#he had all the right pieces of information but put them together in absolutely the wrong way

[starsofang]

CALL OF THE SEA / PART TWELVE

pirate poly!141 x f!reader tw: NSFW, MDNI, heavy topics such as death, blood, and past trauma mentioned masterlist a/n: thank you for all your support while i grow through a difficult time!! i appreciate all of you for being so patient and loving. long chapter for u!! <3

When a group of unhinged pirates invade your small village, you're whisked away from your peaceful home and thrown on to a voyage out at sea. Forced to obtain a new role as their medic, you have no choice but to accept your fate as you join their forces and aid them in their treacherous travels.

Ghost didn’t remember much about his childhood. His mind blocked it out for him. But he did remember the pain and suffering he went through at such a young age.

He didn’t deserve that. Seeing his family, massacred in front of him. The blood mixed with the metallic scent that even now seemed to tinge his nose with a nostalgia that made him sick.

He was only a child, yet that was the day Ghost was born within him.

It was like an awakening. He saw how cruel the world could be through a pure lens and it tainted his vision red. Nothing was ever the same that day, and gradually, Simon was forgotten and Ghost was his new muse.

He could recall the nights he spent alone, digging through waste bins and slumping out on the streets like a dead dog. Stealing bread from shop merchants and having to run, barefooted to avoid getting beaten. Freezing to death on the street corner when winter came around and the pure snow covered the ground in a blanket.

It was scary for a boy his age. Dehumanizing. He didn’t deserve that.

He thought he was lucky when a ship crew came along, parading the streets to offer security. A job, a place to sleep, and meals — it seemed perfect for somebody who had absolutely nothing.

He couldn’t have been more wrong.

Ghost never saw Simon again after that day. He was lost somewhere at sea, hidden under the roar of waves. Ghost didn’t know where to look for him until soon enough, Simon had disappeared and Ghost replaced him. Graves made sure of that.

A captain, like hell he was. Ghost knew something wasn’t quite right about Graves the moment he met him, yet as a child, he was desperate. Once he was in, it was too late, and the broken pieces of him became completely irreparable.

Graves held a devilish aura about him, one Ghost could practically see radiating around him. Every step he took was one closer to chaos.

No matter the destination, Ghost was held on by a leash with Graves being the handler. The sights Ghost saw, some being from his doing, was something he’d never get back. It was as if reliving that very day where he lost everything.

Living amongst Graves’ crew was worse than living in hell. He would’ve preferred it. To be banished for his sins, to taste the sweet nectar of death, and live his eternity punished. Anything to stray from Graves and his ship.

When he saw the way you looked—the darkness looming over you, the distress in your eyes—he saw himself. And when he saw Graves, he saw the life that was stolen from him.

That red that clouded his lens when he was a child was all he could see. Pure, angry red.

Now, standing in Price’s quarters, that red only grew angrier. This time, for you—for putting you in the same position he’d been stuck in for years.

You didn’t deserve that.

Your mind was a whirlwind of chaos. It was struggling to digest the information given to you. So much at once and you could barely manage to keep yourself together.

Everybody looked sorry for you. Ghost looked enraged. Price was lost. Soap and Gaz were remorseful. It was too much.

You hated that they looked at you like that. You hated when they didn’t look at you like that more. Having them worry, when for the duration of your stay it was like walking on burning rocks, it felt strange.

Their own worry caused yours as well.

“What is that?” you asked. “The mark of death. I— I don’t know what that is. What does that mean?”

You were becoming more frantic. The panic that ensued was growing, and you could tell it bothered Price. He was quick to grasp your shoulders, settling you.

“It’s complicated,” he explained quietly, hushing you. “That man you saw? His name is Phillip Graves. Some call him the Devil of the Seas. He’s a wicked pirate who feeds off of the innocent, their fear. None of us know what he truly is, not even Ghost, but we believe he’s apart of something sinister.”

“What, like he’s sold his soul? Made amends with the Devil? You are talking madness!” you exclaimed, exasperated.

“We are talkin’ truth,” Price corrected. He was as patient as ever, yet still held the firmness of a leader. “He’s that of a reaper. Souls is what he wants. The mark of death is his contract, you may say.”

“But you are not telling me what the mark does,” you cried.

Your head hurt. The world was spinning. You didn’t understand.

“I think it’s quite obvious what the markin’ is, dove,” the Captain said solemnly. “It is only by miracle it hasn’t happened to Ghost yet.”

“So I am to die? Is that it?” You flickered your gaze between each man. Your eyes told a million stories, and each of them were ones of fear and anguish. “I am going to die?”

“No,” Ghost snapped. You looked at him. He seemed as pain as you were, but the anger was taking over logic. “You ain’t dyin’. Not today, not tomorrow. M’not lettin’ it happen.”

“Ghost,” Soap tried, but he was quickly shut down.

“I said no,” he repeated resentfully. “Price, show her the map.”

Price turned to him, stiffening. It seemed he still didn’t quite want to let you know the full truth. Now, you felt it was to protect you rather than leave you out. It was too late for protection.

The Captain silently walked to his desk, pulling open the old drawer with a slam, shaking the table. He pulled out the map you’d seen so long ago, unrolling it and slapping it on the table.

“Come, dove,” he called, and you listened.

The men surrounded the desk with you, staring down at the map. The ink was still the same as it was before—islands crossed out with an X, while one remained circled.

“Suppose it’s time you knew, hm?” he asked, offering the smallest of smiles. You found that you missed his real one. The one he tried to hide when he found a joke of yours humorous.

Your nerves shot up. Your emotions were at an all-time high. You were scared, scared to find out the truth.

“These islands,” he began, tracing his finger along the map to point at the ones with an X, “are all land marked by Graves. Every single one, we went to in search of a medic. The one in the poem, remember?”

The one who heals the ill and poor

shall be the cure to all demise.

You weren’t sure how it linked to you. You’d never met Graves, nor had you met your pirate crew until they took you away. The connection wasn’t there. It didn’t make sense.

“Yes, I remember,” you confirmed quietly. “What does it have to do with me?”

“We searched for a medic from every village, yet when we arrived, they were famished with death, or on the brink of,” he explained. “All of the villages were all succumbin’ to Graves’ mark of death. We think he was attemptin’ to get rid of all villages as much as he could so we wouldn’t be able to find their medics. We don’t know how, but he knows we have the prophecy, and he doesn’t like it.”

“And how do you know the prophecy is related to Graves?” you questioned. “How do you know it relates to me?”

“Ghost got the prophecy a long time ago when he was still on Graves’ ship,” Soap piped in. His hands rested on the table and he leaned over the map, but his eyes bore into yours. “He was searchin’ for answers even then. This is all he got.”

You couldn’t imagine the desperation Ghost must have felt, knowing Graves had him under his despicable spell. Not knowing whether he was going to live or die.

Your heart ached.

“And me?”

The room went silent, as if your words burned a wound in them.

“Your village had the mark, yet nobody had suffered from it,” Gaz said quietly. His eyes were soft when he looked at you with the unmistakable glimmer of pity in them. “We knew you were the one we were lookin’ for.”

“My village was not cursed,” you denied, shaking your head. “There is simply no possibility. We rarely got outsiders unless they were coming to browse the merchants.”

It clicked in your head how quickly it must’ve happened. Graves, visiting your village under the guise of an innocent shopper, gearing his interest towards the various merchants that littered your small streets.

It would’ve been so easy for him. So terribly easy.

Your people died to Price’s crew, but the true evil was the man who gave the pirates reason to ensure a massacre.

“That’s why you did what you did,” you muttered to yourself in disbelief. “You killed them because of him. You killed Mary because of him.”

“The curse would’ve taken over the moment you left,” Gaz explained. “You were the shield protectin’ them without even knowin’. You’re meant to fulfill the prophecy, grantin’ you immunity until we found you.”

All this talk about a prophecy made you want to scream, cry, yell, anything. Why you? Why were you the one chosen, and why did it have to be you?

You wanted your life back. You didn’t want to be apart of this.

Before you knew it, tears welled up in your eyes. They stung, causing you to blink rapidly. You didn’t want to seem weak, but in this moment, you were.

“Dove?” Gaz called out, concerned.

“I don’t want this,” you cried, shaky hands balling into fists. “You—you knew I was apart of this and never told me. You kept me in the dark for this long, you hid me from the truth, and for why?”

“We don’t have all of the information yet, dove, please—” Price began, but you shut him down.

“Bullshit!” you shouted, and he reeled back in surprise. You had been outspoken before, plenty with the Captain especially, but he had never seen you lash out so fiercely. “You took my life away because you assumed I was the one in your ridiculous prophecy on a whim. You took a guess and went with it. I am hardly a proper medic, let alone worthy enough to be that person for you, so why have you chosen me?”

“You must understand, you were the only medic left alive,” Price defended. “We had no choice. We did what we had to do.”

“At my expense,” you argued.

“At all of our expense,” he retorted. “I did not care for your life when we stole it. I did not care for it when you were locked in the brig. I cared for Simon’s.”

You fell silent, whipping your head to look at Ghost. You’d heard Price call him Simon before, by a slip-up, but now he had said it purposely. Ghost simply looked away, arms crossed over his chest.

All that talk before and now, at your aid, he was as quiet as a street mouse.

“Without you, he will die. We do not know when. Graves hasn’t killed him due to the thrill of holdin’ his life in his hands. It’s a toy to him. He can take his life away at any moment, and I would not allow that, even if it meant ruinin’ yours.”

Price’s cheeks were reddened from the frustration and helplessness he was feeling. He was a Captain trying to save his crew’s life, uncaring of yours—in the beginning, at least.

Now, the mere thought of losing both had him kneeling like a pitiful dog to the Devil of the Seas.

“I do not wish to be here,” you murmured, taking a step back. Soap opened his mouth to retort, but you silenced him. “I need to be alone.”

The Captain gave you a sad smile, nodding his head. He was respecting your wishes.

“As you wish,” he agreed, and you made your way out of the suffocating quarters, returning to your shared one with Gaz and Soap.

“Dove,” a voice called out. It was quiet, like it was whispering, yet to you, it sounded loud. You hated its voice.

It was black. Your eyes couldn’t adjust to the light, no matter how much you shifted them to look around.

Your body felt heavy, as if something was weighing on you. Your lungs were tight, and when you opened your mouth for air, nothing came in. You slapped your hands over your throat, clawing at the skin.

Why couldn’t you breathe? You felt like you were drowning. No matter how hard you tried, you couldn’t take in an ounce of air, and you could feel your lungs beginning to protest.

A cold panic came over you, like an icy wave consuming you in its dangerous waters. You tried to move your legs, but they were stuck. They were too heavy.

All you could do was helplessly paw at your throat, praying to gasp for a breath, praying that the Gods had mercy on you.

“Dove,” it whispered once more. Where had you heard the voice before? You knew it, but your mind was blanking from the lack of oxygen.

“I’ll be seeing you, dove,” it mocked.

Dove. Dove. Dove.

“Dove!”

You shot awake, a sharp gasp invading your lungs. The burning in your chest was harsh, and it was as if you truly hadn’t been breathing.

Coming to, you blinked the groggy confusion away, lifting a hand to wipe at your eyes.

Soap peered down at you, his eyebrows knitted worriedly. His hands were on each side of your shoulders, as if he’d shaken you awake, and when you realized you had been asleep, you only guessed that’s what he was doing.

“I kept callin’ ye but ye weren’t wakin’,” he said wearily. “Are y’alright?”

You glanced around the room, taking it in. Gaz’s bed. The clothes strewn on the floor. The mess on the small desk that you’d never seen occupied.

You were no longer suffocating in darkness. It was a mere dream—no, a nightmare. A terror.

You were safe.

“I don’t know,” you confessed breathily, still catching air.

Your heart pounded in your chest as you recalled the nightmare. You couldn’t remember the voice, not when you were fearing a death that was merely fake, but you knew now.

“Tell me,” Soap urged gently, taking a seat next to you on the bed. You sat up to join him, frowning at the floor. “It’s okay.”

You risked looking up at him, searching his eyes. They were soft whenever they looked at you, and they’d been like that since the beginning. He was always patient, even when you did things that cost him a scolding from Price.

You felt like you could trust him, more than any of them.

“It was that man,” you explained. “Graves. I think he is messing with my head. I dreamt of dying, like… like I was drowning. I couldn’t breathe. The whole time, I could hear his voice, calling me out. Mocking me.”

Soap listened carefully, taking in every one of your words. He cared, that much you could tell, and the situation weighed heavy on him. The worry lines on his face were proof.

Graves was tormenting with your mind, feeding into your fear. He knew you were terrified, and he enjoyed it. The way he mimicked what he told you, whispering it the same as before, it sent chills down your spine and made your blood run cold.

You understood now why Ghost was always a mystery—because he was scared, too. He just hid it better.

“I am scared,” you confessed shakily. “I do not want to die.”

“And ye won’t,” he assured, but you shook your head.

“You do not know that,” you argued. “None of you do. You have not given me a chance at life. I am stuck in this without a choice, and I am the new target. It’s not fair.”

Soap’s expression dropped into one of guilt. His focus shifted away from you, avoiding your eye, before returning back to you.

“It’s not,” he agreed quietly. “We’ve done to ye what Graves did to Ghost. Treatin’ ye like—like burdening scum, like ye don’t matter. I can’t express to ye how sorry I am for everythin’.”

You didn’t want an apology, but you accepted it nonetheless. It was the first anybody had truly apologized for the mess you were thrown into. Maybe it was something you needed without realizing. You felt a sliver of weight lifted.

“I never had a family,” you told him, staring down at your feet that hung over the side of the bed. The shoes Soap surprised you with stared back at you. “The village did not like my values or my lifestyle. It was hard being an outcast there, but it is even harder here.”

“Yer not an outcast.”

Looking back up at him, you found him smiling, a faint sparkle twinkling back at you.

“Not anymore. We thought ye were a little strange in the beginning, though,” he said, the end of his sentence bordering a tease.

You couldn’t stop your own smile from forming. Despite carrying the crushing weight of the world’s worries, as well as growing a headache with every word spoken from each of them ever since your arrival, you found yourself growing more fond over them the longer you lingered.

It’d been a bumpy road, and there were still miles ahead of you, waiting to unravel. But you couldn’t fully convince yourself that there wasn’t a part of you, yearning to belong with them.

“You are all very strange,” you retorted lightly. “I have never met such people as you before.”

“Thank ye.”

“It was not a compliment.”

Soap snorted, shaking his head at the banter. “The Captain is bitin’ tooth and nail in his quarters, thinkin’ he fucked this all up with ye. Never seen him that worried before, but with Graves bein’ around again, I don’t blame him.”

The statement caught you off guard, and you found yourself curious. “He is worried for me?”

Soap eyed you strangely, as if it had been obvious the whole time. “Ach. ‘Course he is. Cap’s got a good heart, even if it doesn’t seem like it.”

“I did not realize he cared for me after everything,” you confessed.

Soap hummed, looking down at his trousers and picking at a loose thread. “We all do.”

You stared at him dumbly, cocking your head in question when he didn’t elaborate. You had become acquainted with them, surely, you lived with them now after all, but you weren’t aware they truly cared.

When Price had told you they’d grown fond of you, you didn’t quite believe it. You assumed it was his way of convincing you to trust him, but it seemed that wasn’t the truth.

The two of you sat in silence, staring anywhere but at each other. The awkwardness grew, and it felt strange to feel that when the relationships had been too uptight even consider having those moments.

You took the time to weigh out your options. The Captain being worried, especially over messing things up with you, had you in a turmoil.

As much as you wanted to deny the path chosen for you unwillingly, you felt an obligation to please them. Yet, not in the way you initially thought.

You didn’t want to let them down.

Maybe you truly were as strange as Soap thought.

“Is he still in there?” you asked Soap. He perked up, nodding his head.

“Aye. He’ll be rottin’ in there before we know it.”

You pursed your lips, facing that inner battle once more before coming to a conclusion. “Would you like to join me, then?”

Soap raised his eyebrows, watching you stand from the bed. You shot him a warm smile, tilting your head at his confusion.

“For?” he asked.

“You all need a medic,” you said, giving a nonchalant shrug. “And I do not wish to die by the hands of a filthy pirate such as Graves. I am in this now, so I suppose I’ll simply have to deal with it, am I correct?”

Soap’s smile slowly grew at your sudden courage, standing up to join you. He reached out for you, and once you became confused, he looped your arm with his, grinning down at you.

“Sure are, dove. I’ll come with ye.”

The Captain looked a mess when you entered his quarters with Soap. Ghost was beside him where Price sat at his desk, the map and prophecy still scattered on the table. The two of them were speaking hushed to one another, yet when the door opened and you stepped in, they went silent.

“She wanted to be alone, Soap,” Price protested, but you quickly shook your head, taking a step closer to the desk.

“It’s alright,” you assured. “I have had time to think.”

Price’s eyebrows raised and he glanced at Gaz for a brief moment before returning to you. “I see,” he hummed, nodding. “I have as well.”

You cocked your head, eyebrows furrowing. He gestured for Ghost and Soap to step out of the room, requesting privacy, and the sudden realization that you would in fact have to speak after your outburst made your nerves to churn.

Ghost gave your shoulder a light squeeze as he walked behind Soap, catching you off guard. When you looked at him, he stared forward, avoiding your gaze.

The door clicked shut as they left, and you stood uncomfortably in place, shifting on the balls of your feet.

“I owe you an apology,” Price began. “A true one. I may be a Captain, and I know in those regards, I come off rather violent. I can be a brute, I will admit, but I am also a man who knows times when he is right and wrong.”

He stood up from his chair, circling around the desk to face you. He leaned against the old wood, crossing his arms and clearing his throat. Upon quick inspection, you saw the faint smoke of his cigar swirling in its ashtray.

“I should not have treated you so unkindly since the beginning. I should have considered how scared you must have been, how alone it must feel,” he continued, eyes drifting off for a moment as if deep in perplexing thought. “I do not apologize for doin’ what I thought was right in that time to save my own, but I do feel sorrow for what transpired in your time bein’ here.”

You couldn’t help but wonder if Ghost had been the reasoning for this. He wasn’t a man of many words, but you knew the respect him and Price had for one another. It was safe to assume he’d speak with him privately regarding everything.

“I’d like to apologize as well,” you began, but Price stood up straight, quick to raise his hands in protest.

“You have nothin’ to apologize for—”

“I am sorry for lashing out the way I did earlier,” you cut off. Price stopped, lips pressing together. His gaze remained stuck on you, now that you had his attention. “It does not excuse what you have done to me, and I see you have realized that. If this is to be my life, I wish for compromise rather than seclusion.”

Price didn’t say anything at first. His eyes darted over your face, taking in your features. He saw the calmness you held compared to when you were last in his quarters.

You didn’t seem defeated, nor did you seem to simply agree for the sake of him and the others. You wanted this for yourself.

“I will grant you that,” he agreed in a hum, nodding once. “I do not wish for you to feel out of place no longer. You have had enough of that, I believe.”

You took in his words, and they made you smile. It was what you wanted to hear—no angry exchanges, no selfish banter. A simple compromise, one you both wanted.

“Graves came to me in a dream,” you told him. His expression soured. “I believe there will be plenty more instances where he will do that. Based off of what you have told me about him, I do not want to prolong his presence longer than I must. So, I’d like to be of help.”

Just as quickly as Price grew tense at the mention of Graves, he calmed down, shoulders relaxing when he realized your implications.

“Soap has not convinced you, yes?” he asked, uncertain. “This is your call. I may have taken you due to my own selfishness, but I give you the choice now. You do not have to be a part of it if you do not want. You are part of us now, but this is not your battle.”

“It is,” you disagreed, though remained a calm composure. For the first time around Price, you felt at ease in the same room. “If I am to be part of your crew, your family, then your battles are my battles. I may not have had a family, but I am certain that’s how it works. Does it not?”

Price stared at you; expression unreadable. It took mere moments for his lips to slowly curl up, granting you one of his rare smiles that seemed to radiate a certain light you’d never seen before. It caused your heart to pick up, though you were unclear as to why.

“That is how it works with us, dove,” he agreed softly. “Your battles are ours. You can count on it.”

“Wonderful,” you cheered with a smile of your own. “Shall we continue what wasn’t finished before, then?”

Price chuckled low under his breath, his amusement growing the longer you stuck around. He nodded, tapping his desk and calling you to it.

“Come on, dove.”

[catilinas]

tate short for ethelburga

[universal-verringbebe]

LADS MEN AS YANDERES

Alternatively titled "when your boyfriend is a yandere but that's your kink"

a tentative 18+ MDNI because I don't get explicit but it's HIGHLY suggestive

Zayne:

• My man's is CRAZY possessive and dominant.

• You're not allowed to see any other doctors but him

• Even if he's busy with another patient, he demands that you wait until he's done, regardless of what kind of injury you have

• As soon as you officially get together, he has you moving into his flat

• You WILL be sleeping in his bed every single night, no exceptions

• Don't even think of taking a nap on the couch, it's the bed or nothing

• And you eat that shit up

• Every time he orders you to do something, you have to stop yourself from jumping him right then and there

• Like he'll put a glass of water in front of you and coldly order you to "drink" and suddenly you're on your knees trying to get your fluids from somewhere else.

• You have male friends? Not anymore.

• If some of them suddenly vanished because of some dude named Dawnbreaker, that's not your business.

• The type to have you in bed and make you talk before pleasing you

• "Say my name"

• "Good girl, now say it again but louder"

• "Tell me you're mine"

Xavier:

• He's absolutely the stalker type

• Before you even officially met him, he was stalking you for at least a year.

• The area you used to live in had a high crime rate but you never met any trouble

• Wild, wonder why

• When you moved to a new apartment, he was your neighbor, what a coincidence and he started bonding with you like that,

• Whenever you needed anything or was having trouble with something, he would conveniently be there with a solution.

• You start to suspect the stalking and confront him

• When he confirms you literally just say "wow that's hot, please take me now"

• And that's how you got together

• From then on, he's just glued to your side no matter where you go

• You get a new job? Who's that fine piece of ass that's your coworker? Oh, hi Xavier.

• In bed, and I will continue saying this on main with no shame for xavier specifically, BREEDING KINK 🗣️🗣️🗣️

• He's going to fill you up whether you like it or not

• Spoiler alert: you like it

• "Just take it all my star, gonna make you give me a galaxy"

• "If I put a baby in you, then you really will have to stay with me forever"

Rafayel:

• THIS FUCKER IS MANIPULATIVE and NEEDY

• The moment he laid eyes on you, it was a wrap gg ez

• Like he deliberately will bump his car into yours at a stoplight, say it was your fault and demand your information

• Of course he's not going to make insurance claims or anything, he'll just buy you both a new car

• But now he has your number and you're never getting rid of him

• If he catches someone flirting with you, they'll suddenly find themselves without a job, homeless, in prison for 10 years for a crime he definitely committed and pinned it on them.

• And you're just here like, damn, you're so sexy when you ruin other people's lives🤪🥴🥵

• He said say less and proposed to you right then and there.

• How dare you not have your attention on him 25/8, do you even love him?

• Definitely needs affirmations every 0.3 seconds

• Also demands you prove your love to him. Like, if you love him, you'll pose nude in front of a whole class just so he can watch you squirm

• Spoiler alert: you're squirming because this arouses you

• LOVES marking you up and buying you revealing clothing to show his artwork off

• "They all need to know you're mine"

• "Don't cover that up. In fact, let me make it bigger, come here"

[skzstannie]

"I will wait for you"

SKZ-> Felix x fem!reader

genre: fluff, hurt/comfort, almostttt s2l wc: ~2,500 cw: a little bit of blood (reader gets hurt), mentions of panic and anxiety, mentions of toxic relationship, mostly just Felix being s’cute tho

summary: a day in the life with Felix as you recover from your previous abusive relationship

A/N: Hiii! Here is the awaited part 2 for “I’ll take care of you”. I hope you all enjoy! All feedback and likes/reblogs are much appreciated!

Happy scrolling! | Masterlist

"Felix, I really don't need all this stuff," you sigh, watching him drag all the things he bought you into your room.

"That's ok, I want you to have it. You deserve it," he replies, his voice strained as he pushes your dresser into place.

As nonchalantly as his words come across, you've decided to permanently engrain them in your head.

Felix has been showering you with words of affirmation for the last few days, and that's the one he used most often.

"You deserve to have the door opened for you."

"You deserve to be taken out for lunch"

"You deserve to be treated like a princess, so please let me."

What may seem like the simplest things to anyone else meant so much to you. Your ex was your first boyfriend, so you've never experienced the love Felix has been showing you. As foreign as it all seems, you urge yourself to get used to it. You want to believe what he says.

You want to trust Felix.

After your breakdown a few nights ago, Felix convinced you to break up with your boyfriend. You sent him a short text, telling him it's over and to not expect to see you again. His texts came in quickly after, sending you countless threats. You contacted the police shortly, and they told you they'd handle it.

The next day, the police called you and informed you your ex had been given a warning and told not to bother you again. They reassured you that they do not take this type of situation lightly and to trust them. The cop told you if your ex ever gave you any trouble, give them a call and they'll take care of it.

You knew you could've pressed charges; you had evidence of the years of abuse he put you through. However, you didn't want to deal with all the extra work that would go with that. You knew your ex deserved to be charged. He'd put you through hell for so long, no one should get away with that.

But, you were also yearning for some peace of mind. You wanted to forget about him, to move on. He didn't deserve the right to take up any space in your mind. You just wanted to live your life peacefully, out of the grasp of your abuser.

Felix has practically been glued to your side ever since that night, only leaving to go to work during the day. He was quick to invite you to stay in his apartment, giving you the spare bedroom.

You explained to Felix that you had absolutely no interest in going back to your old apartment to get your things, and in response to that, he bought you everything new. New clothes, new sheets, new electronics. It was really all too much, but he wouldn't take no for an answer.

"You should start hanging up those clothes in your closet; they'll wrinkle if they stay in those bags much longer." He wipes his forehead, working up a sweat while helping you put your room together. You look to your bed, fully decked out in the nicest set of sheets you've ever seen with the fluffiest pillows resting against the headboard. The clothes are piled high on top of it, bag after bag spilling out with the varying pieces of fabric.

At the mall with Felix, he tried to drag you into all the expensive stores, telling you he only wanted you to have the nicest things, but you had to put your foot down sometime. So, with a pout adorning his face, he followed behind you through your favorite stores, stores where the least expensive thing didn't cost $150. You picked up the clothes you thought would look good on you, trying them on in the dressing room, fully expecting to be paying for your own stuff. After all Felix had already done for you, you'd never expect him to pay for your clothes.

Being the gentleman he is, though, he was able to whip his credit card out long before you were able to find yours in your purse.

You vividly remember the shy look he gave you as he'd handed his card to the cashier, batting his eyelashes at you in a silent plea of forgiveness.

"There are hangers in there already, so don't worry about that. If you need more, I have more in my room," he plops down beside the bags on your bed, peeking inside them.

"Thank you again, Felix, for all of this," you tell him, your eyes soft as you watch him get comfortable on your bed.

"You're very welcome."

~ ~ ~

You've finally finished organizing your closet, and it's honestly perfect. Color coded shirts line the rack, hung with nice white hangers, and your pants and shorts are folded in your beautiful dresser. You let out a sigh of relief and turn to view the rest of your bedroom, your eyes scan the room, and your heart thrums with satisfaction.

Everything is beautiful, from your sheer curtains covering your window to the gorgeous oak desk, your computer sitting atop it. Your gaze shifts to the sleeping boy on your bed and your features soften with adoration. Not wanting to wake him up, you crawl in beside him. He's laying crooked across your comforter, but you wiggle your way onto the corner of your bed under the covers.

You're amazed at how drastically your life has changed in just a few days. Only a week ago you feared for your safety every time you walked through your door, leaving you laying with wide eyes most nights.

Now, you've never felt safer as your head hits the pillow and you drift off to sleep.

~ ~ ~

You abruptly sit up in bed, your hand coming up to clutch at your chest. Your breaths come out in short huffs, your quick pulse matching your ragged breathing. Felix, having moved sometime during the night to get under the covers, is already sitting up beside you. His reaction is immediate, his hands coming up to softly grip your shoulders.

Images of your ex run rampant in your mind, clouding the safety you felt just hours before. Your eyes dart to the closed door of your bedroom, scared he'll burst through.

"Hey, it's okay. Everything's locked; no one can get in here," he assures you, seemingly reading your mind. "Are you okay?" he asks, his eyes frantically searching your panicked ones.

"Yea, I'm fine," you're voice is hoarse, the remnants of sleep slipping through your words. "Just a nightmare."

"Must've been some nightmare, then. You were screaming before you woke up. Scared me half to death," he tells you. Becoming more aware of yourself, you feel how your body is damp with sweat, your hair matted at the back of your head. "Do you want to talk about it?"

"It was just my ex. I don't-" you become choked up at the thought of it, "I don't really want to talk about it."

You hold eye contact with him, his thumbs running along the side of your arms. He has a look of understanding on his face, and, in this moment, you are so glad he stole your coffee that fateful day.

He's saved you. Whether he'll take the credit or not, without Felix you'd still be in the same toxic relationship. Hell, you had already given up, just accepting the fact you'd spend the rest of your life with a monster.

That man had starved you of loving affection for years, so for you to end up in the presence of Felix was a blessing.

"Can you just hold me?" your voice is weak, trembling a bit as you try to shake the nightmarish thoughts from your head.

There's no hesitation as Felix pulls you into his warm embrace, one hand coming up to grip the back of your head while the other rubs affectionately up and down your back. "Of course I can."

Eventually the two of you lay back down with you still residing in the comfort of his arms. You lay in silence for a while, but when you realize sleep isn't going to come easy, you whisper to Felix, "Are you awake?"

He hums back to you, squeezing you a bit tighter for a moment. "Yea," his voice is deep as it rumbles through his chest.

"I can't sleep." Your fingers reach up to play with the bottom of his shirt, toying with a string that's come loose along the side.

"I'm sorry, sweetie. Do you want to get up?"

You look to the clock you have on your bedside table, and it reads 6:30 A.M.

You think for a moment before deciding that, in your disheveled state, 6:30 is an appropriate time for you to get up. "Sure," you answer, pulling away from him and moving the covers off your body. "I was planning on making you breakfast before you woke up, but since you're already up, wanna make it together?"

Luckily enough for both of you, neither of you have work today as it's Saturday.

"I'd love to."

He sits up as well, stretching his arms up high while letting out a groan. Your eyes travel down to his body, stopping on his toned stomach that peaks out from the bottom of his shirt.

Of course you've always known Felix was attractive, but now that you're officially single, Felix has been looking especially good lately. However, you do have some respect for yourself, and you know you need time to heal before jumping back into another relationship.

But that doesn't mean you can't find him hot as hell.

You blink out of your trance and blush when Felix's eyes are already settled on you. "Breakfast?" he smirks, his eyes crinkling.

"Breakfast."

~ ~ ~

"Felix, that's way too much butter," you laugh, watching him throw slice after slice of softened butter into your hot pan. "We're not trying to deep fry them."

"My members and I made them like this one time, and they were good," he pouts.

You gently take the butter out of his hands, putting it down beside the stove. "I think they'll taste even better this way."

You guys continue on, and the pancakes come out tasty, topped with sweet syrup and some butter. As you're bringing yours and Felix's empty plates to the counter, your hip accidentally bumps into the sharp edge of the counter, and you cry out in pain. The dishes slip from your grasp and crash to the floor, shattering the ceramic into tiny pieces.

Tears well in your eyes immediately, your heartbeat picking up in intensity. You fall into a state of panic, anxiety sweeping your consciousness.

Your movements are robotic as you bend down, picking up the shards with your bare hands. You’re careless, and the sharp slivers cut through your palm as you hold them.

Felix doesn't let this go on long, immediately crouching beside you. He unwraps your tightly closed fist, and he gasps at the blood covering your delicate hand.

"Babe, you've cut your hand," he sighs, his sad eyes roaming your blank face.

You've tuned him out though, your anxiety still holding the reigns. You involuntarily flinch when he brings his hand up towards your face. His hand stops midair, freezing just near you cheek.

He's frozen still as he watches you with desperate eyes. Your blank stare is locked on the ground beside you, the broken pieces still littering the ground there. "You're ok, I'm not going to hurt you."

His soft words bring you out of your daze, and when you finally look to his him, you finally allow the tears to fall.

Once he sees that you're aware of him and who he is, he allows himself to reach out to you again, wiping your falling tears. He lightly grasps your elbow, pulling your crouched form into his.

Your emotions run wild as he holds you.

How could you think that Felix would hurt you?

"I will never hurt you," his voice cracks, and you feel how your shoulder dampens from his tears.

"I know Felix, I'm sorry."

"You have nothing to be sorry for. Healing will take time, and I want to be there with you through it all, the good and the bad. Okay?"

You sniffle, nodding your head yes.

"Okay, good. Let's get you cleaned up." He helps you up, grabbing your hand and entwining your fingers together. He leads you to the bathroom, where he pulls out a little first aid kit from below the sink.

Looking back to you, he pats the toilet seat, silently asking if you'll sit.

You walk the few steps from the doorway to the toilet seat, and plop yourself down.

He brings your hand up towards the sink, a bottle of alcohol in his other hand.

"This will probably sting a bit, but only for a second."

He slowly pours the liquid onto your palm, and it takes everything in you not to pull away. Your face grimaces as the stinging continues, the alcohol running of the ends of your fingers.

The nice white porcelain of the sink is stained red now as your blood swirls down the drain. Felix lets the water run, swishing it up onto the sides of the sink to get rid of the residue.

He grabs the towel hanging behind him, bringing it to your palm to get rid of the excess moisture. His touch is so gentle, his hands treating you like glass.

He opens the first aid kit again, grabbing some wrap and a few bandages. "I'm gonna put these on you and then put this wrap around your hand. I think the bandages will just fall off if I don't wrap them," he explains, waiting for you to give the 'okay' for him to continue.

You hum at him, agreeing, and he gets right to work.

Just a few minutes later, your hand feels as if it's been expertly bandaged by some healthcare professional, and your heart sores with adoration as you admire the man in front of you.

"How lucky I am to have met you," you tell him, a soft smile adorning your lips.

"Not as lucky as I am," he smiles back, pulling you up from your seat to give you a comforting hug.

Your hands land on his chest, creating a slight gap between the two of you.

Your eyes drift down to his lips, his tongue darting out to wet them.

"I really wanna kiss you right now..."

"But..?" his hands grip your waist, holding you tightly.

"But, I feel like it wouldn't be fair for you or me. I need time. I need time to really find myself again," your eyes are filled with sorrow as they make their way up Felix's face. You take note of the way his cheeks have turned rosy, his freckled face tinted with the cutest shade of pink.

"I respect you, wholeheartedly, and if that's what you want, I will wait for you."

"You will?" years of emotional abuse have affected your ability to trust, but you remind yourself that this is Felix you're talking to. He's never given you a reason not to trust him.

"I will. Forever and ever if I have to."

[hoshiina]

pairing: hoshina soushirou x gn!reader (no prns)

summary: he struggled to fall in love while you struggled to value your life the way you valued others, entire fic is inspired by one line from nandemonaiyo by macaroni empitsu

warnings: not suicidal acts but it is very selfless behaviour from the reader, reader does not exactly fear death, hoshina calls you "darling"

wc: 1500

Hoshina Soushirou struggled to fall in love, to accept that he was in love without feeling so terribly vulnerable, and you knew this. On the other hand, you struggled to value your own life the way you valued others, and he knew this. And surprisingly, or perhaps unfortunately, this combination pieced together your relationship far better than one would expect.

You were a platoon leader in the 3rd division, and you’ve been for quite a while now. You were good at what you did, bringing people together and livening up the mood when times got dark. Still, you were strong enough to not only get the job done, but also to cover for your officers when things got tough. While you enjoyed what you did, and took pride in the position you were given, you weren’t exactly fond of it anymore.

You were sick and tired of seeing your officers die, and the thought of them gone kept you up at night. Not to mention there was nothing could get rid of the guilt you felt when you had to inform their loved ones of their passing. Well, perhaps you didn’t have to inform them personally, but to you, it was the least you could do. But it hurt you so much, no matter the number of times you’ve gone through it through all these years. Even if it was inevitable considering your job, and even if it wasn’t something you had much control over, you just couldn’t get used to it— nor did you really want to. So a few years back, you had sworn that you’d protect your officers, even if it meant you’d lose your life. If risking your life was going to save theirs, there wasn’t even a need to hesitate, you’d do it every single time.

And Hoshina knew this. He knew you would and he also knew there was no stopping you at this point, because he agreed. He was the vice-captain of the 3rd division, he knew exactly how you felt and couldn’t agree more. He also knew that you took these passings to your heart. He knew the thoughts kept you up at night, and he knew just how much they broke your heart. So subconsciously, he tried not to get attached. He had locked up his feelings after a while and so he loved you a little— just a little. He was good at this too, because he naturally struggled to fall in love in the first place. He struggled to accept he was in love.

And as horrible as this sounded, you knew this and you wanted him to, because when it comes down to it, if you were to leave him behind, what you were doing would be no different. And that was the last thing you wanted to do— leave someone who loved you behind.

While this sounded like nothing more than a broken relationship, at the end of the day you were undeniably in love with him and he was as well— there was no doubting that. Although he didn't believe in being with someone while constantly on the brink of death, he still loved you and he still wished to be by your side, the same way you were absolutely in love with him. So this was just the way it was.

It was obvious whenever one of your officers passed, it was always all over your face. As soon as you walked into your shared unit, even if you put on a smile and laughed, he’d see it in your eyes right away. He’d sense it in the way you walked and the way you talked. The way you’d be a little zoned out, and sounded terribly exhausted.

Every time this happened, he made you a warm cup of tea and squeezed your cheeks as he gave you a warm kiss, and you’d realize that he caught on again. Today was one of those days again.

“It’s not your fault, darling,” he said. “You did everything you could, I know this. You know this.”

“Sorry, I don’t mean to mope around and ruin your day,” you said, and he shook his head. “I’m just a little tired of myself, for watching my coworkers who followed my lead and trusted my orders to just… die. Also, horribly ashamed to face their family— I could never apologize enough.”

“Yeah, that’s probably the hardest part,” he said.

“I know they don’t blame me, nor do they show how lost they are when they’re in front of me,” you said. “But when they’re alone, at night, they’ll start to think. It’s always harder for those left behind.”

“I won’t ever leave you behind,” he said as he kissed your forehead.

“Oh, don’t say that now,” you said. “When I’m gone you better not mope around. You're going to go find someone who won’t go dying on you any moment. You better not miss me.”

“Oh, don’t you say that. We’re not trying to jinx anything over here,” he said, flicking you on the forehead, which you quickly put your hand over. “Besides I’ll be fine. You know this.”

You did, and it made you smile. While even you thought it’d break your heart to hear the man you loved say he’d be fine without you, it was still a bit of a relief to you. This was okay.

“But really, you’d better not leave me behind,” you said.

“I would never,” he said.

“You promise?”

“I promise.”

He’d be lying if he said this didn’t break his heart a little, but he did find strange comfort in it. Or he used to at the very least. He had always been this way, it had always scared him to fall in love, to find someone important to him, and become someone important to someone. So being in a relationship came with a large sense of guilt for him, because he was never able to let go of himself and love, and he feared how unfair this was. But now, he could just love you a little, and detach himself from the rest. It was easier for him to do so.

It was supposedly, exactly what he wanted.

Yet, every time there was a mission he thought about you. He thought about whether you’d do something reckless today, or whether you’d come home injured. He prayed that none of your officers would be in danger, because he knew you’d be fine alone. He wished that you’d come home that night and scold him again for staying up too late or drinking coffee at 3 in the morning. He hoped that you’d laugh if he were to crack the stupid joke he came up with just now, and you’d make him laugh in the morning over some silly mistake you'd complain about.

He hoped that you wouldn’t leave him behind.

“Oh,” he said.

“What is it, Hoshina?” Okonogi asked.

“Sorry, nothing,” he said. “I’ll stop spacing out.”

“Rather unlike you, to be,” she said.

“Yeah,” he said. “I fear it is.”

It truly was rather unlike him to be hopelessly in love, and to know that he was. He was hopelessly in love with you.

This just wasn’t the right time to realize, because he had a horrifying number of kaiju to deal with in front of him. Each one of them separately would not have been a problem for him, but there were just so many— not to mention they were working together. He’d be fine though, because he promised he wouldn’t leave you behind, and who was he to be breaking a promise with you?

Soon after, Okonogi had made the decision to call people over to support him, and immediately you rushed over. You knew you had your platoon to be watching over and you weren’t the closest to him, but none of that mattered. If he was gone, you’d truly be nothing, even if that wasn’t the same for him with you.

Yet, by the time you had made it he had already neutralized every last kaiju.

“Soushirou!” you yelled, rushing over to him. He was so beaten up as he lay on the ground, absolutely still, it took everything in you to not think about the worst. Until he raised his arm to give you a weak thumbs up. “You absolute asshole. You promised you wouldn’t leave me behind.”

He smiled as you reached his side.

“You’ll be okay,” you said, sounding more like you were trying to convince yourself. “The ambulance is coming.”

“You know, I was thinking,” he said, and immediately you shot him a glare as if to warn him that this better be good if he’s wasting his breath on it.

But it was.

“Darling, I’d die if you left me behind.”

[lethalchiralium]

Imagine It | Simon “Ghost” Riley x Wife!Reader

a/n: i have an itch i need to scratch and that is simon being happy. thanks

warnings: mentions of babies, mentions of simon’s kids winnie and mellie, mentions of simon’s past a little

summary: It was just a nice afternoon, your husband’s brothers in arms trying to name your imaginary baby for you.

PREVIOUS << | >> NEXT

“Rhia?”

“Write it down.” You answered, wiping baby food off of your finger onto a paper towel. Mellie giggled in her high chair, watching you as you brought Simon the little glass jar of mashed bananas.

Soap scribbled the name down on the piece of paper, sitting next to Winnie at the dinner table. The little girl was drawing on Gaz’s arm with a Sharpie, you just didn’t have the heart to tell him that.

“I like Ava.” Gaz piped up, looking up from his crossword puzzle. Soap looked to his friend then to you, you shook your head.

“Had an Ava in middle school who stole my hair tie and cut it into pieces, and kept doing it until junior year of high school.” You moved back to the fridge, opening it and looking into it. “We don’t have that much food, boys.”

“Ye kept a grudge this long?”

You looked over the fridge door at Soap, his eyebrows furrowed.

“Sort of. My brother handled it by getting her expelled.” You closed the fridge, walking back towards your dinner table and pulling a chair from it. You settled yourself beside Simon as he fed Mellie her mushed bananas, her little head trying to get a peak at Price at the head of the table. But, of course, he was completely disguised by the newspaper he held up, just like a grandfather. “More suggestions?”

Soap looked down at the list of names he had printed and brought, shoving the paper past Winnie and to Gaz, the man put down his pencil and took the packet in his hand while giving the Scot a side-eye.

“Just going to roll them off.”

You looked to Simon, the unmasked man glanced at you with a nervous glare. You looked to your left and spoke gently, “Make sure they’re not stupid ones. We’ll say yes or no.”

“Lila.”

“No.”

“Penelope.”

“No.”

“We’re talkin’ to yer wife, buddy.” Soap commented, Ghost had rejected the names while you just smiled at your husband. His eyes were still on his daughter, the little baby’s gaze now on her father.

“We’re not even having a baby anytime soon.” The Lieutenant commented, you nodded.

Soap shrugged, Gaz scoffed. “We get to name the next one - this is a meeting, for your information.” The Brit looked down at Winnie, she was still focused on whatever she was drawing on his arm.

“Oh, so you lot get to name my baby?” You laughed a little. “Absolutely not.”

“Well, Mellie’s my godbaby!” Soap whined. “Gaz’s gotta have one too!”

“He’s right, I’ve got to have a godchild too.” Gaz declared, Winnie switched markers from black to blue, beginning to color in some of her drawings. “This one’s Price’s.”

“I’m not popping out kids for each of you to have if we both die.” Your voice was loud and declarative, Soap and Gaz shut their mouths. “What if these are the only two we have? You gonna go to court and get joint custody?”

“Leave the lady alone, muppets.” Price’s voice echoed through the kitchen, he flipped the page in his newspaper.

Soap turned to Gaz, a mischievous smile on his face. “We shuid git married sae we have joint custody.”

You burst out laughing, hand flying to your mouth as Gaz squawked like a bird. Simon glanced at you before staring at Soap, who was cackling and saying , “Wh-What?! ’m right!”

“They’ll be adults before I die anyway.” Your husband commented, before turning back to Mellie - her little hand was reaching for the spoonful of banana he had in his hand. He moved the spoon towards her hand, her fingers curled around the plastic as her father commented, “Last time I checked, my girls’ godfather is Price.”

“They’ll all raise ‘em together anyway,” You then looked back to Gaz and Soap. “Won’t you, boys?”

“Yes ma’am.” Both soldiers nodded, now looking away and interested in Winnie’s art.

Soap began to chuckle as he grabbed her black marker. “Ye'r gonnae hae her art oan yer arm forever, buddy.” He held up the Sharpie in Gaz’s face, whose face paled. He looked down at the marker she was coloring her drawings on his arm in, seeing that it was washable before staring at you.

“You gave her the marker!”

You shrugged, nudging your foot on Simon’s calf. He glanced at you before he took the spoon away from your baby, she made a noise of annoyance and tried to reach for it again. The eight month old let out a whine, tears bubbling up in her eyes but he was quick to hand her the spoonful of banana again. Mellie giggled, taking the spoon from his hand as he said, “Thank you.”

“You gotta name for ‘em, Price?” Soap asked, yanking his list of names from Gaz and grabbing the Sharpie.

Price hummed from behind his newspaper. “Yeah, my mum’s name. Used to be a volunteer at the women’s shelter, used to help troubled kids.” He flipped the page. “Her name was Lyra.”

Your eyes shot to Simon, who looked like a fish out of water for just a moment. His eyes narrowed just a little as he went to wipe away some food from Mellie’s cheek with a wipe. The baby babbled a little, trying to grab his hand and chew on it.

You saw Price’s eyes over the newspaper, the little crinkle of eyebrows told you all you needed.

Simon knew Price’s mom from when he was a kid, at the woman’s shelter Simon’s mom went to several times. He must have been one of those ‘troubled teens’. Your hand went to Simon’s knee, giving it a squeeze before looking back at Price, who had disappeared behind his newspaper again.

“Mumma,” Winnie spoke from beside Gaz, looking over to you.

“Yeah, honey?”

“Can I color on Uncle Soap?” Her hazel eyes were big, she looked as if she was going to pop her lip out to beg. You smirked and pointed to Soap, who had a big smile on his face.

“You need to ask Uncle Soap. Did you ask Uncle Gaz if he liked your art?” You nodded towards Gaz, who stared at the Sharpie in Soap’s hand until Winnie looked up at him.

She quietly asked him if he liked his new art, he smiled and said, “Love it. I’ll keep ‘em forever.”

The girl squealed in delight before looking back at Soap, blue marker in her hand. “Uncle Soap, can I pretty please draw on your arm?”

Soap jutted out his arm, letting the little girl grab it with one hand and immediately began to scribble. Soap’s smile got even bigger as he watched the little artist, you looked back at Simon. He settled the small glass jar on the table beside Soap’s packet, moving to wipe off Mellie’s face as she chewed on her spoon.

Your arms went around Simon’s bicep, moving to rest your cheek into his shoulder to gaze at your baby. You do want another one, but it’s up to your husband - another little girl that smiles just as wide as her sisters, or a boy that loves to play firefighter with his sisters.

You pressed a kiss to your husband’s shoulder before looking at the rest of your family at the dinner table, holding your husband just a little closer. He pressed a kiss to your head before trying to take back the spoon from his daughter, who almost started screaming bloody murder.

———

Copyright © 2023 lethalchiralium. All rights reserved.

[whipped-for-kpop-fics]

Forever in the rain with you - L.SM

🌧Who; Lee Seokmin (Seventeen) x reader 🌧What; I know it starts like it's gonna be angst but it's really not. Reader is just being dramatic. Fluff. Established relationship. 🌧Wordcount; 1.7k 🌧Warnings; Profanity. I don't think there's anything else.

Summary; It's raining again and all you want is Seokmin back.

-2024 Masterlist-

A/N- I was supposed to be planning a superhero crack(ish) series and looked over at the window and saw the rain so this happened. It was supposed to be all dramatic and serious but apparently I was still in humour brain from the hero idea so it didn't turn into the angst I wanted lol. And then it was supposed to be a quick humourous piece and turned into this gathering of fluff. Seokmin's just so sweet and cute, I couldn't help myself. Thank you to @hannieween for supplying me with wet Seokmin pics for the header! 💖

It's raining again.

You can't help but think of him when it rains. How it rained so heavily on your first date that you were both soaked by the time he had walked you home afterwards, yet he had looked so happy as he smiled at you at the door. How whenever the rain caught you unaware when out, he'd without fail remind you of your first day with a bright, smitten smile on his face. How the more days spent in the rain together made a mutual love and appreciation for the weather over your time as a couple. How the first time he had said /I love you/ was only a few weeks into officially being a couple when he had insisted on pulling over on a drive back from a date to slow dance with you in the rain. Because he saw it in a movie and always wanted to do it. You could never say no to him. How he had lit up like you had given him the keys to the universe, not just your heart when you didn't hesitate to return the sentiment that same day, and then kissed him silly, of course. How something about the slip of the rain against his lips on your own always made it feel more special somehow. Like even though the world was right there reminding you that it existed around you, the pair of you still only had eyes for each other.

A longing sigh leaves your chest as you follow the trail of a slow raindrop as it makes its journey down the windowpane, joining its fellow droplets to gather at the bottom until they are strong enough to overflow and fall from the sill down to the wet ground. Reunited with their fellow fallen until the sun rises and lifts them to start the cycle all over again. "Oh, how I miss you." It's dramatic but true. You miss him, you always do and always will. The moment he left there was already a heavy weight settling in your chest and it has only grown heavier ever since. From the moment he stepped out of the door, all you've wanted is for him to return right to your arms where he belongs.

The moment you hear the lock of the front door disengaging, you turn with big eyes, hands balled up in the hem of your t-shirt in anticipation.

And then he steps into your home, bag of takeout in one hand and utterly dripping with rain. He looks absolutely soaked. And so so so fucking beautiful. You can never get over how gorgeous this man is. This Lee Seokmin. The epitome of all of your wildest and wettest dreams rolled up into one devastatingly sweet and loving man. You can never wrap your head around it, why of all the people in the world, he chose you. But the love you hold bright in your eyes whenever you look at him has always shone just as strongly in his own eyes when they land on you. And today is no different, he looks up from putting the bag on the side table near the door without stepping off the entrance mat, and his face lights up at the sight of you standing there.

"I missed you." You inform simply and shuffle over.

"I only went to meet the deliveryman." He laughs, reaching out to take your dry hand into his wet one. You hold on tight and step closer to press a kiss to his lips. "I missed you too, my dramatic love."

"You make me this way."

"I'm pretty sure you were dramatic from the moment I met you. Definitely. We met in theatre club, sweetheart."

"I love that club."

"You hated it." He recalls with a giggle. "You said the teacher was incompetent and the other members annoying."

"He was and they were. But I never would've met you if it wasn't for that club."

"Ah," Seokmin smiles adoringly at you and cups your cheek. "You're so sweet, all for me, huh?"

"All for you."

"Until when?"

"Until you no longer want me."

"Then forever?"

"Forever." You agree with a firm nod. For a second, an unusual look crosses his face, he looks relieved to hear that but it passes almost immediately. It's a strange look, you think, considering you've been together for over a year and you never fail to let each other know how in love you are on a daily basis.

"Let's go to the roof." He suggests, reaching back to open the door behind him.

"Okay," You chirp happily and swap your slippers for some shoes you don't mind getting wet before you leave the apartment hand in hand and quickly make your way up to the roof of the building.

It isn't the first time you've done this; rushed up to the rooftop just to dance in the rain together, and you hope it will never be the last. That even years down the line when you're older, you'll still do this together. Like it's the first time all over again, it always feels that way.

When Seokmin pulls you close with a gentle touch and tilts forward to rest his forehead on yours while starting to sing softly the same song he always sings for you in these private loving moments, your heart races as if it's the first time. You hope that feeling never goes away.

As Seokmin sings in his melodic voice, romantic words he quotes to you in moments where his own words aren't quite right, the rain soaks you through down to your skin and splats up your feet and ankles as you both glide smoothly around the rooftop.

Nothing could be better.

Except if it lasted for longer than just a few minutes. As the last notes pass Seokmin's lips, you both naturally come to a stop and know you will have to return home in a moment to dry off and get into fresh clothes, even if you would both happily remain blissfully pressed together sweetly in the rain while the world kept revolving around you. So long as you have him and so long as he has you, nothing else matters.

"Do you mean it?" He asks softly as he straightens up and peers down at you.

"Mean what?"

"Forever."

There isn't a single hint of hesitation in your response. "Yes."

Seokmin bites his bottom lip gently for a second, a nervous habit before he nods and slides his arms away from you and takes a step back. You assume that he's getting ready to go inside so you start to take a step, though you fall still when he reaches into his pocket and then lowers down to his knee once his hand is back out. It does not take a genius to understand what is happening here, especially not when he looks up at you and opens the little box to reveal the ring within. "I-" He starts but you're already throwing yourself at him, all but tackling him to the floor. He yelps and quickly snaps the box shut as he tumbles onto his backside, his free arm wrapping around your waist to steady you both. "Sweetheart-"

"I love you, so fucking much, Seokmin." You declare, looking at him so intently, lips trembling a little even with your smile. Seokmin is pretty sure that some of the wetness on your cheeks can be attributed to tears.

"I love you too," He replies automatically, both of you unable to hear those words without returning the sentiment and meaning it wholeheartedly. "I guess this is a yes?" He chuckles, pulling the box between your bodies to open it back up. "I know that we don't need this to know that we're in love and mean it. I've said I want to be by your side forever and mean it, but I would be really happy to be your husband, sweetheart."

"Yes, of course. I would love that so much, Seokie." You sniffle and nod rapidly. So Seokmin plucks the ring from the box to slide it onto your finger. "I'll buy you one too."

"Mm, yeah?" He beams up at you when you both look up from the new jewellery on your finger. You're pretty sure his cheeks are wet for all the same reasons as your own; rain and tears of joy blended into one shine on your skin.

"Yeah, we're both engaged, we both should have a ring." You declare. "It's fair."

"It is. I want a big diamond." He jests. "Bigger than yours."

You laugh softly and gently take his face into your hold to kiss him with all the adoration in you. However, when you lean back and take in the loving expression your brand-new fiancee has on his face, the adoration returns to full capacity. "Whatever you want, it's yours, my love."

"What if I want to stay right here in the rain?" He suggests with a cheeky grin, clearly joking.

"I'd spend forever in the rain with you if that's what you want."

Seokmin's expression softens out before he kisses you once more. "You really are the perfect person for me. My other half. My soulmate."

"The love of my life."

"For all eternity."

"Amen." He laughs at your response.

"We're not religious but okay, amen." He agrees then taps your thighs a few times in a silent sign he wants you up. You sigh, not wanting to remove yourself from him, yet still reluctantly get up and help him to his feet. "Come on, dinner's waiting." He speaks, lacing your fingers together to try and lead you back inside but you remain in place and pull him back gently. "Baby?"

"One more dance?" You request. Seokmin can't resist you, can never say no to you. Not that he wants to.

"One more dance."

It's the same song, the same dance you've been doing for over a year now; but you truly, with everything in you, hope that it never changes.

Forever is a long time, but forever in the rain with Seokmin sounds like the perfect way to live your life to you. Just you, Seokmin and the rain. Forever.

A/N- That proposal really snuck up on me. It was not part of the plan at all and just happened. Please don't be shy to let me know what you think! I know I don't really write little pieces like this but if people like them, I'll try to do more little scenes in the future instead of longer stories. And please reblog if you liked the lil story!

[intheticklecloset]

Hiccups (Bungo Stray Dogs)

One Shot

Summary: Akutagawa gets the hiccups. Atsushi helps him get rid of them with tickles. ^^

Word Count: 894

~~~

A tiny noise like a squeak came from the direction of the kitchen, and even though they’d been living together for a few months now, Atsushi’s first thought was – huh, do I have a mouse in here?

Until the second squeak came. Then a third, all evenly spaced out. By the fourth, the weretiger was on his feet and heading to investigate.

The fifth squeak came at the same moment he saw Akutagawa’s body jolt slightly from where he stood leaning against the counter with a glass of water in his hands.

Their eyes met.

“Akutagwa—”

“Shut up.”

A few months ago Atsushi would have been offended. Now he just laughed. “I didn’t even say anything yet!”

“I said shut - *hic* - up.” Akutagawa took a quick sip of water, attempted a deep breath, and was thwarted again. “Everyone gets hiccups. Don’t act like I’m some kind of anomaly.”

“I’m not! It’s just…that’s really cute, actually,” Atsushi replied, moving further into the space despite his partner’s cold glare.

“What have I told you about calling me that?”

“Oh, please. You know you love it.”

Akutagawa put his glass down on the counter so hard the water sloshed, pushing up to his full height – a whole two centimeters taller than Atsushi – and growling, “If you say one teasing word to me right now, Atsushi Nakajima, I will - *hic* - have Rashomon slice you into a thousand pieces.”

Atsushi giggled, wrapping his arms around Aku’s neck, though he knew that his boyfriend was entirely serious given the use of his full name. “I promise I won’t tease you. But I do think it’s cute.” He kissed him before he could protest again, gazing lovingly up at him in such a way that he got to witness Akutagawa visibly falter, any angry retorts dying on his tongue, replaced with another hiccup instead. “Want me to help you get rid of them?”

“You have some kind of cure-all for hiccups? If you’re hoping to - *hic* - scare me, I’m sorry to inform you that won’t work on me.”

“We’ve known each other for years. You think I don’t know I can’t scare you? I’ve tried a million times.”

“Then what - *hic* - do you propose?”

Atsushi cupped Aku’s cheeks with the palms of his hands, brushing his thumbs along his cheekbones, smiling at the way it made the usually serious man melt a little. Then he curled his fingers inward and gently scribbled along his neck.

Akutagawa fell right into the trap.

“Weretiger!” he snapped, lifting his arms to grasp at the empty air where Atsushi’s wrists had just been, leaving his torso open for the real attack aimed at his ribs. He let out a yelp and shot his arms right back down, lips turned upward in a traitorous smile. “No! S-Stohohohop - *hic* - thihihihis at once! I’m wahahaharning - *hic* - you! Weretiger!”

“Seems it’s not working quite yet,” Atsushi said with a smile, quickly moving to stand behind Aku and pull him against his chest, wrapping his arms around him in a tickly death trap that worked every time. He grinned into his boyfriend’s back as he screeched and began flailing in earnest, the giggles he’d been trying to hold back turning into loud, raspy laughter as Atsushi found the bottoms of his ribs and dug in mercilessly.

“Stahahahahahahahap! Ahahahahahatsushi!” Akutagawa clawed desperately at his arms to no avail, twisting and writhing in his grip. Luckily for the weretiger he wasn’t wearing his coat right now, which meant he had to rely on his own strength to get out of this situation.

There wasn’t much to begin with, nor was there practically any left now.

“Dahahahahammit weretiger, cut it ohohohohohout! They’re gohohohone! My hihihihihiccups are gone now stahahahahahap it!”

Atsushi hummed in contentment, smiling as he hugged him closer and tickled even more, leaning forward to plant little tickle bites along his neck and make Akutagawa go absolutely crazy.

“Ahahahahahahaha! Stahahahahahahap!” The older man cried, changing tactics from trying to pull his partner away to slapping his hand against his arm instead. “I gihihihihihihive! Please!”

“Aww, so soon?” Atsushi pouted but stopped anyway, knowing he couldn’t push too far if he wanted to be able to keep getting away with tickling him at all. He kissed the back of Aku’s neck, relishing the shudder that went through him in response. “You good?”

“Shut up,” Aku muttered, turning in Atsushi’s loosened grip so they were facing each other. This way, Atsushi got to see all of him right up close – his blushing face, his bright eyes, the ghosts of dimples in his cheeks. The aftermath of what a little tickle now and then could do for his boyfriend’s spirits.

Atsushi smiled. “I’ll take that as a yes.”

Akutagawa scoffed. “See what I do to you next time you get hiccups.”

“Joke’s on you. I can shift into my weretiger form to get rid of them.”

“Fine. Then I’ll take my revenge now.”

Akutagawa’s eyes suddenly lit up with a different kind of light, and Atsushi had only barely processed it before he was squealing with his own round of giggles as his boyfriend squeezed up and down his sides. He didn’t mind – it was beyond worth it to have a little bit of playful fun with the Port Mafia’s Hellhound.

[alexa-fika]

Ghastly Cuteness (Perona x fem!child!Reader)

A/N: First female reader, and the first one with a female character, too! Kinda struggled with this one ngl, had to look for all of Perona's interactions to kinda pull something together, and it's still kinda meh

Guys, drop by my ask box; it makes it easier for me to do keep track of what you guys. want to see more of it, it gives me inspiration (and motivation for more pieces and again, I want to get to know my audience!

Dividers by @saradika

Perona floated around the castle, bored.

Mihawk and Zoro were busy with their regular training, something that she obviously did not want to partake in, so she flew off in search of something else to entertain, spotting her cute daughter walking through the hallways in a similar fashion to their mother.

“Reader!”

“Mama! Look! I put on the new dress!” The small girl exclaimed, spinning around to showcase her dress, a wide grin on her young face

Perona looked down at the young girl examining the new dress.

“You look absolutely adorable; you could win hearts with looks like that.”

Perona said gently before scooping her daughter up and swinging her around a bit.

“Horo Horo Horo, you are so cute Reader!”

The girl squeals as her mother spins them around in the air, her squeals of surprise turning into childish laughs that echo around the halls.

Perona smiled as she enjoyed her adorable daughter’s laughter, the pair spinning for a few minutes longer.

Then she gently placed her daughter down after finishing spinning; Perona herself was smiling widely as she looked down at her daughter; it made her happy to see her so joyed.

Perona also laughed and pulled her daughter in for a gentle but loving embrace.

“I love you, dear.”

Perona said before kissing the top of her daughter’s head, making sure to be gentle with the young child while expressing her affection.

“Oh, Reader, never be like those two brutes! They are just rude and not cute at all! So ungrateful!”

The girl nodded, determined

“I won’t! I will grow up to be cute like Mama!

Perona laughed at her daughter’s determination to be cute like her.

“Aw… I know you will be the most adorable little girl in the world!”

Perona exclaimed lovingly before picking her daughter up and giving her another quick, playful spin before setting her down and ruffling her hair.

“Mmhm! We’re going to be the cutest in our kingdom!”

Perona laughed yet again at her child’s optimism; seeing her be so positive was rather endearing. She truly was the most adorable little ray of joy.

“We surely will, dear; I bet all our subjects will want to be as cute as us, but only you could ever rival me in cuteness.”

Reader beams at her mother’s compliment.

Perona laughs at the bright smile on her daughter’s face.

“Oh, how lucky I was to get a child as cute as you.”

Perona spoke again before picking her daughter up and pulling her in for another warm hug.

Reader giggles tightly hugging her mother, rubbing their cheeks together in an endearing mother-daughter moment.

After a while Reader backs slightly from Perona, still within her embrace but now staring at her.

“Mama, where is Grandpa Gecko?”

“Gecko… Oh, he’s somewhere else right now; that man said he wasn’t sure if he was still around, but do not worry, I know he’s someplace!”

Perona assured her daughter, not wanting her to worry as much as she tried to.

Perona began to think of something.

“You are already much cuter than your grandpa ever was.”

“I miss him.”

Perona frowned at that information before she hugged her daughter tightly.

“… I do too sweetie… I do too.””

Perona tried to be reassuring, but she herself could not help but miss her mentor as well.

The mood quickly shifts as Perona’s ghost starts nudging the small girl, making the girl giggle uncontrollably.

“Horo Horo Horo,” Perona laugPerona’sg with her daughter as she saw how much Reader was enjoying the little playtime “with her ghosts.”

Perona was really happy right now; she was really glad her daughter was enjoying herself and the situation as much as she hoped she would.

Guys, thank you for all the love you have shown to my previous pieces; you guys really seem to like the Mihawk one, perhaps more of the grumpy stoic one-piece characters with child! reader?

[canonicallyobserving911]

Buck & Eddie: 5 unresolved items from season 6

There were several things in season 6 that were left unresolved including some that happened between Buck and Eddie.  These are items they never discussed and IMO, it’s possible they might resurface in season 7 and present the small amount of angst that’s been mentioned by OS and RG during their recent interviews.

Full Disclosure:  When season 6 ended, I like many other viewers, absolutely LOATHED the way Buck’s and Eddie’s endings were handled since they were both shoehorned into relationships with one-dimensional love interests the same way they had been at the end of season 4.  The constant delays of Buddie going CANON was just 🙄 and at the time, I took a step back because it felt like all the metaphors, callbacks, foreshadowing and hindsight that happened during the first 13 episodes were replaced with a forced narrative.  Characters were retconned too so they could fit into some “metaphorical FOX procedural drama box” and it frustrated me.  After 6x18 aired, I took a couple of weeks to formulate my overall thoughts on the season and I completed 15 Constructive Criticisms posts to move past my frustrations. Additionally, I started writing a massive multi-chapter fanfic to unravel the mess that was season 6 and I must admit, doing so helped because I was able to put some of the messy pieces to that unfinished puzzle of a season together.

Now... back to the regularly scheduled programming…

This post highlights the 5 things IMO that are still in play that didn’t get resolved last season and I’ve included details about them below.  Since season 7 is shortened and only has 10 episodes, it’s possible none of the things listed will be revisited but it’s also possible they will. 

Before I get started, here’s a quick reminder, Buck and Eddie didn’t discuss any of the things listed in CANON.

1. The Donation

Other than 6x7 when Eddie heard about Buck’s sperm donation for the first time at the firehouse, in 6x9 when they were on the four-way call when he responded to Chimney and said, “I don’t know… it kind of feels weird to congratulate him” and in 6x10 when he replied to Buck and said, “Sounds like your family had your back on the whole donation thing. That’s definitely progress” (notice he NEVER said he had Buck’s back on it and also his facial expressions in 6x9 after Buck’s announcement showed he wasn’t too thrilled about it) Buck and Eddie never discussed it.  Therefore, it is possible there could be some angst coming from it when the Buckley family’s other “deep dark family secret” (related post linked here) is revealed during or after Madney’s wedding.

Furthermore, Maddie’s NEVER SAID ANYTHING ABOUT BUCK’S SPERM DONATION in CANON and every time it was mentioned in 6x10, it happened right after she left the room to check on Jee-Yun.  It’s obvious she knows about it since Chimney spoke up and said something to rebut Sang’s comment regarding a man raising another man’s child.  Another point to make about the whole “Meet the Parents” saga in 6x10 is the audience never saw Maddie converse with Sang and based on BTS information for season 7, it appears Sang, Albert nor Albert’s mom will be in attendance at the wedding. 👀

[FTR, I still don’t believe Connor and Kameron’s baby is biologically Buck's and I will stand on this hill, even if I have to stand alone, until there’s a blood test proving he is related to the baby (post linked here).]

2. The Onesie

At the end of 6x9, Buck was asleep and he left the LAFD onesie he purchased sitting on top of his nightstand and it was right after the “Santa Ana Winds” ended.  However, there are two important things that should be remembered.

First, it has an LAFD logo on it which means it’s important to Buck because as he told Maddie in 2x18, "Being a firefighter is MY LIFE!  It’s the only thing I’ve ever done that was important and that mattered, ok?"

Why is this important? 

It’s important because BUCK IDENTIFIES HIMSELF AS A FIREFIGHTER and after all these years he still hasn’t figured out firefighting is what he does. Eddie knows Buck’s more than a firefighter especially since he knows and loves him to his CORE!  Also, if Buck believed the biological relation wasn't important, then he could have just bought a regular onesie from Target or Wal-Mart, right?  Yes!

Second, in 6x17, Kameron stayed with Buck for several days which means if he wanted to, he could have given it to her as a gift but he didn’t.  Therefore, it’s possible it might come back into play after 7x5 when Connor and Kameron are supposed to show up again (OS mentioned Buck being a sperm donor for his friends won’t resurface until after the first five episodes).  Additionally, after 6A, the narrative could have changed since the onesie wasn’t seen again and that could be due to all the audience backlash that happened after it was over.

Viewers didn’t like the jokes about Buck’s "swimmers" or the lack of his "alone time" and all the other ways the storyline was fumbled. By the start of 6B, the show tried to make the audience believe Buck understood he was the "donor not the dad" 👀. 

If the actual onesie doesn’t make a reappearance, then I believe the ramifications associated with the way Buck identifies himself will and it could be a point of contention between him and Eddie since Eddie was the one who told him in 4x14, “You act like you’re expendable... but you’re wrong”.

3. Buck’s Death

At the end of 6x18, it appeared as if Buck still hadn’t dealt with the fact that he DIED and it’s possible nobody else has either, especially Eddie, Maddie, Bobby and their found family. Reminder, Maddie and Bobby both said, “Buck, you died!” and when they said it, Buck became frustrated.

However, when Eddie said, “You died Buck!”, he stopped and listened but the way Eddie said it was different for A LOT OF REASONS (post linked here).  After Eddie asked if he was allowed to ask how he was, Buck replied, “Honestly Eddie… I don’t know” but they have yet to have a full CANON conversation about the effects of it the same way they haven’t discussed any of their other shared traumas.

Additionally, during that conversation, they briefly discussed the shooting but they didn't fully talk about it other than Buck asking Eddie what he remembered. It’s another important and shared traumatic event that’s happened between them but like the well, the hostage situation and Eddie's breakdown, they still have yet to discuss it. Buck seemed to be a little upset by the fact that Eddie “said” he didn’t remember anything other than the searing pain he felt in his shoulder (I believe he remembers more than he said he does).

Buck's response was, “Is that it?” as if to say, “You don’t remember me crawling underneath a firetruck, pulling you out, picking you up and putting you inside of the truck? You don't remember me holding a gauze to your wound and asking you to stay with me? You don't remember asking me if I was hurt? Because I WAS!”  Also, it was kind of like Buck’s heart broke because Eddie “said” he doesn’t "really" remember it while Buck can’t forget the way his heart fell out of his chest that day when he saw the love of his life bleeding out in the middle of the street.

Also, Eddie’s still waiting for Buck to talk about the fact that he died. Reminder, Eddie's heart fell out of his chest too and he yelled at the hospital staff and told them to "Do More!" Even though they briefly discussed it while they were in the cemetery in 6x15, BUCK STILL HASN’T DEALT WITH IT YET!  If he would have gone to therapy instead of whatever he was doing with the DeAtH dOuLa, then maybe he would have dealt with it by now.

4. Buck’s Couch

Full Disclosure:  Like so many viewers, I was pissed at the end of the season when Buck asked N to help him pick out a new couch because it didn’t make any sense and the truth is IT STILL DOESN’T but hindsight is 20/20 and I do believe the couch was still there for a reason.  IMO, it has everything to do with what could happen between Buck and Eddie in season 7.

Please note, these are my observations and interpretations about what I believe the destruction of Buck’s couch represented.

After Margaret bought Buck a new couch at the end of 6x11, beginning in 6x12, the show spent a lot of time showing how uncomfortable it was for Buck whenever he tried to rest on it.  Also, they AVOIDED showing it in a lot of other scenes even though Buck’s previous couch (the black leather one), when he still had it, could always be seen in the frame (post linked here).  However, the orange couch wasn’t fully seen until 6x18 before Kameron gave birth on it.

IMO, her giving birth on the couch Buck's mother purchased represented a lot of things including Buck’s idea of the life he always believed he was supposed to have.  Reminder, he gave his sperm (I don’t think the baby is his but let’s roll with this idea for a moment) to Connor (a former roommate) so him and his wife could have a baby even though Connor and Buck hadn’t seen each other in years.

He met him while they were in Peru and the only reason Buck ended up in L.A. was because Connor suggested he move with him and his friends because they were “kind of like a family”.  Also, he said Buck has a good heart and that was the reason why he wanted him to be their donor but reminder, the reasons why he said he chose him aren’t hereditary.

It appears the way Connor presented himself in 6x4, with a wife and in search of that "missing" piece (a baby) is exactly what Buck’s always wanted and that’s what his couch represented.  Let's be real, Connor manipulated Buck and they aren’t friends because if they were, wouldn’t he have invited Buck to the wedding or kept in contact with him over those three years? It kind of seemed like he wanted to rub his nose in the fact that he finally settled down while Buck was still living the bachelor life (not really because he already has his own family with Eddie and Chris, he just hasn't realized it yet).

The issue with Buck’s couches was he’s wanted his own family for years but the way his life has been presented, it appears he believes no one wants to build a life or a family with him and that's why he gave away a piece of himself. In doing so, he was trying to fix the issues he may have seen in Connor's and Kameron's marriage since it was barely hanging on by a thread.  Reminder, Connor let his pregnant wife leave and he didn’t try to reconcile with her.  Also, Buck never said why he didn’t want to turn them down when he was talking to Hen even though he should have.

I believe the destruction of Buck’s couch with the birth of the baby on it was about more than the couch itself.  It was destroyed and unsalvageable because THE DREAM OR IDEA Buck’s always believed he was supposed to have got destroyed when he gave his sperm away.  Also, the couch was his MOTHER’S idea of the life she wants him to have instead of the life he wants to have for himself, hence the reason why he told her he would get a couch when he was ready but she ignored him and bought him one anyway.

His "destroyed couch" illustrated the image Buck’s had in his mind of the life and the family he thought he was supposed to want for years, (i.e., a wife and a child) is no longer applicable because his family will include a husband, EDDIE and their son, CHRIS.

Reminder, there was a lot of talk about the types of family in 6B and they all related to Buck's idea of a family.  In 6x10, Buck told Bobby and Eddie, “It kind of felt like we were an actual family” but then Eddie replied, “You are an actual family”.  Also, in 6x13 when they went to play poker, Eddie responded to Buck while they were walking through the kitchen and said, “It’s a different kind of family” and later in the same episode, Chimney said to Maddie, Athena and Bobby, “Every family is different” but they were talking about Buck because Maddie said she would be furious with Buck if he did what Rhonda Fitzsimmons did when she used her nephew to gain access to Maddie's and Chimney's home.

5. Eddie’s Couch

Eddie’s blue couch has always been Buck’s couch too and if it wasn’t going to be Buck's anymore, then something would have happened to it or Eddie would have bought a new one like he did at the end of season 2.  But Eddie didn’t and only Buck’s couch got DESTROYED at the end of season 6👀.

Reminder, in 6x9 Eddie was shown sleeping on it, in 6x12 Buck was shown sleeping on it and Chris was shown sleeping on it in 6x15.

Eddie didn’t get the blue couch until season 3 and the couch he had in season 2 was gray (post linked here).  It’s evident Buck still hasn’t figured out Eddie’s couch is also his even though he does know he’s not a guest there.

Therefore, Eddie’s couch and everything it represents for Buck, i.e., a romantic relationship, family and fatherhood will be in play until Buck realizes it or until Eddie explains it to him.

Will the small amount of angst Buck and Eddie experience in season 7 revolve around these 5 unresolved items or others? Only the showrunner, writers and producers know the answer to that question.

[nnnyxie]

CAN’T WAIT ANY LONGERRR

So this one is angsty (if you squint) basically reader is Bakugos little sibling (by like a year or two to not make it weird) and they grew up together…And this is kinda mean!Izu x reader but whatever

Izu one day just randomly reflects on Bakugos bullying and is like well fuck him and decides to date his younger sibling to fuck with Bakugo as ‚revenge‘

Failing to inform them he was only dating them to fuck with their brother. He‘s still doting and sweet and oh so loving(he also failed to realize he fell for reader fr)…and on one random Tuesday they just overhear him speaking about it like on the phone to his friends being like „yeah Kacchan is totally pissed it worked like a charm“

Reader absolutely breaks down and runs to Kacchan for comfort because big brother is always the solution🤞 so then Izu dosen’t even realize and tries talking to reader and they just cut all contact and Izu panics and realizes what he feels for them but it‘s too late hehe. (I need some sort of happy ending for reader😭)

Bonus ofcourse would be lots and lots of groveling before they eventually restart, or reader moves on if you‘re not the second chance type..revenge is always the answer🫶🏻 idk both ends would be cute Idk when I turned into an angst Whore I used to be a fluff addict😞 #𖢥 izuku anon

SOBS!!! DRAMATICALLY THROWS MYSELF ONTO THE FLOOR!!!! CLAWS AT MY ENCLOSURE!!!!

i’m not much of a second chance person when it comes to this stuff but……. i like fluff……. so we shall see how the ending goes…….. it’s a wild card for the both of us???

(ps there is swearing bc it’s me…) (pps i did add a part where he said ‘fuckin with my blood’ but i originally had like— an adopted sibling in mind?? so just read however you’d like!!) (ppps i added some comfort from our girlies and kiri bc i LOVE them)

for this we’re gonna pretend like the boys have had no progress in friendship and that they HATE each other with a passion and that season 6 didn’t happen!! AND that they’re in their second year while you, darling reader, are a first year at UA!!

okay so. despite katsuki being such an asshole and probably the most difficult person to deal with— he has such a soft spot for his little sibling!!

he makes it known that if anyone fucks with you— he’ll beat them worse than they could ever imagine. you thought his normal threats were bad? oh sweetheart, these are far worse!! he’ll go into solid detail and even give ‘warning’ hits.

enter izuku, your longtime crush. ever since you were kids, you have always liked him. loved him, even. you admire how ambitious he is and how far he’s come.

izuku was dense about your crush at first, in all honesty. it wasn’t until he overheard your conversation with katsuki in the dorm stairs one day!!

it was something along the lines of “you can’t love that nerd!” “but i do! and if he feels the same i don’t want you ruining this for me!” “you’re too good for him! plus you’re too young to date anyways!” “katsuki, i’m not a baby anymore! look— if he ends up rejecting me then i’ll tell you. and you can do whatever you want, okay?” “okay. and if he accepts then, i’ll punch him too.” “katsuki no—”

izuku usually isn’t the type for petty revenge but— katsuki has hurt him for long enough. so this would be a great way to get back at him, right..?

now let’s dive into izuku’s little plan—

like i said before, he isn’t one to do this sort of thing. he really isn’t but— katsuki just… fuels a fire in him that he can’t put out.

izuku thought this little idea was crazy (it is), so he confided in someone about it— can you guess who?? wanna know who??? the one and only…

kaminari denki!!

that is correct, he confides in kaminari. see— izuku doesn’t tell kaminari that the person is katsuki’s little sibling.

izuku just tells him “i want to piss this guy off by dating their younger sibling but, i feel like that’s crazy…” and kaminari says “nah dude, if that person is a piece of shit then i say go for it. i mean— if they’re shitty then their sibling probably is too!”

which is very incorrect— you and katsuki aren’t alike.

well— you are?? but also aren’t??? if that makes sense

anyways… izuku was STUPID and took his advice.

so— izuku enacts his plan. he’ll fake confess to you, in front of katsuki. it has to be in front of him. he’ll date you for a bit to make katsuki mad, lead you on a little, then break up with you. easy peasy right?

wrong.

first off, he did confess in front of katsuki but, katsuki punched him right in the face.

second, when you accepted his confession, katsuki punched him again. this time in the stomach.

but hey— anything for petty revenge… ig…?

anywhooo y’all get into a relationship!! and it’s a dream for you, truly. you’re with the person you’ve been in love with for basically your entire life!! and that person loves you back!!!

literally everyone is jealous because you’re the couple. the blueprint. the outcome. the relationship. (or so you and the others thought….)

the relationship is… healthy? i mean, it is healthy if you ignore the fact that izuku is doing this all to piss off katsuki!!

and oh my god— katsuki is fucking angry. he’s always ‘mean mugging’ izuku. he isn’t doing anything,,, physical because you chewed him out for it. like— you really laid into him when he punched izuku. and you had a very lengthy talk with him. so, he’s keeping his hands to himself— for now.

okay moving on from that??? kaminari doesn’t put two and two together when izuku starts dating you— as much as i love him, he isn’t the brightest bulb in the box! yes he’s smart but c’mon……..

which actually brings me to how you found out!!!

so……. one day you and izuku are just walking down the hall to go to his room, y’all planned a cute movie night!!! (which he was really looking forward to) when the lovely kaminari denki comes strolling up to him.

“hey dude! how’s that revenge thing going? it’s been what?? eight?? months— you piss off the guy yet? is he totally mad that you’re with his sibling?” kaminari had the widest grin— he’s so dumb, bless his heart.

“izuku, what does he mean?” “i— kaminari, i don’t—” “huh? he’s dating some guy’s sibling to piss him off cause the dude’s a total piece of shit and i thought maybe the dude’s sibling was shi—” “kaminari! stop it!” izuku slapped his hand over the blonde’s mouth. all you could say was ‘oh’ then you ran towards katsuki’s room, hoping he’d be in there.

“wait— was— was the guy katsuki and the sibling was them!?” kaminari shouted in surprised (jfc…). izuku sighed with a nod. “dude you fucked up. like really fucked up. they were a total hottie?? and super cool?? plus katsuki is gonna be really pissed.” “i know…”

izuku felt so guilty because he was genuinely beginning to fall for you— like seriously!! he’s in love with you and now everything is ruined. i mean, he knew he’d have to tell you at some point because, no relationship should be built on lies but still !!

when you told your brother— he felt beyond pissed, angry, furious, etc. his emotions were indescribable. katsuki genuinely wanted to kill izuku. yeah, he’s always said ‘i’ll kill you’ but it’s not like he ever actually meant it.

but this time—

he really did mean it. he felt like he could commit murder.

“outside.” katsuki grabbed izuku by the collar of his shirt and dragged him through the dorms.

“wait— kacchan just let me explain!” he panicked, he wanted to tell katsuki that he did love you. that his intentions weren’t good at first but his feelings became real very quickly!

“what dumb ass excuse could you possibly have that would make this fuckin’ situation better!?” katsuki’s left hand sparked as he tossed izuku outside the doors.

“i— i’m not trying to make the situation better! i j-just want to explain!” “you have one minute before i blow your head off.”

“i did it to make you mad at first but— but, i ended up really falling for them! seriously! i w-was going to tell them!” “why the fuck would you even think about doin’ that shit!? even i wouldn’t go that low!” katsuki’s hands grew hot. he was on the verge of becoming a murderer.

“i’m sorry! i really am! i just— i was so mad at you and it was petty revenge!” izuku’s hands were raised in defense. “that shit wasn’t revenge! that was fuckin’ with my blood!” katsuki raised his hand to izuku’s face, getting ready to blast him— but he was stopped. “bakugo, midoriya. nezu’s office, now.” a very tired sounding, aizawa demanded.

while that was going down— you were left in katsuki’s room, crying on his floor.

“uhm— hey, it’s just us…” mina, jirou, and kirishima walked in. you wiped your eyes and nose, you didn’t really like being seen in a vulnerable state. something you and katsuki had in common.

“so we uh… kinda heard about what happened from kaminari.” jirou whispered as her jacks poked together. “i’m sorry, he’s a loud mouth…” “and uhm… your brother isn’t exactly quiet either.” kirishima looked to the ground beside you.

“i kinda heard their conversation… midoriya said he loves you…” mina sat beside you. “so what are you gonna do? are you gonna hear midoriya out..?” you shrugged.

even if he really did begin to love you, how could you ever trust him again? and— what if he was lying to your brother just to get an easy out?

you felt sick— and you felt like a fool. you felt so stupid for thinking that your brother’s enemy could actually have feelings for you. you felt like an idiot.

“i think… i think that, maybe, i could hear his explanation but… i won’t forgive him or give him another chance. i can’t trust him again. plus, i’d look like a fool going back to him…” you mumbled into your arms, your knees were to your chest. the three just gave an understanding nod, then, huddled around you for an awkward but, warm, group hug.

“alright.” you heard your brother’s gruff voice from the doorway. “you three, out. now.” he pointed towards his friends and you watched them leave.

“so… what happened?” you asked, your brother plopped down beside you. sitting in his usual ‘delinquent’ position. “almost murdered him. got stopped by aizawa. got scolded by nezu. now ‘m suspended for 5 weeks. gotta do supplementary classes n’ shit.” “i’m sorry, kats.” he scoffed and gave you an ‘are you fucking serious’ look. “why the fuck are you apologizin’!?” you fiddled your fingers, “i got you in trouble…” he rolled his eyes and lightly smacked the back of your head. “idiot, you didn’t. was all me.”

there was a bit of silence, it was a comfortable one. you and katsuki always shared this sort of quiet.

“did they tell you what happened?” he asked in a hushed tone, referring to his friends. “yeah…” “and…?” “and i’m not gonna forgive him or anything. he lied to me. why would i wanna be with a liar? plus, what if he was lying about actually having feelings for me now? i can’t trust him again.”

katsuki gave you a small, smile. one that said ‘i understand. i’m sorry he did that. i’m here for you. and i love you.’

when it comes to him, words weren’t needed most of the time. looks could tell all. and that look told you everything you needed to hear.

i’ll be so real— i was very a teensy bit drunk writing this… so like if it doesn’t make sense or anything i’m so sorry

[amuseoffyre]

Have had a couple of days and a rewatch and some mulling to put together my thoughts:

The good:

the writing - I've talked at length about the use of metaphor, symbolism, allegory and the like to add meat and substance to the narrative

the continuity tied in to S1 and the foreshadowing coming full circle, plus running themes continuing

the music is flawless throughout - both the soundtrack with songs and the original score and the way old motifs are used to add parallels and depth to scenes

the acting across the board has been staggeringly good. Especially for Taika, Rhys and Con. I can see why so many reviews had been raving about it.

the bits of set-up for S3 that have been planted if/when they get it

new characters who are an absolute delight

Family Trauma the TV show - intense to watch but cathartic af

Badass ladies and the soft boys who love them

Auntie.

The bad:

too much story and not enough time to tell it

sacrificing a lot of crew-related stuff - I know this is primarily the Ed and Stede story, but we're told that Olu was always talking about Zheng, but we never even got a single line of it. Buttons' disappearance gets one sus line. We gloss over the probation and why Ed is back in his leathers literally the next day. Again, I know, time constraints, but it does feel weaker for it.

speedrunning so much that it's taken several rewatches to catch everything that's going on - yes, it can work as a narrative device, but not all the time

still not over Zheng falling for Ricky's gift. Do not trust the aristocratic white dude, especially not when you've been blackmailing him. And I know there's some logical sense to her being so used to being able to manipulate desperate people on the fringes with both carrot and stick, but it feels like severe underestimation on her part about how ruthless and cruel and petty Ricky could be. He's not like the pirates - he has the power and privilege and it feels like she ignored that.

whatever that Teal Oranges pivot was so Jim could have a girlfriend, especially since they didn't have time/space to actually develop the Olu/Zheng and Jim/Archie stuff. Archie was barely a scrape of characterisation because of time constraints.

The ... Forbs Boding

Izzy - it falls under the typical archetype of Loss of a Role Model especially given all Ed's dad issues, which I thought we were beyond, but then it also fits with the running motif of the show of change, death and rebirth. We've had confirmation of the existence of a place between life and death plus a character who was beaten to death coming back from it and a seawitch turning up at the grave. I can see why it was done as it has been foreshadowed since "the only retirement we get is death" but after all his growth in S2, having Ricky be the one to get the jump on him is... hm. I feel like they had him and Ricky talking and Ricky causing his death for a reason. Feels like there's set-up for S3 planted and ready. My Forbs, they are A-Boding. ffs, they Obi-Wanned him right after he did a speech about "our spirit will last beyond your whole fucking empire". Strike me down and I will become more powerful than you can possibly imagine vibes.

The way trauma is/isn't being dealt with - I feel like there's stuff there that is set up for S3 as well, because we've seen how Stede is still bottling all his stuff and hasn't dealt with any of it, while Ed has done some processing and started to make peace with himself over it. Stede still has his mental lockbox and while he tries to pretend it isn't there, it still informs so many of his decisions.

All the Star Wars vibes - I've always been convinced this was the Empire Strikes Back season and now, they have all the pieces in play for the Return of the Jedi arc: Stede and Ed are together and recovering but will have a role to play, Izzy is in carbonite with a seawitch control panel, their allies are out there getting pieces in place, and the Imperial figurehead villain who showed up in S2 is still out there and convinced he holds all the power. And I just realised that this means that if they use Hornigold, he's the equivalent of Boba Fett - Bounty Hunter for the Empire XD

On the whole, I am content with it and am already having thoughts about the potential for S3, but I find it incredibly frustrating knowing how much more it could have been with the budget/time they wanted and didn't get.

[random-of-random]

The Pirate Queen

Author’s Note:

Here is the start of my new series. I hope you like it!

Chapter 1: The Viscountess

The string band was playing a lively tune and the wine was flowing as everyone who was anyone from Port Royal enjoyed the party that Governor Weatherby Swann was hosting. They all were waiting to see her. The noblewoman. Just the day before, a new woman had arrived in town and took up residence in the mansion next to the Governor’s. It was mere hours before the town knew - a noblewoman from England had come to Port Royal. Her husband - a Viscount in his own right - was the third son to Baron Somers. The news had been that Somers and his son, the Viscount, were looking to buy land and start harvesting crops.

What was known of his wife, so far, was that she was sent ahead with a small contingent of servants and a bodyguard. The husband was to sail in a months time and join his wife.

Captain James Norrington listened to the gossip with interest. Why would a nobleman with no ties to the Navy want to come to Port Royal?

“I have only spoken with her for a few moments, but she is delightful and very beautiful.” Governor Swann said with a smile.

“I am interested to hear of the business prospects her husband has in mind.” Norrington added.

“Come, come now Captain Norrington,” Governor Swann said with a chuckle. “Be more hospitable to our new Viscountess. If they enjoy it here and the soil is plentiful they could bring people like them to the area. Plus, should they have children you can encourage them into the Navy.” A few people around laughed and James gave a curt nod but a small smile. He knew, as well as the Governor knew, the nobility in England very much looked down on the islands - no matter how much money they made them. “Ah, here she is.”

Walking gracefully through the crowd, Viscountess Frances Somers was gorgeous. For a moment all James could do was stare. Her dress was the color of the deep ocean with a golden pattern throughout, with winged sleeves it came together it joined at the top of the shoulders and under was a corset and dress the same ocean blue. Her dark hair was tied up in and intricate design.

Behind her and to her side, in an even darker blue, was a man who’s eyes landed on everyone in turn. Her bodyguard, James guessed. He wore a sword and a pistol.

“Viscountess Somers.” Governor Swann walked forward to greet her.

“Governor Swann, it is lovely to see you again.” She spoke with a posh accent, common among the nobility.

“We are delighted you could come. I am sorry we could not have put on a proper party.” He apologized and the Lady did her best to hide a small amount of shock before covering it with a gracious smile, but not before Norrington caught it.

“Governor Swann, your home is beautiful and this party is a very kind gesture. I would not miss it for the world.” Her voice was soft and kind, but she was absolutely intriguing to James. Something about her seemed to not fit. Like a puzzle with a missing piece. Governor Swann put his hand behind his daughter’s back and slightly moved her forward.

“This is my lovely daughter, Elizabeth.” Elizabeth curtsied and so did the Viscountess in turn.

“Elizabeth, it is wonderful to meet you. Your father speaks so highly of you.”

“Thank you, Viscountess.” Elizabeth started with a kind grin.

“Please, dear Elizabeth call me Frances.”

“I do not believe I could be that informal.” Elizabeth said quickly and her father looked on proudly.

“Then I insist on Lady Frances, how would that be?”

Elizabeth gave a small laugh. “Wonderful, Lady Frances.”

“Good! But in no time at all I am determined to have to call me Frances.” The more she conversed with Elizabeth the more her eyes calmed.

“Lady Frances, your dress is beautiful. I don’t believe I have seen anything like it.” Elizabeth’s voice seemed strained in the compliment. As if it was one not really thought of by her, but that she was asked to say. Lady Frances ran her hand down the sides proudly.

“It’s called a robe battante.” She explained. “They are currently the talk of all things fashion in Paris.” A few people gave an ‘ooh’ as she had drawn a crowd around her. “You know, Elizabeth, I brought several with me. They are new and I would love to gift you with one. You could pick the color you like best and a seamstress could fit it to you.”

“Oh, Lady Frances, that’s incredibly kind of you.” Governor Swann said brightly.

“For all the hospitality you and Elizabeth are showing me, it is absolutely no trouble at all.”

“I would also like you to meet Captain James Norrington.” Swann indicated James. “He is one of the best Naval men on the island.”

Frances eyes lit up. “It is wonderful to meet you Captain.” He took her hand and kissed the top of it. The rush he felt go through him was expounded when he looked into her eyes. What looked like brown eyes from across the room were in fact Amber, he imagined they would look almost gold in the sunlight.

“The pleasure is all mine Viscountess Somers.”

“If I am not mistaken, Captain, you are going to be promoted to Commodore within a short time.” It was true. There had been talk of it for nearly a month. The date had, not yet, been set for him to receive the official title.

“How did you hear that?”

“I have only been here a day, Captain. However, small towns seem to be built for gossip.” Her eyes shone in a different way when she was talking to him. It was the same calm and genuine ease she had with Elizabeth as well. Governor Swann moved her toward more people he insisted she must meet and Norrington’s eyed followed her.

“Sir.” Lieutenant Groves walked up to him. “Have you met her? Everyone is talking about her.”

“She is quiet lovely, Lieutenant, but-“ he stopped talking to think for a moment.

“But what, sir?”

“I can’t seem to articulate it, Lieutenant. It is like she is acting in a play around certain people.” In her interactions with Elizabeth he noticed she wasn’t as tense. She talked calmly. When she talked to others is was a false sense of confidence. As if she was putting on a show, and Norrington didn’t know why.

“With all the people a noblewoman has to meet, I expect she is in a way.” Groves responded.

“Quiet right, Lieutenant.” James replied, She stayed merely an hour before she decided to leave, blaming it on the extraordinarily long travel time. Governor Swann, of course, said he understood and she promised to dine with Elizabeth as soon as she was available. Before she left the room her amber eyes found him she gave him a small nod. He nodded back, already looking forward to seeing her again.

Lady Frances’ bodyguard walked her securely toward the waiting carriage, even though the house she rented was a mere minutes walk. If nobility don’t have to walk, they wouldn’t. When they were out of earshot Edward Gorman let out a low whistle.

“They all hounded over you as if you were the last piece of meat among a pack of dogs.”

She laughed in return before dropping her posh accent. In reality her accent had been a mash of different cultures. Growing up in the colonies had afforded her to know people from various walks of life. The closest she came was Irish, having been born in Ireland and brought to the new world when she was just four.

“All they want to eat is the power that comes with my ‘title’ and we both know that would leave them starving.” With a low chuckle Edward helped her into the carriage and they headed for their temporary home.

——————————

As James Norrington sat at his desk in Fort Charles his mind kept wandering to Lady Frances. Her surprise at the Governor saying they party wasn’t grand enough, the difference in her countenance between people. He was missing something, and he couldn’t grasp at what it was. Part of himself reasoned it was just nobility, as Groves had suggested. It wasn’t as if he had met many, or any, real nobility direct from England. But then he remembered the way his heart raced and her eyes seemed to pierce through him. For that he felt guilty. He had already made his intentions toward Elizabeth known to her father.

In that moment a woman’s laugh rang out in the corridor followed by the tone of Governor Swann. He rose from his seat and entered the hallway to find the same woman he had been thinking about. Her hair still pulled back but in a modest green dress that somehow made her eyes even brighter.

“Captain!” Governor Swann said with a warm smile.

“Governor. Lady Frances.” He bowed toward her and she curtsied back. “I didn’t expect to see…. It’s highly irregular to have visitors at this time at the Fort. Especially women.”

“Captain-“ Governor Swann started but Frances interrupted.

“Oh, please don’t be cross with the Governor. I wanted to see everything that Port Royal has to offer and I asked to see the Fort.”

“I understand, Lady Frances, just that this is a prison. And we do have inmates, some of which are pirates,” She gave a small, almost imperceptible, smirk but he caught it. “Are you sure your husband would be comfortable with you being here?” Once again something in her seemed to shift as she gave him a genuine smile.

“I assure you, Captain, my husband knows I can be impetuous. Plus, I am standing here with the Governor and a Captain. Some of the best soldiers the Royal Navy has to offer are in this building. Even with my bodyguard outside, I don’t think I have felt safer in quite some time.” James couldn’t help but give a small smile. “I would be honored, if you aren’t too busy, if you would join us on this tour, Captain.”

He thought for a moment of the work he had, but then he looked at her again. The hopeful expression on her face won out. “It would be my delight, Lady Frances.”

They walked through the fort, skipping the actual jail cells - Norrington couldn’t even begin to think about bringing a Lady near the scum they had in there - as he showed her around the rest of Fort Charles. He talked about the history of the Fort and the Royal Navy. Showed her the battlements and the courtyard.

“Did you know,” Governor Swann started, “Captain Norrington’s father was the famous Admiral Lawerence Norrington?”

“An admiral?” Lady Frances asked. “As they say, talent begets talent, Captain. Though I suspect your success is your own.” He looked at her with surprise. In fact he almost stopped walking. Most everyone in Port Royal based who he was on his father, especially when he was starting out. He worked hard to make his own path and step of out the shadow of the man that came before him. Yet here was someone who saw him without a second thought.

“Thank you.” He said with a small nod.

As they turned another corner a messenger came. Slightly out of breath, it was clear he had run part, if not most, of the way from town.

“For Governor Swann.” He said as he handed him the note, and the Governor began to read it.

“Nothing serious, I hope.” Frances said softly.

“No, thank heavens not.” Governor Swann responded. “Though, I must away. Captain could you please continue the tour, and then escort her to her carriage?”

“Of course, sir.” Norrington answered and Swann said a hasty goodbye. “Probably a dispute among the merchants. What a busy and trying life he leads.” He said when Swann was around the corner.

Frances laughed, such a genuine laugh. Now Norrington was sure she was putting on a show for some of Port Royal, but he was determined to see the real side of her as often as he could.

He showed her the little things that only the soldiers really knew about. Talked about battles and traditions. However, slowly the conversation shifted and they were just talking. About the town, about the sea. He was surprised, yet delighted to find out how much she loved the ocean. He couldn’t think of a time when he had a more agreeable and pleasant conversation. When the topic of family came up again, they were on their way out of the fort.

“You seem to be able to see through me, if I may say so, Lady Frances.” He started, surprising himself with his own words. James Norrington was not one to show what he was thinking or his emotions. That had been trained out of him by battle.

“You’re referring to Swann bringing up your father.” She guessed.

“Yes, I am.” She seemed to give his arm and slight squeeze.

“Truth be told, Captain. I have never heard the name Lawrence Norrington before now. I judge who I see in front of me. So, you are your own man with me.” His eyes turned to her. She was looking straight ahead as they continued to walk. No hint of sarcasm, no sign that she didn’t genuinely mean what she was saying.

“That’s refreshing to hear.”

“It is I, Captain, who am grateful. Really, thank you for showing me around. It was made better by your addition to it.”

“I was happy to.” He replied quietly as they made their way outside. Somehow, talking to her made her even more of a mystery.

He could see the same bodyguard waiting for her by a carriage. A coachmen sat at the front.

He was right. Her eyes looked golden in the sun. The two of them seemed to walk slower as they didn’t want the interaction to end. The bodyguard climbed in first and James took her hand to help her in. When she was seated and turned toward him their eyes locked. His eyes were such an intense green that she couldn’t recall having seen a shade like that before. Neither wanting to look away. “I hope you enjoy the rest of your day, Lady Frances.”

“You as well, Captain Norrington.” He took a step back and the carriage headed off. Norrington stood in place for a few more seconds watching it go.

In the carriage she leaned back against the seat letting out a slow breath.

“How was the walk about Port Royal?” Edward laughed. “It’s the same small island town we have seen before.”

“I expected as much. The fort is pretty similar to everything else. The battlements are higher. It would be foolish for anyone to assault the city directly.”

“They say it’s one of the safest.” He eyed her a moment. “You were in there longer than expected.” His tone took on a teasing note. “Enjoying the company of Captain Norrington, are you?”

She took a deep breath and promptly ignored the question. “Any idea what the men got?”

Edward shook his head with a laugh. “They were out and headed to the house before I got back. Charlie says he found something you will like, though. Didn’t ya Charlie?” He tapped the top of the carriage.

“Just wait and see, Captain.” Charlie called back.

Captain Alice Buckley. She had several nicknames, but the crew just called her Captain. It had taken months of planning to come up with Lady Frances and to forge the correct documents that would secure her everything she needed. Now, the plan was in full swing and everyone had to play their part perfectly. If the authorities of Port Royal figured them out, they would end up locked in Fort Charles awaiting the noose. And she already didn’t want to see the look on James Norrington’s face if he found out who she was. For she hadn’t been able to have that good and calm and pleasant of a conversation in quite some time.

They made it to the house within several minutes. Edward got out first and held his hand out for ‘Lady Frances’ to keep up appearances. The two of them, followed by Charlie, walked into the house.

The house that Lady Frances and her Viscount husband were supposed to move into was enormous. Three stories of imported stone, many bedrooms, and the kitchen was set for a master chef and his team. The view from the balcony, out to the ocean, was the only thing Alice really loved. The grand staircase was easily eight feet across and the chandelier in the front room was magnificent. Off to the left were French doors to the massive dining room. They were currently open. The table, which could easily sit up to twenty people alone, was covered in many different papers that five men were pouring over. They turned when she walked into the room. She pulled her black hair down from it’s design and let out a long sigh.

“Captain.” Giles Dolan called to her. He had been sailing with her a long time, only a year less than Edward. He first sailed under Blackbeard, then Sam Bellamy, then he chose to sail under her.

“I know you respect the command, Giles but please call me Alice for today. If one more person calls me Lady Frances I’m going to vomit.” There were a few chuckles. “Elias.” “Alice.” He said with a smirk and she gave him a nod. “What did you find.”

“Not enough.” He answered in a disappointed tone. “We confirmed the routes the Navy takes to get to the different islands. They’re sneaky. They take alternating routes and change it every few weeks.”

The fact was the Royal Navy had made it their job to end piracy. Sam Bellamy had died in a storm. But Blackbeard was killed in the colonies and Stede Bonnet was hung. Anne Bonney disappeared (most fellow pirates believed the Navy had her locked up in a prison somewhere), and Black Bart was killed in battle. The Navy was winning. And aside from just robbing the crown, something that the crew and Alice had come to love doing, they hated the East India trading company. A company that stopping seeing the profit in alcohol and started seeing the profit in trading people. Sam Bellamy had made it his job to go after slave ships - something Alice Buckley was proud to continue.

“That doesn’t sound like nothing Elias. That sounds like something that will give our ships and advantage. Good work.”

“I know there is more in there.”

“I found something.” Charlie announced. “This one I didn’t even copy down, I just took it.”

“Are you trying to get us caught?” Robert Murray asked. Once a member of the Royal Navy he took the opportunity to jump sides when Alice and her crew raided his ship.

“They had more than one. Trust me.” He pulled the paper from his pocket and opened it slowly. They all started laughing at Alice’s wanted poster.

Under a poor drawing that looked nothing like her read:

“Wanted: Dead or Alive

Alice the Enchantress

Also known as Mad Alice.

She is described as having black hair and eyes so dark brown they look black.

150£ REWARD”

She was laughing. “Guys, are my eyes black? Have you been lying to me this whole time?”

“Everyone who’s anyone knows,” Edward started, “anyone who gets too close to Mad Alice to see that her eyes are golden won’t live to tell the tale!” The men cheered and Charlie handed her a glass of whiskey from which she took a sip.

Carefully sitting at the table she took a deep breath in, trying to move with the corset she was wearing. It was rigged specially by a seamstress in Tortuga. She could get out of it and into it completely on her own. Save the guys from having to try to tie it every morning.

“So, the question is, how do we get back into the fort to try to find out more?” Edward asked.

Charlie asked the next question. “What specifically do we want to know?”

Alice took another sip of whiskey before speaking. “We want to know if they know about any pirate havens and which ones. If they have any spies on the islands, who and where. And, lastly, what they know specifically about The Banshee and the Wild Cherry.” She listed the two ships in her fleet.

She had left her first mate, James Callahan, in charge while she and a small crew came to Port Royal. The Navy would love to know they had men working for them that reported information to pirates. And right now the Royal Navy was pouring money into Port Royal. They needed to know everything the Navy did.

“Plus, we need to find out if any one man or set of men has been assigned to find our ships and our captain.” Giles said seriously. “We don’t want to get caught in the open like Blackbeard did.” They were quiet for a few moments.

“I can’t ask for another tour.” Alice sighed. “Norrington is smart. Smarter than the Navy deserves. Too bad we couldn’t make him a pirate.”

“He wouldn’t turn?” Edward asked.

“James Norrington?” Robert said with a laugh. “Son of Admiral Lawerence Norrington? Not in a million years. Lawrence Norrington made it his goal to catch and kill any pirate he found. It doesn’t surprise me James is smart. His dad was smart. Ruthless and cruel and smart.”

“I don’t think James Norrington is ruthless,” she replied as she remembered his green eyes and his kind smile. “but I don’t think he’ll be hosting the colors any time soon either.”

“We can’t go at night.” Elias said quickly. Elias was the stealthiest man on Alice’s crew. They joked he could be in a room full of broken glass and someone still wouldn’t hear him coming. “We don’t know any of the guard rotations, or how many their are.”

“Maybe we could change that.” Alice said quickly. “We throw a ball. Norrington is going to be named Commodore soon, and that would give the island a reason to celebrate.” She looked to her men with a wide grin. “We invite the entire Royal Navy on the island. Very few aren’t going to accept. The Fort will be at minimal guard and all of the big hitters will be here.”

“Are you sure that’s going to happen any time soon?” Giles asked.

“Governor Swann is a nice man, but he does like to brag for nobility.” Alice explained. “He mentioned Norrington’s promotion and that he is having a sword crafted for him. So, it must be happening within a fortnight at the latest.” They knew they were on a deadline. Their forged paperwork would only work for so long. Should someone get word to the crown and the crown send word back they would be forced to flee. They gave themselves a month.

Edward smiled. “Could work.”

“We would have to make this place really look like a noblewoman is living here.” Charlie pointed out.

“Well, we already have the furniture.” Robert said. They had rented it as is, and the person renting to them was easily fooled and manipulated. “We carefully hide any of our actual property, hire local servants and caterers. I am sure the Swanns have recommendations.”

Alice gave a nod. “Let’s put it to a vote. All in favor of a ball?”

Eight voices said in unison: “Aye!”

The knock at the door made them all uneasy for a moment. Charlie, still dressed in his coachman uniform headed for the main door while Edward and Elias closed the French doors and the curtains.

They heard low voices and the door shutting again before Charlie let himself into the dining room. “That was a servant from the Swann residence. The presence of Lady Frances is requested at a dinner tonight. They made sure to mention it would be a small dinner. Only fourteen including yourself.”

Alice leaned her head back. “I was looking forward to getting out of this.” She motioned to the corset.

“Of course you will.” Robert said with a shrug. “You can’t wear the same outfit to dinner that you wore to tour the Fort. What kind of noble are you?” The men laughed as Alice threw her crumpled up wanted sign at him.

“Careful with that!” Charlie said smoothing the paper. “I want to bring it back to the ship.”

[imaginesheaven]

National Anthem – F!Reader x Price (x little bit Valeria)

Summary: After Graves’ betrayal another villain appears on the screen for the Task Force. They are nothing like all the others before.

This is kind of inspired by the song National Anthem by Lana Del Rey. I wrote all of this down, but I’m actually not sure what to do with it, so enjoy this little piece of pure braindump. I’m also not sure if I like this at all, so I would really appreciate to know what you think about it :)

Warnings: MDNI – sexual talk; swearing; angst; mentions of death

Length: 2.7 k

“Laswell, you look like you could use a drink”, Price sits down at the bar handing her a glass full of the best whiskey. “Thank you, John, but alcohol isn’t going to get rid our problems this time”, Kate takes a sip of her drink.

Her words make the whole Task Force kind of uncomfortable. Laswell is usually convinced that they can manage everything that the world throws at them, but this time she does have her doubts.

“At first, I thought we only have a usual Russian problem, but it turns out to be way bigger and more than just that”, she gets out two pictures from her jacket pocket to put them upside down onto the table, “There is no room to fail this time.” John exchanges a brief glance with his team, “Hit us, Kate.” As if there would be ever room to fail in their field of work.

“Alejandro contacted me a few hours ago fuming. Valeria got bailed out of jail with an amount of money we all only can dream about. I did a lot of digging to find out what the hell is going on. A woman paid the money to get Valeria back to her El Sin Nombre cartel. It was the same person, who overtook the Shadow Company after Graves’ got killed. This woman is going to be a big problem gathering herself the best army”, Laswell pushes one of the pictures towards John.

The Captain can feel his heart stop for a second as he turns the picture around just to find a very familiar face looking back at him. A thick coldness starts to spread in his chest; doom setting slowly in.

“Price?”, Gaz asks quite concerned about John’s silence. The Captain keeps staring as the seconds tick by. “Fuck”, it’s the only thing he says and hands the picture to Gaz. John literally prayed years ago to never see your oh so beautiful face ever again. His heart can’t get over the fact that you are still looking the same. The way you glance at the camera with a winning smirk makes his knees weak. You know that you were observed from afar and you did not give a single fuck about it.

“You know her?”, Kate can’t explain otherwise his reaction. Price nods his head in agreement, “(Y/F/N) (Y/L/N). Met her once years ago. We had a mission together, but never saw her again after that.” He really hopes none of them can see through his lie. It was way more than just a mission. It was way more complicated than that.

Even after all this time John feels everything like it has been just yesterday. The way your hands have been roaming over his chest. So fucking close to him. Skin on skin. The way you felt amazing underneath him. As well as the way you broke his heart into thousand pieces. If there would be ever a regret he has to live through, it would be you.

Price doesn’t tell them a single thing about it. He will not go through every detail of his biggest mistake with his entire team. That’s something only between you and him for the rest of his life.

“So, she is military?”, Gaz asks as Soap hands the picture to Ghost. Neither of them can’t deny that you are absolutely breathtaking as much as you are deadly probably.

“Yes, (Y/N) worked for a special forces team in the American military. There is nothing much to know since almost everything is classified. Only a handful or so have the security rank to gather that information. The team included five members with the call signs X-1 to X-5, which sounds very nice, right? X-1 means Executer-1, so they called them actually Killer-1 to Killer-5. She is one of the best”, Laswell answers and pulls another picture out of her jacket.

John already knows that the picture will be you in your impressive completely black Executer-gear. He hates and loves this one so much. “No, Kate. (Y/N) is the best”, Price doesn’t say those words very lightly, but they are the truth. If you are going to be their enemy, it will be a fucking war.

“She took over the Shadow Company and the El Sin Nombre cartel? For what? What is her goal?”, Gaz can’t make the connections yet. Kate let’s out a deep sigh and turns around the last picture, “I think she is going for this man.”

The Captain shakes his head, “Makarov? (Y/N) is going for the big kill. If she can gather Russians, the Shadow Company and the El Sin Nombre cartel around her, we are all doomed. With that (Y/N) can take over every army and if that happens, she will go back to America getting her final revenge.”

“What do you know, John?”, Kate is almost kind of mad that she isn’t fully in the picture apparently like Price himself. “(Y/N) made a decision the military didn’t want to see. X-2 to X-5 were supposed to execute her. The members were named after their ranks, so (Y/N) was Executer 1 – the best of them. She killed every single one of her former teammates. The American Government classified everything to keep people from talking. (Y/N) escaped in the end, but all of that were rumors years ago. Everyone who told them got silenced. The military didn’t want to acknowledge her existence anymore. So, who really knows if that’s real or not”, Price knows exactly that everything he just told was real.

Neither of them dares to interrupt the silence thinking about the worst that could happen. Someone as power-driven and skilled as you will bring hell over those who did you wrong. What they don’t know is that you are halfway through your plan to conquer the world like you want it to.

A few hours earlier…

“Ah, Valeria. Nice to meet you in person finally. (Y/F/N) (Y/L/N). At your service”, you give the soldier your best smile to greet her properly. She raises one of her eyebrows still unsure about your intentions, “Why did you pay for my freedom?”

You mention towards the waiting car, “Let’s talk in the car. It’s way cooler in their and it would be only fair to bring you back to your cartel.” Valeria follows your invitation, “If you try to do something stupid I will kill you.” You can’t help yourself but laugh as you get in the car after her, “I really don’t doubt that for a second.”

“So, what’s the deal, hermosa?”, Valeria asks after taking a sip of the cool drink you gave her. You lean forward smiling knowing exactly how to expose your cleavage and use your body to get what you want. Valeria’s eyes follow just like you planned.

“Mi vida, I want your El Sin Nombre cartel to work with my Shadow Company. I am working towards a goal that is very important to me”, you explain to her leaving out a few important details. Valeria doesn’t ask but you could see the question in her eyes.

“Graves got … detained by me. His former soldiers are under my wings now. And well, there is no nice way to tell you this, but your people are also mine”, you keep on smiling knowing exactly she will understand the hidden threat.

“So, the rumors are true that you are gathering an army. They warned me about you, hermosa. Take my men if you need to. You paid for my freedom”, Valeria knows when she is in a situation without options. She is in your hands without any chance of an escape, better playing along for now.

“I’m really glad you took that so well. Graves wasn’t really cooperating”, you lean back taking a sip of your own drink. Valeria knows how to pick her fights and you are much more powerful than she thought.

“Well, the Gringo didn’t know how to handle dangerous women. Especially when they are as breathtaking as you are, mi vida”, Valeria holds up her glass to clink hers with yours. She can’t help herself but be enchanted by you.

You have already wrapped Graves around your little finger with your sex appeal until you took what was his. Now Valeria, next one will be Makarov. And you are pretty sure he will not resist you just like the others. Your plan is going wonderful. Now comes the fun part…

The ringing of his phone snaps Price out of his deep focus on working out a plan to bring you down before you can raise hell. No matter how many options his brain goes through it will never be good enough to keep up with your next steps.

“Captain Price”, he is only paying half attention to the caller on the other side of the line. “Hi, John”, your sweet voice rings in his ears over and over again. Price is not a man to get shocked easily, but right now his mind is absolutely blank. There are literally not words to form a proper sentence.

“Oh, I wish I could see your face right now. Happy to hear that I’m still alive?”, you can’t help yourself to let a heartfelt laugh, which brings John’s heartrate into a very dangerous zone. “Why are you calling?”, he tries to keep calm, but everything in him turns slowly into panic mode. It’s unusual for him. Only you can make him feel this way.

“Oi, don’t you know anymore how small talk works, muppet? How are you doing? What have you been up to the last decade? We really need to work on your manners, handsome”, you didn’t mean to sound it seductively, still you are not mad about it. You don’t have to be in the same room with John to know that you are still going under his skin with so much ease.

“John, humor me for a second. How have you been? Tell me a bit about your little Task Force”, your voice could play on repeat for eternity and John would still not get enough of it. In this moment he hated you so much for all the love he still has for you in his heart. But the two of you are a shadow of the past.

“You haven’t changed, so I’m pretty sure you know already everything about my team”, John will not give in. Not this time. “Yeah, but it would have been nice to hear it from you. Do you really think your Task Force is good enough to keep up with me? Are they ready to do whatever it needs to take down the devil herself?”, you have been watching him and his team for a while now; tracking their success as a team and still they will never be as good as you are.

“What happened to you? This isn’t you, (Y/N)”, John’s voice is only a whisper over the line. You don’t want to admit it, but you actually missed how sweet your name sounds when it comes over his lips. “Betrayal. So much betrayal that I finally found solace in power and revenge”, you reply replaying in your head what happened long ago.

“You killed innocent people… Children…”, John remembers how you stood right in front of him; trying to explain everything, but he wouldn’t hear a word about it. He knows now that you made the right decision back then. His younger self didn’t know it.

“You draw the line wherever you need it, Captain! Isn’t that something you like to tell your team? I did that, but what did I get for sacrificing so much? Nothing. The military sent my own team after me. You left me. I lost everything to save thousands of lives. But you know what? I will gain so much more for sacrificing those lives now. Revenge is best served cold”, once you get what you want, you will never have to defend yourself ever again, “John, we both know that villains are also human beings with a dramatic backstory. Just like the heroes.”

“You called just to tell me all of that?”, John can almost feel his heart bleeding; knowing he is part of the problem. He is one of the reasons you turned your back against humanity. “No, since we have quite the past together, I wanted to give you a change. I can be merciful, if I want to. You have 24 hours to find Makarov to stop me”, your voice transforms from being bitter to cheerful in a second.

“You already know where he is, eh?”, Price realizes that you are playing with him. You know exactly there would be no chance for him to win this battle. “Oh, of course. I would never go into a conversation like this without having plan beforehand, handsome. 24 hours, big boy. Time is ticking”, without a further word you end the call leaving John alone in a deafening silence. This is a fucking war neither John nor the Task Force can win.

Bonus:

“It’s over, (Y/N). Lay down your gun”, Price points his weapon at you as he makes his way towards you. A slight smile appears on your lips before you do what he says. Your little handgun compared to his gets put on the table right in front of you.

You can’t help yourself but admire how handsome he looks after all this time you have seen him. He is aging like a fine wine. For a moment you remember how young he had looked back when he still was a Lieutenant.

“Don’t worry, I’m not a sore loser”, you raise your hands so he can see them clearly. For once you are not a threat to him. Slowly you make your way around the table. He keeps his gun pointed at you, but still lets you come as close as possible. His eyes never leaving yours for a second.

“We all know it was your decision to lose. You had everything to bring hell upon us. So, why do you give up now?”, John’s finger ache to stroke your cheek softly; to feel your warmth against his skin once again. Your eyes bore into his; looking straight into his soul. “And we both know I can’t do anything against my weakness, John. You are still the only one I don’t want to hurt.”

Your words touch his soul; breathing back live into him. For a moment neither of you know what to say. Softly you push away his gun and he let it happen. The two of you are so damn close now almost breathing the same air.

“Do you still love me?”, John can hear the pain but also the hope in your voice. There is no need to deny the truth any longer. He can’t ignore anymore how his heart calls your name over and over again. How it has been doing that for the last few years.

“Yes, I always have and I always will…. I’m so sorry for everything”, he caresses your cheek with his hand and you lean into the touch; yearning for his attention for such a long time already. “It’s okay. I love you too, John…”, you reply letting your tears fall freely now.

“… But neither heroes nor villains get happy endings, handsome. Right person, wrong time. Maybe we will find each other in the next life again. Good bye, John”, you place a soft kiss on his lips. Both of you savoring this moment as long as possible.

A single shot rings through the silence, then a body hitting the ground. And that’s how this story ends.

[anthurak]

Something I find interesting about rewatching Yang’s scenes talking about her childhood in Volumes 2 and 5 is how she doesn’t really… defend Tai’s actions and the way he seemed to have effectively checked out on her and Ruby for several years after Summer’s disappearance.

Now sure, she doesn’t really decry him, but we don’t hear Yang trying to claim that her father ‘had his reasons’ for what he did or otherwise trying to justify his actions. She just presents what Taiyang did fairly matter-of-factly. Likewise, I think we can see a similarly frank assessment of Tai’s parenting from Ruby in Volume 9 when she directly acknowledges that Yang raised her.

Putting these together, I really get the sense that both Yang and Ruby are very much aware of Tai’s actions and how he let them down as a father, rather than trying to defend or cover for him.

So why has Yang and the story as a whole only given a general, indirect acknowledgement of Tai’s actions and never really confronted him directly about how he let his daughters down as a father?

Well, I think it’s because that rather than trying to defend or cover for their father’s actions, Yang and Ruby are engaging in that much less melodramatic but ALL too common practice of just… not talking about the problems of a close family member.

Rather than going through the surely difficult and ugly process of confronting Tai over how he failed them as a father, Yang and Ruby have taken the fair easier option of simply not talking about it. Even though both of them, particularly Yang, are very much aware of the problem.

It also probably doesn’t help that in the present of the show, Tai has grown into, if not a good parent per-say, at least a decent one. Which in turn probably gives Yang and Ruby even more reason to just… not talk about that time he kinda-sorta abandoned them for several of their formative years.

See also, what Tai does to help Yang’s recovery in Volume 4. Sure, some of his methods were questionable, but he did ultimately help Yang recover and move on, which I think in turn makes Yang all the more reluctant to confront him on his past failings as a father.

So where do I think this is all going?

Well, with the Volume 9 finale clearly sowing the seeds for a major arc of Ruby and Yang diving into aspects of their family history they never knew about, most notably the long-awaited truth of what REALLY happened to Summer, I wouldn’t be surprised at all if some other long-brewing issues started bubbling to the surface as well.

As I’ve stated in other recent posts, at this point Yang’s original recounting of her family history to Blake all the way back in Volume 2 now absolutely REEKS of ‘unreliable narration’, and that there is clearly a WHOLE fucking lot that Yang, and Ruby, have no idea about regarding their parents.

So if during the process of Ruby and Yang finally digging into their family past, they happened to discover that Tai and Qrow have been keeping some massively important pieces of information from them all this time, effectively lying to Ruby and Yang for YEARS?

(say about, I dunno… Ruby’s ‘real’ father actually being a certain angry/depressed bird woman?)

Well I’d say that would be just the thing that could blow the lid off right off a LOT of resentment towards her father that Yang has been bottling up all this time.

I’ve stated this before, but I think it’s worth keeping in mind that ALL of Team STRQ have been presented as well-meaning yet massively flawed/shitty/fuckup parents to Ruby and Yang in each their own way. For one, all of them bailed on their daughters in one way or another, whether it be Raven and Summer bailing physically, Taiyang emotionally/psychologically, or Qrow doing a bit of both.

Thus far, we’ve seen two members of Team STRQ confronted by either Ruby or Yang over their failings as a parent and been subsequently driven to improve: Raven by Yang in Volume 5, and Qrow by Ruby in Volume 6. Which in turn leaves Summer and Taiyang, the supposed ‘good parents’ as the more ‘overt’ text of the show has led us to assume.

Of course, over the course of the last three volumes, we got more and more hints, before the ending of Volume 9 confirmed, that Summer Rose was not in fact the perfect ‘supermom’ that Ruby and Yang remember her as, having lied to and walked out on her family to go on mysterious mission with Raven from which she never returned.

And reading between the lines, Tai’s own problems as a father have been sitting right in front of us since Volume 2, only just beneath the surface as Yang and Ruby decline to really talk about them.

So with a story arc focused on exploring the truth about Summer Rose looking to be close on the horizon, a long-simmering confrontation between Yang and her father (one that could likely strongly parallel her confrontation with Raven) seems likewise inevitable.

[wroteclassicaly]

It probably doesn't count as kink but I would love to read about it (it's okay if you skip it)

Eddie who loves just playing with reader tits. Not in a sexual way, just because he's boring, they're soft and squishy

So they're both watching tv or doing homework and Eddie's hand going under reader's shirt and squishes boob. He boy is not even aware of it

Okay, because this is 💯 accurate, and because I need to get my creativity flowing/need something soft, I wanna talk about this too! 😉

Warnings: Boob talk & overall fluff.

~*~

Eddie has always worshipped pretty much every single part of your body. If he enjoyed actually doing his home work, you’d get a fully written thesis about each specific thing that he loved. Be that as it may, the energetic man has a favoritism, however, for two pieces of you that… well— in his own words… jiggle. That’s right, your galactic, bitchin’, otherworldly, better than when he hits that hard chord right, steadier than a deep campaign late into a Friday night, topping anything Ozzie ever did on stage — tits.

They have their own names, he says. Pretty much a list and whatever he comes up with at the most random of times. On days he’s particularly distracted with them during a time when you’re visiting a campaign meeting or a band practice, he’s inking two googly looking circles with diamond shaped eyes, jotting down in his chicken scratch — the newest name additions. He prefers Dolly and Elvira, but on his more active days he goes for references that you don’t even try to make sense of.

Because what do your boobs have to do with rolling a perfect score? What even is a perfect score? You’re fond of Eddie’s antics though, but he doesn’t need to always be privy to this information. So what if you purposely forget your bra during movie nights at his place or study nights at yours? And did Eddie really give two flying fucks if you accidentally stretched one of his shirts out with the soft swell of your chest?

You aren’t the only one with devious little antics. On days when his trailer is sweltering in heat and there’s usually a window air or a fan to satiate the sticky perspiration, Eddie might forget to turn them on. Hell, maybe they don’t even work. It’s a shame you shimmy down to your panties, with nothing more. An absolute tit-tragedy.

On this particular day, you’ve both been under the stresses of school and work. With the last semester’s workload counting more than ever for Eddie, you’ve doubled down to help him wherever, whenever you can. And he has been as equally amazing in volunteering at your job, hanging around and helping you put away stock, making grabby hands that caused your worries to melt into puddles of glittery goo. He’s invited you over for pizza and hot fudge sundaes (on him), to which you’d eagerly obliged. After a two hour study session and numerous Eddie-centric metaphors, followed by a nap inducing meal — you’re currently resting easily on his bed.

This past Christmas you had gotten Eddie his own television, so that Wayne didn’t have to put up with the constant variety of whatever Eddie was watching for the week, giving him his own downtime before his night shifts. It also gave you and your boyfriend more privacy to just relax and be together. You aren’t really sure what’s playing, something that Eddie picked out for the evening. All you know is that it’s Sci-Fi related, and Eddie it makes him happy. After all he’s been through with school and everyone there, you’ll do anything to get him to smile in that doe eyed way that he has about him.

He’s got his head in your lap, your fingers combing through his hair. It’s one of the many positions he’d turned you in throughout the first hour of the film. So it’s not exactly surprising when he shifts again and your head finds his shoulder, cheek able to feel the rise and fall of his chest with every steady breath that he takes. That position lasts another fifteen minutes, give or take, with Eddie once again turning over. This time it’s you in front of him, being spooned from behind, his left arm wrapped around your waist, his right arm propped above him, leaving his elbow to squish into his pillow pile, and his palm resting over top of his cheek. You sign in a blissful pleasure, easing back into him and tugging his arm tighter around your waist until it’s squishing your chest.

You don’t mean to, but this man has you having him touch your chest as much as he does it on the daily. You aren’t sure what happens in the next few minutes of the film, your lids closing you into a doze. The sound of some laser effect on the television set is what rouses you. And that’s when you notice Eddie’s forearm has pushed up your shirt, his wrist dipping underneath, his thumb bad grazing over your bra cup. Already, you can tell what he wants before he knows.

He doesn’t have to ask for permission, but you know he will. It gives you enough leeway to have pity on his poor heart. He’s engrossed in the movie, his chocolate eyes dancing with an intense mirth as you drink him in. You don’t speak, simply lifting from his hold and using your fingertips to lift your bra cups, exposing your chest. You’re aware that it’s worked almost immediately, upon laying back in his arms.

Having your bra halfway up isn’t exactly comfortable, but you wanna see what he’ll do, what you’re sure that he’ll do. Mere seconds go by and his hand snakes back beneath your tee, humming a honey-coated appreciation when he finds your bare breasts filling his hand. He squeezes, rolls, pinches, and tugs on the flesh, as if it’s some toy that he can’t contain himself from playing with. You’re giddy with a smirk, arching into his hold. He’s still glued to the screen, a fight sequence breaking out.

His fingers drape across your sternum and begin to lavish the other globe with affection. You sigh loudly, unable to help yourself.

He has no idea what he does to you sometimes.