#how many times are you gonna question her feelings she gave us an entire few minutes long edit of her and miles in the beginning

[iwasbored777]

"Gwen sensing that Miles is in the wrong dimension has nothing to do with her feelings for him, she just sensed danger."

Why would she sense danger that has nothing to do with her in a different universe that has, again, nothing to do with her??? Why would she sense it again when he got knocked out??? This doesn't affect her in any way other than her friend/crush being the one who's captured. She connected the dots because he wasn't home and when her spider sense told her something is wrong she knew what. It was to alert her that a threat is approaching, but it isn't approaching her. Both times it was not because something bad is coming for her, but because something bad is coming for him. I'm not sure how she felt it but I know why.

[dearanakin]

I will be your fool

Summary: You are friends with Steve, who is about to perform for the very first time. You find yourself feeling jealous of him, not knowing he has a hold of you. He wrote "Fool" when he was thinking about you, though.

Note: This is based on DJO. I might have been obsessing over him and his music lately.

Warnings: Fluff, smut, unprotected sex. p in v. oral sex (f receiving) + 18 DNI

Word count: 2.6k

Sitting next to Robin at The Hideout, you both watch as Steve rehearsed for his first concert. After graduating, he decided to devote himself to a musical career.

He adopted the alter ego "STV" (Steve, but without the vowels) and formed an indie band that gained notoriety before their first official concert. He even decided to use another persona as well.

Steve was being supported by Eddie, because the metalhead was part of a band that had performed at the same venue.

He was sitting on the edge of the stage, strumming a few notes of his song "Climax".

As you and Robin sat on the chairs near the stage, you watched him intently.

"How's the sound over there?" he asked, waiting for feedback from both of you.

Robin gave him a thumbs up.

"Terrible, this is awful. It sounds like a cat being beaten" You replied, laughing as you watched him flip you the middle finger.

"Remind me to never call you to a rehearsal again, jerk" He replied.

The three of you laughed, and not long after he finished the rehearsal, he approached the two of you. Steve was sipping water from a bottle after coming down from the stage.

"So, overall?" he nervously asked. It was no surprise; it would be his first performance.

You and your friend smiled at each other; it was just what he needed.

"That's great, dingus. You're going to do great!" She squeezed her friend's shoulder, her smile wide and open.

He looked at you, waiting for your answer.

"She's right, it's gonna work out!" You smiled too. Steve let out a sigh of relief.

He rehearsed with his bandmates before setting up the stage for the big moment.

Eddie came later on to offer his friend advice and moral support. As a veteran of the place, he found it easier to deal with moments like that.

Besides Robin, your group of friends were there, including Dustin who wouldn't miss the performance of one of his best friends.

Steve had asked both of you to stand on the side of the stage, but you both decided to watch him from the crowd instead so that he could look at you both and feel less nervous.

When the band was announced, everyone applauded including the students from Hawkins High. He showed up in a white jumpsuit, Nike sneakers, a wig, a questionable mustache, and sunglasses.

The resemblance to Steve was almost imperceptible, except for the voice.

The band started the concert with "I Want Your Video". It was the first time you heard him play his music live. He wanted to leave the "first-time" experience as a surprise.

As the first two songs came to an end, more people started to arrive at the venue. The room was filled with the sound of applause, and Steve had a smile on his face. You could tell he had been looking at you and your group of friends for the entire time.

His music had a hint of psychedelia along with synth instrumentals, auto-tune, and drone chords.

You couldn't resist when your friend sang "Go For It." His voice was admired by you and many girls. But something unrecognizable bothered you. Was it jealousy?

Were you jealous of having to "share" your friend with other girls?

Robin was the only one who knew that "Fool" had a meaning for him, especially after he dedicated it to her.

Steve moved closer to the microphone as "Figure You Out" began to play.

"This is for my dear friend, Y/N. Thank you so much for helping me with this song" He crouched in front of you and handed you the guitar pick he used during the entire concert.

He stood up and grabbed another guitar pick from the mic stand. Your friends were elated and may have commented about it, but you were caught off guard.

Robin sang along to the song with her arm wrapped around your neck. At that moment, you tried to pay attention to the rest of the concert, but his words lingered in your mind.

Deep down, something between the two of you was different, but you never really realized it before. Maybe you needed to find out about it later. 

Steve's husky voice brought a unique essence to his brilliant performance, surprising the crowd with his guitar solos. He was completely ecstatic with the audience's reception.

It seemed like the concert had gone well, as the band received a standing ovation at the end, while Eddie celebrated his friend's success from the corner of the stage.

Steve had already changed his clothes and removed his wig and mustache before arriving at the bar. As soon as he got there, he was surrounded by his friends who hugged him and touched him everywhere. The amount of affection he received caused his hair to tangle.

As he approached you and Robin, he wrapped both arms around both of you and pulled you both in for a hug. It was surprising how the combination of his sweat and cologne made you feel dizzy.

Your nose was pressed against his neck, breathing in his scent.

"Holy shit, dingus! That was amazing!" She celebrated as soon as she let go of her friend's arms.

"Steve, you definitely killed it!" Your voice was a little slurred. Clearing your throat, you disguised so he wouldn't notice.

The boy was smiling too much, he was happy and proud of himself.

Before letting him respond, you narrowed your eyes and sipped your drink. "What's that about me helping you with your music?"

He widened his eyes, taken aback, and looked at his friend in confusion. She shrugged and muttered, "I'll leave you two alone."

He cleared his throat, fixed his hair, and then looked at you.

"I'll tell you later. There's a lot of noise here, a lot of people. I prefer a quieter place," he explained, turning to ask the bartender for a beer.

Steve looked at you again, smiling, and you nodded.

After he was greeted by your group of friends, no one else welcomed him besides a blonde girl who seemed to be overly intrigued. She examined him from top to bottom and even went as far as kissing him on the cheek.

You kept your eyes on her as she whispered something in his ear.

He could talk to anyone, but why did it affect you? No clear explanation.

The two of them talked for about a minute, then she gave him a subtle smile and left.

Steve turned around and downed the beer, causing you to raise your eyebrow. You waited for your friend to explain, but all he did was laugh and lower his head. "What is it, Harrington?"

He looked provocative as he said, "You can't hide it, can you?" The boy left his beer on the bar counter and approached you, tucking a strand of hair behind your ear.

“Hide what, Steve?” You held your own breath as you saw him get closer.

He leaned in close to your ear and whispered, "You feel jealous when someone gets close."

You tried to steady yourself on the stool, feeling your legs wobble. "Me, jealous of you, Steve? We're friends," you said.

It was clear that Steve had a hold on you, as you felt repulsed by any girl who came too close. Despite your efforts to resist, he laughed in your ear, causing the hairs on your body to stand on end. You couldn't help but feel weak for him.

As he placed his large hand on your face, you could feel the roughness of his calloused fingers, a result of his guitar playing.

The sensation heightened your senses, and your body was filled with restlessness. "We are friends, but why do our bodies seem to crave each other's touch?" He traced his lips down your cheek until he reached your mouth.

It didn't take long for you to respond and he kissed you passionately.

His tongue hits yours with pressure and need, pulling your body closer, like a magnet. Your hands wrapped around his neck and Steve pulled you by the waist with his other hand.

The background music and the noise of people talking seemed to fade away, and time appeared to stand still at that moment.

The way he held you showed his desperation for you, but the kiss remained gentle and calm. He held your lip between his teeth, causing a muffled moan to escape from your mouth.

You abandoned your friends back at the venue and arrived at Steve's house. The idea to go there was yours, not his. Steve insisted that he wouldn't do anything without your consent, which triggered a strong reaction inside you.

As soon as you got inside his bedroom, he pushed you towards his mattress and watched as you fell with bliss in your eyes. He laid on top of you, spreading kisses all over your neck, both of his hands wandering through your exposed skin.

His rough fingers were pressing against your thighs as he rode up the hem of your dress a little.

“God, I’ve been expecting this for so long” He grumbled against your chest. You were quickly panting as you could barely control your breathing.

Steve quickly spread both of your legs, pulling a sigh from your throat. He used both hands to remove the piece of lace panties that matched the color of your dress: black. The boy kissed your breasts covered in fabric and your stomach. 

When he got close to your cunt, he looked at you with lust. Your eyes glistened as you looked at him. You lay down, and he pulled you to the edge of the bed, still looking at you.

“You look so fucking beautiful like this” He whispered. Steve couldn't handle his own lust, but he would like to give you something he had wanted for a long time.

He gently moved your legs apart and slowly dipped his mouth into your clit, sucking lightly on your button, eliciting a grunt from your mouth. “Steve” You almost sobbed. 

The boy used the tip of his tongue through your slit, keeping his pace as he reached your hole. He licked you greedily, savoring your taste, murmuring in pleasure. It had barely started and it was already making you dizzy with so much pleasure. 

Your breathing was uneven and your legs were already weak. Steve rested one of his hands on your thigh, digging his nails into the skin, leaving marks on it. He used another hand and pressed his thumb on your clit, feeling as you arched your back.

He kept the movements light and slow, taking advantage of every inch of your skin, leaving long licks on your cunt. When you felt him insert the tip of his tongue inside you, you groaned loudly, gripping his hair.

He was going crazy as you mumbled disjointed words and rolled your hips into his face. Steve was loving it.

His finger circled against your clit, while his tongue thrust in and out of you, making you whimper. You were about to hit your orgasm if he didn't stop. Pulling the strands of his hair, you rocked your hips against him hard, and Steve got the message.

He removed himself from you, placing a light kiss on your most sensitive spot, looking back at you. His face was glistening from your juices, his lips were red and swollen, and his eyes were flickering with pleasure. 

He leaned forward for a more intense kiss, swirling his tongue against yours, teeth clashing with yours. With one hand, he pulled the strap of your dress down, watching your breasts bounce out. Still kissing you, he cupped one of your tits with his hand and rubbed your nipple. 

The kiss started to get sloppy as soon as you started moaning against his mouth and Steve undressed quickly, getting rid of his boxers soon after. He really wanted to fuck you, but you took his cock with your delicate hand, pumping him with lust.

The tip of his cock was already red and swollen, practically leaking with precum. You spread it all over his length, until you reached the base. Steve grunted into the kiss and you smirked against his mouth. It felt good to be the one in control. 

But he couldn't take it anymore so he broke the contact, leaving you on all fours for him. You looked over your shoulder to glance at him and you felt a knot in your stomach. This had become a moment of lubrication you both wanted to enjoy. 

He arranged himself behind you, resting one hand on his cock, while the other rested on your ass. Steve slid his shaft in a slow, painful motion across your clit before burying his length inside you. 

You both hissed when you felt each other. He was thick, and you were too tight. The sensation sent Steve into a frenzy as he thrust further in and hit your cervix. “Holy shit, you’re so tight. And so wet” He murmured. 

You felt his balls hit your ass and you rolled against his dick, watching him twitch with excitement. You rolled your eyes at the sight. 

As soon as he settled inside you, Steve began to thrust hard and fast, gripping the bands of your ass with his calloused hands. The air in the room was thin, stuffy, and your moans were echoing in sync. 

“Yes, Steve” You whimpered, feeling the tip of his cock hit against your most sensitive spot.

He murmured disjointed words while resting his body on your back. He kept his chin resting on your shoulder as you felt his breath hit your ear.

Yes, it was the most exciting thing you had ever felt in your entire life.

“You’re all wet for me, aren’t you?” He whispered and you couldn't reason out a response. “God, your pussy is taking me so well.”

You didn’t have time to rest your elbows on the mattress as Steve used two fingers to rub your clit.

In an involuntary movement, you rolled faster against him, trying to feel his entire length inside you. Your head was down, also resting on the mattress. You could barely breathe.

“Fuck-” He growled into your ear and your stomach sinked. The more his dick pounded inside you, the more your skin burned with desire for him.

His fingers’ moves became faster, your body responded too well to his touch. A shiver ran through your body, before the orgasm hit you. Your fingers curled, your pussy clenched tightly around his cock, and your breath hitched. 

He pounded against your cervix until you came for him and moaned his name.

Soon after, he collapsed on top of you, reaching his own orgasm, cumming inside you. His warm liquid enveloped your hole completely, as you felt his cock pulse inside you in a moment of pure ecstasy.

After you both cleaned up, he lay down next to you, wearing comfortable sweatpants. It was the first time you were staring at his naked body like that, and the countless moles spread across his skin were irresistible.

As Steve leaned against the headboard of the bed, he gazed at you with tenderness, softly stroking your face.

"I mentioned that song earlier because, at different times, you've helped me figure out who I really am," he explained.

You repeated his gesture and rested a hand on his chest. "Steve Harrington, you are wonderful."

He smiled at the compliment, pulling your body closer to his. “I will be your fool” He hummed, watching you look at him curiously.

“Steve…” You started to speak and he kissed the top of your head. "You don't…"

He shrugged, not caring if you knew you inspired his song.

“You never stop looking at me anyway” Steve continued, ignoring your surprised face. He pulled you into another kiss, this time it was more tender.

[highonmarvel]

Hi there! May i please request a mob!steve x reader where the reader used to be with him but when she found about his mob life she left him so like the HR he decided to ruin her life and one day he just shows up in her now downgraded apartment and manipulates and gaslights her into coming back to him, and she just goes back because she’s just in a vulnerable place

Feel free to add your own spin to it btw love your work soo much! Especially the biker!bucky 🤗

oh, i like this! and thank you so much for the love! i hope you enjoy. and i apologise for taking over a month to get back to you, shit’s been wild for me. okay, here we go:

Easy Luxury

Steve Rogers: You find out how your suspiciously wealthy boyfriend makes his money, and have to start over without it.

content warnings here!

It was never manipulation, it was a deep understanding that enabled him to know what you needed before you even opened your mouth, a symptom of being the blond-haired, blue-eyed boy next door type. Naturally, he knows what’s best for you, you’d never have to question him. And you didn’t.

Steve was suspiciously wealthy for such a humble and down-to-Earth guy, but you didn’t question it; his expensive car, his shiny watch, his high rise penthouse, his seemingly endless cash, you didn’t read too much into it, you just enjoyed his presence, and his luxury didn’t hurt either; anything you wanted, and things you didn’t, Steve gave to you, and you accepted gratefully. He even insisted you live closer to him until he didn’t have so many people coming in and out of his apartment for something he never quite explained, and then you could move in with him. You live in a nice ass building a block down from him, making for easy visits, curtesy Steve.

You sigh as you place your bag down in the lift on the way up to the top floor, excited to surprise Steve. You had head to see your parents for what was supposed to be two weeks, but after just one you’d had enough, and you missed Steve.

You excitedly bounce on your toes as you pick your bag up again, the elevator numbers just a few ticks from the top. With a wide grin, you stare straight ahead as the the doors open, and that smile immediately drops.

Right in the middle of your living room, Steve is ripping the teeth out of a guy tied to a chair. Even the back of his shirt is bloodied, and there’s so much blood on the floor you have to assume there have been many other people in this man’s position in the time you’ve been away.

“You fucking rat,” he grunts as he pries the man’s mouth open again and sticks an adjustable wrench into the back of his cheek. It clasps onto one of his wisdom teeth and Steve pries it out, and you can tell he’s satisfied despite his back facing you. The man lets out a bloodcurdling scream and Steve tosses the tooth onto a pile of at least five others.

“Workin’ for the Starks, huh?”

The Starks are a well known mob family in New York, and if they’re Steve’s rivals then…

You gasp out loud.

Steve whips around, and his face, though covered almost entirely in crimson, goes pale.

“Baby! You’re back early.”

You finger flies to the close button for the doors, pressing furiously as if that’s gonna make it happen faster. Steve races towards you, calling your name as you anxiously push the button at lightning speed. At the very last split second, just before Steve can stick his hand between the doors, they shut, and the lift begins to descend. You hear Steve’s frustrated “Fuck!” and banging above you as your stomach sinks with the elevator.

Fuck, fuck, fuck, what can you do? Steve had convinced you to quit your job, you pretty much lived exclusively off of him, but you can’t possibly stay with him, yet you’re rendering yourself homeless if you leave.

Once you get to the ground floor, you race out the door, leaving your bag behind and ignoring a concerned look from the doorman as you dart out. You phone buzzes in your pocket, and you know it’s Steve. You ignore the vibrating phone call and run towards your apartment. You’re sure you have some money cobbled together from Christmas cards over the years. No way in hell you can pack your things, and you know you’ll have to get rid of your phone, but you need at least a little bit of cash.

You’re sure you’re on the verge of dying from a lack of oxygen as you make it to your apartment and slam the door behind you, locking it, too, though you doubt that’ll keep him out.

You’re furiously rummaging through drawers when a gentle rap at the door makes your soul damn near leap out of your body.

“Honey?” Steve calls, voice calm as ever, as if he didn’t just commit such unspeakable violence, and who knows what fucking else he’s done that you’ve never seen? And how did he get here so quick? Is he still covered in blood and spit and flesh and evidence from his torture?

You try to tune him out as you look for the last of the envelopes to add to your small pile, but you can’t ignore his gentle voice trying to coax you into a state of relaxation he would soothe you into when your anxiety became too much to bare.

“Sweetheart, let’s talk about this.”

“Go away!” you manage to shriek through hyperventilation.

“Don’t do something stupid,” he warns, voice low in a way you’ve never heard him use before, and if you were terrified before, you were on the verge of a heart attack now.

With a few envelopes and no way to escape, you run to the window and peer down; you’re three floors up with some soft patches of grass beneath you. You don’t have time to even calculate it, surely adrenaline will get you through the pain if you’re severely hurt. You’re working up the nerve, and just as Steve busts the door in, yelling your name, you jump, luckily landing on your feet, but falling soon after, and briefly wondering if you’ve dislocated your knee as you scramble to stand and start running.

Steve shouts your name from the window but you don’t even look back, just running to God knows where. You’re sure you’ve run full speed for more than half an hour when, by such luck, you stumble across a really cheap looking motel. Just as you throw some cash to the guy to give you a key, you feel around in your pockets for your phone, panicked, and for the first time in your life, you’re glad to have lost it. He can’t find you now, at least not by tracking, you hope. Though you might have expected to be plagued by insomnia due to your stress, you pass right the fuck out as soon as your head touches the crusty pillow on the room’s stained mattress.

***

The sun isn’t out when you snap your eyes open, it couldn’t have been more than six hours since you ran away, then, but there’s no sign of Steve, and you let out the biggest breath of relief there ever could be. You head to the bathroom to shower and think of your next move, but it’s so filthy you wonder if you’re only making yourself dirtier by stepping in. You’re sweaty, and your body is physically tired from the sprinting. You flop onto the floor as you try to consider your next move. You’ve got an old friend living in Queens! You haven’t spoken to her in years, literally since high school, but since then she had practically been living on her own and raising herself and her sister, you can’t imagine she’s moved since then.

You have to walk a ways before you manage to get to an area you can hail a cab, and that takes a little more effort than you would have liked to exert. By some grace you manage to remember the address, and as you pull up, the house looks pretty much the same as all those years ago, giving you a glimmer of hope.

You drag yourself to the front door and manage to knock despite your weak body.

The door opens after a few moments to reveal the red hair you haven’t seen in forever, yet still, she looks virtually the same.

“Natasha!” you say as you collapse into her arms.

“Oh my God!” she cries, but she catches you with ease, “What are you doing here? What happened?”

You can barely speak, but she seems to somewhat understand as she leads to you to her living room and gently sets you down on the couch. Her blonde sister comes running into the room, eyes wide and panicked.

“Yelena!” Natasha calls, and hurriedly says words in Russian you could never understand. Yelena leaves and returns with a cup of water, which you gratefully accept, not realising just how thirsty you actually were. You gulp down the water like a dying fish and Yelena immediately leaves to get you another.

Sitting down and not on the verge of dehydration, you can speak, but your voice is still hoarse.

“I’m sorry for dropping in like this—”

“Don’t ever apologise for coming to me,” she cuts you off sternly, nearly angrily, like she’s irritated you thought you could ever bother her. She was this way in high school, but still, you haven’t spoken in years and years, and you feel bad for that. You know she can help you, or she’ll try to do everything in her power to do so, but you can’t let her get involved in mob business… like you were, unknowingly.

“I’m just in a rough spot,” you say, nodding thanks to Yelena as you take the second cup of water and down it even quicker than you did the first one. She sits down next to you, concerned, as Natasha is seated across from you on the opposite couch, leaning forward, forearms on her thighs as she listens attentively, “Don’t have a job or a place, or anyone else I can go to. I’ve got a bit of money, can you help me find a cheap place?”

“Just stay with us,” Yelena says, sitting up straight.

“Yeah,” Natasha agrees, “It’s clear there’s a lot going on, please, don’t be alone right now. You can stay here, I can help you get a job.”

Even after all this time, she treats you so beautifully, but you can’t let her get wrapped up in this; if Steve finds you, he might hurt Nat and Yelena, and you’d never be able to live with that (and maybe you won’t have to if he kills you too).

“No!” you say, a little louder than needed, causing the pair to give you strange looks, “Please,” you say, speaking softer now, “If you want to help me, can I just use your shower and you help me get a place? I know you know a lot of people.”

You can tell she wants to protest, but Nat only presses her lips into a thin line and exhales through her nostrils, nodding before standing up.

“Okay,” she concedes, “Yelena will get you some fresh clothes and I’ll make some calls.”

“Thank you,” you say, with more sincerity than you ever have in your life. Yelena helps you up, and you want to protest, but realise you’re a lot weaker than you thought, and you can’t tell if it’s mental or physical exhaustion.

You have to sit down in the shower, rinsing the stickiness off of you and watching it float in the few centimetres of water before being whisked down the drain.

You’re steadier on your feet once you’re clean and dressed, and you pop into the kitchen just as Nat hangs up her phone.

“Okay, I’ve got somewhere $95 a month, but it’s not great.”

You shake your head, “It’s perfect, thank you.” You counted around $650 in your cash, but if you get a job you can make it work.

“But you’re not leaving before you eat.”

Eating breakfast with Nat and Yelena takes the weight of the world off your shoulders, the three of you laughing about events from a decade ago with the same vigour you did when they first happened. But you can’t shake the feeling you have to leave, quick.

You’re nearly done helping the pair clean up when Nat comes up to you.

“Hey, what’s your number? We should stay in touch, even if just for a few months, just so I know you’re okay.”

“I lost my phone,” you sigh.

“I’m drop in every once in a while then, okay? And you can’t fight me on this. I’m honestly really worried about you,” she throws her dish rag over a chair and walks up to you, holding your shoulders as she looks into your eyes, “But I’m so glad you came. I’m always here for you. So is Yelena.”

You look to the doorway Yelena’s leaning against and she gives you a smile, but it’s a little sad.

“Thank you, Nat. I love you, so much. And I’m sorry it’s been so long.”

“These things happen, it’s fine. I’m just glad you’re in one piece. Looks like you had a hell of a night.”

You laugh shakily and nod, “I did. I’m surprised I didn’t dislocate a knee.”

“Oh my God… okay, conversation for another time, let’s just get you into your place. Do you have anything we need to take?”

You literally have no earthly possession with you at this point besides the envelopes, which you tuck into the inner pockets of Nat’s biker jacket she’s lending you. You refused to take any clothes other than one other pair of pants and a t-shirt, but Yelena promised she’d wash your others and bring them back, though you’re not even sure you want them anymore.

“I’ll be back with them tomorrow,” she says as she closes the door, leaving you alone in a flat you’re sure has mould.

There’s only a couch, a mattress, and a clock you’re not sure if displays the correct time, which is more than you were expecting. You flop down onto the slightly dirty couch and run your hands over your face. Now fed, hydrated, and somewhat rested, you can’t think of anything else to distract you from thoughts of Steve…

Okay, you’ll try to find a job tomorrow, for today, there’s nothing more you can do but try to sleep, even though it’s not even midday yet.

***

As promised, Yelena drops off your clothes the next morning, with the tears poorly sewn up, but you thank her for the effort and encourage her to leave the building before you do, in case Steve is watching, but you don’t cite that reason.

Half an hour later, you stride out, taking a walk down the dodgy streets, and luckily, you come across a bakery with an “URGENTLY HIRING” sign in the window. Your little streaks of luck would mean much more if it wasn’t overshadowed by everything else, and your luck ends when you’re half way into the interview.

“What?!” you gasp, trying to lean over to get a better look at the computer screen the interviewer (who’s just some teenager, probably a temp) is trying to shield from you.

“Ma’am, you have a charge for robbery, we can’t hire you.”

You exit in a daze, nearly numb at the realisation Steve would go this far. Why not just kill you? If he was worried you’d go to the police (the thought had never even crossed your mind until this moment), he’d just fucking kill you, or kidnap and torture you, he wouldn’t just leave you to rot out in the real world, that’s too risky.

You sadly make your way back to your flat, and who’s there when you open the door?

Steve stands with a crisp blue shirt in the centre of the room, and what can you do about it.

You fall to your knees and sob, face in your hands as you try to take in your fate. What did he want with you? You want to say you swear you’ll never tell anyone, that you haven’t told anyone, but you can’t speak through your gasping sobs.

“Hey, hey, hey,” he coos, slowly making his way over to you, like he’s worried he’ll scare you off, “It’s okay, don’t worry, I’d never hurt you, baby, you weren’t supposed to see that, I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you, I didn’t want to hurt you, ever, but I have.”

He sighs, and you manage to look back up at him, a somber coat over his blue eyes.

“And look at you,” he gently raises your arm to trace a finger over scrapes and scratches you guess are from darting through narrow alleyways and through thick bushes, “Baby, and look at his,” he gestures around him to the damp flat, and you sniffle, “You can’t stay here, come back, I’ll take care of you, like I always have.”

“Th- the arrest—”

“I had to do that, baby, I’m sorry. I just had to. If you were with me that never would have happened, see? And it can all go away. Honey, I’m offering you the world, all you have to do is come with me.”

With teary eyes you look around. You can’t live here too long or you’ll get some kind of mould poisoning, you can’t get a job, you can’t endanger Nat and Yelena…

“Okay,” you sigh, defeated, and just as Steve starts to smile, there’s a knock at the door. Natasha calls your name and you tense up, Steve looks down at you with his head cocked to the side.

“I think you better answer that, sweetheart. Tell her you’re not gonna be here anymore.”

He pulls you to your feet and you gulp as you lean your head against the door.

“Yeah?” you answer.

“Let me in.”

If Steve sees Nat, he’ll know who to look for if you try anything like this again. But he’s sitting patiently on the couch, and he nods towards the door, beckoning you to open it. You take a deep breath and crack it open a bit.

“Hey, what’s up?” you think you say, but you can barely hear your words over the pounding of your heart.

“Is everything okay?” she asks, and you shoot a glance behind you, which you immediately regret when Nat bounces on her toes to get a look.

“Yeah,” you block her vision and bring her attention back to you, still trying to keep the door as close to closed as possible, “I… I have to go…”

“What?” she asks, “You just got here, what’s changed?”

“Things have worked out, it’s all good now, don’t worry—”

You freeze as you feel Steve behind you, his tall frame casting a shadow over you and Nat. You shut your eyes, willing this to be a trick of light or a hallucination due to stress, it can be anything but real.

“Hi. Steve Rogers,” he extends his hand, and Nat tentatively takes it, in only a way you know — to everyone else, she wouldn’t seem cautious, but you saw the clench in her right knee that gives away her switch to defence.

“Natasha Romanoff.”

Fuck, Nat, why did you say your name!?

“Nice to meet you. Don’t worry about her, she’s in good hands with me.”

She nods.

“Steve, could you go get my clothes for me? I think they’re in the bathroom or the bedroom, they’re the only two other rooms.”

He nods and turns away. Once he’s out of sight, Nat’s expression turns panicked as she scans your face, noticing tears welling. She doesn’t say it, but you can tell she’s pleading “Come with me.” You shake your head and quickly wipe away the tears before they fall, just as you hear Steve’s approaching footsteps again.

You shut the door just as he exits the bedroom with your neatly folded clothes from your recent run.

“Natasha washed these, I assume? Or was it Yelena?”

⍟

[taglist; @cjand10]

[may0tuna]

High Society | Prowler!Miles Morales x Reader

Writer's notes: First time writing about Miles Morales. The moment I saw Earth 42, I def got Gotham vibes and I always have this story in mind, I just didn't know which character to use. After watching ATSV, I think Prowler Miles is perfect! Thinking of writing a part 2 maybe? Idk. Also, I feel the need to mention that Miles in this story is aged up (post-college graduate) and looking for his first real job in Earth 42 New York City.

Summary: Rich UES girl meets Miles who was working for a catering company hired by her family for her birthday party.

Read Part 2 and Part 3 here.

You faked niceties throughout the entire evening. You wore a simple and elegant little black dress for tonight's dinner held at one of your family's many townhouses in the Upper East Side. New York City has gone to ruin and crime rates are up especially in the other boroughs, and here they are, the richest and most powerful people in the city having dinner and talking about which wine would go best with whatever type of dish.

Your older brother, one who is set to succeed the family business, is arguing with one of the waiters your family has hired to serve the guests for tonight's event. You rolled your eyes as he has always been so dramatic. You walked towards where he was and scoffed at the idea at how his sudden outburst is probably because of how the butter is too cold.

"The butter is too cold! Can't you tell? Do I have to do everything in this house?" Your brother exclaimed.

"Not everything, just do your part and be the most annoying person under this roof and you'll be fine," you said casually which irritated him even further. You and your brother then had one of those telepathic conversations, one that would end in you giving him a look that says "Walk away or Dad will know about this." He scoffed, put his champagne glass on the tray held by the waiter and sauntered over to the living room to talk to some of the major shareholders at your Dad's company.

"I'm so sorry about him. He was born with a few braincells short," you told the waiter. He had a deadpanned expression and he wore these braids that fall up to just above his shoulder. He wore a black tie suit which was mandatory for the catering service he worked for, which you took a mental note of how it perfectly complemented his broad shoulder and lean body. You can almost tell how his arms are toned through the fabric. He was quite tall too so talking to him means you looking up.

"Don't worry about it," he said. You were disappointed he ended the conversation so quickly but then again, they were most likely not supposed to enagage in too much conversation with the guests. However, you were dying to talk to someone else about anything other than stock prices so you decided to ask the first thing that came to mind.

"I like your braids. Do you wash it?" The moment those words left your mouth, you quickly apologized because you thought it was an ignorant question. Of course he washes it duh. His response was a smirk with some underlying subtext you couldn't quite read.

"Yes, I do wash it," he said and gave a laugh that made you blush.

"There she is! Happy birthday, Y/N!" A distant cousin of yours appeared greeting you whilst giving you a big bear hug. You smiled shyly and thanked them. After a few small talk, they proceeded to look for your father to talk business. You glanced timidly back at the waiter and he was smirking at you.

"What?"

"Nothing. Here I thought you were different but it turns out this extravagant evening dinner is for you." He paused. You were hurt (a bit). You were complaining about this city's problem and it turned out you were a part of it.

"But hey, happy birthday. I'm sure that despite the millions of dollars spent for tonight, you're not gonna end up like your brother." He smiled at you and you smiled back.

"What's your name?" You asked.

"I'm Miles Morales."

[seaoflove07]

Love Planted a Rose 🌹

~ Dark ~

• Artwork by The Drawables •

Full Art Cover and Story Description, Here.

OCXCanon. 🔪 Azusa & Christine’s Story. 🌹

Fan Fiction Written by Me.

Fandom: Diabolik Lovers.

- Thursday Night -

Ruki gave Christine an hour break. She took a few snacks from the kitchen, then went to her room to grab her journal quickly and headed outside to the Rose Garden. She doesn't write in her journal every day, only when she is lost in her thoughts and needs to get her feelings out. Once she arrived at the rose garden, she felt a bit relaxed. She needed the summer night fresh air. Christine always prefers the outdoors, especially in the summer. Being surrounded by nature, looking at the beautiful stars and the scent of the roses from the garden calms her.

She sat down on the grass and took out her journal, a blue pen, and a small book lamp from her bag. She began to write.

Dear Journal:

I made it to Japan. That was such a long flight from the United States. It's been six days since I've been staying with the Mukami brothers. Turns out all four of them are VAMPIRES! This was supposed to be a good opportunity for me, but it ended up being my nightmares becoming a reality. I stopped having those nightmares when I arrived in Japan. One of the brothers is Lavender Eyes. Azusa. That's his name. I don't understand him at all and he's the one I'm afraid of the most since he doesn't leave me alone. After Monday night, I've been avoiding him. He's dangerous, he cut me with rose thorns, he burned my mouth with all the spice that he put in that sandwich he made me try because he wanted me to feel pain, and on top of that he drank my blood whenever he pleased. Thankfully, I have managed to avoid him these days. Tonight when we were all at the kitchen table I didn't make eye contact with him and I didn't talk to him either. Though I have felt his gaze on me the entire time. But I'm glad he hasn't come looking for me these few days. I hope he gets that I'm not interested in him and his brothers. Tomorrow night, I'm gonna meet six more vampires. I still haven't come up with a good plan to escape, and my cell phone signal is still not working, I haven't been able to call my parents. Both of them must be worried sick not knowing anything from me at all since Friday. The last time I talked to them was when I arrived at the airport to let them know that I made it safe. I feel so lonely and homesick, and I miss my family so much. I've never been away from them. I've been lucky so far that the other brothers haven't sucked my blood, and I hope they never do. I feel hopeless and scared for my life.

- Christine hears footsteps -

Azusa: “Christine-san… I found you…”

Christine: “How did you know I was here?”

Azusa: “I can find you… anywhere easily… because of your scent…”

Christine: “Oh…”

(I forgot vampires have a strong sense of smell…)

- Azusa sits next to her -

Azusa: “You look sad… Christine-san…”

He cups her cheek.

“You can hit me… it will make you… feel better…”

She removes his hand from her cheek and stands up.

Christine: “Azusa, don't start with this… I'm leaving now…”

Azusa: “Wait…! I just want to be useful… to you… Ruki didn’t let me… see you these few days… I was getting anxious… because I wanted… to spend time with you…”

Christine: (No wonder he didn’t come looking for me these past two days…)

“Well, hitting you is not gonna make me feel better.”

(Why he is looking at me with sad eyes? And why am I feeling bad for him?…)

“Azusa, I remember on Monday you told me in the kitchen that you want to get to know me. Why don't we talk for a bit?”

Azusa: “Yes… I would love that…”

She sat back down.

Christine: (… I don't know what to say to him. So I'll just ask him a random question…)

“Are you enjoying your summer break so far?”

Azusa: “I don't like… the heat weather… so I spend most of my time… in my bedroom…”

Christine: “I love summer, it's my favorite season. You get to do so many fun things. Do you have any fun hobbies you like to do, Azusa?”

He smiles.

Azusa: “Yes… I would like to... show you...”

He stands up.

Christine: “Show me what?“

Azusa: “My precious treasure...”

He Extends his hand.

“Come with me... please...?”

Christine: … …

She hesitates.

Christine: (I don't want to go anywhere with him, but I know very well he won't accept a no for an answer, and I need to survive, so I have no choice but to obey…)

“Ok, Azusa. I'll go with you.”

She takes his hand and stands up.

Azusa smiles brightly, and he leads her to his room.

*TimeSkip*

Azusa: “This is my Bedroom… and over here is my treasure...”

He shows her the shelf near his bed with all his knife collection.

Christine: (Wow! His collection looks nice and well-organized…)

“You have a nice collection, I like it. Especially the ones with the jewels on them. When did you started collecting knives?”

Azusa: “A very… long time ago… polishing them… is my favorite hobby… I’m happy that you like them…”

Christine: “I do, and I like that you have them nicely organized… Anyway, thank you for showing me your collection, I'll take my leave now.”

Azusa: “Eh...? Already...? Why…?”

Christine: “Well you did say you were just showing me your collection and I saw it. So… there’s no other reason for me to be here and my break is over so I have to get back to work.”

Azusa: “I see...”

... ...

“Say, Christine do you... hate me...?”

Christine: “Huh? No… I don’t hate you, why do you think that?”

Azusa: “You keep... avoiding me… and trying to push me away... Is it... because… I'm a vampire...?”

Christine: (So he did notice…)

“I don't hate you. I am sorry if it came off like that. But I do admit, I am afraid of you...”

He moves closer to her.

Azusa: “There is no reason… to be afraid… of me… … Rose-san... I just want…to spend time with you…”

Christine: “Rose? Why are you calling me, “Rose”? When my name is Christine.”

He runs his fingers through her hair and strokes it. While caressing her arm with his other hand.

Azusa: “Your scent… is so good… like roses from the garden… and your skin… is so soft… like rose petals… you remind me of a beautiful red rose… The name suits you…”

She blushes.

Christine: “I do wear a rose perfume every day. I have to admit, I like the nickname...”

He smiles.

Azusa: “So nice... my own... little rose... I want you… near me… even if you end up… hating me… I will still want you… by my side…”

He Inhales the scent of her hair.

“Haah... Rose…”

He pulls out a knife from his pocket.

“Here… Cut me…”

Christine: “What!? I would not do that.”

He caresses her chin.

Azusa: “Please… Rose… I beg you… cut me with this knife… I want you to give me pain… and to mess me up...”

Christine: “A-Azusa… I can't, please don't ask me this again. I don't want to hurt you.”

He forces her to hold the knife.

Christine: “No! I don’t want to do this. Why do you want to feel pain?”

Azusa: “Because… physical pain allows me… to forget… the emotional ones…”

Christine: (Her heart aches at his words…)

“Azusa… there are other ways to help with emotional pain, I can help you...”

Azusa: “You can help me like this…”

He forced her hand to hold the knife tight and stabbed his arm.

“Haah…”

Christine: “Oh my gosh, Azusa! Are you okay!?”

(He’s lost in thought looking at his cut. Oh my goodness! Exactly like the nightmares I had before I came here! Her heart starts racing!!..)

Azusa: “Fufu… It’s lovely… this new wound… Justin is happy, he has a new friend… fufu... I may have to find… a name for it…”

Christine: “You are bleeding a lot! I'm gonna go get one of your brothers for help.”

She turned around and started walking towards the door but Azusa appeared in front of her. He lifted her up and pinned her down on his bed. Staring at her brown eyes.

Azusa: “Rose… please… Don't leave me alone… my arm will be fine…”

Christine: (A faint blush appeared on his cheeks, I can hear my heart beating. I can't stop staring back at him…)

Azusa: “Rose… can I suck your blood…?”

- Christine caressed his cheek -

Azusa: “Eh…?”

Christine: “I'm sorry…”

Removing her hand.

- Azusa grabbed her hand and placed it back on his cheek -

Azusa: “Nobody has ever… touched my cheek like this… It feels nice… please touch me more…”

Christine: “Really…?”

He nods.

Azusa: “Rose… I have become… addicted to you… so much… that sometimes… I don't know what to do with myself…”

Christine: “B-But… you just met me.”

Azusa: “It doesn't matter…”

- Azusa bites her wrist -

Christine felt the flick of pain. But this time she doesn't try to push him away. She averts her gaze, moving her head to the side.

*Slurp*

Azusa: “Haah… Look at me… Rose…”

He caressed her cheek.

“I want you to watch me… sucking your delicious blood…”

- He sinks his fangs deeper into her wrist again and doesn't take his eyes off hers -

She gasp.

*Gulp, Gulp*

Azusa: “Aah… your blood gives me comfort… it’s very sweet and warm… I'm enjoying the rosy color… that appeared on your cheeks… and… that dreamy look of yours…”

Christine: (I don't know what to say! I should push him away but I'm starting to feel lightheaded…)

He smells her neck.

“Your scent of roses…mixed with your blood scent… makes me go wild. Rose… I can't think straight…”

- He bites her neck -

*Slurp, Slurp*

*TimeSkip*

- Azusa is staring at her, blood dripping from his mouth -

• A commission artwork by @yuma-mukami-garden-god •

Azusa: (Rose-san fainted on me, I got carried away drinking too much of her delicious blood. I should take her back to her room. Tomorrow she's going with Ruki to the Sakamaki's mansion. Ruki will get upset if she happens to be in bad shape. If I'm lucky, I'll get a punch out of him. But I can't stop staring at her, it truly feels like she hypnotized me. I've never felt this way for anyone, right now I wanted to engrave every detail of her features, she was so beautiful, her face was flawless, her rose-colored cheeks were adorable and her rosy pink lips were shaped perfectly. A true rose and I want this rose to be only mine. Even if she hates me…)

“Rose-san… you and I… will be spending… lots of time together… I want you… by my side… and I want us to inflict lots of pain on each other…”

He leaned down and pressed his lips to her forehead.

— TO BE CONTINUED —

Masterpost

~ Picrew ~

[katnissdoesnotfollowback]

If the muse should so cooperate- I would love to see the reaction at Skadi after Katniss made her reservation to go for a visit. Did Gramps know right off it was her? Did Haymitch give the heads up? Did Gramps know and wait to tell Peeta? How did that conversation unfold? POV doesn’t matter to me.

Soooooo this has been sitting in my inbox for literal years. Sorry about that. And while I am still focusing on Spellbound for now, it doesn't hurt to exercise the Outside Chance muscles every so often to keep that universe fresh in my mind. Especially since the Outside Chance universe is up next on the To Do list once I finish Spellbound.

Some fun, from a different POV than what I usually give you all. It worked a little better coming from Monique, since she works the front desk at Skadi and would have a front row seat to the entire thing unfolding. The only thing it doesn't directly answer is whether or not Haymitch gave Eirik a heads up (he did), but it is implied here. Hope you enjoy! And now back to work on Spellbound.

~~

I need a break. It’s been insane since I sat down at the desk. And I use the phrase “sat down at” in a metaphorical sense. I’ve been standing the whole time. Moving between the front desk and the office behind the desk where we store all our random shit we need throughout the day to take care of our guests. We’re just on the downslope of the season, and a quick glance at our weather forecasts has me smiling at the guest I’m helping and answering their question.

“Weather service is predicting another eight inches at least from this storm that’s moving through in two or three days,” I tell him and he taps his Epic Pass on the desk with a wide grin.

“Awesome. Might trap me here for a few more days. Any chance I can go ahead and extend my room?”

“Mmm, that might be difficult. We’re pretty well booked for the rest of this week and next week, too. But I can check for you. Stop by after you’re done skiing and ask me then?” I suggest. 

He nods and walks off. I can feel my customer service smile slipping, but a genuine one takes its place as my boss steps up to the counter, leaning heavily on it, taking his weight off his cane as he gives me a bright smile in return.

“Hey Mr. Tjalaand, how’s it going?” I ask in a sing-songy voice and he chuckles.

“Not bad, Monique. Any word on our high profile guest?”

“Uh-uh. Haven’t seen her name on any of the guest lists, and I’ve been checking every chance I get,” I tell him. Just to be sure, I type in the names again, in two separate searches, just to be safe.

Katniss -- nope.

Everdeen -- nada.

“She’s not here. If she’s coming tomorrow, she’s gonna have a hard time finding a room,” I say and Mr. Tjalaand mutters under his breath, but then his eyes light up.

“Perhaps she has registered under a fake name,” he says, and I nod.

“It’s possible, but she could’ve used anything.”

“You can search guests based on their address, yes?”

“Sure,” I say brightly. “Where’s Ms. High Profile coming from?”

“Colorado Springs,” he says, which gives me a moment’s pause. We don’t get many guests from C. Springs. They’ve got their own skiing all around them in Colorado. Only the die-hard skiers from C. Springs or the ones who want slightly wilder slopes come here. Still, I type it in my search and come back with two hits.

“I’ve got a Mike Norbert and a Kay Brookes from Colorado Springs checking in tomorrow.”

“Kay… clever girl,” he murmurs. I smile over his shoulder as his grandson, who I like to think of as my other boss, even if he doesn’t officially have the title yet, approaches. We all know it’s coming one day. But Mr. Tjalaand hasn’t seen Peeta yet and continues talking to himself. “Using their names. As if we wouldn’t notice.”

“What wouldn’t we notice?” Peeta asks and Mr. Tjalaand jumps, cries out, clearly startled.

“What?” he asks Peeta once he’s gotten ahold of himself.

“We’ve got a guest coming tomorrow, using a fake name so we don’t know it’s them. Some big name athlete,” I whisper conspiratorially. Peeta smiles slightly and turns to his grandfather.

“Seriously? Ryen’s dumb enough to try a fake name?”

“Er… not Ryen,” Mr. Tjalaand says, then does that thing they always do. He switches to Norwegian, so that no one else can understand what they’re saying. Joke’s on them. I’ve been learning Norwegian. Not enough to be fluent, or proficient. Or to even catch full sentences with the rapid pace Mr. Tjalaand is speaking, but I can read Peeta’s face.

And he’s. Not. Happy.

Mr. Tjalaand actually shrinks away from him a little bit as he gestures wildly and continues to explain to Peeta. I catch something about training and home and upset. Maybe a name I file away. Haymitch. The word tomorrow.

Peeta starts shaking his head. And although he’s whispering, there’s no disguising the hurt and anger in his voice when he cuts his grandfather off and asks, “Why didn’t you tell me?” At least I think that’s what he says. Mr. Tjalaand fires back. It’s settled blah blah blah blah I suggest blah blah blah something about one of our trails.

When it’s over, Eirik looks smug and Peeta walks off before I can even ask if he’s okay. What a dumb question. Of course he’s not okay. It’s written all over his face and his body language that he’s not okay. But why’s this guest set him off so much?

Mr. Tjalaand sighs as he turns back to me and gives me a small smile. “I apologize for my grandson.”

“Is he gonna be okay?” I ask and Eirik waves off the concern.

“He will need to be. I will not tolerate his moping about this any longer.” 

I don’t wanna say it, but I kinda agree with my boss. Much as I love working for them both, much as I consider Peeta a good friend, he can be moody and mopey sometimes. Not that he doesn’t have reason and all, but sometimes I just wanna slap him for his dumb decisions.

“You will tell me the moment our guest checks in tomorrow?”

“If I’m on shift, you’ll be the first to know.”

“Good,” he says with a firm nod. “Thank you, Monique.”

“Sure thing, boss,” I say and give him a playful salute as he walks off. I wait until he’s out of sight before I turn to my coworker. “You got this, Haydn?”

“Yeah. Seems to have calmed down for a moment.”

“I’m going to Rooba’s. You want me to get anything for you?”

“Red Bull and one of those caesar chicken wraps.”

“You got it,” I tell her as I slip out from behind the desk and basically jog to Rooba’s Lobby Stop. I skid to a halt next to her and she smiles at me.

“Where’s the fire?”

“Okay. So. I need to know what kind of serious shit is about to go down in this place so I’m ready to handle it.”

“Uh-huh,” Rooba says but continues to stock her shelves, replenishing after the mid afternoon rush. “I’m listening.”

Of course she is. Rooba’s a gossip hound. “Two days ago, Eirik came to me and said we’d be having a high profile visitor arrive in three days, which is, you know… tomorrow. Some Olympic athlete I’d never heard of, but anyways. He says he wants to know the second she books her room.”

“Interesting,” Rooba prompts me to keep going.

“Well today, she still hadn’t shown up on the guest lists. So he asks me to search by where she’s coming from, and turns out she’s registered under a fake name, or at least he’s pretty sure she is. So he’s figuring this all out and Peeta walks up--”

“Uh-huh,” Rooba murmurs, her eyes bright as she hones in on what I know she can tell is the juicy part.

“-- and they start talking in Norwegian, as they do.”

“You catch any of it?”

“Some. Not enough. All I know is Peeta is not happy about this person coming here, but Eirik is tickled pink about it, so I need to know who this is and why she’s already causing problems in my lobby.”

Rooba snorts. “What’s the name, girl?”

“Right, sorry,” I say. “Katniss Everdeen?”

“Kat--” Rooba gasps and drops the pile of chips she was holding. “Oh shit.”

I glance down at the mess with her, then back up at her face. Her eyes and mouth are wide for an instant, but then her lip trembles and her eyes go a little glassy. “Katniss is coming home tomorrow?”

“Coming home?” I ask, but Rooba has moved on. She’s frantically scooping up the dropped chips and I kneel down to help her.

“So you know that name.”

“Oh my -- oh no wonder Peeta was so upset. My poor boy, finding out like that.”

And it’s those words that make it click in my mind as we stand up with the chips in our hands. “Don’t tell me she’s that girl. The one with him in all the pictures on The Wall that no one will talk about like she’s a curse?”

Rooba scowls at me and snatches the chips from my hand. “Katniss is not a curse. She’s… oh my poor girl must be hurting so bad if she’s coming home after all these years.”

I can feel my eyebrows raise at that. I watch Rooba stock the chips as I grab Haydn’s lunch, and something for myself.

“Coming home tomorrow. I don’t even have any Milk Duds or that strawberry lemonade thing she always drank, or her favorite tea,” she’s muttering as I approach the register. “Too late to have them here by tomorrow. I’ll just have to add them to the order for next week. If she’s even staying that long…”

I clear my throat while she rings me up. “I don’t think she wants a fuss being made over her,” I point out and Rooba glares at me. “I’m just saying, she registered under a fake name. Sounds like she doesn’t want to be noticed while she’s here.”

Rooba snorts. “Fat chance. That girl could bury herself under thirty feet of snow and she’d still be noticed.”

I don’t know what to make of that, but Rooba sighs and rings up my purchase, still grumbling.

“Our baby girl comes home after ten years and Eirik can’t even tell us? I can’t even welcome her home? What a crock of shit.” She holds out my sack as I swipe my card, but she pulls it back when I reach for my purchase. “What name did she use? The fake one.”

“Kay Brookes,” I tell her and she gasps again. “Okay you gotta explain why that’s significant. And why I shouldn’t skewer this girl on sight. We all know Peeta’s carrying all kinds of baggage over her. No one will talk about her.”

Rooba shuts her eyes and sighs.

“That name… it’s proof she’s still carrying just as much baggage as he is,” Rooba murmurs. I’m about fed up when she releases a heavy breath and gives me answers. “They fell off a cliff together, when they were fifteen. They were… they were best friends. Inseparable. Maybe more, I don’t know for sure, but there were rumors at the time about them kissing behind a maintenance shed one day.”

All right, sue me. I’m a sap. My heart twinges at the image of young, first love blossoming from a childhood friendship as Rooba talks. “They went for a hike and there was a rockslide. Katniss called 9-1-1. By the time anyone could get to them, it was too late to save Peeta’s leg, but Katniss had saved his life. And then… her parents… Sage Kay Everdeen. Lily Brookes Everdeen… they both died two days later. Hit by a drunk driver.”

“Damn,” I whisper and Rooba nods, handing me the sack of food at last.

“The custody battle afterwards, as far as I heard, wasn’t pretty. But it was fast. Either way, Katniss and her sister were gone before Peeta even got back from the hospital. Neither one of them’s been back in ten years.”

And while I still feel like I wanna skewer this Katniss for hurting Peeta, Rooba’s words have me feeling at least a little sorry for her, this strange girl who once called Skadi home. Losing her parents after such a traumatic event with her best friend, then being torn away from her home.

“You’ll text me tomorrow, when she checks in?” Rooba asks, pulling us out of the reverie of the past and I nod.

“Sure. Anyone else I should give a head’s up about this? So they’re not shocked and can keep it quiet when they see her roaming around?”

Rooba nods. “Thom. He needs to know. Freddy on ski patrol. June Carter…” Rooba starts listing names almost faster than I can add them into a new text thread on my phone. They're almost all people we affectionately refer to as The Old Guard, because they've been at Skadi for ages.

“Anyone else?” I ask when she pauses. She shakes her head. “That’s all I can think of for now.”

I type out a message, telling them who’s arriving tomorrow and that we’re to keep it low key, since she’s using a fake name and clearly doesn’t want a fuss, but I thought they might wanna know so they don’t get a shock seeing her around. I add Rooba to the thread and send it, releasing a breath and telling Rooba I’ll talk to her later.

My phone blows up on my way back to the front desk.

WTF?!?!? Katniss???

Are you for real?

Katniss is coming home???? 😄😮😭

!!!!!!!!

Does Peeta know?

How long’s it been?

Ten years

10 years

10 years

Shit

Does Peeta know?!??!?!

Someone’s gotta tell Peeta!

He knows. 

Thank fuck.

Well this won’t be awkward at all.

It keeps going and I silence the thread, handing lunch to Haydn and getting back to work. I’ll check the gossip chain when my shift is over. One thing I do manage while I’m still at the desk is something I probably should’ve done days ago. A quick Google search for one Katniss Everdeen. There isn’t much, and all of it is sports related. Not even a social media footprint. But at least now I’ve got an idea of her face so I can be on the lookout for her tomorrow.

~~

It’s another crazy day and I stay past the end of my shift to help out. And also because the mysterious Katniss Everdeen still hasn’t shown, but given all that Peeta and Mr. Tjalaand have done for me, I feel like I somehow owe them both at least this. Taking care of this particular guest and giving them both warning of her arrival. My phone keeps vibrating with the group text thread, everyone checking in periodically to see if anyone’s spotted her yet. I snort as I glance at the top, where someone changed the thread name to Operation Hummingbird. When I asked about that, all I got back was:

It’s her nickname.

I’m running on coffee and stress, and about ready to call it a day when someone steps up to the desk, the hood of her ski jacket pulled up over her head. She leans over the desk, like she’s trying not to be noticed and extends her arm with a credit card in her hand.

“Checking in, Kay Brookes,” she says and my pulse stutters for a moment. Her voice is low and smoky, and so unique. From under her hood, I catch a quick flash of light eyes before she drops her gaze to the desk.

And I understand what Rooba meant about her being noticed. I can’t look away from her. There’s something enigmatic about her, or maybe that’s just because I know something of her story and am thirsty for more of it. 

But I didn’t get this vibe from her pictures online.

I manage my customer service smile, and go through the motions of checking her in, glancing over her shoulder at the pile of bags and skis in cases.

“I’ll have one of the bellhops help you to your cabin.”

“That won’t be necessary.”

“Oh please, do me this favor. James is new and needs all the training he can get,” I say. Her lips twitch at that, but she nods and looks up at me again. Gray eyes. And even though I’ve certainly championed Peeta getting with other people -- namely my friend, Peyton Lang, last season -- I can see why this is the girl he’s never really let go.

“Alright. I could probably use the help,” she says.

I hand her the envelope with room keys, wifi instructions, and lift pass, call James to the desk, and give her a wide smile.

“Welcome to Skadi, Miss Brookes. Enjoy your stay with us.” She hesitates and looks back at me a moment, then gathers her things with James and heads outside.

I release a breath and feel my shoulders sagging. There’s something just so sad hanging around her, that I think about what Rooba said yesterday. That Katniss is carrying as much baggage as Peeta. I’m starting to believe it.

With that in mind, I notify Mr. Tjalaand, and then I notify the Operation Hummingbird thread. From him, I get a simple Thank you. From them, I get a flurry of texts. Most of them are just thumbs up and thanks, but a few catch my attention.

Think she’ll actually talk to him?

Resort isn’t that big.

Nope. She knows this place too well. Knows where to hide. We’re not seeing her again.

He knows the place better.

Come on, guys. Give them time.

Time? They’ve had ten years.👏👏👏

Part of me wants her to seek him out. Get it over with. Let them hash out whatever it is they’ve gotta deal with. Part of me thinks we haven’t had a good mountainside drama in awhile and this’ll probably be drawn out and spectacular.

I just want them to bang already!

Slow down. They haven’t seen each other in ten years.

Fine. I’ll settle for a kiss.

Seriously? They might not even like each other anymore.

Anyone got eyes on him?

He’s up on the slopes. 

Monique, can you let him know?

Or should one of us?

I’ll let him know.

I sigh and open up my text thread with Peeta. It’s been a few days since we’ve used it and the last thing on it is a laughing emoji he sent me in response to something funny I shared about a guest. I hesitate, not wanting to hurt him anymore than he might already be. But then I think of his face yesterday, his anger that his grandfather didn’t even tell him that such a significant part of his past would be walking back into Skadi. If it were me, I'd want to know. I think about the pictures on The Wall, the ones I walked by last night, just to see a glimpse of what he lost ten years ago.

They were adorable together.

I think of the way Rooba talked about them yesterday when I first told her. How the group talked about them in the thread all day yesterday. And I am again reminded of what a sap I am.

“Screw it,” I mutter and tap out a text to Peeta. I’m with June on this one. “I want them to bang.”

Lord knows he needs it. She probably does too, based on the looks of things.

Hey, boss. Just wanted you to know that the guest your grandfather was asking me about yesterday has checked in. Cabin 24.

Thanks for the warning, Mo

I pause and grin, deciding a little pot stirring wouldn’t hurt.

She’s stunning, by the way. And you could stand to get laid.  Been awhile, hasn’t it?

I could say the same to you. Maybe you should sleep with her.

Not my type. You know I like a himbo.

Noted.

But you…. Has it been since Peyton? Maybe since Thresh?

You’re as bad as Rooba.

What did Rooba say?

Nothing. She put a package of condoms I didn’t ask for in the bag with my lunch today.

😝😂

Not funny.

Only it’s totally funny, and maybe exactly what he needs. I let Rooba know to keep it up.

~~

<3 kdnfb

[starseneyes]

Chenford - Lucy Chen / Tim Bradford - The Rookie - Season 5 - Ep 11

"The Naked and the Dead" AKA "Chenford is SOOOO married"

SPOILER WARNING: I will spoil the entire episode, likely the entire show, and I am addicted to details. Please proceed with caution.

Everybody primed and ready to go? Let's dive in!

"Hey, let me do it."

Timelines are tricky on this show, so I really don't think this was after the "second" date, but later. We saw in the cold open that Nolan and Celina were on a case during the day, so I think Tim and Lucy have been sneaking in dates and we're MAYBE a few days or a week past the end of the last episode.

So, that cute little glance Lucy gives Tim before uttering "let me do it" made me squee. Yes, I squee like a little girl kicking in a too-tall chair. Let me flail. I'm good at it!

Tim steps back and lets his wife girlfriend get to work on the coffee machine.

We know he's into black coffee (and clearly she knows his order after all the years on the job together), and I bet if he has a machine at home, it's either a grind-and-brew to give him whole bean goodness in a more instant form, or it's that "one cup" model I gave my husband to keep at work. Insert coffee. Insert water. Brew.

"So, what'd you guys get up to last night." "Nothing!"

Tim. Oh, Tim. Remember last week when I said you should stop lying? Yeah... maybe time to take my advice because your "nothing" is louder than a lot of "somethings".

To be fair, Nolan did say, "You Guys", which might trigger Tim's Fight-or-Flight response. Fleeing the scene might have appeared less suspicious.

Lucy slips in with her well-practiced UC skills on full display. See, she's had time to prepare, this time, and she's not going to get caught in the early stages of her secret romance.

She rattles off her love of the new Chagall exhibit while Tim suddenly gets lost in the aroma of his coffee so he can't open his big mouth, again. He seriously can't even look at either of them.

Tim finds a spec of dust on the floor to admire, sips his coffee, and hopes nobody notices.

Also, can we talk about Lucy handing Tim his coffee!? I know she could have done it at any other time in their relationship. I mean, she was his Boot and then his Gofer. She's handed him MANY a cup of coffee over the years.

But there is something so bloody domestic about Lucy Chen handing her boyfriend a cup of coffee.

"Nothing? You had all morning to come up with a cover story and that's what you went with?"

First off, I love the tone change from Lucy sending Nolan off to confronting Tim.

Second, I love how Tim immediately has to right the wrong of him being perpendicular to her and set himself directly in front of her, feet pointing towards what he desires. (Any New Girl fans out there?)

"Woah, woah. He bought it, didn't he?" "Uhhh."

I love this teasing. Both Eric Winter and Melissa O'Neil excel at something I adore in actors... the Art of the HUM. It can be "uh" or "hm" or "mm".

I don't care which of the "H" "U" "M" s you use and in what combination, a great actor can use them to add layers to a scene and make it feel completely natural rather than written-in.

Chenford fans are blessed with both actors masterfully pulling it off. Think Matthew Goode in A Discovery of Witches. If there's a King of the HUM, it's him.

But these two are pretty high up there in terms of mastery.

"What if he had asked you a follow-up question about the exhibit?"

There's that competitive spirit coming out with these two. Tim wants to prove that his excuse is more fool-proof than hers.

And, Tim, while you may be the Master of Tests, Lucy is the Master of Cover Stories. Remember Dim and Juicy's meet-cute Lucy created that made you think naughty thoughts you tried to cover up with veiled barely-there compliments? Lucy's gonna school you, former TO.

"Let him. I read the catalogue to the exhibit cover to cover."

First off, how the hell does Melissa O'Neil make that line sound hot? The world may never know.

Secondly... BOOM, Tim Bradford! You've been schooled by the master! Lucy is the queen of preparation. For goodness sake, she read psych journals trying to prepare to break up with her ex-"Work In Progress".

Lucy has a pattern, and it's a good one when your SO becomes your SO and you don't want anyone to know... o.

"Mmhmm"

See? Master of the HUM.

"I hear you have Citizens Academy today." "I do. Do you have any tips?"

She trusts him completely, and I love that he immediately rattles off information to help her. At this point, he knows exactly what she needs to hear, and what will be useful to her.

Also, Tim's disdain for screenwriters is strong. Or someone in the writer's room is really tired of unsolicited screenplays in their inbox.

"So... um, what are you doing tonight." "Nothing... I hope."

Ooooh, Velvet Voiced Tim is back! Eric Winter puts this velvety quality into Tim's voice when he's in boyfriend-mode, and it's so bloody delicious.

I did VO for over 20 years, so I get SUPER excited about these little shifts in performance. Immediately, we know what he means. Yowza.

"Nothing sounds perfect."

Okay, I have to be upfront and honest, here. My original prediction was that they would not have sex for the first time off-screen and that they would not have sex this episode.

But when this scene dropped as a promo (and I love that they did widescreen with wings when it was too awkward for the crop), I second-guessed myself. Did they... do it off-screen!?

No. Now, I firmly believe, no. But this scene had me going for a minute!

Narratively, it makes more sense to drag it out. Yes, I know that in real life some people sleep with one another the moment they meet. But I believe for these characters in this moment... it makes sense to take their time.

But when I first heard they were doing "nothing" and they'd also done "nothing" the night before with only the morning to make up a cover story... I questioned my choices hard.

And now my mind's in the gutter.

Okay, readjusting. Let's get back to Tim's beautiful smirk as he watches his woman depart. "I hate to see you go, but I love to watch you leave", anyone? Our kitten is smitten.

Lucy On A Mission

Lucy works at the computer, lost in thought and using that big brain and compassionate heart of hers.

Aaron slides up, completely unaware of what's on her computer. He's ready to spill the tea, and the tea is standing right beside him.

"You'll never guess who's coaching Little League." "Nolan?" "No. Sergeant Friendly."

I love the glare Tim gives Aaron. Because it's his damn fault. But I also love Aaron poking fun at Tim. Their dynamic's been a lot of fun to watch this season.

"Whu- How did that happen? Can I watch?"

Ma'am. This is a PRECINCT. Please pick your panties up off the floor and resume normal operating function.

I mean, wow, Lucy! There was some heat in that question and Aaron is right there!

Lucy Materializes Out of Thin Air

I had to watch it twice to pinpoint where the hell she came from at the ball park. So, my initial surprise was akin to Tim's.

"Hey." Hi."

How. Is. This. HOT!? They're just saying "hi" and it's so charged with electricity the baseball field lights are about to turn themselves on. There is absolutely zero chill with these two since they started dating, let's be real.

"Um... who are you?" "What?" "I... the... a lot of heart? They're kind of a mess." "They're kids. It's supposed to be fun." "Yeah..."

I hear that edge in his voice on that line.

It's the same edge that gets into his voice anytime he discusses anything remotely connected to his father or childhood. So many of his choices are informed by the scars he still bears—physical and emotional.

Tim walks away, a little frustrated, because he can see Lucy doesn't get it. To be fair, he isn't explaining it. He's not communicating with her at all here.

But, also to be fair, he's never sought counseling or therapy for what he survived. There's a lot bottled up and it can be hard to pour it out in digestible bits if you've never learned how.

Genny fills in the gaps. That's all Lucy needs to process where Tim is and what he's going through.

I grew up with a lot of yelling, name-calling, and verbal and emotional abuse. Manipulation. Control.

One of my greatest joys is breaking those cycles with my own children—giving them a better childhood.

Tim watched the anger and the volatile nature of the last coaching situation here. He remembers his own father. He wants different for these kids, even if they aren't his own.

"He's trying not to be like him." "Yeah."

Lucy deflates a little, here. It was only silly puffery meant to tease, but now she gets it. Now she sees where this comes from, and she feels a little guilty. Of course, she didn't know, but now she does.

*Tim thumbs ups a kid dropping a ball* "Well, I mean, there is such a thing as over-correcting."

Here's where Lucy knowing Tim so well comes in. She doesn't try to talk to him about it. She doesn't try to tell him what to do.

Instead, she gets in there to help course-correct so Tim can keep being supportive, and she'll provide the structure so he doesn't have to have the anxiety of in any way resembling his father.

This is such a demonstration of love, to me. She knows he's not ready to deal with all of this. There will be a day—perhaps when his father dies—that he'll start to process through everything that happened. But, in the meantime, she'll help him through.

This is where Tim and Lucy live, now. It's a "we". It's an "us". It's something neither of them has ever had to this degree, before, even though Tim was married once-upon-a-time.

Lucy and Tim are a team, now, and this episode highlights why—they complement each other. They balance each other. They sharpen each other.

And in this way, Tim's very fortunate to be falling in love with someone with a pysch degree who can understand what's needed. She's the ideal partner to help with this because she knows him enough, now, not to push. But she also knows enough to provide a safe space for when he is ready to discuss.

"What are you doing?"

You never know what your girl is gonna do, do you, Tim?

To note, the last time he asked her this was when he was in the hospital recovering from spinal surgery. She was supporting him, then, too. She has a knack for it. (and I think the time before that was when he caught her putting boots in his locker... she also has a knack for pranks, of course)

"My name is Lucy. I am Coach Bradford's... friend."

Look. At. Tim's. FACE. Look at that bemused smile when she asserts she is his "friend". There was a time when he wouldn't even have accepted that moniker.

It wasn't until they were discussing her love life in the shop during the last 30 days of her training that she said, "we're friends" and instead of refuting it, he simply made a face.

And I love that she remains his friend even as they're transitioning into everything else. I often tell my children that my husband is my best friend—and I mean it. Nobody supports me like Matthew, lifts me up like Matthew, understands my trauma like Matthew, and makes me laugh like Matthew.

I love every layer of that man. And he loves every layer of me. And friendship goes a long way to getting to that point, I think.

Lucy rattles off instructions for how to throw a ball while Tim side-eye-fucks her and thinks of other things she can do with her hands as she's acting out the motions.

Come on, I'm not wrong here, people! Look at his face and tell me there aren't a few things happening in his mind that are not baseball-related but might involve running some bases.

Lucy disperses the kids, and Tim fires off a "You heard her" which is the Chenford Coaching Team equivalent of "Listen to your mother!"

He looks her up and down and smiles deliciously at Lucy, activating her praise kink in a delightful motion of her head.

Yes, Lucy Chen absolutely has a praise kink. And there's nothing wrong with that! But I love how Melissa O'Neil has been consistent with that little head swish Lucy does.

We've seen her do it throughout the years ("Maybe one day she'll be as good as you" comes to mind), and it never stopped. It only morphed.

Look at it at Lopez's wedding when he compliments her (in his way) and then asks her for a dance. Praise Kink Activated.

She does it at the end of 5x08 as we wait to fade to black, and there's a softer version of it when she's basking in Tim's adoration at the end of their first scene of 5x09 in the Watch Commander's office. Girl's got it bad for Tim Bradford.

He offers her the ball... but no he didn't. And I'm giggling like Lucy last episode because he's such a teenager around her, sometimes.

I've heard the expression all my life, "Love makes you young". I often think of Patrick Stewart wearing the Elf Song Hat while his wife recorded him (Google it... you'll die laughing).

With Tim, I feel like it resets him to before all the hurt and heartache in his love-life with Isabelle. He can be... free. Flirty. Fun.

But, seriously, Tim's the one who is going to get them found out for sure. Because, you know who had a front row seat to that eye-fuckery? Genny, that's who.

Y'ain't fooling anyone, Timothy.

"I think you two should co-coach. You were great together." "Oh, no, no. I'm ready to hand over the reins, entirely." "Not a chance."

I've thought about the layers in this little interaction quite a bit. Genny sees something here—whether it's the romance, the layered friendship, or the true partnership they've developed over the years.

But I feel like Tim's dealing with some self-doubt, here, and Lucy catches onto that.

I have a husband who deals with self-doubt. He's an incredible human, but I can tell when he's leaning into that and when I need to pull him back out and remind him how awesome he is.

I get that feeling here with Tim and Lucy. Maybe I'm projecting. But, I feel like he's saying, "She's better than me" and she's saying "No way, no how". Because he's not bad at this. Yes, he over-corrected a bit, but kids do need the support he offered. And Lucy brought the structure. They're better together.

I mean, just look at the way they're cleaning up together. Lucy's handing the bats to Tim and Tim's putting them away. They're doing it instinctively because helping one another and working together is completely natural, by now.

It's not something they have to discuss or consider—it's instinctual.

I've seen this in nature, before. A client of mine (yes, same client from last Meta) flew me out to Los Angeles a few times for work. I stayed with him and his wife, and I got to watch them work in the kitchen together.

After decades and decades of it being the two of them together, with no kids or anyone else in the way... it was like watching a dance.

That's Tim and Lucy. They move together rhythmically and naturally. May it be so in all aspects of their life—but I'm skipping to another episode that hasn't aired, yet, now!

"No, but seriously! I saw today why you work so well together."

And, Tim, poor, sweet Tim, opens his mouth. Tim can't get words out, and one look from his wife, and he knows to shut that mouth.

"We spend so much time together on, out on the job. It's so great that Tyler has been making friends so quickly after moving here."

Anyone else thinking Lucy's UC school was solely so she could cover up for her and her not-so-secretive secret boyfriend? Because, hello, it keeps coming in handy!

This is classic redirection. I use it with my children all the time. Just this morning my 5-year-old daughter was having an unusually hard time saying goodbye to go to school. Usually, she walks in without a glance back. Today, it was CLING city.

So, I went through the room until we finally finally found something to get her mind off of me so I could slip away.

Lucy's doing the same thing. She's pointing at something else in Genny's life to let that thought of "Tim and Lucy" slip away. It gives Genny something more personal to her to focus on, and shifts the conversation gently.

"We'll make sure he gets the best seat in the house."

Just thirty seconds ago, Tim was trying to get out of co-coaching, and they were both deflecting why they're great together, but now we're back to "we". Heck, we never left "we" for Tim and Lucy. They're a unit, now.

"What's wrong?" "There's something going on with my Domestic." "You want me to come? "No, it's okay. I got it."

Oh, how far we've come. In the past, if Tim said, "What's wrong?" to Lucy, it was surprising that he was taking interest. But, this is his girlfriend, and he knows her well. He looks to her phone for a clue as she approaches.

Then, he offers his help. This isn't TO Tim who wants to make sure his Boot doesn't mess things up. This isn't Sergeant Tim who is going to be backup for Officer Chen. This is Boyfriend Tim willing to be there for his woman, but asking what she wants because he knows she's more than capable of handling herself.

That's what hits me the hardest about this—he knows she's got it, but he's there if she wants him.

And I think that's why her "No" and the head-tilt comes off as intimately as it does... Lucy knows what Tim's offering and why. It's love he's demonstrating and she's sending a "message received" with that look.

And Tim's little "okay" downturn of his lip at the end of the clip even shows how he's not worried a bit. But he was going to offer. And I bloody love that.

Tim and Lucy and Wesley

I love this scene. It's so small and seemingly insignificant plot-wise, but it's the heart of the story, here. Okay, I'm tearing up a little.

PAUSE: TW Abuse CW Abuse

I don't want to give details, but I have people in my life who have been where these women are in the story. So, to me, I don't see the characters. I see my cousin. I see my friend. I see the girl when I was in college who was murdered by her boyfriend in the dorm.

In the case of the plot, this scene isn't necessary. But in terms of the context, it adds so bloody much. It's the message. It's the truth of what happens all too often. Gabby Petito is a recent case that made national headlines, but this happens all over, every day.

And what can we do? What options are there? How can we help? There is some heavy stuff in this episode. But, it's important for us to listen and learn.

END TW Abuse CW Abuse

I love that Tim has Lucy's back, here. She could have done this alone, but I bet she asked him along for his experience and for the weight of his strips in the discussion.

And I ADORE Shawn Ashmore (the sharp-eyed twin, as I've always thought of him), and there's something so irreverent about him sitting in that suit atop the desk that made me giggle a little the first time I saw it.

"Him and Bailey are just way too nice to be landlords." "Totally." *aggressive head-nodding Tim*

And like the Fool who took the stage immediately after the gruesome murder in the Royal Shakespeare Production of MacBeth (the Scottish play for my theatre siblings), there's the levity we need to help transition to what's next.

It's the rhythm of the scene and script where somehow this writer's room is tasked with heartache and hilarity in the same space. It takes skill to do well, and this scene does it well.

"Okay, hold on, you are a complete badass out on the streets-" *Tim question's wife's opinion aggressively* "Off hours, you're a little...." "Easy target."

Nolan's indignation combined with Celina's face make that moment. But it's all the rhythm of Tim and Lucy that gets us there. Tim and Lucy are still Tim and Lucy.

Lucy wants to try to find the compassionate angle, and Tim's going to tell it like it is.

Chenford Coach a Game

Tim and Lucy have me smiling ear-to-ear for so many reasons in this scene. Look at how sweet he is with the kids, making sure they have a good experience. Look how competitive she is. Miss "I like trophies" is coming out, and it's amazing.

"God, every time!" "Be encouraging." "Good. Good job. Good try." "We're gonna work on that."

Married. So married. Beyond married. This whole interaction is gold. And the matching hats and shirts!? Normally, I wouldn't think Prison Orange would be a good look on a cop, but these two pull it off!

Tim is coaching Lucy as much as he's coaching the kids. I see a little "teacher Tim" in that "Be encouraging", though far gentler than TO Tim. And his face right before he tells her, "We're gonna work on that" has me rolling. That little down-turned mouth cracks me up.

We're getting a sneak peek into their future with this one. And, as usual, Tim and Lucy are balancing one another out.

That's one of the things I really love about them. They're not the same person, like Lucy says his ex was. They're very different people who are on a parallel path and are willing to put in the work to make this work because they're worth it.

"I'm excited." "I know."

AHHHHHHH. I know it's a TINY, tiny thing, but the way that he so effortlessly leans into her, the way he cocks his head as he says, "I know." It's so married.

And I have to call out the camera work, here, and the directing. If we're paying attention, we see Nyla and Angela showing up as Blake goes to bat. From the other angle you might note Blake's father shooting to his feet as Blake's bat connects with the ball.

The director is allowing us to discover the story-line without dumping us in at that shot of Nyla and Angela surrounding Blake's father. And I bloody love it.

James Patterson (pre-ghost writers) took the same approach with his mystery books. If you were really paying attention, you always had the opportunity to discover the answer along with the detective. That was something the ghost writers just always missed.

It's fun to have the chance to be detectives yourself—and this director allowed us that chance.

And, I just looked it up. Robert Bella, again! That explains the composition of Tim and Lucy with the fence during the night scene at the ball-field—having Eric Winter take the two steps up so he'd be framed behind the fence instead of in the gap as Melissa O'Neil steps away for Lucy's call.

Anyway.... back to Blake's Criminal Dad...

I had hoped this was the way the story-line would go (with Blake's father being arrested at the end of the game), but I didn't call Nyla and Angela being involved.

So, that gives two more people front row seats to "Why the Hell are Tim and Lucy Coaching Together if They're Just Friends And Holy Crap Were They About to Kiss on the Sidelines?"

Also love the Genny is up there, and that she's positioned behind Blake's father. I don't know if she did it on purpose to help make him easier to find for Nyla and Angela, but that's my head-canon.

And LOOK at Tim and Lucy cheer Blake on! Married. So married.

Plus, that hi-five. I know we're all talking about what Tim has in his hand. Is it cash? We've seen him bet on things before (including that his Rookie would smoke everyone at firearm re-certification), but did Tim and Lucy bet on the game?

She definitely grabs on after the high five, and we see his fingers wiggling. Is he trying to get out of giving her the money? We might need Eric Winter and Melissa O'Neil to chime in on this one...

I have to say, I am loving domestic Chenford, and watching them find new layers to their relationship. I know a lot of people want snogging every week, but I am a huge fan of dolling it out in smaller dollops, much as the romantic aspects of this relationship have been leading up to "Do you want to go on a date?".

Yes, in real life, some people sleep together the moment they meet. Then, you have me and Matthew, who waited four years and until we were married. Lucy and Tim are somewhere between that, and I think they're doing what's right for these characters in this moment.

And I have to separate Chenford back into Tim and Lucy, for a moment, to acknowledge what might not be seen as "Chenford" to most, but totally is to me... Tim and Lucy had separate story-lines this episode.

Yes, Lucy came together on the baseball story-line. Yes, they converged at parts on the Domestic story-line. But, we got to also see them handle themselves without the other as backup. And I think that's so important for us to see as an audience—Tim and Lucy are still Tim and Lucy. They don't have to be together every second.

Tim was highly organized and communicative as a Sergeant in the shoot-out. We got to see his military-level calm and control on display.

For Lucy, we got to see her compassion, bad-assery, and conflict de-escalation without anyone having to back her up. She's a confident and competent cop.

Together, we love them. But I'm someone who also lovesTim and Lucy as Tim and Lucy—separate from Chenford.

I think it's important for the show to remind us who they are on their own so that we can appreciate them both, and not let "Chenford" become the only story-line for either. Both characters are rich and complex, and deserve the opportunity to shine separate from one another, not only when they share a scene.

PAUSE: CW Abuse TW Abuse

This story-line really broke my heart because I know those women. I've been the one in Lucy's position trying to help before one was nearly strangled to death by her husband. And she stayed... it was rough.

If you are in an unsafe situation, please reach out and get help. Here is the number for the National Domestic Violence Hotline: 800-799-7233

I like to keep these Metas light and frothy, but I'd be remiss if I didn't acknowledge this plot line that isn't a story for two many people in this country and in this world.

Yes, we watch television often for entertainment, but there can be some truth in the messages we receive.

END CW Abuse TW Abuse

As always, thank you for reading and joining me on this ride. I can't wait to see what's next for Tim, Lucy, and Chenford.st

[neoyi]

We've reached a point in our lives where nostalgic bait is at an all-time high. From the thousands of reboots; remakes; and sequels to beloved cult classics from the 80s, 90s, and early 2000s, it is shameful how many of these we have, all varying in terms of quality and almost always with the intent to pocket money off of us peons.

What can I say? We were desperate for anything because we hardly ever got anything back then.

Even the darling favorite of many a fandom back in the mid-2000s, Avatar: The Last Airbender, was hurting for merch back in the days. And Danny Phantom's was practically non-existent. It is astonishing this comic exists, but not at all surprising because now, Nickelodeon knows to cash in on the products that fans have carried a torch for decades later.

I'm sounding really cynical here, I know. And while Ol' Nicky is seeing dollar signs, it is worth noting A Glitch in Time was clearly made with the most utmost love and respect for the show. Gabriela Epstein gave so much of a damn crafting this near 200-page behemoth, covering almost 90% of the hanging plot points the show never got the time to answer and simultaneously wiping off the backwards series finale that left a bad taste in a lot of people's mouth.

Like altogether, this comic explored Danny's story and what his purpose is post-"PP", Vlad's redemption arc, Pariah King's artifacts (and why Vlad was collecting them), and Dark Danny's return, all while working around a plausible narrative that retooled "PP" using time manipulation and newfound lore. And it's amazing how seamless it flows.

This comic isn't just incredible, it's a miracle.

And in spite of all that, the author still had the balls to leave some of the dangling plot threads and character arcs unfinished for a potential sequel hook, as if they knew this comic would sell enough to justify one.

Well, as of this writing, this motherfucker is still the #1 top seller in Amazon's all-age for graphic novels. Fool on me to rely purely on that hell site's sale counts to accurately know how well it did, but I imagine that's pretty damn good. If you had told me years ago anything DP-related beyond lame ass Box Lunch shirts would officially come out of the woodwork, I would have laughed. That the possibility of a second comic book seem plausible would be chuckly-worthy, but now... damn, I think it genuinely could happen.

And I hope it does, because A Glitch in Time still finishes with a couple of snags left to untangle.

The first major incident is the controversial matter of a one Miss Danielle Phantom. Now that Vlad has been given a second chance to raise a child, and do it right this time, what does that mean for Danny's clone? How will she feel knowing Vlad has changed? Or that he has a son? Would he have been a better father by the time she flies back to Amity Park? What has this kid been up to in the few years since "PP?" How would Danielle feel when she reunites with a Vlad that looks to be genuinely trying? Distrustful on his true intention? Angry that this man had the gull to change? Jealous that Dark Danny had Vlad's unconditional love when his fatherly affection is all Danielle ever wanted?

Dani is never mentioned at any point in the comic, with any hints that she still exists the Danny clones lingering in Vlad's secret base. I understand why she wouldn't be relevant for this comic. Dark Danny, for one, is such a huge entity that an entire spotlight dedicated to him and him alone would be worthy of a full graphic novel. But Dani's existence, her dilemma as a lone wanderer with only a distant relationship with Danny, and the unresolved tension between her and Vlad means her story is worthy of a full comic, too.

Now that Vlad is on the path of redemption with promises to be a better person and a father, his relationship with Danielle is going to invite a lot of questions, conflicts, and hurt feelings before it presumably and hopefully treads into happier paths. And Danny is likely gonna be stuck playing the awkward monkey-in-the-middle family member in all this. But damn, the setup is there.

The other Big Huge Plot left is Valerie.

In her last major role prior to this comic, Valerie was confronted with a moral dilemma: will she take the life of a human if said human is a half-ghost? Danny, in desperation, had to confess to Valerie that Dani is a half-ghost, meaning Valerie would have the blood of an actual mortal on her hands should she kill her.

And mind, this was the best Danny could do. We've seen that ghosts in DP are their own species with their own (dead) lives and free will. I'm not sure if Valerie has killed any ghosts or if she's just thermos'ed them back into the Ghost Zone, but her unscrupulous and, by the end of the show, downright brutal nature, seem to imply if she hadn't already murdered any ghosts, then she's more than willing to should the issue arise.

And so we have Val in A Glitch in Time, still doing her ghost hunting thing (her father hasn't been seen since season two, is he okay with her doing this or is she hunting ghosts regardless of any concerns he might have), a job I'm sure she's positively thriving in now that Amity Park is gung-ho for some ghostbustin'.

Indeed, though she's not as prominent as the main trio and Vlad, Valerie gets enough time in the spotlight to meet Dark Danny. In a particularly brilliant callback, she gets a couple of one-on-one battles with Dark Danny, with both the tone and even color scheme echoing so much of what her alternate, older counterpart has countered with Dark Danny from that timeline.

And I'm sure Dark Danny is just thrilled at the deja vu.

The damning part is how Valerie reacts when she realizes Dark Danny is, well, Danny.

Keep in mind, this is post-"Phantom Planet." This is post-Valerie has known Danny Phantom is Fenton. She says this after knowing the town's hero was a fellow student she once liked and dated, and whom she nearly gave up her ghost hunting career for.

Yeah.

This has implication.

Valerie's first reaction to meeting a future Dark Danny is to straight up tell him, "you're evil." Is that how she felt about Danny Fenton after "Phantom Planet?" Did she feel betrayed that the boy she fell for was secretly half-ghost? Did she feel manipulated into saving Dani? Given the exceptional story Gabriela Epstein has expertly crafted, this one piece of dialogue cannot, under any circumstances, be accidental.

Valerie saying this straight up to Danny fuckin' Fenton after everything that has transpired is one of the biggest bomb drops in A Glitch in Time.

The end of the comic implies she remembers the old timeline, meaning she's still aware of Fenton as Phantom. The tragedy of her character is that Valerie has always been strictly one-minded in her goal. Her downright hatred for ghosts and the absolute destruction of Amity Park before Clockwork fixed everything means in her eyes, she has justifiable cause to kill Danny Fenton. The current Danny Fenton. After all, if he is capable of turning into Dark Danny, then why shouldn't she get rid of him before it's too late?

Valerie is also intricately connected to Dani through "D-Stabilized", meaning there could be a way to tie all of these into another Big Damn Comic Book down the line. And while I had problems with how Valerie's dialogue was written in that episode (sounding deviously supervillainy as oppose to her feeling like her actions are justified), having her as the central villain in the next book sounds about right.

I've always been opposed to the idea of Valerie being an outright baddie (as oppose to a just being a dangerous obstacle), but the potential dynamic and high stakes tension for her to be the biggest obstacle to Danny, Dani, and Vlad (since she also knows what the latter is, too) in her pursuit to kill all ghosts and protect her home has nuances and character exploration that I think Gabriela Epstein is more than capable of dissecting.

Whatever the outcome may be, should another DP graphic novel come to light, I, for once in so many, many, many years, look forward to it.

[storiesbyrhi]

Bones and All - Chapter 15: Digestive Tract

Eddie Munson/Reader Series Masterlist

Warnings: canon typical violence/gore, swearing, abusive parents, animal farming/slaughterhouse setting (1 scene only); psychiatric hospital setting (1 scene only); discussion of religion; suicidal ideation/thoughts; murder; mid-level smut; no beta; updated each chapter

Synopsis: A Bones and All AU. What do you hunger for?

Chapter Summary: The aftermath. 3048 words.

A cockroach crawled out from under the vending machine. It scurried aimless patterns around the floor, stopping randomly, its antenna twitching. You had been here before - been lost in the feeling of hopelessness watching a brown little bug crawl across linoleum.

“You might wanna start talking now,” the cop said. He’d said it a few times though and you’d not heeded the warning.

The police station was cold. The wet blood soaked into your clothes was making you shiver, but nobody had offered you a change of wardrobe. They’d not even offered a cup of shitty coffee.

“Who’s the dead guy?”

“Where’s Bert Townsman?”

“What’s with the hair? Whose is it?”

Question after question but you were blinking long and slow, moving slower, not really there at all.

“Where’s your ID?”

“What’s your name?”

Briefly, you glanced at the cop. He had an unremarkable face and as soon as you went back to the cockroach, you’d forgotten it entirely.

…

“Jesus Christ! You couldn’t find a shirt for her to wear?!”

“It’s evidence!”

“Then put it in a fuckin’ evidence bag!”

Hopper’s voice boomed across the precinct. The police weren’t taking too kindly to a small town chief knocking down their door, but he wasn’t taking ‘no’ for an answer.

“Come on, kid,” he said to you, pulling you up by the arm and taking you into the toilets.

You were weak on your feet, but Hopper stood you in front of the sink and turned the water on. He grabbed an excessive amount of paper towels from the holder and piled them next to you.

“I’ll go find a shirt.”

You didn’t want to see your reflection. Too many times you had stood in front of a mirror with blood smeared across your face. So, you used the towels to clean yourself keeping your head low.

Hopper returned quickly, a woman cop in tow. You pulled your t-shirt off and dropped it into the plastic bag ziplock bag she held out, then took the old, oversized Notre Damn hoodie she offered. She’d picked it out of the lost and found.

“Thanks,” Hopper mumbled to her as she left.

“Y/N. What the hell happened?”

“Is he okay?”

“He’s still in surgery. What happened?”

“Is he gonna be okay? What did they say?”

Hopper could hear the desperation in your voice. He knew what it felt like to wait in limbo. He knew what it felt like to lose and grieve. “I don’t know… They haven’t said anything yet… Wayne’s on his way up. He’ll get there soon and give us a call here when they know anything.”

You nodded and took some shaky steps backward. Once against the wall, you slid down to the ground, pulling your legs up to your chest and holding on to yourself.

With his hands on his hips, Hopper sighed, almost wincing at having to watch you. “Look, I know this is hard. But if you don’t say something, they’re gonna start telling the story their way.”

When you looked up at the man, there was something in his eyes that made you wonder what he knew.

After following Hopper out of the bathroom and into an interview room, you gave a poised and clear statement. Sully was someone who gave you a ride when you were hitching. Then, he attacked you in a library in Muncie. Now, he’d stalked you to Notre Dame. No, you didn’t know who he was. No, you didn’t know what the rope made of hair was all about.

You described the way he wielded both a knife and his mouth as weapons. How he was like a wild animal, biting and ripping in some inhuman and ungodly way. It was all so very overwhelming and downright terrifying, you said.

“And what about Bert? Why have you been living in his place?”

In the first few days you and Eddie had taken Bert’s apartment and job, you laid the breadcrumbs out. Just in case. Wove a narrative about him taking off after some shady deals at a poker table. It was in character and the students you or Eddie told about it entirely brought it. In theory, a cop should be a more critical consumer of information, but as you told the story to the one sitting opposite you, he seemed to accept it.

“We found the deceased’s car a couple blocks down from the apartment,” he said as he closed his notebook and pushed away from the table a little.

The tone had shifted; you’d become a victim in his eyes.

“There’s a lot of stuff in there of interest… Might lead to more questions for you. Don’t go too far,”

“She’ll be coming back to Hawkins,” Hopper asserted before you could answer.

“No, I want to see Eddie,”

“Yeah, after that. Come on. Let’s go.”

…

The number of machines surrounding Eddie’s bed was upsetting. There were a lot of upsetting things happening all at once. As soon as you walked into the room, Wayne stood from where he was holding vigil at Eddie’s bedside.

“I’m sorry!” you started to cry to him. “I’m so sorry!”

Wayne caught you in a hug. “Hey. Hey. Calm down. Nothing to be sorry for,”

“But he-he-”

“I know. Hop filled me in. Eddie’s always been protective of family. He loves you, kid. He protected you. Don’t be sorry for him loving you.”

Wayne held you, rocked you on the spot, something you realised Eddie must have learnt from him. After giving you a moment, he let go and told you to go sit with Eddie while he spoke to Hopper outside.

In the hospital hallway, Hopper told Wayne that the cops believed your version of events. Some of the cops first on scene reported that some of Eddie wounds were more akin to a dog attack than knife, but there was no proof of that now. Sully’s identity would be discovered and he would be recorded as the perpetrator of one count of break and entering, two counts of assault with the intent to cause harm, and one final count of causing grievous bodily harm.

“Nothing they can do about it, now he’s dead. If Eddie makes-” Hopper stopped mid-sentence to correct himself. “When Eddie makes it out the woods, he can file as a victim of crime though. Might be entitled to a pay out,” Hopper told Wayne. “But if he wants that, then Y/N might need to provide some legal identification… And maybe things get dragged up that none of you want,”

“I hear ya, Hop. Government ain’t parting with any money if they don’t have it,”

“Yeah… I know they were trying to make a life up here, but it might be best for them to come home to Hawkins. Let things settle. Then try again somewhere else.”

Hopper looked at you through the open doorway one last time before leaving. He didn’t know what he didn’t know, but he was sure Wayne and Eddie were inherently good. That was enough for him.

Wayne came back into the room and pulled a chair up on the other side of Eddie’s bed.

You’d not moved, only placed your hand over Eddie’s and stared at his peaceful face. Listened to the beeping of the heart monitor, and the pump and whoosh of the ventilator.

“You’re like him, aren’t you?” Wayne asked, voice quiet.

Too tired to think, you just nodded.

“And the man?”

A nod.

Wayne didn’t know what Eddie was. Human, he was sure. He was there when Eddie was born. But something else too. He could make people disappear. That’s as far as his knowledge extended.

“You two have anything to do with Ted Wheeler going missing?” Wayne asked then.

The question caught you off guard, you looked over at the man wide-eyed. Your reaction alone gave you away. Wayne made a sad sort of face and looked down.

“It wasn’t Eddie. It was me. It was an accident. I-I didn’t pick him out or anything. Um. Wrong place, wrong time. I didn’t mean to. I don’t do… do that. I’m not like that. Eddie’s not like that.”

Wayne nodded once, still looking into his lap. “Ted Wheeler always was a bit of an asshole.”

…

They kept Eddie in a medically induced coma for four days. Although they’d been able to stitch him together, he was so fragile. His organs needed time to come back from the swelling, and his lungs were weak.

You and Wayne took turns being at the hospital. One of you would be there, while the other took the truck and got some sleep.

Max, Dustin, and all the others came to visit. Some brought meals for you and Wayne from their mothers. Some brought little tokens of their love for Eddie, leaving DnD figurines and guitar picks on the bedside table.

It was a Thursday morning when Eddie’s primary doctor made the call. “The scans show that the sutures have sat well. Most of the internal swelling has gone down enough to see there’s no major causes of concern at this point. And the skin graphs aren’t showing any signs of rejection,”

“That’s all good,” you said hopefully.

“Yes, it is, but he still needs to be able to breathe on his own. So, today we’re taking him off the ventilator this afternoon to see how he’ll do,”

“But he should be fine. Nothing says he shouldn’t be able to breathe,” Wayne clarified.

The doctor nodded. “I’d be surprised if he can’t, but then again, a wound that… messy… A lot needed to be improvised in the E.R. Hiccups along the road to recovery are to be expected.”

The day ticked by at an agonising snail’s pace. Each time you went for a walk, you’d return in ten minutes thinking you’d killed an hour. Wayne smoked his way through almost an entire carton. Finally, at 3:00 pm, the doctor returned.

…

Three Weeks Later

Everything was quiet. No music. No television. Even Forest Hills seemed uncharacteristically placid, so much so that you had to keep checking out the windows to make sure it was still there. And, it was. Your neighbour was out hanging her washing on the line. There were kids riding their bikes down the road. You even caught Wayne just as he was leaving for work.

As he came down the front step of the Munson trailer, he glanced over at where the small pull-along caravan his work friend loaned him was situated. He smiled at the sight of you looking wistfully out the window. You waved back when he raised his hand.

Eddie needed more than a fold out bed to recover in, but he refused to take his uncles in the trailer. The caravan was offered; a good solution that was working out well, even if it was only a little bit bigger than living out of a car.

You moved away from the window and went back to where you were making chicken soup. The monotony of stirring caught you in a trance, letting your mind go blank for a few beautiful seconds.

“Let me guess… Soup.”

Spinning on the spot, you grinned. “Hi,”

“Hi, baby.”

Eddie was sitting up in bed. You walked to him and inspected his torso. The skin graphs were healing well. He’d be a patchwork of scars, but he’d live.

“I know you’re hungry, but it’s too risky,” you told him.

Eddie nodded. “I know. Just feels like I’d be getting stronger faster if I wasn’t stuck on a liquid diet,”

“Hey! I made toasties yesterday! ... Look, I’m on it, okay. But we got through this because we were smart before. We gotta keep being smart.”

As well as crafting the story of runaway Bert and the legitimate reason for you and Eddie being in his apartment, you sorted through all the possessions you’d both accumulated during your time on the road. Anything that was… borrowed… from someone you ate was burned. It had felt good, really. Cowboy Cook’s hat. Steve’s wallet. Necklaces and books.

There was nothing left but proof of two semi-nomadic kids from small town America looking to start a life together.

“I know, I know. Sorry. I like your soups. I swear.”

You snorted and shook your head at him. “Get up and go sit. We’ll eat.”

The pull-along caravan’s layout was functional. Upon entering, immediately to the right was a dining booth. The table in the center could pop down to create a flat surface for a second single bed, but you and Eddie left it up. Along the far wall was the smallest kitchenette, the left side top corner cut off by a toilet/shower wet room. You couldn’t use the shower at the same time as each other, Eddie barely fitting in there alone. The lefthand side wall was occupied by part of the wet room, and then the double bed, which ran longways all the way up to the door.

When you slid into the booth opposite Eddie, putting two bowls down as you went, he grinned at you. The meal was void of conversation, but it wasn’t uncomfortable. You finished first, and watched as Eddie slowly taught himself how to exist with one less finger.

Sully had bitten it clean off. It was in your statement and Eddie’s. The finger was in Sully’s digestive tract, found during the autopsy.

You considered the empty space between Eddie’s left hand little and middle finger. Was it a bad omen that the place a wedding ring should sit was gone? Had he thought of that too?

There had not been a lot of discussion about Notre Dame. You thought about it all the time. It replayed vividly on a loop behind your eyes. Not Sully. Not the knife or the rope of hair. No, not that. It was the image of you lowering your mouth to Eddie and eating. It was the knowledge that you’d consumed part of him. That you knew what Eddie tasted like. That he was a part of you in that brutal and intimate way forever. That it left the dynamic between you so uneven.

Eddie finished his soup and looked up. Your gaze was fixed on his hand. He wriggled his fingers at you, bringing you out of your heavy thoughts.

“Lucky it wasn’t my right hand,” he said. You just nodded, smiled softly. “Can I ask you something?”

Figuring it was something small, maybe inconsequential, you nodded again.

“Why didn’t you do it?”

“Do what?” you replied.

“You know… Finish the job.”

You studied Eddie’s expression, lost for a moment until – “You mean eat you?! What the fuck, Eddie?”

“Wait, no, listen… I don’t mean ‘I wish you did,’ I mean… How did you stop yourself?”

Grabbing your empty bowl and his, you left the booth and dumped the dishes in the sink loudly. He’d hit a nerve; what the nerve was attached to, you weren’t sure.

Eddie stood but didn’t need to follow you. The caravan was small enough that there was no place to hide. “I mean, I don’t know if I could have,”

“Eddie, I don’t want to talk about it,”

“Why?”

“I just… I just don’t, okay?”

Eddie’s gaze burned through you, but he let it go, waving his hand dismissively and moving to get back in bed. For the rest of the night, he tried to figure you out.

…

The caravan windows were covered in condensation when Eddie woke. He drew shapes into it like a child with a magic slate toy. While he worked and listened to your sleeping sounds, he wondered how he had tasted to you. What did it feel like to eat someone willing? Someone who loved you? Who you loved? What was it like to have him as part of you?

It occurred to Eddie that he was jealous of something you seemed to be all fucked up about.

Eddie burrowed back under the covers with you, pulling you closer to him. You stirred, making little grumbling sounds that caused butterflies to unfurl from cocoons in Eddie’s belly. He pressed his forehead to yours, then pushed kisses against your lips.

“I love you,” he whispered into your mouth.

You lifted your leg to hoist over Eddie’s frame, and he held you in place. Burying your face in his neck, you kissed and sucked little bruises into his flesh. His fingers roamed, explored, eventually finding their way below the elastic of your underwear.

“Do you love me?” he asked. You nodded, lifting your head to meet his gaze. “Do you trust me? ‘Cause I can fix this. For you. For us.”

Eddie watched your eyebrows pull together in confusion; you were searching his face for ideas. He kissed you again, and again, and again.

“You need it to be even, right?” His voice was low, and the pain and ecstasy of him knowing you and understanding you caused you to hide your face back in the crook of his head. You nodded though. “Yeah? That’s okay. That’s okay, baby. ‘Cause I… I need to know what you know. I wanna… Taste… Need you to be part of me too.”

There was a very precise meaning to Eddie’s words and you did not misinterpret them.

He still had one hand in your underwear, slowly and gently teasing you. With his other, he found your left hand and brought it to his mouth, kissing each fingertip lightly.

“We can be the same,” he breathed out.

Tears started to roll down your cheeks as you whimpered and nodded. It felt like you were drowning. He had you pinned in every way. Mind. Body. Soul.

Eddie nudged your head up with the tip of his nose so you could watch. Your eyes grew wide and unblinking. He folded all your fingers down bar the ring finger. Again, he kissed the tip of it, then sucked it into his mouth and closed his eyes.

You took a deep breath in and held it steady. Grinding your hips into Eddie’s hand hard, you listened as Eddie’s teeth crunched through tendon and bone, watched as blood spilled out from between his lips and began to soak into the bed. Finally, you were happy.

End Note: Well, that's it folks! I would LOVE to hear your thoughts, especially if you've seen/read the originals. Thank you for coming on this cannibalistic journey of love and identity and belonging. It's been fun.

Fic Taglist: @azydrateanatomy @pussy-drunk @mrsdollardog @akiratoro420 @thatsbunnysmind

Eddie Taglist: @solomons-finest-rum @ruinedbythehobbit @munsonlives @sweetpeapod @depressooo-expressooo-blog @thorfemmes @hawkins-high @corrodedhawkins @grungegrrrl @lilzabob @mymoonisalways-in-scorpio @averagemisfit03 @ches-86 @ilovecupcakesandtea @onehotgreasymechanic @hazydespair @lacrymosa-24 @mel-the-fangirl

[luckyduck0]

❀𝗉𝖺𝗂𝗇𝗍𝖾𝖽 𝗁𝗒𝖺𝖼𝗂𝗇𝗍𝗁𝗌❀

Was Sandy panicking the entire drive to some random location on Giggle Maps? Perhaps. Was she also fully aware that she had what could possibly be her dead friend and a criminal in the back of her van? Perhance.

But whose to know, right? It’s not like her leg was bouncing from anxiety the whole ride, neither were her palms sweaty live a damn river. No way.

“Ya good?” Nyxx asked, peering out from the back seat.

Nervously laughing, Sandy readjusted her grip on the wheel. “Hah! That is— that’s is a great question, man! I don’t know! Haha, where are we going again?”

“EDEN Academy, they have a medical wing with some of the best doctors in the world. They’ll be able to help Xen.” Nyxx reassured, as he had a few times since the start of the drive.

“Right, right..” Sandy replied, nodding her head, trying to get her eye to stop twitching. “A-anyway, on that note, how exactly do you know Xen?”

Sandy knew the answer, or part of it, at least. She still hadn’t let go of her initial skepticism of him, considering the whole idea of being saved by the same person you served coffee was really interesting coincidence. Now would be the perfect time to figure out just why he helped Xen, and why exactly he’s helping now.

Not that Sandy didn’t appreciate it. She can’t even imagine what might’ve happened had he and that other lady not shown up, but she was allowed to have mixed feelings!

He seemed to contemplate the question. “Well, about a week ago, I kind of saved her from a mutant thing? Then I took her to the hospital and gave her my number in case of an emergency.”

Even with her mind running a mile a minute, Sandy could still tell Nyxx was on edge. That was probably the best she was gonna get out of him for the moment.

“Got it. So, do you know why might be happening to her? Like, why she exploded into weird green fire or whatever?”

“I’m not sure.. I haven’t seen anything like this before. But if I had to guess, this was probably the result of some failed experiment. Though, you’re guess is as good as mine at the moment.” Nyxx shook his head, looking down to where Xen laid, still.

Sandy kept her eyes back on the road, they were getting close to the academy. Picking up the speed, she swore when something came flying at her side mirror.

Cracking the glass and throwing the van off balance, Sandy yelled as she tried to regain control of the vehicle.

“Fuck! What the hell was that?!” The girl panicked, swiveling her head this way and that.

“Eyes on the road! I’ll take care of it, just focus on getting us to the academy!” Nyxx commanded, throwing open the back doors.

Groaning, Sandy concentrated on the task at hand. She heard an inhuman shriek from atop the van, as well as many thumps and bangs. Well, at least she wasn’t fighting it. Sparing a glance at Xen, she saw her limp on the floor of the van, barely moving. The thinnest of shadows held her in place, which must be because Nyxx was fighting.

“Dammit Xen, please be okay.” Sandy mumbled to herself, concern and anxiety almost consuming her.

Thankfully, what seemed like a very flashy government building appeared in front of her. Overcome with relief, Sandy forgot about traffic laws and sped toward the parking lot.

Swinging into a spot sharply, Sandy put the van in park and hopped out. Above her, Nyxx threw what appeared like a weird bird creature to the ground. It spit up some acid stuff, part of it hitting the van, melting a hole right through.

“Ah! My van! My beautiful van!” Sandy shouted in horror, turning to the thing. “You motherfucker! Do you know how much that costed me?! I’ll bash your brains in you damn disgusting bastard!”

Nyxx turned her, a bit surprised at her profanity. He watched as the girl pulled a bat out of nowhere and started beating the thing to hell. Sandy, however, didn’t really care. The bird thing tried to fight back, but she kicked it’s talon away and smashed the bat against its face.

“That’s what ya get, shit-face.” Sandy smirked, wiping the purple blood from her clothes.

She swiftly turned to Nyxx, who only blinked.

“The hell are ya doin’? Go get Xen some help!”

Widening his eyes, Nyxx nodded and quickly headed to the van, wrapping Xen up in shadows again. He lifted her with ease and sped-walk into the building. Sandy followed close behind, closing the doors of her van and wiping some brain mush off her bat.

“Gideon!” Nyxx shouted as he walked in. “Call Tsubaki! We need help, now!”

A robotic voice spoke back, sounding more like choppy text-to-speech than an actual voice.

“Of course, Nyxx.”

Sandy stared at the ceiling in awe, wondering just what the hell was going on. Nyxx began walking faster, and Sandy struggled to keep up.

“How the hell..are you so fast?” Sandy panted, running had never been her favorite activity.

“Keep up.” He said, his eyes looking straight ahead.

Sandy frowned, but kept pace. She didn’t know what to make of Nyxx, or anything right now. But her best friend was in danger, so she decided to at least trust him enough to help Xen.

—

The doors to the medical slid open automatically, and Nyxx paid nobody any kind as he rushed to the operating room.

Kicking the doors open, he was greeted by the scene of Tsubaki and Stein standing in the room, prepping their supplies.

“What’s the situation?” Tsubaki questioned, pulling on her white gloves.

“I think it might be an infection of some kind. Her body was set on fire as well, but it doesn’t seem to have actually burned her.” Nyxx told, burning holes at the operating table.

“Right. Set her down, please.” The woman said, gesturing to the table. “And remove the shadows.”

He obeyed, pulling back his ability and ignoring the slight drop of his heart when he saw Xen fully. She was covered in slashes, all of them dripping with blood. Every cut also had some green looking veins inching out.

“Holy shit..” Xen’s friend, who Nyxx had forgotten about, whispered. Her face was a canvas of pain, anger, and fear. “I-is she gonna be okay? She’s gonna be okay, right?”

She looked to him, her eyes glassy and tired.

“We’ll do everything we can.” Tsubaki assured, turning to her. “Nyxx, you should both go. You know my process requires complete focus.”

“Right,” He nodded, glancing to Stein who was already leaving. “You, come on.”

Nyxx gently grabbed the girl’s arm, but she ripped it away.

“What the hell?! No fucking way! I’m not leaving Xen here with some random lady! And my name is Sandy!” The girl, Sandy, shouted.

Her shoulders were tense and her eyes were blazing with anger. Before she can have another outburst, Tsubaki comes over, grabbing her attention.

“Listen, child, I know this is difficult, but you need to leave. If you want your friend, Xen? To get better, you need to let me do my job.”

Sandy stared at her, seemingly trying to decipher if there were any lies behind Tsubaki’s words. Deciding, Sandy shrugged off the other’s hands and looked away.

“Fine. But if anything happens, I’ll put all of you in the hospital instead. Understand?” Sandy threatened, deadly serious.

And, from personal experience, Nyxx really didn’t doubt her words.

“Of course. Now, out.” Tsubaki turned away, heading toward the table once more.

Nyxx followed Sandy out, shutting the doors behind him.

For about an hour, all the two could do was sit in the lobby. Waiting.

Sandy’s leg bounced and she chewed her thumbnail. Her eyes were trained on the wall opposite of her, and Nyxx could fully relate.

The unease in his mind hadn’t settled since he got there, and it was all he could do to not rip everything apart. Nyxx wasn’t sure why this was bothering him so much, he barely knew anything about Xen. But it was anyway, and he hated it. The shadows he commanded creeped around in his head, and he couldn’t control it once they started whispering.

Your fault, as usual.

How is it that one person can be so useless?

She was counting on you…

Worthless…

Once the voices started, they didn’t stop. And of course, it had to be now. When he was stuck, nobody there to shut them up. Had Ada or Red been present, they would’ve noticed immediately. They’re ways of snapping him out of it were drastically different, however. Where Red would have isolated him and calmed him down, Ada would’ve just punched him.

That conjured a better feeling, making the voices dissipate some.

It was about now that he realized someone was talking.

“..yxx? Nyxx? Hello?” The snap of fingers in his face brought him out of his haze.

He blinked rapidly, staring at the person in front of him. Sandy stood there, looking unimpressed.

“Takin’ a nap, huh?” Sandy scoffs, rolling her eyes. “Whatever.”

Slumping down into her chair, Nyxx realized just how exhausted Sandy looked. Her hair was ragged, her clothes were torn and ripped, and entire body was tense. Then, he noticed how much blood was actually covering her. And not just purple Ghoul blood.

“You’re hurt.”

“No shit, ya just figure that one out?” She arched a brow, looking at him from the corner of her eye.

He huffed, somewhat annoyed with her attitude. “You need help. Come on.” He stood up, gesturing for her to follow.

“Hell no. I’m fine and I’m staying here.” Sandy glared.

Staring, Nyxx simply picked her up and carried her to the other side of the clinic.

“What the fuck?! Put me down! Dammit Nyxx! The hell are you doin?!” She yelled, twisting around in his arm.

“Helping you.”

“Oh fuck off! Let me go!”

“Nope.”

“Nyxx!”

He arrived at the infirmary in seconds, and was greeted by the younger two of Tsubaki’s students.

“Good evening, Mr. Nyxx! How are you?” Yuki, a young girl with lavender hair, asked.

“I’m fine, she isn’t though.” He stated, pointing to Sandy, who resembled more of a dog with rabies than a human.

“Oh dear, what’s wrong?” Mio, another young girl with dark green hair and icy blue eyes, fretted.

Mio and Yuki were the youngest of the Butterfly Ladies, but they were very skilled in medicine and healing.

“She’s got a bunch of cuts and is bleeding somewhere, I believe. She’s also had a rough day, so please be gentle and patient with her.” Nyxx voiced flatly.

“Understood!” They both said in unison, standing hip-to-hip in front of him.

Slowly, he dropped Sandy from her place tucked under his arm and settled her on the floor.

“Let them help you, okay? Stress isn’t good for the body.”

Reluctantly accepting, she shot Nyxx a look before complying. “Shut up.”

Mio grabbed one of Sandy’s hands, and Yuki patted her on the back. Nyxx was surprised to see the previously rabid girl calm down, the tension in her shoulders visibly easing.

“Don’t worry Miss! We’ll take good care of you! Right Yuki?” Mio smiled, looking up at the girl.

“Yep! And you can count on us, Nyxx!” Yuki turned to him, giving a thumbs up.

He nodded, turning around and heading out of the automatic doors. With that, he was once again alone with his thoughts.

Not for long, thankfully. As soon as he reached the lobby, he spotted Dr. Stein sitting in a chair.

“Mister Stein, hello.” Nyxx awkwardly greeted.

“Heya, doin well, Nyxx?” He asked, the many stitches across his face moving as his mouth did.

“Yes sir, do you need something?”

“No, no. Just checking. You seemed really panicked when you arrived earlier, so I figured I’d check on ya. I know how your powers like to mess with your head sometimes so..” Stein explained, standing up and shoving his hands in his pockets.

“I’m okay, sir. Thanks though.” Nyxx replied, looking away.

Stein hummed, tucking a stray piece of black hair behind his ear. “Listen, kid, I don’t know why you’re so worried, but, keeping everything inside isn’t good. You know that. So, consider talking to someone, yeah? Ada or Red would do, even if Ada isn’t the best at feelings, she’d listen. Anyway, point is, talk about your feelings. Got it?”

“Yes sir.” Nyxx nodded, brushing off pretty much everything Stein said.

It didn’t matter what he did, if anyone, Red would just beat his feeling out of him. And, Red is the only person who’d actually understand. Ada would just lecture him, again.

The creak of a door opening drew Nyxx’s attention. Tsubaki came out of the room, looking a bit fatigued.

“Are you alright?” Nyxx worried, holding out a hand to steady her.

“I’m fine, Nyxx, that just took a bit more out of me than normal.”

“What’s the diagnosis?” Stein asked lazily.

Tsubaki inhaled, then began to speak. “Well, to sum it up, it seems she had some kind of ability-powered infection. It spread across her body quickly, and acted like electricity and gasoline. I assume that’s what set he body aflame, though I’m not sure why it didn’t just kill her.” Tsubaki explained, holding a hand to her chin, thinking. “I’ll have to run some tests, but for now, my power has done an excellent job at keeping her stable. She’s resting now.”

Nyxx sighed, relieved. Xen was okay. She was fine. No need to worry.

“You should get some rest, Nyxx. You’ve been pushing yourself rather hard these last couple of days, go eat something and then sleep.” Tsubaki insisted, placing a hand on his shoulder.

“No, I’m fine, really. I can stay—” Nyxx reassured, but was cut-off by the older woman.

“I’m sorry, that must’ve sounded like a suggestion. Nyxx, go eat something, take a bath, and sleep. Now. Doctor’s orders.” She smiled threateningly.

Gulping, Nyxx nodded and headed to the dorms. He may be on edge, but that was better than disobeying Tsubaki.

So, with much reluctance, Nyxx forced himself to do everything she ordered. Though his mind was strictly on Xen.

Was she really okay? Was she awake? Did she need something? Maybe he should go grab Sandy and tell her the news?

All these thoughts swarmed his head as he went along, finally reaching the bed of his dorm. Laying down, he stared at the ceiling. One of the tapestrys Ada had gifted him hung above, decorated in moon cycles and flowers. That was enough to get him to sleep, especially when his pet came in and began to snuggle.

Chimera, which was basically the same as it’s name, had the head of a lion (plus some horns), back feet of a goat, and a snake for a tail. As well as some fleshy wings that reminded Nyxx of a dragon. The little guy found a place against Nyxx’s chest, and immediately started snoring.

Nyxx huffed a laugh, pulling Chimera closer, then shutting his eyes.

—

When she woke up, Xen was instantly bothered by the amount of light on her face. Grumbling, her brows scrunched up and she squeezed her eyes closed.

“Sorry, is the sunlight bothering you?” A voice that sounded like honey asked.

Xen only nodded, not really capable of making her vocal cords work. She heard footsteps cross the room, and then the sound of curtains being pulled.

“Is that better?” The voice asked again.

Warily opening her eyes and blinking, Xen was the met with the sight of a rather comfy looking hospital room. And also, a very, very gorgeous woman.

Her black hair was tied into a bun, with two long pieces falling out and framing her face. Her eyes were a dazzling purple, and she wore a pink lab coat over a dark uniform.

Xen was in awe, just how could anybody be so beautiful?

“Pardon? Are you okay?” The woman asked again, closing her eyes with a perfect smile.

Xen nodded harshly, which spiked an intense headache. Holding her head, Xen once again heard footsteps and some clinking of objects. Then, the woman was sat on her bed.

“Here, drink this, it’s for migraines and headaches. It should make you feel much better.” She offered a cup of what seemed like pink lemonade.

She took it, drinking it carefully. It tasted like spring, and Xen wasn’t even joking.

“Good, right? I call is the Sakura Cure, named after my sister. From my own experience, taking medicine is a bit of a challenge, so I figured, why not find a way to make it enjoyable?” The woman shared, placing the cup on a across the room. “Then, I discovered that with the right sequence, I could mix flowers into the medication! That made it much easier, and I could rely less on my ability.”

Xen listened as the woman explained, not understanding a word of it but listening anyway. Ability? Flower medicine? Cool.

She decided that whatever had happened was probably fine, seeing as this lady wasn’t concerned in the slightest. But, curiosity suddenly stormed in and forced Xen to use her voice.

“What’s your name?” She asked, her tone garbled.

The woman looked to her, a bit shocked. “Ah, apologies. My name is Tsubaki, I’m the head doctor here.”

“Great, uh, where is here?”

Tsubaki chuckled, holding a hand to her mouth. “You’re at EDEN Academy, darling. We specialize in ridding the world of monsters, or, Ghouls, as we classify them.”

Xen stared in confusion, but ultimately decided on getting answers when her brain was working.

“Okay…” She slid back against the pillows, sleep overcoming her senses.

“Hm, yes, do get some rest. I’ll have Nanami bring you something to eat.”

Xen just nodded, not noticing any of changes in her body.

Like her hair, for example, which was a much brighter shade of green compared to the almost black color it was before. Her eyes were green as well, with only her pupils being dark. She also missed how much strength she gained, but she wouldn’t realize that for little while anyway.

—

HOLY SHIT THAT WAS CRAZY

Anyway, please enjoy, and stay hydrated. Don’t be like Sandy and not do the bare minimum of taking care of yourself!!

Also, ANOTHA ONE FOR MY FRIENDS @3xen and @skeletonsk1

IM WORKIN LIKE A DOG YALL

[averagewriter-inthedark]

Endgame III 🔥 | Dark Phoenix Series P.5

Takes place during the second act of Avengers: Endgame

Read parts 1-4 here -> Series Masterlist | Marvel Masterlist

Characters & Pairings: Dr. Evelyn Alice Stark (OC)/The Eagle/Host of the Phoenix Force, Wanda Maximoff/The Scarlet Witch (platonic), Doctor Stephen Strange (slight romance), Bucky Barnes/The Winter Soldier (implied slight), Tony Stark (platonic/nephew), Howard Stark (Platonic/brother), Steve Rogers (platonic/best friend)—a lot of the marvel characters will be involved in this series since it take place during phase 3 & 4.

Content Warnings: light angst, fighting, profanity, blood. Slight canon divergence | Female OC (she/her) | Wc: 4k +

Premise: Reunited after seven years, Evelyn Stark & Steve Rogers have a lot to catch up on. For starters there’s the topic of Eve’s state, then the potential time heist which could bring half the universe back.

——————————————————

“Are you okay?” Was the first question Steve asked Eve the moment they sat down at her dining room table. She prepared some tea and brought over a tray with sugar, honey, milk, and a few cookies on a plate.

She gave him a choked laugh, “I could be better, but I’m alive.” He thanked her as she handed him a mug. Now that it was Eve in her own body, Steve could see the drastic changes in her features. Not only was the hair an obvious change, but her complexion was slightly paler compared to her tan the last he saw her. Her cheekbones were more pronounced and her eyes were an amber shade instead of deep brown. Eve still looked beautiful, but Steve could see the sadness in her.

The clinking of the spoon stirring her tea filled the silent void. Bringing the mug to her lips, Eve took a sip after saying, “I’m fine, Steve. You can stop worrying.”

‘Oh right,’ he thought with a sigh, ‘she can read minds now.’ Her chuckle confirmed he was right. Steve shifted in his seat, “That’s gonna take some time getting used to.”

“Believe me,” she takes a bite of a cookie, “I’m still getting used to it.”

“What exactly happened, Eve? When you woke up?” Tony hadn’t said much to him, and Nat explained the best she could. But Steve wanted to know first hand from Eve and how it’s affected her the past five years.

He then remembered what the entity had told him, ‘I see what Evelyn sees. I hear what she hears. I feel what she feels.’ If it’s true, then it meant the entity was watching the conversation unfold through Eve’s eyes. It sent chills throughout Steve at the thought of being watched.

“Well,” Eve began after taking another sip of tea. “I assume you can imagine the feeling of waking up after being unconscious for an entire month to find out half the universe was erased and you probably should’ve been dead.” She gave a shrug, “Add on the fact there was a voice in my head calling out to me, plus I could hear everyone else’s voice despite their mouths not moving.”

Natasha’s words from earlier filled his mind, “she just kept saying, ‘it’s in my head. Get out of my head.’ Then lights exploded and the monitors went crazy. I’d never seen anything like it.”

Eve continued, “Then the pressure in my head became too much and I knocked out again. When I woke up—the next day, thankfully—Tony was loading the car saying we were gonna go someplace quiet.” There was a sense of longing in her tone when she goes on to say, “Him, Pep, and Morgan are the only ones I’ve interacted with face-to-face the past five years. Sometimes I’ll see Happy—or even Rhodey, but I haven’t been to the city since twenty-eighteen. The one time I did….” She trailed off, bringing a hand to her mouth when she shuddered. Steve could see the pain in her expression as she thought back to the memory. “It was too overwhelming. So many voices—it was like chaos in my head.”

For about ten minutes, Steve listened intently to Eve as she recalled the following months after Thanos. It hurt him to hear how isolated she felt, not being in full control of her own body, and dealing with the loss of her friends like everyone else.

“You’ve found something,” she says once she finishes. “A way to reverse it?” Steve didn’t even question her, he was already thinking about it.

“It’s a working theory,” he replies, finishing his tea and placing the mug on the tray. “Tony doesn’t think it’s possible. Says it will only make things worse.”

“He’s right to feel that way. Tell me more about it.” Steve proceeds to give Eve all the information he, Scott, and Nat had gathered. First he goes on to talk about Scott’s journey in the quantum realm. Then it shifts to the theory of going back before Thanos to get the stones and ends with Tony’s argument from earlier in the day.

“I get that he’s scared, Eve. I am too,” he leans forward, connecting his eyes with hers. “But this is a chance we gotta take. We can go back and undo this.”

Eve stays silent, glancing at the bottom of her empty mug. “When you mess with time, it can mess with you back. You know that, don’t you?” Of course Steve knew. Everything came with a risk.

“I know, but that’s a risk I’m willing to take.”

They continue to discuss theories and possibilities for the next half hour. At one point Nat texted him, ‘you still alive in there?’ To which Steve replied with a thumbs up emoji.

They were finishing off their second cup of tea when Eve said, “I’ll talk to Tony, but I can’t guarantee he will give in. Although…” she pauses to light a cigarette with a lighter Steve was sure was from the 40s. The action surprised Steve since the last time he saw Eve smoke was 1944, just before she found out she was pregnant. Getting a closer look at the lighter, Steve was pretty sure it was the same one she had. Or just one she found that closely resembled it. When she offered him one Steve politely declined.

The woman took a deep inhale before letting the smoke release, putting the tin she kept the cigarettes in a drawer beside her. “Considering you went to him first and put the idea in his head, he’s probably already working on something.”

Steve tries to ignore the feeling swirling in him. He didn’t want to get his hopes up just yet. “And you think it will be enough for him to help?”

Eve takes another drag, “If Tony can guarantee that going back in time will not affect the present, then it will be. Believe it or not, he feels just as much guilt as you and I. It may look like he’s doing good—married with a daughter and living in the countryside. But whenever I visit I always catch him looking at the photo of him and Peter. The guilt is there and the hope an opportunity will emerge.” Eve pauses again to finish the cigarette before putting the bud in the ashtray. “Tony will do what he can if it means saving the kid and keeping his own.”

Steve nods, confident Eve could get through to Tony. Then the question popped in his head, “What about you? Will you help us?”

She scoffs, giving him a look of ‘do you really have to ask?’ Eve gets up to retrieve two glasses and a bottle of whiskey. “I’m not one hundred percent confident things will go as planned,” she pours an inch of liquid into each glass, “because quite frankly it’s never that way for us. But if this is our only chance to bring everyone back,” she locks her eyes with Steve as she slides over the glass, “then I’ll do whatever it takes.”

Clinking the glasses, the soldier keeps her gaze as he repeats with determination, “Whatever it takes.”

Saying their goodbyes, Eve walks Steve out where she is greeted by Natasha and Scott. The two women embrace, exchanging a few words and promising to catch up at a later time. Scott shakes her hand, flinching slightly by how warm it was despite the cold breeze they were having. Eve nods to him, “it’s nice to see you again, Scott.”

Once said and done, Eve turns to Steve to say, “I’ll talk to Tony tonight. I recommend finding the others in the meantime.” The two hug, promising to keep in touch. Steve leads the others away and they wave to Eve while getting in the car. She returns the gesture, watching them pull off her driveway and onto the road before heading back inside.

“Finally,” a voice sighed, causing Eve to jump back at the sudden sound. “I thought they would never leave.”

The woman rolled her eyes, moving to her office to begin constructing blueprints and potential theories of traveling the quantum realm. “Tell me right now, can we pull this off?”

“Not feeling confident in your friends, are you?” There was an amused chuckle which angered Eve. “Oh, calm down, Evelyn. Would it kill you to laugh every once in a while.”

“Geez, I don’t know,” she replied sarcastically, practically slamming a notebook on the desk. “I haven’t had a reason to laugh in five years—not since my mind and body have been taken over by a cosmic entity!” The silence that followed was unnerving. It’s never been so quiet for Eve with the constand looming presence of the entity—the only time being when she’s pushed to the dark void.

“I’m going to give you a moment,” it replied, unfazed by her reaction. “Because I can feel the excessive amount of stress and anxiety you have over this situation with the stones. It’s suffocating, Evelyn. So to put you at some peace of mind, I do believe it is possible to accomplish this ‘time heist’ your friends are working on.”

It did give her some peace—or at least a speckle of it. “Fantastic,” her tone implied she wasn’t so sure. And not to mention, the entity could tell she was lying.

“Have more faith, Evelyn.”

“I'll have more faith when half the universe is back,” she grumbled, rolling out a large piece of sketch paper. Eve poured an array of colored pens, pencils, and markers onto the desk, some falling to the floor. “Onto another matter,” she then said, taking a pencil to start sketching. “Why didn’t you tell Steve your name?”

Eve could’ve sworn she felt them roll their eyes. “It’s not really a name as I’ve said before. More like a title—something a few civilizations coined.”

��And you’re keeping it to yourself because?” She drew out curiously.

“Why not, Evelyn? Keeps the mystery, doesn’t it. I quite frankly enjoy others not knowing. Although I do believe Thor is aware—he’s got the most knowledge of me out of all your friends.”

The woman huffed, rolling her eyes once more and continuing to focus on the blueprints in front of her. “Whatever floats your boat—or wings, P.”

Later that night, Eve let herself in Tony & Pepper’s home after he texted her saying they needed to talk. On her way out she had replied, ‘yeah, I was thinking the same.’ It was a peaceful night with the sun having set by the time she reached the house, deciding to take the almost 30 minute walk around the lake instead of driving. Eve was in need of clearing her head—as best as one could with a cosmic entity constantly pestering it, and walking during the late evenings was the cure for it.

“Tony?” She called out gently, not wanting to wake Morgan if she were already asleep. The lamp in the corner of the living room was on, as were a few candles scattered around. There was no sign of anyone from where she should see

“In here,” he replied from the opposite end of the living room, close to his office. Closing the door, Eve removed her jacket before hanging it on the rack and moving further into the house until she finally reached Tony. He was leaning against the wall with his gaze firmly set on the table. When her eyes landed on the projection shown, Eve felt a tightness in her chest.

“Is that what I think it is?” Footsteps echoed from her boots, Eve stopping just before the model. It was almost like an oval shape with an endless loop, similar to a rollercoaster. Tony still hadn’t answered her. Although, the woman already figured what the model represented. Eve brought her hand up, glancing at Tony, “May I?”

When the man nodded, Eve slowly spun the model so it faced her rather than viewing it from the side. Here she was able to clearly read all that was in the image. A small smile lifted from the corner of her mouth, “I thought it would take more convincing on my end, but you never fail to amaze me, Tony.”

There was a low chuckle from her nephew, “I guess all it took was a little push.”

She watched him push off the wall to pour two small glasses of whiskey from his small corner bar. Accepting the glass, Eve nudges her head toward the stairwell, “from Pepper?” They clinked the glasses and each took a sip of the burning liquid. “Or Steve? Cause I sure as hell haven’t said anything. Yet.”

“A little of each I suppose,” he replied with a sigh, moving to take a seat in his chair. Eve placed herself in the one next to him. Tony takes another sip and Eve notices the linger of sadness in his eyes. “I was just thinking. About the kid, you know.” She nods, understanding where he was coming from. “

“It wasn't fair,” Eve thinks aloud, looking back at the model with a newfound hope. “It wasn’t fair for any of them.” Her thoughts drift to her friends. A memory of Eve playing poker with Sam and Steve while Vision and Wanda looked on. Then there was Peter’s bright smile when he watched her work with awe. Finally, a bar in 1943 where Eve could be seen pouring shots on the opposite side of the bar with Steve and a young Sergeant Barnes.

A light pressure could be felt in the back of her head causing Eve to close her eyes. As much as she tried to ignore the feeling of her 24/7 companion, Eve could never avoid it.

“I know,” Tony’s voice cut her from her thoughts. When she looked back at him, Eve let her gaze draw over his features. Crinkles and grey hair took over after years of stress and being the hardworking man he was. Having to chase a toddler around also took credit. Then there was the looming feeling of guilt which can easily wear a person down. Tony had lost a lot of weight after Titan, but managed to gain it back over the years with the help of friends and family.

The resemblance to Howard was uncanny. In the beginning when Eve first woke up from the ice, she would avoid Tony’s gaze at all costs. It took months before she could even look him in the eyes without wanting to cry because all it did was bring her pain. Pain and grief over the loss of her life and loved ones. A part of Eve died the day she woke up.

A part she could never revive.

“How confident are you in this?” A gentle tilt of the head toward the model had Tony look back at her with mock offense. It made her smirk.

“Are you doubting me now, Evie?” She scoffed at him, taking another sip of the liquor. He pointed a finger before she could answer, “Actually don’t answer that. I already know.” He was referring to pretty much every major conflict they’ve had in the last decade.

“Don’t get me wrong, Tony, there’s been moments. But you always prevail.” She sees him smile at that. Fiddling with her now empty glass, Eve looks to the floor. “You already know what I’m gonna say.”

He nods, placing his own glass on the nightstand beside the chair. “Cap got to you?” The accusation results in a glare. “What did he think of your little friend?”

“Concerned,” she replies with a sigh. “As expected. He tried to keep his thoughts quiet, but of course I heard everything. There’s a bit of distrust—not to me, per say.” Eve then hears a sarcastic laugh in her mind. ‘Typical.’

Eve returns the subject back to the matter at hand. “Time travel, Tony. Who would’ve thought? Howard and I used to talk about the possibilities when we were kids. It was one of his goals to one day figure out the key to unlocking it.” A small smile made its way on her lips at the memory. She turns her eyes to Tony. “He’d be proud of you.”

Not used to the praise, especially by family members, a light blush coats Tony’s cheeks and he brushes it off. “Eh, he would’ve done it first if he were here. But I’ll take the credit where it’s due.”

Eve shook her head while chuckling. Then became serious, “We should go tomorrow. They’ll be at the compround and I wouldn’t put it past them to figure out something with what little they have. We don’t need them to get trapped in the quantum realm if we’re gonna need all the help we can get.”

“Yeah, yeah,” he shrugged, knowing she was right. There was still a lingering doubt. The thought of losing everything he had by going back to fix everything He thought back to his earlier conversation with Pepper before saying, “It’s just too big of a risk.”

Eve gave a knowing smile, “We’re superheroes, Tony. This life, regardless of how careful we are, comes with a risk. We all accepted that when we took on the role.” For Eve and Steve the oath dawned on them in 1943. Now 80 years later, the oath still stands.

Silence fills the room as Tony stays deep in his thoughts. The decision had already been made, but the man still had his worries. Eve had them too, there was no doubt about it. Every mission, every endgame, there was always the fear of the worst. The ‘what if.’ Focusing so much on the bad ‘what ifs’ cost them a lot. Neither wanted to make the same mistake.

Suddenly, Tony rose from his seat and began compiling the data together. “While I work on this, there’s something in the garage you may wanna take a look at. I figured you would clean it up better than me.” This caused her to raise her brow. He waved a hand to dismiss her, “Just go, I’ve got this sorted out.”

“Okay,” she muttered, putting the glass next to his before departing. Eve grabbed a water bottle on her way through the kitchen to get to Tony’s large garage. Which could also be described as his makeshift workshop. Flicking the lights on, Eve took in the scene before her. The cars were parked in the driveway giving more space to the area. Some of Morgan’s toys were scattered along one side while Tony had an array of supplies and materials on the opposite end.

There, leaning against the wall and almost hidden by stacks of boxes, was a familiar object made of the strongest metal on Earth. A tightness filled Eve’s chest. It had been seven years since she last saw the shield. Eve shivered as she remembered the cool Siberian breeze. Blood painted her knuckles and lips. Discarded wings sparking from where they were ripped off laid on the floor. And a gun pointed at her best friend.

She had aimed at his wrist, the man grunting when the pain erupted causing the shield to drop from his grip. It left an echo in its wake, while two super soldiers stared one another down. “Eve,” he pleaded, exhaustion in his tone and blood running down his cheek. For Eve, there were unshed tears brimming her eyes.

“Go,” she ordered, voice wavering as the anger caused her entire body to shake. It shocked Steve she was even saying it. “Go and never come back, Steve Rogers.”

The Captain could see her finger hovering over the trigger. Believing she would shoot him again, Steve lifted off of Tony and went to the shield, but a bullet zoomed past him into the column freezing him in his tracks.

“I didn’t say take the shield,” her tone was cold. The gun was still trained on him and Steve made no move to tempt her. Despite the pain in his heart, no argument followed. No more words had to be spoken for him to understand the message. “I gave you that shield, Steve Rogers. I’m taking it back. And if you ever show your face again, mine will be the last thing you see.” She lowered the gun, but her gaze never faltered. “I hope it was worth it. Because you can never come home again.”

And so Eve took back the symbol of Captain America. But the second she got back home the shield was placed in Tony’s care. She didn’t care what he did with it as long as it was away from her. In all honesty she expected him to melt the metal down to repurpose it.

Thankfully, he didn’t.

Taking it in her hands, the shield was cool against her skin. Her reflection stared back at her against the glare from the light. It was odd for Eve, seeing the red that now painted her hair and drifted into a dark brown.

Using her right hand, Eve removed a thin layer of dust coating the surface. Her eyes trailed over the most obvious feature. The scratch marks left behind from T’Challa.

Now Eve understood what Tony was trying to tell her.

The Avenger brought the shield over to the work table before rummaging through Tony’s tools. Once gathered, she pulled on a mask to protect her face when the bright glow of the blowtorch filled her vision. The Eagle had work to do.

“Somebody peed my pants,” Scott, back to his normal self, announced after going through the quantum realm in their attempt at traveling through time. The man was in a daze.

“Oh, thank God,” Natasha claps a hand to her chest in relief.

“But I don’t know if it was baby me or old me. Or just, me me.

Bruce, now in his hulk-human hybrid glory, throws his arms out in celebration. “Time travel!!” He’s the only one smiling by what he just witnessed. Everyone else just looks at him with disbelief. “What?” He says when Steve puts his hands to his hips and walks away. “I-I see this as an absolute win.”

The cool air hits Steve as he exits the compound's glass doors. All he could do was sigh while his mind processes what just happened. Thankfully, Scott was okay. But they still had a long way to go. Bruce was doing the best he could with what they got, but everyone knew they needed a certain someone to help them.

Speaking of the devil—literally—the sound of a car’s engine had Steve glancing up from the ground. His posture straightened, watching as a speeding Audi drove up the road and turned the corner with a loud screech. Steve didn’t even flinch when the car strolled past him a few inches before reversing and pulling to a stop.

When the window rolled down, he was met with the one and only Tony Stark. Steve’s brows raised, face reading ‘wow, wasn’t expecting that’. “Why the long face? Let me guess, he turned into a baby?”

The frown from Cap couldn’t hide the truth. “Among other things, yeah. What are you doing here?” One look into the passenger seat and he knows Eve is not with Tony. Something in his stomach drops, thinking she backed out on her word. But Eve Stark never breaks a promise. And considering Tony was at the compound, chances are the super soldier was on her way.

“It’s the epr paradox,” Tony opened the car door to exit. “Instead of pushing Lang through time, you might wind up pushing time through Lang. It’s tricky, dangerous, somebody could’ve cautioned you against it.”

“You did,” Steve points out for the both of them. Tony didn’t bother hiding his smug expression.

“Oh, did I? Well thank God I’m here. Regardless, I fixed it.” Wrapped around his hand, just below his knuckles was a device resembling that of a watch. “A fully functioning time-space gps.” Two fingers lift up when Cap smiles at him. “I just want peace. It turns out resentment is corrosive and I hate it.”

“Me too,” Steve agrees. Tony takes a moment to gather his thoughts, remembering Eve’s words from the night before.

“We got a shot at getting these stones, but I gotta tell you my priorities. Bring back what we lost, I hope yes. Keep what I found—I have too. At all costs.” Taking a few steps, Tony stops in front of Steve, “And, maybe not die trying would be nice.”

Steve nods, feeling the hope rise in him. His hand goes out, “Sounds like a deal.” Tony takes it in his firmly, the two shaking to seal it. They shake hands for a good bit before Tony releases. It’s then Steve asks, “Where’s Eve?” The brunette had yet to show and there was no sign of her just yet.

Tony takes a quick glance over his shoulder, “She should be here soon. She needed to fix something up real quick.” A few taps to his watch and there was a blinking red dot in the center. “Looks like she’ll be pulling around the corner in just a sec.” Clinking the lock button on his car, Tony starts making his way inside, “I’ll leave it to you two. I’ll be inside cleaning up whatever mess you guys started.”

Without another word Tony disappears into the compound, leaving Steve standing in his place. A few seconds later, as predicted, a rumble of an engine hit his ears and Steve turned to see a figure on a motorcycle zooming down the road. Unlike Tony, they slowed down when maneuvering around the corners and slowed to stop right behind the Audi. Reddish-brown hair peeked from beneath the helmet, and a brown leather case-like object was strapped to their back.

When the helmet was pulled off, Eve Stark was revealed. “Steve,” she greeted with a smile. Steve mirrored it as he watched her kill the engine before swinging her leg off the bike. “Am I late?” She asked, putting on her sunglasses.

The man couldn’t help but chuckle, going as far as to bring her into a hug. “You’re right on time.” Eve patted his back gently, pulling away so she could remove the case attached to her. He watched with curiously, but recognized the familiar shape.

“I would’ve been here earlier,” she told him, moving it in front of her to unzip the bag. “But I had to do some finishing touches,” Eve revealed the newly refurbished vibranium shield, causing Steve’s eyes to widen. All he could do was stare as she held it out to him.

“Eve, I don’t know.”

“Why?” She tilted her head, brow raising beneath her sunglasses. “We made it for you.” Flipping it over, Eve had a teasing smile. “Between me and you, I think Tony would prefer it out of his garage before Morgan takes it sledding.” Both the soldiers laughed, Steve placing his arm in the holster. Where it belonged.

Eve stepped back, admiring the Captain with a proud look. It felt like they were back in the 40s getting ready for an ops mission with the Howling Commandos. The Captain and the Eagle once again.

Steve lifted his head back to her after taking in the shield. “Thank you, Eve.”

“It’s not just me you’ll have to thank,” she points out. “Also, will you keep that on the downlow? We didn’t bring one for the whole team.” Eve lifts the bag to lay it over the seat before giving Steve a look. “We do have a team, right?”

At this Steve shrugs, not really knowing how to word the group they had. “It’ll be one. Once everyone else arrives. Rocket, Nebula, and Rhodey are on their way. From there Banner and Rocket will go get Thor.” Eve grimaces, familiar with what became of Thor. It pained her to know how hard he took the defeat. Between all the Avengers, Thor lost the most when one stopped to think about it.

“You think he’ll be on board?”

“Let’s hope,” Steve replies, not feeling too confident either. The two make their way into the compound, Steve placing the shield in a safe place and joining up with the others. Hugs were exchanged, kind words spoken, and then it was game time.

They were gonna bring everyone back. After five years when they thought all hope was lost. It was time. And whatever risks and consequences that followed would be worth it.

The Avengers were ready to assemble.

…………………..

Tag List: @todaywasafairytale07, @ohholyaphrodite, @esposadomd, @psychomanias, @mochuchi, @avengersassemblee

[itzynabi]

eve’s glassy era was a mess

an: not even gonna lie i almost forgot about this but then i suddenly remembered whilst washing dishes. hope you enjoy!

eve’s masterlist // fanmade videos

clip one: weekly idol

the chaos started at the beginning of the interview

girly was asked to introduce herself and she okay! with confidence and then…

eve: all in… me? hi, i am eve *confused emoji*

eunhyuk: wait, what happened?

eve: i was waiting for yeji to do the introduction but she wasn't and so i thought that i should do it because whenever yeji isn't with us, i do the introduction, but then i remembered that i'm promoting as a soloist

kwanghee: she's not used to doing solo promotions yet

eve: it feels strange

fast forward to the question answering segment

eve was asked to do the ottoke song and this was her immediately: 😔😐

eve: naega neomu joha ottoke ottoke *screams and covers face* naega neomu ye- i can't do this

the hosts burst out laughing

clip two: vlive

she was in key's apartment in the living room

she's interacting with midzy's, reading comments, doing poses. yk, the usual

and then out of nowhere

key: how many people are watching your vlive?

eve: ummm, 70 000

key: oh gosh!

you hear lots of movement and then see key appear in frame with a "diary entries" album

key: everyone, you must go buy this album, okay? buy it, listen to it, support eve, okay?

eve was just laughing her ass off as key promoted her album

it was giving this moment

clip three: glassy 1st win

she wasn't all there this day

lee know announced the winner and turned to give her the trophy

but eve thought he was asking her to hold the trophy for him and so she shook her head with a smile on her face

and he kept trying to give it to her but she wasn't taking it 😭😭

and then jungwoo had had enough

jungwoo: eve, you won

eve: what?! thank you. this is so unexpected omg

eve: …👁👄👁 i don’t know what to say!

she said a speech that she thought of on the spot

and when it came time to sing ‘glassy’, she delivered vocals ofc

but she was also so in shock that she mostly stayed still the entire encore stage and her backup dancers had to interact with her so she wouldn’t just be 🧍

clip four: mmtg interview

this entire interview was a mess to be honest

like literally, they kept getting side tracked by random things every five seconds and the producer had to constantly keep them on track

funniest moment by far though

eve: i remember on this particular day, pdogg-nim and i were working in the hybe building and then i went to the restroom. you won’t believe who i saw when i came back

jaejae: who was it? 🧐🧐

eve: rm sunbaenim.

jaejae: what?

eve: yes. pdogg-nim was telling him “she worked on this entire part by herself” “she suggested we do this here” stuff like that and i was just standing like “🧍👁👄👁” because i was so starstruck. after a few seconds they noticed me and rm sunbaenim said “hi” and i ran away 😭😭

jaejae: what 😂😂

eve: i was too starstruck!!

clip five: online fancall

fan: unnie, do you have a boyfriend?

eve: no, i don't

fan: you mustn't get a boyfriend

eve: why not? 🤨 i'll get a boyfriend if i want to

fan: don't get a boyfriend so that i can be your girlfriend

eve: shut up 🤭🤭

clip six: glassy mv behind

eve: if you guys didn't know, yeji and lia do the backing vocals for 'between us'

lia: she forced us to

yeji: we didnt want to but we didnt have a choice

oohhh she wanted to beat them up so bad

eve: first of all, i gave you a choice 🙄 and second of all, you were very excited to feature

lia: no we werent 🙂

eve: should i pull up the chats 🤨

yeji: goodbye everyone!! 🏃‍♀️💨

clip seven: fansign

midzy: *gives her a plushie*

eve: 😲

eve: yeji would really like this

midzy: it's for you, noona

eve: but yeji would like this

©️ kim nabi

[sheyshocked]

Baby It’s All Just Chemistry (1/?)

Chapter title: Welcome to the Team

Summary: Months after the RED team assembled and its members started getting used to one another, they receive some shocking news. They are about to get a new teammate soon. While waiting for the rookie to arrive, Scout meets a strange woman outside of the base. Turns out she’s called the Chemist and is the new member of the crew.

While playing a matchmaker for the other members of the team, Chemist finds out that Team Fortress holds many secrets. And she might become one of them if she’s not careful enough.

Fandom: Team Fortress 2

Ship: Scout/Original Female Character (main), Heavy/Medic (minor), RED!Demo/BLU Soldier (minor) - all in later chapters

Warnings: Scout’s unrequited crush on Miss Pauling, Canon-typical violence

Tags: Slice of Life, Humor, Fluff, Canon-Typical Violence, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Tenth Class (Team Fortress 2), Slow Burn, Lesbian Miss Pauling (Team Fortress 2), Unrequited Love (Scout has a crush on Miss Pauling at the beginning), Explicit Language, Scout Doesn't Know Spy Is Scout's Parent (Team Fortress 2), Minor Heavy/Medic (Team Fortress 2), Minor RED Demo/BLU Soldier (Team Fortress 2), Male Pyro (Team Fortress 2) - Freeform, Communism Mentioned

A/N: I thought it would be fun to see a Czechoslovakian character in Team Fortress 2, and I was right. I had an absolute blast writing this.

You can also read it on ao3!

The last few weeks have been good for the RED team. Great, even. They lost only a couple of times. So few in fact Scout could count each loss on fingers of one hand. Life was good for once.

Then they received the news.

It was after yet another successful battle when they gave those BLU chucklenuts what-for and stole their briefcase (all thanks to Scout and his tactical genius of course), that they received a call from Miss Pauling. Scout has been looking forward to this all day. Perhaps she was gonna praise him in front of the entire team! She would say: “Oooh, Scout, how you bashed that BLU Medic’s head in was so sexy. I’m so, so impressed!” Then he would ask her out on a date – no bucket of chicken this time, something classy! – and it would be perfect.

“Good job, team!” Just hearing her voice on the line made him feel all fuzzy inside. He took a deep breath, rehearsing pick-up lines in his head again. All right. Today was the day.

Except it wasn’t.

“Administrator is the most pleased with your performance. Keep up the good work! Oh, and just so you know, you are getting a new team member this weekend, so be sure to give them a nice welcome once they arrive! Pyro – no fireworks this time, all right?”

The man in question mumbled sadly with shoulders slumped like a wet cat, obviously distraught about not being able to enjoy his favorite pastime with Demo and Engie, while a series of whispers erupted from the back side of the lounging room where the rest of the team was enjoying a cup of coffee or a fresh cigarette. Scout had a hard time processing what he just heard. A newbie? But who was it? Did the Administrator think they couldn’t pull their own weight, so they needed aid? Because they did not!

Miss Pauling offered no explanations. Instead, there was a loud gunshot to be heard and she hissed: “Oh, got to go! Please, try to be civil on the weekend. It’s really important. Bye!”

And with that bombshell, she just hung up on them. Scout didn’t even get the opportunity to ask her if she had plans for the weekend. But then again, there was suddenly a lot more pressing issue at hand.

Demo was the first to find his voice after the call. “Did I hear that right? We are getting a new teammate?!”

“Apparently,” Spy replied with a calm and steady voice. The only thing that betrayed his emotions was the haste with which he lit himself another cigarette. Immediately, Scout coughed and waved the smoke away from himself with his hand. Ugh, this had to be his what? Fifth or sixth just this afternoon? How could he even stand smoking so much? Damn addict. “Something’s not right. It took us months to learn ‘ow to cooperate to get where we are now. A new wild card could jeopardize it. So why now? Why not when they were first assembling the team?”

Sniper shrugged. “Don’t know, don’t care, mate. As long as we get paid, it’s not our problem why this bloke is months late.”

“I didn’t expect anything else from you, bushman…”

“Woah, guys, easy now,” Engineer quickly surged in to stop the fight that was about to start. A shame, really. Seeing those two brawl would at least ease Scout’s mind off of things. “I think it’ll be nice having a new face around. Don’t take me wrong, but seeing only you during the week gets old pretty soon.” Pyro, who clung to Engie’s side, mumbled something. It sounded like a whine, and Engineer quickly reassured him: “Not you, firebug. I could never get tired of you.”

Pleased with his answer, Pyro settled down once again. Which was good – Scout knew exactly what happens when their fire-loving maniac gets antsy.

“As long as it’s not some damn hippie. Or worse, a communist,” Soldier barked right next to Scout’s ear, nearly making him go deaf. He used to look at Heavy while mentioning commies. He no longer did.

“Mate, I doubt they would let one of them Reds join in.”

Pyro mumbled something unintelligible, to which Engie replied: “Yes, Pyro, we’re all REDs here. It’s… a different kind of red they are talking about.”

After that, Engineer dusted off his shirt and looked at the rest of them. “Well, off to work, y’all! We should probably clear out that room we’ve been using as a storage closet. You know, the one next to Scout’s. Heavy, help a brother out?”

The giant of a man nodded gruffly, already getting up from his seat while finishing the last bites of his sandwich. “Da. Little man’s gonna need a place to rest his head once he arrives.”

“Great! How about you, Scout? Will you help us?”

Scout huffed with arms crossed over his chest. Of course he’ll give them a helping hand – they are gonna need someone to give them directions after all – but not before having the last say. “Hope they don’t snore or something. If they do, they are gonna have to share with the big guy and his gun over there.”

“Oh, please. Give them a month of ‘aving to share a wall with you and they are gonna plead to be relocated to Monsieur ‘eavy’s quarters anyway.”

“Go to hell, Spy.”

Their bickering was interrupted by Medic clapping his hands with a maniacal grin from ear to ear on his lips. Scout never liked that smile. The last time he flashed his teeth around like that, he got a living bird stuck in his chest cavity for weeks. And the worst thing about it was the constant cooing. Nearly drew him mad.

“You go do that and I’ll prepare the operating theatre for another heart surgery, ja? A fresh new body to experiment on, how exciting!”

Ew, gross! Before Scout could tell him that the “fresh new body” is gonna be their new teammate, Heavy stopped right in front of him, almost causing him to fall on his backside. His annoyed: “Oof, hey, watch out!” got promptly ignored. Instead, Heavy turned to face the Medic.

“Doktor, will you also need some help?”

For a split second, his creepy smile softened into something almost tender. Well, as tender as their healer could get. “Nein, nein, don’t worry about it. I just need to do some extra dusting, that’s all. Go, have fun with the others.”

Heavy nodded. It would be weird to see one without the other, the two of them became nearly inseparable during the first month of their employment. So much so it was almost weird. But who was Scout to judge? And he didn’t have a death wish either to mock them, so he just let them do whatever they were up to.

As long as it had nothing to do with him and some new unethical surgery, they could knock themselves out.

Before they knew it, the weekend came in with a stride. By then, they tidied everything up (the only one who didn’t participate was Spy, of course – he disappeared for the day, probably locking himself up in his smoking room, letting them do all the heavy lifting, that bastard), put new sheets on the never used bed in the room next to Scout’s and were waiting for the new guy to show up.

It was Sunday now and no one still turned up.

The expectation was killing him, so to clear his head up, Scout went for an extra long morning run through the streets of Teufort before the others could wake up. But as he was about to return, he spotted a girl hanging out by the secret entrance of their base. White lab coat, a backpack so huge he thought she might tip over and fall, plus a crate by her legs, eyes squinting at a map in her hands.

Hm. He hasn’t seen her around before, maybe she was new? From what he could tell, she was nothing to write home about, not like Miss Pauling was, but it wasn’t like he was looking for anything deeper than a quick tumble in the bush. His heart was occupied elsewhere, after all.

With a confident stride, he made his way toward her. “Yo, lady! Need a strong tour guide to show you around? I know the best places!”

Up close, he could see that she was tiny. Like, real tiny. At least a head shorter than him. Also young, but probably not younger than he was. And yeah, she was kinda cute. Had a wild tuft of long brown wavy hair that had a ginger gleam to it when hit by the sun. Nothing stellar, but he could work with that.

She gave him a highly unimpressed glance, eyeing him from head to toe before turning back towards her map. “No, thank you. I think I’ll pass.”

Great, now where to… wait, what? He was left staring at her, dumbfounded. Sure, he got rejected more often than not, but he wasn’t expecting it now. He rubbed at the back of his neck, trying to regain his footing.

“Um, you sure? You look lost. I could at least give you directions or something?”

She sighed and folded the map she had been studying, then spared him another glance. Her big dark eyes made him feel like she was looking right into his soul. Creepy.

“Well, I suppose I could use some help,” she spoke with a thick accent. He couldn’t quite place it, but it sounded like a weird mix of Heavy’s and Medic’s. “I’m looking for Reliable Excavation and Demolition company. It should be around here somewhere, but I haven’t found it yet.”

That caught him off guard.

“Wait, wait, wait – why are you looking for RED?” he gaped at her. She didn’t look like a BLU Spy – if this wasn’t some sick joke of his. The only option that remained was… “No way. So YOU are the new mercenary?”

She blinked once, twice, confused more than anything, then gave him a stiff nod. “Yes, that’s me. I take it you know the place?”

“If I know it? Lady, I’ve been employed there for months now!” He outstretched his hand toward her, and she gingerly took it, shaking it before letting go. It wasn’t until now that he noticed her red gloves. Oh. All right. “The name’s Scout, by the way, and I’m a very big deal. Without me, the team would fall apart! I’m the one who tells everyone how to do their job. But don’t worry, I’ll show you the ropes.”

Suddenly, there was mirth in her eyes, which told him she wasn’t taking him entirely seriously. A chuckle left her lips to solidify it. “All right, Scout. My name’s Le… ehm,” she quickly corrected herself. “Chemist. Nice to meet you.”

She turned her eyes away from him to the crate on the ground. Scout would swear he heard something crawling in there. And… did it just wheek? Chemist immediately ducked next to it and gently spoke to the box in a language he couldn’t understand. Oh. So she was crazy too. Great. She would fit in without a problem.

Then she looked up from the ground at him with an apologetic smile on her lips, showing off her slightly crooked teeth. “Could you please show me the way to the base now? The heat is killing me.”

“I mean, yeah, sure! Let’s get you settled. I’ll introduce you to the guys too.”

“Much obliged.”

She picked the crate up and just barely lifted it from the ground, huffing and puffing all the way up. This wouldn’t do. She was only going to break her spine. “Wait. I can carry it for you if you wanna –“

“No, no, it’s fine. I can carry them.”

“Them? What do you mean?”

“My testing guinea pigs!” she flashed him a smile that was a bit strained because of the weight she was carrying. But despite her struggle, she could keep up with him just fine, once he remembered that he was walking with someone and shouldn’t go at his top speed. “I have six of them. Hope I can find them a good accommodation at the base.”

Scout could only shrug. He had no idea what keeping guinea pigs obtained. The only thing even remotely close was Chucklenuts, the squirrel he used to feed at the Boston commons park. Wonder where that little guy went. At any rate, the only other person who talked with so much pride about their pets – or testing subjects – as if they were their kids, while probably meaning to dissect them, was their Medic. They would make a perfect duo.

As they made their way towards the front entrance, Scout chattered about anything and everything that came to mind. Mostly about their coworkers, how difficult it is to carry the entire team on his shoulders, stuff like that. Chemist didn’t look impressed at all – was she even listening? Unfortunately for her, her complete lack of interest made him try even harder to catch her attention, so he was chattier than usual (he did pretty much the same with the other mercenaries too, especially Spy – anything to not go overlooked).

Shame their new coworker had to be such an ice queen.

They found most of the guys in the mess hall having breakfast. The only ones who seemed to be missing were Sniper, who preferred to eat in his camper like the asocial he was, and Medic. Good, good. At least they could get this over with quickly.

Once they entered, all eyes were on them. One could almost hear a pin drop with how the room went quiet all of the sudden.

“Um, hello?” Chemist awkwardly put the crate with guinea pigs down only to wave at their teammates, who eyed her as if she grew a second head. “I’m Chemist. Miss Pauling hired me as the new mercenary. I hope we’ll get along.”

It sounded as if she was rehearsing the part the entire walk here. Her accent got much more prominent when she was nervous too. Scout nudged her with his elbow to help her regain her composure. It didn’t seem to work, but she shot him what he interpreted to be a grateful look regardless.

Finally, he got some sort of reaction that wasn’t filled with disdain!

The first one to regain his composure was Engie. He got up, abandoning his eggs and bacon, and headed over to her with a grin on his face, giving her hand a nice firm shake.

“Howdy, Chemist. The name’s Engineer, or Engie for short. You need anything mechanical fixed, I’m your guy. Oh, and if anyone gives you trouble, you come to me and I’ll solve it for ya, all right?”

Engie’s words baffled Scout a little. Now, who would want to give this pipsqueak a hard time? They were all best friends here and she was one of them now, so why… Somehow, Engineer’s eyes wandered towards him.

Hey, screw you! Sure, I asked her out, but it’s not like I was really interested, ya know? Scout thought with cheeks burning red, but said nothing out loud. He suspected that if Engie knew about that, he would beat him to death with a wrench.

“Bah, stop scaring her!” Demo staggered towards them with a bottle. He too also shook her hand, but way sloppier than Engie did. Then he shoved the flask in her face. “Don’t worry, lass, no one will give ye any trouble! I’m Demoman, by the way. Wanna have a drink?”

The poor soul looked somehow even more concerned. She shot a glance at Scout, then at Engie and the others, as if to ask if this was normal in their line of work. “No, thank you. I can’t drink… how do you call –“ she kept snapping her fingers until finally, she looked up with an overjoyed look on her face – “ah! Spirits! Yes, I can’t drink spirits. It would tamper with my work.”

“Pff, this? This is just wee ole scrumpy! Hardly even proper booze. But I won’t force ye. Come see me any time if ye change yer mind.”

It didn’t look like she would. Her loss. Scout remembered when he was new to the team and Demo took him out for a drink. Hoo boy. He got back to his room on all fours that night! And he still wasn’t sure what happened with that fish.

As he was contemplating that eventful night – from which he didn’t remember all that much –, he didn’t even notice Pyro stalking close, stopping only a few feet from their recruit. Just looking with his head tilted to the side. Chemist seemed baffled by this. Maybe even a little bit creeped out. As she should. She smiled to mask her nervosity and once again raised her hand to wave at him. “Uh, hi? Who are you?”

“It’s all right,” Engie reassured her, but even he sounded tenser than before. It was crucial that Pyro took a liking to her. Otherwise, things could get messy. And without her being loaded into the respawn… “This is Pyro. He doesn’t talk much, but he’s a nice fella. Pyro, this is Chemist. She’s gonna work with us from now on.”

She nodded very slowly. Then, she offered him her hand to shake. “I see. Well, I’m looking forward to working with you, Pyro.”

That would be the first one.

Everyone waited with batted breath for what was going to happen. Pyro just stood there, staring at the outstretched hand. And then, before anyone could react, he lunged.

Scout might have passed out there for a few moments, because the next thing he saw, Pyro wrapped his arms around her in a hug. He nearly knocked her out of balance. Oh, phew! That was close! Toots had no idea how close she was to getting her head chopped off.

Awkward: “Oof!” left her lips and her hands flailed uselessly (she clearly hasn’t expected this outcome, and who could blame her – Pyro was known for being oddly affectionate in his own twisted way, but rarely like this on the first day) before instinct kicked in and they settled on Pyro’s shoulderblades as she returned the uncomfortable hug to her best capabilities.

“Aw, he likes you,” Engie chuckled, clearly relieved himself, but when he noticed the discomfort and confusion on Chemist’s face, he patted Pyro on the back, telling him without words to let go. And he did, albeit reluctantly. He always listened to Engie. “You must excuse him, he’s a bit cuddly, but he means you no harm. Isn’t that right, Pyro?”

Pyro hummed something that sounded vaguely like agreement.

Four down, three more to go. Not counting Snipes and Doc, of course.

She approached Soldier next. It was hard to tell what he thought about with that helmet of his blocking the view, but his posture was rigid and jaw set. He looked more like a drill sarge. Scout wouldn’t be much surprised if he immediately ordered Chemist to give him twenty.

That didn’t happen though. At least not yet. Instead, the poor girl went to shake his hand, only for him to avoid it and salute. Awkward. She quickly corrected her mistake and saluted back, but the harm was already done.

“At ease, private,” he bellowed, “I’m Soldier, and I won’t tolerate any slacking on this team! America depends on us. Am I being clear?”

Pfft. Did he even notice her accent? Scout might not be able to tell exactly where she was from (maybe Minnesota?), but she was clearly not an American. Maybe she wanted to say as much, but before she could open her mouth, Engie shook his head and mouthed: “Just play along.”

So she did.

“Oh, absolutely, Sir! God bless America!”

That was maybe a little bit overboard, but it worked. This display of “patriotism” seemed to placate Soldier, who turned sheepish, a big smirk crossing his face. “That’s the spirit, maggot! Now, what does a chemist do? How do you contribute to the team?”

“Well, we mostly make and sell pills, however…”

“Pills? So you make medicine.”

The girl hesitated a bit. “In theory, yes, but I…”

“You are a nurse then.”

She blinked. And then again. Looked at Soldier as if he was joking, but he wasn’t. She would soon come to realize that what Soldier had in brawn was compensated by his lack of wit. And that was coming from Scout, who was often told that he “fell out of the stupid tree and hit every branch on the way down”.

“What? Oh, no, no, that’s not the same! You see, I have no medical training, I just…”

He patted her on the backpack with so much force that the poor girl nearly fell over. Scout had to catch her and help her back up. “No need to be ashamed of that! We all do what we have to do.”

Once she straightened up, she looked around for someone to explain it to the dimwit. But Demo just shrugged, whispering: “Eh, leave him to it, lass. He’ll catch up, eventually.”

God knows when that’s gonna be. But she obeyed in favor of meeting the last two of their group here – Heavy, still sitting by the table as if to not spook the girl out with his sheer size, and Spy, who stood away from the others, leaning against the wall and watching the whole endeavor. She first stopped by Heavy offering him a handshake just like the rest of them.

Knowing it was polite to stand when shaking hands, the giant reluctantly stood up. The sheer height difference was nearly comical. Standing, she just hardly reached his chest. Yet, she barely even batted an eye. Braver than she looked, that one. Or maybe more foolish.

“Heavy Weapons Guy,” Heavy grumbled as he was about to shake her hand… and it was then she winced and pulled away from him before they could even touch. Her expression changed too, from an anxious smile into a sneer.

“Pleased to meet you,” she gritted out but sounded anything but. No one could understand the sudden change in her demeanor, much less the poor confused Heavy. But neither of them wanted to make a fuss on her first day (perhaps she just gets startled very easily), so they let it slide.

Only one member in the room remained.

Spy put out his cigarette with a smirk on that smug face. Uh oh, that could only mean trouble. Scout instinctively stepped forward to put himself in between them – it was already bad enough that the snake was sleeping with his mother, he didn’t have to add their mutual coworker to his many conquests.

And don’t even get started about him trying to sleep with her first – that was totally different! At least he had no idea she was their new colleague. Oh, and he also wasn’t a few decades her senior.

But before he could make it to them, Spy started speaking in a language Scout has never heard before. It didn’t sound like French, but who knows? “Ten přízvuk poznávám. Čechoslovačka?”

And just like that, Chemist froze. What did that rat say to her?! Had to be something mean to render her speechless like that!

“Vy… vy umíte česky?” she asked, her voice breaking in the middle of the sentence as if she was fighting tears. Now that’s enough! Scout was about to roll up his sleeves and wipe that arrogant smile off of Spy’s ugly face – making a girl cry like this was a new low, even for him – but Engie stopped him before things could get messy.

Spy shrugged. “Trochu.”

That sealed the deal. Chemist abandoned everything, even her precious box of guinea pigs, which she kept eyeing anxiously every so often while making her rounds, and hurried over to Spy’s side. They were suddenly chatting like best buddies in that strange language. She sounded so… happy. Like Spy hung the moon and the stars himself and she was lucky to talk to him.

Scout could only stare at them with mouth wide open (Engie was kind enough to shut it for him). What the hell?! How come that backstabbing traitor always gets all the chicks? Maybe he should ask him for a few pointers on how to win over Miss Pauling. But on second thought, rather not. Who knows what he might want in return? Douchebag.

Soon, Spy rejoined them with Chemist on his arm. She was still grinning at something he said earlier, her pale cheeks rosy pink with color. Scout’s hands balled into fists. “Gentlemen, if you’ll excuse us, I will show Mademoiselle Chemist around, then take ‘er to the Medic’s office.”

“Eh, sure, Doc will want to see her as soon as possible. Welcome to the team, lass.”

She flashed Demo a small but grateful smile, still a bit hesitant around him, and then went to collect her crate. Spy didn’t even offer to carry it, but maybe she already told him not to.

He then asked: “Shall we?” to which she nodded.

As they made their way down the corridor, Scout finally woke up from his stupor and shouted: “Be careful, Miss Chemist! That man is a menace! A womanizer!”

If he had any self-reflection, which he did not, he would think that it was rich coming from him. But in his defense, she didn’t know Spy and how he bragged about banging Scout’s ma whenever he had the opportunity. Surely no girl liked sleazy morons who kiss and tell, right?

Sadly, it seemed like she didn’t hear him. She was busy laughing at another hilarious thing Spy had said.

Soldier shook his head. “Maggots. Still letting children fight their wars.”

For some reason, he looked in Scout’s direction while saying that. He let it slide, though. They were talking about her now, not about him. “Pfft, yeah. And what Spy’s doing? Gross! He could be her father, for Christ’s sake!”

Heavy’s eyes quickly darted to the ground. As did Engie’s, who awkwardly rubbed at the back of his neck, and also Demo’s. Seriously, what was wrong with them today?

Maybe it was because they had a girl on their team now. Yeah, that would make sense. It was… a lot to take in. Not just her presence here – it also meant they would have to fight a BLU chick now. Scout believed his ma raised him right, so he never even thought about hitting a girl before (if she didn’t strike first, of course). He would have to remind himself that out on the battlefield, she wasn’t a girl. She was a mercenary, just like the rest of them.

And she would be out for blood.

“Aaanyway,” Engie stretched his arms, “Administrator mentioned we’d be getting a free week to get used to our new teammate. We should make the most of the time. Take Chemist out on the field and show her the ropes. Once she settles in, of course – does tomorrow work for you?”

They all hummed in agreement. Wooh, an entire week off! Scout was already looking forward to it. And he had to admit, he was also a little bit curious how well would Chemist fare on the battlefield. Being able to make pills didn’t sound like much of fighting ability. Unless she was supposed to replenish medkits faster? Who knows.

They would have to wait to see for themselves.

Translations:

Spy: Ten přízvuk poznávám. Čechoslovačka? – I recognize that accent. Are you Czechoslovakian? Chemist: Vy… vy umíte česky? – You… you can speak Czech? Spy: Trochu. – A little bit.

[allthegoodusernamesaretakenagain]

YEPPPP AMAZING CHAPTER UPDATE AS PER USUAL!!!! Got to spend time with my favourite siblings and it was GREAT. my favourite like the entire chapter was:

“However, there was no denying that Virgil was made of fire, and Daria carried the embers of his hate more than anyone else”

Like THAT just hits. I can’t wait to meet Daria again to see how she’s doing and to read more about her she’s SO INTERESTING. sometimes our biggest fears are realising we’re more like people who raised up than we thought and again I FELT THAT. This was just such a good chapter, I always feel like you add an amazing element of ‘coming of age’ to this story through like the memories. Quentin is growing up in his memories, he’s questioning things like love and religion and watching his siblings leave. Even in the main story he’s still growing and I forgot that Zelda, Link, and Impa are still quite young too.

Like in the last chapter when they jumped into the water that gave me such STRONG coming of age vibes and I loved it!!! I forgot, how old are the main four in your story again? I think I know but I just want to make sure.

Also YES KOVE? HE IS AMAZING? He’s defo gonna be the odd one tho isnt he. I can tell. GREAT CHAPTER AS ALWAYS!!!!!!!!

Always a pleasure Katie!!!

I can’t wait for us to get to Daria again too. You’re right, I think a big fear for many people is seeing the flaws in our parents growing up and hoping we don’t acquire these traits. And unfortunately, we sometimes do. Whether it’s good or bad, they have impact. And Daria is aware of this, she knows she has anger inside of her, always on the verge of snapping and that’s what makes it more tragic. She’s aware, and she’s fighting to not be like him.

And yes!!!! Coming of age is definitely an element of my story. I like to think a big theme of my story is finding yourself and healing.

The main four are still young. So, in my fiction, I’ve altered some ages a bit. Zelda is 17, still young. Impa is 21. I just think for my story, her being any younger than that is questionable, she’s a royal advisor for the princess, I think her being a few years older makes a difference.

Link is 19. When I researched his age for BOTW, I got conflicting results. Sometimes I saw that he was 19, other times I saw he was 17. I wasn’t quite comfortable with him being 17, I think 19 is a good age to demonstrate he’s obviously talented for someone so young, and struggling to balance duty and responsibilities.

Quentin is 18, but on the cusp. He’ll be 19 soon. Because when I started, I was the same age as him and so it felt natural that me and Quentin were both 18. Now I’m 20, and in my head he’s older too but in the story he isn’t. I’m ageing him up soon so it feels more on track with the Quentin in my head.

But yes all babies basically.

[tsukasageorge]

8 10 12 14 16 18 artist ask

nico is carrying my entire inbox

1. what is your favorite color to work with?

pink and purple my beloved. red is cool too

2. who is your favorite character to draw?

(shoves mound of alluka drawings under the table) i do not have a favorite ahaha maybe aubrey because she has long hair 😊😊😊😊😊😊

3. what song(s) do you listen to when you do art?

a lot

4. how often do you draw?

at least every few days. it's pretty rare for me to go more than a week without drawing nowadays but i used to draw much less regularly and improved so much slower

5. digital or traditional?

digital! traditional is nice in small doses. i think im done with normal pencils i prefer either painting or like. charcoal as i recently discovered

6. tag your favorite artists/inspirations!

UH. UH. YOU DO I TAG YOUR ART BLOG OR MAIN. @shitbox-drawn my friend who's not on tumblr but she was my first art mutal ever i love her her names kyoki um. ngl i dont know anyone's name. tiucotheus (i dont wanna tag them i feel like id bother them) & yuumei art. hyperpop type art has been a pretty big inspiration for me recently i love colors

7. do you prefer sketching, outlining, or coloring?

sketching <3 lineart is to me what coloring is to normal people. it's relaxing sometimes but i need 1 million stabilzer. you already know how i feel about coloring

8. show us at least 2-3 drawings from 1-2 years ago.

this is the iconic sibling moment i was talking about. its roughly a year old now, and looks pretty stiff, but it was like. kinda insanely good for my skill at the time. pretty big point in my art history

here's one from 2021, its one of the oldest drawings i have on my computer. gilda was supposed to be there but i couldnt draw her so i gave up

9. what drawing program do you use? (if the artist does digital art)

clip studio paint my beloved

10. are you right or left handed?

right

11. warm or cool colors?

why are we pitting two bad bitches against each other..... personally i like ourple

12. draw one of your favorite characters in 15 seconds.

unlluka

14. what was something that you used to draw a lot that you don’t draw as much anymore?

um. bows i guess? butterfly wings, i really liked drawing those for a bit (i drew like 2 ever)

15. when was the last time you did art?

1 minutes ago if u count unlluka. i did draw earlier today though

16. what kind of tablet do you use? v v 

the wacom one its like. flat. no screen

17. (alternative for traditional art ) ^ ^  do you work with pencils or pens more often?

pencils my beloved

18. how long have you been drawing/ when did you officially “declare” yourself as an artist?

i considered myself an artist when i actually drew something and didn't just shade a picture. i've been drawing for probably like... 4 years now??? that's insane i swear it was 3 yesterday

19. do you like drawing short hair or longer hair more?

LONG HAIR ESPECIALLY THE KIND THAT IS SLIGHTLY WAVY

20. how often do you get art block?

not in my art block era but if i dont have an idea then yeah

21. draw one of your original characters.

not gonna lie i actually dont really like my ocs but anyways this one is nyx they're chaotic silly. remember that royal who randomly disappeared 3 years ago yeah thats them they were hanging out w some dragons this whol time

22. do you use a mac or pc to do (digital) art?

pc

23. draw your fav as a vampire

i will do this as not an ask bc i want to put actual effort into it

24. how many followers do you have? (on your art blog)

like 23 iirc but lets say 24 so it matches with the question number

25. where in your house do you usually do art?

exclusively on my bed but i drew nyx on nicos bed

26. draw urself! (it doesn’t have to be detailed)

same as 23 ive been meaning to make a meet the artist for a while

[360iris]

Wanna Be Down (George Weasley x Reader x Fred Weasley)

Warnings: Pure smut! She/her pronouns for the reader! No funny business between the boys I promise! There’s bound to be some typo that I missed, sorry ‘bout that!

Word count: 1,628

Summary: There’s a birthday, a bunny costume and The Twins... What could go wrong?

A/N: This was originally meant to drop on their birthday, April 1st... I’m 28 days late for that but hey, better late than never! It’s been collecting dust for the entire time and I wanted to set it free. I hope someone enjoys it!

“You want me to- to wear a bunny outfit and have the two of you…” You faltered nervously, the words seemed foreign on your tongue.

“-fuck you in it.” Fred finished for you with a wide grin, as if this was the most in the ordinary activity to plan.

The twins wanted to sleep with you? This was the first you’d heard of it, that’s for sure. And though the thought sent waves of excitement through your body, the prospect was daunting.

You’d been friends since diapers, a meager six hours separating your births. And whether the bond that formed later was predetermined by fate, or by pure chance, it was wholly indestructible.

Through the years, the three of you operated perfectly insync. Remaining quite persistently glued at the hip; completing every task deemed worthy enough as an odd unit.

There was an unspoken rule that each of you would make sure that the others felt equally included in activities.

So why should taking your virginity be any different?

“We’ll be twenty in a few hours, Y/N. Don’t you want to kick off the new decade with a bang?” George asked, his face genuine and voice laced with just the right amount of sweetness. He always did know how to persuade you into going along with Fred’s crazy schemes.

“Quite literally in this instance.” Fred added cheekily and you couldn’t help but roll your eyes.

“Both of you have had sex before though. Plenty of times in fact! You told me about it afterwards! In vivid detail at that! Why are you so worried about me now?” Your brows were furrowed, lips turned downwards in a pout.

Sitting criss-cross on your bed, you tugged one of the many pillows on your bed into your lap. Squeezing it tighter when you met their gazes again.

Fred had his hands tucked into his jean pockets, happy as ever. He acted as if it was only a matter of time before he’d get the answer he wanted.

George on the other hand, at least looked like he was having a conversation with you; and not like he was just waiting for you to realize you’d never actually said no to them before. His eyes were soft, assessing your demeanor before approaching your spot at the foot of the bed.

“You know you’re our favorite girl. Don’t you, Y/N?” He questioned and you suddenly felt smaller looking directly up at him. Ginger waves caressing his cheeks and pooling at his shoulders.

“I mean- I suppose.” You replied dumbly.

“Who do we always come back home to?” He asked again, his left hand lifting up from his side to comb through your hair. The pads of his fingers brushing against your cheek as they went.

“Me.” Your answer was hushed, though it was only the three of you in the flat. They’d closed the shop downstairs hours ago.

“And who trails after me as much as she can during the day, practically jumping into my lap the first opportunity she gets?” His voice was getting lower and his gaze remained fixed to you, you tried your best not to squirm.

“M- Me.”

“Lastly, whose the babygirl that slips into my bed at three in the morning because she stays up too late and gets scared?” He was teasing you now, you knew it, but still gave him a reply.

“Me, George.” Both of his hands were cupping your face now, fingertips laced in your hair, you couldn’t look away even if you wanted to.

“So when I ask my favorite girl to put on the outfit I picked out for her, so I can make her feel good on her birthday, what do you think I want to hear back?” A single brow arched as he waited for your answer, ignoring Fred’s quiet “I helped choose it too, y’know.”

Wrapping your fingers around his wrists, you thought about all the times he and Fred had slept with other girls. How deep down you’d wished they’d looked at you the same way.

He allowed you to remove one of his hands, a dark smirk splitting across his face when you’d slowly brought it between your legs. Only coming to a stop when he was cupping your heat.

“I think- I think I’ve been holding out for you.” It was no higher than a whisper, but it’d been the truth nonetheless. He smiled wider at this confession, leaning in and pressing a light kiss on your forehead.

“All the more reason not to disappoint.” He responded, you faintly registered rustling from behind him.

“Y/N, dear?” Fred called.

“Hm?”

“Time to put the outfit on.”

It’d been relatively easy to slip into the get-up. The bodysuit, wrist cuffs and neck piece fitting like a glove.

“When did you get my measurements?” You asked, looking down at yourself.

“Since when have we not had your measurements?” Fred laughed, pulling you onto the bed with him until your back was flush against his chest. Your head comfortably leaning back on his left shoulder.

George following after you, settled for sitting up in front of you, his knees digging into the pink duvet.

“The ears are a nice touch.” He remarked with a pleased smirk. “Don’t you agree, Fred?”

“Absolutely. All white suits her.” He replied matter-a-factly, hands already roaming your torso. Ghosting over your exposed thighs, he hooked a finger under the bikini line of the bodysuit and let it snap back into place. Your hips jutted outwards at the impact.

“Want to hear you ask for it, Y/N.” George was palming your calves, making you feel small again.

“What do you want me to say?” Your brows furrowed curiously at the request, breath hitching when he utilized his grip to pull you further down Fred’s chest. Your ankles eventually hooking against George’s shoulders.

“Want him to play with your little cunt, don’t you baby?” Fred asked from above you, heat rushing to your face at his words.

“Y- Yeah.”

“Then ask, darling.” He grinned at your eyes widening as you met his gaze upside down.

Turning your attention back to George, you absentmindedly bit at the end your thumb nervously. Sure you’d used curse words like anyone else in the world, but the thought of actually asking the twins to fuck you was on a level you’d never thought you’d reach.

“Georgie?” You tried carefully.

“What is it, baby?” He replied softly, a smile playing on his lips, patiently waiting.

“Want- Want you to make me feel good.”

“How?” He prompted, delighting in your fidgeting. Fred however wasn’t feeling as patient, sending a soft smack to your inner thigh.

“Don’t have all day, bunny.” He chided, slowly massaging the site.

“Want your cock, Georgie.” You finally relented, wanting nothing more than to hide your face in your hands, but you feared being spanked again by Fred. 

George rewarded you with a kiss, palming your clit through the material. He swallowed up every whimper that escaped your lips, only answering by expertly thumbing the area faster. 

“Let’s see how wet you are, bun.” Fred whispered, pulling the bodysuit aside to reveal your heat. Running a finger through your folds, he promptly brought it to your mouth. Smirking widely when you began meekly sucking at the digit.

“I’m gonna get you ready, okay sweetheart?” George asked, mouthing at your neck. He didn’t move until you garbled something close to “okay” through Fred’s fingers sadistically pressing down your throat.

Armed with plenty of lube, the first finger sliding into you felt like nothing. By the third, he resorted to distracting you by rubbing your bud to ease the initial stretch. Although nothing could have prepared you for how uncomfortable taking his tip was.

It was a slow process, full of the boys tenderly guiding you to breathe deeply and relax your muscles. With the abundance of their attention focused on outweighing the discomfort with pleasure, eventually the mild pain began to blur around the edges. 

The level of satisfaction that rolled over you when you’d finally reached the hilt was like no other. 

“Good girl.” Fred purred into your hair as George wiped away a stray tear from the corner of your eye. “Took it like a champ, didn’t she, Georgie boy?”

“Sure did, Fred. Squeezing me so nicely too.” He replied smiling proudly.

“Full- So full.” You whimpered blearily, not sure which boy you were grasping for. Each accepted one of your wandering hands, giving them an encouraging squeeze.

“You’re doing so well, babygirl. How about you let me make you feel good now, hm?” George’s voice was gruff as he patiently waited for you to nod back in response.

Soon the discomfort had melted away, leaving only the easy slide of George’s length and the gratification of being engulfed between the loves of your life. 

You promptly got lost in the jumble of mouths, hands and pleasure. 

“Gonna come for us, love?” George asked, holding your hips done to focus his thrusts. 

“Can I- Can I, please? Please let me come!” You whined desperately, unable to distinguish whose hands belonged to who.

“Go ahead, bunny.” George answered and it was all you needed to hear. Your visioned blurred as your toes curled, the only thing you could register was that he was fucking you through it. Fred’s fingers circling your clit didn’t let up until you were pathetically trying to pull at his wrist.

A weak mewl fell from your lips as George pulled out of you spent. Simpering under his praises, you closed your eyes. 

The sudden smack against your face was sobering, leaving you blurrily blinking up at Fred’s eager grin.

“I hope you didn’t think you were off the clock, bun.”