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deliciousangelfestival · 3 months

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The Lady - 5

Character: Bucky Barnes x Female Reader, Eddie Horniman x Female Reader

Summary: After fifteen years away, a step-daughter returns for her Duke step-father's funeral, only to inherit a staggering 8 million pound debt and strike a risky deal with a criminal underworld figure.

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Chap 1, Chap 2, Chap 3 , Chap 4 , Chap 5 , Chap 6 , -

I'd really appreciate it if anyone who likes this series could leave a comment or reblog with a GIF.

Could you let me know what your thoughts are? Reblogs and comments are the main things that keep me posting new stories. ❤️❤️❤️

"Oh my god. Oh my god. What am I going to do?" You paced back and forth, your mind racing with worry.

Bucky raised an eyebrow, his usual smirk replaced with a concerned frown. "Why are you the one stressed out?" He assured you that you wouldn't have to deal with dirty work.

This was the first time Bucky had seen you lose your composure.

You grabbed his collar, desperation evident in your eyes. "You don't understand, the last person I want to deal with is my stepsister."

Returning home, you realized that if there was an investigation, your job profession could make you a suspect, too.

Trying to calm you down, Bucky suggested, "For the alibi, if anyone asks, just say that you were with me."

You scoffed, feeling frustrated. "Like they're going to believe that I wanted to spend a day with you."

Everyone in your household knew how annoyed you were with Bucky. On numerous occasions, they had heard you complain about him to Cedric, the family lawyer.

You were quiet as you picked up the phone to make a call.

"Y/N?"

The sound of his voice brought a sense of calm over you. "I need your help."

"I'll be there."

A few hours later...

Bucky chimed in with his usual teasing tone. "Ooh, so you choose him over me?"

You rolled your eyes while Eddie checked on you.

Eddie interjected, "Her family will believe me if she spends the night with me."

Your cheeks flushed slightly at his words.

"But there's something missing," Eddie continued.

"What?" you asked.

"They won't believe it if you only say it was a sleepover," Eddie explained.

"What are you trying to say?" you inquired.

Bucky caught on. "Hangover."

Eddie nodded in agreement. "You have to make yourself look hungover. That strengthens your alibi."

"Right," you acknowledged.

Bucky rolled his eyes, realizing that he had suggested the idea first, but you were only listening to Eddie.

"Perfect. I have plenty of alcohol here. What do you want to drink?" Bucky offered.

You replied confidently, "Start with the strongest."

"Yes," Bucky agreed.

After downing three shots of vodka, you started to lose yourself in the night. With the alcohol, the music, and the vibrant atmosphere of Bucky's club, you found yourself enjoying the moment and forgetting about your troubles.

######

As you awakened, the sensation of your stomach churning made you groan. It felt as if your insides had shifted, causing discomfort to spread throughout your body.

Slowly, you managed to sit up, only to discover that you were sprawled atop Eddie, who was still fast asleep and holding you close. Relief washed over you as you realized that both of you were still fully clothed.

However, the memories of the previous night flooded back, each one hitting you with increasing clarity.

"You're awake?"

Your eyes widened at the sound of Bucky's voice. Glancing over, you saw him standing nearby, his shirt rumpled and a distinct lipstick stain marking his lips.

A wave of nausea swept over you, prompting you to grab the nearby champagne bucket and empty its contents in a fit of vomiting.

"Urggh."

Bucky's remark cut through the haze of your discomfort. "Well, that hurts my feelings. You see my face and vomit."

"Urrghh," you groaned, the sickness still plaguing you.

Eddie winced, his hand moving to massage his throbbing head. "What kind of drink did you give us last night, Barnes?"

Bucky shrugged, a mischievous glint in his eye. "It's a new drink I picked up from a celebrity brand."

Eddie chuckled ruefully. "That explains everything."

He rose from his makeshift bed and reached over to pat your shoulder gently. You noticed a faded lipstick stain on his lips, the same color as yours. A blush crept up your cheeks as you realized the implications of the matching marks.

Meanwhile, the incessant ringing of your phone filled the air, causing your head to throb even more.

"Ring, ring."

You cringed, covering your ears to block the sound, but Eddie took the initiative to answer.

"77 missed calls," he informed you.

You grabbed your phone, reluctantly answering the next call.

"Where the hell are you?!!!" your mother's voice pierced through the line.

You sighed. "Mom, don't scream."

"What—? Are you drunk right now? Come home now. Your sister's fiancé died."

You negotiated, "Give me 2 hours."

"One hour."

Turning to the two men beside you, you sought their reassurance. "Do you think they're going to believe me?"

Eddie, suppressing a burp, offered some confidence. "I believe so. You rarely get drunk, and you have a reasonable reason after your fight with Charlotte."

Your eyes widened in surprise. "Wait, how do you know about me and her?"

Bucky yawned lazily. "You spilled the beans last night."

You were shocked.

Bucky leaned back, a smirk playing on his lips as he added, "You spilled your guts about how you missed your stepdad, how your mother missed your birthday for five years straight, and how you had a row with your stepsister."

Eddie chimed in, his expression sympathetic as he confessed, "I did try to stop you."

You sighed heavily, a sinking feeling settling in your stomach. "Oh no."

Bucky, ever the opportunist, concluded, "But it supports your alibi, since half the club heard your sob story."

You couldn't help but huff in frustration, feeling the bile rising in your throat once more. "Great."

Amidst the conversation, Bucky's smirk only widened while Eddie wore a more concerned expression, his brow furrowed in sympathy.

Your body language betrayed your discomfort, with tense shoulders and a hand clutching your churning stomach, while your eyes darted around the room, searching for an escape from the mess you found yourself in.

########

Watching everyone in grief, especially Charlotte, who was sobbing as she watched her fiancé's casket being lowered into the ground. Charles stood beside her, offering what comfort he could.

Susan stood next to you, her voice barely above a whisper, "Give me one thing that would justify your actions."

She sounded grief-stricken seeing Charlotte cry like that, but she seemed oblivious to your own stress.

Wearing sunglasses to hide your red, teary eyes, you replied softly, "He cheated on her."

Susan clenched her fist, her anger palpable. "Good, he deserved it then."

After the funeral, you found yourself face-to-face with Bucky once again. With a roll of your eyes, you couldn't help but remark, "Now I feel like you're the angel of death."

Bucky merely smirked, seemingly unfazed by your comment. "I'm here to meet my client."

Drawing closer to him, you whispered, "You mean the one who ordered the hit on the prince?"

A nod from Bucky confirmed your suspicion, and he subtly gestured towards a woman standing on the fringes of the grieving family.

Your eyes widened in recognition. "Rosie?" Memories of encounters with her during summers spent at Eddie's manor flooded your mind.

Bucky's response was chillingly matter-of-fact. "You know her? Great. She's only paid half. The other half hasn't come through yet."

Your incredulity peaked. "Are you kidding me? Right now?"

You attempted to intervene, but your attention was diverted when you noticed Eddie approaching Rosie.

Bucky's voice cut through the tension with a teasing tone. "Oh-oh. Someone's jealous."

You shot him a glare, cursing inwardly. If even someone like Bucky could pick up on it, then your feelings must be glaringly obvious.

With a dismissive shrug, you replied, "It's just an old crush."

Bucky's smirk widened as he observed your reaction. "Seeing you like this makes me want to tease you more, Your Grace."

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melrodrigo · 1 year

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Tardy, part 7

Tara Carpenter x Fem!Reader

Summary: You guys devise a plan to stop Ghostface once and for all, but some shocking news stops you in your tracks.

Word Count: 2.2k

Warnings: Mentions of violence, fluff, a little angst, my attempt at humor

A/N: Never mind y’all I just got motivation out of no where last night and apparently I can still write! This one’s kinda short…but I hope u like <3

You don't get to planning the demise of a certain wimpy pea faced masked killer as fast as you'd like.

You'd expected Sam to call the rest of the group and discuss details immediately; but that hasn't happened yet.

It's really starting to annoy you, but you can't even move far enough to grab your phone without help; so you relent and figure you'll kill the fucker when you can actually stand.

The only bright side, it seems; is Tara. She hasn't left your side for even a minute during the whole debacle.

She's gotten more comfortable, you can tell. Even gotten so brave as to come sit on the armchair beside yours.

Your anger has simmered down into a calm sea of peace; and you're starting to feel a bit bad for the indifferent way you've been treating her.

It's impossible to say you don't still care for Tara, in fact; you care a lot more than you probably should. The feeling is so overwhelming you can sense it's tendrils wrapping around you; threatening to engulf you whole.

Stupid, stupid feelings.

You tilt your head and look at her now, wonder if she feels the same.

Almost like she can feel your gaze, she turns and cranes her neck at you.

"Do you need anything?" She asks, flipping over the page of the book she was currently reading.

You don't trust your voice to come out as anything but a strangled whimper, so you nod.

She sits up immediately, practically jumping off the piece of furniture.

"Oh thank god! This book is so boring." She huffs, eyes brightening up as she gets closer.

She walks up to you and folds your shirt up, enough to show your wound. She examines it slowly, lips pursed.

"You know...maybe we should take you to a hospital? It doesn't really look any better." She states, staring intently.

You suddenly feel small underneath her intense gaze; and you wiggle a bit.

You weren't exactly at your best, since you'd been practically glued to the couch for days; apart from the occasional shower and a brush of the teeth.

"Tara?" You rasp, making her look at you; worry in her eyes.

"Yeah? You okay?"

You shake your head no, motion for her to come over. She looks downright stressed.

"Why? What's wrong?" She asks, reaching out to touch your face but stopping short, hesitance clear in her expression.

You muster the strength to bring your arm up to grab her hand, lay it down on your chest; intertwined.

"I'm sorry for being such a dick lately." You say, breathe in heavily.

"It was uncool of me. And I was wondering if you...would maybe want to be my girlfriend again?" It comes out as a soft whisper, and you watch as Tara's face changes from worried to unreadable.

Oh god.

"I mean- uh it's just that I think we might be better off as like girlfriends and I didn't really mean what I said before, I was mad you know? But it’s totally fine if you don’t-" She cuts you off with a kiss to your lips, soft and tender.

You melt into it immediately. Her hands fly to cup your cheeks, and yours press against her neck; pulling her closer.

You guys stay like that for a bit until Tara pulls away, breathlessly.

"I'm sorry too. I was being a bitch, and I should've listened to you. I promise I'll be better this time." She says, chewing on her bottom lip.

You pull her down, taking her by surprise and making her stumble and land right on you.

You let out a groan at the contact and peer down at your wound.

She retracts immediately, mumbling a million sorry's.

"It's okay Tar, come on. Come here." You wave with your hands, let her rest her head on your chest.

She doesn't press herself into you in fears that it'll hurt you, and it's the most straining and uncomfortable position she's ever been in; but she doesn't pull away.

"This is like doing a plank." She says, eyes sparkling with amusement.

You shake your head and smirk. Tilt her face up to yours again and kiss her.

"Shut up."

And she does.

The sound of your phone ringing is what wakes both you and Tara up. She stirs, then immediately tightens up; like she has a flight or fight response to the sound of it.

Oh wait, she does. You realize dumbly.

"It's okay. Everything's fine, could you just grab me the phone sweetheart?" You murmur, rubbing the top of her head in small circles.

She wearily gets up on her knees and reaches for the phone from the couch. It's too far; and she doesn't want to leave your body for at least 3-5 more business days.

"Woah!" She squeaks, loosing her balance and falling with a loud smack onto the rug.

You can't control the giggle that stumbles from your lips; almost on reflex. You quickly realize your error and shut up.

It's too late; because Tara turns to you, quirking an eyebrow. Then she lets out a giggle too, smiling so wide you can see her dimples.

It's a small moment, but it means everything.

It almost feels like the past few days have never happened and Tara's still freshly your girlfriend. Floating in nothing but love-filled teasing bliss.

She opens her mouth to say something but is interrupted by your phone ringing again.

"Jesus christ they won't stop calling." Tara says, slightly annoyed at the intrusion on your moment.

She hands it over to you without looking at the contact, and you scrunch your eyebrows at the unknown number.

"Hello?" You muse as you bring your phone to your ear, still staring at Tara with a playful smirk.

It falls immediately when you hear the distorted deep voice.

"Hello YN."

Your breath hitches, but you don't want to alarm Tara; so you smile at her reassuringly.

"Hey bro, what up?" You say, with all the nonchalance of talking to a close friend.

"Bro? What the hell are you talking abou-" Ghostface starts, but you cut him off immediately.

"Oh yeah yeah, I'm still in uni. I hope you're not getting into any trouble like you always do?" You continue; pursing your lips.

Maybe you'll just pretend for the rest of the conversation and not tell Tara.

"Oh Yn, you don't even know what kind of trouble I'm about to get you into." He says, tone teasing and taunting.

Your chest tightens up a bit. What does he have on you? He's bluffing, he has to be…right?

"That is so fun, but I kinda have to get back to my amazing girlfriend now; you don't mind if I hang up do you?" You smile, eyes flitting up and down Tara's small frame.

She's sitting, quite adorably, on the floor. Looking up at you with curious but shining eyes.

"Don't you dare hang up or I'm going to split you from groin to ster-" You pull the phone from your ear and press the red button.

"Well that was a little rude." She tuts, scooting closer.

You chuckle.

"Can I help it that my girlfriend is the best-est person in the world and I wanna spend every minute with her?" You ask, nudging her nose with yours.

"Best-est, huh?" She smirks, leaning in impossibly closer.

You're about to lean down and kiss Tara but it twists your wound the wrong way and you hiss.

She brings her hand up to your face and caresses the skin of your cheek.

"You okay?" She asks, brows furrowed.

You're not, and you think it might even be getting worse like she suspected; but you don't tell Tara. Instead you nod your head and give her a tight lipped smile.

She grins, and closes the distance between the two of you. She gets up off the floor and climbs on top of you so you don't have to strain your neck. She does all of this with your lips connected, and you silently marvel at her skill.

"I know you guys just got back together, but can you stop eating each other's faces right now?" Sam interrupts, quite rudely you might add.

Tara pulls away reluctantly and wipes at her mouth. She looks flushed.

"We weren't even doing anything."She mumbles underneath her breath.

"Let them be Sam, I don't think I can take another day of Tara whining about how she's not with YN anymore." Mindy says, waltzing into the room after Sam.

You cock an eyebrow at Tara, but she avoids your eye; blush creeping up her neck.

"Nice job, by the way T." Mindy adds, clicking her tongue and shooting a finger gun at the girl.

You notice the rest of the group behind them, Chad, Ethan, Anika, and some other strange man at the back.

He must see your lingering stare on him because he's moving forward and offering a hand to you.

"Danny." He rasps, mouth turned in a crooked smile.

Okay, kind of hot. You think.

"I'm Sam's..." He trails off, sending a questioning look at the older Carpenter sister.

"Danny's my boyfriend." Sam answers, and out the corner of your eye you see Danny smile a little wider.

That's cute.

"Nice to meet you Danny." You say, shaking his hand eagerly.

"So, we're all here because we need to devise a plan. To catch ghostface, once and for all." Sam says, walking to the front of the living room.

"And what exactly is your plan?" Tara asks, moving beside you and taking your hand in hers.

You notice Sam biting the inside of her cheek as she thinks.

"I'm not sure yet, that's why I all asked you here." She says.

There's a moment of silence as anyone thinks of something to say. You try to think back to your interactions with him.

"We could make a suspect list? I'm sure Mindy has a lot of theories on her mind." You suggest, glancing over at the twin.

"Yes! Thank you for bringing that up YN. Sam, move it's my time to shine." She walks up to Sam, gently nudging the Carpenter to sit on the couch.

"So we all know Ghostface has some sort of beef with all of us, but from the attacks we can assume he hates Tara and YN the most." She starts, hands on her hips.

"We know Ghostface isn't really that strong. Either that or YN is just one hell of a fighter." Mindy says, gesturing to you.

You smile shyly at the heads that turn toward you.

"Can I add something? Back on the balcony, where I got attacked; Ghostface seemed kind of...small." You say, pursing your lips in deep remembrance.

"Like, way shorter than the one that attacked me and Tara on that roof. So I think there might be two." You finish.

Mindy nods, like she was already expecting you to say this.

"It's always been two killers, except for Roman Bridger; kudos to him for ambition."

Chad raises his hand, waiting for Mindy's approval before he speaks. She nods toward him.

"Could we assume the first ghostface was a guy? Because we all saw him, and he looked pretty damn big."

You shake your head in agreement, trying to think back on the night up on the roof. It's sort of hard because all you can remember is Tara kissing you for the first time.

Even after what had happened, you still considered that to be one of the best nights of your life.

What a simp.

"Now! Let's move on to our suspects..." Mindy says faintly, but you're not really focused now. You'd rather daydream about the girl sitting beside you.

The group ends up picking your apartment as the spot for Ghostface's Demise. You'd actually been the one to suggest it yourself, it's relatively big; and didn't have one too many hiding places for him to surprise y'all in.

Tara moves to sit on your lap as you continue to plan. Papers are strewn everywhere, multiple empty coffee cups on the table. You've drawn out a map of the layout, and Sam's made it her personal mission to storyboard the whole attack.

Despite the reason for for your gathering, you can't help but smile a little at everyone huddled together. They look like a real family.

Quiet laughs are occasionally let out, teasing and poking fun about how Ghostface is gonna attack. You sort of enjoy it.

The doorbell rings and catches only yours and Tara's attention. The rest of them are still in heated discussion about whether Ghostface or Voldemort would win in a battle.

It's Voldemort, obviously.

"I'll go get it." Tara whispers, planting a firm peck to your lips and standing up. You nod, let her untangle herself from you.

You sit a bit longer until you start getting antsy. It's been five minutes since Tara went and you’re getting a tad worried.

Has she been kidnapped by Ghostface or something?

She steps into the room now, and you smile at her; breathe out in relief.

You see a tiny envelope in her hands. It's ripped; and she's reading the inside.

"Any mail for me honey?" You ask teasingly, pushing yourself up on the couch slightly.

You don't notice the serious expression on her face till she tilts it up, eyes dark.

She doesn't answer as she strides to you, shoving the paper in your hands; arms crossed. She looks hurt.

"Care to explain?"

You frown, look down at the piece of crumpled paper. It's a DNA test.

At the top of the page it says:

DNA REPORT TEST

(For Personal Knowledge Only)

There's two boxes that fill up the whole paper. You stare at it, mouth agape.

It says:

CHILD (YN)

Alleged Father (Stu Macher)

#tara carpenter #tara carpenter x reader #jenna ortega x reader #jenna ortega #tardy #scream vi #wednesday addams x reader

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bucketsofmonsters · 2 years

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The Witch’s Apprentice - Part 1

cw: demon summoning, nightmares, more tags will be added as the story continues

male demon x afab reader

Word count: 4k

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 Part 7

“You need to take this seriously,” Eden snapped at you, concern written across her face.

“I am, I promise.” You did your best to sit up straight and look serious.

You had been waiting for today for years, you would not mess it up by making her think you didn’t care about it.

You understood why she was high strung, you’d be lying if you said you weren’t too. Summoning a demon was something that was risky even with years of experience, having someone with absolutely no experience join her could potentially put both your lives at risk.

Not that you’d let anything happen. You wouldn’t be doing this if you thought it put Eden in any sort of danger. You’d been preparing for years, you were certain you could manage observing without messing up anything too vital.

This confidence did not stop Eden from going over the rules over and over again. “You will speak to him minimally, you will not approach him, you will not do anything he asks, you will not so much as look at him. You are here to learn, alright? You can watch me and that’s it. Anything else is for me to do, not you.”

You nodded eagerly. “Understood.”

She sighed and her face softened slightly, looking you up and down as you did your best to project confidence and capability. “Seriously. I’m going to be out of it while I’m working on the spell bindings so it’s just going to be you and him, if you really think you’re ready…”

“I am,” you interjected, wincing as you realized that interrupting her probably wouldn’t increase her confidence in you.

You could see her reconsider letting you in, that familiar frustration flitting across her face. “...if you really think you’re ready, I need you to promise me you’ll trust me and just observe, no matter what. If you look at him or talk to him it just gives him more ways to manipulate you and try to gain the upper hand. I know all his tricks, you don’t. I will have things under control as long as you don’t interfere.”

You’d already promised her a million times and you’d promise her a million more if it meant her trusting you with this and you getting to actually learn.

You’d helped her do a few hexes, warded your living space, little things that she felt you were up to the task of doing.

But this wasn’t that. This was the big leagues.

A million more promises proved to be unnecessary as she moved you to a specific spot on the floor. “You stay there until we’re done, okay?”

You nodded, settling onto the ground, and she got right to work, drawing the sigils on the floor and gathering everything she needed. It was kind of incredible, how it was all second nature to her. You were used to having to check your notes every few seconds but she did it all effortlessly. You kept checking your notes as she worked anyways, making sure that everything was alright. You trusted her implicitly but it was better you caught a mistake than a demon did.

Even with your eyes trained steadily on Eden you knew the second he arrived. The air felt heavier. When he spoke, his voice felt like it was coming from inside your head, echoing inside your skull. It wasn’t particularly loud and yet you could feel the vibrations from it in your bones. Any doubts you had about the creature's power disappeared as soon as you heard his voice. Maybe that was the point, maybe that was part of his bag of tricks that Eden had talked about so extensively. “Listen to me, witch, I will make you regret ever so much as thinking my name if you…”

The energy in the room shifted as he trailed off and you kept your eyes pointed at Eden. Even still, you knew that he had noticed you, could feel him sizing you up.

“Who is this?”

“No one you need to worry about,” Eden replied, her expression steady and emotionless. Her discipline was impressive, she could just shut off everything. No one could glean any information from her like this. You had no idea how she did it. No matter how hard you tried to emulate it your emotions always shone through.

“You bringing pets to our sessions now? And I thought you liked my company.”

Eden didn’t defend you. Why would she? Of course the demon was being rude to you, he was a demon. You’d known he was going to try and provoke an outburst from either of you, to throw you off your game. Some irrational part of you still couldn’t help but be a little upset that it hadn’t worked, that Eden hadn’t sprung to your defense and was instead just continuing on with business as usual.

But that was why she was the one summoning demons and you were the one who wasn’t even allowed to look up.

It didn’t take long before Eden entered her trance. You focused on the ground, trying to keep yourself from imagining what the demon next to you must look like while you waited for her to return and do something that you could learn from instead of sitting motionless in front of you.

Surely he would look frightening. From what you knew, demons could choose their forms, of course he’d try and scare you. And even if it was his natural form, he was a demon, you couldn’t imagine that they looked pleasant.

Everyone who had seen one has called them terrifying, imposing creatures. You didn’t know how much of that was true and how much was an exaggeration, something to keep ill-prepared witches from trying their luck to make an ill-advised deal with one of the creatures.

You’d anticipated the fear and the feeling of danger you felt sitting there, nervously running though the rules in your head, but what you hadn’t anticipated as time ticked on was how awkward demon summoning could be.

You felt his eyes on you as you just sat there on the floor, refusing to speak or make eye contact. It felt more rude than scary.

He started to speak, amusement tinging his voice. “And what’s your name, little one?” Some of the power in it was gone, the performance fading away now that Eden couldn’t hear him. You couldn’t help but feel a bit hurt. Were you not worthy of trying to terrify?

“I’m not that dumb.”

Shit.

The words came out before you realized you weren’t meant to be speaking at all, even to rebuff insultingly simple questions. You kept your head pointed at the floor, set on following at least one rule.

He chuckled, a noise that was oddly pleasant considering the circumstances. “I had to try. Any chance I’ll be able to convince you to break these bindings?” he asked, and you heard him shuffle around, probably pushing up against the invisible walls set by the summoning circle on the floor.

You shook your head, keeping your mouth firmly shut.

“No? I’m Lucien.”

You nodded. “I know.”

That was one of the only things you did know about the creature. His name, the reason you could summon him and keep him trapped like this. Besides that you were in the dark, you didn’t even know what he looked like.

You knew about demons, of course. You’d done your homework, read all about them, every lesson and warning previous witches had painstakingly written for you to go over again and again. But you’d never actually encountered one before, didn’t really know what to expect other than danger.

Mockery dripped from his words as he spoke. “I know that you know, I wouldn’t be here if you didn’t. It’s just rude not to introduce yourself to a new friend.”

His quiet appraisal continued as you kept still, your gaze flicking repeatedly from the floor back to Eden, willing her to return.

“You're very quiet,” he noted, intent on filling the silence. “What has your witch told you about me?”

“Nothing good,” you huffed.

He didn’t need to know that really, she’d told you nothing at all, good or bad. You didn’t even know what she was doing right now, what the trance she was in was accomplishing. Every time you’d tried to push the issue you’d been shut down, told that was a matter for later.

“Did she scare you? I promise I’m not that bad, I don’t bite.” The mocking tone returned and you were reminded that he did not take you seriously.

You didn’t have much to go on but you pulled from the little bit of information you did have and shot back. “She said you're a miserable little creature.”

He laughed, sounding incredulous. “Is that what she said? I didn’t realize we were trading schoolyard insults. Well, at least you're blunt, better than those damn riddles your witch speaks in.”

That was a reminder of why you shouldn’t be talking to the demon. Eden had to choose her words very carefully, make sure that they couldn’t be misinterpreted, and here you were having a conversation without putting any real thought into your words.

You were intent on staying quiet, on at least trying to not mess things up any worse in the last few minutes. Or at least you hoped they were the last few minutes. You were proving to be worse suited to this than you’d hoped you would be.

Lucien’s barrage continued on but you tuned it out, staring Eden down, doing exactly as you were told. It didn’t take long to slip into your head, barely even hearing what the demon had to say any longer.

Eden’s eyes flew open, her gaze flicking upwards to where you assumed the demon stood, towering about you both based on the way she craned her head back.

She wasted no time with pleasantries, ignoring Lucien’s attempt to get her attention in favor of murmuring the hex that would banish him once more.

You hadn't even noticed how heavy and warm the air in the room had become until it suddenly cleared and you could breathe properly again.

You rushed to help her clean up now that the two of you were no longer in imminent danger, putting everything back right where you knew it belonged. This part you’d gotten good at, the cleaning up. It was the only thing Eden ever let you do on your own, harder to mess up than most things.

“Everything go according to plan?” she asked as she handed you some bones. They looked avian at a glance, probably from a vulture if you had to guess.

You nodded and she barely acknowledged your response.

“He’ll be back tomorrow,” she added, scribbling something into the notebook that you were forbidden from looking inside of. “It’ll be the same protocol as today.”

You’d done it, you’d passed her test and you were being allowed to watch her work again. It took all the energy you had not to let out a squeak of excitement, trying to keep your smile to a reasonable level as you responded, “Thank you so much.”

You weren’t sure if it was the excitement or the nervousness that was causing time to move so slowly but whichever it was, you hated it with all your heart. The day seemed to take a lifetime to pass.

Even Eden setting up the spell seemed to take ages. You did your best not to fidget, trying to keep quiet and not bother her. You weren’t even nervous about him showing up, it was the waiting that really got to you.

A sigh of relief escaped you when that sense of dread filled the air and you were left to wait no longer.

This time around he noticed you immediately. “Aw, your lapdog returns. Be careful bringing them around here little witch, I might start ignoring you in favor of easier prey.”

Eden seemed entirely disinterested in what he was saying. “I’m sure I’ll manage.”

That was the most he got out of her. Not that he didn’t keep trying, Eden was just focused on her work. She didn’t have to ignore him for long before she returned to her trance and the two of you were functionally alone again.

You kept your head down, your fidgeting returning in full force now that Eden was no longer conscious enough for you to bother her. It was a good thing to occupy your mind, staring down at your hands as you ignored the demon trying to get your attention.

You could hear him getting more and more frustrated at your seemingly endless fascination with your hands and the floor. “Come on, I’m trapped here by you two, the least you can do is talk to me while you keep me imprisoned.”

“You’re not imprisoned.” It came out faster and more defensive than you’d meant it to. You knew he was trapped, that he couldn’t leave the circle while Eden held him here, but imprisoned had felt so harsh and you couldn’t help but jump to defend your witch.

“What do you mean I’m not imprisoned? What do you think this circle does? Do you know nothing? Why does she even keep you around then?”

He struck a nerve and worse than that, you knew that he could tell. It wasn’t hard to decipher, your shaky inhale at the words giving you away. You didn’t even get the chance to speak before he started to push.

He cooed at you with a faux sympathy. “Oh, that’s it, isn’t it? You don’t even know why she keeps you around. How could you, you’re probably as useless as you seem. Just sitting there, confused. Maybe I wasn’t so wrong when I called you her pet, it seems she’s trained you like one.”

He was getting through to you. Worse than that, he could tell that he was getting through to you.

“Please stop.” Your words were quiet. You knew they wouldn’t work on him, you weren’t foolish enough to not know that much, but you said them anyway. A soft plea made to be ignored.

“She never should have let you be here. Do you think something like this could get through to your witch? You probably had to beg to get to be here and still you’re letting her down. Does she know you’re speaking to me? All you had to do was sit there and you couldn’t even do that, maybe I should tell her what her little waste of space is up to.”

You were drowning. This was why Eden had told you not to speak to him, you knew this was why. He’d found a weakness and he was doing what any decent demon would, he was exploiting it. Everything was spiraling out of control so quickly and you felt as if you’d never be able to find your footing.

In a moment of panic, you did exactly what you’d been warned not to do. You looked up.

In the horror stories you’d read, the scariest part was always the not knowing. When it described the monster too much or showed it to you, it lost most of its power, no longer a strange amalgamation of what you’d least like to see and now just something. Something you can see and touch, the abstract terror gone. You’d been terrified, sure that when you looked up you’d feel dread wash over you. Some deep seeded primal fear of the demon, the creature meant to drag you into unimaginable horrors.

You didn’t. As soon as you looked up all that fear was gone and all you could see was someone. Admittedly, he was imposing. Bigger than any human you’d ever seen with an otherworldly gray skin tone and a twisting set of horns curling around a face that didn’t quite seem right. But he was there, in front of you, a real person. And you weren’t afraid.

He seemed baffled by your reaction. You supposed people typically didn’t visibly relax after seeing him for the first time.

“Hello,” you said, unsure of what else you should be doing. It probably wasn’t greeting him but you didn’t have any better ideas.

For the first time since you’d met, he was the one who seemed to be at a loss for words, taking in your calm face as you looked up at him.

Before he got a chance to figure out how to respond to your greeting or to exploit your discovered weakness any further, Eden snapped out of her trance once more.

Your chest tightened as you dropped your gaze. You wished more than anything you could still see him, that you could try and read his thoughts.

There were so many things he could say right now that would ruin you. You’d gone against everything Eden had said, showed weakness in so many ways.

And then he didn’t and it was almost worse. If he told her, you’d get shouted at, lose some trust. But why was he not saying anything, opting instead to throw insults at her, trying to get a response just as he’d been doing before.

Did he just care about you so little? Or was he saving up ammo, gathering things to hold over your head.

The air shifted to be lighter once more and despite that and the absence of the demon, you couldn’t quite manage to breathe properly.

Eden moved out of her summoning area, completely unaware of your inner turmoil.

As you stood to help her tidy everything up you couldn’t help but ask. “What are you doing with him?”

“What?” Eden seemed taken aback by the question.

“Why are you summoning him? The summonings and the trances must be for something, right?”

“That’s above your paygrade, sorry.” She was still putting away her supplies, barely paying any attention to you.

“Are all demons bad?” you blurted out, not taking the time to consider how it would sound.

The question escaped you before you had any real time to think about it. You were searching for answers, although to what you weren’t entirely certain.

Now you had her attention. She turned abruptly, trying to read you. “What did he say?”

“What?”

“Why are you asking this, what did he say?” Now she sounded protective, that tone you’d been longing to hear when Lucien had been coming at you before.

“I was just thinking.” It was a poor justification but you hoped she'd drop it. You knew she wouldn’t like your answer.

“You were thinking what?” Her words were harsh but you knew she was just worried. She had to be like that, especially when it involved stuff like this. She had to keep you safe.

You decided to let all your thoughts come spilling out. It was easier than coming up with some excuse and accidentally worrying her even more. “I don’t know. Lucifer was an angel and supposedly he wasn’t good so all angels clearly weren’t good, it seems kind of presumptuous to say that all demons are bad. How do we know? We can’t possibly have checked. I don’t even know how we would check. And if we can’t know then we’re what, just guessing who it’s okay to summon because they’re intrinsically evil and who should be left alone?”

“They’re created for evil, by evil, there’s no two ways about it. Leave the ethics to me, okay?”

It certainly wasn’t the answer you were searching for but you knew Eden was done with discussion.

You went to sleep that night with questions circling your head. You wanted to trust Eden, you did trust Eden, but you couldn’t help it. It was always like this, once a question rooted itself in your mind, you never could quite get rid of it.

But there was nothing you could do to answer it. You weren’t sure anyone had the answers you were looking for. Well, not anyone you could just ask. So instead, you tossed and turned with too many thoughts to go to sleep easily, until you were finally, mercifully spared from your busy mind for just a while.

You woke up in the forest, the roots pulsing under your feet and the branches reaching to block out the sky.

Something howled in the distance as the branches blocked out the sun above you. That was how it always started, making sure you couldn’t see anything but the forest around you. You recognized this. You’d been here.

You’d almost been swallowed up by it before, wrapped up in the twisting branches that snaked to block your escape, to isolate you.

You’d had this dream many times before, it had become almost comforting in its repetition. It felt like the forest reaching out for you, like it had staked a claim on your soul and was reminding you of where you would end up someday.

But this time, the dream changed. A familiar voice sounded from behind you, stuck in the same nest of roots and vines that you’d become ensnared in. “I didn’t try to choose a nightmare, funny how that works out.”

You turned to face the demon, his horns butting against the roof of your prison that was trying to close in on you. “This isn’t a nightmare,” you said, watching the branches reach towards you, moving to pull you closer and absorb you into the trees.

If this were anywhere else you’d have been surprised and afraid of the sudden appearance of the demon but not in your dream. Everything couldn’t help but feel natural and normal here.

“Isn’t it?” He cocked his head to the side and one of the branches wound around his horn.

“No,” you said as the roots ensnared your ankle, preventing you from running, even if you’d wanted to.

“What is it then?”

“A reminder.”

“Of?” His follow up questions came just as fast as your answers. You hadn’t meant to be so vague, you just hadn’t expected him to care this much about your inner workings.

“That I’m living on borrowed time.” You clarified, set on giving him a complete answer this time. “I don’t mind them, they make me grateful that my witch saved me. How are you in my dream anyways?”

Normally the trees had swallowed you up by now, but Lucien’s stature was halting their progress. “You’re bad at warding yourself. Your witch never lets me do this.”

Shit. You thought you had the warding down.

It occurred to you, probably later than it should have, that he hadn’t really done much to you other than talk. You knew he couldn’t really hurt you when he was visiting you like this, proper warding or not. The most he could do was fish for information or throw insults but he hadn’t been doing much of either. “And why are you here?”

“I was planning to threaten you but you seem to have distracted me.” He couldn’t counter the trees forever, your dream swallowing him up as a desperate attempt to get at you.

“Better luck next time.”

He phased out of existence before the branches got a chance to tear him apart like they’d done to you so many times and now, there was nothing standing in their way.

You woke with a start. The events of your dream weren’t hazy at all like they usually were. You remembered it all and groaned, getting out of bed in the middle of the night to read up on proper warding.

#terato #demon x reader #demon x human #monster boyfriend #monster bf #monster x human #monster x reader #the witch's apprentice #ive been sitting on this one for too long I needed to just start posting it

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callsigns-haze · 5 months

Text

Getaway Car

Pairing: Jake 'Hangman' Seresin x Y/n 'Haze' Mitchell

Summary: He doesn't love you so you leave.

Based of the song: Lavender Haze by Taylor Swift

Warnings: cursing, mentions of abortion, break-ups, angst

Part 1 / Part 2/ Part 3/ Part 4/ Part 5/ Part 6/ Part 7

The air is cold as it hits your face. The wind was violent, hard to get through as you walked in its direction. You keep walking but have no clue where you're even going. You have no proper destination in mind but you're not going back to that apartment.

You want the cold air to clean your mind, as a sort of refreshment. A shaky breath leaves your lips as you try and turn your mind to something different.

It's proved unsuccessful as your phone starts ringing frantically in your pocket. You never know why this happens, the anxiety that hits. It always stops you in your tracks, leaving you in a sort of paralyzation. It hits you like a wave that brings you under, there's no escape and no exit, just pausing.

You know that Jake is calling you, it could only be him, but you did not want to answer. You take out your phone to see a picture of a smiling Jake on the screen in his plane. You don't want to decline it, that's not your plan at all because he'd know you've seen it. You just let it ring off.

It sends him right to voice mail, where he leaves you a heart crushing message. All about how he's the problem and that he doesn't want you wondering so late asking where you were or at least if you're safe, proposing to pick you up. His voice started to break towards the end and even if you felt so much hatred towards him right now, he couldn't be alone, not in that state.

"Come on, Haze, answer me please!" Jake exclaims at this point, desperately. He didn't want it to end like this, he didn't want you to walk away again. He wanted you to be there with him and give him another chance; a chance where he could talk it out with you. He called nine more times, each lead to being unanswered.

Tears started to well up in his eyes, feelings that he could never be able to explain. Even though you did have an abortion of his child and not tell him, he had no right to act in such a way, not in a way that would scare you off to leave again. He couldn't do this alone, he needed to talk with someone and clearly it wouldn't be you. He had to call somebody else, somebody who would listen.

As Jake reached into his back pocket, his phone rang frantically and Jake hoped it was you, he dreamed of it at this point, but to his disappointment it wasn't. Javy. Perfect timing Man. Right as Jake was gonna call him.

Coyote: 'Hey Man, how ya hold-'

Jake simply cut him off, in milliseconds. He didn't want to interrupt him but he also didn't want to hear Coyote finish his sentence. He had to spit out the information on him.

Jake: 'She had an abortion. My child and she didn't tell me. That's why she left back then. For fucks sakes. I let her fucking go again.'

You see, Javy calling wasn't such a coincidence. Haze asked him to check up on Jake, simply mentioning that the two got into a small, heated argument but this was big time news and it hit Javy like a truck.

Coyote: 'Holy shit man, that's difficult shit, god I don't even know how to put this into words… I'm guessing you didn't take it well.'

Jake: 'I overreacted but she got scared. She was scared of me Javy.'

At that he broke. Shattered like a vase into millions of pieces. Each leaving their own, piercing, sound as it hits. The sons left his mouth as Javy was already in his car to go to him.

Jake cared that you had an abortion, he believed the two of you could work it out. It was possible that you two would manage but now what he cared more for is that you were out in the middle of the night, scared of him, scared of his reactions.

Coyote: 'Jake, I'm nearly there.'

Jake: 'Javy, she was fucking scared of me. She looked like she was in fear of me hurting her. She thought I would hurt her… I didn't want to scare her off.'

-------

The wind was getting more string, more violent with each blow. You wrapped your light jacket around your body tightly. Hugging it into your chest as you stepped on the familiar front porch.

You shook a tiny bit before looking at the light coming through the small window on the side of the door. One knock. You gave one knock agaytge wooden frame and you heard someone rush to the door and once it opened, the man seeing your state was ready to kill anyone who hurt you.

"Princess?" Maverick was confused to see his own daughter so late at his porch, especially with mascara stained cheeks from crying and puffy eyes.

With one word you break his heart. One word which leaves your lips in a shake that could destroy a whole city with it's innocence. Maverick didn't know why you were here, but when you said the word, he easily started adding up the facts.

"Daddy."

Once you say it his arms wrap around you and you start breaking into sobs, hit sticky tears stream from upon your eyes, explain their own stories against your father's chest as he knows somebody hurt you so he had to hurt someone.

------

It's been a week since everything happened and Javy and the rest knew that they had to get Jake up and out of the house. He was miserable, he had a right to be. You haven't answered any of his calls or texts and he even tried emails to get in contact with you.

And you weren't at work either. He looked for you in your office, plan and operations tower, yet you were nowhere to be found. He knew if you saw him you'd still be mad at him but for now your father showed that emotion. He put Jake through hell. Every little mistake Jake made had a big consequences upon him now. One wrong move and your father gave him hell on earth.

Every push-up he has done in the past few days represents how big off a jerk. And at this point even Cyclone and Warlock knew which didn't make life merrier for him.

"Jake, what the hell man, put your game together!" Fitz calls out after their group just lost due to Jake's inability to keep focus and wandered directly onto Mavericks radar.

The two of them walk back into the room with the rest of the daggers where he couldn't even look at them. Everyone knew what was going on and what happened between you and him and gave him those stupid sympathetic looks that he never wished for. He looked down on the floor until Fitz commented, "If this is about that chick of yours mate then deal with it. Her ass was too fine to stay with a guy like you. She'd much rather have some of thi-"

Fitz didn't get to finish that sentence as Jake aggressively lunged himself at him. Thank the lord he was quickly grabbed by Rooster and Coyote or this would really turn into a shit show. Though Jake didn't put this down easily, pulling against the hold of Bradley and Javy, grunting with each move until he calmed down and they let go of him.

"Speak of her like that ever fucking again and nobody will be quick enough to catch me from wiping that pathetic smile of your face."

------

You've been staying with your dad for the last week, the room was yours since the start but none of your things were there. In your car you always had a spare flight suit which prevented the need of you having to go back to the apartment urgently. After all it has been a week and there are several other things you needed and from the work schedules you held you knew Jake wouldn't be there so perfect time to move back out.

You drive you car through the twisted estate as you turn left into a underground garage parking. The button on the left of the steering wheel is to open the mechanic doors for you to drive in and does so. You park in your usual spot and reach for the bin bags in the passenger seat. You weren't packing for a sort of vacation, you were packing essentials and getting out; the rest Bradley and Bob should bring you in around two weeks but you could wait it was no rush.

You sigh, hitting your head of the steering wheel. If you had just bloody told him it would have never lead to this. But now it's to late, most hope is gone and you just had to get in and out.

You step out the car and slam the white door shut. You run to the elevator, which thankfully opens immediately and you hit the button to the third floor.

You swiftly dug through the shared wardrobe, picking out the essentials and stuffing them into the bag.

When you enter the apartment it was a mess, clothes everywhere, blinds closed, groceries unpacked, laundry undone, wrappers all around the TV chair. It looked like a depressive hole. And it was all because of you.

You never wanted to abort it but it had to be done you were in fear of being left alone and now you could see the fear in your own eyes. You crushed the man, no other way of putting it. You hurt him so bad, the apartment looks like a caveman lived here.

You stopped stuffing the black bag and carried it up to the front door. You could've left at that, maybe even should've but you wanted to look around. You knew when Jake was in a bad mood, you'd find him in his TV chair. He always was the person to be found in the chair when things got hard or miserable. You walk into the room to see papers upon the chair, your abortion papers along with the only scan you had of the baby.

It looks as if Jake has read through the papers many times, back and front to somehow believe it was all just a dream, something to change faith in a way. On the other side was a pile of Polaroids of you and Jake together. Happy. Free. In love. It was just a week ago that one of them was taken. So close but yet so far of how it felt.

You didn't know when the tears started but now they slipped violently from your eyes. You hurt the only person you properly loved and left him without a word. You were a monster. You were the reason the man you love, suffers. You had to leave now, you couldn't contain it in you anymore, this was all too much.

"Haze." This couldn't be happening, not right now, you just wanted to leave and get here we go again, in the same position as seven years ago when you were leaving for proper. Javy. He had to always come at the worst times, his way of perfect timing in a way. "Coyote, I hav-"

"Oh shut it Haze, you don't have to do shit, you just fucking leave and now here you are about to leave again, again after breaking his heart."

Strong, hit you right to the core. You were already crying but this was someone finally being realistic with you. Every time something bad happened, you cave and ran. Something your mother passed onto you. She never wanted you, after your birth she just simply left and that's a habit you've only managed to pick up from her. Leaving.

"Y/N, I shouldn't have said that… Please don't leave him again." The desperation in Javy's voice was iconic. It wasn't him we were talking about anymore, yet here we are him trying to get you to stay for a friend. "Haze, don't leave again, please. He lov-"

"No Javy, not anymore. He doesn't love me anymore, not now. He doesn't want me anymore. And it's for the best this time. He just doesn't want me anymore and I don't want to cause more pain."

"He still cares Y/N."

"No Javy, just no.."

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bellaireland1981 · 10 months

Text

Starting Over | 11

Summary: You come home to work to find your husband of three years in bed with your supposed best friend. It’s the wake up call you finally needed to take your two year old daughter and get the hell out of Texas. With nowhere to go you head to your big brother in San Diego. The Dagger squad takes you under their wings, and shows you what having a family means. You get a fresh start… will you find your happily ever after?

Characters: Jake “hangman” Seresin x Sister! Reader, Bradley “Rooster” Bradshaw x Seresin! Reader (Eventually), Hangman x Phoenix , Adorable OC Gracie! The Dagger squad

Word Count: 7201

Warnings: Angst, fighting, cheating husband, emotional abuse, eventual fluff, SMUT, Sweet uncle Jake, Adorable Rooster with a toddler… if I miss any please let me know. MINORS DNI

A/N: I don’t own the characters or storyline for Top Gun Maverick. All OC’s are mine. I DO NOT GIVE PERMISSION FOR ANYONE TO COPY OR REPOST MY WORK TO ANY OTHER PLATFORM! DON’T STEAL! Reblogs, likes and comments ALWAYS welcomed. THANK YOU @waywardodysseys and @beyondthesefourwalls as always for reading over my work and helping me flush out ideas!!

Taglist is open! If I missed anyone who asked to be tagged, please fill out this GOOGLE FORM to be added. It’s getting to hard to keep track of asks.

CH 1 CH 2 CH 3 Ch 4 Ch 5 Ch 6 Ch 7 Ch 8 Ch 9 CH 10

Friday night the squad all descended upon Penny and Mav’s house for dinner and to start to decorate for Gracie’s party. The bounce castle was delivered and of course the overgrown children needed to test it out. Thankfully it didn't result in any injuries. You knew a few of the kids from Gracie’s daycare would be at that party, apart from that it would mostly just be adults at the party. You knew Gracie didn’t care as long as she had her people there.

Nat, Penny and you were busy inflating balloons to create the balloon arch that Nat had insisted on from the party store, while Bradley and Jake kept Gracie busy in the bounce house out back.

“Nat, remind me not to listen to you when it comes to decoration ideas again.” You complained after tying off what felt like the millionth tiny balloon. “My fingers are going to be numb for the rest of my life.”

“But it’s so PRETTY!” She insisted, “It’ll be worth it! You’ll see!”

“Maybe next time we just order the damn arch and have someone ELSE build it?” Penny suggested.

What felt like hours later, but was really only about 45 minutes, all of the balloons were inflated and just needed to be assembled into the arch. Once it was all put together, you called the guys in to hang it up.

Once finished, it looked like the entrance to a castle, and you had to admit, it looked amazing.

“Ok, I admit it…. It’s badass.” You said, “Good call, Nat.”

“SEE?” She exclaimed, “I TOLD YOU!”

“You doubted my girl, Tulip?” Jake asked, coming over to stand with you all as you admired the arch.

“Not doubted so much as hated having to inflate and tie the millions of balloons required to create this arch.” You defended.

“It’s beautiful, Sweets.” Jake said, wrapping his arm around Phoenix, “It’s just what our Princess G needs.”

“Thanks, Babe.” She smiled, leaning back to kiss him, “Anything for that girl. But Y/N is right, those balloons were a pain in the ass.”

“Mommy! Papa Mav gave me WINGS!” Gracie said running into the house, “Now I fwy wif Daddy and Unco Jakey!”

“Uh oh.” You said, smiling, “I’m not sure the Navy is ready for that just yet Gracie Girl.”

“You wanna fly with us, Princess?” Bradley asked, scooping her up into his arms. “Daddy and Uncle Jakey can take you flying anytime you want to.”

“YES PWEASE!” She exclaimed, “Mommy! I go fwy wif my daddy and Unco Jakey now!”

“I don’t know if they can take you right this very minute, Sweet girl, but I’m sure they’ll have you in a plane as soon as they possibly can.” You laughed, “And I have no doubt that Papa Mav will help them make that happen.”

“Absolutely!” Mav said, beaming proudly. “We can get her in the skies this weekend!”

“All I ask is that we wait until she’s at least in kindergarten before anyone takes my baby supersonic.” You requested, rolling your eyes. You had zero doubts that if it were at all possible one of them would figure out a way to sneak her into one of the Super Hornets.

“That seems like a reasonable request.” Penny laughed, “And sadly, one that you had to actually spell out with these three.”

“That’s what I figured.” You said, laughing. “Covering all the bases here.”

“I’ll supervise.” Phoenix offered.

“Something tells me you’d be just as bad as them in that situation.” You laughed.

“Maybe.” She shrugged, winking.

“We’ll save the Super Hornets and crazy pilot stuff until she’s at least in Kindergarten.” Bradley promised, “For now, we can take her up in something a little safer. I have no doubt she’ll take to the skies though.”

“That’s what I’m afraid of.” You sighed, “I won’t be able to keep any of your feet planted on solid ground afterwards.”

“Don’t worry, Sweetheart,” Bradley said, kissing your forehead, “We’ll always fly right back to you.”

“You better.” You replied, tipping your head back to smile at him, claiming a kiss in the process.

“Alright, decorations are officially complete.” Penny said, “Let’s eat some dinner. A certain little Princess needs extra sleep to be ready for her big day tomorrow!”

Mav and Penny had ordered lots of pizza for the squad that night so that nobody was cooking on top of having to decorate and set up for the party.

Once everyone had plates piled with pizza and drinks of choice they made their way to the back yard, settling into the chairs already set up for the party.

“Daddy, I sit wif you.” Gracie said, climbing into Bradley’s lap.

“Absolutely you can sit with me, my sweet Princess.” He replied, beaming at her.

“I’ve officially been replaced.” Jake pouted, sitting down next to them and placing his plate on the table. “I’m washed up fish guts in yesterday’s newspaper.”

“Wow.” You laughed, rolling your eyes. “Dramatic much?”

“Stop pouting, Hangy.” Bradley teased, “Gracie, you still love Uncle Jakey, right?”

“Yup!” She agreed with a mouth full of pizza, “I wuv you Unco Jakey!”

“See? You big baby, she still loves you.” Phoenix said, sitting next to Jake, “Not let Rooster enjoy the fact that he now has a Daddy’s girl and stop being a brat.” She leaned in to kiss Jake’s cheek, before winking at Bradley and digging into her own pizza.

“I love you too, Princess G.” Jake said, smiling at his niece, then looked at Phoenix, “Are you staying at the house tonight?”

“Most of my stuff is already packed in boxes so I planned on just spending most nights there now.” She replied.

“Good.” Jake said, leaning over to drop a kiss on her temple, “I like it better when you’re there.”

“Me too.” She said, smiling softly at him. “We have to leave early tomorrow to have time to stop to get the last part of Gracie’s present.”

“You both spoil her too much!” You groaned

“No such thing.” Jake said, “It’s not possible to spoil our Princess G.”

“You’re impossible.” You laughed, knowing you would never win this argument.

“Daddy, how many more sleeps til Mommy and me live wif you?” Gracie asked Bradley.

“One more week, Baby Girl.” He replied, “This time next week, we will be moving you and Mommy into our house. That’s 7 sleeps.”

“Too many sleeps.” She pouted, giving him her best sad puppy eyes. “This many sleeps?” She held up 3 fingers.

“Already a negotiator.” Mav laughed, “You all are in trouble.”

“And the puppy eyes…” Coyote added, “Who can resist those? I’d be giving that baby anything she wants!”

“Gracie, we have to wait until next weekend because it’s a lot of work and hard to move.” You tried to reason with her, “We have to wait for another weekend when Mommy and Daddy don’t work. We wanted this weekend to be just for your birthday.”

“But I wanna live wif Daddy.” She said, laying her head on Bradley’s shoulder.

“Between all of us, we could get you moved over there in no time” Coyote offered, “It’s not like it’s an entire house of stuff, and you’ve fed us so often it would be the least we could do. That way our cutie pie Princess gets to live with her Daddy way sooner than 7 sleeps. No weekend needed.”

“That’s a good plan. I’m free whenever you need help.” Bob said.

“I can watch Gracie here to make it easier too if that helps.” Amelia offered.

“What do you say, Sweetheart?” Bradley asked, smiling at you, “Feel like moving in sooner?”

“If everyone is absolutely sure they want to help, I’ll happily accept.” You smiled.

“Ok, Baby Girl” Bradley said, “Tomorrow, we’ll have your party, then on Sunday we will pack and if everyone is available Monday after work… we will move you and Mommy in with me. So that’s 3 sleeps!”

“YAY!” She exclaimed, “I wuv you, Daddy!”

“I love you too.” He replied, smiling, “Jump down and give hugs to all your uncles and aunt too. They’re the ones that are making this happen!”

Gracie jumped down and made her way around to everyone giving them hugs and kisses.

“While we’ve got all the muscle, can we knock out two moves?” You asked, “We’ll order dinner for everyone that night and next Friday night we’ll have everyone over and I’ll cook. Just figured we could orchestrate a two for one deal…get Nat moved in while we move out?”

“I can wait until the weekend, it’s ok!” Phoenix insisted, not wanting to make more work for people.

“It’s absolutely no problem!” Bob said, “We can split the squad…divide and conquer!”

“No sweat, it’ll be easy.” Coyote said, smiling, “We’ve got you!”

“Guys, it’s really ok…” Phoenix said.

“Nope, it’s a done deal.” Fanboy said, “We’re moving Y/N and Gracie to Rooster’s and Phoenix to Hangman’s. Next topic… Gracie, I hear there’s a Disneyland trip in the future… I think that needs to happen soon, don’t you?”

“YES!” She agreed, “You come too?”

“Of course, I’ll come!” He said, “I think we should get everyone to come, just like when we went to the zoo, that would be fun! Maybe this time we can get Papa Mav and Penny to come?”

“Now, wait…” Mav started to stay.

“PAPA MAV!” Gracie exclaimed, running over to him, “You go to Disney wif me and Mommy and Daddy and Unco Jakey and Aunty Nix and EVERYBODY?”

“Now, how can you say ‘no’ to that?” Penny asked, laughing, “He would love to go with you, Sweet Girl.”

“I guess you’re going to Disneyland, Mav.” Bradley laughed.

“Dagger trip to Disneyland!” Jake said, “I’m just glad we’ll have a lot more supervision than just the two of us now. More hands on deck is always better.”

“More supervision is always the answer when you two are involved.” Phoenix agreed.

“I can’t even argue with that.” Jake shrugged, flashing her a smile.

“Nope. That’s accurate.” Bradley agreed.

“I’d say the whole squad needs adult supervision, but honestly, they put Pete in charge of them…”, Penny laughed, “So, not really sure what the Navy was thinking there.”

“Mav’s in charge of us, but Simpson is tasked with supervising him.” Phoenix reasoned, “I think they assume that it’ll balance out.”

“I think they knew exactly what they were doing when they put all of you together.” You said, “You all fit perfectly. Everyone has their own strengths and weaknesses but they all compliment each other…if that makes sense. I wasn’t here in the beginning and from what I’ve heard it may not have been as well oiled as it is now, but I’d bet even then, even if it wasn’t as smooth you all worked well together.”

“You’re absolutely correct, Y/N.” Mav said, “Even at their worst, when they couldn’t see past their own noses, they complimented one another in their skills. The higher ups definitely knew what they were doing assembling this group, and were smart enough to keep them together.”

“Aww, Mav.” Jake said, “You really DO love us!”

“Of course he does, he’s adopted us all, hasn’t he?” Payback teased, “He now has 6 kids.”

“I don’t recall signing any papers or taking responsibility for any of you.” Mav laughed, “Well, except for Bradley… I signed up for that one.”

“Sorry guys, guess I’m the only one that’s been adopted.” Bradley laughed. You were glad he’d been able to rebuild his relationship with his godfather. You knew the history and that it was still a work in progress, but that they were working hard towards the bond they’d once had.

“Since Rooster is with my sister that makes him my family so that means you have to adopt me now by default.” Jake reasoned to Mav.

“You know, his logic does sort of make sense.” Bradley agreed, looking at Mav.

“If Rooster and Hangman agree on something it MUST be true.” Bob added.

“If Bob backs it, then it’s 100% fact.” Phoenix said.

“Looks like you’ve got yourself at least 2 adoptees, might as well make it 6.” Penny laughed.

“Since you are I are together now, Honey, that makes them yours too.” Mav smirked.

“Penny’s been mothering us since we got to North Island, Mav.” Fanboy said, “She adopted us willingly.”

“Can’t help it, you all were a hopeless lot. You needed mothering.” Penny replied, winking at him.

“So it’s official, we’ve been adopted.” Jake said, “Next order of business, when’s our Disney trip?”

“Barring any surprise missions or pop up training exercises we can probably schedule it for next weekend since we won’t be needing it to move anyone now. We can book a few hotel rooms or look at renting out a house for the weekend.”

“What do you think, Sweetheart?” Bradley asked, looking at you, “Family trip to Disney next weekend?”

“If everyone is free, I know a certain Princess would love to spend the weekend at Disneyland.” You agreed.

“We’re in.” Jake said, looking at Phoenix to confirm, she smiled nodding back at him.

“I’m definitely in!” Fanboy said, “Not missing this for the world.”

“I’m free and it sounds fun.” Bob said.

“I’m game. I might see if my sister wants to meet us there with her kids too.” Payback said.

“That would be perfect.” You replied, “More kids for Gracie to interact with.”

“Then it’s set, Dagger family trip to Disney next weekend.” Penny said, “I’ll get Kenny to cover the bar and call in some of my extra standbys.”

“Here that, Princess G?” Jake said, lifting Gracie into his lap, “We’re going to Disneyland next weekend!”

“DISNEY?” She exclaimed, “YES!”

“Our favorite Princess needs to meet the rest of the Princesses.” Phoenix said, “You’ll still be our favorite though.”

“Absolutely” Bradley agreed, “None of those Princesses are better than our sweet Princess.”

“Alright, time to get this princess home to bed so she’s rested for her big party tomorrow.” You said, “We’ll plan on being here early to help get all the food and everything set up, Penny.”

“Don’t worry about it, Sweetie.” She assured you, “We’ve got it handled. Just enjoy the morning with your little girl. No rushing around.”

“Thank you again for letting us crash your backyard.” You said.

“We were more than happy to have the party here.” Penny said, “No thanks needed.”

After saying goodnight and giving hugs, you and Bradley made your way to the Bronco, getting Gracie secured in her car seat. By the time you arrived home, she was already asleep, having worn herself out bouncing in the bounce castle. Bradley carried her into her room and tucked her into bed after carefully pulling her shoes off. You decided letting her sleep in her clothes one night wouldn’t hurt anything.

Jake and Phoenix arrived home shortly after. You and Bradley were wrapping some of Gracie’s presents when they came in.

“And we’re the ones that spoil her?” Jake asked, taking in the array of presents being wrapped.

“Ok so, we may have gone overboard.” You acknowledged, “But in my defense, this is her first real birthday party… the first year we’ve got people making a big fuss over her.”

“I understand.” Jake said, coming over and pulling you into a hug, “And it’s not like we ever had steller birthdays, so I get you wanting to make them amazing for Gracie.”

“I do.” You replied, “I want her to have everything we didn’t.”

“Just promise me you’ll remember that tomorrow…” Jake said, pulling away and flashing you his dimpled grin. “I’m just making sure she has the kinda birthdays we never had.”

“Jacob Seresin, what did you do?” You asked, knowing now he was definitely up to something.

“It’s a surprise.” He said, “But Gracie is going to LOVE it and that is all that matters.”

“Nat… you had ONE job.” You groaned, shaking your head, “You were supposed to keep him reigned in…”

“Yeah… about that.” She laughed, “Problem is… there was nobody to reign ME in?”

“I need to remember to send Admiral Simpson the biggest package of cookies and treats with an “I’m sorry” and “Thank you” card for dealing with all of you.” You said, shaking your head, “Seriously, the man has earned a bonus…or an early retirement… surely some fancy medal…”

“I love you, Tulip.” Jake said, cheekily, “You know you love me too. I’m your favorite big brother!”

“I do love you, you idiot.” You laughed, “You’re my ONLY big brother.”

“I just want to point out that I had nothing to do with this surprise.” Bradley said, smirking, “So, I’m not in the doghouse over this one. Sorry, Jake. Other surprises, I will fully admit to having a hand in.”

“What other surprises?” You asked, suddenly nervous.

“Look at the time, it’s getting really late.” Bradley said, changing the subject, “We should really get to bed. We promised Gracie chocolate chip pancakes for her birthday breakfast, she’ll be up early for those.”

“Definitely, it's gonna be an early start tomorrow.” Jake agreed, “We’ll be here for her birthday breakfast, but then have to go take care of the rest of her present, so we’ll meet you at Penny and Mav’s after to help with the rest of the setup.”

“OK, I’m just going to roll with it.” You decided, sighing. “I trust that whatever this surprise is will be something she’ll love and will be absolutely Uncle Jake coded, meaning chaotic.”

“There’s the spirit!” Phoenix laughed, “You’re not wrong either.”

“Alright then, I’ll see you both in the morning.” You laughed, “I love you both. Goodnight.”

“Love you too.” Jake smiled, kissing your head and hugging you. “Goodnight.”

***

The next morning Gracie was up with the sun, excited for her birthday. Before you even had a chance to wake up or think about starting her pancakes, she was bursting into your room and climbing on your bed with you and Bradley.

“Mommy! Daddy!” She exclaimed, “It’s my BIRFDAY!” I’m FREE!!”

“Are you sure?” Bradley groaned, pulling her down in between the two of you, “I dunno if the sun is even awake yet, Princess.”

“It is, Daddy!” She promised, “WAKE UP!”

“Happy Birthday, my sweet Gracie Girl.” You said, opening your eyes and pulling her to you into a hug. “I love you baby girl.”

“I wuv you too Mommy!” She said, snuggling into the hug for a moment before flipping around to Bradley.

“Daddy!” She yelled, making sure he was indeed awake.

“I’m awake, Princess.” He laughed, “Happy Birthday, Baby Girl. Come give me BIG BIG hugs.”

She launched herself across into his arms, immediately snuggling into his embrace.

“I love you, Gracie.” He told her, “I’m so lucky I get to be your Daddy and spend your birthdays with you now.”

“I wuv you too, Daddy.” She replied, “You’re my best Daddy!”

“You’re my best Princess!” He replied, kissing her head and launching a tickle attack.

A while later and after some caffeine, you’re plating chocolate chip pancakes for the birthday girl, as Bradley is getting milk poured into her sippy cup.

“Happy BIRTHDAY Princess G!” Jake exclaimed, coming into the kitchen and swooping her up from her chair to hug her. “I love you!”

“I wuv you too, Unco Jakey!” She said, hugging him back. “You eat pancakes wif me?”

“Absolutely!” He replied, “They’re my favorite.”

“I get to hug the birthday princess first!” Phoenix said, taking her from Jake. “Happy Birthday, Gracie Girl!”

“I wuv you Aunty Nix!” Gracie said, hugging her tightly.

“I love you too!” She replied, “I can’t wait to celebrate with you today!”

“You jump wif me in the bouncy castle?” Gracie asked her

“Of course I will!” She promised, “Uncle Jakey and I will happily jump with you!”

“Have a seat, I made enough to feed half of the Pacific Fleet” You said, setting a platter of pancakes on the table.

Once everyone was full and breakfast was cleared, Jake and Phoenix headed out on their secret mission for Gracie’s surprise and you and Bradley started to get Gracie ready for the party.

“I’m going to jump in the shower quick, can you get her dressed in a play outfit?” You asked, “We’ll take her Princess dress for her to change into at the party.”

“Sure can.” Bradley said, “Come on, Princess, let’s go get you ready while Mommy showers.”

After a quick shower, pulling your hair up to keep it dry, you pull on a pair of shorts and the tshirt you’d ordered for the party that said “Mommy of the Birthday Princess”. You’d ordered one for Bradley that said “Daddy of the Birthday Princess” to wear as well. You took your hair down and ran a brush through before deciding to pull it into a loose braid to keep most of it off your face.

“Alright, we’ve one birthday Princess dressed, but we both decided it would be in everyone’s best interests to let Mommy tackle the hair.” Bradley said, coming into your room carrying Gracie piggy back style.

“I think I’m up to the challenge.” You said, smiling at the pair, “I set your t-shirt out for you.. It’s not a Hawaiian shirt, but figured you’d make an exception just this once.”

“I don’t ONLY wear Hawaiian shirts.” He pointed out, chuckling. He carefully let Gracie slide off his back onto your bed, then turned to look at the shirt, his face lighting up as he read it. “I absolutely love it, Sweetheart.”

“Good.” You said, kissing him, “Go get ready, I’ll do Gracie’s hair, then we can head over to help Mav and Penny.”

“I love you.” He said, stealing another kiss before picking up his t-shirt. “Thank you for letting me be her Daddy.”

“I love you too,” You replied, “Thank you for loving her and for wanting to BE her Daddy.”

*****

When you arrived at Penny and Mav’s they were already hard at working getting food prepared and set up on platters.

“There’s the birthday Princess!” Penny said when Amelia led the three of you to the kitchen. “Happy Birthday! Are you excited for your party?”

“Yes!” Gracie exclaimed, squirming to be let down from Bradley’s arms. He obliged, setting her down so she could run to Penny and give her hugs.

“Where’s my hugs, Little Chick?” Mav asked, crouching down and opening his arms up. Gracie immediately launched herself into his arms.

“Little Chick, huh?” You asked, smiling at the pair.

“Figured it was appropriate.” Mav winked, “We used to call Bradley Baby Goose… so Little Chick seemed to fit this cutie.”

“Baby Goose?” You gushed, looking at Bradley, who sighed and chuckled, shaking his head at his godfather. “That is the most adorable thing EVER!”

“Thanks, Mav.” Bradley groaned

“Speaking of adorable,” Penny said, “I love your shirts!”

“Thanks!” You said, smiling, “I found them online and couldn’t resist.”

“Do you think we can get shirts made for the Disney trip next weekend?” Bradley asked, “Or is it too late?”

“I think we can probably make it happen.” You replied, smiling at him. “Maybe we can get them made for the whole squad?”

“I can guarantee you that every one of them would wear one.” Mav said. “Myself included.”

“Count me in.” Penny agreed.

“Me too!” Amelia said, “Gracie, do you want to go play for a little bit while the adults set everything up?”

“Yes pwease!” Gracie said, “Mommy, Daddy, I go pway?”

“Go ahead, Baby Girl.” Bradley said, “Just make sure you listen to Amelia, OK?”

“OK!” She replied, running off with Amelia.

“I wish I had that child’s abundance of energy.” Mav laughed

“Or her resilience.” You said, thinking about everything she’d been through already in her three years of life and despite it all she was still the most loving, free spirited, and trusting child you’d ever met.

“I dunno, Sweetheart,” Bradley said, “I think she learned resilience from her Momma. She’s a strong little little girl because she’s had you to learn from… and she loves with her whole heart, just like her Mommy.”

“He’s right, Y/N.” Penny agreed. “Her resilience and strength is a direct reflection of you. You’ve done an amazing job, Sweetie… no matter what, never doubt that.”

“Y’all are gonna make me cry before this party!” You said, tears threatening to spill over. Bradley pulled you into his arms, tucking your head into the space between his neck and shoulder. You breathed him in, recentering yourself and pushing back the emotions. Once you were calmed again, you lifted your head enough to kiss his cheek, “Ok, let’s get our daughter’s birthday party ready for her.”

“Yes, Ma’am.” He smiled, kissing your forehead before releasing you.

A few hours later Amelia found you all sitting outside having gotten all of the food prepped. All that was left was for the meat to go on the grill when it was time for the party.

“Gracie fell asleep while we were watching Beauty and the Beast.” She said, sitting down next to Bradley. The two had really bonded recently. You could tell Amelia looked up to him, and saw him almost as a big brother figure. “She’s on the couch and I put pillows on the floor next to her in case she rolls off.”

“Thanks, Ames.” Bradley said, smiling affectionately at her. “She loves spending time with you, you’re really good with her.”

“She’s adorable.” Amelia replied, “I’m guessing a little sibling isn’t in the cards for me, so it’s fun to get to play with Gracie and have her around.”

“Definitely a no on the siblings, Sweetheart.” Penny confirmed, “That ship has sailed.”

“How would you feel about having a niece?” you asked, “Being an aunt could be just as fun as being a big sister.”

“Really?” She asked, her eyes lighting up and a smile spreading across her face.

“I think you’d make a fantastic aunt.” You confirmed, then nodded at Bradley, “And since this one is in the only sibling club too, I think he needs to be adopted. Feel like taking on a big brother?”

“It does seem kinda cool to have a big brother.” She acknowledged, “I guess I can adopt this one. He’s kinda cool?”

“Just KINDA cool?” Bradley gasped, “Gracie thinks I’m SUPER cool.”

“I wouldn’t go THAT far…” Amelia laughed, “But… I think you’d be a really awesome big brother.”

“It just so happens,” Bradley said standing up and pulling her with him into a hug, “I think you’d be a really awesome little sister.” Amelia wrapped her arms around him, hugging him back. And just like that, the tears that had threatened to spill earlier were back.

“What did we miss?” Jake asked, coming around the corner of the house with Phoenix by his side.

“Bradley just got himself adopted by Amelia as a big brother.” Penny said, wiping her own tears from her eyes. Glancing up you see Mav’s eyes suspiciously wet and red as he watches the two hug.

“What took you so…” You trailed off, your eyes falling on the pony that was being led to the backyard behind Jake and Phoenix. “JACOB! WE SAID NO PONIES!”

“Ok, but in my defense, I never actually AGREED to that.” He said, flashing a bright smile, his dimple popping, “And Mav signed off on it. Besides, It’s a UNICORN, Tulip, not a pony.”

Looking back you noticed that there was indeed a unicorn horn attached to the pony’s head, making said pony a unicorn.

“So, you can’t get mad, because we absolutely followed the no pony rule.” Phoenix pointed out.

“You all need full time adult supervision.” You laughed, looking at Bradley, “Were you in on this?”

“Absolutely not.” He promised, “I’m innocent…although, I kinda wish I’d thought of it. Gracie is going to LOVE it.”

“I surrender.” You laughed, “I’m clearly outnumbered.”

“There’s the spirit!” Jake cheered. “Mav, where should we have them set up the pen and Unicorn?”

“We can make space next to the castle bounce house.” He replied, getting up and heading over to the bounce house with Jake and another handler leading the pony/unicorn.

***

By the time the squad started to arrive, Gracie was awake from her nap, changed into Princess dress and already in the bounce house with Jake and Phoenix.

“Where’s our birthday Princess?” Coyote asked, leading the group to the backyard.

“Last I checked she was giving Jake and Nat a run for their money in the bounce house.” You replied, “They would probably welcome someone to tag out with them.”

“Mission accepted!” He said, “Fanboy, let’s go bounce!”

“Can the bounce castle handle that?” Amelia asked, looking at the castle doubtfully. “That’s a lot of crazy in one confined space.”

Bradley and Payback almost fell on the ground laughing. Bob and Mav just agreed with Amelia. You and Penny shook your heads laughing, and decided to go grab drinks for everyone.

Several of Gracie’s friends from daycare and their families arrived a little later. Mav started the grill up, getting the food going to feed the masses. Kids were running around between pony “unicorn” rides and bouncing in the castle, while the adults supervised, played yard games, or sat together and talked.

“Looks like the perfect party for a princess.” Lauren said, walking towards where you and Bradley were currently standing watching Gracie ride the pony. “And it appears the live animals did in fact win out.”

“Lauren!” I’m so glad you could make it!” You beamed, “The unicorn pony is all Jake. He requires adult supervision at all times, I’ve learned.”

“There are worse things.” She laughed, “I wouldn’t miss this for the world. I love getting to see the happy beginnings…and I know this is the start to a beautiful family.”

“Thank you again for all that you did for them.” Bradley said, “This is all possible because of everything you did to help. Gracie is living her best life right now.”

“I’d say she’s living her best life because she’s got two amazing parents and a very large extended family that loves her unconditionally.” Lauren countered, smiling at Gracie as she passed around on the pony.

“She’s definitely got a large family.” You agreed, looking around at everyone that showed up. “I never dared to even dream this could be our life.”

“It’s only going to get better from here, Sweetheart.” Bradley said, leaning over to kiss your head.

“TIME TO EAT!” Jake yelled, drawing everyone’s attention towards where you had all the food set up.

“We better get in there before there’s nothing left.” You said laughing, “Trust me, this lot can eat, so you’ll wanna get it while you can.”

“Come on Princess.” Bradley said, lifting Gracie off the pony, “Time to eat my sweet baby girl.”

“Daddy, you see me wide?” She beamed, proud of herself.

“I sure did!” He replied, “You did so good! We might need to find you some riding lessons when you get a little bigger.”

“And so it begins.” You laughed, “I think this was Jake’s ulterior motive… making her fall in love with horses.”

“Horses and planes…”Bradley said, laughing, “It tracks.”

You got Gracie a plate and set her with her friends to eat while Bradley got plates for the two of you and set them at the table the rest of the squad had settled at.

“Looks like Gracie loves the Unicorn.” Jake said, looking pleased with himself.

“She does in fact love the PONY.” You laughed, rolling your eyes, “Your evil plan seems to have worked.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about, Tulip.” He said, feigning innocence. “I simply realized that every princess party needs a unicorn.”

“Uh huh… had nothing to do with getting your niece hooked on horses?” You asked, not buying it for a minute.

“That is just an added bonus!” He beamed. “She’s a natural in the saddle too! Did you see her?”

“Your Cowboy is showing.” Phoenix teased, winking at him, “It’s cute, I’m not complaining… just stating a fact.”

“I can show you my cowboy hat when we get home.” He offered, smirking back at her. “You can even try it on.”

“Eww, nope! No, stop!” You whined, “Jakey! NOT ok!”

“It’s just a hat?” Phoenix replied, not understanding your response.

“There’s a rule about wearing a cowboy’s hat, Sweets.” Jake said cheekily, “If you…”

“Jacob, there are small children present.” You reminded him, leveling him with your ‘mom’ look. “You can tell her all about it later.”

“Now I’m really intrigued.” Phoenix said, looking at Jake. He leaned over and whispered in her ear. “IS THAT FOR REAL?”

You laughed at her reaction, nodding your head to confirm.

“Care to share, Sweetheart?” Bradley asked, “Now I’m curious.”

“Depends…” You reply, “Do you happen to own a cowboy hat?”

“I could be persuaded to buy one.” He replied, “I’m guessing by your earlier reaction to Jake’s comment that it would be worth my while.”

“Bradshaw,” Jake said, glaring playfully across the table, “That’s my baby sister you’re talking to.”

“And?” Bradley tossed back, smirking at him.

“Just reminding you.” Jake replied, “I don’t need to be party to all your conversations. There are little ears here.”

“On that note,” You said, changing the subject, “I”m going to go check on the kiddos then get the cake from the kitchen.”

“I’ll come help.” Bradley offered.

After making sure that Gracie was OK at the table with the other kids, you and Bradley made your way into the house to get her birthday cake ready along with the candles.

“So…the hat rule?” Bradley asked, standing behind you and wrapping his arms around you as you put the candles into the cake.

“The rule is if you wear a cowboy’s hat, you ride that cowboy.” You smirked, glancing back at Bradley.

“I may definitely need to invest in a cowboy hat then.” Bradley said, dipping his head to kiss your neck. “Or we can change the rule… you can wear one of my uniform caps and ride the aviator.”

“I think I like the sound of that flyboy.” You replied, turning in his arms, wrapping your own around his neck and pulling him down to kiss him. When you pulled away you added, “But for now, we need to bring this cake out to our daughter and keep her party moving.”

“Yes Ma’am.” He replied, smiling, “I can’t wait to watch her open all of her presents!”

“I have a feeling we may need to add a room onto the house to hold all of her toys.” You laughed.

“We can make that happen.” Bradley said, picking up the cake from the counter.

After a wild rendition of “happy birthday” was sung, you moved to the food table to start serving cake and ice cream with Penny’s help dishing it all up and Bradley helping to pass out the dessert. Once kids were once more sugared up and had energy, they returned to the bounce house and pony rides for a while before you attempted to round everyone up to open gifts.

You were correct in assuming you’d need to add on to the house to hold all of her gifts. Her new extended family had definitely gone overboard. Mav and Penny had alone had practically cleaned out the Disney Store. She’d have lots of new Princess decor for her new bedroom. Bob got her a new princess themed tea party set which she immediately made him promise to play with her with. Payback and Fanboy went together and got her a princess bike with training wheels, complete with a princess helmet.

“This one is from Aunt Nix and me, Princess G.” Jake said, handing her a brightly wrapped box.

She tore the paper off and opened the box pulling out a small flight suit. It was customized with a Dagger patch on one side and her name Gracie “Princess” Seresin on the other. Inside the box was also a child size pair of aviator sunglasses.

“I match you and Daddy!” Gracie beamed happily, “And Aunty Nix!”

“You sure do, Princess G.” Jake said, “And all your other uncles, and Papa Mav too.”

“I fwy wif you now?” She asked, batting her eyelashes at her uncle.

“Soon, I promise!” He said, “Very very soon!”

“That’s the cutest thing I’ve ever seen.” You smiled at Jake. “And very restrained from you….”

“Oh that’s not all.” He laughed, pulling out another giant gift bag, and handing it to his niece. You just shook your head. “Come on now, Tulip, you know me better than that.”

Gracie pulled the paper from the bag and lifted out a pony playset and a little cowgirl hat with a princess tiara attached to it. She loved it, wanting to wear it immediately. Thankfully you’d put her hair into lower ponytails today so the hat fit over them.

You and Bradley got her a couple of new toys and outfits, not wanting to go completely overboard.

“There’s one more here for you, Baby Girl.” Bradley said, handing her a small wrapped box. You looked at him questioningly, not recognizing the box. He smiled, shrugging. “It’s my first birthday with her as her Daddy… it had to be special.” You leaned over and kissed his cheek, whispering “I love you” in his ear.

She tore off the paper on the little box opening it up carefully, her eyes lit up and she smiled widely at Bradley.

“Daddy! It’s pwetty!” She exclaimed. Nestled inside the box on a satin backing was a tiny necklace with two small charm pendants. One was a small princess crown and the other an f-18. Where he’d managed to find that was beyond you.

“Bradley, it’s perfect.” You whispered, tears springing to your eyes.

Jake leaned over, his own eyes suspiciously wet, to help Gracie take the necklace from the box and to put it on her. Looking closer at the necklace he said, “Princess G, it’s even more special.. It says ‘Daddy’s Girl.” on the crown!”

At that, you lost the battle and the tears freely fell from your eyes. Bradley wiped his own eyes, smiling as Jake put the necklace on Gracie.

“I wuv you, Daddy!” Gracie said, coming over and throwing her arms around Bradley as he picked her up, holding her tightly to him.

“I love you too, my sweet Baby Girl.” He told her.

“So, would now be a good time to tell you that Bradley and I definitely went ahead and ordered that Castle playset for y’all’s backyard?” Jake asked, wiping tears from his eyes as he tried to add some humor back to the situation.

“You know what?” You said, wiping your own eyes, laughing through the emotions, “I’m not even shocked.”

After the party wound down, the squad stayed behind to help with clean up. Payback and Fanboy offered to take the bounce house back to the rental place once it was deflated. Gracie got a few more rides on the pony before the handler had to load her back onto the trailer. Jake handed you their business card, saying they also offered riding lessons.

You all loaded Gracie’s gifts into Jake’s truck as there was more room in there than the Bronco. You let Gracie keep a few things out she wanted to play with the next day while you all tackled the packing, and you would take the rest straight to Bradley’s house to avoid having to move it twice.

“Hey, what time are you thinking of starting packing in the morning? Do you think it’ll take all day?” Mav asked, as you and Bradley were loading the last of her gifts.

“Definitely not all day.” You said, “It’s mostly clothes and toys, not a whole house.”

“How would you feel about bringing Gracie out to the hangar tomorrow morning and taking her up for her first flight?” Mav suggested.

“You wanna take Gracie flying tomorrow morning?” Bradley asked, smiling.

“I was thinking more along the lines of her Dad and Uncle taking her up in the air.” He clarified. “She’s small enough, she can be strapped into the backseat with someone… probably safer that way anyway.”

“You’ll let us fly your plane?” Jake asked, clearly shocked.

“You are both highly skilled pilots.” Mav laughed, “Of course I trust you to fly my plane.”

“What do you think, Sweetheart?” Bradley asked, “Can we take her flying?”

“Just promise me no crazy pilot stuff and to return her safely back to the ground.” You said, “So maybe Jake should be the backseater tomorrow.”

“Hey!” He protested, “I take GREAT offense to that.”

“I don’t doubt your skills, Jakey.” You laughed, “I doubt your restraint in not turning my daughter into a dare devil at 3 years old. I don’t know that my Mommy heart can handle that. Can we agree to wait until she’s older to turn her into a daredevil?”

“Fine.” He agreed, “Rooster, for tomorrow only, I’ll be your backseater.”

“I’m sure Bob and Fanboy can give you some tips if you need them.” Bradley teased, “Thanks, Mav. This really means a lot.”

“No thanks needed.” He replied, “Taking you up flying when you were little is probably one of the best memories I have of your childhood.”

“So you’re saying I should be ready for my daughter to follow in her uncle and Daddy’s footsteps to become a Naval Aviator?” You asked.

“Hell yeah!” Phoenix said, bring Gracie over to the group. “She’d be fierce.”

“I don’t know that the Navy would survive that.” Mav laughed. “It’s barely surviving all of you.”

“Fair.” Phoenix laughed. “This one is fading fast. I think all the bouncing and riding tired her out and the sugar is leaving her system.”

“Let’s get her home to bed.” You said, “She’s going to have another exciting day tomorrow, apparently.”

“You and Nix take the Bronco with Gracie and get her tucked in,” Bradley said, “Jake and I will run all this to the house in his truck then head that way.”

“Wow, that’s huge… Rooster’s letting someone else drive his Bronco.” Jake chuckled, “Didn’t think we’d see the day.”

“She’s trusting me to be a father to Gracie.” He replied, shrugging, “Nothing can compare that, man.”

“Fair point.” Jake said, “Let’s get this haul to your house and get back to our girls.”

After saying goodbye to Penny, Mav and Amelia and making plans to meet the next morning, Bradley loaded Gracie into her car seat. Phoenix got into the passenger seat buckling in, Jake going around to her side leaning in to steal a kiss.

Bradley walked you to the driver’s side, pulling you into his arms, your own winding around his neck.

“Drive carefully, Sweetheart.” He said. “My whole world is with you… and not the Bronco… you know that right?”

“I know, Baby.” You said, smiling, pulling him down to kiss him. “I love you, Bradley.”

“I love you too, Y/N.” He said, resting his forehead against yours, “See you soon.”

A/N: Sorry the update took so long! I promise, I've got more time now so updates should be coming quicker! :)

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#miles teller #bradley bradshaw x reader #top gun fanfiction #bradley rooster bradshaw #glen powell #starting over #big brother jake seresin #jake hangman seresin

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azrielslightintheshadows · 7 months

Text

Shadows and tears

So this is a series about Azriel and reader. English is not my first language so please excuse any mistakes. I hope you like it!

Summary: Reader is a tortured soul who barely escaped the brutality of the Illyrian camps finding shelter in the Day Court. Her identity was well hidden until she caught the attention of the Night Court’s Shadowsinger. Will the mating bond be enough for their love to settle in?

Warnings: angst, mentions of abuse and trauma

Masterlist

Prologue , Chapter 1 , Chapter 2 , Chapter 3 , Chapter 4 , Chapter 5, Chapter 7 , Chapter 8, Chapter 9, Chapter 10

Chapter 6

I need her

You landed in Helion’s court, and to your surprise Helion was waiting for you by the gates of his palace. Rhysand must have informed him. You thought and couldn’t stop the tears as your dear friend opened his arms waiting to embrace you in a loving warm hug, and he did just that as sobs left your mouth, your body shaking. He already knew what happened thanks to Rhysand again and you made a mental note to thank him when you see him again for saving you from a long heartbreaking conversation.

“Wanna go inside?” he asked you and you nodded in return.

He guided you in his office and you spent the rest of the evening drinking wine listening to him talk about what has happened in the day court while you were gone.

“Helion I’m so sorry…” your eyes watered again.

“Why sweetheart?” he asked.

“There were times that I thought about not coming back here, I had so much fun, I thought I could be a part of their family” you explained avoiding his gaze.

“Y/n that’s why I wanted to send you back, I knew that you belong to the night court, you can fit there, do way more things that you are meant to do… there…not here.” He said and continued “also I had a feeling that the shadowsinger is your mate…” he lowered his gaze, now he was the one who couldn’t look into your eyes.

“Why didn’t you tell me?” you asked.

“I didn’t want to get your hopes up about meeting your mate and then be wrong” he explained.

Letting a sigh, you leaned back into the couch and stared the ceiling. Million thoughts ran through your mind making you feel dizzy. “He will want to see you” Helion said interrupting the chaos in your head.

“No” the power in your voice surprised both of you, Helion only nodded not wanting to pressure you. “There’s nothing more for him to say, we spent so much time together, he was different with me… I thought this meant something but he ruined everything. The bond means nothing to me if it’s the only reason he wants to be with me.” You continued and the decision was pretty clear for you, you had felt a tug to the bond when you were flying here so he knew, you blocked him and continued your flight.

“Helion…. Can you break the bond?” you asked and Helion stared at you wide-eyed.

“y/n are you sure you want that?” he asked. “Yes I’m sure” you replied a determined look on your face. “If we do this then both of you will feel tremendous pain, I have to grasp the bond and rip it off you both, it will feel like I’m ripping a part of your soul, and the emptiness….the emptiness has caused faes to kill themselves” he explained with a pained look.

“I want to do this.” You repeated.

“Okay, go get some rest and we will discuss this again tomorrow” you tried to protest but he kept a finger up “IF you still want to do this tomorrow then okay…” he concluded.

You left his office and went back to your old room; it was still the same as you left it. With a sigh you fell on your bed and slept, you will need to be well-rested tomorrow.

Helion spent the night thinking, he wrote a quick letter explaining what you are planning to do and sent it to Rhysand praying to the cauldron that someone from the inner circle will be able to change your mind.

Velaris

Rhysand was restless, he was pacing back and forth in the dining room, all eyes on him, only Azriel and Elain weren’t there. Azriel disappeared as soon as he felt the bond, blocking everyone from his mind and Elain left in tears as soon as Rhysand scolded her and threatened to ban her from his court if she went anywhere near Azriel again. Feyre surprised everyone when she agreed with Rhysand and Nesta kept her mouth shut knowing that Elain truly fucked up this time. They wouldn’t ban her of course but they had to make a point.

He kept pacing until a piece of paper fell in his hands, everyone stared at him in question. “Oh no” he said as soon as he finished the last line pulling his hair. “What is it?” Feyre asked leaving her chair to get the letter.

“She wants to break the bond?” she asked a sad expression on her face. A gasp startled them as Elain appeared from behind the door. “See what you did? Are you enjoying this?” Mor shouted and Amren placed a hand on her shoulder to calm her down.

Rhysand tried with all of his powers to break through Azriel’s shields, scrapping to show him the severity of the situation.

What do you want? Azriel’s question rang through his mind.

You need to get back here right fucking now Az it’s urgent Rhysand replied slightly using his High Lord voice.

Azriel’s breath caught in his throat, did something happen to you? He rushed on his feet and let his shadows embrace him moving him to the house of the wind. He saw all of his friends, he could feel their anger, their worry but also sadness.

“What happened Rhys?” he was shaking, trying to keep a cool demeanour and a cold mask over his face.

“She wants to break the bond.” Rhys replied and stared at his shoes not wanting to see the look on his friend’s face.

“Can she do that?” Azriel’s voice was shaking and barely above a whisper.

“Helion can.” It was Feyre who replied wanting to save her mate from this awful conversation.

“I have to go there, maybe I can change her mind” Azriel stated waiting for the approval from his high lord, not that he wouldn’t go if Rhys denied him, but he hoped that maybe his friend would offer to accompany him in this hard trip.

“I will come with you” Mor said getting up. Azriel stared at her and she offered him a tight smile “I like to think that we became friends while she was here, maybe I can help you change her mind” she continued.

Azriel nodded and headed for the balcony but was stopped by Elain who ran to him falling on her knees and hugging his legs. “Don’t go…please, let her break the bond, I can ask Helion to do the same for me and then we can be together, nothing will stand between us” everyone stared in shock.

“Don’t you get it?” Azriel screamed so loud that Elain flinched and fell backwards crawling away from the shadowsinger, he was terrifying, his eyes wide his wings tense and widespread, his hands in tight fists and shadows frantic around him, his voice rough and cold… his siphons almost breaking from the power that trembled Velaris. “I fell for her and my stupid mind held me back, I thought it was meant to be three sisters for three brothers but I was wrong. I need her” he kept screaming his voice breaking at the end.

“I need her” he repeated.

@cleverzonkwombatsludge

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joviepog · 10 months

Note

HIII!!!

since u needed requests, im at your service o7

wilbur soot x fem!reader with a love or host and y/n wins and ends up picking love 🫶

love you !! <3 /p

Thanks for the request @lanaxoxoxoxoxox! Thank you for your service! XD

—ᰔ—ᰔ—ᰔ—ᰔ—ᰔ—ᰔ—ᰔ—

Love or host

Who: Wilbur x reader

Warnings: Cursing

Pronouns: They / them

Requests: @lanaxoxoxoxoxox

Word count: 1,279 words!

Anything else: God this was harder to make than i thought but oh well! Its out and ready to read! Hope yo enjoy the end result! :D

This story is NOT proofread

“Ten of the most b-beautiful women! Out of millions,” he pauses, “millions of submissions that we had to comb through to be able to find ten perfect ladies that could be for you!” Rajj says excitedly. You giggle a bit but he continues. “Are you excited about it or are you nervous?” He says and you could practically see the cheeky grin on his face. Then you hear the voice you were waiting for. You could hear them and they couldn’t hear you. And you took advantage of this. You gasped silently as you heard his lovely British accent. You felt like such a simp. “I’m both Rajj. I sometimes get the two confused. I feel like I might pass out on this stream. Is that alright with you?” You swoon over his voice and when Rajj speaks you blink out of your thoughts. “Look if you do.. Wilbur if you do pass out...” You look at Wilbur’s screen and he has a goofy smile on his face. “It has never happened before but if you do t-that’s perfectly fine.”

You laugh and you see some others girls do as well. You scan them and realize they are all much more dressed up than you are. You just have plain mascara and a small bit of eyeliner. Everyone else has their hair curled or straighten and your’s s just how it ended up looking after your shower. You look down at your casual often and blush out of embarrassment. You were so underdressed. You hadn’t thought that everyone else would dress up like so nicely… It’s alright though, if he doesn’t pick you for your looks then he shouldn’t pick you at all. Still, you fixed your hair.

“Hi! I’m Wilbur.” You all collectively said hi and he continued, “I’m from London. I play a lot of Minecraft. I do a lot of music. I do a lot of YouTube. I do a lot of streaming.. and uh- that’s pretty much it. Oh. And I’m here with you and Rajj.” He gives a goofy grin and everyone laughs at his awkwardness. “I’m 6 foot five! I don’t know what I weigh.” Wait how tall? Almost instantly someone asked the same thing you were thinking, “Are we still on the same page with the fucking height? What five feet?”

“Yeah..” you said quickly. “Is there something is the room that I can compare myself to?”

“YEAH THE DOOR!” You said quickly as you pointed towards your screen. Wilbur’s eyes widened at your enthusiasm and everyone backed you up. “That’s not a door that’s a big wardrobe.” You laughed and he took off his headphones. He walked up towards the wardrobe and you all gasped as you looked at his height. When he sat back down and Kadyland started to speak. You smiled and you listened to her speak. But what you didn’t know is that Wilbur was staring at your screen the whole time. Listening, but still staring at you. He knew from the moment he saw you that he would pick you. But of course, he would still have to play along.

Kandyland soon finished at wilbur asked, “What’s fourth base?” And you laughed at that comment. Then Niki went, then Bafy went, then Bridgett, then Novur, then Minx, then Sereda, then Ali, then you. You freaked out a bit but you spoke with full confidence. “Hi wilbur my name is U/n.” “Hi U/n” he said quickly before you continued t explain yourself.

“Chat throughout the course of this stream I am actually going to be training wilbur to talk to women since it is his first time. “Aweee.” Came from everyone’s mic and you scoffed, but still smiled. “Yeah I’m actually shaking a bit Rajj.” Then there was a bunch of feedback from the girls and you laughed.“Please don’t give me sympathy it just makes it worse.” This made you burst into laughter and wilbur laughed too.

Then, it was time for the first elimination. Serena was the one who ended up going, and she chose host. Then there was another elimanition, then another then another. Till it was just you and niki. It was time for the one on one date and you couldn’t help but blush a bit. “Who wants to go first?” Asked rajj. You all sat in silence for a moment before niki went.

You talked to rajj for a good moment and then they came back. It was your turn.

“Hi wilbur!” He let out a small chuckle, “Hi. How’s it going?” You gave him a soft smile and that made him melt. As kind as Niki might be her kindness could never compare to your smile. “It going good! How are you Wilbur?” You asked, very genuine. “I- I’m good. I’m just on a dating show right now.” You let out a small giggle “How’s that going?” You said with a smile. “I’m going to tell you something U/n its fucking hard!” You both laughed, “Did it turn out the way you wanted it?”

He stared at his monitor for a moment, trying to make eye contact with you, “I guess we’ll have to see huh?” You stared at his screen and blushed widely but you quickly changed the subject., he laughed at your reaction. “Oh shut it Wil.” He continued to laugh, “So what’s your favorite drink.” He thought for a moment before coming to a conclusion, “Water.” “Water?” You said softly. “Not a lot of people say that.” He smiled, “Oh I know.” There was an awkward silence and you spoke again. “Wilbur?” “Mm?” “Why are you so perfect?”

The timer went off and you blushed at your fowardness. Wilbur’s eyes were wide and you swear you could see a hint of red. “So how do you guys think you did.” “I think it went lovely.” You said with an innocent smile, “I think it went w-well… we found something in common so that was nice.” Niki spoke up and you smiled at her response. She was such a lovely person, you wouldn’t be surprised if she won, she was amazing after all.

Niki started to compliment you and you started to get flustered, she was proving your point. “Same to you Niki!” You said cheerfully. “You’re a lovely person. I know you’ll definitely win!” Then, wilbur came back and you all perked your heads. Rajj was the first to speak, “Whoo! That was the nicest waiting period ever!” Wilbur laughed at this. “Yeah?” He laughed awkwardly, “I feel awful! Very uncomfortable uh..” he laughed.

“The winner of the Rajj(something something)… Is…” here it was. The moment that Niki was getting chosen. You felt your heart break slightly but you kept your smile on. There was a long pause before Rajj spoke again, “U/N!!!” You eyes widened and there was a fake clapping audio heard in the call. Niki cheered for you and you yelled, “Yeah lets go!!!” You giggled and wilbur looked at your screen with a small smile. After a few seconds the cheering was stopped by Rajj. “Don’t start cheering yet. We need to find out if she picked Love or Host.” There was silence in the call and Wilbur prayed you picked love. You already knew what you picked. A smile formed on your face. “They picked….” Silence.

“Love! They picked love Wilbur!” You smiled and opened your arms wide in victory. The chat was going wild and wilbur smiled brightly. The thing soon ended and you and wilbur exchanged numbers. Soon, you two became friends practically fell in love. You were in love.

I’m not sure how much i liked how this turned out but oh well! Enjoy! :D

The video i used. <- Click here!

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bandgie · 11 months

Text

Predator & Prey

a/n: this is the second chapter!

2.7k words

The beast flew in the sky happily, easily maneuvering around the tall trees. You stayed on the ground, walking as you tried to maintain some of your body heat. You would occasionally look up at the flying creature, noticing how ecstatic he was to be free. He must've been in there for a long time, you thought. Though you had endured horrible circumstances here, leaving a dead pile of bodies behind you, at least you managed to make one person happy.

The creature slowed down its flight, aiming down for a soft landing besides you. You still hadn't gotten used to its nakedness, you did not acknowledge its presence near you besides a small nod of your head.

"The village won't be too far from here," he tells you, eyes looking at the side of your head. You nod, "Good. I don't think I can handle being in the snow much longer." The creature hums, clawed hand rubbing its chin.

"I still never understood how man can be on top of the food chain despite being so weak," it speaks, "As far as I'm aware, it's slower that and weaker than the bigger animals here. It can barely manage to catch a bunny, and it cannot maintain its own heat for long. Man is hardly capable of living it seems."

You can tell he's trying to irk you, despite saving you less than 30 minutes ago. Instead you shoot back, "Well, man managed to catch you. Guess you're no better than a bunny."

You look at its dark eyes with a playful smile on your face. It sneers at your response and takes flight, snow hitting you on the way up.

For the remainder of the time, it ignores you until you see a faint light of fire. Getting closer, you can see the outlines of houses and hear the soft chatter of cattle.

You stop in your tracks, looking up in the sky for the monster to see what you needed from. You spot him on a nearby tree, eyeing the village with caution.

"Listen, prey, you are to find something suitable for the winter. Find decent food to keep yourself full, our journey is not over," he doesn't look at you as he speaks. You're too cold to shoot back, so you listen to his instructions and take your first few steps into the village.

It's smaller than you had originally though, and emptier. Save for the cattle, there was practically no soul here. You could tell there were people though, the lanterns were lit and there were stands with fresh meat and wool. How you were going to obtain all the things you need without anything to give was the million dollar question, but you knew what would be easiest.

Steal.

You yanked the cloth of the stands, running into the butcher shop to steal some meat. No one was keeping much of an eye on their stands, so it took a good few couple of seconds before you could hear them yelling. You bursts into the meat store, grabbing what your hands could manage trying to ignore the store owner's screaming.

You quickly exited the store, your ruckus was starting to wake up the village. People peeked their head out of their window and others even walked out of their house to see what was going on. It was embarrassing, especially when you had two big men and women that were most likely their wives chasing after you.

Adrenaline rushed in your veins as you continued your crime, grabbing a pair of wool trousers on your way out of the village. You ran into the forrest, the two couples not that far off your tail. Fuck, you think, I can't run with all this shit.

Just as you debate on dropping some of the items, a gust of wind blows past you. A whirl of leaves and snow create a wall between you and your chasers. You turn around to look at the conjured all, mouth agape.

"You fool, keep running!"

So you do, listening to the voice you know belong to the beast. It wasn't long until you could hear the couples screaming, but you still don't turn around.

"It's a demon!" "Devil's spawn! Go back from where you dwell incubus!" "Beast!" "Monster!"

You ignore all of what they say about your companion, running until your chest burns and feet give out. You fall into a soft pile of snow, chest heaving as you find comfort on plush coldness. The snow burns to the touch, but you're so tired that you're tempted to close your eyes and sleep.

The loud sound of flapping prevents that though, you sit up to find the creature not too far from you. You reach and grab the coat you stole, putting it on. You rub your upper arms with your hands, trying to get some blood circulation going. You eyes spot the trousers you stole. You reach for them and chuck it at the beast.

"Head up," you saw, and he catches it with ease. He grimaces at the clothing, as if it's the worse thing he's ever seen. "I will not wear your human clothes," its voice stern.

"Dude, I really don't wanna see your ding-a-ling swinging around," you tell him. "I dunno what type of...animal you are, but being a incubus doesn't give an excuse to-"

"Do not call me that, insolent human," it growls. It stalks closer to you, eyes narrowing on your form. "I saved you from those men, the cold, and from those villagers, You repay me by cursing my being and making me use my precious energy?"

You cower in fear, you stand no chance against a super being like him.

"I am called Nyryx, do not make the mistake of calling me anything else."

You nod, bottom lip quivering from fear and the cold. He looks at you a beat longer before rolling his eyes. Nyryx huffs exaggeratedly as he puts the trousers on, scrunching his nose as the wool touches his skin. He manages to get his bird feet though the holes, adjusting the top part at his waist. It fits.

He looks back at you, arms crossed. "Start a fire, you cannot eat raw meat. Not that I have to tell you that."

You gather some nearby sticks, ignoring how intense Nyryx's gaze is. He's judging you, silently. Are you grabbing enough sticks? Can these even be burned? How the hell can you start a fire in winter? You have a decent size pile before you look over at him, "I don't know how to start a fire."

He groans, "You are like a child. Not much better than a suckling on its mother's breast."

You cross your arms and shake your head, it's better to ignore his words. He crouches and arranges the sticks so it's in a teepee form. You watch and he bends down, mouth open as he breathes fire from his mouth. You gasp, taking a step away from the small flame the begins to come to life.

He stands back up, eyeing you. He's waiting for your reaction. What will you call him? Will you run? Curse him? Damn him to hell? Nyryx has been shunned for what he is all his life, his own parents cursing him. He balls his hands into a fist and unclenches his hand. He should not expect you to be any different. All humans are the same.

"Holy shit. So you're like a dragon?" you ask, eyes sparkling with curiosity.

He raises an eyebrow, "I don't think I've ever been called that. But no, dragons don't have magic like I."

"Magic," you repeat. Nyryx can't help but notice that way you say it, like it's unbelievable and impossible. What type of world have you come from?

He nods, "Yes. I'm aware that you're in need of a portal. I can conjure such thing, but I'm not at my strongest."

Your eyes gleam with hope, you could feel them start to water. Home, it sounds so close yet so far. Your emotion get the best of you, small tears fall down your cold cheeks. You can go home.

Before you have the chance to wipe them, Nyryx stands in front of you. His hands clasp the side of your face before he leans down, tongue poking out to taste your tears. You squeal at his hot tongue, smacking his chest. Memories come back of him licking your face when you had killed the Lord. You originally thought it's how he showed his thanks for opening the cage, but now you think it was a snack for him.

He pulls away, long tongue licking his lips. Nyryx suddenly lets your face go, leaving your body cold from his lack of touch.

"Fluids from creatures is not just a source of food, but power. The stronger the emotion, the more power I obtain. If I am to open the portal, you need to find me this food," he tells you.

You wipe your face from his salvia, nodding. "Any creature? Like animals?" He nods. It was a lot to take in, you assume fear would be the most influential emotion. You take a deep breath, you can do this. "I can't hunt," you confess, "I don't think I can do much to help."

He laughs bitterly, "I did not expect that you could. Humans have intense emotion, that will get me the power I need the fastest. You have to lure them to me so-"

"Absolutely not!" You yell without meaning to. "I'm not gonna do that. I'm not your pimp."

He furrow his eyebrows, "I understand that your human morals are at stake, but if being this...pimp...is what you need to do to get back home, that's what needs to be done."

You shake your head, "You said any creature. Do animals and cattle. I'll take cattle from villages and give them to you, plus it gives me meat to eat. Two birds with one stone."

Nyryx grows irritatedly, pinching the bridge of his nose. "It's detrimental that I have enough life force before the full moon. It is when my magic will be at its peak. We have a fortnight, do you really think there's enough cows and pigs for me?"

You don't know, it's a scary risk you're taking. But this beast, no, Nyryx is willing to help you. You don't know why, but he is. "Yeah, I can do it."

He sighs, showing his doubt in you, but he nods nonetheless. "Okay human, we will do things your way."

You smile softly, but then frown again, "Human is not my name."

"Human, cow, pig, bunny, it matters not. You are all prey to me."

Days carry on with you and Nyryx traveling from village to village. It was getting easier to walk in the snow, your body was slowly starting to adjust to the cold. Luring out animals was harder than you thought, they would sometimes run in the complete opposite direction from where you needed them to go. As if they knew what lurked for them in the snowy woods.

However, Nyryx was nonetheless pleased with your attempts. His behavior was getting better, his snarky comments weren't as frequent. He even started calling you by your name...sometimes. Perhaps he was just hungry all this time, you're not you when you're hungry after all.

However, you were getting uncomfortable sleeping in the snow. Though Nyryx provided fire and the occasionally body heat, you needed a bed. You two were huddled together, you shivering body pressed against his wing. He tucked you in close, but you can tell he was avoiding his arms from touching you.

"Please!" you beg. "Just for a few nights. I won't cause a ruckus and I'll get even more animals. I just need a bed." You were asking to sleep in a village for a night or two. It was a back and forth conversation, he would tell you it was too risky, but you were stubborn on this.

He sighs, you really weren't going to let this go. "Fine, but you owe me your tears."

The village you decide to stay the next few nights at is much more lively than the previous ones. It has people walking from store to store, stand to stand. You told Nyryx that you will find a nice family to stay with, they would pity you hopefully. You were going to purchase some gloves when you felt warm air. You turned your head to find a building, warmth emitting from it. The sound of laughter and talking was loud, you stepped inside.

It was a bar full of burly men and women carrying drinks and trays. It was so warm inside, you rubbed your hands together and took an empty seat on the bar. You had been to a few bars back at home, but this one felt like a family. It was clear this establishment was welcoming, the playful fighting across tables was proof enough of that.

Your eyes wandered before a pretty, older woman came up to you, hair in two braids with a warm uniform on.

"I suppose you're a traveler yes?" Her voice is pleasant, a pleasant smile on her lips. You nod. "Are you waiting for your husband? Where is your companion?"

You shake your head immediately, "Oh no, I travel alone." Her eyes widen and she softly gasps.

"Miss," her voice is hushed as she leans down to talk to you. "A lady should not be traveling alone. If someone asks, you must tell them you have a companion even if it's a lie."

You notice her sudden behavior change, she was protective, motherly. "Yeah, that's good advice. Thank you."

You end up telling her that you had gotten lost. That you came on ship across the sea, and somehow got separated from your family. You just needed an inn to stay at for a few nights and you would be on your way. Only some parts were a lie.

"Oh dear, I'm so sorry," her lips pout. "Should you need, my family is welcome to travelers, we house them upstairs."

You widen your eyes, sitting up straighter. This was easier than you thought. "Are you sure? I don't know much it costs but-"

She waves a dismissive hand, "No need. We need pretty workers like yourself to hustle these tables. Would would be alright?"

"Yes," you say immediately, "I can do that."

She smiles and claps her hands, "Thank heavens! I should introduce you to my family, they are upstairs."

You stand and follow her to the second story, your stomach flips in excitement. A bed! God how you missed such a luxurious thing. The lady open the door at the top of the stairs and holds it open for you.

You walk inside slowly, eyes scanning the area. The living room and kitchen are combined and you notice two little boys hitting each with kitchen utensils.

"Boys!" Their mother yells, walking past you. "I told you to play outside if you're going to fight! We have a guest."

You bite back a smile, heart swelling at the reminder of your mother.

"These are my sons. Aaron and Erik. They are quite the troublemakers. Should they bother you, please let me know," their mother says. "My daughter-oh! Pardon me, I am Meredith! How rude of me to invite you to my home without telling you my name. Please forgive me."

You let a small laugh escape, "Please don't worry, I'm-"

"You talk funny," one of her sons, Aaron you think, says. Meredith promptly smacks him on the back of the head making him cry out. "You wait until your father comes home," she threatens.

"My daughter," Meredith resumes, "is in her room. She prefers to...read the books she collects." The woman walks over to you and gives you a wary look. "Abigail, my daughter, she enjoys...reading books that young ladies should not read. I will not fib, I brought you here with hopes to get her head out of such treacherous writings."

You give her a questioning look, biting your lower lip in thought. Treacherous writing? Like pornography?

"You guys seems to be the same age, I just assumed you could influence her to help with the bar downstairs," Meredith finishes. Before you can answer, someone comes through the front door. You turn to see a giant of a man, snow on his facial hair.

"Oh dear," the mom says, "I offered this young lady a living space as payment for helping downstairs. Her name is..." Meredith turns back to you. "I'm sorry, I don't think I caught your name."

end of chapter 2

#smut #tw monsterfucking #monster fic #monster x human #monster smut #monster fun #dark fic #dead dove fic #dead dove do not eat #demon smut #demon #demon oc #chapter 2 #chapter update

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felony-bunny · 11 months

Text

Malleus x non-gendered reader

Scenario: Malleus doesn’t understand how mc doesn’t fear him. He doesn’t know if they’re brave, dumb, or not afraid of death. Spoiler they’re all of the above.

Btw I’m on chapter 6 and have no clue what happens in the next chapter.

LETs GET INTO THIS MOFO

(I wrote this all forever ago but I thought that I could add more to make it better but I was wrong. For some reason this was so fucking difficult. This isn’t the first time I’ve done a oneshot too. I literally do not think that I could write anymore twst oneshots because of how bad this came out. I’m literally so sorry. You can read if you want but I hate this so so much. And also sorry for the wait.)

Most people feared Malleus’s strength. That’s what he was used too. He usually didn’t focus on people enough to care but you were different. He could understand how you weren’t scared before you know how he was but even after you found out you still called him by that silly nickname and acted the same towards him. Every once and awhile he tries to think of a reason for this.

1.) You are actually really stupid

2.) You’re some sort of narcissist and think you two are on the same level

3.) You have short term memory loss

4.) You’re stupidly brave

5.) You do not fear death

He crossed out 2 and 3 after hanging around you for a bit. But even after all the times you two have hung out he still hasn’t been able to understand how you work. One day his curiosity took over and he asked you outright.

“Child of Man?”

“Yea yea?” You absent mindedly replied as you balanced on some old bricks.

“Why don’t you seem to fear me? You have many reasons to be.”

Well standing on one wobbly brick you looked up at him “Why should I? It’s not like you’ve hurt or threatened me.”

Do you not realize how much of a threat he can be?

“Still…“

“Still what? Listen I get you’re pretty overpowered, like everyone wastes money on pulls for you in Gacha games kind of overpowered.”

Huh?

“But you’ve been nice to me and that’s all I really need to trust you.”

He didn’t like the next words that came out of his mouth but he needed to know

“Child of man, I could easily kill you. Do you know how much of a danger I could be to you if I chose to?”

You both stand there for a minute.

Did he mess up?

Did he bring up something you haven’t thought of and now you were scared?

“Okay.”

“Okay?”

“I mean if you ever did kill me it would suck but whatever.” You look down at the brick wobbling.

Did you just say whatever at the possibility of being fatally injured?

“Why don’t you value your own life?”

“Is that really a question? What about my life actually has value? I mean it’s not guaranteed that I’ll go back home or that I’ll be able to start a new life here and if I do go back let’s say three years later I’d have to go back to school and waste a shit load of time and money on it. Honestly there are millions of things that could go wrong. It’s pretty difficult just existing here and not knowing what’s going on at home but whatever.” You jump off the brick and continue walking “At the end I just have to believe that things will string together and I don’t have to worry.” You spin around to face him and smile.

You say the weirdest things but still enchant him every time. Your a brave idiot who doesn’t care about how badly things could end and just put it up to luck, but that made him love you.

He smiled “I see. My apologies that was a foolish question on my part.”

#twisted wonderland #disney twst #twst incorrect quotes #twst #twst wonderland #twst headcanons #twst mc #twst yuu #twisted wonderland x reader #twst malleus #twisted wonderland malleus

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sid471 · 2 months

Text

Ellie Disventure Camp also needs a time out 😶

Ellie fans, I’m sorry, no I’m not, but I’m coming for your girl. But let me start by saying, I LOVE a villain. Especially a bad ass female villain. That’s why I like Fiore and Riya. But Ellie… is not bad ass. She’s just plain petty 😶 and, listen, petty villains have their place in my heart too. But Ellie is not just petty but also spiteful. For no reason .-. And yeah, yeah, I know she needs money, she’s relatable, you would do the same for a million dollars, blah blah shut it >_> Now, let’s begin with Jake ☺️

Now, imma just say, I love Jake, I’ve been team Jake since season 1, but I’m not gonna deny that Jake is annoying. He is sometimes 🤷🏻‍♂️ but he does not deserve the fuckin… psychological torture by Ellie ._. Y’all love to say JAKE is petty and obsessive but ELLIE is the one who’s pissy at Jake for being, RIGHTFULLY, upset for ruining his relationship 😶 and it looks to me like she’s been like that… the whole time? .-. Last episode, episode 6, She made Tom and Aiden kiss for NO reason other than to fuck with Jake ._. Like, she says that verbatim 😶 Her exact words are “I suggested the idea of the kiss, but the reasoning we just made up. This might be evil, but I can’t pass up the opportunity to see Jake lose his mind again. Hey, with no tv out here, it’s the next best thing.” Like, girl! This is… just ridiculous ._. What did Jake do to you? Rightfully get angry at you for betraying his trust and completely ruining his relationship? Not even Season One Grett would stoop this low 😶

And THEN, in episode 7, the latest episode so spoilers sorry, she again uses Tom and Aiden just to fuck with Jake .-. Granted, this one gets half of a pass because it WAS an actual game move and it worked out 🤷🏻‍♂️ But was it necessary? Mm. Debatable. Speaking of unnecessary. Let’s talk Tom 😊

Ellie dislikes Tom. For what reason? I couldn’t tell ya 😶 SHE fucked HIM over, SHE trash talked HIM on national TV. Not the other way around .-. Why is SHE mad at HIM ._. And why is she surprised that Tom is generous? He was a great guy, all things considered, in season 1 .-. Know what it smells like to me? ✨Projection✨. SHE’S gonna use the money for self fulfilling reasons, so of course everyone else is too 🤷🏻‍♀️ I think Ellie can dish it but she can’t take it, know what I mean? She can trash talk Jake, Tom, Miriam, AND Alec and that’s fine, she needed the money 🤷🏻‍♀️, but if any of those people are angry at her for the things she said? All hell breaks loose 😶 You can dislike Riya, but at least she owns her mess 😊 She knows she’s a villain and she owns it. She doesn’t do Villain Things, then try to revert back to her early season 2 self, no, Riya owns her shit.

Now, let’s talk about Gabellie. They’re very cute :3 I like them together, they’re sweet. However… Ellie, Gabby is your ONLY friend and only true ally. She HAS Tess… but like she also doesn’t, Tess could be swayed by Aiden, I feel, and especially could be swayed by Ally if they both make the merge. Ellie’s only guaranteed number is Gabby right now. So, what does Ellie do for her only ally, and, y’know, her girlfriend? Lie to her 😶 Now, listen, I understand lying to Tess, Aiden, and Tom about the villain alliance. That’s just smart gameplay 🤷🏻‍♂️ But lying to Gabby? No .-. Pull her to the side and tell her the truth 😶 Show that you trust her >_> because it’s very clear that Gabby adores Ellie with all of her heart, she wouldn’t have said a word 😊 but no 😶 Ellie lied to her. And now Gabby knows Ellie lied to her. And now Gabby could very well turn on Ellie because if she lied about the villain alliance, what else could she lie to her about ya know?

In conclusion: Ellie is a try hard villain 😶 She wants to be Fiore, Season 1 Grett, and Riya so bad and it’s embarrassing 😊

#Disventure Camp #Disventure Camp All Stars #DCAS #Ellie Disventure Camp #Villain Alliance DCAS #Jake Disventure Camp #Tom Disventure Camp #Riya Disventure Camp #Gabby Disventure Camp #Gabellie #Siddy Rambles #Siddy Rants

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luvtonique · 2 months

Text

I wanted to show this picture because I wanted to say something that I realized today. I realized that very few people understand exactly how many people there are in the world.

I think when people visualize "Ten billion people" something like the above picture comes to mind.

That is roughly 100,000 people.

If you multiply that by 10, you have one million people.

Which then needs to be multiplied by another thousand to be one billion, which then needs to be multiplied by another ten to be ten billion.

"Jay what's your point?"

My point is, look at that picture there of 100,000.

Do you think, in your lifetime, or even in you and 60,000 friends' lifetime, that you can convince all 100,000 of them that your opinion is correct and their opinion is wrong?

If the answer is "Yes" you're delusional. No you can't.

Maybe 6 people in that crowd would listen and the rest would probably be yelling at you to fuck off.

Now try to imagine that you and 60,000 friends are trying to convince not 100,000, not 1mil, not 1bil, but 10billion people on this planet to all have the same opinion as you.

I hate to be a nihilist, but just stop.

You are wasting your time. It will result in nothing.

You will die unsatisfied with your actions in life.

You will die mad.

Take a step back, go find a hobby you like, find 3-5 people who agree with your opinions or otherwise make you comfortable, and enjoy your life on this earth.

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wondersn · 3 months

Text

boyfriend. KSN

content : what it’s like to have sunoo as your bf ♡

warnings : none (FLUFF)

a/n : just sunoo being the softest bf ever

dating sunoo is like having a constant source of happiness and love in your life.

one of the best things about having sunoo as a boyfriend is his infectious positive energy. he has a contagious smile and a bright personality.

1. he’s the type to have spontaneous hang out : Sunoo suggests having a picnic in the park one sunny afternoon. you both pack some sandwiches, fruits, and a blanket, and head to the nearby park. you spend the afternoon lounging on the blanket, sharing food, and chatting about anything and everything. Sunoo surprises you with a bouquet of your favorite flowers, making the day even more special.

2. the one to always have a movie night : rather just a movie together when he gets the chance. you both decide to have a cozy movie night at home. Sunoo takes charge of choosing the movie and makes sure there are plenty of snacks and drinks. as you cuddle up on the couch, he can't help but pepper your face with kisses during the romantic scenes.

3. stargazing: sunoo surprises you with a stargazing date. he sets up a comfortable spot for the two of you to lay under the stars. as you gaze up at the night sky, Sunoo points out the constellations and tells you their stories. it’s a peaceful and romantic night under the stars.

4. would always treat you : sunoo treats you to a spa day, with massages, facials, and a relaxing hot tub. you both wear fluffy robes and sip on herbal tea while getting pampered. Sunoo can't stop complimenting how beautiful you look, making you feel like a million bucks.

5. cuddles : oh sunoo is the type of bf that always clings around you, so he loves cuddling. wrapping his arms around you and pulling you closer, whispering sweet nothings in your ear. soft and sweet “i love yous” followed with a cute giggles. he’s not afraid to shower you with love and attention, and will make sure that you feel cherished and appreciated everyday.

6. a caring one : you’re always his top priority no matter what, whether you’re down or just feeling unwell, he’s always there for you to support and take care of you. he would always put your needs above his own and will do anything to see you smile.

7. would fangirl with you : we all know that sunoo is a fan of most groups, he’s the type to support the group with you. whether buying merchandises or even going to the concert together. would unbox an album with you and would be excited to see whose photocard he will pull.

8. the type to be sassy on you some times but would be so protective when a guy randomly flirts with you : a guy approached you at the cafe, asking for your name and number. sunoo rolled his eyes and scoffed as he look away, the guy has just mistook him as your “bestfriend”. “yah, she’s taken. back off or i’ll pull your hair just to leave her alone” he said to the guy in a feisty way. you chuckles as the guy left, “you’re so sassy and feisty”.

9. he likes to take a picture of you as always : his phone is full of his face and mostly yours, even if you’re just sleeping, washing the dishes, or even laughing. he had those all. he would definitely create an instagram account just full of your faces and your picture together. would put “sunoo’s love” to that account’s bio.

10. a great listener and a big comfort : in times of trouble or stress, sunoo will be always there for you no matter what. no matter how small or big the situation is. he knows the right words to say to reassure you. he’ll hold you close and remind you that everything will be okay. with him by your side, you know you can conquer anything that comes your way.

in conclusion, having a boyfriend like sunoo is like having your own personal sunshine. he brings warmth and happiness into your life and makes every moment together feels like a fairytale. he’s the kind of boyfriend you always have dreamed of, and you feel lucky to have him by your side.

#sunoo x y/n #sunoo imagines #sunoo x reader #kim sunoo #sunoo fluff #enhypen imagines #SoundCloud

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frankenstein-ate-my-left-shoe · 1 year

Text

i'm outta my head over you Pt. 7

prologue (Pt. 1) | Pt. 2 | Pt. 3 | Pt. 4 | Pt. 5 | Pt. 6 | AO3 | playlist

this is the last chap of my steddie week fic!! i have a little blurb i may do for tomorrow's open ended prompt, but for now, here's the last @steddie-week prompt: misunderstandings

Robin stops him as they’re herding the gremlins into their respective vehicles. You’d think that after nearly five hours of spending the four barely adults’ money would be enough time at the arcade. But no. They’re all fighting them on leaving. As if they all won’t be asleep by the time they get home.

“Once you get it done, you may want to get up early.”

“Uh..what?”

“Steve always goes for a run at like ass o’clock in the morning.” she’s speaking low and fast to try and not draw attention to them, but their normal level of volume with one another is normally 100 times louder than this, so she’s really doing the exact opposite. “If you get up early enough, you can leave it for him while he’s gone.”

“Okayokay, I got it! Now stop making this weird.”

She looks around to find Steve already staring at the two of them questioningly.

“Oh shit… OKAY, YEAH, GOOD LUCK WITH YOUR DATE EDDIE.” she practically yells.

“What the hell, Robin? I don’t have a date!”

“Yeah, yeah, I’m sure it’ll be great!” she’s walking away already, shrugging like even she doesn’t know why the fuck she said that. “Call me when you’re home!”

Eddie smacks his palm against his forehead and turns to his van, not even daring to look at Steve again.

He finally does dare once he’s in his van and has started moving, giving Steve a ‘nothing wrong or weird here’ wave as he pulls away.

The expression on Steve’s face is indiscernible. Somewhere stuck between totally blank, and the most devastated look he’s ever seen.

Damnit, Robin.

He only ended up with Max in his van on the way back, so when they get back, he helps her inside, and resigns himself to staying up all night to finish the tape.

He pulls in next to Wayne’s truck at the same time his uncle is coming out the front door, a dufflebag in hand.

“You off to work early old man?” and he asks as he gets out of his van, it’s only about 9 PM now and his uncle doesn’t usually go in until near midnight.

“Yep, gettin’ some dinner with the fellas before we head in. Gotta leave shift early to go visit yer aunt.”

Ah. “That time of year is it?”

“Yep, I’ll see ya tomorrow evenin’, son. Don’t be getting into any trouble, y’hear?”

Eddie just shrugs. “You know me.”

“That’s exactly my point.” Wayne says with a crinkly smirk.

He gives his uncle a short hug, and Wayne kisses the top of his head with another ‘be safe’.

Then, because he’s agonizing about it, Eddie spends the next couple hours cleaning the trailer instead of picking the last two songs that will go on his side (listening to said tape while he does).

He’s still got some ideas from before, but only a couple good ones..and not all of them will fit in the time he’s estimated is left on the B side.

It isn’t until he gets to Be My Baby on his second listen through that he knows which one he’s going to add next.

After he’s got that one figured out and recorded, there definitely isn’t enough room left for the rest of the picks, so he adds the one he thinks says the most about how he feels about Steve, the one that says everything he needs to say.

-----

“Robin did say ‘ass o’clock’,” Eddie says to himself, glancing at the clock in his dashboard.

5:13. Yeah, that sounds right.

Eddie lets out a huge cracking yawn. Okay, he’s definitely gonna crash once he gets back to the trailer. He was so wired after finally finishing the tape, he couldn’t sleep even though he wanted to.

He makes it to Steve's street and parks up the road a bit (not wanting the rattle of his van to alert Steve to his presence if he hadn’t left yet), and walks the last leg. The tape in his pocket feels like it weighs a million pounds.

When he finally rounds the bushes at the front edge of Steve’s yard, Eddie feels every cell in his body seize up at once.

Nancy’s car is in the driveway.

What the–

Suddenly, the front door opens. He dives back behind the bushes, peeking through the leaves. You know, like a sane person?

Why the fuck is Nancy leaving Steve's house so early

Why is Steve only wearing those tiny fuckin’ shorts?

Oh no..

Oh shit.

There’s only one fucking reason

This is all wrong! Nancy knows he has feelings for Steve, was that not what that was at the arcade?

She’s with Robin, she didn’t refute it.

Oh fuck, he’s gonna have to tell Robin.

Eddie debates making himself known, let himself barrel over whatever awkwardness may arise, but he’s still got his heart in his pocket, addressed to Steve.. What’s he supposed to do with that then?

“Oh hey Steve, didn’t see you there! Just came by to drop off your very personal property that your best friend stole for me to defile! Nancy? Oh hey, you’re here! What’s up with tha–”

He’s startled out of his thoughts when the door of Nancy's station wagon shuts, the engine turning over.

She pulls out, thankfully heading away from where he’s hidden.

Eddie watches until she’s out of sight, then jumps again when he hears Steve’s front door close.

Steve does a few hops in place from foot to foot on his front stoop (still shirtless), and starts off on his run the same way Nancy had gone. Had he been able to see shirtless, sweaty Steve whenever he wanted?? He just goes for runs like this every day? Why had no one told him??

‘Oh fuckin’ hell, shut up, shutup!!’ He yells at himself.

Now what?

Eddie sits in the grass in Steve Harrington’s front yard and stares at the back of his mailbox.

Does he still leave the tape? Of course he should, it is Steve’s tape afterall.

But what about the songs? Steve’s not gonna want his bullshit now…

He could go back to his van and re-write the note then come back and leave it. No, he wouldn’t have time now, Steve’s athletic, yeah, but Eddie’s been frozen in his front yard for a while now. He’d be back soon.

Fuck it.

He’ll drop the tape on the front step, go back home and pack up his shit. Yeah. Good a time as any to get the fuck outta here.

Confessing your feelings to one of your closest friends who very obviously just got back together with his ex not even ten hours after you’d seen him and were very obviously flirting with each other?

Yeah. Not ideal.

Does he have the funds to get the fuck outta here? No. But he’s got enough for gas and he’s got a van. He’ll just load his mattress into the back and be gone before the rest of the town fully wakes up.

Good plan, Eddie’s brain. Thank you, rest of Eddie.

-------

Steve slows to a jog once he can see his house, cooling down from his run on the last little bit of his road, and stopping in his driveway to do some stretches back to the door.

He’s sinking down into his last lunge when he sees the little square of…something…sitting on the front step.

“The hell?”

He stoops down and picks it up, turns it over. There’s a piece of lined paper rubber banded around it.

Peeling off the band, Steve steps inside and unfolds the letter, leaning back on the now closed front door to read

“...oh no…” Steve looks down at the case in his hand. Now he sees why the rubberband was necessary, there’s another folded wad of papers shoved into the cassette’s case, now popped open without the band holding it together.

His heart, previously calmed down from his run, now beat wildly in his chest as he unfurls the short stack of paper.

He reads the first line, ‘8. I Was Made For Lovin’ You...’

“Holy shit.”

Steve books it up the stairs, he’s gotta get showered, he’s gotta get changed, he’s got one more song to add to the tape.

-------

Eddie’s just finished packing up his clothes when his alarm clock radio goes off, the 7am alarm still set for when he has to get up for school.

“...still don’t believe it, he was just leaving OH there must be some misunderstanding! There must be some kind of mistake…” blasts through the tinny speakers.

Nopenopenope, not dealing with that right now.

He slaps the clock around until it finally shuts off its maniacal teasing, and goes back to packing (and blinking away some wayward tears).

He’s just dropped the second bag of clothes and his sweetheart in her case by the front door and is contemplating if his mattress would actually fit in the back of his van, when there’s a knock on the door.

Eddie’s gut freezes mid-flip.

Oh no. Please n–

“Eddie, are you there? It’s Steve. Can I come in?”

‘Don’t move. Don’t make a single sound. Maybe he’ll think you’re not home and just leave.’

“C’mon man, I know you’re in there. You’re van’s out here.”

“Shit.”

Eddie trudges his way to the front door and opens it.

Even with floppy, just-washed, hair and an inside-out polo, Steve’s still the most beautiful person in existence.

“What do you want, Steve?” Wow. Even he’s surprised at how morose he sounds.

“I uh, I got your tape..my tape? I got your note. I added one more song and I thought, maybe, I could–” Steve looks down. “Are you..” his voice pitches high so he clears it. “Are you going somewhere?”

“Mhm.” Eddie can’t look him in the eye. He stares at the porch.

“Where are you–”

“Just going, ‘kay Steve? No need to worry about me being around anymore.” Eddie practically spits, still not looking up at his friend.

“Eddie, what are you–” he cuts himself off, his voice going soft. “Did you not mean what you said?”

That makes Eddie look up at him. Steve’s gaze is now cast downwards, staring blankly at Eddie’s packed bags.

“...I meant every word. Every song, Steve. But that doesn’t matter now, does it?” he’s truly mad now, who does he think he is, trying to act all glum like he wasn’t the one betraying his best friend.

“B-betraying my best–Eddie, what the hell are you talking about?”

Damn! He said that out loud.

“Just go away, Steve. I won’t tell Robin, but you definitely should.” Eddie moves to close the front door and turns back towards his room. He doesn’t hear it close, but he hears the creak of the floor when Steve follows him in.

Of. Course.

“Tell Robin what, Eddie? I already told her how I felt about you, that’s why she stole you the tape in the first plac–”

“Not that! You–” Eddie clenches his fists at his sides and spins back to face Steve. “That you hooked up with her girlfriend last night.” Steve’s face pales and Eddie continues on. “Yeah. I came by to drop off your tape; Robin thought I could leave it there when you left for your run. But lo and behold, what do I see when I come by? Nancy Wheeler’s car in your driveway at ass o’clock in the morning.

“Now, I may be a third time senior, but even I know what the fuck that means. Especially when, not long after I’ve gotten there, the Lady Wheeler herself waltzes out the door with Tiny Shorts McGee following her like a lost puppy.” he gestures at Steve, who’s still frozen in place by the door.

“So yeah, you can just burn those notes for all I care, I don’t even know why I still left it. Whatever. I’m leaving today anyway so you don’t need to worry about me pining hopelessly after you, ‘kay?”

Eddie’s chest is heaving, his eyes are burning with unshed tears, and Steve…starts laughing.

“I fuckin’ knew it!” There are tears spilling freely out of his eyes now. “You’re really good y’know, had everyone fooled. Even me! King Steve is alive and well, everyone!” Eddie spreads his hands wide and yells to no one.” I can’t believe you got me to fall for your good guy schtick. Get the fuck outta my house, Harrington.” Eddie points to the door, stalking forward.

“Eddie! Eddie, wait, I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have laughed.” Steve puts his hands out and Eddie stops, crossing his arms and glaring. “Eddie, please, Nancy was only dropping something off for me.”

“Yeah righ–”

“She was! She came by that early because she’s driving to an interview this morning at a paper in Indy. She knew I’d be up for my run anyway, so she stopped to give me the revisions she made to my–you know what, hold on. I’m calling Robin.”

“Steve, I told you to get the fuck out of my house, not go further into it.”

Steve ignores him and goes to the phone, giving Eddie as wide of a berth as he can while he passes. He picks it up and dials.

“I’m not fucking kidding, Harrington, get the fuck out of here–” Eddie’s anger is multiplied tenfold when Steve holds out a finger to shush him.

“Hi Mr. Buckley, this is Steve. I’m sorry to call so early, but can I please speak to Robin? There was a last minute change to our schedule…thank you.’

Eddie watches Steve’s face morph from his customer service expression, to an admittedly frightening pissed off smile when Robin apparently gets on the line.

“Hey Robin! I found my Eddie tape! It’s the funniest thing, I came back from my run and it was sitting on my doorstep.”

Eddie can hear the muffled sound of Robin’s voice coming through the earpiece.

“I know, isn’t that crazy?” Damn, Steve’s passive aggressive voice is…something else. “He must’ve dropped it off while I was gone..why wouldn’t he give it to me in person?”

Steve waves at Eddie to come closer, and when he stubbornly doesn’t, Steve rolls his eyes and comes to him, stretching the cord across the kitchen as he does.

“Hmmm...maybe.. Or maybe something scared him off?” He takes in an over-dramatic sarcastic gasp. “Or maybe, my best friend and soulmate who stole the tape for him, told him to come by at the exact worst time! When she knew a certain ex of mine and current girlfriend of hers was stopping by before leaving to Indy and it scared him off!”

Steve tilts the handset out from his ear so Eddie can hear..there’s complete silence on the other end.

“That would suck, don't you think? Seeing your crush’s ex leaving their house early in the morning when you’re coming over to confess to them?” He continues.

“Oh. My. God. Steve!! I am so so sorry I–”

“Don’t apologize to me, apologize to Eddie.”

Steve grabs up Eddie’s hand and wraps it around the handset, forcing him to take it, then stomps off into the living room.

Eddie puts the phone to his ear and walks back to the receiver, Robin rambling in his ear the whole way.

“--ddie, I’m so so sorry! I totally forgot Nancy was dropping off Steve’s paper this morning before she went to her interview! Please please don’t be mad at me, actually, scratch that. Be super mad at me, but definitely not at Steve, okay? I should have remembered, I should have told you, I should hav–”

It’s effective, he feels the anger draining out of him. “Robin, Robin! It’s okay, you’re okay.” Eddie glances over at Steve, who’s pacing up and down the short length of the trailer’s living room. “But now I have a very pissed off Harrington in my house right now…you got any survival tips for me?” he mumbles lowly.

“...Oh! I know, just go over there and kiss hi–her–stupid!” Eddie snorts through his nose, her parents must still be nearby.

“Got it, I’ll try that. Thanks Birdie…for everything.”

She sighs in relief. “You’re welcome, Doofus.”

Eddie slowly hangs up the phone, and turns to where Steve is. Now stationary, he’s got one hand on his hip, and the other is rifling through his hair nervously.

‘Yep. Buckley’s right.’

Eddie takes a deep breath and crosses to Steve in three short strides, grabs his face in both his hands, and kisses him deeply.

Steve responds immediately; he wraps one arm around Eddie’s waist, his large palm centered squarely on his lower back, and one around his arm, lacing his fingers into Eddie’s curls and cupping the back of his head.

Steve pulls their bodies flush and cants his hips into Eddie’s, tugs a breathy moan from Eddie’s throat when the hand in his curls tightens.

Eddie’s nose is pressed uncomfortably into the space between Steve’s nose and cheekbone with how close they’ve smushed themselves together, but Eddie can’t find it in himself to care.

He’s kissing Steve Harrington.

There’s a strong thigh slotted between his, and Steve Harrington is kissing him back.

Eddie moves one hand down to clutch at Steve’s shirt, and pushes the other back, grabbing onto those short hairs on the back of Steve’s neck.

They finally come up for air after one too many teeth clashes, their foreheads coming together.

“Hi.” they breathe out at the same time, chuckling at the absurdity of it all.

“We’re kinda idiots, huh?” Steve says, looking cross-eyed between Eddie’s eyes. The hazel of his eyes sparkling with the movement.

Eddie chuckles. “Dingus and Doofus, remember?” he points to each of them in turn, only lifting his pointer finger out of the grip on Steve’s shirt to do so.

“Can I play you the last song now?”

and then they low dance in eddie's living room

Yay!! that's it, thanks for following along with this one!!! here's the last tags :o) @hellomynameismoo, @messrs-weasley, @manda-panda-monium

Here's some notes since it's the last part:

this is the most I’ve ever written in such a short time, I literally wrote each of these chapters the day before their day to be posted….most of it while at work lmao

Steve used a Sony C60 tape. i.e. there’s 60-ish minutes of space on it. before At Last, the songs on the tape totaled 55 min 55 seconds, a perfect amount left for Etta James (ending up at 58 min 54 seconds in total according to my spoofy playlist).

I know that the Eddie half of songs weren’t really…’Eddie music’, but in my head, Eddie likes music for being music. All music is good (like he said to Max in part 5). Plus, he wanted to put songs on the tape that he knew Steve would like/want to listen to.

steve asked nancy to make revisions on his nursing school application essay (he found he quite liked the process of taking care of eddie and wants to go to school for it!)

anyone else just recently realize that Take Me Home Tonight had an allusion to Be My Baby?? anyway, love that, wanted to make that a thing here :o)

and lastly, a couple of little things i LOVED about this fic that i didn’t see anyone else / only a couple people point out:

Steve singing the rubber duckie song to Eddie in part 5

Eddie literally giving Gareth the shirt off his back in part 2 when Tommy threw his pop on him (in my head, this is the same red buffalo check flannel that Gareth ends up cutting the sleeves off of and wears in S4).

that's all!! thanks for reading, friends :o)

#steddie #steve harrington #eddie munson #st #st fic #steddie week #steddie week 2023 #steve harrington x eddie munson #mixtape #songfic #(kinda)#robin buckley #nancy wheeler #wayne munson #the party #stranger things #idiots in love #noelle writes

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