for what?” He asked shrugging out of his coat, hanging it on the hook by the door and locking the deadbolt.

“I should have realized that looking at pictures would be hard,” you mumbled.

“Sweetness, no. You couldn’t have known. And honestly I didn’t expect to react the way I did. It caught me off guard which is why I took a walk.”

“For three hours,” you muttered.

He chuckled quietly at your irritation, guiding you over to the couch to sit.

“I’m sorry I worried you.”

“I wasn’t worried. Well maybe a little. I was more concerned that I upset you.”

“You didn’t do anything wrong. I promise. Did you look at all of the old pictures?” he asked as he slung an arm around your shoulder. You heard the trepidation in his tone.

“Mostly, I think. You were adorable back then.”  

“Still am,” he scoffed, making you roll your eyes as you cuddled closer to his side.  

“Sometimes.”

“I’m sorry you had to see pictures of me when I was sick.”

That caught you by surprise.

“Why are you apologizing for that?”

He shrugged.

“That’s not an answer.”

When he huffed in response, you pulled away so you could look him in the eye. Even going so far as the grab his chin and turn him towards you, but still his gaze was fixed on anything else.

“Steve, look at me,” you coaxed softly, swinging your leg over to straddle him and moving your hands to his cheeks.  “Talk to me please.”

Finally he met you eye to eye.

“Do you know I still carry my inhaler around with me?” he asked. “I haven’t had to use it since I was fifteen. But I still always have it on me.”

“I know,” you admitted. “I’ve found it in your hoodie before.”

“I don’t think I will ever not worry about my health. Even now when I can run a mile. Hell ten miles. I will always think about it. I hate looking at that kid. I hate seeing how weak I was. And I hate that you had to see them too.”  

“I loved seeing those pictures,” you assured him.

“Yeah right.”

“I did,” you challenged. “And do you know why?”

Steve bit back a retort he knew would hurt both of you.

“Because now I know for sure that every single thing about you that made me fall in love with you, has been there since the beginning. Your determination. Your strength. Your goodness. I can see it all. In every photo. Especially in the ones where you aren’t as healthy. And if god forbid down the road you were ever in that state again… Steve, I would still love you. Every part of you.”  

“But would you love me the same?”

He couldn’t help himself as the question slipped out. You shook your head softly and your heart broke at his crestfallen expression so you surged onward.

“I would love you more. Because I will love you more tomorrow than I do today. And even more the day after that,” you reminded him.

You kissed his forehead before sitting back on your haunches. As his head lay on the back of the couch you reached out to stroke his hair, hoping to gauge his reactions.

Steve looked up at you in a kind of awe, and you were certain he believed you.

“I never thought that I would find someone who loves me the way you do. What did I do to deserve you?”

He reached out to cradle your cheek.

“You didn’t have to do anything. Everyone deserves to feel love.”

“Do you know how much I love you?” he whispered.

“I do. Almost as much as I love you.”

He carefully lifted your hands and kissed your knuckles before tugging you so you fell against his chest in a tight hug.

~~~~~ `~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~`

A/N: Thank you so much for reading. I hope you enjoyed 

Sexiled taglist is closed. All other tag lists are open. 

Sexiled Tag List

@yourspecialcrush @part-time-patronus​​ @impala-with-wings​​ @the-stories-in-my-head-95​​ @zlixlle @peter-parker-steve-bucky​​ @encounterthepast​​​

@holygaygal​​ @hista-girl​​ @steves-on-a-plane​​ @juliagolia87​​ @pastelsweaters-and-bubble-t​​ @musicfreak180 @captainscanadian​​​ @viarogers​ @mikariell95​​

Steve/Chris Tag List

@isaxhorror​​ @peachykeen3502​​ @patzammit​​ @wordlesscaptain​​ @coffeebooksandfandom​​​ @hereisanapplepie​​ @mywinterwolf​​ @straightforwardly​​

Marvel Tag List

@hdthdthdt​​​  @sophiatomlinson23​​ @misty-panther @supermusicallee​​ @scarlettsoldier​​ @acupofhotlatte​​ @slender-spirit @petitesmate​​ @libbymouse​​

Permanent Tag List

@iamwarrenspeace​​ @jayzayy​​ @bexboo616​​ @neoqueen306​​ @santheweird​​ @rowenaravencalw​​ @buckitybarnes​​ @prxttybirdz​​ @sergeantjbuckybarnes​​ @captainsamwlsn​​ @broitsmydick @ailynalonso15​​ @nyxveracity​​ @queenoftrash97​​ @walkingtravesty97​​ @lamia-maizat @memyselfandmaddox​​ @lowkeybuckyb​​ @whiskey2011​​ @averyrogers83​​ @lovingpeterparker @buckybarneshairpullingkink​​ @beansparker​​ @coralphantomninja​​ @xxashy999xx​​ @thisismysecrethappyplace​​ @ravennightingaleandavatempus​​ @paintballkid711​​ @whosmarisaaarw​​ @silverkitten547​​ @yknott81​​ @mmmmmmmmmchicken​​ @thefridgeismybestie​​ @crispy-kitten​​ @isabelcrichards​​ @greyeyedsmile14​​ @loving-life-my-way​​ @geeksareunique​​ @rachelsficcollections​

[halfwayinlight]

Title: Whale Watching Fandom: Star Trek TNG Rating: PGish Pairing: Will Riker/Deanna Troi @jessrva requested  imzadi, post thad-pre kestra...i just love the potential of life with a kid that we never got to see, or he can be totally background..just solid hot married parents riker/troi

“See! See dat!” Thad squealed in delight, legs bending, and he would have been trying to clamber up the rails if his father didn’t have such a secure hold on him.

“Yeah, that’s a huge whale!” Will laughed as the enormous humpback breached and sent up a spray that misted them, even from meters away. He shook his head to get the droplets out of his eyes and was about to check Thad’s face when his son shouted in delight and strained closer toward the railing.

Deanna’s arm was there in a breath, banding across Thad’s chest. She gave a light pat. “We have to stand here, sweetheart.”

He leaned toward her and pressed a kiss to her cheek. “He’s not going anywhere,” Will assured. Even if the very worst happened and their son somehow slipped, it was the holodeck and there were safety measures.

I know, but you know that I worry, she thought toward him. Her other arm slid around his back, and she shivered a little before snuggling in closer to his side.

“Compu--”

“It’s fine,” she assured, “you don’t need to turn up the temperature for me. It… it takes away from the ambiance.” Despite her insistence, he could see she was cold, even in the parka and thick boots and gloves and hat.

“At least whale watching season in Alaska is in the summer,” he teased, his hip bumping hers playfully.

“It’s warmer than the last time we visited,” she agreed.

“Mama! Yook!” their baby was demanding their attention now, his nearly year old self squirming in sheer delight as another whale surfaced and kept pace with the boat.

“I see it, sweetheart,” Deanna chuckled, clearly savoring the view before them, even if it wasn’t real and the temperature was lower than she usually preferred.

While most of their family holodeck adventures were more for the grownup’s amusement, they were expanding their options to try to give Thad at least virtual experiences he missed seeing by living on a spaceship. Most of the time Deanna chose something with the ocean or swimming. They had programs for Lake Elnar, the Opal Sea, Pacifica, and the Black Sea.  This was, to be fair, ocean-oriented, too. But she’d asked Will to choose today.

“A few more days, and he’ll be toddling through the gardens in Medara,” Will murmured. “And splashing around the lake…” When she was quiet beside him, both of his arm wrapped around their son and he glanced down at her. “You’re not having second thoughts about… the lake, are you? If it’s too hard, we can go somewhere else or stay at Fifth House.”

Her head shook, and she pushed up on her toes, pulling him close to press a kiss to his cheek.

“Tisses!” Thad begged.

Deanna smiled as her lips pressed to Will’s. An insistent chubby hand caught her coat and added to their son’s demand. “I have kisses for you, too, be patient,” she chided, though she did so with a laugh and a kiss to their baby’s round cheeks.

Imzadi?

Her hand patted Will’s back in assurance. “No, I just can’t believe he’ll be one in another week. It's going so quickly! I know Beverly told me it would, but... it's still going faster than I expected. It seems like mere weeks ago that I had him. And then he wasn't a newborn any more. And he's almost a toddler and looks less like a baby all of a sudden. That last hair cut, it's... different.  He's starting to look like a toddler, and then he'll be a child....But I’m glad we get to celebrate on a planet that’s so important to me.”

He knew what she hadn't said. That it reminded her of Ian. How fast it had happened. And this was normal growth, but it was moving quickly. These precious moments and milestones were coming faster than ever. I'm sorry, Imzadi, he tried to offer comfort, not knowing the words to make it easier for either of them. "And I'm glad, too. That we're celebrating in a place so important to both of us,” he added aloud. In his arms, Thad squirmed and exclaimed again as a pair of whales surfaced and one breached. “And I’m sure your mother’s spared no celebrations.”

“I’m sure she hasn’t,” Deanna agreed, resting her head against his shoulder. She relaxed against him as though she could absorb comfort from him like a sponge taking water. It was nearly true.

There was something else she wanted to add to that, Will was sure of this. But he had full faith that his wife would share soon if it was something he really needed to know. Something told him it was a conversation to have when their son wasn’t enamored with giant mammals and open water.

He pulled his attention back to Thad and the moment. If anything, being a parent had helped him learn to appreciate being in the moment. Everything was new and exciting to their son, and sometimes Will knew this was overwhelming. But today it was utter delight. Beside him, Deanna was absorbing the emotion, too, and she was letting him share in the euphoria of joy. The happiness of their boy slowly easing the harder memories of her first child leaving.

The lights shifted in the simulated sky, turning into dusk and the northern lights glimmering overhead and bring up fresh chatter and giggles from Thad. They settled onto deck seating in a cozy pile. It took only a few moments to conjure up a few blankets for them and some hot chocolate that Deanna shared with Thad.

Eventually Thad was cuddled between them and staring up at the shifting colors in the sky, enchanted.

“I’m looking forward to celebrating our anniversary, too, while we're away,” Will murmured against the sensitive skin of his wife’s ear.

“Mmmm, me too,” she agreed, turning and finding themselves a mere inch apart. He leaned in the remaining distance and took a long kiss. “Mother has something planned for that… not sure what, yet…”

His eyebrows lifted. “Should I take that as a warning.”

“No,” his wife chuckled. “She adores you. You make me happy. You take such good care of us.”

“I gave her a grandchild,” he continued the list wryly.

“Mhmm,” she agreed. “And she would be very happy to fill up every room in Fifth House with a grandchild.”

Will relaxed back in the seat and found her hand to give it a soft squeeze. He took several long moments to try to come up with the answer before finally asking. “Exactly, ah… how many bedrooms does Fifth House have?”

She sighed, her thumb stroking his hand affectionately. “Well, now that depends on how you count.”

“One… free,” Thad mused beside them.

“Yes, one, two, three,” Deanna agreed absently. “There’s something like a dozen bedroom suites in the north wing. South wing was largely ceremonial, but had a few rooms. I really don’t know how many are in the east and west, but I suppose mother would be glad to tell me…”

“Yes, would you please?” he dared her, eyes narrowing to match her mischief. Is that something we’re even ready to think about?

She shrugged silently, releasing his hand to fuss over the blankets around them and adjusting Thad’s small toque. I’m not saying no, but we haven’t really discussed it...Do you… want more kids?

I like the idea of him having a brother or sister. Growing up with a sibling. We both missed out on that. He’d sometimes wondered what it would’ve been like to grow up with a sibling. And more than once she’d talked to him about Kestra and shared her wonderings with him. What it would’ve, or rather could’ve, been like to grow up with a sister.

Personally, he thought it might have been harder if he’d had a sibling. At least if he’d had a younger sibling. It would’ve been harder, if not impossible, to leave for Starfleet at such a young age. He shivered at the idea of leaving a brother or sister behind.

Deanna somehow managed to move closer yet, pulling a drowsier and drowsier Thad into her lap and resting her head against his chest. I’m sorry he hurt you so much. Gloved fingers brushed his cheek, and it was only then that he realized there were tears.  “Will?” she asked softly.

“This is the best medicine,” he replied, wrapping his arms around his family and holding both of them close. “I love you both, very much.”

“We love you, too,” Deanna answered thickly, taking several long kisses, fingers playing with his beard.

This time it was his turn to brush away the tears, and he finally pulled back slightly from the kiss, dropping a small one to her forehead and cherishing this connection they shared. “The rest of this can wait until tonight… is Wes taking him?”

“Nursery,” she clarified. “They’re going to keep him overnight for us.” It took a lot of doing, including specific scheduling, to make sure Vale was on call and they were both off schedule the next day. But after a challenging first year or so of marriage, they’d learned to make time together as a couple. Since Thad had joined the family, they’d only managed five nights over the past eleven months to themselves.

That was an oversight Will hoped to correct, starting tonight. But they had planned a little family time first. And from the drowsy expression on their baby’s face, their plan to wear Thad out first was working. Currently Thad was shifting to rest his head against his mother’s shoulder, and he was sucking on his middle two fingers in the way he did each night as they read bedtime stories to him.

“What should I know about our trip to Betazed?” he finally asked quietly. They still had the holodeck for at least half an hour, but it seemed like Thad might be asleep before their time was up. Often if they started their own conversation in low voices, Thad would nod off. He certainly wasn't in a hurry to give up time with his two favorite people.

She gave him a gentle smile and rubbed their son’s back lightly. “You know that for Betazoids, children are a special blessing. So I think she’s likely planning a big party. Or even several parties and celebrations. I’m… actually a little concerned it might overwhelm Thaddy. There’s also a small ceremony. A blessing. But, Will, we live on a starship with the same few hundred beings, and his circle is small. It’s one thing to go to a planet or starbase and make a visit. But I’m worried it might be too many people and too much...”

Will absorbed this quietly before ordering another fresh hot chocolate for Deanna and taking a nearly asleep child so she could enjoy her drink. “The blessing sounds really nice. You’ve always been supportive of rituals and ceremonies to mark important events. But more than one party and a big party ...is that… typical?”

“A party and the blessing, yes. Knowing my mother, it will be much more elaborate. Because he’s her first grandchild. And, thus far, only grandchild. And because she’s… my mother.” That’s really all that needed to be said about Lwaxana Troi. “I’ll call her in the next day or so and try to make sure it’s… within reason.”

He nodded, pulling the blanket closer around Thad. “She really is one of his biggest fans.”

“It’s one of her more endearing qualities,” Deanna agreed. She pushed herself up, giving the view of the northern lights one last gaze before turning to her husband. “I think he’s asleep.”

“He is. He’s drooling on me,” Will answered with a grin. One hand cupped the back of his son’s head as he leaned in and captured her lips in a slow, warm kiss. He let it linger and deepen, tongue teasing hers for a long moment before pulling back. “I think it’s time for the two of us.”

“Mhmm,” she agreed, fingers teasing the nape of his neck and dropping several kisses along his cheek. “I’m thinking some nice synthenol… some of those oysters you like…” Another soft kiss to his lips, and she smoothed back a lock of his dark hair.

Will grinned widely. “And that new dress of yours?” he asked hopefully.

Her head tipped, and her eyebrows lifted as she gave him a long appraising look. “Actually,” she confided, “I had a different idea for my wardrobe tonight. But I’ll let that be a surprise… and I’ll even let you choose the jazz music.”

With a wolfish grin, he stole a quick kiss before rolling smoothly to his feet and shifting their sleeping son. His fingers entangled with hers, and he urged her up. “Computer, end simulation.” Nodding toward the door, he added, “Lady, you’ve got a date.”

[blu-joons]

The Boys Don’t Think You’re Right For Him ~ Min Yoongi

Every day was a battle when it came to assuring your boyfriend’s friends that you were the girl for him. You knew you weren’t the ideal girlfriend of an idol, you didn’t fit convention, you were your own person, but that was the main reason Yoongi had fallen for you.

“I still think you’re beautiful, that’s all that matters,” Yoongi whispered, running his hands through your hair, pressing a kiss to your cheek. “They’ll come around.”

You loved his enthusiasm, but you struggled to be the same. For months now you tiptoed around the studio, not wanting to come face to face with any of the boys or staff in fear of how they would treat and respect you.

Yoongi wasn’t prepared to give up as easily, however. Other people’s opinions simply never mattered to him, no one was going to tell him who he could or couldn’t date, his business was his business, and no one else’s.

“I just feel like we’re fighting a losing battle, everyone hates me and I know I’m not welcome here, maybe I should head home.”

He sighed, bringing his hands down your body, resting them on your hips. Your body was his favourite thing in the world, he loved coming home to cuddle it after long days.

“I’m not having you be made to feel this way, you’re my girlfriend, and if they aren’t happy, they can go somewhere else,” he said, pinning you down into your chair.

“Yoongi, you don’t understand how hard it is for me, your members don’t like me, and the band is way more important than me.

If he didn’t know better, it sounded like you wanted to break up with him, listing all the reasons why you struggled day to day in your relationship.

“You’re just as important to me, I don’t care what everyone else thinks, and you shouldn’t either. They will learn to love you, you’ve just got to trust me.”

“I’ve trusted you for months and nothing has changed. If I felt worthless before, they all certainly make me feel even worse about myself.”

“Stop,” he sighed, peppering kisses all over your face, “you’re flawless, you should be confident.”

You softly smiled, resting your head on his shoulder. “I wish I could be sometimes, but it’s just hard when there is so much negativity.”

“I understand jagi,” he whispered.

“It means a lot having you around though to try and make me feel better.”

He shuffled around so he sat in front of you, taking your hands in his. His eyes met yours, the soft shade that always comforted you whenever you were feeling down.

The two of you sat in the rehearsal studio, whilst the other boys took a break, Yoongi wanted to check in on you and make sure you were okay.

“Let me show you how much I love you,” he whispered, attaching his lips to yours. His hands came up, tangling in your hair, bringing you closer to him so you could wrap your arms around him.

“Yoongi, what if the boys come back?” You asked between kisses.

He sighed, glancing back at the door quickly before turning his attention back to you. “No one is around, don’t worry about them, they’ll get the message if they come back. Just kiss me, okay, we’re going to be fine.”

“Okay, I trust you,” you mumbled.

Whilst the two of you became lost in your embrace, the boys made their way back to the studio, peering in to see the two of you in a heavy make out session on the chairs. Jungkook went to open the door, but Namjoon stopped him.

“Look how happy he is, we can’t interrupt this,” he told them all. “I know that we’ve all been sceptical about Y/N but look at him right now.”

They all glanced in, easily seeing just by his body language how in love he was. “I think maybe we need to cut Y/N a bit of slack.”

“Maybe she’s not as bad as we first thought, anyone who makes Yoongi happy is good with me,” Hobi added.

They didn’t mean to, but they soon found themselves staring in. Seeing this side of Yoongi melted their hearts, they could see how confident he had become since meeting you and how happy he was with all of your love.

“Maybe we need to apologise and learn to be more accepting of her, if for anything else, Yoongi’s sake. He’s clearly serious about her, and although she may not be what we accepted, if she’s who Yoongi loves, we need to accept that,” Jimin spoke.

“I agree.”

“We all agreed,” Jin clarified for Taehyung, “we all need to realise that Yoongi’s happiness comes first, and if this is his happiness, who are we to stand in his way? All we ever really want is for all of us to be happy.”

Back in the studio, the two of you pulled away, catching your breaths, jumping as the studio door opened and six boys piled in.

“Is it safe to come in now?” Namjoon teased. Both of you fell back in embarrassment, red tints on both your cheeks. “Don’t worry, we don’t mind, it’s nice to see the two of you in love and happy with each other.”

“Really?” Yoongi asked, confused as to where the change of approach had come from. “You’re not going to come in and lecture the two of us again?”

They all shook their heads, one by one walking over to give you a massive hug, whispering reassuring words into your ears, letting you know how please they were that Yoongi had found the one to make him happy.

Yoongi glanced over at you, shrugging his shoulders as they each patted his shoulder, pushing him back towards you. The two of you stood in shock as they all looked at each other, Jungkook stepping forwards.

“We’ve not been fair, and we’re sorry. Y/N, you are beautiful, and we know how lucky Yoongi is to have found you,” Jungkook smiled.

“I’m glad you think so,” you replied. “Yoongi means a lot to me,” you added, taking his hand in his, “all I’ve ever wanted was for your support.”

“And from now on we will,” Taehyung assured you, “everyone is beautiful in their own way, and we can see that now, mainly by the big grin on his face.”

Yoongi smirked, brushing Tae’s hand away as it pointed out his smile. “I’m glad you’ve all come to realise how great a girl Y/N is.”

“I may not be what you were looking for on the outside, but on the inside, I’m a great person, filled with love and care.”

“Which is just one of the reasons I love her, and I hope you all can too.”

---

Masterlist