#i'm finally ready to put these feelings into words and acknowledge them but man it sucks to do that

[beinggayisreallyexpensive]

Guess I gotta grow up.

Afraid of risks. Afraid of responsibility greater than caring for a pet, and even more, afraid of failing responsibilities, afraid of being punished for my failures, and irrationally, a fear of being sued. Afraid of learning how to drive. I realized last weekend that while the start of my life had some shit, I've been extremely lucky in terms of both grief/loss and health. I don't have any close friends or family who have died, only parents of friends or family friends. My physical health, and those closest to me has been good, manageable. I got to have a lot of fun in my 20s too despite all of my depression.

Ian and I talked about the next 5, 10 years of our lives. We talked about how he wants to help fix up, and hopefully live in his dad's house up north and keep the land in his family and how deeply important it is to him, especially as an indigenous person to hold land. We talked about his parents' aging bodies and the fact they will need our care and help soon. We talked about his parent's partners and the role they would continue to have in their lives and care. And life is so fleeting, things could change, the timeline could accelerate at any moment. It could be his dad, his mom, or even my mom who needs help first, and there's a 4 hour drive from his mom's city to his dad's, and a fucking 6+ hour drive to get to where MY mother lives from the house he wants us to move into eventually.

I'm deeply afraid of change, I have always been resistant to moving onto a new phase of my life and honestly, with the exception of the feeling that I am somehow losing friends every week, I am really fond of this stage of my life. I got through the pandemic and back into the field I originally went to fucking school for, I was very close to giving up entirely on that thought back in 2019. I worked so hard to be here, to be as healthy as I am. I like being in my 30s, I like the way I look finally (mostly, at least, my self-hatred has cooled and matured). I worked so hard to be in a place I am happy to call home, in a neighbourhood I absolutely love living in. I love Toronto. I love my city. I love all the fucked up people who live here. I love the independence and empowerment this city gave me. It doesn't quite feel like I'm being "pushed out" of here, although a few of my friends literally have been. It feels like... this just might not be my home soon and I might not have much choice in that.

I don't know how I'm going to handle those inevitable moments of grief. I legitimately have no idea because I have never experienced real loss before. I don't know how my body will take this stress on. I can't even visualize my life in 10 years. Granted, I have never been able to do that very well, look into the future, but I can't imagine anything other than the extra wrinkles we'll have. Who will be there with me, who will be my community then? All I know is if I don't have Ian by my side I don't think I can get through it.

[minarisplaything]

What You're Missing (Part 1) ft. Huh Yunjin

Prompt:  you are dating kazuha, who is lovely, but has been putting off having sex until marriage. enter her step-sister yunjin who offers you a taste of what you've been missing word count: 1.6k pairing: huh yunjin x male reader, nakamura kazuha x male reader warnings: cheating

"oh fuck zuha..."

  the sound of your moaned praise mixed with the vulgar sound that was already filling the room. the sound in question was that of your girlfriend, kazuha nakamura, bobbing her head up and down as she deep-throated your cock.

  your hand rested on the back of her head, fingers tangled in her dark locks. however, you continued to let her work at her own pace as opposed to taking control and fucking her throat. this was all still relatively new to her and for better or worse you were willing to go at her speed as opposed to yours.

  which, while the noble and right thing to do, was always a bit excruciating. there was an enjoyment in being the first to teach her certain things things; like telling her to pay attention to the underside of your cock or reminding her to play with your balls. it was sweet and there was value in going through these things together as a couple. you acknowledged that.

but well...

there were also times when you just wanted to get a nut off and the slow, leisure pace that kazuha worked at just wasn't cutting it. her head would bob slowly, almost tortorously on your cock. it felt good but there were times like tonight when you just wanted nothing more to be utterly spent. to have her eyes look up at you as she sucked your soul from your body. the imagery alone was enough to cause your cock to twitch in her mouth. the day she let you cum in her mouth and she swallowed it was the day you could finally die a happy man but the two of you hadn't even gotten to that point yet. for now it was only fantasy.

it was a process. despite your internal impatience you told yourself that. she'd be ready when she was ready and once she was you were sure it'd be a game changer. for now you just had to lay back and not think about it too much.

an hour later, you found yourself feeling restless. kazuha had fallen asleep peacefully next to you but your body refused to sleep. you had finished but it hadn't exactly been the euphoric release you were hoping for. as a result, you felt a desperate urge to go to the bathroom and rub one out just so you could get a goodnight's sleep. the only problem was that kazuha lived with her step-sister. honestly, you had only met her a handful of times and the idea of her hearing you or catching you defiling their bathroom was mortifiying.

so, in the end, you settled for making your way to the kitchen for a glass of water, hoping the late night trip would clear the fog of horniess that still clouded your mind. if things continued like this it might be better off if you didn't spend the night. or, at least you would be able to go to sleep less frustrated.

"can't sleep?"

"jesus!"

a sudden voice cutting through the quiet of the apartment caused you to jump, nearly dropping the glass of water in your hand. you turned around, spotting the familar face of your girlfriend's step-sister in the dimly lit kitchen. "christ, yunjin. could you not sneak up on me like that?"

she grinned and gave a slight shrug, "it's not my fault you were so lost in thought that you didn't hear me coming. i wish i could say the same."

"what do you mean by that?" you questioned.

"'oh zuha! that's it! i'm almost there'" yunjin immitated in a moaning voice, her hand touching her neck.

it was during her little performance that you gave yunjin a closer once over. she was clothed only in a pair of pajama shorts that showed off plenty of her thighs and a white tank top that left no illusion of there being any support beneath them. by the time you looked up again the smirk and knowing look in her eye told you that she had caught you staring.

"see something you like?"

"n-no!" you quickly stuttered. "and i didn't sound like that!"

"you're right. you're acting was much worse," yunjin teased.

"i...i wasn't acting," you protested.

at least not fully. but you didn't have to admit that now. though whether you admitted it or not didn't seem to matter as yunjin crossed her arms over her chest, her breast pushing out slightly. she rolled her eyes before looking back at you.

"i know what it sounds like when a man comes. when a man really orgasms. what i heard tonight was not it," there was a definite tone in her voice, "but it's cute of you to do that for zuha."

that last part almost sounded mocking. feeling more defensive than ever your brows knitted together, placing down your cup of water. "you don't know what you're talking about."

"yes. i do. and you know i do."

yunjin took a step towards you. everything from her words to her demeanor was very matter of fact. but there was something else in there too. a lustful look that gave you a sense of trepedation. a look that said she just might swallow you whole if you let her. and a quiet part of your brain argued that you just might. fuck. stop thinking about it. yet despite your best thoughts, you could feel a stirring beneath your boxers. yunjin only grinned, moving closer as you were trapped between her body and the kitchen counter.

"i've been waiting for her to come ask me for advice but she hasn't yet. that must mean she thinks that she's doing a good job. or you've been telling her she has. either way it, clearly, isn't the case or this wouldn't be so hard would it?"

the this she was referring to was your hard cock which she now had in her hand, her fingers having snaked past the waistband of your boxers with ease. slowly she began to stroke your length, all while not breaking eye contact for a second. against your better judgement your cock twitched in her grasp. no matter how much the logical part of your brain yelled for you to pull up your boxers and run; the basic instinct in you couldn't help but note how good it felt.

"yunjin..."

"how long has it been since you've properly fucked something, huh?" she said, her tone getting more confident as she pumped your cock faster. "don't try to deny it, i know she's saving herself for marriage."

"t-there's nothing wrong with that," you managed to croak out in a low voice.

"of course there's not," yunjin laughed. "but where does that leave you?"

yunjin leaned closer, her voice coming out in a low whisper as her breath brushed against your ear, "when was the last time you felt a pussy squeezing around your cock?"

"oh, fuck."

your hips bucked, thrusting your cock into her grasp as she nibbled on your earlobe. it seemed like a simple enough gesture but the combination of yunjin pumping your cock; her body pressed flush against yours. and her mouth sucking on your earlobe turned out to be a heavenly combination. you tried to absolve yourself of responsibility, saying your body was just reacting this way because of how backed up you were. in reality, though, there was no denying that yunjin knew exactly what she was doing and it made a huge difference in the result.

"are you going to cum already?" yunjin taunted, your shaft throbbing in anticipation, "it took you twice as long as this to cum with zuha and she was using her mouth. tsk. you really need to send her to me for tips. i'll make sure she lets you cum in her mouth."

that particular comment sent your mind on a spiral. you imagined looking down and seeing zuha's lips wrapped around your cock as she vigorously bobbed her head back and forth on your cock. kneeling next to her was yunjin, holding kazuha's hair back and whispering sweet nothings into her ear. a mixture of instructions and vulgarities no doubt. as the image in your mind switched to yunjin sucking on your scrotum while zuha edged you towards orgasm, your grip tightened on the kitchen counter. your cock began to twitch, feeling completely different from what had happened earlier that night. when it finally hit your vision went white, a release like you hadn't had in some time washing over you.

"fuck!!"

your exclamation was louder than you intended but in that moment you didn't care. all you knew was pleasure and for a moment, your mind was blank.

as you opened your eyes and looked down you saw not the fantasy from your mind, but merely yunjin on her knees and wiping at the corner of her mouth. you had gotten someone to swallow your cum this night after all. just not nearly in the way you had imagined.

"holy shit..." you muttered.

"you came like a broken faucet" she commented, an amused tone in her voice. "my sister had you that backed up? that doesn't seem healthy."

you were speechless, not even able to muster a defense of your girlfriend. you were pretty sure if you let go of the counter your knees would give out at that point. yunjin, unphased, rose to her feet and patted you on the cheek softly.

"when you're ready to remember what pussy feels like, you know where to find me."

with that offer she turned on her heel and made her way out of the kitchen, presumably to bed. leaving you alone to ponder what the hell had just happened.

[softstarlite]

The Casualty of Love

CHAPTER 4

Summary: He's back home. You have almost forgotten how warm his eyes were and how big your crush for him was.

Warnings: Age gap (Javi is 40 and reader is 27), dry humping, kissing, mentions of mental health, mild insecurity from reader, cockblocking. (let me know if I left out any warnings)

Rating: +18 (a little explicit)

Word Count: 2k

Chapter 2 / Chapter 3 / Masterlist

A/N: Here's chapter 4 guys!! Hope you enjoy it. None of my work is beta read, so there might be some mistakes or things like that. Remember that english isn't my first language; feel free to help me improve but always been kind.

Divider by @saradika-graphics

Javier makes his way through the backyard to where his dad is; before talking, he takes a deep breath “Pops, i'm heading out” the fingers on the hand by his side fidgeting.

“Already Javier? You haven't lasted even two hours this time…” Chucho sighs while putting the plate of barbacued chicken down.

“Yeah, pops, you know I hate these things…” he says, not meeting Chucho´s eyes.

“You didn't seem to be having the worst of times in there” Chucho points to the house with his head.

At Chucho´s comment, anxiety takes control over Javier´s body; maybe his dad did see something, what if he was too lost in your beautiful eyes and lips to notice?

“You both always knew how to comfort each other” Chucho continues after the lack of speaking from Javier “She always knew that you needed to get away from crowds at these things, so when you eventually disappeared, she just would lie to your mama and Maria, saying that you were at the bathroom or something else that would make them not come looking for you”

“Well, it seems we´ve spent way too long apart” Chucho observes that Javi´s feet have started to fidget and he worries “You think someone could drive you later? I wouldn't want to stop your fun” Javier´s eyes finally meet Chucho´s, making his dad even worry more for him when he sees anxiety in them.

“Javier, is everything okay? I don't mind going home already if you´re not fine… it's not like they don't make one of these every week or two weeks” Chucho says, ready to get up from his chair and leave.

“No, no, pops i'm fine, just a little overwhelmed, that's it” he calms his dad, reaching a hand out to stop him from getting up.

“You sure?” Javi nods to reassure him “well then okay, i'll ask someone to give me a ride back later” he looks at Javi as serious as he can now “call Doña Lucia´s home phone if you need anything, the number is on the phone book that's in the kitchen, okay mijo?”

“Yes pops, i will if i need to” he pats Chucho´s shoulder once and then turns towards the fence door to go back towards the truck.

When Javi left the inside of the house at first fear took hold of your body, fear of rejection, fear of him avoiding you in regret of what could've happened if his dad had not come in. Soon that fear becomes anger, at him for just stomping out of the situation without acknowledgment, anger of you or the situation, or both for that matter.

As you said, you´re not a teeneager anymore, you´re not letting him do this, specially him; any other man would be a disappointment but they would just disappear from your life eventually, but him, even if you wanted to get him out of your life, which you think you would never want, it would never work, Chucho was your family and you would never abandon him and your mom was his family as well.

You hop off the kitchen counter, put the beer in your hand down, not caring even the slightest about it now, and go through the house towards the front door. You step out onto the front porch, your eyes survey the front of the house, searching for the truck you´ve known for many years now, through the sea of cars from the people who have come to the get together. As soon as you see it, you walk to it and see that no one is inside of it yet.

You know him, you know he's going to try to run from the situation, so he's going to come to the truck eventually. You lean into the driver's door, crossing your arms over your chest; right now you don't even care about the killing heat from the sun shooting straight at you from above or that your shoes are forgotten somewhere in the backyard.

Your mind goes through a million things you want to tell him when he comes but as soon as your ears pick up on the sound of the fence door by the side of the house, you are not sure what you want to tell him, insecurity hurts your chest. What if he was actually going to shove you back before Chucho came in instead of leaning in?

You can hear him curse when he sees you there leaning into his truck.

“Vampirita…” he says when he stops about two big strides from you, his tone pleading.

“No, don't vampirita me” you uncross your arms, letting them fall at your sides “you´re not running away from this, i'm not letting you”

He takes one stride towards you, but still he's not as close as you want him, as you need him “this,” he points at the air between you “can't happen”

A twinge of pain crosses your chest and one of your hands shoots to it like it could physically take it away “why not?” you know your eyes are already glossy, the fear of rejection you had before is now becoming a real thing. You feel like a little kid right now, and you're hating yourself for it.

“Because you…you are you and i'm me, cariño” he makes the attempt to touch you but he stops himself halfway.

You scoff “what an amazing argument Javier” you take a little step towards him, still leaving some distance between you two “I don't know if you´ve notice, but we are both consent adults”

“Trust me, cariño, i ́ve definitely noticed it'' his eyes can't help to run your body “that is the problem”

“Then…” you break the space between you both, your fingers caressing his upper arm “kiss me, please”

Please, you just said please, to him… Javier closes his eyes hard, feeling the cord of control inside of him tense more and more every second you stand there in front of him, your fingers touching him even over his white short sleeved button up.

“Javi…” he opens his eyes after hearing you “please…”

And just like that the cord of self control snaps; one of his hands goes straight to tangle into your hair, the other takes home in your lower back. His lips collide with yours; the sweetest honey he's ever had.

He kisses you like his life depends on it, it starts slow and sweet, but after a moment it becomes hungry. You open your mouth, an invitation to him, and he can't help but groan as his tongue meets yours.

He feels one of your hands fist the front of his button up by his stomach, the other palm flat in his chest, where his buttons are open.

Javier can't think of a moment that felt more in peace and right in his life, even if guilt was eating him from inside. He has kissed many people during his life but right now he felt like this was his first kiss ever.

You felt fire inside of you. You had thought about what kissing him would be like a million times since you were a teenager but no imagination would ever come close to how the real thing feels like. You feel his entire body pressed against yours, his warm hand on your lower back drawing you more into him, if it was possible; his desire for you reassured by the feeling of his bulge against you.

When his lips travel from your own lips to your jaw and then your neck, you can't help but let a soft moan out. As soon as it leaves your mouth you feel him slightly biting your pulse point. You pull at the curls on the nape of the back of his neck and your hips can't help to seek some friction to relieve the ache at your core; his thigh now in between your own two.

Just after the first roll of your hips, you both can hear your mother calling from you just from the other side of the front door of the house.

“Mija, are you in here?” she asks while pushing open the front door. You and Javier pull away from each other faster than you´ve ever moved before.

“Oh there you both are ¿Tu padre me dijo que se iba mijo? (your dad told me that you´re leaving son?)” she asks Javier when she´s in front of you; Javi hasn't turned around towards her yet, too afraid since the front of his jeans are tented still. Your mom looks between you two with a confused face.

“Si, ma. (yes, mom) I was just accompanying him to the truck in case there was any car blocking the way, you know, to alert the owner if it was the case” you hope your lie is believable enough. She looks at you now.

“Está ruborizada, mija. Debería alejarse del sol un rato (You're flustered daughter. You should stay away from the sun for a bit)” she tells you with a worried look on her face, always the protective mother.

“I will ma” you answer thanking all the gods above that she doesn't question the situation.

She looks at Javier, who is still not facing her, and looks at you again. She mouths to you, pointing with her head at Javier, “is he okay?”. You take the opportunity and shake your head no, better for her to worry a little about him and think that you´re both here because he's not okay and you´re comforting him, that she thinks that you may be doing what you were actually doing just moments ago.

She nods and then says “well, i'll see you another day mijo, cuídese (take care)” she then returns to the party through the fence door.

You know he's fighting against his own mind again, so you talk before he gets the opportunity to convince himself of anything.

“Hey, we haven't done anything wrong. So, stop that thought” you say quickly, grabbing his face between your hands, making him look at you straight into your eyes.

“Yeah? Are you sure about that, vampirita? Because I feel like an asshole that took advantage of the daughter of the woman that raised him alongside his own mom” he confesses to you with an angry look on his face, but you know his anger is not towards you but to himself.

“Advantage? Again, I'm a consenting adult and that was a consented kiss for sure. If anyone would ever be forced into a kiss it would be you not me” you let his face go when you start saying the last part.

His hands are the ones now framing your face “Cariño, i wanted that kiss the same as you if not more” he makes you look at him into his eyes, so you can read him just like always “Dios (God) I'm going to hell” he tells more to himself than to you “I haven't been able to stop thinking about you since we saw each other on that parking lot” you can see only truth and longing in his eyes.

You put your hands over his on your cheeks “Well then that makes two of us” you let out a little chuckle “we could try this… keep it between us until we know it´ll work…” you look at him with hope in your eyes.

Javier can't help but let out a big sigh “every bone in me tells me to not let happen any of this, but i don't think i´ve ever been able to tell you no, vampirita” you can't help your face from forming the biggest smile you´ve ever had, you launch into him and wrap your arms around him, then you kiss him again.

Next chapter

[strangersteddierthings]

No Regrets - Part Six

Part One🦇 Part Two🦇Part Three🦇Part Four🦇Part Five🦇Part Six

Eddie hasn't spoken a word since they found him in the boat house. Chief Powell told Nancy this on the phone, calling on Eddie's behalf, and another officer tells them again when they say they're here to pick him up.

Steve has a vague memory of this. He didn't go with to pick up Eddie last time, it was... Wayne? Maybe? The ache in Steve's head, the sign he's come to realize means he's changed something, is the indicator that's true. It means Wayne didn't go pick up El and the others last time, the original time?

Whatever. Steve can't be worried about that; it doesn't matter anymore how it went last time. Last timeline ended with him dead, dying?, so he's fine with forgetting it.

"Hey Eddie," Nancy greets as she stands in front of Eddie. He's just sat in a chair in the lobby area, staring straight ahead but not looking at anything. His eyes are vacant in a way that brings a sense of déjà vu to Steve. "Wayne asked us to pick you up."

Eddie doesn't even acknowledge that she's there.

"Eddie?" Nancy asks, leaning down just a little to put her face in Eddie's view. "Come on. Let's go."

"Nance," Steve says, digging the keys from his pocket, "can you get the car and park closer to the front door? I'll get Eddie."

Nancy turns to look at him, eyes flitting about his face before she nods, reaching out to take the keys.

Steve steps into the place she vacated in front of Eddie and squats. Gets eye level even if Eddie isn't looking back. "Hey, Eddie. It's Steve. Uh, Steve Harrington. Wayne couldn't come get you, he has something else he had to do, but I'm here to take you home."

It's barely there, but Eddie flinches at 'home.' It looks more like a twitch of his shoulder, and it could have been, but Steve thinks it's more than that.

"We don't have to go in. There's- across the road from you is Max Mayfield's house. You ever meet her?" Steve just talks, tries to keep his voice calm, conversational. "We can wait at Max's place for your uncle to get home. Just. We gotta go, man. Can't sit here in the police station all day." Steve reaches for Eddie's hand, to grab and try to coax him into standing. Except, as soon as Steve's fingers make contact, Eddie jerks back and Eddie finally looks at him, eyes snapping to Steve's face. He's not present, not really; he still kind of looks like he's looking beyond Steve rather than at him.

"Sorry, sorry," Steve says, just as softly. "I won't touch. But your uncle asked us to get you, so, please. We gotta go."

"Harrington?"

Oh. Oh no. It's only now that he's faced with looking directly at Eddie, faced with having Eddie looking directly at him that he thinks he might not be ready. He's not it turns out. He's not ready to face Eddie, not when he has memories of- of-

"And Buckley," Robin is suddenly here, pushing into Steve's space. Getting in Eddie's face. "And we are going to be heading to Forest Hills. So, unless you, like, want to spend the day the lovely police force of Hawkins, I suggest getting out of that chair and following us."

How can she have ever been worried about not being able to read his mind anymore?

"Right," Eddie says, more to himself than to Robin. He does go to stand, though, so Steve does, too. Puts some distance between himself and Eddie.

Steve leads the way to the car as Eddie follows behind like a ghost.

Except, it's Steve that's the ghost, isn't it? Does- does the future continue to go even without Steve there? Even as he changes how things went, or are going?

If it keeps going how long was Eddie trapped in his hold? Held by a selfish dead man who wasn't kind enough to not tell Eddie how he feels. Felt?

He looks to Eddie from the corner of his eye before he climbs into the passenger seat. Definitely how he still feels.

"I used your radio to get a hold of Dustin," Nancy says as they pull away from the curb. "He's on his way back to Max's from Cerebro. He got through to the walkie we sent with Wayne. We should all be together in an hour."

"Where'd you send my uncle? Why did he agree to go?" Eddie asks from the backseat.

"That's a loaded question, Munson," Robin answers, "but we'll explain it. Just, uh, just know that we believe you, and we know you didn't do anything to Chrissy."

"I didn't!"

"We know!" Robin placates, and Steve twists in his seat to he can see her. She's behind the driver's seat so he can see her without looking at Eddie. "We know. I swear we'll explain everything. Just when your uncle gets back, okay?"

Eddie doesn't verbally respond but Steve sees Robin nodding back to him so that's that.

There isn't any more talking the rest of the drive. Nancy parks next to her mom's car in front of Max's place and hands Steve's keys back to him before she climbs out. Eddie and Robin are next. Steve remains seated, listens as Robin says something about 'going home later' before he sees Eddie head towards Max's front door. He doesn't even pause to look in at Steve as he walks by.

Why would he? This Eddie doesn't know him. They're not bonded by five years of surviving hell together. This Eddie doesn't know anything about him, and Steve knows his whole life.

Robin startles him by pulling open his door to say, "you coming in?"

He looks from Robin to where Nancy and Eddie have disappeared into the trailer. "I don't- I can't. Robin, I can't."

"Hey, it's okay," Robin assures him, "it's okay. We can stay out here until you're ready."

Steve swallows thickly before nodding. She's squat beside the door, hand on the roof for support and the other on Steve. Also for support, but of the emotional kind. "I think I'm in love with him, and he barely tolerates me. It took a couple months for him to warm up to me, and that was with the help of an apocalypse. Will he even-" like me without it? He doesn't finish but the frown that comes to Robin's face lets him know he doesn't need to.

"Of course, he will. He did once before."

Steve turns from Robin to look out the front windshield. "Yeah. Maybe."

"I'll go in and let them know you need some time. Come in when you're ready," she squeezes his knee and then she's gone.

This time will be different. Vecna has to die today, because tomorrow he goes after Max and that's not acceptable. He won't let that happen. He's going to stop the end of the world before it begins. And then he doesn't know what will happen.

Will life just go on? Will he still remember a future that never was?

If he doesn't remember, will his feelings for Eddie go with the memories? That thought hurts, but if it's true, the pain is only temporary.

Steve doesn't know how long he just sits in the passenger seat of his car, staring off into space, just knows it was long enough that Wayne and the Cali crew arrive. It's the slamming of the van doors that brings him back to himself.

He twists to look over his shoulder and the first person he sees is Mike, who is, Steve thinks, not glaring at him for the first time in his life. Jonathan is standing next to him. He and Mike have a short conversation before Mike walks across the street, coming to a stop about 5 feet from Steve.

"Why are you just sitting in the passenger seat of your car with the door open?" Mike asks, voice full of his usual judgement. "Are you buckled in?"

Steve looks down and frowns. Yes, he is still buckled in. He unbuckles and climbs from his car. Mike eyes Steve warily the whole time.

"He not out yet?" Wayne's voice carries across the way and Steve looks to the Munson's home. Wayne is on the front step, the door behind him open.

"Over here! We're at Max's," Steve throws a thumb over his shoulder and it brings Wayne quickly. He's not running, but it's damn close. "Just let yourself in."

Wayne speed walks passed. Steve stays and watches as Will and El round the van and join Jonathan. Will looks like he wants to barf. Steve's not surprised by that; he's still got some sort of connection to the Upside Down. It's El who looks different.

Her entire demeanor is unlike Steve's ever known her. For the first time ever, she just looks like a scared little girl.

She takes the first step towards Steve and her brothers follow.

She stops in front of Steve, cocking her head at him. Steve looks down at her and mimics the motion. Her hair is the longest he's seen it and her face has turned serious. "You're different."

Steve nods. "So are you."

El lifts a hand up and touches it to Steve's temple. She looks confused for having done it, about as confused as Steve feels, but her confusion turns into a surprised gasp and a trickle of blood slides out her nose.

"El," Mike rushes in, shoving at Steve to make him take a step back and break their contact.

"I am fine," El says, though she looks like whole new person. Her shoulders square and she stands taller. Her eyes look as haunted as Steve remembers.

"Oh shit. You're my El," Steve says, which gets all the boys to give him odd looks.

"I am sorry for what I have done to you," she says, as no-nonsense and militant as he remembers her. "I could not go back myself, but I could piggyback on someone."

"Why me?"

"You were in Hawkins, and I knew you would do what needed to be done."

"What is happening?" Jonathan asks.

El turns to Jonathan and says, "we are going to stop the end of the world."

-

@skepsiss @i-less-than-three-you @nburkhardt @afewproblems @a-little-unsteddie @steviesummer @queenie-ofthe-void @lololol-1234 @synonym-for-strange @tchackdaw @blackpanzy @goodolefashionedloverboi

[crossrhodez]

Better Than You (18+) Chapter 1 - Mjf x Fem!Reader

Paring(s): Mjf x Fem!Reader

Warning(s): Swearing

Genre(s): enemies-to-lovers au

Word Count: 755

Better Than You(18+) Masterlist

He was the worst. Max was everything that she hated, cocky, selfish, and just downright insufferable, but Y/n was no better. Many people in the locker room would say she has the same qualities as MJF, but she’d beg to differ. Though she was an asshole, and selfish, she still thought she was a good person- well maybe not.

“Y/n, just letting you know Max is going to start traveling with us,” Britt says with an uneasy look.

“WHAT-, Britt you can’t be serious.”. Y/n already spent more than enough time with Max, doing interviews, photoshoots, and press, they were the top stars of AEW. Now she had to spend even more time with him. “Britt this is unfair, this means I’d have to sit next to him in the car AND SHARE A BED WITH HIM?? You are fucking crazy,” Y/n yells. “ Is the maximum ride too tempting for little Y/n?” He teased. Y/n just scoffs, she's taken aback by the boldness this man. She felt her cheeks heat up from the comment, why did he have such a strong effect on her, his stupid comment shouldn’t turn her on. “ You two will be fine. Just put a pillow to divide you. Problem solved.”. Y/n could hardly focus, she was so distracted by Max’s arms. She was doing a terrible job at hiding that she was basically eye fucking his arms.

“Um- earth to Y/n”. She instantly snaps back to reality. “Yeah- what sorry, I'm listening”. Britt was unconvinced that Y/n was listening but she let it go. “Well, you two can get in the car. Adam and I will be out in 5 minutes”. Y/n and Max sit in the car the silence is extremely loud. “ So Y/n how-” Y/n cuts him off “I’d rather not talk to you.” She spits. Max took the hint and stayed quiet.

Britt and Adam start to pack their luggage into the car and finally getting ready  to heading to their destination. 

As Britt and Adam returned to the car, the tension between Y/n and Max seemed to thicken with their presence. The air inside the vehicle felt charged with unspoken hostility, each occupant acutely aware of the palpable animosity between the two stars.

Britt exchanged a wary glance with Adam as they settled into their seats, silently acknowledging the volatile dynamic unfolding before them. But despite the tension, they remained determined to keep the peace, if only for the sake of the long journey ahead.

With a resigned sigh, Britt broke the uneasy silence, her voice tinged with forced cheerfulness. "Alright, everyone strapped in? Let's get going," she announced, her attempt at levity falling flat in the suffocating atmosphere of the car.

As the engine roared to life and they began their journey, Y/n's thoughts churned with a turbulent mix of resentment and resignation. She couldn't shake the feeling of unease that settled in the pit of her stomach, the knowledge that she was now trapped in close quarters with the one person she despised most in the world.

Max, for his part, seemed content to stew in silence, his usual bravado tempered by the palpable tension in the air. He cast a sidelong glance at Y/n, noting the rigid set of her jaw and the fire burning in her eyes, and wisely chose to keep his mouth shut.

Adam, ever the peacemaker, attempted to diffuse the tension with a feeble attempt at small talk. "So, uh, any plans for when we get to the hotel?" he ventured, his voice strained with forced casualness.

Y/n shot him a grateful look, appreciative of his efforts to break the ice. "Not really," she replied tersely, her tone softening slightly despite herself. "Probably just gonna hit the gym and then crash."

Max nodded in agreement, a faint smirk playing at the corners of his lips. "Sounds like a plan," he chimed in, his tone surprisingly amiable. "Though I gotta say, I might have to fight you for the treadmill."

Y/n rolled her eyes, a begrudging smile tugging at her lips despite her best efforts to remain aloof. "Bring it on, hotshot," she retorted, a hint of playful challenge in her voice.

And as they settled into an uneasy truce, the miles stretched out before them, each passing moment bringing them closer to their destination—and perhaps, to a deeper understanding of the complexities that bound them together, whether they liked it or not.

[silvervioletvalentine]

🦋Whenever , Wherever, we’re meant to be together! Part 2! 🦋

Pairing: Quinn Hughes x OC Spanish popstar!Lina Valentina.

Word count : 10k

Summary: in which its a year later and it’s time for him to meet lina’s parents, including her over protective father Carlos.

A/N : another Quinn oneshot. Sorry dudes , I promise I’m still gonna write for f1 drivers but I’m on a hockey obsession again at the moment so..yeah. Sorry (not sorry) but you’ll have to put up with a couple more Quinn ones then I’ll get back to it. Promise xoxo

Lina could only smirk in slight amusement to herself as she got ready for the day, trying to focus on rubbing her skincare creams and lotions onto her skin when she noticed Quinn hovering by the bathroom door, leaning against the frame with a small pout on his face as he watched her , quietly.

Still, he didn't say anything . Just watching her pull out a brush as she pulled her hair back into a sleek braid for their plane ride back home.

Sighing loudly as she finally acknowledged him, meeting his gaze in the mirror in front of her with a small smile tugging at her mouth .

"I know I'm beautiful Q but you're drilling holes into my face. Get a camera." She teased him, chuckling as she fondly watched as his cheeks immediately went a dark pink at being caught out, having thought that he was being subtle in his staring.

He was not. He never was. Not when it came to Lina.

It filled her chest with butterflies to know that even a year on, she still managed to have such a schoolgirl effect on him. She only fell in love with him more and more everyday , each nervous laugh, each wandering gaze , each shy smile and sweet embrace , the way he was unable to go too long without touching her in some sort of way...all of it only endeared him to her further.

He was the one. There was no doubt about it.

She had already started daydreaming about their future wedding , wondering if she could somehow convince Quinn to wear a different suit that the same one he always wore to conferences and such . She imagained him in a cool grey, fitted suit with a slight unbuttoned white shirt underneath and sighed dreamily , feeling dazed just at the thought of him.

That's my man. She smiled , pleased, as she looked back up to her reflection just in time to see Quinn averting his eyes back from his feet , where they had fell to shyly at her teasing comment.

"Does your dad own any weapons babe?" He asked her worriedly , having spent the past few days in a constant loop of panic and stomach aches , ever since it was revealed to him that he would be coming home to Madrid with her to finally meet her parents.

Lina had tried putting it off for him for long enough now , but it had been a year of being together and even moving in together in her apartment , her mother was getting antsy with her the longer she refused to let them meet her new boyfriend.

He was The first serious guy she had gotten with since the whole baby daddy fiasco. So it was only warranted that they would be anxious and impatient about meeting Quinn, especially since she spoke so highly about him, always casually dropping his name into any conversation around her . It just came naturally to her now. It drove people around her mad sometimes..

Like when her friend told her about a cute linen dress that she thought Lina would look pretty in, Lina had beamed and replied "it looks so cute! Oh my god, they do a men's selection! Q would look so cute in white linens . Actually he would look good in all the colours . I'm gonna get them all. Then me and Quinn can match!" She had gushed before rushing off back into the store to purchase both her and Quinn matching sets of clothes , her friend left blinking at where she had just been stood in disbelief.

It usually went something like that now. But oh well. It wasn’t a crime to love her boyfriend so much that everything came back to him, was it?

He was apart of her world now, of course she was going to mention him any chance she got. She thought that Quinn was amazing , and she wanted everybody else to know that too.

'You'll really like this pasta!' She would reply at lunch with friends "I would as well but it's too spicy for Quinn. Let's make two but add more cheese for mi amor."

She had gone completely soft for him, her usual 'guys ain't shit, I want nothing to do with them. I'm going to become a nun before I fall in love again' attitude , was now nowhere to be seen.

But looking at Quinn's worried eyes , seeing him biting his nails with anxiety had her whole demeanour softening.

Yeah. He was the one. He had her heart. He could keep it forever. She knew that she would be holding onto his tenderly forever too.

She reached back, eyes still down to the vanity table as she looked through which skincare syrum she wanted to use that morning, gently pulling his hand away from his Mouth before he could make his nail beds bleed again .

"He does not." She simply replied, amused by how scared Quinn was to meet her parents , considering the fact that her mother had taken to calling and messaging Quinn almost everyday to make sure that he was okay.

She would love to see his reaction if her father called him up out of the blue like that, it would be hilarious no doubt. The first time her mother had demanded Lina to give her her new boyfriends number , she had gotten to watch as poor Quinn's face paled when her mother's loud and annoyed voice rang down the line.

He had looked up at her in panic, eyes blown wide in shock as his mouth dropped open in absolute disbelief.

"what the fuck?" He mouthed at Lina panicking , his girlfriend too busy giggling as she made them something to eat in the kitchen.

“You gave your mother my phone number?!" He whisper shouted at her in exasperation , Lina just winking at him mischievously, enjoying every second of it.

"Quinn? That's your name? American?" Maria , her mother, immediately started to shootout her curious questions at him loudly. Pausing between them to yell something out to her husband that sounded suspiciously like 'she wasn't joking! I hear the accent! My poor heart!'.

Quinn didn't know what to say, heart pounding in his chest as he looked helplessly over at Lina , this being the first time he had had any contact with her parents at all.

They had been dating for six months at that point and her mama had enough of her hiding him away, so she decided to take matters into her own hands. By forcing her daughter to give her his number so she could smother him, already treating him like he was one of her own kids .

"Yes. It's Quinn. Er-American . I guess." He confirmed quietly , eyes still wide in shock as he heard her mother inhaled sharply , sounding a little too much like grief .

He smiled a little in amusement without realising , knowing just where Lina got her drama from now .

Lina had already warned him about her parents dramatics , about how exaggerated everything they did and said was. She had told him to just go with it, that they meant no harm. It was just the way they were.

Quinn thought it was both funny and terrifying , unsure if they were joking or not. The last thing he wanted to do was laugh at something her parents had said only to find out a little too late that they weren’t joking at all.

She muttered something in Spanish before sighing loudly .

“Quinn. You play sports? Lina tells me that you get hurt a lot? Will you die? Is this something we need to worry about?" She rushed out in concern, having spent the night googling him and seeing all the pictures of poor Quinn getting injured on the ice all the night .

Her mother almost had a heart attack. Used to lina's boyfriends either being football players or European models , some chefs.. none of them American. And none of them needing to wear head gear to protect their skull for work. Maria was worried sick.

Quinn chuckled a little bit , face softening as he heard the concern in her mother’s voice. Accent thicker than lina's was. He wondered if the more time Lina spent in Madrid , the more she would sound like home.

He knew that at some point Lina would want to go back home for longer periods of time , having told him herself that if he wanted to be in her life for a long time , then he better start practising his Spanish.

So far it hasn't been going too well , although he was certain that he could curse fluently in Spanish now , seeing as the love of his life has a motormouth like a sailer when she was even slightly annoyed. Everybody knew.

"No, no. I'll be okay.. it's usually my nose if I'm honest. It's apart of the sport unfortunately. And the teeth-" he tried to play it down for lina's mother sake, wincing a little in regret when she let out a sharp gasp at his words .

She sounded absolutely Horrified "teeth?! No! You keep them in your mouth,  I will not have it! I'm cooking for you when you and Lina come here, you need to keep all of your teeth in your mouth , por favor! Are you trying to kill me? American boy!" She ranted on, muttering about how there was no way she would be feeding him only soup and that he better keep them or else.

He laughed, finally relaxing a little as he peered over to the kitchen to see Lina feeding Juan his food , his eyes softening as he gazed at them with love in his eyes, so overwhelmed with it.

"Sorry. I'll make sure to have all my teeth in when you see me." He tried to joke, amused as he realised just where Lina got her dramatics from.

A few weeks ago when he had gotten a cut to his head while on the ice, he had come home to a furious Lina giving him the silent treatment .

Because apparently him getting a puck to the face was his fault and it was also his fault for scaring her. She had chucked an ice pack, a packet of painkillers and a flannel at him before stomping away. Refusing to speak to him until he had physically picked her up, pulled her into his arms to apologise for scaring her, wiping the tears from her pretty eyes as he promised her that he was okay.

She had started to come to more of his games after that, bringing a genuine smile to his face when he skated past and heard her cursing out someone from the opposite team loudly, if they even so much as bashed into him, she went all mama mode.

Quinn had been forced to tell her to stop calling the other team 'useless sperm and brainless bastards' before she got herself kicked out. No matter how much he enjoyed hearing her defend him in her slightly unhinged ways.

It was the thought that counts.

Even little Juan had started making outraged noises when he saw Quinn take a hit or push, the two year old gasping and yelling nonsense , or just his name over and over again, little finger pointing at whoever had hurt him as he shouted 'bad! Bad! Bad!' At them over and over again.

Lina encouraging her baby to scold the asshole with a proud look upon her face, easily ignoring the shocked or horrified looks that she received from around her. Only caring about Quinn .

She was protective of him, now her mother was too and he hadn't even met her face to face yet. It was...nice. To know that they cared so much about him but it still didn't manage to ease up his nerves about meeting them whatsoever.

"You're going to be okay amor. I promise. My mama already loves you. She sent you a first aid kid after watching your game on tv didn't she?" Lina remained him with a amused smile as she pulled him over to her, pushing him down on his shoulders so that he would sit on the closed toilet seat in front of her.

Grabbing some cleanser , she gently rubbed it over his face in soft circles , Quinn just letting her as he let out a soft sigh. Fingers fidgeting with the ends of her cotton shorts.

"She did. But your dad didn't. I haven't spoken to him at all. Except for that...email." He muttered , a little amused but mostly wary of the strangely business like email he had randomly received from her father one night after finishing a away game.

'That kid almost broke your jaw with that stick, very good swinging. Even when it hit you , he did not drop it. Perhaps I should take up hockey , would be a good anger reliever. No?' It had read. Signed off neatly with his name and nothing else.

Quinn had panicked, not sure if it was just a mere observation or a threat from her father.

Lina had just giggled like crazy when he had rushed into their room to show her his phone, telling him that he didn't have to worry. That was just her fathers sense of humour.

But Quinn wasn't so sure. Because at the end of the day he was going to be the first man that she had brought home in a long time , the first man that she had firmly declared to them that he was her forever. That it was serious this time.

That he was the one.

And well, Lina had never had much luck with man in the past. Mostly due to her bad taste and hormonal need to get herself a bad boy to cure her boredom .

So naturally, her parents were a little concerned with her sudden lovesick smiles and dreamy sighs whenever she rambled to them about Quinn.

"He likes you! He told me that he can't wait to meet you , he's never said that about any other guy before. He used to refuse to let them in the house. I had to sneak them all in through my bedroom window-" she told him absentmindedly as she picked up some toner and gently wiped some across his face too.

He just sighed , raising a brow at her "all of them? How many were there? I thought you only had two boyfriends in the past." He questioned her, confused.

Lina laughed "yeah. I did. But they weren't boyfriends, they were sex friends. Or- what did Jack call them?" She paused to look down at him curiously , not remembering the term that they all used.

Quinn pursed his lips together firmly "fuckbuddies." He mumbled . Stomach turning at the reminder of just how popular she was with the guys. It was nothing new to him.

He had adored her for a long time , had seen all the photos of her with different guys each week in magazines . He knew that she had a reputation but sometimes he just…forgot.

Because here, now, it was just them. Nobody else. Whenever they were in a crowded room her eyes only ever looked for him. It didn't matter if fucking Michael Jordan was in front of her, she was too busy trying to make him laugh at her stupid , sometimes mean, jokes. Too busy whispering to each other like lovesick teenagers, too busy pointing out things that they saw that the other person would like.

Nobody else existed to them when they were together. Her past didn't matter because it was her, Juan and Quinn now. Her slutty days were over.

She had Quinn to blame for that. She was sucking only one dick for the rest of her life now.

Nineteen years old Lina would have laughed hysterically at the thought of being tied down to one man . But now, now she was just happy.

As simple as that.

"You look beautiful mi amor. Tan bueno (so good)" she whispered to him as she gently applied her moisturiser over his face next, rubbing it in softly in soothing circles until she felt his breathing start to Calm down again.

He gently kissed her shoulder just before she could fully pull away, blushing darkly and smiling shyly as he bit down on his bottom lip sheepishly . Glancing down at the white waffle material shirt she had gotten him , oversized with some tan pants and brand new jordans. A little gold chain with L+J hanging delicately from it on his chest.

For Lina and Juana . He never took it off now.

"I don't look stupid? I look a bit...rich. But like-pretentiously maybe?" He mumbled unsurely as he picked at the thousands of dollars shirt that she had gotten him. Loving how soft it was but not used to dressing in anything luxurious like this. A sweatshirt and jeans , or sweatpants usually did him good.

But he couldn’t deny the way his chest and face filled with warmth as he saw Lina take in a deep breath, stepping away from him as she eyed him up and down, biting down on her lip as she gazed at him , eyes turning dark as she shamelessly checked him out.

Quinn fidgeted on his feet , letting out a nervous laugh the longer she was silent .

His laugh seemingly snapping her out of her dirty thoughts as she flushed, making eye contact with him as she Whistled long and hard.

"You look so sexy. Quiero hacerte cosas sucias. Mierda..(I want to do dirty things to you. Fuck..)" she breathed out. Smoothing her hands down the soft half buttoned shirt , in awe of how good he looked right then.

He chuckled lowly , cupping the back of her head as he bent down a little so that he could kiss the side of her face gently. Pressing another two kisses above her brow for good luck. Then another on her glossy lips just because he could .

"Was that a compliment?" It sounded like one , he felt his breath hitch as he watched her smirk up at him . Lashes fluttering as she squeezed his biceps firmly , reaching up to kiss his jaw.

"It was." She soothed his worries, kissing him again before pulling away when she heard a familiar loud voice coming in. "te amo." She let him know softly.

Quinn just laughed shyly, stroking her hair once last time before pulling away. Bending down just in time to catch Juan stumbling into the bathroom, holding a Batman toy in his hand.

"Te amo. I love you." He told her in both Spanish and English. Wishing he could tell her in every language. Simply saying it didn't feel enough.

There was no words to describe how he felt for her, just feelings. Never ending ones. The kind of love that made him dizzy and his knees go weak each time she smiled at him like that.

"Quinny! Looookkkk!" Juan shouted , laughing loudly as he picked him up. Proudly showing him his toy "I'm Batman!" He tried to do the voice. Looking at him impatiently as he waited for him to laugh.

Quinn did, running his fingers through the two years old hair gently to detangle the knots. Juan having decided to go on a hairdresser ban just like Quinn had, now Lina had two of them looking like scruffy rockstars with their outgrown hair and messy style.

They were lucky she loved them. She shook her head in amusement as she looked at what Juan was wearing , Quinn having been the one to get him ready that morning while she finished packing their bags.

"Really Quinn? Another one? It's all he wears now!" She laughed as she looked at juans Canucks jersey with Quinn's number and name all over it, with black basketball shorts underneath . A cap placed backwards on his head just like Quinn's .

She almost had a stroke. Glaring at her giggling boyfriend in exasperation. He just couldn't help himself could he?

He just shrugged proudly , straightening out said jersey on the two year old contently. "So? He looks cool. He's repping the best player out there. Aren't you buddy?" He tickled Juan's tummy , grinning proudly when he nodded his head happily. Squealing as he tried to wiggle away.

"Si! Si! I'm going to play too!" He happily announced to his mother , making Quinn freeze with a guilty wince.

She gasped loudly , horrified "you are not! You have a beautiful nose ..and face ! And your teeth mi amor! No!" She felt faint as she clutched her chest dramatically . Narrowing her eyes over at Quinn dangerously , knowing exactly who had been putting this idea in his head.

He chuckled nervously , patting little mans back to get Him to shut up as he grinned innocently at Lina "no. He's just- he's kidding aren't you bud?" He rose a brow down at Juan pointedly , Juan just blinked up at him in confusion .

“He's kidding."

He was not.

Little guy already loved watching hockey and Quinn couldn't wait to get him into skates . To be able to teach him everything he knew, it was going to be amazing . His little mini him. And even though Juan wasn't his biologically , that didn't mean Jack shit to him.

Because for the past year the two of them had bonded , had spent almost everyday together , Lina And Juan travelled with him to as many away games as they could , and the two year old loved it. Loved him.

Quinn don't care what anybody else thought , he knew that he loved Lina and Juan unconditionally, and that wasn't going to fade anytime soon. They were his future now. Everybody else could suck it.

Even if he lost on the ice, he was winning of it so..it made the sting fade pretty damn quick when he was greeted with their warm embrace and uplifting words to him after each game.

They were his family now .

"Don't worry. You're gonna be just as good as me. Juan the star. Like your mama." He mumbled down to the two year in his arms as he wandered out of the bathroom with him , to put on his shoes and sunscreen before Lina tried to kill him again for letting little man out of the house without it.

A plane ride later and Quinn was back to panicking as they parked up outside of a large bungalow style home in what looked to the be there middle of no where , feeling his heart racing in his chest as he lingered by the car while Lina got a sleeping Juan out of his seat.

"I'm going to be sick." He muttered dreadfully , wiping the sweat gathering on his hairline with a shaky hand. Wafting his now stifling shirt with the other . 

He was scared shitless. In Madrid. Oh god.

Lina just giggled as she pushed his sweaty hair away from his forhead , handing him a candy bar with the other. "It's the heat. You can take off your shirt if you want to cool down more." She suggested , more for herself than anything.

Quinn wasn't as amused, shooting her a Look of disbelief as he clutched at the candy bar in his hand.

"You want me to be shirtless as I meet your Parents? Are you trying to get me killed? Lina!" He hissed after her as she casually walked down the long driveway to the door, Quinn quickly scuttling after her.

Reaching over to snatch up her free hand to hold, clinging onto her fingers tightly as he tried to remember how to breath . The anxiety about what was going to happen about to kill him.

Lina just gently kissed his shoulders, face softening sympathetically "Quinn. Stop it. Everything is going to be okay. Just don't mention football-" before she could finish her warning , the front door swung open.

Quinn freezing in his spot as a short , dark haired woman looked up at him with wide eyes, gasping loudly as she clutched a tea towel to her chest.

"A vampire!" She almost screeched in fright. Looking like she had seen a ghost, or someone as pale as one.

She looked horrified as she looked at poor Quinn who looked helplessly to his girlfriend , Lina just giggling hysterically as she nudged past her mother to get inside their home to put Juan down now that he was sleep.

"Oh no! Come on! Come on! What happened? You allergic to the sun?" She ushered him in , clutching onto Quinn's arm as she dragged him through the house and towards the back patio doors.

Lina just waving at him with a amused giggle, having already expected this reaction from her mother for bringing home a very pale American boy.

He flushed pink , letting her drag him out to the garden , trying not to laugh at the genuine worry on the older woman's face .

“No. No- just don't get out as much I guess." He didn't know what to say. Instead letting her mother just Mother him instead.

Maria huffed as she pushed him down onto a chair , shaking her head at him. "Not good at all! You sit here, you get some colour! You can't go scaring people like that! What will the neighbours think?" She pulled out some sunscreen from her apron and clutched his face tightly on one hand, roughly applying it all over his face while Quinn spluttered.

Squeezing his eyes shut to stop it getting in his eyes as she roughly patted it all over his face , tutting at him as she did so.

“I don't get tan. I just burn. I'll go red." He tried to warn her, more than amused now as she lifted up his arms to apply sunscreen there too.

He peered over Maria's shoulders to see Lina by the back door, leaning against it with a amused smirk on her face while holding up her phone as she videoed him getting scolded and smothered by her mother , no doubt going to send it to his brothers and their friends back home.

Maria just patted his head, "yes you will. You're not leaving until I see health! Lina pass me the sun oil! And a bandana too!" She shouted over to her giggling  daughter who immediately did as she was told, passing her the magic oil with a grin.

Her mother narrowed her eyes at her "you let this happen? He looks -paper! I could write a letter on his face!" She scolded her accusingly .

Lina just laughed "mama! I like him as he is! He's my Casper! So cute!" She cooed at him. Enjoying the offended look on her poor boyfriends face as her mother manhandled him .

"Lina.." Quinn exclaimed , offended "Casper the ghost? Seriously?!"

She snorted "I love Casper and I love you so shut up and get tanning mi amor. You whine too much." She bantered back at him. Used to their bickering and back and forth back home.

Her mother was not. Maria gasped loudly "be kind! He is your partner , not your secret lover! I remember how you used to treat those boys when you were younger Lina! So mean!" She scolded her. Making Quinn laugh loudly .

"Yeah Lina. Be nice to me." He smirked over at her, one eye closed as her mother slapped oil all over his face as well. He felt like a Christmas Turkey about to be cooked. But he wasn't going to say anything.

Inhaling deeply , she rolled her eyes at him before turning around just As her father came to the door, pausing by the doorframe as his eyes wandered from his daughter and then over to the supposed 'love of her life' that she had not stopped gushing about to them.

He frowned , titling his head a little as he watched his wife wrap a bandana around the poor Quinn's head, making him grimace as she tightened it too much.

He looked worried as he looked at his only daughter with concern written all over his face "my love..Is he sick? It's not a good idea to travel when sick, I don't want to get sick." He worried "is he contagious?"

Used to her parents dramatics, Lina just laughed as she hugged her father tightly . Carlos kissing the top of her head fondly as he embraced her with a happy sigh , having missed her while she was gone.

"No papa. He is well. Very well in fact.." she sighed dreamily as she gazed over at her boyfriend now being forcefully fed by her overbearing mother who had now moved onto complaining about him not eating enough , despite this being the first time she had even met him .

Thankfully , Quinn had somewhat expected something like this to happen, the constant texts and inpatient phone calls with Maria demanding to know if they were both eating well and keeping hydrated letting him know that she took her motherly duties very seriously. Even if she was in a completely different country.

"Thank you for sending me those recipes by the way.." Quinn spoke up shyly after a few moments of Maria plating up some food for him , fidgeting with the evil eye bracelet on his wrist that Lina had made them all wear , even his own brothers had to as well.

Maria smiled at him , pleased with his politeness as she took a seat opposite him, ready to get to know her daughters new forever better. She had never seen Her baby so in love before, so she wanted to see for herself just why Lina had chosen Quinn out of all the men she could have had . The pale American boy had been the one she looked twice at and never turned away from since.

Her mother had been surprised , a little catious and more than confused at first , but now as she watched Quinn take small glances over at her daughter with a small smile playing on his lips each time he heard her laugh and seen her smile , Maria began to realise that perhaps Lina was right.

This might be it for her. For him.

He might be the one that mothers like Maria had wished for and prayed for their daughters to find their whole lives.

"You tried making them?" She inquired , proud to know that she had been of help.

Lina had offhandedly mentioned one time on the phone that Quinn had been trying to learn how to cook more Spanish dishes for her but was struggling.

Maria's instincts had kicked in and after a hour long phone call with a startled Quinn , she had sent him more than enough family recipes to last a lifetime. Telling him to call her if he got lost in them, helping him whenever he had a question , their odd and sparse texts with Quinn sheepishly asking her if he had gotten the right onion or the right type of flour for the recipe , had endeared him even more to her .

He had been passing the mothers tests with flying colours , Maria could already hear the wedding bells in the distance . She hid her smile behind her fingers , watching as Quinn fiddled with his fork like a nervous kid , smiling up at her briefly before looking away.

"Yeah I did." He nodded his head in confirmation "we have date night every Friday and Saturday. We take turns . And Lina seems happy each time she ate what I cooked so.." he let out a small chuckle "I think it's been going okay. She hasn't thrown up yet so that's a good sign." He tried to joke , squinting from the hot sun blaring down on his oiled up skin.

Maria hummed proudly "very good. You know..my husband has bought me flowers every week since we were eighteen years old." She spoke fondly of Carlos, both of them peering over at her father who was still standing by the door with Lina , talking with smiles on their faces as they embraced .

Quinn smiled fondly , struggling to take his eyes of Lina as he watched the sun shine down on her , highlighting the short , flowy white dress she was wearing, her curls long down her back as she gently ran her fingers through the ends , seeing the golden locket that he had gotten her resting against her chest , shining beautifully , he let out a happy sigh. Unable to believe that this was his life now.

For so long he had posters on his wall of Lina, now their apartment had a wall full of photographs of them together.

He felt like he was in a dream , one that he never wanted to wake up from.

"Lina loves flowers too. I think that we'll end up having a garden full of flowers in the future. She really loves them all. I got her marigolds last week and she's been pressing them to keep them forever. It's nice.." he mumbled a little shyly , perking up when he heard a familiar screech of his name.

Head snapping over to the backdoor to see that Juan had woken up, the two year old stumbling as fast as he could over to him. Quinn laughing a little as he reached down to pick him up, placing him onto his knee as Juan shoved a Batman figure into his face excitedly.

"Oh wow!" He gasped playing along as he gently ruffled his hair "it's Batman! Is he being a hero again?"

Juan grinned up at him happily "si! We can play at home. You Spider-Man." He practically demanded.

The two of them having spent hours playing every game imaginable. Lately Juan had gotten into avengers after sitting with Quinn on the couch while he watched it. Anything that he liked, Juan did too. It made his chest warm as he smiled down at the little boy on his lap, pressing a kisss to the side of his head affectionately.

"Deal." As he continued to converse and play with Juan, he missed the look of softness and approval he got from Maria as she watched her grandson and future son in law get lost in their own world together. Quinn not hesitating to let himself be dragged away to play with the excited two year old, the happiness clear on both of their faces as they played.

Maria beamed happily and looked up to the sky "whoever did this. I will owe you a lifetime! You did well!"

"Quintin , you play?" Carlos, her father , finally approached him after not so subtly watching the hockey player play with his two year old grandson outside on the sandpit. Trying to find a moment to catch him off guard and find out who he really was and what his intentions with his daughter were.

Lina was his only daughter, his star , his life. He would only accept the best for her, nothing less. Carlos had spent years accepting the fact that Lina would probably end up with some European guy, a footballer or a some Spanish male model.

His daughter had a type . Tall, tanned and built like Greek gods , loud and confident . A real smooth talker with the charm of a rich man who knew just what he wanted . And usually what they wanted was his daughter.

Carlos had always thought that the day Lina brought home a boyfriend , it would be somebody that the family already knew. Or somebody that their country did.

But apparently he had been wrong because Carlos was now staring down at a startled , pale , awkward American man sitting in his sandbox with little Juan in his lap, avengers figures all around them.

He just sighed long and hard, pursed his lips and repeated himself again "you play?" Impatiently raising a brow at him.

Quinn blinked and then Rapidly nodded his head, heart racing in his chest as he looked up at her intimidating father towering over him. Looking less than impressed.

Clearing his throat a little , he hugged the two year old a little closer to his chest nervously .

“Yeah. I play hockey-" he tried to smile at him, hoping to show that he wasn't a absolute dickhead like lina's long list of lovers in the past were .

But Carlos quickly cut him off, testing him "no. You play hearts? Girls? You like breaking their seeet hearts and making them cry?" His voice was tense, as though expecting him to agree and give him a casual ‘yeah. Love it!'

Quinn felt like he was going to have a heart tack as he let out a nervous laugh , quickly shaking his head no.

"No! No. Not me. I don't -no. That's more my brothers thing-" he tried to joke, tried to break the sudden tension that had fallen upon them.

Juan hitting his shoulder with an iron man figure, he briefly looked down to give him a smile, taking the Batman figure from his other hand that he wanted him to hold. "One minute little man." He mumbled to him , rubbing his arm gently to soothe him.

Seeing this, Carlos softened a little . But not much. Still on edge and more than confused at his daughter bringing home a guy that was the complete opposite of all the others before.

"You're very strange. My wife seems to think that you're good though. A little quite but ..." he shrugged loosely as he recalled his wife's praises of Quinn as she warned him to play nice with their daughters new partner.

Quinn didn't know how to take that, so he just offered an unsure smile up at him "that's-nice? I think." He muttered while slowly standing to his feet so he didn't have to keep looking up at her father like a little kid getting a scolding at school.

Hoisting juan up into his arms , the two year old giggling as he continued to play with his figure on Quinn's shoulder. Completely unbothered by how tense Quinn had gone.

Her father sighed again "yes. Very nice. Do you plan on coming home with her more often ? To Madrid I mean." He asked him curiously .

Wanting Lina to have someone that would make sure that she was happy too. That would put in the effort to make things work even from a whole different country away. That would make her his priority.

Quinn nodded slowly "yeah. I mean, we haven't talked about it but we'll kind of just be going back and forth. I like it here- a lot different than back home but its nice. “ he shrugged a little shyly , barely able to look her father in the eye. Scared he'd say something wrong and ruin the whole thing for them.

He wanted lina's parents to like him, with her mom it had been pretty easy. The woman had already been calling and texting him for months pestering him about his health , and making sure they were eating food and getting enough sleep.

Her father though ...Quinn didn't know what to say or do around him .  The man had the aura of someone that wasn't afraid to simply make you disappear if you did him or his family wrong in any way.

It was safe to say that Quinn's stomach was turning into a sickly bay of nerves and anxiety . Just wanting everything to go smoothly.

Lina was his forever and if he wanted to marry her someday soon, wanted to have their own family and be each other's future. He needed her family to like him , otherwise it was going to make for awkward weddings , tense dinners and thanksgivings .

Lina would kill him.

Carlos nodded , pleased. "Yes it is. This is serious for you? You can't mess around like this. Not when there is a beautiful child involved too." He got firm with his words as he gently brushed Juan's hair from his face. Adoring his grandson.

"I know what you American boys are like! I've seen the shows!" Her father scowled , protective of his family.

Quinn's eyes widened In panic "I am serious! I can promise you sir. The minute I saw Lina.." he hesitated to say , overcome by the emotional ball rising up his throat .

He adjusted Juan in his arms and let out a small sigh , gathering what confidence and courage he had to make sure that Carlos knew that his daughter was the light of his world now , that he would never hurt her. Never break her heart.

"Tell me." Carlos encouraged as he led him over to one of the garden benches , patting his shoulder encouragingly once he noticed him struggling for words. Realising that he may have come on a little strong and scared the poor guy, he smiled a little at him with humour "there's nothing more a father loves than hearing the love his daughter has gained." He told him sincerely , warning to hear it from his mouth that it was true. That this wasn't just some phase they were going through.

Quinn let out a shaky breath and started quietly "I knew ya know? I've admired her for what felt like all my life...and then she was there. In front of me, smiling and I just -" he let out a sheepish chuckle , shaking his head in amazement to himself as he glanced over the end of the garden to see Lina smiling with her mother as they shared some wine.

"I felt like I was dying. Like I couldn't breathe." He admitted to her father shyly , averting his eyes down to little Juan snuggled up in his arms .

He softly ran his fingers through his curly hair , the two year old humming happily as he clung onto him a little tighter. Snuggling into him with ease. Trusting Quinn completely.

"Nobody tells you that falling in love can feel like you’re having a heartattack." He muttered as colour filled his cheeks , not used to talking about his feelings out loud like this to anyone other than Lina.

Carlos laughed knowingly , smirking a little at him "oh I know that one! It was the same with my wife. I couldn’t even speak to her at first unless I had a drink or two!" He let him know , amusement colouring his voice as he watched Quinn sheepishly look up from his lap and up to him again.

Reminding him of a nervous teenager about to ask his crush to the dance , Carlos smiled . Slowly begging to relax as he realised that maybe Quinn really was just simply a good guy.

Quinn chuckled a little "she's always made me so incredibly happy. Even before I knew her. It's embarrassing. All the guys chirp me for it back home.." he muttered , adjusting the now napping two year old more comfortably on his chest. Placing his little head In the crook of his neck so it wouldn't ache at a weird angle while sleeping .

Carlos just scoffed a little "never be embarrassed for feeling love. You see so many guys that are too involved with their own pride, too afraid to seem weak to other guys around them, feel like they're too tough to show affection and to be soft.  But to be emotionally available and soft for the one that you love, that is something only a truly man can do. One that is needed to be in love and loved in return. Do you understand?" He placed a firm hand on Quinn's free shoulder, smiling at him softly .

His earlier worries being washed away just like that, he had a good feeling about this one.

Quinn nodded his head slowly as he let his wise words of encouragement sink in, feeling a small weight being lifted off from his shoulders as he looked up at lina's father and saw nothing but approval now.

"I do. I get it. I've just - I’ve never felt like this before so it's a little overwhelming. But I do, I love her. And I love Juan too. He's a cool little dude. Loves watching hockey with me so that's nice.." he rambled to him with a small laugh , affection filling him at the thought of the little Home made family he had now.

Her father grinned at him , pleased. Deciding that he wouldn’t go feeding Quinn to the sharks anytime soon.

"you hold her hand in public?" He wanted to know. Another little test.

Quinn didn't hesitate to nod his head "yeah, I do." He then let out a shy laugh "although I think it's more for my benefit than hers. She makes me feel calm. It's hard to feel down when she's holding my hand." He mumbled shyly , eyes back down to his feet.

"You rub her feet when they ache?"

"I do." He nodded. Biting back a smile.

Carlos hummed "You gave her your jacket when she's cold? You keep her warm even if it means you're not?" He asked him seriously .

Quinn chuckled "I do. But Honeslty usually it's me stealing her sweathisrts and jackets. We practically share them now. She's got good taste." He admitted, unashamed to admit that Lina was the fashionista of the two of them.

She had upgraded his wardrobe that now consisted of cool sweathisrts , designer hoodies and linen sets , all of the finest cotton. Lina liked to take care of him like that . It was nice.

Carlos's smile grew even softer , nodding his head along in satisfaction . "You hold her tight even in front of your friends? You laugh even when a joke she tells you isn’t so funny?"

Quinn smiled down at his hand resting on Juan's little head , laughing lightly as he recalled all the times that he had laughed at lina's stupid jokes, not because they were funny but because she found them to be .

She would always start giggling before she could even finish saying her joke and that was what made Quinn laugh along with her each time.

If She was happy then so was he. It really was as simple as that.

"I do." He breathed out , grinning "she try's her best. We watch a show together and even though I watched it with her , she will still repeat all of the jokes they said on tv to me." He told her father fondly , shaking his head in amusement at his girlfriends ways .

Her father just smiled and placed a hand on top of Quinn's head , ruffling his hair before he could even blink .  Letting out a loud laugh as he saw Quinn's startled reaction, his eyes snapping over to him in slight shock . Having not expected the fatherly touch like that, Carlos patted his shoulder once more before finally pulling away.

"Then you have my approval." Carlos told him simply , more than pleased with what he had learned. Feeling a weight lift off of his shoulders now that he knew that his daughter and grandson really were in good hands .

Quinn began to smile widely , letting out a loud sigh of relief "yeah? Thank god..otherwise this would have made birthdays and Christmases really awkward." He said without thinking , more tan relieved.

Carlos just chuckled "mhmm. But I gotta warn you Quinn..." he let out a dramatic breath as he gestured around the large stretch of empty land around his home .

"-one line overstepped, one tear of hurt or pain ,  or a broken heart... " he stared the poor American hockey player down seriously "you see all of this land of mine? It’s Endless.."

Quinn nodded warily , a little scared now "yeah?" Eyes growing wide as he began to realise Just where her father was going with his little speech.

He recalled lina’s reassuring laugh as she told him in a giggle that 'her father wouldn't even hurt a fly!'

Quinn swallowed audibly and realised then that perhaps Lina hadn't seen him around her other ex boyfriends before. She definitely hadn't Been around for the 'man to man' chats or the 'I'm just going to show him my collection of handmade nail studded bats'.

And maybe she was right . Carlos wouldn't hurt a fly but he would hurt anyone who dared to lay a painful hand on his daughter physically or emotionally.

She was his baby. Anyone that hurt her would simple become a ghost. As simple as that.

Carlos looked at him square on "if you break my daughters or my grandsons heart.." he inhaled sharply just at the thought of his family getting hurt "you will become dust on my land. I will plant flowers with you. Si?" He casually said to him, tone calm as though he was talking about the weather to him.

Quinn rapidly  nodded  his head , shocked at the sudden threat of his life.

“Si. Si. Yeah. Loud and clear." He stumbled out , laughing nervously as he looked around in hopes of spotting Lina nearby. Preferably to find her before her father told him all the ways he Could make him disappear.

Carlos just laughed at the scared look on his face , then he reached over to smack the back of his head before standing to his feet again . Amused.

"I like you." He grinned contently while pointing a finger at him, nodding along to what he was saying .

"You should come here More often. We can play golf together. In case hockey doesn't work out. You need backups." He told him happily , the intimidating and cold demeanour falling right back off him now that he had gotten his little tests on Quinn out of the way.

Quinn could only blink up at him in surprise , still thrown off from the whole 'I will kill you' talk. But he nodded nonetheless .

“Sure sir. Sounds fun." He said nervously.

Yet he couldn't help but smile a little at Carlos saying that he liked him. That was all that he had wanted out of this trip. For her parents to like him. He had gotten 2/2. So he was feeling pretty pleased with himself then.

Her father just laughed "don't call me sir! It's Carlos. You're family now! My daughter loves you so I will learn to love you too!" He told him grinning , hands on his hips as he let out a long dramatic sigh.

"This was good." He declared then , speaking his mind. "I was worried but now I am not." He simply said "you're a good American boy. I didn't realise you existed . A little pale but ..more summers here will fix that." He rambled to him "welcome to the family kid."

Quinn grinned.

Later that night when everybody was asleep, Quinn was keeping Lina awake with his excited whispers in the dark as he relaid his whole day with her. Lina moaning sleepily as she snuggled into his neck, legs intertwined as she listened to him, half asleep already.

Quinn played with her hair as he mumbled "I think that we should get a place here. We could come here , like , swap the weeks between ours and here. Your father said that there was some nice beach houses not too far away from here." He suggested quietly , running his free hand down her bare back gently . Lightly scratching her shoulders with his nails just the way she liked it.

Lina lifted her head a little to look at him in surprise , letting out a shocked laugh. That having been the last thing she had expected him to say to her that night.

"You really like it that much here?" She couldn't believe it, happiness filling her chest at the thought of being able to have a place with Quinn in the same place she had grown up in. Her home. Just like Quinn was.

He just nodded shyly , eyes darting across her face quickly to check her reaction . He only relaxed a little once he saw her growing smile .

He smiled too "yeah. I do. But also -" he tucked himself underneath her chin , being the one to snuggle her this time. Wrapping his arms around her waist so she could hold him close .

“I think it would be good for Juan to see his grandparents more." He whispered before hesitating briefly "and-"

He cleared his throat a little sheepishly "and your dad wants to take me golfing. Apparently there's a family tournament this summer that he wants me to be in with him so.. he really wants to be the neighbours . So I'll need the practice." He shyly mumbled to her . Cheeks colouring red as he felt her chest vibrate beneath him with a amused giggle.

She ran her fingers through his hair gently , kissing the top of his head over and over again as pride filled her. Recalling how scared Quinn had been to even talk to her father , convinced that Carlos wouldn't like him.

And now look at him, one day with her father and they were already planning going golfing together. She couldn't have felt any happier if she tried.

"New best friend?" She teased him affectionately, lifting his head up by his hair gently so that she could see his face that he was hiding from her.

With blushed cheeks and glossy eyes , he giggled shyly "yeah. Maybe." He sounded excited too , having spent the rest of the day after their 'talk' hanging out with her father .

He was a really cool guy and Quinn honestly felt like he had a second father figure for him to talk to , he loved Carlos. And Carlos loved him now.

He was so fucking happy he could cry. For once in his life everything was working out the way it should.

All the stars were aligning and he knew that he only had the love of his life to thank for it. His happiness really was secured with her.

"I also said that I'd take him to some of my hockey games as well." He told her with a pleased smile on his face , biting down on his lip as he peered up at his girlfriend through his lashes bashfully , his chin caught between her fingers firmly to keep his eyes on her.

"Yeah?" She smiled, pecking his nose . Heart bursting with love for the man she had given her whole heart to.

He nodded "yeah. He said he'll come as long as good food and wine is provided." He told her in amusement , having spent a good few hours explaining the rules of hockey to her confused father who didn't have a clue to what he did on the ice at all. But Quinn was certain that he could make Carlos a fan, hopefully of him and his team, but a fan nonetheless.

Lina just giggled in amusement "sounds like him." She muttered fondly before letting out a long sigh as she smiled down at him in adoration .

"I love you . You know that?" She whispered to him, brushing her lips against his own parted ones gently ,

He let out a shaky breath against her lips, swallowing audibly as he looked down at her pouty mouth that only he got to kiss now.

"I know. I can feel it." It was true.

She didn't need to tell him that she loved him for him to know, her love was in everything she did for him. Everything she said. Love was just her choosing him, over and over again.

“You're my whole fucking universe and all the stars in the sky." He felt himself begin to get emotional , so overcome with love for her that welled ip his eyes and made his lip tremble for her.

"I love you." He whispered against her lips, smiling

"I always will." He promised and he meant it.

And so did the diamond ring in his suitcase just waiting to be opened .

Something that would be much more easier to do now that he had her fathers approval and blessing to love Lina for the rest of his damn life.

[macsimagines]

Hello, hello! Could I request Mikey, Mitsuya, and Hakkai and how they'd handle their partner being genuinely upset at them? Like they forgot their anniversary upset?

(Forgetting an anniversary? Hope these guys are ready to grovel...)

Yandere!Mikey

Has no idea what the cold shoulder is about. It's been over a week and you won't even look at him. You've even taken to sleeping in the guest room.

Finally confronts you and then feel like a giant ass. "You know what Mikey? This is bullshit. You stronghold me into this relationship and expect me to treat it like it's the biggest part of my life. But then you can't even remember our anniversary! Why did you want me if you're just going to forget me!?"

The guy is usually pretty stoic but he honestly feels like such a douche. Tries to make up for it, but you're not having it and he just Slightly loses his temper.

Grabs you and forces a kiss onto your lips, "M'sorry, alright? I'm really fuckin', sorry. Now quit throwin' a fit already."

Yandere!Mitsuya

He's a busy man, but he is usually good about these things. He just got caught up with these latest deadlines and now you won't even acknowledge him.

It was your birthday of all things... And you had to spend it alone. "I don't even have any friends Mitsuya. Not since you chased them all off. My parents won't even talk to me because I chose you. You couldn't even be there for my birthday?"

Feels like complete trash. Every word you said is true. He didn't want to isolate you but he just couldn't help but feel like he was loosing you to everyone else in the world...

Makes it up to you big time. You come home one day and the place is covered in roses with a trail leading to the bedroom and boom. There he is on one knee.

"Let me make it up to you. For the rest of our lives?"

Yandere!Hakkai

He'd been giving you rainchecks and bullshit excuses for MONTHS now. Your anniversary was coming up and you made him swear on his sister that he wouldn't forget.

And he didn't he just got stuck. This new designer had taken up so much of his time and kept forcing him to try on more and more clothes for her and he was pretty much trapped.

Thankfully, Yuzuha stepped in and put that bitch on blast for wasting his time and he was dashing out of that studio to you like a bat out of hell.

He was super late but he came home with roses and your gift. "Please, please, please don't hate me." he begged on his knees, "Yuzuha got me the next two weeks off. I got us a reservation at a fancy onsen. Baby, please?"

[cinnamokittykat]

Merry Christmas. I meant to get this out earlier lol.

Pt. 4 - Inspired by @puff0o0 's artwork

(Btw I'm open to suggestions about a name for the series)

It was now a few days into the school year. Schedules had been settled, work had started, and you already wished for the next break. You had tried to get your classes changed to ones with your friends, but to no avail. You still got to see them at lunch though, so there was that.

Math class once again proved to be a struggle. After dinner, you found yourself hunched over your desk, staring at the numbers as they sort of tangled and knotted themselves together, like a ball of yarn. Like the yarn sitting in a basket in the corner, you had put away your summer crotchet projects for the time being. They sat next to big, fluffy, cozy pink bed.

You turned back to focusing on your math homework, taking a sip of tea as you did. Ugh, why can't I figure out this second half?

You set your pencil down, getting ready to give up when you get a knock at your door.

"Sweetie? There's someone here to see you." Your mother calls out to you.

"Alright, I'll be right out!"

You pull a sweater over your tank top and open your door. Who's visiting me this late into the evening?

Walking downstairs, you turned the corner into the living room, only to see König nervously sat in a chair, your father eyeing him down in the chair across.

"You know this... boy?" Your father enquires, voice laced with a touch of venom. He scans König up and down at the last word.

"Yeah, he's in my class. What's going on?"

"Well I-" König started, but was quickly interrupted.

"He knocked on the door, at 7 in the evening, mind you, to ask about 'homework'". Explains your father in an accusatory manner.

"Oh, you're having trouble with the math too?" You acknowledge the nervous boy sitting in the arm chair.

"Y-yes I, uh-" He adjusts the collar of his band t-shirt, holding up the paper packet. It had the second half filled in, but the first was completely blank.

"I will leave if you want me to." He addresses your father this time, who's face had softened slightly. The middle-aged man's brow furrows, and he points to the kitchen table.

"You both will stay right there!"

König nods frantically and walks over to the table, almost bumping his head on the door frame. You run upstairs to grab your work before joining him.

"Would you like anything to drink? We have water, tea, soda..." You ask, unsure of how to approach the situation.

"Ja, um, tea is fine."

"Black?"

"Yes."

You brewed two cups of tea and brought them out to the table. He was examining the two packets in front of him, comparing the problems against each other. You took a seat next to him, making sure to leave adequate space between the two of you.

"So, you are having trouble with 10 through 20?" He asked, pointing with a pencil.

"Yeah, none of the solutions I come up with make sense, I think I'm missing a step."

"I see. Show me your process."

You picked up the pencil and started scribbling down the various numbers and equations. The feeling of his eyes boreing into you as you worked had your palms feeling clammier than usual.

"No, no no. You missed a step." He puts a hand on your hand that holds the pencil, before quickly taking it away again.

"So, you need to remember to use the right operation here..." He says, pointing at the equation.

"Oh... that makes sense." You say, feeling strangely dumb. You erase your work and do the problem again. König gives you a thumbs up as you finish, your answer finally looking right.

"And your work?" You ask.

He hands you his packet, and his work is written out with numbered steps but messy scrawl. You look over it, and quickly find the issue.

"Hey, I think you're misunderstanding the formula, let me show you an easier way to do it."

You erase his work and begin showing him your method. His face lights up with newfound understanding.

"Ohhhhhh... Danke. I get it now." He sets to work on his paper, and you get to work yourself.

As you worked, you found yourself looking up from your paper to gaze at the once intimidating metalhead when you were bored of Math. His long, messy brown hair cascaded down in front of his face, swaying from side to side ever so slightly as he worked.

As you finished your second to last problem, you glanced up once again, only to be met by his blue eyes, only to have them quickly torn away from you when he hastily found another place to look. The heat in your cheeks was almost unbearable at this point.

Finally, both of you had your homework finished. König finished his tea and stood up.

"I should be going now. I hope I have not overstayed my welcome." He glanced at your father, who was sitting in a chair watching TV.

"Don't worry about him, he's just... protective."

You walked to the doorway together, and he stopped just as he got to the other side of the doorway. You stopped beside him, hugging yourself in your arms because of the cold conditions.

"Thank you for helping me. I'll see you at school tomorrow, right?"

"Yes, of course!" You smile at each other. He looks down at you, moving his hair aside. You truly felt small next to him, and it only had you worry about your outward composure more.

"Goodnight, I hope you sleep well." His eyes crinkled, and his sharp canines just peaked through as he talked.

"Goodnight!" You chirp back, before going back inside. Your mother was already in bed, so you just walked over to hug your father and wish him a goodnight.

"Sleep well sweetheart. Now, I don't know how I feel about that boy, he's one of those 'punks' isn't he?"

"No dad, I think that's different. Also he's very nice."

Your dad only sighs as you walk upstairs to your room. As you tuck yourself into bed, you find yourself kicking your feet reminiscing about those glances you two shared, the little touches, the tension. But then you stopped yourself.

"It really can't really be anything. I mean, a girl like me going out with a guy like him, my father would have a heart attack! There are other guys anyways..."

[carsonian]

avengers rock band au. not sure if i want to take this further. let me know if you're into it!

Content warnings: drug abuse, implied sexual content | Also, apparently 2024 is the year of pining!Steve....?

Steve stops at the foot of the bed, already done with the conversation set out before him. With a sigh, he says, "you can't run from this forever."

Tony's draped across the bed like he's an art installation, some avant-garde, postmodern posturing of an insouciant rockstar sniffing a line of coke. Because it's Tony, he does the line clean, and when his head finally slants to acknowledge Steve's presence, he doesn't look any lesser for having snorted a little plastic baggie of white powder.

He doesn't even have the grace to trip over his comeback. "I don't need forever." He turns over onto his back, stretching his arms above him with a slow inhale that carries on, and on. "That's nice."

"It can't possibly have hit your bloodstream already."

"I was talking about the stretch."

Steve feels his eyebrows knit tight and angry, and does his best to quell it as he walks over then sits down on the bed. "Tomorrow. That's the deadline. You said we'd look it over."

"God, since when is rock and roll about meeting deadlines?" Tony grouses.

"You're doing the Jagger routine? Really?" Leaning forward, Steve presses the flat of his thumb against Tony's pulse point until the man's wincing back. "Get up, come on."

"I'm incapacitated." Tony gestures to the plastic baggie.

"Your choice, isn't it?" It's a little sharper than he intends, than he promised himself he'd be. It is Tony's choice. Badgering him about it isn't going to help. "I've seen you give speeches with more a' that shit in you, cawm on. You ain't getting out of this."

"You're such a dick." Tony grumbles but it's the grumbling of a resigned man, and sure enough, in the moment after, the brunet sits up and shuffles close to him. Steve had brought his guitar with him, his trusty ol' Les Paul, and he puts it in his lap now. "I'm still figuring out the words," he warns Tony, and the man hums, eyes blinking shut the way they do any time he's listening to something for the first time.

Steve's not the singer of the group, no, that's the brown-eyed bugger himself, and his voice can't quite hit the high notes. Still, he's used to this, relaying lyrics to Tony, and there's no discomfort about him as he sings, soft and a little husky, about the twisted machinations of media politics and the displacement of the working class. The political songs are always trickier because wording matters so very much--and while he's good at punchlines, good at finding the lyrics that'll stick, he's not the greatest at stringing it together into perfect, lyrical harmony. Structure. Narrative. That's where Tony excels, pulling in the threads, rearranging things, knowing what to cut out, what to bring in.

Steve's sitting cross-legged with his guitar in his lap, and when he gets to the bridge, Tony shifts to rest his head atop Steve's knee. His eyes blink open, and the look in them is thoughtful.

He finishes the song, and keeps his fingers poised ready over the strings.

"You've got a thought," he murmurs. Tony fixes one eye on him, the other shut so it's like looking at a still-frame wink. It pulls at the barely there wrinkles around his eyes in an interesting way that Steve absolutely doesn't pay attention to.

"Lead up to the bridge isn't strong enough." Tony says, "for one."

"I reckon that'll be percussion. Haven't picked Clint's brains yet. Cooper's still got that nasty fever." He explains.

"Still? Thought they went to the doc's?" Tony asks.

"It's sticking around." Steve says, "I think Laura's keen for another visit, though I'm not sure how much that'll help."

"You and your distrust of hospitals." Tony turns his eyes heavenward, rolling off Steve's lap and onto the bed. "Instead of ending with, giving it all to the very few, why not lead with, giving it all to the very few, into nobody's seeing what it all comes to. And you repeat that thrice before the chorus. Extends the song, yeah, but it gives that first part of the bridge more heft."

Steve sings it, Tony joining in to demonstrate how each iteration gets more caterwaul-like, more desperate. It works with the isolation of the bridge and Steve smiles, private and quiet. "Works." He makes a note in his writing journal, flipping the blue slide down from his multi-pen.

He's got a system: black for writing drafts, green for chords, blue for amendments. In between lines and lines of black, blue and green--scrawled down whenever he gets a good line or chord in his head--are throwaway lyrics and beats in red, from times when Tony leans over and whispers something into his ear, whatever brainworm's gotten ahold of him. And sure, Tony could pen it down himself but he travels light, and Steve doesn't think Tony's actually gone into his notes app before, is practically familial with the virtual assistant for anything he needs done. So it all comes to Steve.

He doesn't mind; sometimes, Tony's ideas spiral into his own. Other times, it's just nice to write something in a different colour.

They pick through the song like this, Steve discarding some of Tony's ideas which of course prompts Tony to spitball more outlandish suggestions, shuffling up onto his elbows. It's fun, this. Tony getting riled up ranks high for entertainment value alone, but Tony riled up over music? It's a privilege. Even as Tony's fingers being to tap manically against the back of Steve's elbow and his teeth begin to grind from the cocaine, it's not enough to break the normal, honest, downright beautiful joy of songwriting.

After the third time Steve catches Tony's legs from folding around his neck in a pretzel-like headstand, he clicks his tongue and squeezes the man's ankle. "Alright. You're bouncing off the walls. Go shag a model or something." Steve pats his ankle, "go on. I hereby relieve you of your brain."

Tony's whoop is longwinded and obnoxious, but the grin he sets upon Steve is wild, all unholy danger. He points at Steve, and says, "I wanna explore every crack in the fucking universe," here, he licks his lips absentmindedly, "and I'm starting with that sound tech's."

"You're vile." Steve says, calling after Tony as he heads out of the room, "don't fuck Sandra, she talks shit about you when you're taking a piss break!"

"That's not a turn-off!" Tony sing-songs as he flicks the door shut behind him.

[takadasaiko]

A Flicker of Light Chapter Nineteen

Story Summary: A canon divergent AU in which Luke Skywalker is raised within the Empire to be either his father's heir as a Sith Lord… or his replacement.

Chapter Summary: Luke joins Mara in a race against the clock to try to capture a piece of intelligence before the Rebels can get it.

FFN II AO3

---

There was a desperate attempt to quiet his own fears that resulted in the opposite effect. It looked like hardened resolve to the untrained eye, but she could see the way his jaw clenched to keep his teeth from chattering and how his nails dug into his own palms to avoid obviously trembling hands. The traitor sat forward on the hard bench in his cell, shoulders hunched and the soles of his boots planted firmly as if he were ready to rock forward to stand at any given minute. He still wore the Imperial Navy uniform, even if his insignia had been stripped from it. What it must have taken for a man of his rank to be willing to betray his Empire… Well, it was time she found out. She couldn't wait any longer. Luke would get there when he got there.

Mara turned on her heel from the viewing window and moved to the cell door. The stormtrooper opened the door without a word and she paced herself as she made her way down the steps. One. Two. Three. Four. Each step solid, her boots clanking against the permasteel, and she stopped at the bottom, her green gaze focused on him.

"Arrick Los, do you know why you're here?"

The traitor looked up at her, the black eye he'd received during his arrest evident. He took a moment and Mara watched him gather himself, seemingly desperate not to allow his teeth to chatter when he released the pressure in his jaw so he could speak. Finally, the muscles eased. "The ISB seems to think I handed intel over to the enemy."

Mara tried not to roll her eyes. The ISB had once been a truly formidable arm of Imperial justice. They were unmatched in the way they drained every drop of intelligence out and crushed those that wished to do harm to the Empire. They had been impressive once, but even with only a fraction of her attention on this case Mara had brought Los in. The Imperial Security Bureau had had nothing to do with it other than allowing one of their own to defect and open up a cataclysmic security breach. Perhaps her recommendation should have included Colonel Yularen's retirement if he was willing to allow his organization to grow so lax.

"In the last three standard months you have accessed Imperial prison databases. Narkina 5, Jendorn, Maw, and even Dathomir. You've made regular checks to the prison barges."

"I'm a Transport Officer. It's my job to know where the prisoners are going and ensure they get there without mishap," the traitor snapped.

"A thirty-five percent increase from the average coming from your station."

"I'm thorough."

"Perhaps," Mara acknowledged as her gaze swept him up and down, taking in every twitch and every darting glance. "And if that's true, then you will have backup reports submitted to your superior officers that will show what case those unaccounted searches were attached to."

Los' eyes widened a fraction at that and he shifted back to put some distance between them or, possibly, to have a better view of his surroundings. There was a long moment of silence, but she could feel the shift in his emotions. "You're not ISB. This isn't an ISB holding…" He blinked, his gaze flickering to the lightsaber hanging from her belt. "You're her, aren't you?"

Mara held his increasingly nervous gaze. "I dispense the Emperor's justice. You're only a pawn, Los. Provide me with actionable intel that leads to the source of this security breach and I will ensure you have a fair trial."

The Rebel's gaze hardened at that. "There are no fair trials in Palpatine's Empire."

Behind her, the door slid open to reveal a Naval Officer. She hid her frustration behind a bland expression as she met him at the steps to keep the conversation private. "You can tell him that he can wait for me now."

A jolt of surprise flashed across the man's face. "Forgive me, but Lord Vader —"

"Natus," Mara corrected and the officer shook his head.

"No sir. We just received word that we should expect the Executor."

Dank farrik. The ISB certainly hadn't called him in, so either Vader had received word of Los' capture and was taking it on himself to try to extract the intel from the traitor or Palpatine had assigned his Apprentice to the situation. It really didn't matter. Either was a problem. Vader had the same discretion as she had - perhaps more - when no direct assignment had been given. The issue was that she'd received her assignment and she was yet to find a way to fulfill it. If Vader had chosen to interrogate Los or if the Emperor had directed him to do so really didn't matter. An argument between them would only be settled by their Master and she knew what he wanted.

Mara's raging thoughts stilled for just a moment on that. She knew exactly what Palpatine wanted from her.

No clear and subtle path had presented itself to drive a wedge between father and son and - despite that nagging little voice in her mind that told her that she'd been avoiding it to push the pain it would cause him down the line just a bit further - the security breach left behind by former Agent Kallus was dangerous. Vader would shatter the traitor before he broke him, leaving the Rebels to scatter and their Fulcrum agent the freedom to continue making fools of the Empire. But while she'd sent word to Luke to join her to buy some time to focus on this issue, this could be an opportunity. If nothing else, it gave her leverage if it had to be taken to the Emperor.

"When are you expecting them?"

"Six standard hours, sir."

"And the Aeres?"

"Has not commed us since the call was routed to you."

She pulled in a breath. Typical. That could still work. She had six hours to get actionable intel from Los. Even if Vader beat Luke there, she could send new coordinates. If Luke won the race he didn't know he was participating in, even better. Luke enjoyed competition. It was Vader that always chose to make a war of it.

---

He'd learned loyalty at an early age. His father had never called it that, but Luke had known what it was, even if he hadn't always understood the words associated with it. Loyalty was dedication, even when there was strain. Loyalty was trust, even when the other wasn't always forthcoming. Loyalty was devotion, even when it put his own life in jeopardy. Loyalty was love.

And Luke loved Mara Jade.

Time was limited and with what he'd learned about the Death Star, he needed to go to Alderaan and speak with Bail Organa, but Mara had called. She wanted his help. She needed his help. He couldn't tell her no, even if the more rational side of his brain screamed at him that he should. What good would offering Organa what he'd offered the man do if Palpatine used the Death Star to wipe the Rebellion out? With them gone the Emperor would have even more power than he had now and he could force a decision. Either Luke or his father would meet his end. It was the nightmare that stayed with him long after he woke and bubbled into a fear that he was desperately trying to use steady his own resolve. They lived in dangerous times and every step counted, but what good would it be to stop Sidious from destroying part of his family if he pushed the women he loved away in the process?

So Luke had gone. Of course he'd gone. And he would help her with whatever assignment she wanted his help with and then jet over to wherever he found Han Solo to hitch a ride to Alderaan. Simple. He hoped it would be, at any rate.

He didn't recognise the ship that he'd received coordinates to, but he didn't have any trouble boarding. The Empire recognized the Aeres, even if it was hit and miss if Imperials recognized Lord Natus himself. He strode in with every confidence and made his way back to the prisoner block where she'd told him that she'd meet him. What she needed, he wasn't quite sure of. Presumably he'd find out when he got there.

"Wait here," he instructed Barrix - the single stormtrooper he'd chosen to bring with him - when they came to the cell.

Luke was reaching for the panel as the door slid open, Mara appearing there. Her gaze was sharp, as if she were coming out of an intense interrogation. It took a moment for that gaze to fix on him with any recognition, but once it did it softened a fraction - only a fraction - and she tilted her head to the side. "Good of you to join us."

"I'm a talented pilot, but even I haven't cracked how to push a ship faster than the hyperspace lanes'll allow," he offered with a shrug and risked a glance past her. Deep in the cell was a single man, cuffed and his chin rested against his chest in utter defeat. He wore an Imperial Navy uniform that had been stripped of its ranking badges and his feet were bare against the cold permasteel. He turned back to Mara. "Defector?"

"Traitor," she specified. "He's working for Fulcrum."

The name struck a different chord than it might have only a couple months prior. "What did you get from him?"

"A location."

"Their base?"

"The drop. We'll intercept the intel that he left there prior to being captured. Kallus will come looking for it."

"You seem confident on that one."

"They've just lost a major asset and they'll be desperate for the last scrap of intel they can gain from him. We can use that. You're good with taking the Aeres, right?"

Luke studied her for a long moment, working to discern just how much she knew about the situation and how much she was relying on the way people so often worked. It could be that Los had given her everything from the location to his procedure to an expectation on how their Fulcrum agent would react. They would have contingencies in place, certainly. And if the intelligence that Los had left for them was important enough, perhaps Mara was right. Kallus would come to get it, despite the risk. Not that she was giving him anymore than she had, it would seem.

But loyalty was trust and someday, perhaps very soon, Luke would desperately need Mara to trust him, even when she didn't understand. For now, he'd choose to trust her and hope that it didn't put him at odds with his unconfirmed alliance with Bail Organa.

---

Imperial officers scurried to the walls of the corridors as Vader stalked through, each man and woman standing with their spine straight and eyes forward, a bit of sweat gathering as he passed them. They didn't matter. Only the prisoner that he'd received word that they held on their ship was of any importance to him. They had him. He wanted him. It should have been a simple demand.

And it would have been, even with Mara Jade slipping in from the shadows and trying to steal the intel away. She had no immediate exit, at least as far as his own intelligence had provided him. He cared little for if she knew what the traitor had to say or not. What mattered was what she was capable of doing with that information. Nothing. That had been the aim, at any rate, but between the time that the intelligence had reached him and when the Executor had come out of hyperspace, Jade had secured a ship. And not just any ship. She'd left out on the Aeres.

Darth Vader felt his temper boil as the officer relayed what he knew, his anxiety showing in the way that he stammered and twitched. It was irritating. It was a waste of time.

"And did you not think I wished to speak to her directly?"

"My lord?" the young officer managed.

He too was a waste of time. Vader's fingers twitched and the officer's nick twisted until it snapped. The Dark Lord loosed a frustrated sigh that sounded like a typical release of breath through his mask. He turned to the officer - higher or lower rank mattered little - that had been standing behind the now-dead-man. "Where is the prisoner?"

Fear permeated the room, giving him the answer without words: not only had Jade taken the intelligence with her on his son's ship, but she'd taken the source of the intelligence as well. The girl had overstepped herself this time. Emperor's Hand or not, this had not been her assignment. Los had not been hers to take and, if she managed to use him to get to their traitorous ISB agent, Vader would make sure that he was there to retake control of the situation. If she had gone to Luke out of sentiment or in an attempt to use son against father, she'd sealed her own fate on this one.

The Dark Lord moved past the sniveling officer and he fell to the floor, writhing as he struggled to breathe. He would find them. He could always find his son.

----

The change had happened gradually over the last nearly two decades. The rebellion had started with just a handful of people, and certainly fewer than they had needed. Bit by bit it grew. In fragments and in fits and starts, often with every sign pointing to destruction over victory. At discovery before they were strong enough to survive the attack that would swiftly follow.

But then, somewhere along the way, it had started to pull together. There were still outliers like Saw Gerarra's group, but there had been a shift in the rebellion that Bail had almost given up on. The Alliance was still new and it often felt like it rested on shifting ground, but it was there. If they just had a little more time, they could gain the footing they needed. Padme's son could give them that, especially if what he'd told Bail was true. They needed him. Bail just had to convince them of that.

There was a buzz of activity at the base on Yavin IV to the point that Bail almost hadn't received clearance to land. When he finally set down he found himself dodging pilots and foot soldiers alike. Something was happening, but no one stopped long enough to fill him in on what.

He made his way into the temple where the faces began to look familiar. It wasn't until he reached the inner chambers that he found the person he was looking for. Mon Mothma stood speaking with an ISB defector that had become one of their leading Fulcrum agents. With them stood a dark haired agent that Luthen Rael had brought into the fold before his untimely demise. The smaller nodded in agreement before turning on hee, melting into the crowds of people as Bail moved towards the remaining two.

"Senator Organa," Kallus greeted, his topside Coruscanti accent standing out amongst the collection of beings from all around the galaxy.

"Captain," the former senator greeted after a quick glance at the insignia on his jacket. "Mon, when you have a moment?"

"Keep me apprised," Mon directed at the Fulcrum agent and he gave her a particularly sharp nod born out of years of Imperial training.

"Yessir." He took the dismissal, leaving Bail and Mon standing in a pocket amongst the chaos.

She loosed a soft sigh. "One of our Fulcrum assets has been compromised. Arrick Los."

"The Imperial officer with access to the prison systems?"

"One in the same."

"Is this a rescue mission then?"

"Precaution. Los knows the location of this base. If he's broken, we won't have much time before the Empire comes for us." Discomfort lay under each word, but rather than explain she shook her head. "I hope you've brought better news."

Bail pushed a breath out through his nose, glancing around. "Yes and no. Luke Skywalker paid me a visit at my home."

He watched her reaction, curious if Ashoka had let anyone but him in on the secret about Anakin Skywalker's fate and Padme's son. From the sadness that pulled at her, it appeared she knew. "Is there anything left of the boy after this long?"

"More than I would have suspected, if he was telling me the truth."

"About what?"

"A weapon. He called it a Death Star. Aptly named in that, when completed, it's expected to be able to destroy an entire planet."

Mon Mothma took in the information with the same measured grace that he'd known for years in the Senate. "That explains the rumours."

"Rumours?"

Mon Mothma glanced around the room. "No one knows for sure. We've only heard pieces about a defecting pilot with information. Saw caught hold of him before we could."

Bail sighed heavily. "He won't see the light of day again."

"Likely not."

"Luke may be able to help with that. He said he has an in with the director of the project. He's convinced him to conduct an experiment, see how far it's come along."

"And he just gave you this information?" Mom asked skeptically.

"He wants out."

His old friend pursed her lips together. "Vader's son… a lot of risk with that."

"He is Padme's son as well."

"Even so…"

He had banked on her affection for the late senator from Naboo to carry enough weight. What he hadn't been ready for was the Alliance facing a security breach that could send them scurrying off to all corners of the galaxy. It hadn't been that long since some of them had fought the Battle of Atallon. Another setback would delay all the progress they'd made.

"I understand the risk. Even more so in this moment —"

"If we take it to the council now, they'll never agree to it. Sealing the breach Los' capture has opened up is paramount."

"Even with this Death Star looming?"

Mon Mothma's auburn brows drew together at that and Bail watched the subtle lines in her face deepen. "Even with that," she acknowledged softly, the strain making it into her voice as well. "I'm not saying no. Only patience."

"Something tells me he doesn't have a lot of that, but… I'll make it work."

She reached a hand out, her fingers light against his arm. "Good. Give Breha and Leia my best."

"Of course." He watched her turn to leave, but didn't move himself, even as others scurried around him. They were standing on a precipice, and one wrong step would send them crashing down. Promises made that couldn't be kept might make an enemy of a friend, but for his part, he'd fight to make sure the promises he made to Luke were honoured.

He just had to make sure Luke was willing to fight for the same.

---

Anger followed them as the Aeres sped through hyperspace, the sharp and bitter echoes through the Force familiar. It wasn't aimed at him, though, at least not directly, which left Luke with the more likely possibility that Mara and his father were competing for the same bit of intel and Mara had gotten to it first. It certainly wasn't the first time the two had clashed over an assignment, but with his own position precarious enough, he didn't think he wanted any surprises coming from either of them.

He found Mara standing alone in a large, empty room with a viewing window that took up the majority of the space-side wall. She didn't turn to look at him as he entered, but instead her gaze was fixed on the streaks of stars, a muted conflict all he was getting when he reached out through the Force.

"Everything's set with Los in the brig. You still want to take him down with us?"

Mara didn't look over at the question, but her own unsteadiness seemed to even out as she focused on the task at hand. "Yes."

"He's a liability."

"He's a guarantee. If I know anything about how the ISB trains their agents, Kallus will have eyes and ears all over the town next to the base. If he knows we have Los there, it'll put the pressure on him to move."

Luke considered the strategy for a moment. She'd spent far more time around the ISB than he had, even with his time stationed on Lothal when Kallus had been working for his father. It was one of the reasons that Palpatine had tasked her to help plug the security leaks created by Kallus' defection. If the Empire was good at one thing, it was drilling the same exact training into each and every member of a particular group. Stormtroopers, pilots, Imperial Security Bureau… It was rare that an Imperial soldier stepped outside of the carefully constructed box, and even when they did - even when they went as far as Kallus had - there was always going to be a trace of that training pulling on them and giving someone like Mara a weakness to exploit.

"Still doesn't explain why I'm here."

"What do you mean?"

"In my experience, you have no trouble finding a ride when you need to hop systems," Luke answered.

"I wanted this one."

"You do get what you want."

That pulled the tiniest of smiles from her. "And you don't?"

"So you're telling me that I'm just the ride?" He waited and her mental walls solidified a little bit more as if she wanted to make doubly sure that her private thoughts were her own. "Or did you steal this out from under my father and you're hoping he'll be in a more generous mood if I'm along?"

Finally she broke her staring contest with the stars and turned to look at him. "What did he say?"

"Nothing," Luke chuckled. "I can just feel it two systems away. He's not happy."

"He's never happy."

He loosed a breath, willing the frustration that was bubbling up inside of him away. "I'm not a tool in your weapons depot, Mara. I get that you've been wrapped up in trying to plug the intel leaks with Kallus' defection, but I don't like being used against my father. You know that."

There was a long moment and he felt that subtle conflict just under the surface again before she pursed her lips together. "That's not why you're here. I called you before I knew he was on his way. I didn't want some faceless, nameless troopers with me on this one. I wanted someone that I could trust. That I know has my back if something goes wrong. That's why I called you. That's why you're here."

Luke let the words sink in and swirl around his mind for a moment. They felt true, even if she wasn't saying everything. She never said everything.

"Are we good?"

He leaned forward, pressing a kiss to her forehead. "Of course. Just… don't ask me to play mediator between the two of you. That never goes well."

Mara snorted and Luke tilted his head towards the door. "It's a great view from here, but even better from the bridge when we come out of hyperspace."

He watched her smile break through, small and real, and he couldn't help but echo it.

----

They made it to the Jendorn system without mishap and left the Aeres in orbit as they took a shuttle down to the planet below, choosing to land at the small spaceport in town rather than the larger one inside of the Imperial prison compound, Los in tow. It was busy, crowded with both locals and a heavy Imperial presence alike. Mara scanned the crowd as Luke handled their docking fee, trying to calm her mind enough to allow her feelings to pick up on anything that her eyes might miss.

"None of us are walking away from this," Los said from her side, the first words he'd spoken since they'd left out on the Aeres.

"I promised you a trial. I didn't bring you here to execute you."

"I didn't say you'd be the one to kill me."

Mara risked a glance at the man, resolve set firmly into the lines on his face. Behind them, Luke approached and whatever hesitation or questions he'd had previously had been put away. He was focused. Good. Something deep inside of her said they'd need every bit of that.

His blue gaze slid over to latch onto Los. "What are we walking into?"

The captured defector swallowed hard. "Down the main street, off to the right there's a building with a market in the alley. Three flights up and at the far end there's a room. That's where the communication system is hidden. I told her all that already."

"That's not what I mean," Luke answered lowly.

"Then what do you mean?"

Blue eyes flickered to meet green and Mara didn't like the sudden shift in his mood. Something was wrong - something that she'd missed between the search for intel and Vader and her Master's directive all warring for a place at the forefront of all of this - but even Luke didn't know what.

Nothing appeared to be out of place, and if they gave the Rebels any more time they would take off with the intel and Vader would find a way to steal Los from her. She'd walk away with nothing save for the Emperor's disapproval in her distraction. "Let's go."

They moved through the streets on high alert, the buildings made up of the yellow and orange clay native to the planet on either side. Chatter echoed from the market Los had spoken of as they rounded down the way.

They were five steps away from the entrance when the shots rang out, a fraction of a second's warning through the Force barely giving them enough time to draw their lightsabers. One blaster bolt ricocheted off of Luke's crimson blade, searing the outer wall of the building. The second hit its mark.

A sharp curse left Mara as their prisoner dropped hard and she followed the trajectory of the shot to see a figure on the rooftops. "There!" she shouted, motioning.

Luke didn't say a word, but leapt into action as the figure took a running leap from his perch to the building they'd been about to enter. The building the intel was stored in.

Los coughed hard from where he'd crimped and Mara took a knee next to him, civilians running and screaming all around. "You knew Kallus would take you out."

The dying man choked on a mirthless chuckle. "It's not Kallus you should be worried 'bout."

Shouts from stormtroopers on their way into the middle of the chaos drew her attention as Los slipped away. Let them deal with the body. She'd dragged Luke into this. While he could likely handle whatever was up there, he shouldn't have to do it alone. She wouldn't let him fight it alone.

---

TBC

Notes: I live! Sorry for the delay on this chapter. This has definitely been one of those chapters where I'd write scenes just to scrap them for a different angle halfway or more through. It's been a rough one to write, but hopefully the back half of it will be a bit easier now that we've hit the brunt of the action for it.

Next Time: Luke is caught between loyalties on multiple fronts.

[casspurrjoybell-33]

Unlikely Places - Chapter 36 - Part 2

*Warning - Adult Content*

Chapter: 36 - Can You Accept That

"Sorry. I was thinking," he explained.

I nodded back at him in understanding.

It wasn't the first time I had seen Pierce space out when thinking seriously about something.

It was just the first time it had happened with such a serious personal conversation between us.

It wasn't his fault my nerves were invested this time.

Pierce finally began to speak.

"I can't promise you not to worry, Jackson. I just can't. I'd be lying while I said the words and I bet you couldn't make that kind of promise either," he tacked on, looking at me in question and of course, I couldn't.

If there was something going on with Pierce and I knew it, I would be worried about him and for him.

It came along with caring.

I sighed.

I understood his point.

He wasn't wrong but there was still a difference here and I needed him to understand.

"I..." Pierce held his hand up, quietly asking me to stop.

"I get it," he finally said.

"You do?"

Pierce nodded back at me.

"I do but I don't know just yet how to completely 'fix it.' You're going to have to be patient with me. My inclination in everything is to be that bulldozer, you know? My inclination where you're concerned is multiplied by ten."

"You are my responsibility, Jackson but not in a burdening way. At least not for me but the fact that you feel my natural tendencies to be burdensome to you is something I have to acknowledge and work on."

"Wait, I..." I tried to break in, feeling frustrated.

He wasn't burdensome to me, his feelings weren't burdensome, I just didn't.

"I just don't want you t-to see me as w-weak," I finally exclaimed, daring despite my embarrassment, to share one of my deepest secret fears.

He was always so strong.

He talked the talk and walked the walk.

He made bold proclamations, sometimes even outrageous ones but you could never tell what he was thinking behind that stoic face he put up.

He was fearless, he was strong, he was bold and I was his complete opposite in every way.

Comparing our differences, drawing attention to them was the last thing I wanted to do.

I guess deep down I still questioned what he saw in me.

Maybe deep, deep down I was scared he would see me as weak because I really was, no matter how hard I tried to say differently.

"Jackson," Pierce said, looking down at me with a slight frown.

"I..." he started to say something to me but stopped.

He tried a few more times to speak but each time he stopped himself until suddenly he shook his head in frustration and grabbed my face in between both of his hands.

"You're frustrating," he finally growled.

"You're naïve, you're inspiring. you're silly, you're loyal, you're anxious as hell, you're brilliant, you're considerate, you're ridiculous, you're adorable, you're-you're so many, many things Jackson but never once has the word 'weak' crossed my mind when I think of you. You are in fact, the complete opposite. The strength you have to get out and do what you do despite the anxiety is something you should be proud of."

"I do understand what you mean though and I guess maybe I have been watching you like a hawk ready to jump in and help when needed. Maybe I have been a little too diligent in my quest to vanquish anything in your way that may upset you and I promise to work on that."

"But you should know, I watch you like that, too because you are so damn hot that sometimes I just want to look at you and I'm sorry but I can't and won't change that. A man has needs and one of mine is gazing, watching, staring, observing, looking, beholding you."

"So," he huffed out after finally winding down.

"Can you accept that?"

"Oh my gosh."

I would have covered my face with my hands if I could have but Pierce's hands were still firmly holding me in place.

He was now grinning down at me wickedly enjoying my discomfiture and I never wanted to smack him more.

Even more than the first night we met.

He loved winding me up.

He could be so evil.

Before I could give voice to any of my whirling thoughts though, Pierce swooped in, his mouth landing firmly on mine.

From that point on any desire to speak fled as his warm lips worked my own with the sweetest of pressure that said so much.

Weakness didn't exist in this moment.

Just two men who cared deeply for each other, still learning about each other, sharing and growing to an understanding of what it meant to be together.

After long, long moments, Pierce finally pulled back looking flushed and quite pleased with himself as he stared down at my bemused expression.

A moment later he asked.

"Now what did you want to say to me earlier that had you stuttering by just saying my name?" 

[casspurrjoybell-18]

Worthless - Chapter 8

*Warning Adult Content*

Kade

My mind was reeling, a human she said and to make matters worse, it was my mate's father. A father's greatest treasure is their child. He was there to help mold them to be a good person, he was supposed to be a role model for them but this man, this piece of trash, not even worthy of being called human, had the twisted and demented urge to beat his child and torment him for who knows how long. My rage only increased as I looked at Asher's emotionless eyes. Did he not care? Or worse, was he in denial? I could tell the others felt the storm raging in me with the way they slowly got into a defensive stance.

"Calm yourself, Kade."

I flinched at the Alpha's all-commanding voice, my gaze going to Eric's and back to Asher's own nervous one.

'Shit.'

Getting riled up wouldn't help anything. I sighed, closing my eyes, and breathed in and out. The anger, though still present, dulled.

"Sorry."

Eric gave a nod of approval, turning back to the wayward wolves.

"We'll put that matter, as troubling as it is, to the side for now."

I stiffened at his words however a quick look from Eric kept me in check.

"As for the act of joining a pack, it's rather an easy process of submitting to the Alpha, in this case, to me."

Riley and Fallon looked nauseous at the mention of submitting, Asher just growled. Thalia surprised me by piping up.

"It's not like what you're thinking," she said with a soft smile.

"He means that you accept him, that you open your mind and acknowledge him as the Alpha. Once you do, once you connect with the pack, you feel warm and safe. We're more than just a group of wolves, we're a family."

They were visibly calmer... the want was clearly written on their faces. Although doubt outshined it, there was a desire for family hidden in Asher's eyes. Everyone understood their uncertainty. After what they've been through, only an insane person would agree without any thought. Even so, I won't lie and say it didn't hurt that my mate didn't trust me. Without taking her eyes off us, Riley spoke to Asher.

"I don't want Fallon to always be on the run, always looking over his shoulder. I don't want to. They can help us, Asher and their intentions seem pure."

She took a deep, shaky breath, as if afraid.

"I think we should accept."

Fallon's head bobbed up and down in agreement. Everyone's expressions brightened a bit except for Asher's, who looked even more pained. With every minute that passed, we grew more nervous, waiting for his response. Whatever he decided would not only affect them but that pack as well. I knew that I would follow him no matter where he went even if it meant abandoning the position of Beta. It sounds horrible to choice this person, who I've just meant, over the pack I grew up in but even if I stayed I wouldn't be any good to the pack.

Without my mate, I would slowly go mad... he was my other half. I didn't notice how tense I was until he finally he let out a sigh and gave a slight nod, indicating that they would stay. My face instantly split into a grin, the tension flowing out of me. Rory gave a small cheer and everyone relaxed with a smile. Riley and Fallon threw their arms around Asher, being careful of his wounds. After a moment Riley turned to Eric, smiling.

"We're ready to join the pack."

Eric stepped forward, moving to kneel before them.

"There are steps to joining a pack. I'm going to establish a pack link by delving into your mind. There'll be a slight pressure, don't try to fight it. I need to go to the core of you and connect your mind to the rest of the pack."

Eric smiled as Riley and Fallon nodded in understanding.

"I can only do one at a time."

Riley stood a little straighter.

"I'll go first."

Asher let out a sound of protest but was quickly cut off.

"Asher I can handle it. I think that once you see we've come out unscathed then it'll be easier for you."

Her feature softened and she reached out to rub his head.

"It'll be fine."

And with that, she turned back to Eric, ready to begin.

Asher

It was over quickly. Riley went first with Fallon excitedly following. I was nervous, ready to pounce on the Alpha at any sign that they were being harmed even though I knew I would lose. He, himself, was powerful enough to bat me to the side without much effort. Plus, the others would leap in to protect him. I watched them as they finished, now connected to this family. They looked happier, Riley's face was aglow and Fallon kept giggling. I suspected the others were speaking to them, given the playful expressions on some of their faces.

"Asher? Are you ready?" Alpha Eric asked, bringing me out of my thoughts.

After a moment of hesitation, I gave a slight nod, stepping forward. My body was tense. I felt it flowing off of me in waves. The one known as Kade kept his gaze on me, making me feel slightly nervous but at the same time safe. He was happy, though I didn't know why.

'Did they not get new members often or something?'

I turned my attention back towards Eric, making sure I showed no signs of weakness even though, secretly, I was terrified. I was terrified of what was to come. I was never part of a pack and didn't know what would happen, what they would expect of me. I didn't know what they would learn. Even so, I stood tall and looked him straight in the eye. Eric closed his eyes and I focused on doing as he told the others. A minute passed and Eric opened them, a small frown on his face.

"It's like there's a wall around your mind. You'll need to lower it."

He paused, seeing my struggle, and adopted a softer expression,

"Close your eyes. Try to clear your mind of all thoughts. Just listen to my voice and let you body relax."

I did as instructed, my body seeming to get heavier and my breathing grew deeper. Slowly I started to feel something at the edge of my consciousness. It took some effort to stop my mind from automatically closing off. I felt the presence slowly delve further into my mind. It didn't intrude on my memories, for which I was relieved but kept going towards its destination. The closer it came, the more uneasy I felt. My mind, as cloudy and unfocused as it was, was about to attack the foreign thing but suddenly a voice sounded.

'It's alright Asher. Just relax, I'm almost done.'

I didn't know if I nodded or not but complied, trying to do what I was told. With some effort, I felt myself relaxing again, allowing him to travel further. I gasped as he connected me to the pack link. Everything was suddenly illuminated. I felt not only the Alpha but everyone who was connected to him. There was a web of consciousnesses that I at first shrunk away from. Shaking away my fear, I ventured forward, brushing against the minds of various members in the pack. They were curious but did not push me for information. They sensed that I was part of their pack. One strand stood out from the rest. It was different, familiar even though I knew I never connected with it, and radiated a gentle and loving warmth. Slowly, I reached out to it and was instantly washed over with joy.

'Asher,' he called in a soft tone.

I stayed silent for a moment, hesitating. He waited patiently for me, understanding seeping through the link. I felt other things coming from him but I could not name them. However, I knew that he meant no harm. My fear cast aside, I opened my eyes, instantly connecting to the luminous green ones that I knew belonged to the voice and said a word I haven't spoken in many, many years.

'Hello.'

[casspurrjoybell-29]

Enduring Ties - Chapter 8 - Part 1

*Warning Adult Content*

Two weeks went by and although Liam was a little more intimate in his touch, giving Cailan gentle kisses to his lips and letting his hands slide over his waist, nothing much happened between them.

Cailan might have wondered if Liam had forgotten their discussion or simply changed his mind but he knew him too well for that.

Cailan waited.

Finally, Liam had three days off and the smile edged with anticipation he gave Cailan when he returned to the tent was enough to tell Cailan that it was time.

"Pack some clothes. I've rented us a room in town for a few days."

"A room?" Cailan asked, already retrieving his travel bag.

"The nicest the town has to offer. I wanted to take you to dinner, too, but..."

Cailan glanced up.

"Was there nowhere suitable?"

"To take you?"

Liam let out a quiet huff of joyless laughter.

"Certainly not."

Cailan frowned.

He didn't know how to take that.

Why would he be an issue, regardless of the establishment?

They had dined out before.

"Taking you to a place where you would be expected to kneel on the floor to eat would ruin the romance of things a little," Liam explained.

"I want this to be nice for you. For both of us."

"I don't mind kneeling as long as it's by your side."

"I'll admit I don't hate it either, darling but it hardly suits the mood of the occasion."

"No, of course. I just didn't want you to forgo a nice dinner for my sake."

"I wanted you to be able to sit at a table and partake in a nice dinner." Liam shook his head.

"Never-mind. I'm sure we can order food to the room."

Cailan offered him a smile.

"I'm never disappointed to have more time alone with you."

Liam returned the smile.

"Hmm. Maybe that's nicer than a dinner out. Are you done packing?"

"I think so. Should I bring a book?"

"Only if you plan to get bored of me."

Cailan buttoned up his bag.

"Then I'm ready."

There was a carriage already waiting for them outside.

Liam helped Cailan up into it and they sat side by side with Cailan's hand clasped in Liam's lap.

Cailan's heart was already hammering with anticipation, though he knew there was still a ways yet to their journey before anything would happen.

"Your hand is sweaty," Liam commented.

Cailan ducked his head.

"Sorry."

Liam shook his head.

"You don't normally sweat. Are you nervous?"

"I'm... yes, maybe. A little. I've been waiting for this for a long time."

"I don't want you to be scared."

"I'm not afraid. I promise. I trust you, Liam. I want this."

"Perhaps I'm a little scared. I imagine this is how parents feel, though perhaps that's a strange angle to take when the matter we're discussing is sex. But in a broader sense, it's similar. I have absolute responsibility for you and your wellbeing."

Cailan squeezed Liam's hand.

"I'm not fragile, Liam. I love that you care for me but I won't break or lose my love for you if you make a single mistake."

"Goodness knows I've made many before."

"You've had to learn your own definition of perfection. Most people wouldn't consider the things you call mistakes to be such."

Liam inclined his head, acknowledging the point.

"It was a cruel situation to put us both in when we were still just boys, though I'm glad it happened. Who knows whose hands you would have ended up in if not mine. Who knows what kind of person I'd be today if not for you."

"Your heart was full of goodness from the first day we met. You would have been fine."

"I'm glad fate didn't let me find out."

He offered Cailan a soft smile.

"How could I live without my own heart?"

Cailan ducked his head as a smile overtook his face.

"Some would say this romance is wasted on me."

"I would say it would be a waste to deny it to myself. I don't feel this way for any other."

"I'm sorry I doubted you. You've given me no reason to."

"I gave you every reason to. If a man swore his devotion to his wife, but he hadn't consummated the marriage yet and took others to his bed, it wouldn't matter how sweet his words were. Nobody would blame her for doubting his sincerity."

"I'm not your wife. The expectations aren't the same."

"The expectations are what we make them. What you give me, Cailan, is more than you can compel someone to give by force or obligation. You cannot make anyone love you. That can only be earnt."

"And you have done that." Liam lifted Cailan's hand to his mouth and kissed the back of it.

"And I intend to continue to tonight."

[shortpplfedup]

Anatomy of a Scene Y'all really gon pretend not to see this elephant standing here?

KinnPorsche, Episode 5 Directors: Khom Kongkiat Khomsiri, Pepzi Banchorn Vorasataree, Pond Krisda Witthayakhajorndet Writers: Pond Krisda Witthayakhajorndet, Poi Patchayamon Theewasujaroen, Yok Sitthichai Panya, Ning Bhanbhassa Dhubthien Cast: Mile Phakphum Romsaithong (Kinn), Apo Nattawin Wattanagitiphat (Porsche)

Ah denial, in more ways than one. I find Kinn a fascinating character. His story is all about a powerful man with all this control losing both power and control to a person who ostensibly possesses neither but easily takes both from him without even trying, and what that does to his psyche. Simply put, Porsche is making Kinn lose it, and he feels that intensely, and he hasn't a clue how to regain control or in fact whether he even wants to.

I know I say this a lot but jeez the LAYERS to this scene. Porsche is returning home, feeling good about himself for the first time since he got drugged and attacked and he sees Kinn sitting there sleeping, maybe waiting up for him he thinks, and he does feel some tenderness for him. He's finally ready to maybe try sorting out some of what he feels about the events of the past 24 hours or so. Maybe Kinn cares after all, maybe he wasn't just used and discarded and punished for it.

Kinn though is sick with worry and guilt and no small amount of jealousy, wondering if he pushed Porsche into Vegas' arms, scared that he won't come back. I don't think he intended to speak so harshly but guilt and worry and jealousy are emotions with which he is completely unfamiliar and does not know how to handle, so he defaults to an emotion he does understand: anger, tries to re-exert control. I told you to stay away from Vegas. I didn't give you permission to go with him.

Porsche pushes back. Oh now you care? You didn't care before. I can do what I want. And maybe I want him. He hasn't harmed me like you have. And this is when Kinn starts doing a tango around the elephant in the room, because he panics. He can't even say the words when it comes to what happened between them. He KNOWS he's done Porsche lots of wrong, but he absolutely can't face that, so he tries to gaslight Porsche, pretend he hasn't done anything wrong. You're mine, I can do whatever I want with you, I'm in control here, I have the power. And if I have the power, that means everything I did was right and you must accept that. I fucked you, it didn't mean anything, get over it.

And Porsche calls his bluff. If you're in the right, then do it again, I dare you. If you haven't done wrong then you can do it again right? Show me this 'power' you have. Checkmate. Because Kinn KNOWS he's done wrong, and Porsche knows that he knows because otherwise he wouldn't be so desperately trying to convince him it's no big deal. Still...Kinn almost succumbs anyway. Kinn has no power here, he lost control when he allowed himself to be goaded into doing something he knew he shouldn't, and he is almost goaded again here. But Porsche isn't aware that HE has the power right now because he absolutely feels powerless in the circumstances. He doesn't realise that Kinn feels the same, powerless in the face of guilt and jealousy that he can't control.

Finally, Kinn tries to re-exert his power in the only way he can: to move Porsche around like a chess piece, demote him from a knight to a pawn. You are replaceable to me. Except that's a lie and Kinn knows it, but Porsche does not. And Porsche, who has always set his own value is devalued once again by Kinn and left feeling as shitty as he did before.

Porsche wants Kinn to take responsibility for what happened between them, but Kinn absolutely cannot do that because it would mean acknowledging that Porsche made him lose control. And that would mean that he's vulnerable, there's a chink in his armour, there's a way to get to him, there's a way for him to lose everything. Worse, that he might be tempted to give it all away, let it all fall apart, in exchange for Porsche. It must seem to him an unforgivable weakness. But Porsche doesn't see any of that, he just sees himself being devalued again by this man, seen as worthless to him, and it's sort of the last straw. He could deal with what happened if he could see it as overwhelming desire, as him having value to Kinn somehow. He can't deal with it if it feels like a dirty grubby fuck because he was there and throwing himself at Kinn and Kinn simply obliged him, got his rocks off and moved on.

You have to wonder why what Kinn feels is so important to Porsche. After all, Porsche is no stranger to casual sex, I'd argue probably no stranger to inebriated/altered sex either. But this time mattered, it was different, because he didn't choose to be altered, and because of his own confused and unexamined feelings about Kinn in the first place. He doesn't understand when it became important for him to feel like Kinn values him. I'd argue that Kinn's devaluation of him in the first place, handing him over to Tankhun, trading him like a pawn, is what triggered that. Because Porsche has always set his own value, who is Kinn to say otherwise? Maybe I wanted to make someone regret he said to Kinn in another scene where they're dancing around an elephant. And he got what he wanted in that instance, Kinn to value him. And he thought maybe they'd moved past that point but here they are again.

[hotcoffeetransformation]

Jason swore loudly and had to resist the urge to throw his controller down, pissed that he kept dying cause of the game's stupid glitches (Also known as own mistakes). Still, he regained his composure, and smiled before saying

"Alright chat, we're gonna finish up this one and then we're gonna move on to another game. There should be a poll on top for what we do next"

Jason was a moderately successfully game streamer, averaging about 200 to 300 viewers a night, entirely based on his wit and skill. He knew for sure that they weren't coming for his looks, given his weedy, thin frame, overly pimpled face and large, nerdy glasses. Still, it was enough for him, and he was happy with the progress that he'd made.

As Jason got himself set up for the next game, he heard a shocking sound from above him. The victory theme from one of his favorite JRPGs was blaring through the speakers, and he came up, staring at the screen in shock. He knew what that sound meant. That meant someone had tipped him one thousand dollars, completely out of nowhere.

He looked in shock at the notification on the stream, seeing that it was from someone named JockBro69, with the simple message "Can't wait to get to know you better, cutie~"

Jason was completely stunned. Not only had someone actually redeemed the donation goal that he set as a joke (That being that whoever was stupid enough to tip 1000 dollars got to have a 15 minute private chat with him), it was also someone that he'd never seen in his chat before.

Thoroughly weirded out, but knowing that he had to honor his commitment, he sent the guy a quick private message.

"Dude, I don't know how to thank you enough! Guess I'll see ya pretty soon!"

With that, he sent the man his private zoom link, and said goodbye to the chat, who were still going wild over this turn of events, before pausing,the stream and hopping over to discord for the call.

Not two seconds after his stream stopped, he got a requested video call on discord from the guy, and he opened it up, giving a second for the video to load, but when it did, he was completely dumbfounded again. He was expecting the mysterious donator to be some fat, sweaty silicon valley nerd with too much and money on his hands, but instead what met him was possibly the hottest man he's ever seen, standing up and looking down at his webcam with a friendly expression.

"Fuck, bro! Its so good to finally fucking meet you, I've been such a big fan for a long time, and this is a really big deal for me~

The man had a deep, rumbling, pleasant voice, that shot straight down Jacob's spine and left him feeling strangely... inadequate. Like the fact that his voice wasn't as smooth or melodic as this guy's was his fault, and he should be ashamed of that fact. Still, this guy was pretty pleasant to look at, Jason had to admit. He wasn't gay, definitely not, but he could acknowledge when another guy simply looked good.

Jason scratched the back of his neck awkwardly, not entirely sure of what he should do or say. Still, this guy spent 1000 dollars on this meeting, so he had to try anyway.

"So, umm.... I see your username is jockbro69... What's your actual name thought? I don't think I've ever seen you in chat before..."

The other man actually laughed at this, before looking confused and saying

"What are you talking about bro? Its me, Ethan! I'm in your chat all the time! Man, I guess what they say about playing games so much is true, huh?"

At this statement, Jason actually went pale with shock. THIS was Ethan? This was the guy who's username used to be runningLink? Who was an active fan of the zelda series, constantly begged Jason to play them, and bemoaned the fact that no would date him? It just didn't seem right...

Still, Jason, ever the semi professional, continued on, pretending that he wasn't shocked at the news.

"Well, thanks for supporting me so much! Seriously, this means a lot to me... Ummm... so I guess tell me some of your favorite things about the channel then!"

The man laughed again, the sound coming out in a slow, dumb chuckle, before saying

"What's my favorite thing? Do I even have to say, bro? Its the amazing piece of eye candy I'm looking at right now. You're super hot, bro~"

At this, Jason was shocked, but he chuckled awkwardly while blushing, and said

"Really? I don't think I've ever heard a single person say that before. I guess I consider myself slightly below average..."

The guy looked confused at that, before pressing on

"Really, bro? You look super hot to me, you got those bright, blinding blue eyes that you can just get lost in~"

At this point, Jason knew the man was just messing with him. His eyes have always, and will always be a dark, muddy brown, hidden behind his massive frames. Jason was about to respond, when Ethan continued

"Yeah, and you got that super stylish haircut too, really makes you look super masculine~"

Now Jason was REALLY confused. The guy was right, he did always get complements on his eyes, the bright, shocking blue visible and striking even through his huge glasses. But his hair was always a long, unkempt greasy mess.

"Ethan, are you sure you're okay, you're not just seeing things? Cause I don't know what you're talking about"

Ethan ignored the comment, just continuing to press on

"And you've got that hot, manly face, with your strong jaw and amazing profile"

Jason was confused again. Sure, his stylish haircut did help him look much better, but his face had always been pretty androgynous, with hints of baby fat still present in his cheeks. Again, before he could interrupt, Ethan continued,

"And you've got that smooth smooth skin, that hot stubble, that sexy smirk of yours. You're the full package bro~"

Jason laughed at this. Ethan was clearly being way too complementary. Sure his face had a great shape to it, with strong cheekbones and a square jaw, but his skin was still acne marked as hell, his smile was crooked and awkward, and he'd never been able to grow any facial hair, no matter how much he tried.

"I really have no idea what you're talking about Ethan. Sure I've got some good features, but the overall package isn't much to write home about~"

Ethan smirked again, his eyes lighting up with humor, as if he knew something I didn't.

"Nah, bro, you're underselling yourself. Plus, you've got that body~"

"What about my body? I think its pretty average, though I guess I'm a bit on the skinny side..."

Jason looked down at himself, trying to contemplate what Ethan meant. Sure, he'd been blessed with an attractive, manly face, but it didn't change the fact that his body was still below average at best.

"Again, bro! Putting yourself down. You really think those massive logs you have for arms are below average?"

Jason looked down at his skinny arms, and said

"More like logs than twigs man, seriously."

"And what about your legs? You've spent so long working on em, you've got thighs and glutes to kill for~"

Jason laughed again

"I dunno man! Most people say the exact opposite. They say I spend too much time on arms and not enough on my torso and legs. What can I say though? I love having big, beefy arms."

"Of course you do, bro? Who wouldn't? Especially when right in between em, you got your big, pillowy chest, your sexy abs, and your super toned back~"

Jason was seriously starting to wonder if Ethan was on something. Anyone could clearly see from first glance that Jason's body was badly proportioned, his arms and legs being massive from months to years of work, while he neglected his back, pecs and ab muscles. Still, he thought he looked pretty alright honestly.

"And I especially love how you're not only super sexy, you know it and flaunt it~ I don't think I've ever seen you once wear a shirt. The most you'll wear is a necklace, and even then, not like that covers anything, bro~ Only makes you look sexier"

Now here Jason had to disagree. He knew that he had cultivated and developed an amazing body over his years of going to the gym, but that was all for his own personal satisfaction. He never flaunted it unnecessarily, especially not during a stream.

"And I love the fact that you're such a fucking bro, bro. Every other word out of your mouth is bro and dude, you can't go even five minutes without flexing and thinking of fucking, or going to the gym, or hanging out with your other hot bros. We all know that your brain is basically only good for working out and looking hot. No smart's up there. And you've got your deep, sexy voice, too. Makes it even hotter that you're a gay bro, just like me"

Jason HAD to laugh at that. What the guy was saying was just so ridiculous.

"What the hell are you talking about? Look, I know that I like to show off my sexy body a lot, but that doesn't mean I'm some kind of dumb jock. And I'm definitely straight, dude. Don't know why you'd think I'm gay"

Ethan pressed on, completely unabashed by Jason's last comments.

"But you know the best fucking part, bro? Its that power of yours. The fact that any weak ass nerd who looks at you and your huge fucking muscles grows into a hot, dumb bro like us within seconds~"

Jason was busy flexing, staring at his own bicep in awe, as if he was shocked by him impressive he was. He looked up at Ethan blearily, saying

"Sorry, bro, what'd you say? I guess I got a bit fucking distracted. Huhuhu. But who could blame me~"

"Nah, it was nothing bro. You don't need to worry about it. Now should head back to the stream?"

Jason gasped in excitement, having forgotten entirely about the fact that there was a whole stream audience full of lame ass nerds, just ready for him to make as sexy as he and Ethan were.

"You got it bro~ This is gonna be so fucking hot~"

Jason left the call, going back to the stream and restarting, glad to see that a full 300 people were still watching, even through the extended break. The second he turned his camera on, he could see that people were confused for some reason, saying a stranger broke into his house. How stupid could these people be? How did they not recognize him? Still, not like it would matter for long...

"Hey bros! How're we all fucking doing? Welcomes to today's stream..."

He trailed off, looking blankly at the camera, before saying

"You know what? Fuck video games! Who needs them when you can do this~"

And as his pecs bounced and bounced hypnotically, the chat slowly transitioned from messages like "What the fuck is happening?" or "Who is this dumb jock?" to "Fuck, bro! Your pecs look so fucking hot today!" and "Huhuhu, I love making my pecs bounce like Jace's~"

And so the stream continued, Jace showing everyone all the amazing things his body could do, while anyone that was watching, whether they wanted to or not, began to copy him exactly. And as the stream went on, the viewer count rose, and rose, and rose...

[forbidding-souda]

Hello um so I’m lowkey not feeling myself right now so could I please get some headcanons for Chiaki, Souda, Toko, Tenko, Nagito, Chihiro and Shuichi setting up a cute little at home date because the reader was feeling sad? Gender neutral is fine and thank you 🗿✨

Chiaki Nanami, Kazuichi Souda, Toko Fukawa, Tenko Chabashira, Nagito Komaeda, Chihiro Fujisaki and Shuichi Saihara creating a romantic date at home for their S/O

Literally like beeeettt omg I’m gonna be doing this so you feel better ^^ I hope you like it

this was so hard to write i wrote it in three sessions but my discord voted this to be written today so SIGH i'm finally finishing it.

if this is written really shittedly it's because this took me over an hour to write and it's 11pm and I have to get up early tomorrow so I'm a bit pooped.

-Mod Souda

Chiaki Nanami

❤ The easiest part was collecting all of your favorite snacks. She knew those by heart, because of course she did. It was the decorating part that was hard.She took all the cushions off the coach, taking up some time finding pillows in other places in the house. All except the bedroom. That’s where you are taking your afternoon, sorrowful, nap. Usually she would wait until you were ready to be in her company again before showing up with your favorite video game. But tonight, she spends her time watching a tutorial on how to make the best fort. In about ten minutes, it was stable enough to climb in and out of. She even put a blanket over it for good measure. 

❤ When you came home, she was too nose-deep in video games to even realize. She didn't hear the door, nor your calls, and by the time you had seen the fort (she was planning to surprise you) she had won her round. Still, she didn't let it bother her, nothing but a soft oh man left her lips.

❤ Seeing you smile was enough for her. That was the goal anyway.

"Is it alright?" She asks, putting her hands in the pockets of her sweater.

"More than alright."

You climbed in, too scared to touch much, sitting with a bit of a hunch as you run your fingers across the food she had placed inside. You sigh. She is so low-energy, so lazy most of the time that this is actually extremely flattering.

She lays in your lap, continuing on with her games (because of course).

And you pet her hair. You thank her for the consideration.

She only hums at you in acknowledgement. And that's enough for you.

❤ With all of the snack bags laying around, eventually you're the one tasked with picking them up.

❤ She never picks up after herself and she's not going to start.

❤ Also that pillow fort is. staying up.

.

Kazuichi Souda

❤ He almost wanted to go all out. He had originally put on a suit, just to be dapper, but quickly took it off. No, no, not the occasion. He was stressing over how to dress. It seems simple, right? And it's not like you're going to judge him for whatever he wears? He had brought over a bunch of board games from his dad's house and bought a few drinks (different kinds, he had forgot what you order at the restaurants the two of you go to). This was the best he could do. He knows you have been sad recently. It troubles him. He was never taught how to comfort people. Does he pat your back? Tell you everything is okay?

❤ Instead, he resorts to this.

And he ends up putting on a comfy pair of pajamas and bringing your pair downstairs for when you come home. The anxious tap of his foot is all that keeps him company until finally you step through that door.

"Uh- welcome!" He announces, racing to meet you.

You pause, just a bit, hesitating to close the door. "Yes?"

"I did something."

❤ Oh no was your first thought.

❤ But the sight of the living room, clean (for once), with games on the floor and drinks on the table makes you feel relieved.

❤ "Is this for me?" You ask, turning to him.

❤ "It's all for you."

.

Toko Fukawa

❤ No words could express how she feels about you. She notices you're sad almost immediately. Your shift in mood and demeanor makes her worry. She tries to do the chores that you usually do, hoping that this would brighten your mood a little bit. She did your laundry, put away the dishes, and made you food. In her mentality, if she just does services for you, you should feel better. Whether it's a love language thing or something trauma based, she wasn't going to standby and let you be sad.

❤ So she rolls out the couch into a bed. She transports the blankets and pillows onto it, turning on the television and putting on a movie she knows you like. And sitting there, she waits, fiddling her thumbs, trying to settle her breathing.

❤ Don't be anxious, she tells herself, nothing will go wrong, nothing will go wrong.

She's almost asleep by the time you get home. Her pale eyes are hazy and her chin is in her palm. The sound of the door alerts her, she sits erect, scrambling to fidget with her braids and fix her collar.

"Oh," you say, "what is all of this?"

The look on your face makes her heart beat faster. You're so beautiful.

"I-I just wanted to make you ha-happy." She tries to settle herself with deep breathes.

Your eyes go from the bed to the tv. Noticing the movie she had put on had ignited a feeling a gratefulness in your chest.

Oh my god, you think. She really does think about me.

❤ So you sit down with her, wrapping your arms around her and kissing her cheek. You hadn't even realized that your emotions were so palpable.

❤ When she lays on your chest, you run your hands through her hair, untying her braids and letting her hair flow down her back.

❤ You make a promise to yourself to find out the things that make her happy and indulging in them for her. She really does deserve it after this.

.

Tenko Chabashira

❤ Her mind was racing with ideas. There are so many things she can do - so many things she wants to do, but what makes you happy? What if she teaches you self defense? You could be happy and safe. Noticing that you are feeling a bit down has brought her mood down a little, too. She's followed you around and made fun of the boys that surround you - poking at them as if they're the reason you're sad. She wanted to bbq them and serve them as dinner. But alas, perhaps a nice at home date is all it takes.

❤ She sets the dinner table, googling reference images in the process. The food is something she ordered to be delivered. Beforehand, she clasps her hands over the food, trying to put a blessing on it - whoever eats this will get eternal happiness.

"Tenko?" You call out, taking your shoes off at the door. Her cheeks immediately redden.

"Ah - my lovely S/O! Welcome home!"

You get a peak at the dining table, trying to look past her shielding form. A small smile appears on your face. It makes her incredibly satisfied.

She gestures to the table with a look of pride. "It's our date."

❤ She eyes you throughout the entire dinner. She watches your hands - do sad people move their hands like that? When you talk, she reminds herself not to interrupt you and to listen as if her life depended on it.

❤ You notice the way her green eyes stay wide, pupils dilated, and her mouth tight in focus.

❤ "Are you okay?" You ask.

❤ She blinks in genuine question. "Why?"

❤ Her mannerisms make you smile.

❤ You wave her off with your fork, "Nothing. You're just being cute."

❤ Her hands cover her mouth. It stops a scream from coming out - but you hear the sound.

.

Nagito Komaeda

❤ He sets his mind to games. The two of you had gotten along through the games the two of you would play as a class. You had enjoyed his presence so much that you would always invite him to play with you - whether it be chess, uno, or a simple rolling of the nice. His luck is beautiful to you. You always smile when you win a round. That smile is rare, but this is a recent occurrence (or lack there of). It makes him a bit anxious. Are you getting tired of him? Wanting to leave?

❤ So he holds out a deck of cards, shuffling it, calling you to the living room. You scurry down the hall and slip with your socks. The table has glasses of soda alongside the deck.

"What's up?"

He bridges the split deck together. "Let us play a game."

"Uhm," you step close, sitting in front of him, taking your spot, "is there any reason?"

"You like games, right?"

He acts as the dealer and dishes them out.

You respond, "of course I do. What game are we gonna play?"

❤ Playing against him sucks, however. His luck messes with every single game.

❤ He had won every round - every game and every different version of the games.

❤ But when he went to get himself a drink he had spilt it all over the carpet.

❤ You sigh, going to grab the dish soap, already knowing how to take care of it.

.

Chihiro Fujisaki

❤ He tries to think of something the two of you can actively do together. He has a lot of ideas of fun things, mostly involving the computer and different things he can show you. He noticed you were sad because of the sudden change in regularity of visits. You seemed to be distancing yourself from him within the bounds of your shared house. Did he do something wrong? Or is it something internal? He decides, eventually, to just go with the old-style dates that the two of you would go on: sitting in bed and watching things together.

❤ So when you come upstairs, he has the television on as he sits above the blankets.

"Come join me." He asks, his honeymoon shyness returning.

Your eyes flicker around the room before you realize. "Are we going to have another movie night?" A smile covers your entire face; eyes light up and eyebrows lifted.

Thank goodness, he thinks, they seem so happy.

You continue, "I've missed these so much."

Crawling into bed beside him, you lean your head on his shoulder, sinking deeper into the mattress while he handles the remote.

❤ He had gotten the both of you water and also a few treats. When you asked where he got it from, he just smiles and tells you it's a secret.

❤ You make a mental note to try and find his stash later.

❤ The night had been the opposite of busy, yet it still tired you out, and you found yourself falling asleep to one of the movies.

❤ He notices right away.

❤ All he does it rub his thumb across your cheek, kissing your forehead, trying not to disturb you.

.

Shuichi Saihara

❤ He was worried that you would get mad at him. If he tried to 'interfere' with your time and space - would you be upset? He has been in love with you for awhile and therefore in tune with your emotions. When you started feeling sad, he found himself distancing himself from you, waiting for you to blow up and stop being in love with him, or worst, isolate yourself from him first. But then, he realized, that that possibly made you feel worse. So he decided to think of an activity the two of you could do together.

You pop into the kitchen, coming down to only get water, and then you see him, staring deeply into the instructions on a cardboard box, having bowls and mixers in front of him.

"Yeah? You're gonna bake?" You lean against the wall.

He looks at you as you startle him. But his face quickly settles, and his eyes soften. "I wanted to do it together."

His tone makes your stomach tighten. "I mean- yeah- let's do it right now, okay?"

He watches you pull up your sleeves, standing shoulder to shoulder with him, looking over his shoulder to the instructions.

❤ He notices you coming out of your shell. The two of you have quiet tones, but throughout the exercise, you both allow yourselves to get used to the presence of another.

❤ Soon, you're laughing together.

❤ He's so handsome when he laughs. You've almost forgotten what it sounds like.

❤ "I love you." You say abruptly, resting both of your hands on his chest.

❤ His breathing quickens. You can feel it.

❤ "I-I love you too!"

❤ You rest your head against his before placing a kiss on his cheek.

❤ You thank him, smiling, before turning and going to clean up the kitchen. He will not let you do that alone. He sets himself right there next to you.