#i'm going to try getting to some of the requests that were already sent soon!

[sapphirexsolarium]

You Were Meant For The Ocean

tw: angst, hurt/no comfort (kinda), non-mc!reader x Rafayel, couldn't proof read through the tears :')

wc: 1.1k "You were meant for the ocean." He smiles, watching you lay out on the patio with a book in hand. The warm sea breeze washing over you the salty air carrying into his studio.

"I think so too." You smile looking over at him as he paints. He gets up and lays out beside you, squishing the two of you together on the lounge chair. "Raf-"

"I'm tired and I want to take a nap." He lays on top of you, nuzzling into your chest.

"You're such a pain." You roll your eyes but you smile, fingers gently caressing his hair as you continue to read under the warm sun.

What warmth you felt that day. In your hubris you assumed there were many warm days to come. How wrong you were.

-

Watching Rafayel fall head over heels in love with his bride all over again ached your heart in a way that could only be described as soul crushing.

How could you compare to her? Tied by destiny and blessed with the ocean's love. How could you ever compare?

Did you have any right to him? Whatever the two of you shared, it wasn't in any official capacity. But some part of you thought that maybe… Well, it doesn't matter now does it?

It was far too easy how you slipped out of his world. You took quiet steps out the door. Who were you to interfere with destiny? What's the point of making a fuss when you won't be heard? Why fight what has already been written?

-

Rafayel didn't notice your absence for a long while. He was so wistfully in love it blinded him to the rest of the world. It was perhaps months until he realized you hadn't stopped by his studio in ages. There was a time he would come home to his studio and find you lounging on the patio, reading your book and waiting for his return.

When he pulls out his phone to text you he's struck with the painful realization of just how much he's neglected you.

"We should get lunch soon. That cafe by the beach is opening this weekend! c:"

"The arcade just restocked with a bunch of cute plushies we should try to get them~!"

"I heard from Thomas that your art exhibition is happening in 2 weeks. Why didn't you tell me?? I wanna come!"

"Are you alright? You haven't been answering my texts or calls lately.."

"Are you busy? We should meet up!"

"Raf this is getting a bit ridiculous.."

"Can we talk?"

"Lose my number."

He quickly tries calling your number but its sent directly to an automated voicemail. He starts texting you but they remain unsent. He pulls open his social media to check on you but he finds himself blocked from all your accounts. Panic starts to settle in his chest. When was the last time he saw you? Or even spoke to you? He can't remember. In no time he reaches your apartment but when the door opens its a complete stranger that had just moved in a week ago. What the hell?

He's desperate now and rushes to your job. Surely you'll be there right? He's told by your coworker that you were transferred to Skyhaven. You had put in the request yourself. Your co-worker was surprised that he wasn't at the farewell party.

Your departure was sudden for everyone. Every person he calls has no idea why you made the move. Until Thomas.

"Listen… I kind of figured something was up when she didn't show up for your last 2 exhibitions. I thought you were going to bring her when you asked for the tickets but then you brought that other girl around. I didn't want to pry so I left it alone, I figured you were in one of those hyper-fixation phases but then that other girl kept showing up wherever you were and she stopped coming around. I only heard about her leaving because her coworkers called me to invite us to her farewell party. I wasn't sure if you two were on bad terms so I just sent the invite via email. To be honest I was also surprised when you didn't show up but she didn't look surprised at all…"

Rafayel was shaking where he stood. Text messages, calls, emails all went unseen because he was too preoccupied with his beloved bride.

It felt like the world was collapsing in on him and to make matters worse the clouds parted to show Skyhaven floating high above him.

-

You look down at Linkon. The city seems so quiet from high above. Far off in the distance you can see the beautiful hue of ocean blue peeking through the skyline. Your heart longs for it.

"You were meant for the ocean…"

You close your eyes as that dull ache spreads across your chest. "Not anymore."

-

Months pass and Rafayel is in the throws of an artistic frenzy. Painting after painting of raging seas, stormy oceans and bleak, desolate islands. His beloved bride was his only solace but every time he sees her now, he thinks of you and the guilt rages on in his chest.

He's back out on the beach, searching for shells to mix into paint when he sees you for the first in what felt like ages. But you're not alone.

"Caleb! It's freezing!"

"Come on~ You said you used to love the ocean!"

"Used to, Caleb. Used to!" You're bundled up in a warm coat standing in front of a tall man with deep brown hair. He laughs as he helps you bundle up more. "Plus who goes to the beach during the winter?"

"It's the only time I had off. Besides…" He pulls you in closer, nuzzling your red nose, "You look kinda cute when you're freezing." He teases, making you pout more. "Ah, just too cute." He leans in to gently kiss you.

Does he have any right to feel the jealousy in his chest? In a twisted turn of events he finds himself longing for you. Is that even fair? He has his beloved bride. The only one to ever have his heart. So why does his heart ache for you? What is this soul crushing feeling?

He wants to run to you. Hold you again. Feel your warmth. Breathe in your scent. He wants to go back to the days where you lounged on his patio and he could sink into your arms. He wants what he's lost, selfishly so.

You don't even notice him in the distance. Your fingers intertwined with Caleb's as you both walk further down the beach. Away from Rafayel.

"You were meant for the ocean…" He quietly murmurs, the sounds of the crashing waves drowning out his cries.

"I really thought you'd like the ocean, baby." Caleb muses, keeping your cold fingers warm in his pocket.

"Not anymore…" You softly sigh, looking out at the waters that no longer held your heart.

[piplup335]

Griefer x reader! (post-Venomshank when he has all the plant stuffs)

*inhale* HELLO, F E L L A S wanted to try writing for block tales lmao, probably gonna open requests for them mb I wanna work on requests but I'm tryna write self-indulgent reqs rn aaaaaa I'm sorry ;-; but yeah uh first time writing for block tales, I'm trying :,D enjoy!

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You were tired of everything that had happened to you so far.

When you were torn out of your timeline so you could go back to the past to help Shedletsky get the SFOTH swords, you really didn't know what to expect. You expected an arduous journey, sure...after all, these swords were the stuff of legend. You knew that much...after all, the swords also existed in your timeline, and you learnt about them before.

You didn't expect...everything else.

When you were first sent to get the Ice Dagger after having a short, grumpy penguin guide you through the ropes of the new world, the journey you went on was predictable, to say the least. Having some old, regal king as the guardian of the sword wasn't unexpected to you, especially because of all the video games you played in your old world. What you didn't expect was how delirious he seemed to be.

Based on what you heard from the villagers living in the kingdom, he was a reasonable and just ruler. No one had any complaints about him, and all respected him for his decisions.

That wasn't reflected in your fight, though.

When you fought him, he seemed to be detached. Paranoid. Cruel King thought you were going to tear down his kingdom, and no amount of talking deterred his insatiable need to cut you down. You had to physically wrestle the Dagger away from him- not the sensible and just king you expected, but a complete and utter lunatic.

You thought it was the end of it, but it wasn't.

Shedletsky then sent you out to Turitopulis to retrieve the Venomshank from Mayor Thanyiel. On the plane ride there, you decided to go prepared and read up on Turitopulis' culture, nature and residents...just so you knew what you were going to be up against. You didn't want to get blindsided by a seemingly normal ruler again.

Upon reaching there, you realised you were probably a bit too late. You saw Mayor Thanyiel...held hostage by a gorilla, commanded by some dude who looked like some edgy teen. He even spoke just like an edgy teen, too- some of his words seemed a bit distorted, but you could somehow understand his speech as leetspeak.

Maybe the Ice Dagger gave you some of the old King's knowledge.

Regardless, you still had a job to do.

You spoke to people in the town, simply wanting to get your job over and done with so you could return to your timeline as soon as possible. But the more you spoke to the people there the more intrigued you were about the place. Gone was your annoyance pertaining to your job

You traversed through the dense forest, careful to prevent any unwanted encounters. The fauna was quite hostile there, after all.

By the time you finally navigated to Griefer's crib, or whatever that place was called, it was already too late for you. You wanted to resolve the situation peacefully, but by then Griefer had already tied his father to the Venomshank and used him to pull the sword from the stone.

Cue a long fight where you had to battle the Venomshank-wielding male...and even after losing, he stabbed himself with the very sword he tried to kill you with.

It didn't end well for either of you.

While you were severely injured, Griefer's fate was much worse. He got transformed into some plant...spider...hybrid monster thing.

Even after purifying your soul to retrieve the Ghostwalker and defeating some ancient god for the Firebrand, when you went back to Turitopulis, he was still in his plant-like form, if not in an even worse state.

When you checked in with Mayor Thaniyel, he mentioned that not only had Griefer not returned to his usual self, but he was also less responsive as the days passed. Barely reacting to his dad's voice. Barely getting up to eat. It was as if his life was withering away day by day like the plants covering his body were consuming him from the inside...so you knew what you had to do.

After a bit of sailing and a trip to the late Kitchen Wizard, you returned to Turitopulis, some onion ring tart in your hands.

Allegedly, based on the cookbook you found at the heart of the jungle, it was supposed to be some cure for Griefer's condition. It worked, thankfully...but only to some extent.

He still had plant-like features around him, but you thought it made him look cooler.

That was when finally...he opened up to you and agreed to join you on your journey to find the rest of the swords.

He told you everything about himself. He mentioned how he was always curious about the Venomshank, how he heard the voices from it just like Blackrock's king...how it controlled his mind and made him do things he never should've done. He told you about how he'd get yelled at by his father every time he tried to bring up the topic of the Venomshank...and everything in between.

For once, he felt safe. He felt like you were someone he could truly trust, and therefore agreed to aid you in your adventure.

Fortunately for you, Shedletsky had no information to give you regarding the other sword guardians, so in the meantime, you could take a break and explore the new world. Despite all that, though, you enjoyed staying in Turitopulis by Griefer's side, getting to know the community better with each passing day. However, you still wanted to return to the Temple of the Red Sun to train and loot the place...which was how you ended up falling for him.

You let out a choked cough. Blood was starting to flood your throat, and you were just a few hitpoints away from dying. With whatever Special Points you had left, you pulled out one last card from your deck.

"Griefer...? If you're there...somewhere...please, help..."

The being...The Ancients, it called itself, stared down at you, its soulless, unmoving eyes never once leaving your wounded form. Calypso lay before you, crumpled up into a heap. She had passed out trying to protect you, just as how Captain Trotter wanted.

She was loyal to him until the very end.

And even then, her loyalty to him was her downfall.

As The Ancients wound up its arms, preparing for one final strike, you squeezed your eyes shut.

You were already in too much pain to move. You just wanted to die quickly so you could respawn and be freed from whatever agonising pain you were in.

Just as The Ancients lunged forward, ready to take away whatever life you had left, you heard some faint rustling as a familiar figure dropped down in front of you. Two pained grunts could be heard from him as he was struck by the two blows that were meant for you.

"...N0T 0N MY W4TCH, PUNK."

The crowbar-wielding male stood in front of you, protecting you from The Ancients.

You glanced up at him, confusion and shock on your face. You had no idea how he got into the temple and found you in such a short amount of time, but you weren't complaining.

"G...Griefer...? You...actually came to help..."

A weak cough escaped your body as you tried to stand up. Getting bashed in multiple times had done quite a number on you, and you almost fell flat on your face.

"...D0N'T PU5H Y0URS3LF."

He knelt down and held out a hand for you to grab. You gratefully accepted his help and pulled yourself back on your feet. Due to your weakened state, however...you stumbled into him.

Griefer, upon seeing your weakened state, instinctively caught you as your legs gave way, not wanting you to fall. What you didn't expect was for him to do so by pulling you against him so you could put your weight on him instead of on your own legs...which resulted in him tightly hugging you to himself.

"I G0T Y0UR B4CK. L3T'5 PWN TH15 5UCK3R T0G3TH3R."

One thing slowly turned into another, though...and on one moonlit night, Griefer ended up asking you out during a leisurely nighttime stroll. By that point, you were completely smitten by him, so you agreed.

Ever since that day, Griefer treated you like a delicate porcelain doll. He offered to take care of you as you recovered from your injuries, offered to do little things for you and always protected you from whatever was out to get you. Once, he even followed you to The Guru so you could get more training by refighting your own embodiment of hatred. Despite you telling him multiple times that you'd be fine since you'd fought it before and could even respawn, he was determined to follow you so you'd come back safe and sound.

On this day, however, you really didn't feel like training. Your body was sore from the excessive practice you did the previous day, and all you wanted to do was take a break for one day.

So what did Griefer do? He decided to pop over to the Turitopulis' Town Inn you were staying at to pay you a visit and spend some quality time with you.

As you lay in bed, your muscles sore from all the combat you did the previous day, you heard a soft click as the door opened. Griefer stood in the doorway, a small bowl in hand.

"H3Y. (Y/N). I M4D3 Y0U S0M3 S0UP. Y0U 5H0ULD H4V3 S0M3, IT'5 G00D F0R Y0U."

Griefer set the container down on your bedside table and opened it. The smell that wafted out and filled the room was heavenly- it smelt delectable, just like the soup your parents always made for you in the past.

Griefer went to the inn's pantry and grabbed a spoon. He picked up the bowl of soup, scooped up some soup and held it to your mouth.

"D0 H4V3 S0M3, D34R35T...Y0U N33D 1T."

You opened your mouth and let Griefer spoon-feed you the soup. It tasted just as good as it smelled, if not even better. The soup was rich and savoury, and it tasted absolutely heavenly.

You instinctively opened your mouth every time he brought the spoon to your lips, gratefully consuming every bit of soup he fed you.

It tasted like familiarity. It tasted like home. It tasted of the good old times when you were safe and secure in the arms of people you cared for.

Now, you were in a new universe. There were so many new things to see. So many things to appreciate. Someone by your side to truly love.

As Griefer continued feeding you the soup, you had a sudden thought.

"...Griefer...? Could we...cuddle, by any chance?"

He paused, a faint hint of pink spreading across his face. Eventually, he relented, setting the bowl back on the bedside table and crawling under the blanket with you.

"...F1N3. C'M3R3..."

Griefer wrapped his arms around you, pulling you to his chest. The leaves covering his face and arms tickled a bit, so you squirmed in his grasp to get comfortable.

He buried his face in your shoulder, the leaves on his face brushing against your neck as he lay there, the only sound in the room being the faint hum of the air conditioner and the soft breathing from both of you.

"I'V3 W4NT3D T0 D0 TH15 F0R 4 WH1L3...JU5T L13 D0WN H3R3 W1TH Y0U L1K3 TH15. 1'M GL4D 5H3DL3T5KY H45N'T SENT Y0U 0UT T0 F1ND 4N0TH3R 5TUP1D 5W0RD..."

You lay there in bed, too tired to say a word and too comfortable to move. You never knew how nice it was to get spooned by someone you loved until then. As you let out a soft yawn, Griefer chuckled.

"T1R3D? Y0U 5H0ULD SL33P. Y0U'V3 B33N TR41N1NG 4 L0T R3C3NTLY."

You subconsciously caressed some of the vines that snaked down Griefer's arm, silently adoring his new look. You knew that deep down, Griefer was insecure about the new additions...but you liked them anyway.

As you drifted off to sleep, you felt his hold on you tighten slightly.

"5L33P W3LL, MY L0V3...1'LL 4LW4Y5 PR0T3CT Y0U FR0M WH4T3V3R PUNK TH4T TR135 T0 HURT Y0U."

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and that’s all, fellas! I hope you enjoyed, and I’ll see you guys soon! :D

[deerspherestudios]

Short Break and To Dos!

Hello all! 🍄🍄👻 I'm glad to see people enjoying Day 3 so far! I was so nervous about showing another side to Mychael in the update I thought people wouldn't like him as much but plenty have reacted positively! ❤️

I'll add a TLDR; above the read more, but if you don't mind my ramblings and want more details about everything, I'll write everything below! Light spoilers ahead!

I'll be taking a short break from MO development until 28th October to work on a short VN for the Monstrous Desires jam!

Most probably missed it, but there's a tiny small patch to Day 3 explained here.

Queue will return soon! I just gotta handle some housekeeping first with my Patreon.

Regarding the feedback on Day 3, I'm glad people aren't as averse to the new side of Mychael, in that he isn't always soft and sweet. I want people to fall in love with a person after all, not a yandere caricature, and that means that person can get upset, angry and sometimes irrational when we don't know what's going on in their head even towards the subject of their affections. While some (understandably!) were shocked about his reaction to the mushrooms, it'll be clear as to why (hopefully!)

Some of you have given incredibly accurate theories, and I'll take that as something I've done well in building up the mystery!!! I'm excited to share more in the next update, but for now!

1. I'll be taking a short break from MO development to work on a short VN for the Monstrous Desires jam!

What I have planned for Day 4 of MO might be the biggest update so far, since one route will lead to a few official BAD ENDINGS as opposed to 'dead ends' like the current demo has. To those who really want to, you finally get to see Mychael at his worst. As usual, writing the script takes a few months with plenty of changes in between, and I don't wanna bulldoze ahead and rush the story when it's getting to the climax!

But before I jump into all of that I just wanna give myself a creative exercise and try exploring a different theme, style and setting with a fresh new character for the jam! Since I'm a sucker for the trope... yes, the new blorbo will also be a yandere, sorry, I'm predictable.💔 The jam ends on October 28th so development on MO will continue then!

The last time I wrote something remotely sci-fi was in high school, so this will be fun to try!

2. Most probably missed it, but there's a tiny small patch to Day 3 explained here.

What it says on the tin! If you've already played Day 3, rest assured there's no significant story changes. Just an updated credits list, three extra sprites for one route and a small fix in the code.

3. Queue will return soon! I just gotta handle some housekeeping first with my Patreon.

Plenty of people have sent such sweet and encouraging messages to my inbox on what they thought of the update and I cannot thank all of you enough for the support!! I can't wait to post them out to archive them on the blog and answer all your interesting theories and queries in my queue!

But for now I'm due for a short break from my socials and to catch up on my Patreon sketch requests haha. I also plan to release cut content from Day 3 for my Yearling and Deer patrons. Plus, I'll be working on some written prompts for extra lore so that's something to look forward to!

I'll be back soon! Take care, fireflies!! ❤️

[heavyhitterheaux]

Flip a Switch

Synopsis: When you find out information regarding your husband and his career, you confront him and demand an explanation as to why he kept it a secret from you

Pairing: Husband!Joe Burrow x Wife!Reader

Requested by: a cutie anon 💕

Please Do Not Repost My Content Anywhere

You walked into the house with a smile on your face and was met with your husband coming out of the kitchen. He was originally looking down at his phone, but once he heard the front door open, he looked up to see his favorite person running full speed into him and he immediately caught you. Your arms instantly went around his neck as he buried his face in your hair.

“I missed you.” You whispered to him as you picked your head up to kiss him.

“I think I missed you more. I didn’t think you would be gone that long, but truth be told I should have known better. Any time the two of you go out together you tell me that you won’t be long and it ends up being the complete opposite.” He responded as he placed you back down on your feet, but still had a tight hold on you.

“Hmm, blame your mom. At first it was only supposed to be lunch, but then we went shopping and then I somehow ended up in the candle section of TJ Maxx and it was….”

“How much money did you spend? Because I don’t see any bags with you.” Joe asked as he looked behind you.

“Oh, they’re in the car. My original plan was to sneak them in, but I saw that you were back from practice so I decided against it knowing that you would probably see me. And I'm not telling you how much I spent.”

“Mm hmm, like those six amazon packages that were delivered last week.” Joe said as he eyed you, but all you did was smirk.

“Don’t know what you’re talking about, baby.” You playfully told him as you kissed him once more.

“Yeah, I think I’ve heard that line before.”

“But, would you mind bringing the bags in for me while I go and take a shower? Then I’ll meet you back down here?” You asked as you batted your eyelashes hoping that he would say yes.

“Don’t I do anything and everything for you? You didn’t even need to do all that. All you had to do was ask.” Joe laughed as he reached down to kiss your nose.

“Yes I did! Your mom also went with me to get them done! Don’t they look good?”

“I… I need to set some boundaries when you two hang out together because every time it gets worse and worse.”

“Hey! Don’t get mad that your mom loves me more than you and wants to spend time with me! But on a real note, I’m super thankful for your family and the way that they embraced me when we first started dating. When you don’t come from that and not being told you’re important and you’re loved, it really is amazing to see.” You confided in your husband and a smile grew on his face.

“From our first date, I knew that they would love you. After we had dinner that one night when I took you to meet them, both of my parents told me that you were the one and that they could see it. Now look, married for two years.”

“Really? You never told me that. I adore both of them so much and they treat me like I’m theirs.”

Your in-laws were some of the most amazing and caring people that you had ever met and you instantly felt at ease when Joe first introduced them to you.

“Oh trust and believe that they do. Any time I call them, the first thing they ask me is ‘how’s Y/N?’ like I haven’t been their child for damn near 28 years, but I get it. I’m obsessed with you just like everyone else is. And now we’re trying to add a little one to that.” He responded as he gently placed his hand on your mid-section.

“Hopefully it’ll happen soon. We can try again later if you’re up for it.” You told him as you sent a wink his way.

“I’m definitely not going to turn that down. But for now, go upstairs and I’ll get your 100 bags out of the car.” He said as he finally released you from his embrace and you were missing his warmth already.

“It’s not that many this time, I promise!”

“Yeah, not listening to you because last time I had to make three trips.”

“I got stuff for you too!”

“Not the point!” Joe yelled back as he had opened the door and was making his way to your car.

Making your way up the steps and into your shared bedroom with Joe, you threw off your clothes and put them into the hamper as you made your way into the bathroom to warm up the water for your shower. You washed your face before checking the temperature of the water and when you were finally satisfied with it, you covered your faux locs with a shower cap and finally stepped underneath the water. You grabbed your coconut body wash and grabbed your wash cloth as you began to lather it all over your body.

You were rinsing off, when you suddenly felt a presence behind you which made you jump. Turning around you were face to face with your husband and you playfully hit him on his arm.

“You scared me! Don’t do that!”

“I’m sorry! I thought you heard me!”

“How in the world could I have heard you with the shower running, babe? Be serious!”

“You hear me any other time! I didn’t mean to scare you.” Joe told you as he leaned down to kiss you.

“I was thinking maybe we could get some practice in before later.” He whispered against your lips before kissing you once more and moving his hands down to your hips.

“But only if…” You immediately cut him off.

“Yes.”

“Then jump.”

–

As the two of you sat on the couch after your shower, Joe's arms were wrapped around you and placing soft kisses all over your face and neck as you scrolled through Instagram.

“Baby! Quit it!” You told him while laughing, but he held onto you tighter and nuzzled his face in your neck.

“Why? You smell so good, like I could eat you.”

“You did that already less than an hour ago actually. Don’t you remember?”

“Yes, and I plan on doing it again later.” He whispered and you playfully rolled your eyes.

"Joseph Lee...." You quietly said and Joe's heart rate instantly began to increase because of the tone of your voice.

"Um, yes baby? Am I in trouble? You never call me by my name unless I am." He tried to make light of it by laughing, but the last thing that you were was amused.

“I'm about to turn you every way but loose if you don't explain this." As you shoved your phone towards him, he began to read the Instagram post and his eyes began to widen as he saw what it was about.

He refused to look at you and muttered a simple ‘fuck’ under his breath as he pinched the bridge of his nose with his right hand as you moved your phone away from his face and set it to the side of you.

“So, that's all you have to say?” You asked him and it was clear to him that there was no way that he was getting out of this conversation any time soon.

“I… babe… look I've just been thinking about it. Nothing is permanent yet. I don't want you to get upset about this.”

“How can I not get upset about it?” You slightly raised your voice as you moved off of his lap to sit next to him.

“Like I said, nothing is certain yet.”

“Hmm, so you hide secrets from me now?”

“Baby, it's not a secret. I….”

“It obviously is a secret because I had to find out on instagram of all places. So when were you going to tell your wife that you want to be TRADED?”

“Soon, okay? I was going to tell you soon!”

“How soon?! Like, how can you even think about that? Especially at a time like this?”

“Babe….”

“NO! We made a five year plan and that plan included us staying here. I just got the job that I had been after for more than three years! We just bought this house! We plan on having a baby! We’re close to your parents and your family. If we leave, we won’t have ANY of that!” You explained to him and the thought of all of that happening so soon honestly terrified you.

“Okay, I get that, I really do. But I also have to think about what’s best for me and what’s best for my career. I thought that you would understand that!”

“Without consulting me?! Last time I checked I was your wife! You literally tell me EVERYTHING. Don’t you think that this is something that we should talk about?! Especially when it literally might change everything that I’ve worked for!”

“In a marriage, sacrifices and compromises need to be made.” Joe told you as he shrugged, and your anger and frustration at him had hit a new level.

“Didn’t realize that pissing me off was on your agenda for the night.”

“I’m not trying to! Like I said, I haven’t even signed anything yet so there is no reason for you to be losing your shit on me like you are right now!”

“It’s the principle of it! YOU LIED TO ME. The person that I married NEVER lies to me. That’s my issue and you are seriously up here acting like it’s no big deal!? I literally just told you earlier when I got back how important your family is to me and that I love being around them and now I find this out? This is the first time that I actually feel like I have one! And me finding this out doesn’t even come from my own husband?”

“The only thing I’m sorry for is not telling you and then you finding out on social media. That’s it.”

“Never thought that I would say this, but I don’t think I want to be around you right now.” You quietly told him as you got up from the couch with him trying to take hold of your wrist.

“Baby….”

“I’m going upstairs.”

Leaving Joe in the living room, you walked upstairs and sat on your bed as you were trying to collect your thoughts about what had just happened. Your biggest thing was that he kept this from you. You were literally the first person that he told everything to so you couldn’t understand why he wouldn’t tell you this seeing as this is a big decision being made for him and his career.

Bottom line was that you were hurt.

Just when things were starting to go your way and you had finally gotten settled and comfortable with living here, it seemed like it was being pulled right from underneath you.

Your phone that had been long forgotten after seeing the post suddenly vibrated and you looked to see that it was a text from Joe’s mom, Robin. Quickly opening it, you saw that it was a screenshot of the same instagram post that you had confronted your husband about.

Robin- Did you know about this? He hasn’t said anything to us.

You- Nope, nothing. I found out the same way you did and I let him have it.

It was now Saturday evening and you and Joe were sitting at the dining room table eating dinner in absolute silence. You had originally found out on Wednesday and had said less than ten words to him every day since then. It was awkward, and Joe knew that he had to be the one to fix it so that the two of you were both satisfied with the decision in the end. Soon after you had walked away from him that night, he had gotten a call from his parents to demand an explanation on why they found out via social media and not him.

“Baby?”

“What?”

“How long are you going to ignore me?” Joe asked and you wanted to jump in his arms right then and there, but you had to stand your ground.

“I’m not ignoring you. I’m talking to you right now.”

“You’ve barely said anything to me since Wednesday and it’s now Saturday night.”

“Hmm, playing for your new team tomorrow or are you still employed with the Bengals?” You pettily asked and Joe immediately sighed before rolling his eyes.

“Seriously?”

“I just asked a question and there’s no harm in me doing that.” You answered as you stabbed your mashed potatoes.

“Are you coming to the game tomorrow?” Joe asked with uncertainty.

“When have I missed a home game of yours?”

“Never. But you’ve never been this pissed at me before either. At least from what I remember.”

“Well you brought this on yourself, but yes I’m coming along with your parents. Now hurry up and finish eating so I can clean up.”

“I can do it, don’t even worry about it.” Joe told you as he sighed and pushed the food around on his plate.

“And are you actually going to sleep next to me tonight?”

“I’ll decide when I get upstairs, but no promises.” You answered over your shoulder as you had started to walk away.

After Joe had cleaned up the kitchen, he made his way to his office down the hall and closed the door. Once he sat down, he dialed Brian’s number who was his agent and he picked up on the second ring.

“Hey, I was just about to call you.”

“Hey, so did you read over the contract? How does it look?” Joe asked as he leaned back in his office chair.

“I did and I personally don’t think this is the best move for you. I get it that you might be frustrated with the way that things are going right now with the team, but this will probably lead you to being more unhappy.”

“How so?”

“First off, they are definitely low balling you for money and they don’t look like they’re changing their minds about that. They claim that they want you so bad, but obviously not bad enough. How did Y/N react when you told her?”

“She found out on instagram and proceeded to rip me a new one. She’s still not really talking to me since she believes that I kept this from her.”

“Well, I can see her point and you did keep it from her. I don’t know who ended up leaking it, but when it happened, I knew that it wasn’t about to go over well. My advice, stay where you are. We can get a few more good years out of them and if you’re still not satisfied, then we’ll look elsewhere.”

“If you think that’s best.”

“I do, but you need to tell your wife first when we get to that point so she isn’t blindsided like she was this time.”

“Now that I can agree with.”

After staying on the phone a little bit longer with Brian, Joe walked upstairs to the master bedroom and was surprised to see you sitting there. Once you looked up at him, you sighed and then patted the space next to you to tell him to sit down. Once he did, you took his hand in yours before saying anything.

“I thought about what I said the other day and I need to apologize to you too. I think that my reaction also made you think that I didn’t support you when that is far from the truth. I will follow you anywhere and do absolutely anything for you. I just… that blindsided me and it also made me think that you didn’t totally support me either. I can find another job, I get that but everything that I want is right in front of me.” You confessed and Joe simply nodded his head, letting you know that he understood.

“I know that you support me and that thought never crossed my mind. You were upset and for good reason. I should have told you and not gone behind your back trying to hide it from you. You deserved better than that and you were completely right when you said that I tell you absolutely everything.”

“So, therefore whatever you decide, it’s fine.”

“No.” Joe quickly answered and you were left confused.

“No?”

“Before any big decisions like that are made, we have to come to that decision together so that we don’t go through this again. I don't like it when my wife doesn't talk to me or she doesn't want to be around me.”

“Okay, agreed. And I also missed giving you kisses.” You confessed and laughed at the small smirk showing on Joe's face.

“So with that being said, we’re not going anywhere.” Joe told you and you looked at him in disbelief.

“But, I thought…”

“Brian looked over the contract and was trying to negotiate, but he told me it’s probably in my best interest to stay here so that’s what I’m going to do.”

“Now, are you absolutely sure?” You asked your husband and he simply nodded his head.

“Positive and at the end of the day, I also want to keep my wife happy since she's in it with me for the long haul.”

“Sacrifices and compromises.” You quietly said as he repeated it back to you.

“Sacrifices and compromises.”

Joe leaned over to place a kiss on your forehead and you immediately embraced him.

“So, I guess my good luck charm is actually sleeping next to me tonight?”

“I am, so you better make sure that you win.” You told him as you got comfortable on your side of the bed with him climbing in next to you and wrapping his arms around you.

It was quiet for a few minutes before you spoke.

“Baby?”

“Oh, so my name is back to being baby now?”

“Don't push it, Joseph.” You told him as he laughed.

“Hmm. Yes?”

“What team were you going to go to? I want to know. I'm curious.”

“I don't even want to tell you because you aren't going to let me hear the end of it if I do. You might even ask for a divorce.”

“You are so dramatic. Why? You're not going anymore so tell me.”

Joe mumbled something under his breath, but you turned around to face him in the hopes that you would be able to hear him better.

“What was that, babe?”

“Ravens.”

“JOSEPH LEE BURROW! WHAT!?” You yelled as you sat up and turned on the lamp that was sitting on the bedside table.

“SEE! THAT'S WHY I DIDN'T WANT TO TELL YOU! Apparently Lamar had been having some issues with his contract soooo……”

“I would have NEVER forgiven you for that one.”

“You made that pretty clear, princess and like I said you would probably ask for a divorce.”

“Not a divorce, but we would definitely have to separate for a while.”

[tinycoffeeroom]

birds of a feather | daniel ricciardo

face claim: N/A ♡

request: here !

pairing: daniel ricciardo x british!reader

cw: mentions of chr*stian horner, singapore gp 2024

a/n: sorry for the long hiatus but i just had to come back and make something for danny. i've loved that man since i got into f1 and the idea that i won't see him on track anymore hurts so deeply. thank you for the memories honey badger, you will always have a place here on tinycoffeeroom <3

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Hi baby.

Hi love.

You sound exhausted, did you not sleep well last night?

Not really, I've been trying to go over strategies with the team, but nothing seems to be working. There's no way I'm getting in the points this week.

I'm sorry Danny, I know how much you've been working on this...

Have you asked them about that power unit thingy you were talking about?

Yeah... they don't have the time to test it and add it in before this race or even COTA.

What about the new rear wing?

Well...

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Anyway, enough about this shit show. How are you, darling? I miss you.

I miss you too, pretty boy. It sucks that this conference overlaps the race, I wish I was there so bad. Just wanna hug you.

Me too, y/n. Me too. I'm coming back as soon as the race is over. At least we have 4 weeks before the next one. Did you manage to book time off?

I did! 2 whole weeks to follow you across the globe watching you strut your stuff! Hopefully we can get Horsey back for the memories.

Blake's been emailing the owner, so hopefully Horsey will make a reappearance. (LAUGHS)

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Oh wait, Helmut's calling me, I'll call you back babe.

Ok! Lemme know what he says!

Always do. Love you.

Love you too pretty boy.

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It had been a last minute decision, choosing to fly out to Singapore. You knew Daniel would never put his own needs above yours, and while the conference was important for your career, he was important to you too.

It had been easy getting everything sorted. By the time you were texting Blake about flying over, he had already sent you a message, a simple "you know?".

A quick email to your boss, a semi lie spun about a family emergency, and a whirlwind of packing bags later, you found yourself sitting in Heathrow.

Your fingers twitched nervously as you checked the time differences between England and Singapore, double checking Daniel wouldn't find it strange if you didn't respond to his texts for the next 13 hours.

Your flight left at 8PM Singapore time, that gave you at least 10 hours before he would wake up for the race.

Blake had sneakily upgraded your tickets to first class so you could sleep comfortably on the flight and be ready to go straight into race day, or night, when you landed.

Tapping your phone awake, you smile at the lock screen staring back at you.

You and Daniel had gone away with a few other couples from the grid, a well needed break from the stress of Formula 1. In the midst of a late night beach walk with Charles and Alex, Daniel had grabbed your thighs, hoisting you over his shoulder.

Your shrieks of laughter had drawn some weird looks from those around you, but neither of you cared. You'd clawed your way back, legs settling tightly around Daniel's waist as his arms wrapped tightly around yours.

You didn't even notice the flash of Alex's phone, too enthralled in the wide smile encapsulating the man holding you, all teeth and gums and happiness dripping from him like sweet honey. A quick peck to the bridge of his nose and then the corner of his mouth was enough for him to lower you gently to the ground, arms still encompassing you tightly. 

The sound of Charles fake gagging beside you finally pulled the two of you out of the lovesick stupor you'd been caught in, eyes roaming the shadows cast across your lover's face from the fading sunset. 

When Alex had texted you the photo once you were back in the hotel room, limbs wrapped around one another in the cool, air conditioned room, you'd chuckled lightly, drawing Daniel's attention. 

"What's so funny?" The hand gripping your thigh draped lazily across his lap squeezed once, thumb rubbing back and forth soothingly. 

Turning the phone to face him, you watched his eyes light up, that same dazzling smile spreading as he took in the photo. 

"Send that to me."

You hummed in response, airdropping the photo to him as he pulled your thigh higher up his lap. As he leaned forward, lips searching for yours under the dim lamp light, you quickly set the photo as your lock screen, no doubt in your mind that Daniel would soon do the same. 

A tannoy drags you back to the present. 

"All passengers for flight SIA324, please make your way to the gate. Boarding will begin in 15 minutes."

Typing out a quick goodnight message to Daniel, you pocket your phone, sighing as you make your way towards what could be the last time you see Daniel in a Formula 1 car.

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ynstagram uploaded three stories to their close friends

replies:

lilymhe 💔 if i knew you were coming to singapore, i would have come too! ↳ ynstagram was a last minute decision sorry babe xx ↳ lilymhe ... don't tell me ↳ ynstagram 🙃

maxverstappen1 how did you get time off?? i thought you were super busy with work ↳ ynstagram claimed a family emergency, even if danny doesn't want me here, i needed to come ↳ maxverstappen1 he needs you y/n, more than i think even he knows

landonorris does dan know you're coming? ↳ ynstagram nope, blocked him from my close friends for a bit ↳ landonorris sneaky, i like it ↳ landonorris see you soon y/n, glad you'll be here :)

iamrebeccad you're coming to the gp??? come to ferrari hospitality if you can!!!! alex misses you 🥺 ↳ ynstagram don't think i'll be leaving vcarb this weekend, we can meet up for brunch soon though 🩷 ↳ iamrebeccad oh... yeah sure, just let me know 💜

blakefriend hope you got to the hotel alright, me and dan are out for his training session, did you get the keycard ok? ↳ ynstagram i did, and the paddock passes. thanks for this blake, i know with everything going on, last minute admin is the last thing you need ↳ blakefriend if it means dan can have some sense of calm in this mess, i'd do it 10 times over ↳ blakefriend we'll be back at 1pm, see you in a few hours ↳ ynstagram 🫡 see you then

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Getting from the airport to the hotel had been easy enough. Piling the bags you had brought from Monaco to London and now to Singapore onto the only trolley remaining, you make your way down to the Arrivals.

Stepping through the automatic doors, your eyes dart between the people around you. Families reuniting with bright laughter and happy tears, lovers sharing intimate kisses under the harsh airport lights. Businessmen already glued to the phone in their hands as they weave through bodies with ease, their bodies twisting and turning like a well rehearsed waltz.

A man in a black suit jacket and oversized chauffeur hat catches your eye, his eyes following your figure as you try to move around the other passengers. You glance down at the large piece of paper held just above his waist. 

“Y/N L/N” is scrawled in large black letters across the paper, chicken scratch that looks very much like Blake’s.

Making your way over, the man tips the edge of his chauffeur hat slightly, reaching a hand out to shake yours. 

You want to apologise for the clamminess of your palms as you accept his welcome, but before you can speak, he’s reaching across to take the trolley from you, his head tilting briefly in the opposite direction.

You follow behind him, feet double stepping to keep up as he expertly navigates the sprawling grounds of Singapore Airport. 

By the time you reach the car out front, a sheen of sweat covers your upper lip and you cringe, feeling your t-shirt slowly cling to your back. 

The man opens the boot, then the back door and ushers you in. The cold air conditioning feels like a welcome home kiss, brushing away the humidity that clings to your skin from the small journey between the airport and the car. By the time the man sits in the driver's seat, your eyes are slipping closed, head lolling against the headrest behind you. 

You didn’t mean to sleep for the entire car journey, but you’d barely been able to rest for more than 20 minutes on the flight, opting instead to cycle through nonsense films to play in the background as the thoughts in your mind waged a war on your emotions. 

It had been a tense 13 hours, trying to work out what had happened on that phone call between Daniel and Helmut. You knew there were talks of him not extending his contract, but leaving mid season?

Your Danny? The self proclaimed and well known Honey Badger, king of late braking and divebombing his grid mates. You’d been with him since the Red Bull days, and even if he wasn’t winning podiums, or even points sometimes, you thought there would be more of an uproar about this from him. 

This wasn’t the same man you’d watch nearly fight a waiter because he refused to bring you a new meal after they’d brought out a completely different dish, the same man who left everything on the tarmac and often dragged you to his trailer post race interviews for a well deserved nap. 

His texts had been despondent, almost like he believed this was the goodbye he deserved. 

That’s the part you couldn’t move past. The idea that he was going to finish his last race without the flair of Daniel Ricciardo, no doughnuts, no grid walk, no party to celebrate the last 13 years. 

After the McLaren debacle, you understood why he chose to fly under the radar. With COVID and the situation with Oscar, he’d been more than willing to slip away peacefully but this was different. 

This was Red Bull. Or the subsidiary at least. The team he’d spent the longest time in Formula 1 with. The team who took him in as a junior, that he’d won 7 Grand Prix’s with, scored well over 1000 points racing for. 

You would have thought that they would have wanted to give him a goodbye worthy of what he had brought to the team.

By the time the chauffeur shakes you gently awake, your mind is no clearer but one thing is for sure. Daniel will not face this storm alone.

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The time of Daniel getting back from his workout was looming slowly. Since entering the hotel room, you’d hopped in the shower, scrubbing the aeroplane smell from you. The suitcases were lined up against the wall and you were currently lazing on the bed, scrolling mindlessly through Tiktok. Every so often, you’d flick to the notification screen, just in case Blake’s incoming text had somehow slipped past without you catching it. 

Your eyes flutter slowly closed, maybe a 10 minute nap wouldn’t hurt. Before you can lock your phone and settle into the plush pillows, a notification pings through. Eyes darting open, you catch the banner notification before it slides up. 

They were in the lobby. 

“Fuckin’ hell Blake.” Scrambling up from the bed, you round the corner and make sure there is no sign of you in the living room section. Your shoes are tucked away in the bottom of the closet, jacket strewn across the chair in the corner of the bedroom. 

The telltale ring of a keycard being swiped rings through the air and you slide to hide behind the wall, heart thumping against your chest. Doubt begins to swirl through your mind. What are you even doing here? What if he didn’t invite any of his family or friends because he didn’t want them to see him go out like this? Would he want you to? 

Loud voices echo through the hallway, Aussie slang thrown about but you focus on the one thick with a Perth twang. 

Your Danny. 

“Mate, I’m just gonna go point Percy at the porcelain.” Blake’s voice grows louder as he walks through to the bedroom. He locks eyes with you, giving you a quick one armed hug as you exchange quiet greetings. 

Once enough time has passed, he gestures with a finger to his lips to be quiet, head popping around the corner to Daniel. 

“Did you bring Y/N’s jacket with you by mistake?”

A confused “No” comes from the living room before Blake leans across you, grabbing the clothing from the chair. He holds it aloft, in Daniel’s line of sight. 

“No idea what that’s doing here, mate. You know I always bring a t-shirt of Y/N’s which should be under the pillow.”

Your heart swells at the statement, you had no idea he’d sneak something of yours with him whenever you couldn’t attend races. The earlier doubts dissipate, you knew right here, with Daniel, was where you were supposed to be. 

“Strange… oh! I know what’s happened.” Blake shoots you a grin before wrapping a hand around your arm, pulling you into the doorway. 

Smiling softly at Daniel, you huff lightly at the way his eyes widen almost comically as he takes you in. Silence spreads through the room, the two of you locked in intense eye contact as Blake slowly moves aside to let you reunite. 

“Hello, my love.”

Daniel’s bottom lip wobbles slightly and before you can process it, he’s launched across the room, almost body slamming you with the force he runs at you with. Arms latch tightly around your waist, his head tucked tightly into your neck, trembling lips resting against your pulse point. 

“What, I, how?” The words are muffled against your skin, the edges of them tear soaked as the collar of your t-shirt dampens to match. 

Carding your hand through his still sweaty curls, you scratch lightly against his scalp. “As soon as you told me, Blake texted me. He booked me on the next flight.”

Daniel’s head pops out from his hiding place, all three of you ignoring the tears smattering his cheeks. He looks across to Blake, who simply shrugs his shoulders, reaching down to grab his gym bag. 

“You needed them, and they needed you. It was a no brainer. Also, don’t get sappy with me, I charged the flight to your business card.” A chuckle follows and he claps Daniel on the back once, nodding in your direction before heading out the front door, the sound of it closing echoing slightly. 

Daniel’s eyes track from the closing door back to you, wide in wonderment. “But your conference?”

Shrugging, you lean forward to press a soft kiss to the apple of his cheek. “Called in a family emergency. There’s no way I was letting you go through this alone.” You lift your hand up to his face, tracing a path across the same cheek you’d just kissed. “I know your parents or your friends can't be here, but I couldn’t bear the thought of you having to deal with everything going on with no kind of support. I know Blake’s here but-”

You’re cut off by his lips covering yours, desperation seeping through as the words die on your tongue. The taste of salt blooms, the tears still dripping slowly from his eyes. Yours join in quick succession. A rushed “I love you” slips from your mouth the moment you part, his own coming straight after. 

The slide of his lips against your own turns molasses slow, the cooled sweat on both of you soon making way for its heated counterpart as you gravitate closer to one another. Warm hands sneak under your t-shirt, the palms cupping the swell of your hips as Daniel whispers words of gratitude through stolen breaths. Your own hands rest against his neck, nails creating slight grooves under the pressure. 

Knowing what will come tomorrow, you take in this moment, second by second. The feel of his sweat slick skin under your palms, the slight stubble on his jaw scratching at your chin, the way his heart beats erratically in his chest pressed close to yours. 

Every part of this Daniel you memorise, capturing each memory in a gold plated frame. You store them away in the evergrowing gallery of your brain dedicated to the man before you, seal them under lock and key for your eyes only. 

You always knew that one day, you’d share them with him. When all the racing was over and the two of you had the house with the white picket fence, or more aptly, the farm with the white picket fence. You’d dissect every moment of him you stored away, stacked one by one for safekeeping. From the moment the two of you met in that busy London street, every grand prix win, every high followed by every low. Just in case he began to forget the man he was, the man he would still be. 

You just didn’t realise that day would be coming so soon. 

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ynstagram danielricciardo

[caption 2: gorgeous boy xx]

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After the race, you’d left Daniel to his own devices. You knew he would want to spend his time wandering around the track, soaking in every moment of what could be his last ever race. 

Grabbing a ride back with Blake, the two of you stick to small talk, neither able to formulate the words you truly wanted to say. 

He’d given you a brief goodbye in the lobby, arms wrapped around you in a tight squeeze before the two of you separated, him taking the stairs and you choosing to ride in the elevator. 

Shuffling through the front door, you kick your shoes off, nudging them next to the other pairs in the entryway. On the way up, you’d sent Daniel a quick text to let you know when he was on his way back. 

Expecting him to respond around midnight, you slowly work through your nighttime routine, opting to wear one of his shirts to bed instead of the pyjamas you’d neatly packed. 

Slipping into bed, you unlock your phone, squinting at the brightness. Still no messages from Daniel, the 1:27am at the top of your phone making you sigh deeply. Reaching over, you plug your phone onto charge before starting up a well loved podcast, choosing an episode you could probably quote from memory with how often you relistened to it. 

As the dulcet voices fall away to background noise, you settle in for the night, head half shoved into the pillow beside you, Daniel’s scent still lingering from this morning.

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Blearily opening your eyes as the other side of the bed dips lightly, you quickly tap your phone to see the time. A bold 3:57am blinks back at you briefly before the screen goes dark once more. 

“Didn’t mean to wake you, sorry babe.” Daniel’s voice whispers in the darkness, hand winding its way around your waist to pull you back to his chest. 

Resting your hand over his, fingers interlocking in the open spaces, you squeeze twice. “s’ok, wanted to see you when you got back anyway.”

Silence follows and before you can roll over to look at Daniel, his face presses into the centre of your shoulder blades, the skin warm through the fabric of the shirt.

“Danny?”

He stays quiet, the hand on your waist gripping tighter. You can hear the way his breath starts to shake on the inhale, the tears from his eyes slowly dampening the back of his shirt currently wrapped around you. 

“Danny, lemme see you.” A shake of his head rustles the shirt. “Baby, please.”

His grip on your waist loosens and you shuffle around carefully, trying to avoid shoving an elbow in his ribs and adding further insult to injury. 

You can hardly make out his face, the small amount of moonlight shining through the haphazardly closed curtains barely illuminating the curve of his cheek. It does catch the glint of his honey brown eyes, tears shimmering along his lash line. 

“Oh, my love.” Your heart breaks at the sight of the man in front of you, a shell of who you’ve come to know and love. The pressure behind your eyes builds, tears threatening to mirror Daniel’s. “C’mere.”

One hand wrapping around the back of his neck, you pull him to lay against you. He burrows in, head pressed tight into the junction between your neck and shoulder, a sombre juxtaposition to this morning. 

“This is the end. Everything I’ve worked for, over. And there’s nothing I can do to stop it.” His arm wraps tight around your waist once more, his leg coming to rest between yours. “I’m officially a has-been.” A wet chuckle escapes him, the noise too loud in the surrounding silence. 

You can’t stop yourself from tapping the back of his neck lightly. He knows you hate when he talks like that. “No one’s allowed to talk about the man I love like that.”

His head lifts from your neck to throw you a quick glance. “Even if it’s the man himself?”

Pulling him back to rest against your neck, you run your hands through his hair gently, twirling the longer strands around one of your fingers. “Especially if it’s the man himself. You’re not a has-been, never will be. You’re so talented in so many different ways, there will never be a time you can say you’re past your prime or whatever stupid shit is running around that gorgeous head of yours.” Your fingers tap against his scalp to drive the point home. “Even if you never step foot in one of those cars again, you’ve got your dirt biking, the wine company, Enchante, the 17 other high intensity sports you do that raise my blood pressure every time I watch. You’re smart enough to know how to adapt, and that is what you’ll do. I know it.”

“You seem very sure.” His voice comes out muffled from its spot against your neck, his breath tickling your skin. 

“That’s because I am. I was by your side during the papaya setback, I saw how you came back stronger. That’s what this situation is too, a setback. You’ll find a way through, even if I have to stand by the solution with a flashlight to guide you that way.” 

He chuckles, the edges of his voice no longer tainted with sorrow. “Can you still not say their name?”

You join his laughter, remembering the last time you’d spoken about McLaren. “Last time I mentioned that company, I got a cease and desist. Don’t think Zac was too happy with the way I was deservedly slagging them off.” Your nose wrinkles as you think back to the snottily worded email and attached letter that dropped into your inbox a few days after your last public comment about their shitty management. “So I promised to never let that name slip from my lips again.”

The room falls silent again, just for a moment. The two of you still tangled in an embrace, even as the first prickles of sweat bead against your hairline from the heat of your bodies in the warm Singapore evening. 

Daniel sighs, shuffling minutely to run a hand up and down the length of your side. “I just… I remember when I was 20. Being so excited to get into an actual F1 car, even as a tester. I remember jumping out, seeing that I was the fastest and thinking ‘this is it. This is my chance.’ I wanted to be a Red Bull driver so bad, with every part of me. To win a race, maybe even win a world championship, leave a legacy behind. And now I’ve wasted over a decade of my life with only 8 race wins to show for it. Not even a championship. What kind of legacy does that leave me?”

The sorrow creeps back into his voice, and you have to clear your throat before responding, willing the tears back once more. “A legacy doesn’t have to mean winning a world championship. Or even a race. Think about Jacky Ickx, Stirling Moss, Juan Pablo Montoya. All legends in their own right, but none of them had a world championship. If this was your last race in Formula 1, you leave behind a legacy in your own right. People will know your name for years, even decades to come. King of the late brakers, the guy who always had a smile and a kind word to say about everyone he ever met; even if they didn’t deserve it, the aptly named Honey Badger. Just because you don’t leave behind a legacy in being number 1, doesn’t mean you won’t be up there with the greats.”

Daniel hums, taking in your words, dissecting them one by one. “I’m scared. Where do I go now? Do I even try to come back? Move to a different company entirely? Retire officially and retreat to the farm? I don’t know who I am without Formula 1.”

You take a moment to think about the situation for yourself. A world where Daniel Ricciardo is no longer a Formula 1 driver. It always seemed so impossible to you, the company so deeply ingrained into his being that the very idea of him would cease to exist without it in his life. 

“Truthfully, I don’t know.” Your hand continues to card through his hair, a soothing gesture. Whether it was meant to soothe him or you, you weren’t too sure. “I wouldn’t even know where to start with advice, I’ve never had to walk in your shoes. But that doesn’t need to be something to think about right now. Enjoy some downtime, go home and spend time with your family, race dirt bikes around different parts of the world, go see Scotty and Chloe. The future is still so bright for you, Danny. And I’m just happy that I get to be beside you through it all.”

Slowly, he raises his head from its perch, bright eyes finding yours. Despite the situation, you swear he’s never looked more beautiful than in this moment. Teeth bitten lips find yours in the dim light, clumsy and fierce, but perfect in its own right. 

“I love you. So fucking much. From the first day we met and you shouted at me for splashing you with a puddle, I knew you were the one. Thank you for never leaving.”

You laugh aloud, remembering how you’d been late for university, umbrella thrashing in the England wind, when a bike had come up dangerously close beside you, running straight through a puddle and covering your jeans in muddy water. 

After a long rant at the rider, you’d looked up into apologetic golden eyes and high cheekbones, and immediately the anger had dissipated. “And I love you. Maybe not from the puddle moment, but you won me over nearly immediately after. There’s nowhere I’d rather be than right here, with you.”

This is the moment. The moment to open the gallery in your mind to the man in front of you. To recall each and every moment you’d captured in glossy oils and remind him of who he is, who he always has been. 

And then Daniel lays his head back down to your chest, lips pressing an appreciative kiss to the shirt underneath, warmth blossoming through the fabric to your skin below. And the moment passes. 

Pressing your head back into the pillow below, you listen to how Daniel’s breathing slows, settling down as he drifts off to sleep. The perfect moment will come back. There’s still time.

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liked by fan, fan and 982,167 others

formula1 BREAKING: Daniel Ricciardo to leave RB, the team have announced

see 238,816 others

fan what the fuck

fan not danny ric 💔💔

fan we just got him back😭😭😭

fan helmut marko watch your back.

user lol not surprised, we all knew he was washed ↳ fan 123.456.789.012 ↳ user did i just get doxxed?

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👤 danielricciardo liked by landonorris, maxverstappen1 and 890,274 others

ynstagram the man of many names. danny ric, ricky bobby, honey badger and most importantly, the love of my life. i've loved you for 6 summers and i'll love you for 600 more.

in the words of our favourite musical, wherever you go i won't be far to follow. whether it's in the navy of the bulls, papaya of [REDACTED], the bee striped renault or the dazzling white of vcarb, you bring so much light and happiness everywhere you go, and i've been privileged to bask in the warmth of you.

and until the next adventure, i will always be here to remind you of the power and strength you inhabit, the souls you've breathed life into and the happiness you've brought to the sport you love (sometimes more than me) for over a decade.

always and forever, your y/n x

see 10,286 other comments

fan anyone else absolutely sobbing right now?? ↳ fan as if his post wasn't enough to make me bawl, ofc y/n drops this

fan to have a love like y/n and danny...

fan not y/n censoring mclaren, they hate that damn team so much ♥️ ynstagram

danielricciardo my darling, i love you, always and forever ❤️ ↳ ynstagram so excited for our future, whatever it holds ❤️

landonorris thanks y/n max is crying now 👍 ↳ ynstagram 🤣 which one? ↳ maxfewtrell both ↳ maxverstappen1 both

alexandrasaintmleux 🩷 we need another double date when you're back in monaco x ↳ ynstagram do we have to bring them? ↳ danielricciardo on my own dedication post... wow ↳ ynstagram 🤷 gotta show my girl love whenever i can

fan helmut better hide, y/n doesn't play when it comes to their man ↳ fan fr don't let the sappy post fool you, ik they have a hitlist in their notes

fan him leaving before COTA is so messed up, he loves that track 😭😭😭 ↳ ynstagram wish you guys could have seen the special helmet :( ↳ fan OH HELMUT MARKO WHEN I CATCH U!!!!!!! ↳ fan special helmet... pls we need to see i BEG

lewishamilton with you by his side, the future is bright for the honey badger 🤍 ↳ ynstagram thanks lew 🩷 ↳ danielricciardo thanks man :)

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a/n: this is not proof read, so ignore any mistakes. i can't wait to see what danny does in the future, whatever it is, i'll be supporting him all the way <3

[felixbit]

orange peel theory

── flufftober day fourteen, masterlist tbd han jisung x gn!reader, w. 0.5k

It was a pretty average day, all things considered. You'd been home cleaning up and doing general chores. Your boyfriend had been out at work, but you didn't mind some alone time without him there to distract you from your tasks.

It was midday when you got a text from Felix. He'd sent you a TikTok with a message saying 'you should get jisung to do this'. Opening it, you found it awfully curious.

"The Orange Peel Theory: if your partner is willing to peel an orange for you without judgment, they care deeply and might be the one."

After a few minutes of consideration, off you went to the store to pick up some oranges. You'd been planning on going soon anyways, so you found it as good of an excuse as any.

The trip down to the store was nice, putting on Jisung's playlist. You didn't get everything you'd usually get from the store, wanting Jisung to be around to make sure you didn't forget anything. But, you grabbed a handful of fruits, including a bag of oranges.

You'd made it home and realized Jisung had already arrived. Smiling at him when you walked in the door, you waved. "Oh, didn't know you'd get here before me."

"Before you?" Jisung looked you up and down, noticing the bags of groceries and nodding, "Ah, yeah. Got done a little early today and thought I'd come home. What'd you pick up?"

"Oh, just a few things," You shrugged and placed the bags on a nearby counter top, "Not too much because you weren't out with me. But just some essentials since we were running low."

Jisung nodded, standing and walking over to you. He peered through the bags a little, inspecting and giving a little thumbs up of approval. "Good picks."

An idea popped into your head. You reached into the bag full of fruit, pulling out an average-sized orange. "Yeah, I think I'm gonna snack on one of these before dinner. Could you peel this for me?"

Without a second thought, Jisung reached over and took the orange from your hands. His fingers began to work in peeling it, looking up at you again. "What do we think for dinner tonight?"

You watched as he spoke to you, eyes only flitting down periodically to check and make sure he wasn't messing anything up. He didn't even acknowledge the request, just doing it without question. You felt your heart swell.

"I'm not really sure," You shrugged, trying to keep your voice nonchalant, "I picked up some things, but.. honestly, I don't really feel like cooking. Maybe we can go out and get a bite to eat?"

"Neither do I," Jisung nodded in agreement. He handed the peeled orange back to you, walking over to the trash can and tossing the peel in, "Do you want me to pick something?"

You watched as he walked over to the sink, giving his hands a quick wash before coming back over. It took you a second to remember to reply. "Yeah, that'd be great."

Jisung seemed to have picked up on you staring dumbfounded for a second and tilted his head, brows furrowing. "What? Did I say something?"

Knowing you were caught, you laughed. "No, you didn't say anything. Just.. you passed."

"Passed? Passed what?"

"The orange peel test," You smiled, popping a slice into your mouth and enjoying the sweet flavor.

[skiesuconn]

Scream First, Flirt Later | ONE-SHOT

pairing: paige n azzi notes from author: hey! it took me a while to get satisfied with how it would go, but i'm really happy with how it turned out. i'm working on the laundry mat mix-up idea i had, but it's going to take a bit of time. i'd love if anyone sent me some prompts; i already have a few requests, but it’s okay. you can also expect chapter 3 of ''wdftl'' soon. happy reading. wc: 6k

The cold wind whipped against Azzi’s face as she stood at the entrance of the corn maze, shivering just enough to make her wish she'd put on something heavier. She tugged at her cream beige hoodie, pulling it tighter around her body, wishing she could find some warmth in the chill of the evening. Her white cream cargos swished with each step she took, and the sound of her Uggs crunching against the gravel was oddly comforting, grounding her in a moment that felt so different from the controlled routine she was used to.

Azzi tucked a curl behind her ear, feeling the weight of it against her cheek. Her hair was wild and chaotic, and she knew the moment she walked into the maze, all those untamed curls would probably draw a few too many glances. Her natural brown curls, the ones she tried to tame and hide under beanies and hats, always seemed to have a life of their own, and she hated the way they looked like they were trying to rebel. But tonight, they stayed out. Tonight, she’d let them roam free, just like her mind.

Madeline was bouncing around in her thick scarf, giggling with Rory, who was adjusting her glasses for the third time. Azzi caught the end of their conversation, the sound of their laughter mixing with the cold air.

“You’re going to love it,” Madeline said, grinning at Azzi, her oversized glasses slipping down her nose. “A night away from all your studying? You deserve this.”

“I think you both have more confidence in me than I do,” Azzi said with a dry smile, shaking her head. “But fine, I'll give it a try. This whole thing does seem kind of fun.”

Rory nodded solemnly, her plaid coat swaying as she adjusted her scarf. “Trust me, we need this. A bit of chaos to shake things up. You know, like real life.”

Azzi laughed softly, but her eyes scanned the maze again. The event organizers were there, wearing creepy costumes to set the spooky vibe for the maze, and they were handing out pamphlets to each group. One of the organizers, dressed like a grim reaper, waved them over, the cold moonlight reflecting off his white, skeletal face.

“Welcome to the maze!” he said in a voice too deep and ominous for Azzi’s liking. “You will find clues along the way, some hidden, some very much in plain sight. Beware of the monsters though—they’re tricky. Oh, and we’ve had a few… surprises before. Stay alert.”

Azzi’s stomach tightened. For a moment, she considered turning back to the warmth of Madeline's apartment. But she didn’t.

“Okay, okay, we got it,” Madeline chirped, her eyes sparkling. “We’re going to find those clues, I’m telling you. Come on, Azzi, let’s go! I think there’s a clue to the left.”

Azzi nodded and gave Madeline a small smile, walking with them into the maze. The three of them wandered through the twisting pathways, their voices mixing with the rustling of the dry corn stalks. Azzi’s eyes flitted over the terrain, but she couldn’t seem to relax. This wasn’t her world, not really. She liked control. She liked order. She liked knowing what came next.

But something about the maze, with its towering corn and winding paths, made her feel like she was on the edge of something… new. And that thought unsettled her more than she cared to admit.

Eventually, Madeline and Rory disappeared around a corner, leaving Azzi standing in the soft, shifting light. The wind tugged at her beanie, and she brushed her curls behind her ear again, but her mind was elsewhere—distracted by the eerie quiet. Then, she saw it: the scarecrow, standing tall in a patch of moonlight.

The scarecrow’s presence made her heart skip a beat. It was too lifelike, its eyes too real in a way that felt unnatural. She took a few steps forward, curious, but her feet were hesitant, as though something was urging her to keep away. The paper stuck to its chest seemed like an invitation—and her mind, always overthinking, couldn’t help but reach for it.

Her fingers brushed against the edge of the paper, and that’s when the scarecrow moved.

Azzi gasped, stumbling backward, the wind picking up as the scarecrow jerked, its head snapping toward her in a way that felt far too human.

But before she could react, something strong and solid gripped her waist. The warmth of the body that pulled her back against it sent a jolt through Azzi’s chest.

“Whoa, hey, I’ve got you.” The voice was low and teasing, and Azzi immediately felt the strength of the arms around her. She was pulled against the chest of someone tall and broad, and for a second, she just froze.

When she looked up, her heart did an uncomfortable flip.

The woman grinning down at her was tall—so much taller than Azzi—and she carried herself with an athletic confidence that was hard to ignore. Paige’s blue eyes twinkled in the dim light, her lips curved in a cocky grin. She was wearing a tight flannel shirt, rolled-up sleeves revealing toned forearms. Her arms, muscular and strong, held Azzi steady, and it took everything in Azzi not to notice how solid her body felt.

"Got a little scared there?" Paige teased, her smirk only widening. She let go of Azzi slowly, just enough for Azzi to regain her balance but not enough to feel like she had any space.

Azzi blinked, disoriented, her pulse quickening. "I… I wasn’t expecting that." Her voice came out shakier than she'd intended.

Paige chuckled, giving her a half-shrug. “Yeah, that’s kind of the point of a scarecrow, right? Thought I might as well do a little bit of scaring.”

Azzi stared at her a second longer than she should have, her mind scrambling for a response. Her gaze flickered over Paige’s strong arms, the way her muscles shifted beneath the flannel, the faint hint of a tattoo peeking from under her sleeve. Confidence radiated from her in waves.

Paige tilted her head, as if she could read Azzi’s thoughts. “You alright?” she asked, her voice softening just a touch.

Azzi blinked, momentarily lost in the way Paige looked at her. “Yeah,” she stammered, shaking her head as if to clear it. “Just... startled. That’s all.”

Paige chuckled, but this time, it was quieter, more self-aware. “You should’ve seen the look on your face. I’ve scared people before, but you—" She waggled her eyebrows. "You really got me thinking I went too far.”

Azzi’s heart skipped. “I’m sure you have some wild stories,” she said, trying to sound casual.

“Oh, I’ve got plenty,” Paige grinned, leaning in just a little. “Like the time I made this guy scream so loud, he dropped his entire drink.” She lowered her voice dramatically. “Not my fault he didn’t see the creepy skeleton behind him.”

Azzi snorted despite herself, the tension in her shoulders easing. “I’m sure you’re so proud.”

“Hey,” Paige raised an eyebrow, “I’m a professional. It’s a gift.”

They stood there a beat longer, the maze spinning around them, but Azzi couldn’t help noticing how alive Paige seemed. It was like she didn’t care what anyone thought—she was just here, and she was going to have fun. Azzi wasn’t sure what that did to her chest, but the pull was undeniable.

“So, what happens now?” Azzi asked, suddenly more aware of how tightly she was clutching her paper.

Paige smirked. “Well, for starters, you don’t need that paper anymore. Trust me,” she said, her grin widening. “I can show you the way out.”

Azzi hesitated, her fingers still tight around the paper before she finally let it drop.

The cold air bit at Azzi’s cheeks, but she barely noticed, still replaying the way Paige had smirked at her like she had all the answers to the universe. They walked toward the exit, the dim lighting of the maze casting long shadows that flickered with their movement. The warmth of Paige’s presence next to her made Azzi forget the chill in the air. Or maybe it was the way Paige carried herself—like she wasn’t just walking, but sauntering. Confident. Azzi couldn’t help but steal glances at her.

Paige was talking, her voice playful. “You should’ve seen this guy. Six foot five? Built like a linebacker. I pop out from behind the corn, full scarecrow stance—arms stiff like this.” She demonstrated, making Azzi giggle. “I let out this awful groan, like—” Paige dropped into a deep, eerie growl that made Azzi jump, before she burst into laughter. “Dude screams. Not just a little yelp, like he’s in a horror movie. Drops his phone, turns around, and just bolts. Leaves his girlfriend behind.”

Azzi gasped, covering her mouth. “No way. What did she do?”

“She straight-up dumped him on the spot.” Paige’s grin turned wicked. “Told him if he couldn’t handle a haunted corn maze, he couldn’t handle her.”

Azzi shook her head, grinning. “I mean… valid.”

Paige chuckled. “Then there was this guy who tried to fight me. Swung his arms like he was battling a demon. Had to break character and go, ‘Dude, I work here.’”

Azzi laughed, shaking her head. “Wait, do you ever feel bad scaring people like that?”

Paige tilted her head as though pondering the question. “Nah. That’s what they’re here for. The only people I don’t scare are kids. I love those little guys.”

Azzi raised an eyebrow. “You? A six-foot-tall menace in flannel? You like kids?”

Paige smirked. “What? You don’t think I look like a ‘likes kids’ type?”

“Not even a little bit,” Azzi admitted, watching Paige carefully. “I figured you’d say you scare them for fun.”

Paige placed a dramatic hand over her heart. “You wound me, woman.”

Azzi ignored the flutter in her chest. “So what do you do instead?”

Paige shrugged, stuffing her hands in her pockets. “Make sure they’re having fun. High-fives for the ones who make it through. If they’re scared, I just wave 'em past.”

Azzi didn’t mean to stare, but it was... kind of adorable. A tall, cocky scare actor with a soft spot for kids? That contrast was unexpectedly endearing. Paige caught her looking and raised an eyebrow. “What?”

“Nothing,” Azzi said too quickly, biting back a smile. “It’s just... cute.”

“Oh, so now I’m cute?” Paige shot back, leaning in just enough to make Azzi’s breath hitch. “Wasn’t so cute when you were clinging to me like I was your last hope for survival, huh?”

Azzi shoved her lightly, heart racing. “Shut up.”

They reached the exit, and Paige slowed her steps. “Alright, here’s the deal. I need to change out of this.” She gestured to the scarecrow getup. “If I walk around like this, someone’s gonna rat me out. And I’m probably not supposed to be escorting guests through the maze.”

Azzi smirked, her dark eyes glinting with playful amusement. “You think?”

Paige grinned, completely at ease. “I need about five minutes. Meet me by the coffee van?”

Azzi nodded, a faint smirk still lingering. “Five minutes.”

Paige jogged off toward a small booth near the staff area, peeling off the scarecrow jacket as she went. The jacket dragged behind her, but she didn’t care. She wasn’t trying to look cool—she was just trying to get out of the costume. All she could think about was the way Azzi’s smile made her chest feel tight, a kind of tightness that made her wonder just how long this connection was going to haunt her.

She changed quickly, swapping the scarecrow outfit for something that felt more... her. Ocean-blue jeans that fit perfectly, hugging her thighs and tapering down to her ankles. A dark coat with deep pockets, filled with everything she needed—snacks, her phone, maybe even a rogue basketball for later. The beanie she grabbed from a random table completed the look. Paige didn’t care that it was messy. It only added to her charm.

She glanced at her reflection in a car window before heading back outside. Not bad. Maybe even... kind of good?

Azzi was right where she said she’d be, standing by the coffee van, hands tucked into the sleeves of her oversized hoodie. She looked effortlessly warm despite the cold, as if she hadn’t just spent hours in a scarecrow costume herself. Paige felt that familiar tug in her chest again. Maybe it was just the night air... Or maybe it was something more.

Azzi looked up as Paige approached, her lips curving into a small, teasing smile. “Took you long enough.”

Paige’s eyebrows shot up in mock offense. “Excuse me?” she said, giving Azzi an exaggerated look of offense. “Had to make sure I wasn’t smelling like hay.”

Azzi wrinkled her nose, the slightest hint of amusement dancing across her features. “Good call. I’m not into hay, personally.”

Paige smirked and closed the gap between them, unable to resist teasing Azzi further. “By the way,” she said casually, “I don’t think I ever got your name.”

Azzi blinked, her smile faltering for a split second. “Oh. It’s Azzi.”

Paige furrowed her brows. “Wait, spell that for me.”

Azzi’s lips curled into a quiet laugh. “A-Z-Z-I.”

Paige squinted dramatically, like she was deciphering a hidden code. “Damn, that’s tricky. Sounds like an old head name.”

Azzi gasped in mock offense, her hand flying to her chest. “Excuse me?”

Paige just shrugged, a grin tugging at her lips. “I’m just saying. That’s an old-school name. Bet you were out here settling the frontier or something.”

Azzi nudged her playfully, but the smile on her face didn’t quite reach her eyes. Paige staggered a little in the cold. “Shut up. You just can’t spell.”

“Listen,” Paige said, laughing, “that might also be true, but I still think you’re an old head.”

Azzi threw her hands up, trying not to laugh. “Bet. I’m officially washed. You figured me out.”

The exchange left Paige with a grin she couldn’t shake. She wasn’t sure what it was, but there was something so easy about being around Azzi. Something so natural. Even the way she laughed felt comfortable, like a sound Paige could get used to hearing every day.

The warm steam from their mugs curled around them, mingling with the crisp night air. The scent of autumn—damp leaves, the earthiness of the season, and a trace of pumpkin spice—lingered, settling in the spaces between them. They stood near a lamppost, its soft glow illuminating their faces, casting a quiet, intimate light over them. Paige caught Azzi’s gaze and held it just a moment longer than necessary, her heartbeat quickening. Azzi’s deep, doe-like brown eyes were magnetic, and there was something in the way they looked at her that made Paige feel like she was falling into something more than she’d bargained for—something too easy to lose herself in.

Azzi broke the silence first, her voice warm with a quiet amusement. “Okay, that was actually perfect. I’m not usually a hot chocolate person, but this... this was surprisingly good.”

Paige raised her mug, her fingers curling around the warmth of it. “Told you,” she said, her voice low but confident. “I’m practically a hot chocolate connoisseur. It’s one of my hidden talents.”

Azzi smirked, clearly amused. “Hidden talents? You’re telling me you’re also a hot chocolate expert?”

Paige let out a soft laugh, a flicker of mischief dancing across her features. “Oh, absolutely,” she said, her voice carrying a hint of seriousness that made Azzi’s lips twitch into a smile. “I take it very seriously. Ready to be impressed?”

Azzi raised an eyebrow, clearly skeptical but intrigued. “I’m not so sure. You’ve got a lot to prove.”

The air between them shifted, just slightly, as their easy banter deepened into something more. The playful teasing hung in the space between them, but the undercurrent of something unspoken—the quiet tug in their chest—was undeniable. Paige took another sip, her eyes briefly meeting Azzi’s, her chest tightening in that familiar way. They didn’t need to speak for the moment to stretch just a little longer than expected.

Then, just as the atmosphere grew heavier, a voice from the coffee van cut through the tension, a touch too casual, like something from a romcom.

The barista, a scruffy guy with a beanie perched too confidently on his head, leaned out of the window, scanning them both with an amused grin. “So,” he said, his voice dripping with teasing curiosity. “Are you two, like... a couple or something?”

Paige choked on her drink, sputtering out a laugh as she quickly wiped her mouth. “What? No,” she said, a little too quickly, her voice stumbling over the words. “We’re just... two people with a mutual appreciation for hot chocolate.”

Azzi glanced at her, the flush creeping up her neck. Her voice was quieter, almost to herself, as she mumbled, “Yeah, definitely not a couple.”

The barista raised an eyebrow, unconvinced, but gave them an exaggerated wink. “Sure, sure. I’ll leave you two... lovebirds to it.”

Azzi’s face turned a deeper shade of red, and Paige couldn’t hold back her smile any longer, the teasing edge of it laced with something else—something a little softer. “Guess we’re a couple now?” she said, her voice low, amused but carrying that thread of warmth she couldn’t quite ignore.

Azzi smacked her lightly, her face still flushed with a mix of embarrassment and something else. “Shut up,” she muttered, but the smile tugging at the corners of her lips was telling. She hid behind her mug, still not quite able to cover up the warmth that had taken over her expression. “You’re impossible.”

Paige smiled softly, watching Azzi with a fondness that caught her off guard. There was something undeniably endearing about her—the way she tried to hide the softness in her laugh, the way she lit up over something as simple as a hot chocolate. It was the kind of sweetness that felt rare, and Paige found herself drawn to it more than she cared to admit.

A couple? Paige wasn’t sure about that. But whatever this was between them, it was something that had been quietly occupying her thoughts lately. --

Paige stood, extending her hand with a playful, dramatic flourish. “Let’s go. I’ll show you how it’s really done.”

Azzi hesitated for a beat before standing and following Paige toward the small pumpkin patch set up nearby. The distant crackling of a fire pit added an intimate warmth to the cool night air.

They settled onto a bench, pumpkins scattered between them. Paige handed Azzi a carving knife, her grin a mixture of confidence and something else—something a little more flirtatious.

“I’ll warn you now,” Paige said, settling beside Azzi with a casual ease. “I’m basically a professional at this.”

Azzi chuckled, her voice laced with teasing doubt. “Oh really? I’m sure you are.”

Paige’s hands moved with practiced precision, the knife cutting through the pumpkin effortlessly. Azzi tried to follow her lead, but her grip felt awkward, the knife hesitant. It wasn’t going as smoothly as she’d hoped.

“I swear, I’m the worst at this,” Azzi muttered, frowning as she worked at the pumpkin’s face.

Paige leaned closer, her breath warm against Azzi’s ear. “Don’t worry. I’ve got you.”

The proximity was startling, and Azzi’s pulse picked up when she felt the heat of Paige’s body just behind her. Paige’s hand brushed against hers as she took the knife, the touch brief but electric. Azzi swallowed, her focus momentarily faltering as the space between them seemed to shrink.

Paige’s body leaned in closer, their sides brushing as Paige’s steady hand guided the knife with a practiced ease. Azzi’s breath caught as the warmth of Paige’s body pressed against her back, the sensation far too intimate for a pumpkin carving session.

For a split second, everything around them seemed to fade. The sounds of the night, the crackling fire, even the cold air, all became distant. All Azzi could focus on was the pressure of Paige’s body behind hers, the way her breath seemed to slow and draw in sync with Paige’s.

Azzi’s hand slipped, brushing the inside of Paige’s thigh, and she froze. A wave of warmth rushed to her face as she quickly pulled back, her voice barely above a whisper. “Sorry.”

Paige’s response was soft, almost amused. “It’s fine, Azzi. You don’t need to apologize.”

Azzi’s cheeks darkened. “I wasn’t—ugh, I didn’t mean to—”

Paige smirked, her voice smooth and teasing. “Accidental hand placement is an art form, really.”

Azzi let out a nervous laugh, but her heartbeat was still racing. She tried to focus on the pumpkin, but it was impossible to ignore how close Paige was—how her warmth lingered just behind her, settling into Azzi’s bones.

Paige’s voice shifted, lowering, taking on an almost intimate quality. “Alright, let’s fix this,” she said, taking the knife from Azzi’s hand. “You’ve got to trust the knife,” she added with a wink, her breath warm against Azzi’s ear. “And trust me.”

Azzi leaned back slightly, doing her best to ignore the heat from Paige’s body radiating into hers. But the subtle brush of Paige’s breath against the back of her neck had her pulse surging again. She could hear the steady rhythm of Paige’s breathing, close and intimate, sending shivers through her spine.

“See?” Paige finally pulled back, holding up the pumpkin with a proud grin. “The secret to pumpkin carving? You’ve got to let go and have a little fun with it.”

Azzi blinked, staring at the finished carving. “That’s… actually impressive.” She couldn’t help but smirk. “I might start calling you the pumpkin whisperer.”

Paige took a dramatic bow before plopping the pumpkin on her head like a crown. “Behold, the Pumpkin Queen,” she declared with exaggerated grandeur, striking a playful pose.

Azzi snorted, unable to stifle her laughter. “Oh my God, what are you doing?”

Paige shot her a cheeky grin. “Starting a trend. You’ll thank me later. I’m basically setting fashion history.”

Azzi doubled over, clutching her stomach as laughter bubbled up uncontrollably. “You’re ridiculous,” she gasped, trying to catch her breath. “But also? I can’t stop laughing.”

Paige removed the pumpkin and gave it a playful spin in her hands. “You’re welcome. It’s all part of my charm.”

Azzi wiped a tear from her eye, still chuckling. “Honestly? You just made this night a hundred times better.”

Paige’s playful smirk softened into something more genuine, her eyes meeting Azzi’s with a quiet intensity. “That’s the goal.” --

They stepped out of the maze together, the city lights flickering in the distance, mingling with the faint hum of passing cars. The cold air nipped at Azzi’s cheeks, but the warmth in her chest lingered. Maybe it was from laughing too hard, or maybe, just maybe, it had something to do with the girl beside her.

Paige stretched her arms behind her head, tilting her face up toward the sky. “You know, I really outdid myself this year,” she mused, flashing Azzi a sideways smirk. “Scared a solid ten people into screaming. Three ran. One even tripped and fell into the corn.”

Azzi scoffed, but a smile tugged at her lips. “And you’re proud of that?”

Paige chuckled, nodding. “Oh, absolutely.”

The conversation flowed effortlessly between them as they walked through the city, neon lights reflecting in the puddles on the pavement. Azzi found herself completely caught up in Paige’s stories—each one more outrageous than the last. There was a warmth to Paige’s voice, a way she animated her words, her hands cutting through the air with each ridiculous tale. Azzi barely noticed when their shoulders brushed or when Paige’s fingers accidentally skimmed the back of her hand.

Azzi caught herself when Paige leaned in a little too close, her voice dropping into a low, teasing whisper as she continued her story. “And then, this one dude, biggest guy I’ve ever seen, looked me dead in the eyes and—”

Azzi’s breath hitched when Paige’s hand brushed lightly over her arm. It was a brief touch, but it sent a jolt through her chest, a weird mix of electricity and something else she couldn’t quite place. Paige had a way of taking up space—of just being there—that made Azzi suddenly hyper-aware of every little movement, every brush of skin, as if something was shifting between them that neither of them had planned for.

By the time they reached Azzi’s apartment, the night was winding down, but there was an energy between them that still buzzed. The soft glow from the porch light cast a warm halo around them, and Azzi found herself lingering in the doorway, wishing she could keep this feeling going just a little longer.

“That was... fun,” Azzi said, shifting on her feet, suddenly unsure of herself. She gave a soft laugh. “Not what I expected, but in a good way.”

Paige tilted her head, studying her with that grin of hers, half-smirk and half something else—something softer. “Yeah? Glad I could keep you entertained.”

Azzi’s fingers nervously tugged at the hem of her hoodie, her heart racing in her chest. She glanced up at Paige briefly, then quickly looked away, her cheeks flushing. “And… thanks. For walking me home. You didn’t have to.”

Paige’s lips curved into a soft, teasing smile, her eyes still glimmering with amusement. “You insisted,” she teased, her voice warm and low. “Said you wanted to get here safely.”

Azzi’s shy smile tugged at her lips, her hands fidgeting with the fabric of her hoodie, fingers twisting the material as her stomach fluttered with nervous excitement. “I did.”

Paige took a deliberate step closer, closing the distance between them, her presence overwhelming. Azzi’s breath hitched as she felt the magnetic pull of Paige’s nearness. Her body responded instinctively, drawn in by the heat radiating from Paige. The warmth of Paige’s breath caressed Azzi’s skin, and the air between them became charged, thick with unspoken desire.

"So," Paige’s voice was low, husky, with an undercurrent of something more intense. “If I asked if I could kiss you right now, what would you say?”

Azzi’s breath caught in her throat, the question settling into her chest like a weight, both thrilling and terrifying. Her eyes flicked between Paige’s lips and her eyes, the unspoken emotions swirling between them. Without thinking, she closed the gap, her body instinctively gravitating toward Paige. The world around them faded into the background as Azzi’s heart pounded, the pulse of it syncing with the rapid rhythm of her breaths.

Paige didn’t hesitate. She leaned in, and when their lips met, it was like everything snapped into place.

The kiss wasn’t tentative. It was fierce, hungry, as if they had both been waiting for this moment far too long. Azzi’s hands flew to the thick lapels of Paige’s coat, pulling her closer, desperate to feel more of her. The coat slipped off Paige’s shoulders, discarded carelessly onto the floor as the kiss deepened. Paige’s strong hands moved over Azzi’s body, every touch sending a wave of heat crashing through her.

Azzi’s chest pressed against Paige’s as she felt her hands trail down, exploring the curves of her waist and hips. Her breath became shallow as Paige’s hands cupped her ass, lifting her effortlessly off the ground. Azzi gasped, her body weightless in Paige’s hold, the sensation of being held like that sending a jolt of electricity through her. She instinctively wrapped her legs around Paige’s waist, clinging to her as they moved. Every inch of Paige’s body felt solid, strong, and warm beneath her hands.

The heat between them was unbearable, each moment pulling them closer to the edge. Azzi’s hands roamed over Paige’s chest, her fingers digging into the fabric of her shirt, unable to steady herself as her body reacted to every touch.

They stumbled forward, the pressure of their bodies pressing against one another as Paige backed them toward the apartment. Azzi could feel the metal railing near the stairs, but before Paige could react, her back collided with it. The impact made Azzi burst into laughter, breathless and giddy, the tension momentarily breaking as they stood there, still tangled in each other.

Azzi’s eyes sparkled with amusement, her voice breathy with laughter. “Oh my God, you’re a mess,” she teased, her hands resting on Paige’s chest, her fingers curling into the fabric of her shirt.

Paige rolled her eyes but couldn’t suppress the smile tugging at the corners of her lips. “Shut up,” she murmured, leaning in again, this time kissing Azzi harder, more urgently. Azzi’s body responded immediately, her chest pressing into Paige’s, her hands sliding down to grasp the waistband of Paige’s jeans.

Azzi’s fingers brushed over the fabric, teasing the edges, and Paige groaned against her lips, her hands pulling Azzi closer, almost desperately. Azzi’s body hummed with anticipation, her chest heaving as she pressed herself into Paige, every touch sending waves of electricity through her.

As they reached the top of the stairs, Azzi pulled away, eyes catching something in Paige’s hair. She reached up, fingers gently grazing through the soft strands, her lips curving into a playful smile when she noticed the small piece of pumpkin still tangled in Paige’s hair from earlier.

Azzi’s laugh bubbled up, warm and teasing. “You’ve got a little something,” she murmured, her fingers delicately brushing the pumpkin out of Paige’s hair.

Paige blinked, looking confused for a moment before realizing what Azzi meant. A sheepish grin spread across her face. “Seriously?” she muttered, shaking her head, though there was something endearing about the way she was still so caught up in the moment. “Guess that’s what happens when you carve pumpkins and kiss me all in one day.”

Azzi giggled, the sound light and carefree, before her hands slid up Paige’s chest once again, teasing and lingering. “Guess so,” she said, voice heavy with desire. Her lips met Paige’s once more, but this kiss was deeper, more frantic. Azzi was overwhelmed, every inch of her burning with need as she pulled Paige closer, not caring about anything else.

The heat between them intensified, their kisses becoming more desperate as they fumbled for the apartment door. Azzi’s fingers trembled as she reached for her keys, every inch of her skin hyperaware of the closeness, the desire surging through her. She managed to unlock the door, but Paige’s hands gripped her waist, pulling her back into another kiss before she could step inside. The intensity of it made Azzi dizzy, but she wanted it. Needed it.

Azzi pulled away just enough to breathe, her hands still gripping Paige’s shirt. “Wait,” she gasped, voice thick with lust. She quickly kicked the door shut with her foot, closing off the world outside as she pressed herself into Paige’s embrace.

Paige smirked, hands sliding down to Azzi’s hips, keeping her close. “Good,” she murmured, her lips brushing against Azzi’s neck, the heat of her breath sending Azzi’s body into overdrive. “Because I’m not done with you either.”

Azzi laughed softly between gasps, her fingers tangling in Paige’s hair as she pulled her closer, unable to get enough. “You’re insane, you know that?”

Paige just shrugged, a wicked grin spreading across her face. “Maybe,” she said, voice thick with desire. “But you love it.” --

Paige’s lips were on Azzi’s again, breathless and desperate, but then she pulled back just slightly, her forehead resting against Azzi’s. They both stood there, bodies tangled, hearts racing in sync, as if they were suspended in time. Azzi’s hands were still tangled in Paige’s hair, the pulse of their kiss still echoing through her chest.

Azzi breathed out a shaky laugh, her lips curving into a smile despite the heat that still burned between them. “You’re right,” she murmured, her voice barely above a whisper, “you really are insane.”

Paige smirked, her hands still at Azzi’s hips, holding her close but with a gentler touch now. “And you love every second of it,” she teased, her voice low and assured.

Azzi didn’t respond immediately, just looked at Paige with that same intensity in her eyes, a little smile tugging at her lips. She wasn’t sure how they had gotten here, but she couldn’t find it in herself to care.

She closed the gap between them again, but this time, the kiss was softer, quieter, as if they were savoring the moment rather than rushing forward. Paige’s arms wrapped around her waist, pulling her in tighter, and Azzi melted into her, allowing herself to feel the heat, the connection, the undeniable pull that had been there all along.

As they paused for a moment, their breaths mingling, Azzi’s fingers gently trailed down Paige’s arm, lightly grazing over the surface of her skin. Her gaze dropped to Paige’s hand, and she slowly reached out, her fingers brushing over the cool metal of the ring Paige wore.

She played with it absentmindedly, twisting it gently around Paige’s finger, her touch soft and playful. Paige's breath hitched slightly at the feeling of Azzi’s delicate fingers against her skin, but she didn’t move, letting Azzi explore at her own pace.

Azzi’s fingers brushed lightly over the back of Paige’s hand, a teasing smile playing on her lips as she flicked her eyes up to meet Paige’s. “You know,” she started, voice low and laced with mischief, “this ring’s kind of cute. But I think it might be getting in the way.” She let her fingers trail over Paige's hand, giving the ring another little twist, before her touch wandered down to her wrist, brushing the fabric of her sleeve.

Her voice dropped into a whisper, playful and suggestive, “Maybe we should just take this off too...” Azzi’s gaze flickered briefly to Paige’s lips, a slow, teasing grin spreading across her face.

Paige froze for just a second, her mind racing at Azzi’s words, before her hands moved instinctively, squeezing Azzi’s ass, pulling her closer into the kiss as if on cue. The move was bold, firm, but undeniably tender—sending a rush of heat through both of them. Paige’s thumb brushed the curve of Azzi’s cheek, moving a loose curl out of her face as if it was the most delicate thing in the world. Her touch was soft and intentional, the care in her fingers making Azzi’s heart race.

Azzi melted into the touch, her body practically vibrating with need, her breath hitching as she felt Paige’s hands on her, so strong yet gentle. The brief moment of tenderness only made the tension between them even more electric. The weight of Paige’s hands on her ass, pressing her into her warmth, sent a jolt of heat through her. She was sure Paige could feel her pulse beneath her fingers, racing as fast as her heart.

They pulled back for a second, breathing heavily, but the room around them felt like it was closing in, the air thick with the anticipation of what would come next.

Azzi’s voice was low, teasing, but with an edge of uncertainty. “I think we’ve both got some things we’re ready to take off…” Her fingers brushed the hem of Paige’s shirt, almost daring her to do the same, to take the next step.

Paige’s grin widened, but there was something wild in her eyes now—something they hadn’t let themselves get lost in before. “I like the way you think,” she murmured, her lips brushing Azzi’s once more, more urgent this time, more needy.

Azzi tried to guide them deeper throughout the apartment, but in the haze of desire, her hand fumbled for the door handle. She found it, but before she could open it, Paige held her back, her grip tightening on Azzi’s waist, pulling her into another kiss.

Azzi sighed into the kiss, half-laughing against Paige’s lips. “Seriously, we’re gonna get lost in here again,” she muttered, a teasing note to her voice.

Paige paused, her lips still hovering just above Azzi’s. She shushed her softly with a mischievous smirk. “Just stop talking for a while,” Paige whispered, her voice husky.

Azzi blinked, her heart pounding as she processed the command. She didn’t know what to make of it, but the intensity of Paige’s touch and the fire in her eyes left no room for hesitation. Azzi simply nodded, surrendering to the pull between them.

Paige brushed the curls away from Azzi’s face, her touch gentle but deliberate, as if the act itself was an intimate declaration. Her hands lingered for a moment, tracing the soft curve of Azzi’s cheek. With her thumb, Paige delicately tucked the stray locks of hair behind Azzi’s ear, the motion so tender, so careful, that it sent a shiver down Azzi’s spine.

Azzi’s breath hitched as she felt the warmth of Paige’s touch, but her lips parted in a soft smile, still burning with desire, and with a voice barely above a whisper, she murmured, “I think... we’re both ready for more, right?”

Paige’s grin widened, but there was a dark, teasing edge to it. She leaned in close again, pressing her body against Azzi’s, the heat between them radiating. “You’re damn right,” she murmured, lips brushing over Azzi’s ear. “But this time, I’m not letting you get lost again.”

Azzi's hands slipped down, her fingers brushing over the waistband of Paige’s jeans, her eyes gleaming with mischief. But just as Paige’s hand moved to grip her waist, ready to push them both forward, Azzi’s voice dropped again, low and dangerous, “Unless... you’re ready for me to take control.”

The air between them thickened, electric and charged, and just as Paige went to respond, everything froze. The sound of footsteps echoed from the hallway, and Azzi’s eyes flicked to the door.

The moment was broken.

[puckleberryfinnie]

What Is This Feeling? (pt. 2)

summary: you're the one thing he can't have, but he'll do anything to get you anyway, fem!reader x emperor geta

part one

notes: I wanted to thank each and every one of you for the support you showed on my first attempt at writing this man, it literally means the world to me! here's the second part to that as a little thank you <3 as always, my requests are open, I'd be so honored if any of you sent your ideas my way!

It wasn't that you were truly bored in Rome- there were an infinite amount of things to do. You, however, couldn't entirely enjoy them with the amount of security that seemed to follow your every step. You could go out to the market, sure, but four guards were sure to come with, acting as your shadow with every move you made.

So, much of your time was spent roaming the halls of their residency, a place so giant you never got bored of it as the days went on. There you were considered safe, with no need to be watched every moment.

Much of this time was spent reflecting on all that had happened during your short time so far in Rome. More specifically, someone that had caused things to happen.

Geta was an interesting man, to be sure. It seemed as though he'd made it his duty to personally make you as comfortable as possible while in his empire. This being a duty that usually fell to the hired staff, he wasn't the best at it. Sure, he was perfectly fine at getting you the finest commodities they had to offer- he even made sure your room had been moved to a much more lavish one, though this might've been just because it was closer to his own. But any of the tours he'd offered you resulted in endless amounts of courting attempts on his part.

"These are our fountains- we really should take a swim together, yes?"

"And our apple trees- I'll grab you one right now, princess. You must try one for me."

It's not that you minded. He was quite attractive, you had to admit. There was, of course, the question of his intentions- it would ruin your reputation and that of your home if anything undignified were to happen to you, especially with the way news traveled in a place like this. So you kept that in mind as your friendship grew with him- always keeping a respected distance.

This greatly frustrated Geta. The only barrier he'd expected in the process of getting you was his own people guiding him against it for the sake of his empire, not your own denial.

Any other woman would've accepted the generous offer of his attention and affection. It bothered him deeply that you were different in that regard.

He was never one to back down from a challenge, however. So, when he watched as you walk past his room for what felt like the hundredth time, he followed you down that same hallway, soon catching up to you as he reached your side, placing a gentle hand on your back.

"Darling, it troubles me to see that you're roaming the halls quite so much. There are plenty of places for you to rest instead, places much better suited for your time," he said, leaning against one of the stone walls with a smile. "Might I suggest some leisure time in my quarters?"

"I'm afraid that would be... problematic, Emperor."

He frowned with your direct denial to his proposal. He knew it was true, though. It would be wrong of them to have a secret meeting of any sort in a private room, especially in the manner he was suggesting. In any case, someone of your ranking would want every exhausted detail of the courting process if he truly wanted you to be his.

Well, he did want you in such a way, really. He already knew he'd do anything for you, so what was it to him if you required a more dignified approach to being together? In fact, it might even be amusing if it were for someone like you.

"Well then, might I suggest a dinner? I'm sure my brother would be delighted to act as a chaperone, if that's what you're wishing for."

"That would do nicely, Geta. Thank you."

He smiled devilishly at your use of his name as he brought your hand to his lips with a slow kiss. "Then it's settled. Tonight."

The staff that had been tasked with taking care of you during your stay seemed extra excited about getting you ready for that night's event. Perhaps it was the silk cloth that had been bought for you by Geta himself. Or, if one was thinking more deeply, it was likely the fact that this was a clear sign of courting in their books. They now weren't serving just any other guest, they were serving his potential match. A future empress for their land.

The dining hall that they were eating in reflected the same notion. Everything was somehow even more lavish than it had been before, with new gold plates for every dish, and fancy silverware you'd yet to see during your stay.

And the dishes themselves were even more delicious than they had been- and they seemed more personalized for you.

"Those apples were the ones I mentioned during our tour, princess. And those tarts, I heard they're quite popular in your empire is that right? One of cooks made them upon my request." He'd immediately started rambling when you'd stepped inside the room, unlike his normal, more relaxed way of speaking with you. He paused, however, when he noticed your clothing, a smile spreading on his face. "I knew that fabric would look ravishing on you, darling. I have amazing taste," he said, leaning back in his chair, continuing to take you in as his eyes carefully analyzed every detail of your look.

"Yes, and I'd like to thank you for sending it to me. That was quite kind of you," you smiled, bowing your head slightly before you headed to an empty chair beside Geta. Sure, there were many other empty chairs surrounding the large table, but considering the man had invited you, it seemed only proper to be seated somewhat closer to him. At least that's what you told yourself.

"Don't mention it. Oh, and you already have met my brother, yes? I would like it if you two became better acquainted at some point, and what better time than now?" He gestured to his brother lazily, busy pouring a glass of wine for you with his other hand.

Caracalla, who was sitting opposite to you both, looks slightly confused about you both. His eyes were darting between you both as though he was trying to figure something out. He even looked to his monkey for some sort of guidance.

You, being as polite as possible, sent a small wave his way, bowing your head as usual.

After a while it seemed as though something had clicked for Caracalla, likely figuring that his brother's intentions for you might be more sincere, as bizarre as that would be for Geta. "Yes, I'm sure we'll be very well acquainted. It'll be a pleasure, in any case."

Geta laughed at his brother's remark, knowing he'd figured out what he intended for you and his empire. A long term relationship would be new for someone like him, but he wanted you for as long as he could have you.

"It seems as though the connection between our lands is going well, my lady," he said, taking a sip of his wine before looking over to his brother. "I believe that's just the thing that needs celebration. Don't you, brother?"

Caracalla was far to busy with his monkey, and only noticed he was being addressed after a moment of being stared at by both of his companions in the room. "Ah, yes. I love a party!"

He smiled at his brother's careless response, turning back to you. "Well then, might I suggest some gladiator games held in your empire's honor? It truly seems necessary."

He would show you off to the entire world if he could, but for now a whole empire would do.

definitely was planning on releasing this sooner, hope some of you can still enjoy this <333 again, I just wanted to say just how much it means to me that i got so much support on the first part of this- it truly amazes me and it's definitely something I think about all the time so thank you for doing that for me everyone!! as the abrupt ending suggests, I definitely plan on writing more, let me know if you want to be tagged in that!! (also anon pookie who encouraged me to start writing for him I love you to pieces too fkvljwbefj)

taglist (love you muah muah!):

@princesssunderworld

love ya!!

[organic-bloodbath]

thank you for the chishiya x pregnant!reader, it was so good!! i hadn’t finished the show when i sent my request, not knowing he was a doctor lol

if you’re still taking requests… how about after they wake up in the hospital, and reader has already delivered their baby? anything soft or fluffy💕 thank you!!

Child of Hearts - Part 2

Chishiya x Pregnant!Reader

This applies to two different requests:

"I just read your child of hearts shot it was so nice, so like after the borderlands, like when they are in hospital due to the meteorite and all.

So the child is born in the hospital and all are safe,  i want chishiya reaction to seeing his child for the first time. While being in the hospital bed along with the reader who was lucky to survive the crash"

- Anon

Part 1

Summary: You wake up in the hospital and get back home safely. Later, you finally deliver the baby, Chishiya by your side.

A/N: Second part for softie and fluffy Chishiya ♡ Thank you for everyone reading the first part, hope this is alright 🫶🏻

♤♡♧◇

You opened your eyes, confused where you were and what had just happened. At first, you saw only white all around you. White ceiling, white walls, and as you looked down, you were covered with a white blanket.

You were starting to panic. You had no memory what had led you to a hospital. This was a hospital, right? You were too paralyzed to even move at first.

Then, a few flashes came back into your mind. You were only crossing the street outside with Chishiya, a crowd of people surrounding you, until you noticed something bright in the sky. After that, no memory at all.

You didn't know how many minutes you stayed still and in your thoughts, but after a moment the door opened and a woman in a doctor's coat came in.

"Oh, you're finally awake!" she exclaimed and came to stand next to you. "Are you feeling alright, Ms. Tanaka?"

"Um, what happened?" you asked and instantly coughed, finding your voice a little raspy. "Can i get some water?"

"Of course, honey," the woman said and brought you a cup of water. "Do you remember anything?"

You shook your head.

"A meteorite hit Tokyo and people were taken to the hospital, you included," she explained.

"A meteorite?" you asked in shock, brows shot up close to your hairline. That wasn't at all what you had expected. It wouldn't have been even close to any guesses you might have had.

"It's a wonder, really, how little bruises and injuries your body suffered," she said. "Only your leg got a severe hit and you lost a lot of blood. We took you in for a surgery, and you'll be fine."

You glanced at your leg under the blanket and found your thigh wrapped in bandages.

"Is my baby..." You laid your hand protectively on your stomach, trying to find any movements but felt nothing.

"Your baby is alright," she smiled. "We examined her throughly and she's healthy and well."

"Her?" you whispered, eyes wide. You hadn't known the gender of the baby, you had wanted it to be a surprise when the baby would be born.

"Oh, you didn't know the gender?" the doctor asked, surprised. "I apologize for ruining the surprise."

Then, your eyes widened.

"Chishiya? Where's Chishiya?" you panicked. "Please, please don't tell me he's-"

"Mr. Shuntaro is alright," she calmed you down. "He's awake and well. I'll send him here soon, you shouldn't get up and walk yet."

You let out a breath of relief. Everything was fine. You were going to be fine. Nothing to worry about. Chishiya was okay. Your baby was okay. You were okay.

When you saw Chishiya approaching you not long after, tears started pouring down your cheeks before you even realized it.

"Y/N!" Chishiya breathed out and wrapped his arms around you tightly. He held you in silence for a while, and you let yourself cry against his shoulder. He planted a kiss on the top of your head. "When i woke up alone, for a second i thought i had lost you."

"I'm okay," you assured him. "And the baby is too."

You stayed like that for a few more minutes.

"Let's go outside for a bit," Chishiya suggested after a while. "It's good for you to get some fresh air."

He told you he'd get you a wheelchair if you were too weak to walk on your own but you weren't that much in pain. Although, when you put weight on your left leg, you did let out a short wince, making Chishiya force you to sit back down until he'd gotten you crutches to use.

On your way through the corridors, you saw many patients who had their arm or leg wrapped in bandages but were overall doing well. Some were on a wheelchair and some moved with the help of crutches, like you. You wondered how many people died in the accident and how many were left only injured, like you. Then, a fear in your chest rose if any of your friends or family had been around and gotten hurt. Right now, you recognised none of the patients. You wished you would have though, because that would mean atleast they weren't dead.

As you arrived outside, the sun shining bright on a cloudless sky, you and Chishiya sat on a bench together. You were both quiet for a moment, only enjoying the fresh air.

"Do you feel somehow... different after the accident?" Chishiya asked.

"I suppose, a little bit," you answered, furrowing your brows. "I can't really explain it."

"Me neither. It's like something inside me has changed, but i can't figure out what."

You did have an odd feeling. Like there was something missing, but you couldn't figure out what could mean.

"I haven't been in an accident as big as this before," you stated. "Does every victim, like us, feel this way? Like, as if you now have more will to live after almost dying."

"Well, technically we did die for 1 minute," he corrected.

"That's strange, isn't it?"

"Sure is," Chishiya agreed.

You were about to say something, when someone approached you.

"Y/N? Oh thank goodness, darling," an older woman rushed towards you and immediately put her arms around you, squeezing you so hard you were barely able to breathe.

"Mom, i'm fine," you mumbled against her blouse. "What are you doing here?"

"They called me, of course," she said. "I'm sorry, i would have come sooner but you know how it is at work."

You weren't so close to your mother anymore, you saw her very rarely. She had always put her work and career before you, sparing you the most minimal amount of time she could.

"Oh, and Chishiya," mom gasped, as if only now noticing his presence, and took him into a hug as well, startling him completely.

Mom had never hugged Chishiya before, so Chishiya only froze and didn't manage to hug her back, not really knowing what to do. You found the confused expression on his face amusing and couldn't help but smirk a little.

"What a miracle that the both of you survived that massive attack." She let go of Chishiya, looking down at your stomach. "Oh, i mean, the three of you, of course."

"Is everyone else alright?" you asked.

"Yes, as far as i know," she nodded. "I've asked all our family and friends and they were all okay."

♤♡♧◇

They kept you at the hospital for two more days to make sure everything was alright with you and the baby, doing a few tests, until they gave you the permission to go back home.

Your father, who had moved to Korea after his new wife seven years ago, called you for the first time in five years as well. You had let him know of your pregnancy, but he hadn't cared to be involved in your life very much. So his call was a complete surprise, but it was a nice gesture to see that his daughter didn't die.

As you got back home, slowly you and Chishiya settled back to your normal daily routine and tried to continue your life as before.

♤♡♧◇

♡ 6 WEEKS LATER ♡

You and Chishiya were at a restaurant, having a dinner together. You hadn't gone out in a long time, so it was nice to have a fancier meal for once. Right now, you were in the bathroom, leaving Chishiya to sit at the table by himself and wait for the bill.

While washing your hands, you felt your underwear become wet. Your eyes widened as you looked down to your feet and right then you felt pain in your stomach.

"Oh, fuck," you whispered. "No, no, no."

"Hey, you oka-" a girl came to you from one of the stalls right at that moment, but her words stuck in her throat when she looked down as well. "Oh. Oh." She put her hand on your shoulder. "Come on, i'll help you."

You gasped after another cramp.

"Are you alone here or with someone?"

"I'm w-with my boyfriend."

"Okay, i'll help you to him, it'll be okay."

You didn't know this woman but you were thankful for her help, anyway. You clung on her elbow as she walked you towards Chishiya. He turned to look at you, confused at first why you were dragging a stranger with you, but soon realized what was happening.

Chishiya was immediately right by your side, holding you up by his hand on your arm and other around your back.

"Okay, we'll need to get to the hospital," Chishiya said. He didn't show it, but inside he was freaking out a little. He knew this day could come any moment by now and had mentally prepared himself for that, but it still came as a surprise since you were in a public place.

"I can drive you," the girl offered. "It'll be faster than ordering a taxi."

You and Chishiya shortly exchanged glances.

"Okay, okay thank you, i-" you started but your words were interrupted by a gasp of pain.

Chishiya and the girl helped you to the backseat of her car, Chishiya sitting right next to you.

"I'm Kuina, by the way," the girl said, glancing over her shoulder after she had put her seatbelt on.

The entire car ride, which didn't last more than 15 minutes, Chishiya held your hand and tried to make you stay calm.

"So, you know if it's a boy or girl yet?" Kuina asked.

"Girl," you answered when the car stopped at traffick lights. "It's a girl."

Kuina smiled. "I'm sure she's going to be a very beautiful child."

♤♡♧◇

"Chishiya, i can't do this," you muttered on the hospital bed. "Please, don't make me do this, i want to go home. Can't we do this tomorrow or next week or-"

Chishiya cupped your face in his hands, stopping your panicked rambling. "I'll be with you the entire time, don't worry."

"I can't-"

"Yes, you can," he assured you while you were crying. "You're one of the strongest people i know. It'll be over sooner than you realize."

"Promise?"

"Promise."

♤♡♧◇

Hours later, after finally delivering the baby, which had been the most exhausting, painful and terrifying experience in your life, the baby had been taken away shortly.

You were only lying on the bed, your body feeling heavier than ever before. Chishiya sat next to you on a chair, his hand resting on yours. You had squeezed his right hand so hard during the delivery that he could have easily twisted his fingers into wrong positions.

"You did well," Chishiya said with a soft voice. "They'll be back any minute."

"I'm so tired," you mumbled.

Chishiya brushed your hair with his fingers. Your forehead was still sweaty. "I know."

After around 15 minutes, Chishiya left to go to the bathroom. Just a moment after, a doctor came inside, holding something in her arms and a wide smile on her lips.

"Here she is," she announced and gave the baby to you, wrapped tightly in a white blanket.

As you held her in your arms and looked at her sweet little face, your eyes started to water immediately and in just a few seconds you were crying.

She was so beautiful with her big dark eyes and toothless smile. She was so tiny and fragile that you were almost scared to hold her too tight.

"Hi, honey," you chuckled through the tears. You wiped your thumb gently on her cheek and right when you were about to pull your hand away, she grabbed your thumb with her little hand, looking into your eyes.

Soon, the door opened again and Chishiya stepped back inside, stopping on his tracks when he saw you and your child. Your cheeks were wet from the tears as you lifted your head to look towards him.

"Shiya," you breathed out. "Come here."

He walked towards you slowly, as if afraid that this was all a dream and if he took one wrong step, he'd wake up back to a much darker reality.

He stopped right by your side and looked at the baby, locking eyes with her. He was speechless and couldn't find any words to say.

"Do you want to hold him?" you offered.

You gave the baby to him and he carefully took her into his arms, being as careful with her as you had been too, scared to drop and break her.

Chishiya only looked at his daughter for a while in awe. He took her small hand in his and flinched, when the baby let out a little laugh. It immediately made a smile spread on his face, and you could see his eyes starting to water a little bit, but he forced to keep the tears inside. You didn't think you had ever seen him cry in front of you.

"She's beautiful," Chishiya whispered, then turning to you. "Like her mother."

You chuckled, cheeks warming up - even after these few years, the compliments Chishiya gave to you still made you blush and your heart flutter. You couldn't believe that all three of you had survived a meteorite attack with only a few scratches and were now here together.

Chishiya gave her back to you, and you moved yourself a little to the left so that Chishiya could sit on the edge of the bed with you. He put his arm around you, gently squeezing your shoulder and pressing a kiss on the top of your head. He let his head lean against yours as you both just looked at your child together.

"Shiya?" you whispered.

"Hm?"

"What should we name her?"

"Don't mothers always have a list of ideas what to name their kids?"

"I did have, but none of them seem good enough now," you said and let your thoughts wander around your mind for a moment, until it catched one of idea. "I think... Akane."

"Akane," he tried, tasting it in his mouth first a little bit and looking at your daughter in your arms who had eyes on you the entire time. "She does look like an Akane."

"Where have i heard that name before?" you wondered. "It sounds familiar."

Chishiya thought about it for a moment. "It does, doesn't it? But it's a beautiful name nevertheless."

"Y/N, Chishiya and Akane," you smiled and looked into Chishiya's eyes. "I like that."

Chishiya smiled back and kissed you gently on your lips. "Me too."

♤♡♧◇

A/N: i hope you liked this, let me know what you think 🫶🏻

[that-smallinjured-bowylamb]

Hello (⁠つ⁠≧⁠▽⁠≦⁠)⁠つ(⁠つ⁠≧⁠▽⁠≦⁠)⁠つ

I would like to request something but first....

HOW IS YOUR WRITING SO WHOLESOME?????? Ehem.... I was actually giggling at school people were staring at me your writing tastes like sour gummies ( I VERY much like sour gummies ) btw very tasty

there's literally a bite mark on my phone!!!!!!/j

For my request feel free to decline if you don't feel like it !! I get that writing can get exhausting too so don't forget to take breaks too !!! <3

I was wondering if you can make housewardens ( separate please ) with a ballerina reader ( the industry is pretty bad I'm pretty sure ) so she basically has trouble eating and taking care of herself and such

-sincerely Garnet<3

A/n: AWWWW THANK YOUUU I LOVE SOUR GUMMIES TOO [But momma slaps it outta my hand Mrs. Rosehearts style :(] AND I LUV BALLERINAS, SRRY IF THIS WAS KEPT IN THE DRAFTS I HAVE SM WORK TO DO (Worst part, on Monday 19th of May, I'm going to enroll into the new school soon, so I'm going to update my rules with limits!) BUT HERE'S UR ORDER (* ´ ▽ ` *) @gracegarnet !!! I hope you enjoy! P.S THANKYOU FOR CALLING MY WORKS WHOLESOMMEEEE (But, in the upcoming future it might take a darker turn and I'm kind of like a mix! Still, thank you for the compliment!!!)

🪽Graceful figure to that of a doll, but he's willing to help you heal your broken parts🪽

Characters: Riddle Rosehearts, Leona Kingscholar, Azul Ashengrotto, Kalim Al-Asim, Vil Scheonheit, Idia Shroud, Malleus Draconia

Gender neutral, use of 'you'.

Genre: Comfort for Ballet!reader :>, Romantic or Platonic is up to you!

Warning ⚠️: OOC(?), not confirmed if reader is yuu, but it is confirmed they are in Ramshackle's often, but they are from another world, Idk what I'm doing with my life, ballet is so pretty but painful, flinching, trauma responses, signs of trauma [in the industry :( ], personal hcs, but idk if our world is much crueler than theirs (and it is), but then we heal bc I can 😋

Summary: You were a Ballerina, a graceful, lovely, delicate, beautiful figure on stage. But, in practice? You were tormenting yourself for perfection, every movement, every muscle, every fiber of your being is examined and bent to be 'fixed'. No compliments, no praises, no breaks, no nothing in any of that sort. You were fed less, you were struggling to keep up with the routine given to you due to your weak state. This kept going on, over and over and over again. One day, some merciful spirit perhaps, took pity on your dismantled body, crumpled down like a thrown doll, maybe to show you some mercy, it had sent you to another world. And yet, despite being in another world, you still had done the same routine, heart hallowed out, repeating the same routine over and over again, like a figure in a music box. But, enough of that, he wants to help you.

Riddle Rosehearts

•At first, when Riddle found out that you did ballet, he saw you dance in the courtyard. He had never seen you dance before, and it was quite a pleasant surprise seeing you doing ballet. That is, until he saw you struggle taking care of yourself is when he noticed the smaller details.

•Often you'd flinch when someone raises their voice at you, or when you take their criticism and insult at heart, trying to 'change' something, or when you silently look at your posture and criticize it, you don't need to speak about it, he already took notice.

•And he's not going to allow that. Nuh-uh>:( *Some comically red hedgehog as Riddle stomping towards you with the intent to help you.* but seriously, he gets the feeling. The need to be perfect, the struggles, the pain, he may not have taken ballet as you, but he knows how some of the industries could be terrible. He just didn't know your industry was just as bad. Breaking every muscle, every fiber tissue, and bones. It sounded painful, yet you went through it. But, he doesn't want you to continue, not anymore.

•"You don't need to be perfect anymore, you can rest. I get this feeling... the need to be perfect and all, but I've already realized I wasn't alone, and... you...deserve it. If you'd like to, we can have some sweets from Trey's whenever you come by to visit our tea parties, or unbirthday parties... No, you don't need to practice like that anymore, please stop..." Man's understands that ballet is your life, but if you want to continue doing ballet, then you're GOING to be healthy while doing ballet.

•Hey, it balances out nutrition, and look! He even sternly scolds you if he catches you looking at yourself with a vague expression of disappointment, compliments you more, praises you, and most of all, gave you needed rest.

•He cares about you, so don't leave him by breaking yourself into pieces, he doesn't want you hurt. Not now, not ever, so he'll help you be proud of yourself. Oh, no he's not blushing because he's flustered, thank you!

Leona Kingscholar

•Leona was just napping, he didn't know you did ballet (of course, he didn't⁉️) the only thought that crossed his mind was how skinny you were, how you ate less, never taking breaks for some reason, and how you take the criticism from others.

•Now who tf hurt you? Now imagine, if you were a girl (most ballerinas r girls right 🤔 srry late night braincells do NOT function properly), do you know how enraged this mf will be if you were ever mistreated? Yes, that's how much he cares, he doesn't know when it happened, but it did. No, he is not going to admit that, herbivore. Don't ask on why he's giving more food on your plate, "You look like a walking stick, you should eat plenty." "Prey is much more valuable when there is more nutrients in them." Okay, Leona we get it. You care 😒. No, Leona your not going to kill someone like your hired for it.

•But he does subtly remark about your ballet skills, and one time found yourself not criticizing the posture for once. He one time bought you [your favorite dish] just so you could shut up about your 'criticism' that sounded borderline self-bullying. (Guys, he's an anti-bully, trust me 🙏) he won't allow you to drown in a quicksand of your self-deprecation, alright? You better not make yourself a walking skeleton.

•"Tch, since when did I care? I don't need to look out for you, who do you think I am? A babysitter? A guard? Heh, as if." *proceeds to beat the shit out of anyone that insulted you, but not when your looking.*

•Yeah, no one even wanted to mess with you despite you being either outnumbered or alone. Cause' there will always be a sleeping lion, somewhere in the area. No, he did not move locations to conveniently sleep in the same area as you are. Don't ask.

Azul Ashengrotto

•When he saw you do ballet for the first time, he thought he could get profit out of this, but when he learned you were not taking care of yourself because of doing so much ballet? Nah, he had to do something about it.

•Yes, it was very suspicious when he kept bringing you food from the Monstro Lounge, Oh, whatever could you mean, [Name]? He's just trying to be a good friend to you, he also wants to hear about more of your ballet lessons! See? Nothing suspicious here! *Looks at the tweels secretly planning something* No, there isn't anything going on back there, don't mind them! They're....just.. uh... nevermind.

•But on a serious note, he gets it. The harsh words disguised as criticism, eating less, difficulty taking care of yourself to maintain the expected weight, the harsh reality... yeah, he does not want you to go through the horrible experience. Sure, if you want to be a ballerina you can, just... do it in healthier circumstances will you?

•"Ah, uhm, why am I giving you food, you may ask? Uh!- uhm, well! It's just to... test out our newest dishes! We need your opinion on each one of them and give us feedback about which could serve as the main dishes. Nothing out of the ordinary." He says, and then sneaks in a few more just for you to eat healthy. No, he's not going to trap you into a contract with him, but yes, genuinely wants to help you.

•After hearing about your industry he couldn't help but feel pity for those who practice there. It must've hurt, yet they still went through with it. Why, land dwellers are so strange and too cruel to themselves and others? He can't help but see a little reflection of himself except the ballet parts.

•Whatever you had experienced in the past, will stop here. And, he feels kinda guilty for overblotting and putting into so much stress than necessary. He guesses that was immature, but what else could he do?

•Nonetheless, you've helped him, he'll do the same for you. If that's what it takes.

•He felt indebted to you and he's not going to allow anyone to harm you again.

Kalim Al-Asim

•Okay when he first saw you doing ballet he was like, "THATS SO COOL??? CAN I DO THAT TOO??? :D" but then discovering your industry's treatment towards you was like, "Oh... :("

•He does not want to unintentionally hurt his loved ones again, so what does he do?

•He compliments you on your efforts, and praises you for your success, lets you eat more bc he insists it is healthy for you, and tries to make you rest as much as possible, even bringing you gifts as a reward, and showing you his own dance moves as well! See? Not everything in dancing has gotta be for precision, just have fun expressing yourself!

•He's trying so hard to help you, he hopes you noticed that. He is actually really concerned about your health and wants to help you be more healthy, he doesn't want you starving on stage! Jamil even had to visit you to eat the 'leftovers' he had for Kalim but he couldn't finish it all! (Liar)

•You don't need to cry over validation and perfection, you know? You could just be happy with what you want! If you wanna express yourself through ballet, you can! Just, don't hurt yourself for the sake of it... he'll be very worried about you!

•He's really glad you got out of that horrible place, and wishes you wouldn't suffer like that again, here, a hug for you! You deserve it! Oh, and applauds for your awards too! You really need it. And you did, you needed to hear those so much. And he gave it.

•Is your supporter, so is Jamil but he's busy and won't admit to it, he'll tell you "great job" after passing by you, he knows it's clear enough for you to hear it, and so does Kalim! He LOVEESS your performance! You should teach him sometimes!

•Yes, and he'll make sure no one is going to hurt you as well, he'll be sure of it. Just send Jamil to do it, he won't mind!

Vil Scheonheit

•Vil knows that look. Whenever you practice ballet, there is always a lingering criticism in your eyes, like how your teacher would look at you before breaking your bones to 'fix' your posture, he knows the feeling, the need of perfection. Reaching for something that can not be reached. No matter the effort. So, he wanted to help you become better, not for your posture and lessons, but for you.

•Hearing about your industry is no surprise to Scheonheit, he knows these types of industries are only after for something that isn't possible and completely risky to the human body. He helps you by feeding you a little more, but he also criticize you for something whenever you do wrong, oh, but he'll be the one to apologize in case if it came out too harshly than want he wanted it to be. You should care for yourself, [Name]. Don't hurt yourself in the name of perfection.

•He's helping, he really is. But of course, you can't expect him to leave his honest filter at home, but he tries. And, whenever you do something right? He praises you, complimenting you, saying things your teacher would never say.

•Ngl, idk how to write this guy. But he likes taking you out to shop with him, buying new clothes for you to wear, poses, and whatever he does to a whim. But, he won't be too whimsy. He's just doing what's best for you. And would shut anyone if they think they could insult you without getting away with it.

•"You should better yourself, not for them, or me, but for you. You shouldn't live under people's opinions just because you think their words are of value. They aren't. And it shouldn't imply to your lifestyle."

•And actually? It's pretty nice. Your healthier, yet your still capable of being flexible, so you could still do ballet without a problem.

•He's really supportive of your career in case you don't want to change, it depends.

•Yeah, maybe being sent to another world isn't so bad, after all the things he does to keep you healthy and thriving.

Idia Shroud

•Man's tbh he doesn't know. He thinks your cool with doing ballet but that's it. Dude has no thoughts other than that. But maybe, if there was a chance, you'd be binding with him over games or a manga, maybe the both of you have something in common I don't know what.

•Just imagine his silence when he notices the signs from you. Difficulty eating, small portions of food, bruised legs and arms and holy shit your entire body- and that empty and criticizing look in your eyes?

•He might have an inkling of what kind of industry you might've been in since it's quite obvious based on your physical health. (<-Ortho scanned you)

•He wanted to kinda help, after Ortho convinced him you really needed it. So Ortho does the praising and complimenting, while Idia sends more food over to your place, just in case if you starve. Oh, don't expect him to help you, alright! He's just- whatever.

•If he ever hears anyone insult you, he's got Ortho to deal with it. Like srsly the moment they open their mouth with ill intentions to your name? Hear that? I wonder why there's a red glowing circle on both their heads.

•But sorry if this is short cuz idk what to do

Anyway- he just... okay, take a break, srsly. Why do you just practice non-stop?? Too much practice is going to tire you out so chill-

•Your supporter is Ortho, Idia can watch behind the scenes as he listens to the awards, he's proud. Sure, you've won and practice in an healthy amount, but now Ortho got a bestie he can support.

•Yeah, you're welcome. Ig.

Malleus Draconia

•Man was fascinated when he saw you do ballet, you were graceful, and fragile but something bothered him, slightly.

•It was your eyes, sure, it was beautiful, but something about it being soulless haunts him in a way. It was nearly empty with grace, criticizing the posture, nipping at every peck of mistake. The confusion gnaws at him. Why? Why do you see yourself less than what you truly are?

•Maybe he found out by Lilia telling him, and he's enraged. Now he looks at your ballet lessons with anger welling in his being, he's amazed, but besides the point, the things you've suffered to get this balance. It's infuriating to know that their are humans willing to hurt themselves in the name of perfection. What was the use, if they hurt themselves and their limbs become unusable? It would be much difficult that way to reach "perfection and grace" if they hurt themselves.

•He praises you like you've created water systems or whatever is great. He poetically compliments you, he supports you he's literally a #1 supporter, no objections.

•And he doesn't want that to happen to you. Look, you have difficulty eating, he wants that fixed. But, he can't because you 'need' to stay skinny, that won't do with him at all. So he tells you firmly, "You are perfect just the way you are, no need to go through such lengths if it hurts your body." Then drags you to food court or smth. Bby wants you to eat healthy, please, if you want to keep doing ballet, be sure to do it in a more healthy way. He doesn't want his child of man harmed from horrible lessons in that industry.

•If you want something he'll get it, nothing is expensive anyway. Plus he's Malleus Draconia tf are they gonna do? Say no to him?

•Had rambled about gargoyles and saw you danced near one coincidentally, man's was tripping.

•He's appreciative, and he's trying. Why insecure when a whole ass prince is praising you for your efforts anyway?

A/n: Doneee!!! Enjoy! Damn, this took longer than I expected, I fr felt bored and ditched [<-it was Floyd, not me]

ghostofviriena <- [for the photo]

[robin-evry]

I just saw that your request is open 👀 can I have genshin x castorice! Fem reader?

𝐆𝐄𝐍𝐒𝐇𝐈𝐍 𝐖𝐈𝐓𝐇 𝐂𝐀𝐒𝐓𝐎𝐑𝐈𝐂𝐄!𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐃𝐄𝐑🦋🪻

The land that reveres death, Aidonia, where snow falls endlessly, has today drifted into a sweet slumber. Castorice, daughter of the River of Souls, Chrysos Heir in search of "Death" Coreflame, sets forth. You must guard the lament of souls and embrace the solitude of destiny.

The servant of death, how mysterious that they found themselves amongst a land full of nature and life except for the ones that are nearby that have to wilt among making contact with them.

A bunch of adventures were exploring, and found castorice!reader standing on a circle full of wilted flowers. They thought it was weird because unlike the ones that they are standing, the others are healthy. One adventure approaches them and touches their shoulder

Castorice!yuu was too busy looking around the area they didn't realize the adventurer but it was already too late, the adventurer that touched their shoulder had fallen on the ground dead.

His friends shouted towards the now dead adventurer asking as if he was okay but no response. They approach and check for a pulse but there isn't and their attitude started to shift the other adventurers started to yell and interrogated castorice!reader on what they do but they just stand there as if it's a normal thing that happened.

One of his friends was also about to reach for castorice!yuu before they can do it, castorice!yuu advised them that it's not a smart thing to do that.

Castorice!yuu : I advised you to try to make any contact with me

Adventurer : W-why?!!

Castorice!reader : you might end up like your friend...

Adventurer : ...

Castorice!reader : I'm sorry, if I wasn't distracted I could have warned your friend ... I'll be leaving and still im sorry

The adventurers party team soon carried the dead body of their friend towards mondstat. After some time when they saw the city one of them couldn't handle it and when they got interrogated that one said "death is near" while shaking.

The ones that are by far still normal but still in shock, describe castorice!yuu. By the knights believe them due to an autopsy of the body there's no sign of struggle or wounds that could be inflicted. So a research party was sent to find the figure that was described by the witness.

Everytime Castorice!reader walks, flowers and nature die when getting near them, the animals avoid their presence immediately running after sensing death presence. After walking for so long they take a rest near the tree that ascended Vanessa and they hear a harp playing.

A barb was relaxing in a tree playing a peaceful tone using their harp, and when finishing the song he looks at them

Venti : greetings outlander from afar how are you fairing in mondstat

Castorice!reader : unfortunately I'm unable to experience the city, after what I have done... Im sure they are already searching for me after what I have done

Venti : I see, how about you accompany this lonely barb for a while

Castorice!reader : ...

Venti : I guess "death" does have good taste

Venti started to play a nice melody for a while, and after some times footsteps could be heard walking towards a group of knights of 6 people searching for castorice!reader for interrogation for the death of an adventurer.

Castorice!reader willingly to go with them, under one condition, the knights need to make sure to make distance from them not more than 6 footsteps behind them. When they look back to tryna find the barb he disappears...

During the walk the knights realize that the life that managed to get closed towards the culprit will wilt and die not to mention the monster hillichurls and others are avoiding them.

When managed to make it into mondstat, a dog of one of the civilians was walking and when spotting castorice!reader started to bark as if it was scared and when castorice!reader looks at its direction the dog whimper and runs away.

When making into the interrogation room the knights that were sent finally reported on how weird is castorice!reader not to mention it seems like the life around them would eventually die, jean and the others ( amber, kaeya and Lisa ) started to piece by piece. It started to make sense why the adventure died without showing signs of struggle and the other one screaming "death is near".

Kaeya : *chuckles* never have I ever thought we would soon be faced with death in the flesh

Jean : ... (⁠・⁠_⁠・⁠;⁠)

Amber : ...

Lisa : I guess death takes on many forms in the end

[lee-laurent]

Pushing Through - Quinn Hughes

Summary: faye and quinn navigate parenthood

content: pregnancy, angst, fluff, family issues, mentions of sex but no explicit smut, arguments

wc: 15.3k

notes: part two of 'a love like no other' as requested by multiple people! i hope you all enjoy!!! (not proofread)

Faye sat on the edge of her bed, cradling a swaddled James in her arms. The lamp on the bedside table illuminated her tired face, her hair messy, and her body aching. Quinn stood awkwardly by the bassinet, watching her, unsure of what to do next.

"Do you want to sleep?" he asked quietly, stepping a bit closer. "I can hold him for a while."

She shook her head, her voice barely above a whisper. "I don't think I can. Every time I close my eyes, I feel like I'm going to miss something. That he's going to need me and I'll be asleep."

James shifted as much as he could in his swaddle, letting out a cry that sent a wave of panic through her. Faye immediately shushed him, rocking him slightly, trying to calm him down. The exhaustion was a lot, but the fear of not being there for her baby was worse.

Quinn sat next to her, rubbing her back gently. "You're doing great, Faye," he said softly, his hand warm on her shoulder. "He's just getting used to everything, too. This is his third night out of the womb. He's probably still confused. I'd be."

"I don't feel like I'm doing great," she admitted, her voice breaking. "I feel like I'm failing him already. What if... what if I can't do this, Quinn?"

He put his thumb on her chin, forcing her to face him. "You're not failing. You've been doing everything for him. He's healthy. He's here, Faye. We've got this."

Her eyes were full of doubt, but something in his voice reassured her. He was scared too, she could tell, but he was trying--for her, for James. That mattered more than anything.

"Why don't you let me try?" Quinn offered again, gesturing to James. "You can sleep for a bit, just an hour and I'll wake you up."

She hesitated before nodding, her body craving some rest, no matter how short. She carefully handed James over, her hands lingering for a second as Quinn took him.

Quinn looked down at his son, eyes wide with wonder. He rocked him gently, his hands almost comically large compared to the newborn. Faye watched them for a moment, feeling an emotion she couldn't quite name. Maybe it was relief. Maybe it was love. Exhausted, she lay down, her eyes closing as soon as her head hit the pillow.

When she blinked awake, Quinn was asleep next to her. He hadn't woken her up like he'd said, but she appreciated it. She needed sleep. She shifted and a damp feeling woke her up further. Her shirt was soaked, and she groaned softly, glancing down at the growing wet spot on the fabric of Quinn's Canucks t-shirt she'd stolen. The ache she felt was unmistakable--she was leaking.

Quietly, she sat up, not wanting to disturb Quinn, who was still fast asleep. She peeked at James in his bassinet next to the bed, peacefully sleeping after hours of restless crying and squirming. But she knew she couldn't wait.

With a quiet sigh, she picked him up, cradling him in her arms. He stirred slightly, but didn't wake. She leaned over to grab her nursing pillow, cringing when James whimpered. "I'm sorry, little man," she whispered, pressing a kiss to his head. "Time to eat."

She sat back against the headboard, lifting her shirt up, positioning James to nurse. He latched quickly, and Faye felt so relieved. There were times where he struggled, but he seemed to be working with her this time. His eyes were closed, peaceful and content as he ate.

Faye brushed the few strands of dark hair on his head, her eyes drifting to Quinn, who had shifted but was still fast asleep. The sight of him, his arm flung over his eyes, made her smile. He had been so helpful, and seeing him with James made her heart ache in a new way.

James finished feeding, and she carefully pulled him away, wiping a little milk from the corner of his mouth. She lifted him up, quickly burping him before he fell back asleep. "You full, buddy?" The night had been long, so she was praying he'd sleep for at least a couple more hours.

He squirmed, but after a couple minutes he settled, and she placed him back in his bed. When Faye finally climbed back into bed, her body was sore, and her eyelids were heavy. She lay down, listening to the breathing of her boys filling the air, she eyes started to close, and she whispered softly, "We're doing okay, James. We're doing okay."

~~

The air in the apartment felt heavier than usual. It had been two weeks since James was born, and Quinn had to head back to hockey. Faye paced the kitchen, her fingers running through her greasy hair as she glanced at Quinn, who was zipping up his duffle bag. James slept peacefully in his bassinet, oblivious to how his parents were feeling.

"I don't know if I can do this, Quinn," she whispered, her voice trembling. "I've never been alone with him for this long. What if something happens?"

Quinn paused, crossing the room to her. "You're not alone, Faye. I'm a phone call away. Your mom is coming to help. My mom is always willing to help. You can do this."

Her arms crossed tightly over her chest as tears welled in her eyes. "But what if I mess up? What if I miss something? He needs so much, and I just--"

"You won't mess up." His voice was steady, but his eyes were misting too. "You've been doing everything since he was born, and you've been amazing. I've seen it." He took a deep breath, his voice faltering as he looked over at James. "And I don't want to go either. It's killing me to leave him."

Faye saw the first tear slip from Quinn's eye, and it broke something in her. She let out a sob, falling into his arms, and he held her tightly, his chin resting on top of her head.

"We'll make this work," he whispered, his voice cracking as he tried to keep it together for her. "I'll come back when I can. I'll FaceTime every night... I don't want to miss anything either, Faye."

She pulled back, wiping her eyes. "He's going to forget you."

Quinn shook his head, squeezing her hands. "He won't. He'll know who I am. I promise you, Faye."

For a few minutes, they stood in the kitchen, holding each other, the only sound being James' white noise machine. Finally, Quinn leaned down to kiss her forehead and walked over to James, who was still fast asleep. He bent down, wiping a tear from his own cheek before pressing a gentle kiss on his son's head.

"I love you, little Hughes. Dada will be back soon."

He straightened up, wiping his cheeks and grabbing his bag, hugging Faye one last time. "You've got this."

And then he was gone, the door closing with a soft click. Faye stood there, staring at the door while she cried, she wanted him to stay. But a part of her was finally believing that maybe, just maybe, she could do it.

~~

1 month

Faye was hunched in the driver's seat, her back aching with every turn she took. James's cries filled the cramped space, louder than usual, as they pulled into the lot of the pediatrician's office. He hated the car. The only time he didn't cry when driving was if he was asleep. She parked and took a deep breath, squeezing the steering wheel to steady her hands. The pain in her chest, most physical and emotional, had been growing as rapidly as James's appetite.

She looked at him in the mirror attached to the headrest of his seat. His face was bright red, tears staining his chubby cheeks, his little fists clenched in frustration.

"It's okay, buddy. We're almost getting out," she whispered, her voice shaky. Her throat had that tight feeling she got when she was about to cry. Crying had become too frequent, and she was tired of it. Exhausted, actually.

She pulled James and his carrier out of the car, a sharp pain shooting through her back almost immediately. She winced, gritting her teeth. The pain was never ending--between the back pain from months of carrying him and the stabbing soreness in her boobs from endless nursing, it seemed like her body was rebelling against her. How did people do this?

Inside the clinic, she rocked James, hoping to soothe him before they got in to the see the doctor. Faye scanned the other moms in the room, all of whom seemed much more put together than she felt. They probably didn't Google every little thing like she did. She'd spent hours the previous night searching for ways to alleviate nursing pains. Articles about creams, different positions, and "healing times" flooded her search history, but nothing seemed to help.

She glanced at the time on her phone, seeing Quinn's missed text from an hour earlier, telling her about his insurance covering everything except a small co-pay for James' appointment. He called every night since going back to Vancouver, even during travel days. But it really wasn't the same. She missed him being there physically and as much as she wanted to tell him about how hard it had been, she couldn't bring herself to do it over FaceTime. Not when he already looked so sad every time James fussed or cried without him there to help.

James let out another wail, and Faye quickly stood up, bouncing him in her arms.

"We're almost done, baby. Mama promises," she whispered. He'd been feeding constantly the last few days, hitting a growth spurt that left him fussier than usual. The pediatrician said it was normal, but the combination of sleepless nights, endless nursing, and a gnawing anxiety in her gut had worn her thin.

The nurse finally called them back, and the examination felt like a blur. The doctor smiled, congratulating Faye on how well James was growing, how strong her was becoming.

"All those long feeding sessions are definitely paying off," the doctor commented, jotting down some notes. "You're doing an amazing job."

Faye forced a smile, nodding in agreement even as her mind screamed otherwise. She felt like she was barely holding it together. James squirmed as the doctor measured his length and weight, making a small squawk before falling silent.

"Everything looks good," the doctor continued, probably used to seeing delirious new moms. "Just make sure you start doing tummy time with him regularly. It'll help with his development."

"Tummy time," Faye repeated. "Right. We... We'll get on that."

~~

The apartment was quiet, except for the soft hum of the white noise machine on Faye's nighstand. James was finally asleep after hours of cluster-feeding. Faye sat against the headboard, her legs stretched out and a heating pad resting on her lower back. Every muscle in her body ached, and the pain in her chest had barely subsided. Even the act of nursing had become an ordeal, a reminder of how fragile her body still was.

Her phone buzzed, Quinn's contact photo lighting up the screen. She quickly answered, her tired face reflected in the small window in the corner. His eyes, though tired, lit up when he saw her.

"Hey, how'd the checkup go?" he asked, adjusting his position on his couch.

"It was fine," she replied. "He's doing great. He's growing so fast. They told me to start doing tummy time."

"That's great!" Quinn's voice was filled an enthusiasm that Faye wished she could share. "And you? How are you holding up?"

Faye hesitated. She didn't want to burden him, not with the pressure of work and being away from his son. But the truth sat in the back of her throat, burning. "It... It's a lot, Quinn. The feeding, the crying... I really just didn't expect it to be this hard. My back's killing me, and the nursing--" her voice cracked, "I've tried everything but it's still sore."

"I wish I could be there with you," he sighed. "I'm so sorry you're going through this alone."

"You're not gone, Quinn," she whispered, wiping a stray tear away. "You're here, just in a different way. You FaceTime every day. That's more than some people get."

"I just don't want you to feel like you're doing this alone, Faye. I'll come visit as soon as I can. And in two months, our family will be together in Vancouver."

"I know." She looked at James, flipping the camera so Quinn could see him too. "I just... I really don't want him to forget you."

"He won't. We'll make sure of it."

They spent the next half hour talking--about hockey, about James, about the little things they missed about each other. Quinn talked to James, pulling goofy faces even though the baby was fast asleep.

Faye couldn't help but cry as she watched. She couldn't help but feel like everything was falling through the cracks.

~~

2 months

Faye was knelt on the floor, her phone propped up on a stack of books, capturing the perfect angle of James lying on his play mat. His legs kicked in the air, and his tiny fists waved in excitement as Faye set up for their morning FaceTime with Quinn.

"Hey, you two!" Quinn's voice was soft but excited. "How's my little guy doing today?"

"He's ready to show off," Faye said, a grin on her face as she angled the phone more toward James. "He's been lifting his head more during tummy time. Watch."

She gently flipped James onto his stomach, and within seconds, he lifted his head, his chubby cheeks wobbling as he tried to hold the position. Quinn let out a laugh, clapping his hands through the screen.

"Look at him! Strong like Dada," Quinn joked. "Man, I miss you guys so much."

Faye smiled, but she could hear the longing in his voice. James lifted his head again, and his eyes caught the phone, recognizing the sound of his dad's voice. His little mouth curled into a smile, wide and gummy.

"There it is! He's smiling at you," Faye laughed. "He's been doing that a lot lately. I think he's finally realizing we weren't trying to torture him by taking him out the womb."

"That's my boy," Quinn whispered. "You're getting so big."

As they continued to talk, Faye positioned James on his back, watching as he squirmed, trying to roll over. His movements here jerky, uncoordinated, but Faye knew it wouldn't be long before he'd finally manage.

"He's working on rolling," she explained. "He gets so close, then he just stops. But I think he'll get it soon."

They spent the next few minutes chatting while James babbled away, his little coos and gurgles filling the room, making Quinn laugh. "He's making more sounds now, too," Faye noted, adjusting James's onesie. "He doesn't cry as much anymore, thank God."

~~

The routine had finally started to feel manageable. James had settled into a more predictable schedule. He woke around 6 each day, with five short naps throughout the day, and went to bed around 10pm. Faye cherished the moments during the morning and evening when she could actually think, when her whole focus wasn't on feeding and changing diapers.

Since starting to freeze her milk, things had become easier as well. She could give James a bottle at night, which gave her a break from the soreness. She'd learned to power through it though when she had to. It was for James after all.

It was around 11:30pm when James started stirring for his first nighttime feeding. Faye set down her book, grabbing the bottle next to her that she'd already warmed up. He drank slowly, grasping her shirt as his eyes fluttered shut.

After getting him back down, she scrolled through her messages with Quinn, admiring all the photos she'd sent of James. She swore he looked more and more like Quinn every day. She really couldn't wait to see Quinn again.

~~

3 months

James lay on a blanket on the floor, his tiny fists clutching a bright yellow teething toy, occasionally letting out a giggle as he gnawed at it. His wide blue eyes followed Faye's every movement as she worked through organizing and packing all their belongings.

Her parents, who had come to help, were bustling around the room, thought their conversation had shifted to more serious territory.

"I just don't understand why you have to go so soon," her mom said, folding one of James's blankets and placing it in a box. "You have everything you need here. We're here. Your support system is here."

Faye froze mid-pack, her stomach twisting. She had been dreading this conversation from the moment her parents had arrived, and now that it was happening, she wasn't sure if she could deal with it.

"I've already explained it, Mom," Faye replied. "Quinn wants us to be with him. We've been doing this long-distance thing for three months, and it's hard. He wants to be there for James. In person."

Her father, who had kept quiet until then, cleared his throat. "But you're already doing so well here. You've settled into a routine, and with us around to help, you've got all the support you need."

Faye dropped the stack of board books, running her fingers through her hair in frustration. The exhaustion and the stress of moving hit her all at once, and she felt tears prick her eyes. "I'm not staying in Michigan. Quinn needs to be with his son. And I need to be with Quinn."

Her mom exchanged a glance with her dad. "We're just worried, sweetheart. You've already drained, and moving across the country with a three-month-old isn't easy. If things don't work out..."

"I know it's not easy. None of this has been easy, but staying here won't make it any better. Quinn and I want the best for James--together. He deserves to be a part of his child's life every day, and not just over the phone."

Her parents didn't press the issue further, but their disapproval hung heavy in the air. Faye took a deep breath, blinking away her tears. She crouched down next to James, who was contently chewing on his hand, oblivious to what was happening.

She smiled at him, brushing her fingers through his hair. "We're going to be okay. We have to be."

~~

The flight had been long, and by the time Faye and James landed in Vancouver, she was completely drained. Quinn had met them at the airport, grinning from ear to ear as he scooped up James, pressing kisses all over his tiny face. After months of separation, they were finally together again.

They arrived at Quinn's place in the late afternoon, James asleep in his carseat as Quinn carried him up the stairs. The space was modern and clean--clearly the home of a bachelor who hadn't yet baby-proofed his life. But Faye didn't care. It was their home now.

Quinn set James down in his crib--a new addition to his bedroom--and turned to Faye, pulling her into his arms. She melted into the hug, the weight of the past few months melting away. For the first time in months, she felt herself relax.

"You made it," he whispered into her hair.

"We made it," she corrected, tilting her head to look up at him. "We're here."

Quinn smiled. "How's he doing?"

"He's good. Much more aware now. Lifting his head, grabbing anything within reach. You'll see for yourself tomorrow."

They spent the rest of the day unpacking essentials--diapers, bottles, baby clothes--while James slept, blissfully unaware of the major change to his life. Faye couldn't help but smile as she watched Quinn move around the apartment, organizing toys and blankets in his precise, methodical Quinn-way.

They sat on the couch, exhausted but happy. Faye leaned against Quinn, her hand on his knee as they talked quietly about routines and being a family together.

Quinn reached over and grabbed her hand, squeezing it. "I'm so glad you're here. I missed both of you so much."

"We missed you too. But we're here now. And we'll figure everything out."

"We will."

~~

It was late, pushing midnight, and the only light on in the apartment was a bedside lamp. James was nursing in Faye's arms while she sat propped up against some pillows. Her hair was pulled up into a messy bun, her t-shirt stained with milk, eyes half-closed with exhaustion. Quinn lay beside her, his arms lazily draped over his chest, watching them both under the dim light.

As Faye moved James to swap sides, Quinn's voice broke the silence. "You know," he started, a smile tugging at his lips, "It's been exactly a year since that party."

Faye looked at him, blinking in confusion for a moment, clearly not connecting the dots. "What party?"

Quinn chuckled, rolling on his side to face her. "The one where we... created James."

"Ew. Don't say it like that," Faye's face flushed, and she let out a soft groan, rolling her eyes at him. "Oh, God. Don't remind me though."

But Quinn's smile didn't fade. His voice dropped to a quieter, more serious tone. "When I saw you at that party, I never imagined we'd end up here." He gestured toward James. "You, me... our son."

Faye swallowed, suddenly hyper-aware of how close they were. She could feel the tension between them, and she shifted slightly under his gaze. "Yeah, I didn't exactly seeing this coming either."

His eyes lingered on her, a quiet admiration in his expression. "But I'm glad it did."

Faye wasn't sure what to say, so instead, she offered a small smile and turned back to James, who had finally finished eating. Quinn didn't push it, but he still watched as Faye burped the baby and set him back in his crib. Neither of them would say it out loud, but they knew something between them had shifted.

They lay there in the dark, side by side, as the tension slowly dissolved into their usual, comfortable vibe. But somewhere far in the back of Faye's mind, she wondered how long they were going to ignore what was clearly growing between them.

~~

4 months

The lake house was Quinn's sanctuary--a place where he could let loose, hang out with Jack, Luke, and their friends, and forget about responsibilities. But this year was different. James was now four months old, and Faye had come along for the annual summer trip, bringing a sense of responsibility Quinn wasn't used to.

The weather was perfect, the sun glistening off the water, and laughter echoed from the dock where Jack, Luke, and their friends--Trevor, Cole, and Alex--were playing around, just like they always had. But Quinn wasn't out there with them, at least not in the way he wanted to be. Instead, he sat on the dock, not on edge but in the middle, as Faye had insisted. He had a wiggly James in his lap and Faye hovered nearby, her eyes flickering nervously between their baby and the group of people gathered at the water.

Faye couldn't shake the anxiety that she felt. The lake was beautiful, but there were so many people. James had never been exposed to that many people. It wasn't that she didn't trust Quinn's friends; she just felt so out of place. The constant noise and joking around so was different than the quiet routine she'd created with James.

Jack and Luke were in love with their nephew, constantly cooing at him, stealing him away for cuddles, or playing peek-a-boo to make him laugh. Even the other guys--especially Trevor--were coming up to Faye, asking to hold him or play with him. And while Faye knew they were just excited to see the baby, her nerves had her constantly on edge, afraid James would be overwhelmed.

As soonas the boys came out of the water, Trevor was bouncing James on his knee. Faye bit her lip, her heart racing as she watched. "Maybe it's time for his nap?" she suggested hesitantly, not trying to sound overly cautious.

Trevor grinned at her. "Nah, he's having fun! Right, little Hughes?"

Quinn, sensing Faye's anxiety, stood up from his spot, taking James from Trevor. "Yeah, maybe he does need a break," he shot Faye a reassuring look. "We'll be back in a bit."

They retreated into the air-conditioned living room. Faye sat on the couch, holding James close as she rocked him gently, still in overprotective mode. Quinn sat beside her, resting his hand on her back.

"You don't have to worry so much," he said softly, eyes flickering to look at his brothers through the window. "They love him. They'd never do anything to hurt him."

Faye sighed, looking down at James, who was eating his hand. "I know... I just... it's hard. I feel like I'm always on high alert."

"Faye, you're doing great. He's fine. He's more than fine. I think he's obsessed with Luke."

Faye nodded. She knew Quinn was right, but being there made her feel even more protective than she normally did. James had started to roll over and lift his head with ease, his giggles filling the house, and even though she loved watching him grow and interact with everyone, she felt like their perfect little bubble was about to pop.

Quinn glanced outside again, a conflicted expression on his face. He wanted to join his brothers, enjoy the lake like he always did, but things were different now. And though he loved James, he couldn't help but feel trapped in his new reality.

~~

The lake was peaceful at night, but inside the house it was anything but. James's cries echoed through the halls. He had been fussy for days, barely able to sleep, a common sign of the dreaded four-month sleep regression. His routine had been completely upended, and Faye had spent countless nights pacing the floor with him, her body bgging for rest.

Faye sat up in bed, bouncing James gently in her arms as he wailed, his fists clenching and unclenching. Her eyes stung with tiredness, and every muscle in her body ached. Quinn, lying beside her, let out a heavy sigh, his patience wearing thin.

"I don't know how much more of this I can take," he muttered, running a hand over his face. "I haven't slept in days."

Faye didn't look at him, focusing on calming her baby. "Welcome to my life," she said under her breath, though she didn't mean for it to come out so sharply.

Quinn sat up abruptly. "You're not the only one dealing with this, Faye. I've been trying too."

She looked over her shoulder, her exhaustion fueling her frustration. "You've been trying, Quinn? Really? Because all I've seen is you getting more and more frustrated with every cry. He's a baby--this is what babies do."

"I'm young, Faye. We're young. I wasn't supposed to--" He cut himself off, but the damage was done.

"What are you saying?" she whispered.

Quinn shook his head, clearly regretting his words. "I didn't mean it like that."

"Then what did you mean?" Faye demanded. "Because it sounds like you're saying you don't want to be a dad."

I'm just saying... this isn't what I imagined my life would be like right now. I didn't plan on dealing with this--sleep regressions, constant crying..."

Faye stood up, clutching James tightly to her chest, tears spilling down her cheeks. "If that's how you really feel, then maybe we shouldn't be here." Her voice cracked, but her anger kept her moving. "Maybe we should go."

Quinn's eyes widened, panic flashing across his face. "Faye--wait, I didn't mean--"

But she didn't wait. She grabbed the diaper bag and stormed out of the room, heading down the stairs, her breath coming in shallow, painful gasps. James, still fussy, picked up on his mom's distress, his cries growing louder. Faye rushed to the car, buckling him in and driving away from the lake house, her hands shaking on the wheel.

~~

Hours had passed before Faye returned. By the time she pulled into the driveway, the sun was rising and her anger had changed to a deep sadness. James had finally fallen asleep in the backseat, and Faye was feeling drained and hurt.

Quinn had called her countless times, his messages a mixture of apologies and pleas for her to come back. She hadn't answered any of them, but she knew she couldn't ignore him forever. She spotted Quinn standing on the front porch, his face pale and anxious, as she approached with James and his carrier in hand.

"I'm sorry," he said. "I was stupid, Faye. I didn't mean it. I love James. I love doing this so much. I was just frustrated."

Faye didn't say anything, walking past him and into the house. She carefully laid James down in his crib and turned to face Quinn, her eyes red and puffy from crying.

"Don't you ever," she began, her voice low and firm, "make me feel like you don't want him. Like you don't want us. If you say anything like that again, Quinn... I won't come back."

He swallowed thickly, nodding. "I know. I'm sorry. I swear I'll never say anything like that ever again."

They stood in silence for a couple minutes, until Faye finally nodded, her shoulders sagging. She didn't fully forgive him, not yet, but she was willing to give him the time to make things right.

~~

The tension from the argument still hung in the air, but things were slowly starting to feel normal again. Quinn spent as much time with James as possible, trying to make up for what he'd said. One afternoon, while Faye watched from the deck, Quinn lay on a blanket in the shade with James. He held him up, making airplane noises as James giggled, his tiny hands reaching out to touch Quinn's face.

"Who's the best little guy?" Quinn cooed, kissing James's cheeks and making him burst into more giggles. His blue eyes sparkled as he pulled his son close, holding him against his chest.

Faye wanted to be mad at Quinn, but it was hard when he looked at James with such love and pride.

Later that day, James was the centre of attention on the dock. Jack and Luke couldn't get enough of their nephew, constantly offering to hold him, while Trevor, Cole, and Alex took turns trying to make him laugh.

Trevor waved the bright toy in front of James's face, his goofy expressions earning a high-pitched squeal. "This kid is gonna be the funniest Hughes yet," Trevor said, grinning up at Faye.

"Look at him," Luke chimed in, leaning over to blow a raspberry on James's belly. "Coolest baby at the lake house."

Eventually Quinn had to take him away for bed, earning groans from all the guys. They all decided to head out to some party they'd heard was happening. When Quinn was done putting down James, he found Faye curled up near the fire pit, a baby monitor resting beside her.

"I know you're still mad," Quinn started. "But I'm really trying here, Faye. I want to be better--for you, for James."

She glanced at him, biting her lip as she considered his words. "I know you are. And I appreciate it. It's just... what you said, it really hurt. I don't want to ever feel like you regret this."

Quinn shook his head, reaching for her hand. She tugged it away and his expression fell. "I don't regret any of it. I was an idiot for saying that shit, Faye. I love James, even if I'm too damn stubborn to admit it sometimes."

She let out a soft sigh. As much as she wanted to be pissed with him, he made it really hard. She finally gave in, squeezing his hand. "I'm not saying I've completely forgiven you. But we're getting there."

"I'll keep trying."

Things weren't perfect by any means, but they were moving in the right direction.

~~

The boat swayed gently, the hum of the motor the only sound on the calm lake. James sat on Faye's lap, his hands grabbing onto the front of his bright yellow life jacket, bringing it up to his mouth to chew on. His wide blue eyes peered out from under the little sun hat Faye had tied on him, his legs kicking in excitement as they cruised over the water.

Quinn sat at the steering wheel, sunglasses perched on his nose. He hadn't said much, just a few comments in his baby voice that always made James laugh. Faye could feel the weight of something unsaid hanging between them. But Quinn just stared out over the water, lost in thought.

Faye glanced at him, then back down to James, brushing her fingers gently over his chubby cheek. "He loves this," she murmured, watching their son bounce with excitement at each tiny wave they hit.

Quinn looked over his shoulder quickly before looking back at the water. "Yeah, he does," he agreed, his voice quieter than normal. There was a pause, a long stretch of silence where Faye wondered if he was going to say something else. And then, finally, he spoke, his tone serious.

"I've been thinking a lot," he stopped the boat, turning to look at James who was still gnawing at his life jacket. "About what I said. About how stupid it was."

Faye kept her eyes on James, unsure of how to respond.

Quinn leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. "I don't ever want you to feel like I'm not in this--like I don't want to be here. With you. With him." His voice caught, and he cleared his throat. "I've never regretted him, Faye. Not for a second."

She nodded, holding James a little tighter.

"I was angry," he continued. "I'm not used to this, ya know? Not having all the freedom I used to have, especially here with all the guys. It used to be just us, messing around. But I was selfish. I didn't think about what you've been through--how hard it's been for you."

"Quinn..."

He held up a hand, shaking his head. "No, let me finish. I love James... and this family we've created. And I know I haven't said it enough, or made it clear. I'm all in, Faye. I'm sorry I made you think otherwise."

"Like I said... I don't want you to ever say anything like that again," Faye whispered, her voice trembling. "I can't... I can't do this alone. And if you ever make me feel like you don't want us... I'll move back to Michigan."

"I know. I swear to you, Faye. I'll never say anything like that again. I don't want to lose you or James."

James babbled as if he was giving his two cents, making Faye giggle quietly to herself.

"You're gonna have to make it up to both of us," she teased.

Quinn chuckled, the sound full of relief. "I will. Whatever it takes."

~~

5 months

The setting sun filtered through the blinds in the living room where Faye was sat on the floor with James. He was fussy, gnawing on a teething ring while she bounced him on her lap, her anxiety mounting as the minutes ticked by.

"We don't have to go if you're not ready," Quinn said gently, coming up behind her as he placed a hand on her shoulder. He was dressed in a nice button-up and some jeans, his hair neatly styled for the first time in weeks. "It's fine if you're too nervous."

Faye bit her lip, glancing down at James, who let out a whine as he chewed on the ring. "I've never left him alone, Quinn," she whispered, her voice strained. "He's teething. What if something happens? What if--"

"He'll be fine," Quinn assured her, crouching down and taking James's hand in his. "I wouldn't have suggested it if I didn't trust her. Emily's got two kids, and she offered. They'll take care of him like he's their own."

Faye knew Emily was trustworthy--one of the other team moms, she's been nothing but friendly and supportive since Faye'd moved to Vancouver. But leaving James with anyone, especially a non-family member, felt overwhelming.

"What if he just cries the whole time? What if he doesn't sleep? What if--"

Quinn placed a hand on her cheek, tilting her head toward him. "Faye, he'll be okay. We'll only be gone a few hours. We deserve this."

She felt like she was going to puke, but she could see the excitement in Quinn's eyes. She had to admit, the idea of a real date, just the two of them, was tempting. After months of sleepless nights, teething struggles, and never-ending routines, she needed a break. And she could tell Quinn did too.

"Okay," she swallowed her fear. "But if anything happens--anything--we're coming right back."

He smiled, pressing a kiss to her forehead. "Deal."

~~

Faye thought her heart was going to burst out of her chest when they stepped inside Emily's house, her arms instinctively tightening around James. Emily greeted them warmly, her two kids--ages 6 and 8--rushing over to peek at the baby.

"He's so cute!" one of them exclaimed.

"Yeah, he's... he's a good baby. Just a little fussy because of his teeth."

Emily waved her hand, completely unfazed. "Oh, don't worry about that. We've got teethers, and the kids loving having babies around. We'll take good care of him, I promise."

After a few minutes of reassurances and very reluctant goodbyes, Quinn gently coaxed Faye out the door. She glanced back several times, but Emily's smile never wavered.

"He'll be okay," Quinn said again as they walked to the car.

Faye nodded, though she couldn't shake her nerves. She couldn't believe she was doing this.

~~

The restaurant was intimate and elegant, the soft lighting and quiet music setting a romantic tone that felt miles away from their hectic lives as parents. Faye felt almost out of place in her dress, her hair done up for the first time in months.

Quinn smiled at her as they sat down, his eyes warm and full of affection. "You look beautiful."

Faye blushed. "Thanks. It's weird being here without him, though."

"I know," he reached across the table to take her hand. "But it's nice, too, isn't it? Just us."

Faye nodded. She hadn't realized how much she missed this--missed him. The constant demands of being new parents had consumed so much of their lives, she hadn't had the time or space to really focus on Quinn. But sitting there, seeing him all dressed up, she couldn't deny the attraction she felt.

They talked about everything as they ate--James, their future, how far they'd come in the last few months. Quinn made her laugh, telling her stories about his teammates and teasing her about how nervous she was leaving James with a babysitter.

She giggled, feeling a lightness she hadn't experienced in forever. "Okay. Maybe I was a... little over the top."

"You're a great mom, Faye. You worry because you care. But you're also allowed to relax."

She glanced down at her plate, her heart thumping as she realized something. She was falling for him. The thought hit her with a sudden, startling clarity. She never expected to feel like this about him when they first met. But there she was, realizing how much he really meant to her.

When they finally arrived back at Emily's house, Faye's nerves were back. She was thinking about everything that could've gone wrong while she was gone. But as soon as they stepped inside, her fears melted away.

James was fast asleep in Emily's arms, his face peaceful.

"He did great," Emily smiled. "Cried a little at first, but he calmed down after a bit. He's a sweetheart. Definitely has his dad's personality."

"Thank you," Faye sighed.

Quinn wrapped an arm around her, pressing a kiss to the side of her head. "See? He's fine."

"Yeah, he is."

As they headed home, Faye couldn't help but steal glances at Quinn. Maybe it was more than just co-parenting.

~~

Faye stirred awake, surprised to hear the sounds of James cooing and giggling down the hallway. She blinked, her brain still foggy, then sat up, noticing the empty spot next to her in bed. Usually, James would be fussing by now and Quinn would still be asleep.

She padded into the living room, stopping at the doorway to take in the scene in front of her. Quinn was sitting on the floor, legs stretched out, holding James upright on his lap. James was all smiles, his fists wrapped around Quinn's fingers as Quinn bounced him gently.

"Look at you, buddy," Quinn murmured, his tone filled with pride. "You're getting so big. Almost ready to crawl, huh?"

James giggled, kicking excitedly. Quinn laughed too, his face lighting up in a way that Faye had never seen before. She stood there, quietly, watching, not wanting to interrupt.

A bottle sat on the coffee table, and it was clear Quinn had already fed James without waking her. Watching Quinn like that, so at ease with their son, was almost overwhelming.

"I didn't want to wake you," Quinn said softly, glancing up at her as if he'd sensed her presence. "Figured you could use the extra sleep."

"Looks like you've got things under control," she teased lightly, sitting beside them on the floor.

"Yeah, we've got our routine down, right, little man?"

James babbled happily, reaching up to grab Quinn's hair, and they both laughed. Faye leaned over, resting her head on Quinn's shoulder. "You're getting really good at this, you know."

"I've got a pretty great teacher."

~~

6 months

The sound of tiny wheels squeaking against the hardwood floor echoed through the apartment as James, nestled comfortably in his new sit-in walker, zoomed across the living room. He giggled as he kicked his legs, propelling himself toward the couch where Faye sat, laughing at her son's new found mobility. His chubby hand gripped the clip of his pacifier, his face lighting up every time he managed to turn himself in a new direction.

"Look at him go!" Quinn grinned, standing by the kitchen counter, watching James navigate his way through the room. "He's unstoppable."

James's mouth formed a toothless smile as he bumped into the couch, his feet scrambling to turn himself around. Faye leaned down, helping him redirect his little walker, her heart swelling as she watched him scoot away again, this time heading for the kitchen.

Quinn met him halfway, stopping the walker with his foot. "You coming to help Dada cook, buddy?" He leaned forward, kissing James's cheek and pulling a silly face, earning more giggles from his son.

There was something so beautifully simple about it--the three of them, together, in their cozy apartment. Quinn had become so at ease in his role as a dad, effortlessly balancing his time between the rink and home. The domesticity of it all was something Faye never imagined she would have with Quinn, but it felt so natural, so right.

"Think we should put up a speed limit sign in here?" Faye teased, raising an eyebrow as James headed towards the coffee table.

"Yeah, or maybe some baby traffic cones," Quinn laughed, grabbing James before he could knock into anything else.

James squirmed in his dad's arms, still eager to explore every inch of the apartment. Quinn kissed the top of his head, setting him down to continue his adventure. It was moments like that--watching Quinn and James together--that made Faye realize just how much her life had changed. And for the first time, in a long time, she wasn't scared of it.

~~

Faye stood at the counter, carefully spooning a bit of soft rice cereal into a tiny bowl, her hands moving with nervous precision. James was sat in his high chair for the first time, his legs swinging beneath the tray, eyes wide as he watched his mom's every move. Today was a big day--his first taste of real food.

"He's going to love it," Quinn said from beside her, grabbing his phone off the counter. "I bet he's ready to dive right in."

They had done the research, talked to the pediatrician, and Quinn had been more than eager to introduce James to baby-led weaning. But now that it was actually happening, Faye felt a little uncertain. "What if he doesn't like it? Or what if he chokes?" she asked, glancing at Quinn.

"He won't choke. We've got this, and we'll go slow. He's going to have so much fun with this."

With a deep breath, Faye walked over to James, placing the small bowl in front of him. His little hands immediately reached for the spoon in his mom's hands, eager to grab whatever was in reach. Quinn knelt down, phone camera in hand, ready to capture every moment for their families.

"Here we go, bubba," Faye whispered as she scooped up a bit of the rice cereal and offered it to him.

James tried to grab the spoon again, but instead of trying to put it in his mouth, he smeared it on his hand. "Well... that's one way to start."

Quinn laughed, "Looks like we've got a future artist on our hands."

They spent the next few minutes encouraging James, offering him small tastes of the cereal, though most of it ended up on his face, hands, and the high chair. Every bite was like a new experience of James, who made loud smacking sounds and grunts as he demanded more food.

Later that evening, they tried mashed sweet potatoes. Quinn held a spoonful out to James, who immediately leaned towards it, though most of it fell out of his mouth. But this time, Faye saw his face light up as he tasted it. He definitely liked it more than the cereal. "You like that, don't you?"

James responded with a happy, gurgling sound, orange puree smeared across his lips.

"That's my boy," Quinn said. "Eating like a champ."

Faye exchanged a look with him, grinning as he wiped a stray bit of sweet potato from James's nose. There was a growing closeness that neither of them had fully admitted, but both were beginning to feel.

~~

It was late, around 9, and the only sound in the apartment was the hum of the dishwasher. James had gone down easily after a long day of excitement, and Faye was curled up on the couch with a book while Quinn finished tidying up the kitchen. His eyes kept drifting over to her, the soft curve of her smile as she flipped through the pages of her novel.

He felt it then--like a weight settling on his chest. He was in love with her. Really, truly in love.

It wasn't just that he admired how good of a mother she was, or that they had built this life around James. It was the way she made their chaotic life feel... complete. The way she laughed, the way she challenged him, the way she looked at James like he was her entire world. Somewhere between the late-night feedings, baby giggles, and stolen moments of quiet, Quinn had fallen for her.

He wanted to say something, but every time he tried, the words caught in his throat. Was he supposed to? Was this the right time? He sighed, feeling the uncertainty. With a quick glance to make sure Faye was still absorbed in her book, Quinn slipped into the bedroom and dialed Jack's number.

"Hey, man, what's up?" Jack's voice was loud despite it being midnight where he was.

"I need your help," Quinn blurted out, his voice quiet. "It's about Faye."

There was a pause on the other end. "Wait--what kind of help? Are you in trouble?"

"No, no. Not like that." Quinn ran a hand through his hair, pacing the length of the room. "I think I'm in love with her, Jack. I know I'm in love with her. But I don't know how to tell her. Or if I even should."

"Whoa. Okay, first of all, that's awesome. But also, are you sure? Like... love, love?"

Quinn nodded, though Jack couldn't see him. "Yeah, man. I've never felt like this about anyone. Not even close. It's just... I don't wanna screw things up with her. Especially with James in the picture."

"Look, if you know you're in love with her, then you've gotta be honest. Don't hold it in until it's too late. She probably feels the same way, but even if she doesn't, you'll regret not telling her. You've already built something with her. Just be real."

"You're right. I don't know why I'm so nervous about this."

"Because it's real," Jack replied. "You care, that's why."

Quinn felt a sense of clarity wash over him. He didn't have all the answers, but he knew what he had to do. "Thanks, Jack. I'll figure it out."

He was in love with Faye, and somehow, that felt both terrifying and perfect all at once.

~~

7 months

James was babbling, rolling around on the floor with a bright green baby spoon in hand. The window was cracked slightly, letting in the crisp September breeze. Faye watched James from her desk, her laptop open to a half-finished essay for one of her online classes. Juggling motherhood and trying to finish her degree had been hard, but she was finally starting to find a rhythm, learning how to balance everything with a bit more confidence.

James on the verge of crawling--he could prop himself up on all fours, rocking back and forth, but hadn't quite figured out how to move forward yet. Every time he did it, Faye would hold her breath, wondering if today would be the day. So far, though, he seemed content to sit back down and continue his rolling, chewing on toys as he went.

In the kitchen, Quinn was prepping breakfast--he had been squeezing in family time whenever he could, especially with preseaon training and media appearances taking up most of his days. Hockey season was fast approaching, and as much as he loved being at home with Faye and James, Quinn could feel the pressure building. His days were getting busier, and he hated missing moments with James, especially with how fast he was growing.

"I swear, he's gonna start crawling the second you leave for practice," Faye called over her shoulder, eyeing James as he rocked again. "He's getting closer every day."

Quinn chuckled as he set down two plates on the table. "Of course. But knowing him, he'll wait for the exact moment we're not looking."

James babbled in agreement, kicking his feet as if to emphasize his point. Both Quinn and Faye turned to look at him, laughing as he rolled onto his back and gave them a big, gummy smile.

~~

Later that afternoon, after Quinn had left for practice, Faye sat on the floor, carefully spooning mashed carrots into James's mouth. He scrunched up his face at the unfamiliar taste, but after a few moments, he opened his mouth again, curious.

"Good job, baby," Faye cooed. James was eating more and more baby food, slowly transitioning away from breastfeeding--a shift that made Faye feel a bittersweet mix of emotions. Her plan had always been to stop breastfeeding around the 8-month mark, and with that deadline creeping closer, she couldn't help but feel a pang of sadness at the thought of letting go of such a large part of their routine.

At the same time, though, she knew it was the right decision. James was growing, becoming more independent every day. She was proud of him, proud of how far they had come together, even if letting go of that last bit of babyhood felt daunting.

As James player with his spoon, Faye leaned back against the couch, glancing at her laptop on the coffee table. She was doing well with the school balance, using James's naptimes and the quiet moments after he went down for naps. It was hard work, but she liked the structure.

But even as she focused on her future, her mind drifted to Quinn. Over the past few months, she had really noticed the shift in how she felt about him. It was something deeper than co-parenting. Something that made her stomach flutter when he smiled at her, or when they got into bed after a long day.

She wasn't exactly sure when it happened, but she knew her feelings for him had changed. It was no longer just about James or being parents. It was about Quinn. She had fallen for him.

But for now, she kept it to herself, not ready to admit it. Not to Quinn, not even to herself really. There was too much at stake. And the last thing she wanted was to complicate the family dynamic they had created.

By the time Quinn got home, James was already in bed, his tiny snores filling the baby monitor on the coffee table. Faye was on the couch, scrolling through class notes while some medical drama played on the TV.

"You're up late," Quinn said, dropping his gym bag by the door.

"Just finishing up some homework. How was practice?" she smiled tiredly.

"Exhausting," he sighed, their legs brushing as he sat next to her. "I missed James, though. He almost crawl yet?"

"Not today. But you might want to cancel all your plans for tomorrow. I think he's planning something big."

Quinn chuckled, but Faye could hear the exhaustion in his voice. She turned to look at him, sweaty and tired, but still there for her and James.

"You're doing great," she said softly. "I know things are getting busy, but you're still here. You're still with us."

"Thanks, Faye."

~~

8 months

Faye moved through the kitchen, preparing a bottle for James, while Quinn sat on the floor in the living room, watching their son as he crawled around, exploring every nook and cranny he could find. James was fast, his hands and knees carrying him across the floor with a newfound determination. Quinn couldn't take his eyes off him--each moment with James a reminder of how quickly his baby boy was growing up.

"You're fast, huh?" Quinn called out, grinning as James crawled back toward him, babbling away. "What're you trying to say, Baby Hughes?"

James stopped right in front of him, rocking back on his knees. His big blue eyes focused intently on his dad, and he raised his arms as if he was about to say something important. For a second, there was nothing but silence, and then...

"Dada."

Quinn's heart stopped.

He blinked, staring at James in shock, unsure if he'd really just heard what he thought he had. "Did... did you just say 'dada'?" Quinn whispered.

James giggled. "Dada!"

Quinn scooped him up into his arms, laughing with pure joy. "That's right, buddy! I'm Dada!" He pressed kisses to the top of James's head in disbelief.

Faye rushed into the room, a questioning look on her face. "What's going on?"

"He said it," Quinn beamed. "He said 'dada.'"

Faye's hands flew to her mouth, her eyes widening as she knelt down beside them. "He did?! Oh my God, he said it?!"

James, delighted by all the attention, clapped his hands together, clearly pleased with himself. Faye leaned in, pressing kisses to his cheeks. It was just them, their family, in their own perfect little moment.

~~

Faye stood in front of the mirror, adjusting the Canucks jersery she had put on James. The jersey was loose around him, but the back said it all--"Daddy" with Quinn's number 43 beneath it. It was a custom jersey that Quinn had ordered months ago, waiting for the perfect moment for James to wear it. And tonight was that night.

She knelt down, fitting James with his oversized baby headphones. The large, puffy protectors looked comically big on his head, but he didn't seem to mind them. His eyes were wide as she strapped him into the baby carrier, ready for his very first hockey game.

Faye was nervous. It was her first time sitting in the WAG section. She'd met some of them casually, but this was different. She stepping into a world as more than just the mother of Quinn's child.

The women greeted her warmly. A few of them fawning over James, who was peeking out from his carrier, taking in all the sights. "Oh my God! He's adorable!" one of them gushed, lightly touching his jersey. "And that jersey! So cute!"

Faye smiled, pulling him from his seat. "Yeah, Quinn had it made. First game day."

"You guys must be so excited," another chimed in. "You and Quinn must be like so happy right now."

"Oh, we're not... sorry, we are. We're so happy to have James here. Quinn is like the best to co-parent with."

There was a brief pause before the women exchanged surprised glances. "Really? I... wow, I just... the way he talks about you and James, it seemed like..."

Faye felt her cheeks flush, why had she said anything. "It's fine. We're not together... just working together to parent James."

~~

As the game started, James's head bobbed back and forth, his eyes tracking all the things happening around him. Faye held him close, watching the game unfold below as the Canucks took the lead in the first period. She was surprised that the bright lights and noise weren't bothering James--he seemed enthralled if anything.

When Quinn skated onto the ice, Faye felt her heart swell with pride. She glanced down at James, who was happily chewing on his fist beneath his massive headphones. "There's Dada," she whispered, her lips brushing the top of his head. "Look at him go!"

At the end of the first, Quinn looked up towards the family suite, offering a small wave even though he couldn't quite make them out from so far. Faye waved back, but decided it was time to head out. James was starting to fuss and she didn't want to push him too hard. As they left the arena, Faye shot Quinn a text, telling him how proud they both were and how much James adored his first hockey game.

It would be the first of many.

~~

James had officially entered the phase where everything within reach ended up in his mouth. From his toys to Quinn's dress shoes, nothing was safe from his curious hands. Faye and Quinn had been busy, crawling around the apartment on their hands and knees, checking for potential hazards and baby-proofing every corner. The cabinets were locked, electrical outlets covered, and sharp edges padded.

James, however, seemed unfazed by their efforts, determined to chew on anything that came his way.

"Looks like he's after your hockey stick," Faye teased, watching as James, equipped with a teething toy, crawled toward Quinn's gear bag by the door.

Quinn swooped in, scooping James up and giving him a playful toss in the air. "Nice try, buddy, but you're not getting your hands on that just yet."

James squealed his delight. He was becoming more independent in his play, spending longer stretches rolling around with his toys, but there was something about playing with Quinn that always brought out his loudest laughs. Quinn loved it too. Whenever he had a break from the rink, Faye could find them building block towers, playing peek-a-boo, or engaging in a game of chase around the baby-proofed living room.

That evening, after a long day of chasing James around the apartment, Faye had finally gotten him down for the night. She stood in the living room, picking up James's toys scattered around, lost in thought. It had become part of her nightly routine--cleaning up the remnants of their busy days, reflecting on how much had changed.

Quinn emerged from their bedroom, lingering by the doorway for a moment as he watched Faye tidy up. She didn't notice him right away, too focused on straightening up the apartment.

"Faye," he said softly, his voice cutting through the silence.

She jumped slightly, startled by his sudden presence. "Hey. I thought you went to bed."

He moved toward her with a seriousness in his eyes she hadn't seen in a long time. "I've been thinking about something for a while... and I don't want to keep it to myself anymore."

"What is it?"

Quinn took a deep breath, running a hand through his hair like he always did when he was stressed. "I'm in love with you," his voice was raw, vulnerable. "I know I've probably been in love with you for a while now, but I couldn't admit it--to myself or to you. But I can't keep pretending. I'm in love with you, Faye."

Faye froze, the words hanging in their air around them. She wasn't sure what to say. She had felt it too--the growing connection between them, the way her heart raced when he was around, the way he made her feel safe. But hearing him say it out loud, took her completely by surprise.

"Quinn..." she whispered. "I... I love you too."

The words had been spoken. There was no turning back.

Quinn's face softened and he stepped closer, gently cupping her face in his hands. Their eyes met, and the world around them seemed to fade. Slowly, he leaned in, and Faye closed the gap, their lips meeting in soft, meaningful kiss.

It wasn't rushed or uncertain. It was tender, full of all the things they had never said before. When they finally pulled apart, Faye looked up at him, love in her eyes.

"I've been wanting to say that for so long," he whispered, leaning his forehead agaisnt hers.

"Me too."

Everything felt right... more than right. It felt like the start of something new, something real, something they both knew had been there all along.

~~

9 months

James was full of energy, pulling himself up to stand using the edge of the couch, his legs wobbly as he gripped the fabric. Faye stood nearby, ready to catch him if he lost his balance, but James's focus was elsewhere. He had become fascinated by music, especially when James and Faye sang to him. He loved it so much that he would start bouncing to the rhythm, his knees bending as he held onto the couch for support. Just as he was doing now, dancing to the music Faye had playing through the TV.

"Look at you, little dancer," she laughed, watching him bounce up and down, his face lighting up. His giggles joined the music, bounching with the melody.

Quinn, who had just come home from practice, leaned against the doorframe. "He's gonna be a musician at this rate," he joked, walking over to join them. Jame's eyes darted to his dad, his smile widening as he continued to dance.

"Dada! Dada!" he squealed.

As much as Faye and Quinn wanted to believe he knew what he was saying, the pediatrician had told them that James had yet to associate the word with Quinn. It was just the only word he could say, so he said it ALL the time.

Quinn bent down, pressing a kiss to the top of James's head. "That's right. I'm Dada."

~~

Faye placed a spoonful of mashed sweet potatoes onto the tray of James's high chair tray. His hands reached for the food, eager to explore the new texture. He picked up a "handful" and brought it to his mouth, smearing most of it across his face but managing to get some in his mouth. He eyes lit up, and he made a delighted sound, flapping his arms as if to sign for his approval.

"He loves it!" Faye smiled, wiping his cheeks with a warm washcloth.

"Well, we can add that to his list of favourites." Quinn leaned forward, placing a bit of steamed broccoli on the tray next. "Let's see how he feels about this."

James picked it up, his expression puzzled before he shoved it in his mouth. He made a face, spitting most of it out, but then grabbed another piece, curious enough to try it again. Quinn and Faye laughed at his determination to eat the broccoli that he didn't even seem to like.

~~

As soon as James was "realeased" from his high chair, he crawled over to his stuffed rabbit. The toy had been gifted to him by Ellen and Jim when he was born. It had become his biggest comfort, going with him everything, especially when he was upset. Lately, he had become particularly attached to it, making "grabby hands" whenever he couldn't reach it.

"Where's your lovey?" Faye asked as James crawled toward the couch, reaching for the bunny. She handed it to him, watching as he clutched it to his chest, giving it a big hug. "There you go, bubba. All better."

Quinn, too, had noticed this new attachment, and without telling Faye, he had already ordered a second rabbit online. He didn't want to risk a meltdown if something ever happened to the original.

As they got ready for bed, a knock came at the door. It was a neighbour who was asking to see if they'd been having the same issue she was in their apartment. The moment she left, James who had been watching from the floor, waved his hand enthusiastically, repeating his new favourite trick.

"Are you saying 'bye-bye?'" Faye laughed. "You're such a smart boy."

~~

Faye stood in front of the mirror, adjusting her dress for the tenth time. It had been months since she'd properly gone out. And now that she wasn't breastfeeding, the thought of drinks with the WAGs was tempting. But still, the nagging worry about leaving James tugged at her.

"You look amazing," Quinn said, wrapping his arms around her waist. "You should go. It'll be good for you."

Faye met his eyes in the mirror, chewing on her bottom lip. "What if he needs me? I feel like he always knows when I'm leaving."

As if on cue, James, who had happily been playing on the floor, caught sight of her near the front door and immediately starting screeching, his arms outstretched in protest.

Faye groaned, turning to Quinn. "See?"

Quinn picked him up, bouncing him lightly in his arms. "I've got him. Go out, have fun. He's with me, and we'll be fine."

She hesitated, but the promise of a night with the girls, free from mom duties, was far too tempting. "Okay," she agreed, grabbing her purse. "But if anything happens--"

"I'll call you. Now go," he interrupted, giving her a quick kiss on the cheek.

~~

It felt liberating to be out in the world again, without a diaper bag or baby wipes, just her and the girls.

"You made it!" one of the girls exclaimed, pulling her into a hug. "We were starting to think you'd never leave that adorable baby behind!"

Faye laughed, taking a sip of the cocktail someone had ordered for her. "I almost didn't. He screeched the second he saw me heading for the door."

"That's what they do," another girl said knowingly. "They always make you feel guilty, but trust me, Quinn's got this. He's great with James."

"Yeah, he really is the best."

A few of the girls exchanged knowing looks before one of them grinned, leaning in closer. "So, does that mean you two are, like, official now?"

Faye bit her lip, unable to hide the smile tugging at the corners of her mouth. "Actually... yeah. We're official. Quinn's my boyfriend."

The table erupted into cheers, the girls hugging Faye and bombarding her with questions. They had all assumed for months that something was happening between Faye and Quinn, but hearing it confirmed had sent them into hysterics.

"You two are so cute together!"

"I knew it! He's like so in love with you!"

Faye blushed as the table toasted to her and Quinn. It felt good--really, really good--to finally say it out loud. Quinn was hers, and she was his.

~~

When Faye got home, all the lights were off. She kicked off her heels, tiptoeing into the living room, and the sight made her heart melt. There, on the couch, were Quinn and James--both sound asleep. James was sprawled on Quinn's chest, his tiny fist clutching the fabric of Quinn's shirts, his lovey on the floor next to them.

Faye pulled out her phone and snapped a quick picture, smiling as she set it as her new phone background, replacing the picture of her and a newborn James in the hospital.

Careful not to wake Quinn too suddenly, she placed a gentle hand on his shoulder. "Hey, we've gotta get him in his crib."

Quinn stirred, blinking groggily as he looked down at James. "Oh, right," he mumbled, carefully lifting their son into his arms.

Faye followed him into the office they had made into James's bedroom, the two of them working together to get him into bed. As they stood over the crib, watching James settle into sleep, Faye whispered, "I can't believe that we could create something so incredible."

Quinn wrapped an arm around her shoulders, pulling her close. "Yeah, we did. I can't believe it either."

After moving across the hall to their room, Quinn spoke up again. "I missed you tonight."

"I missed you too. The girls were happy for us."

"Yeah?"

"They all assumed we were together already," Faye whispered, her breath catching as Quinn leaned in.

"Well, they're right now," his lips brushed hers.

"I love you."

"I love you too"

~~

The house was quiet when Faye, Quinn, and James made their way downstairs on Christmas morning. The lights on the tree reflecting off the ornaments and setting the scene perfectly. Faye's parents were already in the living room, waiting with coffee in hand, their smiles warm but reserved. Faye hated the tension that was still there. Even though they had been kind and welcoming since their arrival, Faye knew deep down, that her parents hadn't fully come to terms with the path her life had taken.

Her father looked up from his tablet, offering a smile when he saw James. "Good morning, little buddy," his expression softening for his grandson.

Faye took a deep breath, adjusting her grip on James as she sat next to Quinn on the other sofa. They were trying to show her parents that things were working, that Quinn was a good day and an even better partner. But her parents' unspoken disapproval of the fact that Quinn had, in their eyes, "ruined" their' daughter's future was still there.

As Quinn moved James to his lap, helping him unwrap one of his gifts, Faye noticed her mom watching them with a furrowed brow. "He's getting so big."

Faye nodded, leaning over to pull a piece of wrapped paper from James's mouth. "He's growing fast."

"We've been trying to get him used to solid foods," Quinn chimed in, telling her parents about their grandson's latest milestone. "He's still not sure about broccoli, though."

Her parents chuckled slightly, but it felt forced. Quinn was trying so hard to prove himself, and she was just desperate for her parents to see what she saw--that he was a loving, attentive father and boyfriend.

And as the morning went on, the mood lightened. James, giggling and crawling around the room with his new toys, brought a warmth to everyone. Faye watched as her dad bent down to play with James, and for the first time that morning, she saw genuine joy in her father's eyes.

"Look at that," her mom whispered to her. "He's a little explorer, isn't he?"

"Yeah, he is. Everyone always says he takes after Quinn."

"Well... isn't that something."

~~

By early afternoon, the family of three had moved on to the Hughes household. Jack and Luke met them at the door, their faces lighting up when they saw James bundled up in his little snowsuit.

"There he is!" Jack called out, basically snatching the baby from Quinn as soon as they were inside. "Merry Christmas, Baby Hughes!"

James squealed in response, grabbing at Jack's hair in excitement. "Dada! Dada!"

"I'm not your Dada, silly," Jack laughed, tossing James into the air much to his delight.

Faye felt an ease that she hadn't felt at her own home. There was no unspoken judgement or grudges. Everyone was happy to be together. To spend their Christmas with people they loved.

"Look at him, all bundled! He's like a Quinn clone, huh?" Ellen said, pulling Faye into a hug, before turning to Quinn. "You two look happy."

"We are."

James spent the afternoon crawling around, pulling himself up on furniture, determined to keep up with his two favourite family members, Jack and Luke. Faye couldn't help but smile as Luke helped him stand, his hands steadying his nephew as he bounced up and down, giggling.

"Babababa!" James exclaimed, earning a nod from Luke.

"I couldn't agree more, James. You're so right."

"What're you two talking about?" Quinn asked, patting his youngest brother on the back.

"He was just telling me that he has the best dad ever."

"He really does," Faye agreed, scrunching her face as Quinn pressed a kiss to her nose.

"I love you," Quinn mouthed, pulling Faye onto his lap.

"I love you more," she whispered back.

"Impossible."

~~

10 months

James babbled as he carefully pilied the colourful rings of his stacking toy on top of each other, only to knock them over and start again, squealing at the result.

"Getting pretty good at that," Quinn nodded, shooting a look to a half-awake Faye standing by the kitchen counter.

"Yeah, he loves those things," she said with a tired smile. James had become increasinly attached to her, to the point that she could barely move without him following close behind, ready to cry.

Faye took a deep breath, trying to mask her weariness. "He's such a mama's boy," she added with a chuckle, though it was clear the constant attention was getting to her. James's separation anxiety was growing stronger each day.

"He'll outgrow it," Quinn said softly. "It's a phase but I know it's hard."

"I can't even go to the bathroom without him losing his mind. I love that he's attached, but... I'm exhausted, Quinn. I feel like I can't get anything done around here."

James, as if sensing he wasn't the centre of attention, looked up from his toys and spotted Faye standing by the counter. His face scrunched up and he let out a loud wail, crocodile tears already streaming, he crawled to her as fast as he could.

She sighed, setting down her coffee and scooping up James, his cries softening the second he had a handful of her shirt. He clung to her like Velcro, his head resting on her shoulder.

"There we go, buddy," she whispered, kissing the top of his head. "Mama's here."

~~

James had been extra clingy, refusing to play unlesss Faye was sitting next to him, but he seeemed content for now, crawling around with his Lovey.

Quinn sat on the floor, his legs stretched out as James crawled back and forth between him and Faye, occasionally stopping to blow kisses, something he'd recently mastered. He loved blowing kisses to anyone who would watch, his hand slapping against his mouth before sending the kiss off with a giggle.

"He's obsessed with you too," Faye laughed as James babbled to Quinn, still clutching his Lovey.

"He's obsessed with you more."

Suddenly, James crawled to the edge of the couch, pulling himself up. He stood there for a moment, wobbling slightly but steadying himself by holding onto the cushions. Faye and Quinn watched quietly, not wanting to break his concentration.

And then, in a moment that seemed to go in slow motion, James let go of the couch.

He stood there, swaying for a second, and then took one tiny step. Then another.

"Quinn, look!" Faye gasped, swatting at her boyfriend's leg. "He's walking!"

"James, bud, you're doing it!"

James took one more shaky step before falling onto his butt in a fit of giggles. Faye and Quinn burst into cheers, clapping for his first real steps.

Faye picked him up, smothering him in kisses as he babbled "mama. dada," between his giggles. He didn't know why they were so excited, but he was eating up the attention. "I'm so proud of you," she whispered.

"Growing up so fast."

"Too fast."

~~

11 months

James toddled across the living room, his legs carrying him to his toy kitchen with a newfound confidence. He reached for a plastic pot, stirring it with a spoon, before grabbing a plastic carrot. Wobbling back over to Faye, who was seated on the couch with a cup of coffee, he proudly held it up for her to see.

"Mama, mo!" James said, grinning as he pushed the plastic carrot toward her, expecting her to "eat" it.

Faye laughed, leaning down to take a bite. "Mmm, delicious, bub!" James giggled, returning to his kitchen to give Lovey a taste as well.

"Looks like someone's been busy," Quinn crouched down next to James. "What're we cooking today, Chef Hughes?"

James held up the carrot again. "Dada! Mo?"

"More? Alright, I'll take some more," Quinn also took a pretend bite of the carrot.

James, seemingly satisfied with his parents' reactions, continued to "cook." Throwing things into the small pot that surely didn't go together. Some plastic spaghetti mixed with some plastic ice cream. He was experimenting with flavours, that was for sure.

The only downside of his confidence in walking was that it was even harder for Faye to escape him. His separation anxiety hadn't eased at all, it had gotten worse. He would cry if she dared to leave the room. Whether she was folding laundry, cooking dinner, or trying to take a shower, he was there waddling after her.

"I was thinking about taking James for a walk. You can take a bath, get ready for date night if you're still up for it."

"That sounds perfect. And I'm not missing date night for the world. God knows we need it."

~~

Faye sat across from Quinn, sipping on some expensive wine he'd ordered for them. The conversation between them was flowly easily--telling stories from their university years, discussing James and how big he was getting, simply enjoying each other's company.

"I love when it's just us. Don't get me wrong, James is the best thing to ever happen to me, but... we never got to experience the regular dating stage."

Quinn smiled, "Me too. I like having a moment alone with you that isn't us getting ready to sleep."

Faye had fallen in love with Quinn slowly, over time, but moments like that made her realize how much their love had grown. He wasn't just the father of her child--he was everything.

As the night went on, they moved from the restaurant to a quiet bar. Quinn leaned in closer, his hand resting on her thigh, his voice dropping. "You're so beautiful."

"Thanks, Q. You're not too bad yourself."

His gaze shifted, his fingers brushing lightly over her exposed skin. "Let's get out of here."

~~

12 months

The living room was decorated with soft blue and white balloons, streamers hanging from the ceiling, and a large banner that read Happy 1st Birthday, James! The coffee table held a neatly wrapped pile of gifts, and at the centre of the kitchen room table was James's smash cake--covered in light blue frosting with tiny white stars piped along the edges.

Faye was adjusting some last-minute details while Quinn brought James over to the guests. They had kept the party small, just a few of Quinn's teammates, their partners, and some of their kids. It was the perfect way to celebrate without overwhelming James with too many new people.

"Look at him," Quinn said, pride shining in his eyes as James toddled over to Brock with his Lovey in hand, showing it off to his dad's friends. "He's so big already."

"He really is," Faye replied. Watching James reach his first birthday felt surreal--it was hard to believe how much he'd grown over the past year, how he'd gone from a newborn to this curious, adventurous little boy.

James was in his element, giggling and chasing after some of the older kids, his legs carrying him as fast as they could. He had only recently starting running--well, running as much as he could--and even though he tumbled over constantly, he was always ready to bounce back up, laughing each time like it was all part of the fun.

"He's tough," Elias commented with a grin as they watched James take a small fall before pushing himself back to his feet, his face lighting up as he ran toward Quinn. "Guess that runs in the family."

Quinn chuckled, reaching down to pick him up. "Yeah, he's a little warrior."

~~

When it was time for the cake, everyone gathered around, singing as Faye placed the cake in front of the birthday boy. His eyes widened at the sight of the blue frosting, and without hesitation, he plunged both hands into the cake, squishing it between his fingers before bringing a handful to his mouth.

The room erupted into laughter as James smeared the frosting across his cheeks and nose. He squealed happily, clapping his sticky hands together, making a mess as Faye and Quinn watched on proudly.

"He's having the time of his life," Faye laughed, snapping pictures of the moment while Quinn wiped a bit of frosting from James's dark curls.

"Not sure he's ever been this happy," Quinn added as he watched their son enjoy his first taste of birthday cake.

James, now fully engrossed in smashing the cake to pieces, occasionally grabbed a piece and offered it to Quinn and Faye, babbling happily as if inviting them to join him. Faye pretended to take a bite, saying "mmm" as she wiped more frosting from his hair.

Once he was all clean, James got to open his presents. They were mostly clothes but his favourite was a toy truck gifted by Brock. He wanted it out of the packaging as soon as he tore paper off, pointing at it and chanting "dada."

He was quick to run around the room with it, putting all his toys in the back of it, then dumping them out in a pile and starting again. Faye couldn't believe how confident he'd become around people he knew. He'd grown so much in 12 months.

"Can you believe he's already one?" Quinn asked, pulling Faye into his side.

"No... it feels like just yesterday we brough him home from the hospital."

"We've got a pretty amazing little boy, don't we?"

"We really do."

~~

Faye stood in the bathroom, brushing her teeth and winding down for the night. But there was a nagging feeling in her brain, one that she couldn't shake no matter how hard she tried. Something felt off. But she couldn't quite place it. The only other time she'd felt like that before was...

Was she pregnant?

She didn't want to jump to conclusions, but the thought was ever present. It felt impossible--she and Quinn hadn't even discussed having more kids yet. They were still trying to perfect their balance with James, and now that he'd just turned one, the idea of another baby was very overwhelming.

She dug through one of the drawers under the sink, trying to find the tests they'd bought just in case. Her hands were trembling as she unwrapped it. The wait felt like hours, though it was maybe four minutes, and when she finally glanced at the test, her heart sank.

+

She felt like she was right back where she'd been two years ago, staring at a positive test and trying to process the reality of an unplanned pregnancy. They hadn't talked about this. They hadn't planned for this. They were careful now. They used condoms every time they slept together.

She sat on the edge of the bathtub, her hands shaking. The piece of plastic fell to the floor with a clack. James was just now walking, they had just celebrated his first birthday, and the chaos of parenting had already left her feeling stretched thin. How were they supposed to manage two kids under two?

She felt the same emotions as the first time. The fear, the anxiety, and the excitement. But mostly, she was stressed. What would Quinn think? How would he react? They hadn't talked about having another baby, and she wasn't sure he was ready for this news.

For now, she'd keep it to herself. To process it, to figure how she felt before bringing Quinn into it. But maybe just like James... this was another unexpected gift in her life.

~~

Faye and Quinn were getting ready for bed, the room softly lit by their bedside lamps. Faye was standing by their dresser, brushing her hair, her mind still trying to catch up with everything that had happened so far in March. James turning one, the party, finding out she was pregnant... what a whirlwind.

She gave Quinn some side-eye. He was being unusually quiet, his movements slow as he changed into his boxers. He had been fidgety all day, like something was weighing on him, and Faye couldn't help but wonder if he sensed her unease. She was still trying to figure out how to tell him, in fact, she was still working on processing it herself.

"Everything okay?"

Quinn looked over at her, taking a deep breath, clearly nervous. "Yeah," his voice was quieter than usual. "There's just... something I've been wanting to ask you."

Faye scrunched up her face in confusion as he walked over to his nightstand and pulled something from the drawer. Her heart skipped a beat when he saw the small velvet box in his hand, and suddenly, all her other thoughts melted away.

He took a shaky breath, standing in front of her, his fingers fidgeting with the box. "I know it's early," he began, "and maybe it's not the perfect moment, but... this family is everything to me. You and James--you're the best thing that's ever happened to me, and I don't want to wait any longer."

He opened the box, revealing a dainty, beautiful ring. "I love you, Faye. I love our life together, and I want to spend the rest of my life with you. Will you marry me?"

For a moment, Faye couldn't speak, the weight of his words hitting her like a truck. "Yes," she whispered, clearing her throat. "Of course, yes."

Quinn slipped the ring onto her finger before pulling her into a hug. It wasn't flashy or over-the-top, it was just them, in the quiet of their room, with the life they'd created. And it was perfect.

~~

13 months

James had three words in his arsenal now: "mama," "dada," and his favourite "doggy." Anytime Faye or Quinn took him on a walk, he would eagerly point at every dog they passed, his little finger stretched out, shouting "doggy!" with a wide grin. He was utterly obsessed.

Faye loved how seriously he took his dog-spotting duties, pointing at each dog with the same amount of energy, as though it was the first time he'd ever seen one. He was so curious about the world around him and it brought Faye so much joy.

"Doggy!" James shouted, shoving his plush golden retriever in his mom's face.

"Yeah, that's your doggy."

He had also mastered the art of drinking from a cup--or at least, he was trying to. Every meal came with the thrill of watching James tip his little plastic cup back, usually spilling half the water on himself before getting a successful sip. But he was determined, even if the messes were endless. Strong-willed just like his dad.

But nothing got James as excited as he was when he saw Quinn on the TV. Anytime a game was on and Quinn's face appeared, James would point excitedly, bouncing in place. "Dada! Dada!" he shouted, over and over again, as if the more he said it, the closer Quinn would be to hearing it.

Faye sat beside him, giggling at how easily James recognized his dad, even through the screen. She leaned over, kissing his cheek. "You love watching Dada, don't you?"

"Dada!"

"Can you say 'go Dada'?"

"O Dada!"

"Good job! Go Dada!"

~~

Quinn was sat on the edge of the bed, scrolling through his phone. Faye had spent days going over how to tell him about the pregnancy. The positive test had been hidden away in her underwear drawer, as if that would keep it from being real.

He had been her rock since James was born, and now that they were officially engaged, she knew he'd be there for her. But this pregnancy wasn't planned again, and the shock of it had her feeling vulnerable, just like she had when she found out about James.

"Quinn, there's something I need to talk to you about."

Quinn looked up as soon as he heard the seriousness in her voice. He put his phone down, his face covered in concern. "What's wrong?"

Instinctively she placed a hand on her stomach, "I... I'm pregnant."

The air between them seemed to still. Quinn's eyes were wide, and he was opening and closing his mouth like a fish, attempting to process what she was saying.

"You're... pregnant?" he repeated, his voice full of disbelief but not in a bad way--more of a he was trying to catch up kind of way.

"I know it's a shock. We didn't plan this, and I've been so scared to tell you because we haven't even talked about having another baby yet. I just... I don't know how we're going to handle this. I'm terrified."

Quinn stood frozen for another few seconds before he wrapped her into a bear hug, rocking them back and forth. "Faye... this is amazing."

"You're not upset?" she pulled away, looking at him with tears in her eyes.

"Upset? No. I'm not upset. I'm... I'm shocked, yeah. But I'm excited. We've made this beautiful little family together, and now we're adding to it. How could I bet upset about that?"

Faye's fear slowly dissipated as Quinn's words sank in. "I was so scared to tell you," she whispered, her voice breaking. "I didn't want you to feel like we weren't ready."

Quinn cupped her cheeks in his hands, his thumbs brushing away tears as they fell. "Faye, we're going to be okay. I know it wasn't planned, but that doesn't change how much I love you or how excited I am to add to our family. And this time, you won't go through it alone. I'll be here for everything. Every doctor's appointment, every late night--everything."

"I love you," she whispered, unsure of how to put her thoughts into words.

"I love you too. We're going to be okay, Faye. We've got this."

Faye knew that the pregnancy was going to be a challenge, but she'd have Quinn by her side this time. And that made it feel slightly less terrifying.

Quinn pulled her closer, resting his chin on top of her head. "Our little family is growing... and I couldn't be happier."

"Who knew all of this could come from a college party."

[rwshfordgirl]

WEDDING

all images were taken from pinterest.

where he and reader met thanks to her brother's marriage to his cousin.

paring: joão félix X reader!

a/n: i really hope you like it because i loved the result 😭

requests are open | check here my masterlist

i don't think I've ever taken a shower so quickly in all my years of life, all because i woke up bizarrely late but it's not reason enough for me to leave the house without taking a bath. and i had to make a big effort to remember where i was going today, i only remembered that it was an important event but my mind busy with college can't remember everything.

but the post-it stuck to the fridge made me eat quickly and get to the car even faster. i completely forgot that today was reserved for my brother's bride, it's the day to help her choose her wedding dress and consequently the bridesmaids' dresses.

"i hope you're already arriving." the message she sent arrived on my cell phone a few seconds after i parked the car near the wedding dress atelier. my brother was with my cousins and some men i didn't know outside, which intrigued me. "what are you doing here?" i asked, approaching. "we'll try on the suits right after you guys." he replied and i nodded. "today is going to be a long day for you guys." i smiled and entered the place most loved by all brides. i hadn't even gone up the stairs when i heard laughter from the men outside "fabio, joão wants to be your brother-in-law." an unknown male voice shouted and more laughter was heard.

i found the comment funny even though i don't know who said it, much less who joão is. i just know that single life is really cool. even though i sometimes miss sleeping cuddled up with someone, but i don't think i have any intention of meeting anyone at my brother's wedding, unless  mr. destiny has other plans.

"finally, i thought you would never arrive." i was greeted by my mother opening the door to the salon reserved for brides. her hands promptly grabbed my cheeks. "long time no see, huh?" i joked about the fact that i had spent the entire afternoon at her house yesterday. my mother just stuck out her tongue as an answer and pulled me into the room. my sister-in-law was already trying on a beautiful dress like cindelera's. she looked at me through the reflection in the mirror.

"what do you think?" she asked me. i was speechless. carol was so beautiful in that dress, she really looked like a princess. "it's already my favorite." she smiled and i could see her eyes welling up. "it's mine too." she said, wiping away the tears that had started to form. "i can't believe I've barely arrived and i'm already leaving." the other bridesmaids in the room laughed and carol rolled her eyes. "no way. i'll try on some others to make sure of my choice."

i pretended to snort as i sat on the edge of the couch. there are so many women in the room, my mother, her mother, carol's friends and cousins. i can't even imagine how many bridesmaids she will have. but my brother and she deserve a wedding worthy of royalty.

fabio is two years older than me and we have always been best friends, he knows more about my life than my mother. and i remember perfectly when he introduced us to carol, she is the sister-in-law of anyone's dreams.

"carol, may i come in?" three knocks on the door distracted my attention. most likely one of the boys sitting downstairs wants to speak to the bride. "of course joão, my favorite cousin." joão, the boy from a few minutes ago. i felt something strange when she said that. i involuntarily adjusted my posture and started to fiddle with the necklace around my neck. the door opened slowly, but soon revealed a tall, smiling male figure with brown hair. his gaze went straight to me, since i, sitting on the edge of the sofa, am the first thing anyone who opens the door will see.

he continued on his way towards the bride and i didn't try to hide the fact that i was following him with my eyes, something that my mother noticed "carol's cousin, isn't he cute?" i turned towards her with my eyes slightly widened, she nudged me and motioned for me to turn toward joão again. he was about to leave, but his eyes met mine before his fingers touched the doorknob and my mother gently motioned with her fingers for him to come to her. "mãe." i muttered.

"fabio introduced you to his sister, joão?" she pointed in my direction. "he told me when she passed by us a few minutes ago, but we haven't been introduced." he smiled at me. "nice to meet you, joão!" he extended his hand to me and i shook it. "nice to meet you joão, i'm yn." He didn't stop smiling which made me uncomfortable, he was causing me a very strange feeling "we'll see you later, your brother asked me to go get something with him." he commented "but again, it was nice to meet you." i received a wink that made me disconnect from the outside world, i didn't even see when he opened the door and left and didn't even heard what my mother just said.

it took carol three hours to make sure that the dress she tried on when she arrived was the right one. and it took us another two hours to choose the bridesmaids' dresses. the boys who were waiting for their turn to try on their suits walked past us with tired faces, but i couldn't help but notice that joão was no longer there. i believe we will only see each other again on the wedding day.

two months later.

i don't know how i ended up in a chelsea match and still sitting almost next to the  players on the bench. in fact, i don't know why i accepted my brother's invitation, seriously. there we are, me and five other friends of his, in the middle of the excited fans of the english team.

but the urge to leave disappeared from my body when the players entered the field to warm up. on the screen appeared someone i had seen only once two months ago, joão, carol's cousin. i was surprised, he doesn't look like a football player. i swore he was a student on one of those super competitive courses. joão félix, chelsea's number 14 hasn't left my head since i met him and he is definitely the reason behind my presence here today, my brother commented that he won the tickets from someone.

something that was confirmed when the game ended and the fans began to empty the stadium, but my brothers and friends didn't move a muscle "aren't we leaving?" i asked my brother who denied "let's wait for joão." i swallowed hard and settled into the seat, admiring the view of the field and thinking about joão.

"are you really mad about the game, man?" i was taken out of my thoughts by my brother's voice, when i looked at him, joão was sitting behind him. i smiled simply at the player when he looked at me, he smiled back but there was disappointment written all over his face. chelsea drew with a team i didn't know and joão missed an incredible chance to score the tiebreaker. 

"let's go home. drink and forget about this game." one of my brother's friends said and joão put his hands on his own face. "i don't wanna" he said before taking a deep breath. i stood up with the intention of saying goodbye, i felt it was time to go. "it was nice spending the night here with you guys, but I'm going now." i got up from the bench with my coat wrapped around my arm. "how are you leaving?" my brother asked. "by bus." i answered and he nodded. "don't you want me to take you?" he asked and i quickly refused. "i can take you, it's too late for you to go alone." joão surprisingly offered to take me. he said this as he got up from the bench "great idea! joão is a great driver, you'll be fine." my brother also got up and patted me twice on the shoulder.

i nodded to joão, i hate going home alone at night. even if i go from here to who knows where, i'm completely uncomfortable being in a stranger's car but even more nervous because this stranger is the portuguese player.

we both said goodbye to the guys and i followed joão to the garage. we passed some players on the way and the portuguese guy said goodbye to everyone. but i have to say that i freaked out inside when we got to his car and he opened the  door for me. my gaze went from the door to him, a slight smile appeared on his face "thank you" the thanks came out almost like a whisper.iI watched in the rearview mirror as he walked behind the car and sat in the driver's seat. "where are we going?" he asked as he opened the gps on the car's dashboard. "do you know the address of my mother's house?" he nodded. "yes, i do. i go there with fabio a lot." i smiled. "you can drop me off there then. it's closer than dropping me off at home." he nodded, "but it's okay to drop you off at home if you want, i can go there. where is it?" he questioned "no need, i don't want to bother you! and anyway i would have to go to my mother's house tomorrow, you're already going to save me from having to take the subway." i laughed "are you sure?" i nodded and he put my mother's house address into the gps.

"now i understand why i never saw you at the parties that carol organizes." the car stopped at the red light a few seconds after we left the stadium. "why?" he looked at me while resting his head on the window. "because you must always be busy with games and practices." he smiled, a wide smile this time. "yeah, most of the time i arrive late at her events." i grimaced. "you'll never see me staying late at places, i'm a person who goes home very early." green light. "really, i've never seen you at the events and if i did, i would definitely remember, your face is not at all forgettable." i turned my head towards my window, embarrassed "i'll take that as a compliment." he tapped his fingers lightly on the steering wheel. "it's a compliment."

I bit my lip after letting out a shy laugh "thank you." i thanked him awkwardly "it's a great time to say that when we met on the day of choosing the wedding clothes, i could hear someone say that you wanted my brother's brother-in-law." he laughed "i knew you heard, bruno almost grabbed a megaphone to be heard by the entire united kingdom." another red light, this time his hands went to his face "all this because i said a wow when you left."

"I liked knowing that i messed with you." i said before thinking "yeah, i was really surprised that i couldn't get it out of my head." i looked at him out of the corner of my eye "would you be disappointed if i told you that i have a boyfriend?" joão looked at me wide-eyed but i signaled for him to pay attention to the traffic, the cars in front of him had already moved. "do you have?" he became apprehensive "no, i'm just kidding." he chuckled as he placed his hand on his chin. i don't know where i got the courage to flirt like that.

my mother's house is relatively close to the blues house. we arrived quickly and i was a little disappointed, i admit. now that things were starting to happen. joão got out of the car with me and walked me to the door "thanks for the ride." i dared to kiss him on the cheek, his cheeks blushed and his gaze remained fixed on the floor for a few seconds "can we see each other again before the wedding?" he asked "yes, whenever you want." he gave me his cell phone so i could add my number and so i did "good night joão, thanks again." i put the key in the doorknob and saw the player slowly walking away "it was a pleasure! let me know when you need a ride."  he approached the car "bye, good night!" he honked at me before disappearing from my field of vision.

i walked into my house and nearly melted as i closed the door. "i think I'm going to get a new son-in-law." my mother appeared out of nowhere. "it was just a ride." she laughed at me. "today it's a ride, tomorrow a proposal." i just laughed, rolling my eyes. unfortunately, I just saw him  and i've already started counting the days until i see him again.

[unanimousgolddd]

Omg I love your writing!! Can we please get part 3 to the Wesker series?? 💓💓🙏

Connection

OMG, I'm literally so happy, this is my first request/ask.

Summary: Kissing your boss was the greatest and worst idea. Now, he won't leave you alone in your mind. But, you can't be too upset.

TW: lots of kissing (but like minor making out), pre-RE1 Wesker is possibly ooc, usage of pet name (dearest), GN! Reader, work was kind of rushed/not entirely proofread and may seem incomplete.

Word Count: ~2.7k

Pt. 1 & Pt. 2

Author's note: I may just write the date sometime soon idk, (maybe even NSFW/suggestive if someone requests it). And I don't like this one too much so some events may be change (undecided though).

─── ⋆⋅ ♰ ⋅⋆ ───

You laughed. Or rather, giggled. 

It was Sunday, and you had just finished cleaning your dinner dishes and putting them back in your cupboards. It was a typical Sunday, just as yesterday had been a typical Saturday. On Saturday, you had cleaned your home, from the pictures to the book and CD shelves, putting more effort than usual into cleaning the floors and counters. It felt as if you were putting on a show or trying to seem more presentable. Today, you had the opportunity to admire your hard work by lounging around and being lazy for once. However, even when you turned on your favorite TV show before switching to a movie, you never truly paid attention. Not because you knew the scenes by heart, but because your mind was elsewhere, thinking about someone. 

You’ve been giggling since Friday like a schoolgirl. It started after work, after that kiss, when you took a shower before lying on your back upon your sheets. You giggled before rolling over and kicking your legs as you smiled. You felt ridiculous, yet each time you thought about him, about his lips and hands, you couldn’t help yourself. 

It felt like torture, roaming around your home as your mind pestered you with the memory of him, of his words, of his touch. You wanted to call him and go “Do you wanna go to dinner with me?” but you could never bring yourself to press the call button. 

You liked to say you had patience and could keep yourself level-headed in times of stress. But when it came to him, Dr. Wesker, your boss who seemed to push past your limits, stress you out, and hook you in so much that you couldn’t leave, you could hardly say you were level-headed. 

Now, like a fool, you stared at your TV. It was hopeless thinking you could ever get over what he did. He was interested in you, yet, despite your initial jumping for joy, you couldn’t believe him. It was obvious Wesker had a preference in everything, which would inevitably include partners. But you knew he never did anything without reason. He chose you for a reason, he chose to kiss you, he chose to get so close yet stay so far from you. 

Your body jerks as you feverishly shake your head like a madman, trying to rid him from your thoughts. Eventually, you shut the TV off and head to your room, flopping onto your bed and sighing dramatically. As if on cue, your phone buzzes. And pathetically, you immediately move to see what the notification was, a little too excited. 

But before you could type out a response, he sent another message. 

I need you in the office by 7:45 sharp for an experiment.

The first message read and you already begin to feel yourself smile. You weren’t exactly crazy, anyone would be incredibly upset at having to come to work earlier than normal. You were excited as it meant you’d see him longer than usual. 

Try to get some more sleep than usual, yes, dearest?

Your thumbs moved on their own, and you typed out a response faster than you would’ve liked. 

Of course. I’ll see you at 7:45.

You looked away from your screen and turned off the device before forcing yourself to take a deep breath.You turned off your phone and took Wesker’s advice and went through your nightly routine. Not long after you found yourself lying in bed. You set an earlier alarm on your phone before placing it on the nearby nightstand and sighing. Sometime later, your eyes slowly fluttered closed as the background noise of whatever was playing on your TV helped you fall asleep. 

༺♰༻

You woke up to the sound of your alarm with a huff and glare up at whatever your eyes fell on. You went through your morning as usual, showering and doing your hair, dressing, and eating something for breakfast before leaving the house. Traffic was easy on the way to work, given that it was earlier than you would leave the house. Getting into the labs was a breeze. 

You walk quietly to your office, passing by no one except the tall and bleak walls that make up the labyrinth system of the underground labs. When you come to the office door, you grab the door handle and step inside. You give Wesker a small smile, who’s already at his desk and doing something. He doesn’t glance up at you, although you had your back turned as you unpacked your bag for the day, so you couldn’t see if he did or not. 

“You’re early.” He said, flipping a page. 

You look back at him over your shoulder, brows furrowing in confusion. “What do you mean? You told me to be early.” You replied as you leaned against your desk, the side of your leg pressing against the wood. His head lifts, and he doesn’t say anything momentarily. 

“I said a quarter til eight. Not 7:20.” 

You turn your head and look at the wall with widened eyes. Finally realizing why this morning seemed so quiet and easy, you swallowed and decided to open your laptop in silence. “I didn’t realize.” You said, typing in the password with fumbling fingers. Wesker gives a short hum before you can hear his chair rolling back on the floor. His footsteps draw nearer as he comes towards you, promptly rounding the corner of your desk and standing beside you. It wasn’t long before his hand was on the back of your chair, turning you to face him before tilting his head. Your eyes were forced away from the screen of your laptop to the shades he wore upon the bridge of his nose, the dark lenses giving you a view of your reflection. “We’ll have to find some way to pass the time, yes? I’m afraid there isn’t anything significant to do yet.” He muttered, his hand moving to the armrest of the chair. 

Your heart leaps at his words, and you curtly clear your throat to at least speak clearly. 

“Are you suggesting something, Wesker?” You asked. 

He shrugs a little as he leans in a little closer. “Tell me what my last words were to you, please?” He requested in a low voice. “‘Remind me to do that again,’” You repeated his words quietly, and a small smirk graced his lips, displaying his satisfaction in your compliance.

“So…” He drags out the word a little as he continues to look at you, unmoving from his position in front of you. He blocked you from leaving the chair with his right hand on the armrest of the chair and his other on the surface of your desk. You momentarily looked away from the dark lenses to his outfit, taking notice of the top three open buttons of his dark blue shirt and the black slacks of his pants. “What do you think I am suggesting, dearest?” There’s that word again. That God awful word that always brought the same heart-fluttering reaction to you. What you wouldn’t do to hear him call you that constantly was very little. 

“Do I have to say it?”

“I would like you to.” His hand reaches up, and he grabs your chin gently, tilting your head up to look at him once more. 

You release your breath a bit forcibly and take a conscious inhale. “But what if I would rather have you show me?” You asked boldly but just as quietly as before. 

“That works as well.” He hums. 

In less than ten minutes, you were already kissing him again. All morning, you didn’t want to appear excited at the idea of getting to kiss him again, that would make it seem like you were desperate for him. However, you had been looking forward to another moment with him since Friday, even if you denied it. 

The kisses started like the first one, tender and slow. But, not long after, his hand moved from your chin to your throat. He was gripping it as if he was trying to choke you, but instead, it was a heavy reminder of who you were with, almost like a weight of ownership over you, even if neither of you was in a committed relationship. The kisses soon turned a little rougher as his head tilted to the right to deepen the kiss. And you leaned back in your chair, letting his body cover you as he led the kiss. The only time you parted was to breathe a measly few kisses before getting kissed again. 

His knee nudged your legs open so he could get closer to you before there was a knock at the door. He gave a noise of dissatisfaction and parted from you, head turning to the door. Your eyes opened, and you looked at him, eyes catching a glimpse of his red lips before he moved from you, opening the door. Soon enough, Wesker was gone from the office room as he was required for a meeting with other high-level Umbrella workers. This left you alone with tingling lips, a hot face, and your thoughts. 

It was two hours until you saw Wesker and immediately once he got into the office, he ordered you to grab things for the experiments. You reminded yourself that this was a time for work, not a time for making out with your boss. So, you grabbed the needed supplies and soon met with the scientist in the testing rooms. 

For God knows how long, you spent time in the testing labs, taking notes on the results and behaviors of the test subjects. You did whatever Wesker asked you, given that it was your job as his assistant and no matter how harsh or rude he sounded. After several short breaks and a lunch, you were finally released back to the office to pack your things and leave for home. 

“You coming?” You asked Wesker as you neared the door. He shook his head, eyes glued to the papers in front of him. “No, I need to finish. You may leave.” He said, and you gave a short nod, grabbing the door handle and promptly leaving the testing room. You languidly moved back to your office, strolling the halls without haste. It felt odd not walking by his side, a bit awkward, but comfortable in his presence. Whatever had gone on in the meeting this morning had ruined his mood. You asked about it earlier during your lunch, but he only gave you a sharp “don’t worry about it” before going back to eating. 

As outlandish as it sounds, you had no interest in leaving yet, and after reaching the office and sitting at your desk, you only waited for your coworker. Luckily, it wasn’t long before he entered the room, hand running through his slicked back hair as he sighed deeply. 

“I thought you left.” He said with a low voice laced with barely masked exhaustion. “I wanted to wait for you.” You said softly, previously messing around with your phone moments prior. 

You stood up as he moved over to his desk, handling his things without the same calculated and meticulous care. You studied him for a moment, catching the way his brows furrowed with the little creases in between his brows deepening for a moment. “You’re stressed.” You stated as you rounded the corner of his desk and stood at his side. 

He gave a gruff hum, moving the things from atop his desk to the drawers or folders. You bring your hands to his shoulders, momentarily stilling his movements and bringing his attention to you. You dig your thumbs into the tight muscles of his shoulders, making him relax much quicker than you thought. 

“You don’t need to tell me about what happened in the meeting,” you said as you massaged his shoulders, his hands letting go of the various papers and manila folders. “But can you at least tell me why you’re suddenly so stressed?” You asked quietly, gaze moving up to the dark lenses. 

His hands uncharacteristically hesitate before moving to your waist, the heat of his palms seeping through the material of your shirt. “To put it simply…” He licked his lips and paused his sentence. “Things that were discussed were not to my preference.” He said as he looked at you, the weight of his gaze lingering near your eyes before moving down to your lips. 

You nod to his words as you suck in a breath. 

You weren’t in a relationship. You couldn’t be, not as long as you were a scientist and an assistant. However, the heavy tension between you was undeniable. You hadn’t believed it would end like this–your nights spent yearning for his presence and touch, and your days accompanied by thick tension that kept you from thinking straight during work. 

But your gaze moved to his hand as it left your waist and moved to grab his sunglasses. He pulled them off his face, with your eyes connecting to his for the first time. He stared at you, his pretty deep blue eyes staring back at you. They were like how you imagined, a deep blue that drew you in, but not exactly. You expected them to have a sharper gaze, but instead, there was a hint of softness in his gaze whenever he looked at you. He reached over and placed the shades on the table. 

“Is there a way I can help you, Dr. Wesker?” You asked in a quiet voice, hands stilling as they began to move upwards. The pads of your fingers trace the column of his neck, grazing his Adam’s apple before reaching the sharpness of his jaw. You hesitated before bringing your fingers up to his features, touching his face. You ran your fingers over the bridge of his nose and his cheeks before your thumb gently rubbed over the outer line of his lips. 

Without another moment wasted, he leaned in and kissed you once more. Your lower back hit the edge of his desk as he pushed you against it, hands tightening around your waist. You let out a gasp, and this time, he didn't hesitate to slip his tongue inside your mouth the moment your lips parted. You didn’t know how much time had passed until you parted and gave a glance at the clock. It was past seven, and you would’ve been home by now if you hadn’t decided to stay for him. 

Wesker’s gaze never left you, however, the heavy but soft gaze roaming your features as if he was seeing you in a different light. You were attractive even with your slightly out-of-place hair and flushed cheeks, even more so without the dark filter of the sunglasses. 

“Would you be free Saturday night?” He asked unexpectedly, his tone serious. You looked over at him before pretending to think as you looked off to the side. “Hmm…I don’t know, I have to check with my boss about that.” You joked. His eyes narrowed, but you knew he was slightly amused. 

“But, yes, I am free. Why?”

“You deserve a proper date and not just infrequent kisses. I’ll message you the details soon.” 

You raised a brow before an uncontrollable smile came to your lips. You hadn’t expected that; however, you were a little glad you weren’t the one asking for a date. 

“You’re something else, Wesker.” You said with a smile as you move towards your desk and begin to grab your bag and other belongings. He followed the same and soon enough, was walking out the door with his hand on the small of your back. “I hope this something else is good.” He said as you both made your ways to the elevator. 

Moments later, it was the two of you walking to your cars in the parking garage in a comfortable silence. “Let’s be a little professional during working hours. I’d rather not have rumors spreading around the facility.” He suggests. Then, he gives you a goodbye kiss and walks off to his car without an ounce of shame. “Just keep your body to yourself, and we won’t have any problems, Dr,” you respond as he glances back at you. He smirks before entering the driver’s side and promptly driving away. Bastard. 

Despite his asshole behavior, you were looking forward to that date.

[exhaslo]

not sure if your requests are still open but i'll throw mines in

a spider woman reader who's like Miguel's right hand person in the spider society, they're pretty prideful and have an ego (already in a relationship with him) one day she has to go on an anomaly mission, comes back but completely avoids everyone including him, turns out she got hit with some sex pollen and was too embarrassed to say anything and miguel still helps treat it 👌🏻👀

I'm going to officially open up my requests back soon, I just have a few more of these that were submitted to get done before I openly accept more requests!

But, ayeeeeeee haven't had a sex pollen one in a hot minute!

Warning: MINORS DNI, smut, fingering, overstimulation, begging, sex pollen

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"Stop....smirking," You said with a small whimper.

This was the most embarrassing moment in your life. At least right now it was. You were laying against a soft bed inside one of the spare rooms in the Spider Society, legs spread wide as your loving boyfriend decided to torment you. Miguel was enjoying this far more than he should.

"But (Y/N), it's so nice seeing you so submissive," He cooed against your ear, his talons tearing apart what little fabric you had left on,

"D-Don't....get used to....it," You cried out a soft moan, trembling towards the cold air hitting your cunt. Miguel lazily licked your bottom lip,

"You asked me to help, baby, so I'm helping...just slowly."

You shuddered, arching your back to try and get his touch. This was so embarrassing. You had never let Miguel see you this desperate. The two of you were always competing in your relationship with him, but this time...you had to cave.

--------

A few hours before this surprise event, you were sitting beside Miguel, helping him file some anomaly reports. Everyone assumed that you were his right hand woman-which you were-but you were also his girlfriend.

The two of you were still unsure of how dating between the multiverse would work, but it was impossible to keep the two of you away from one another. You were just as stubborn as he was and when you wanted something...you went to get it.

You had pride. You may have a bit of an ego, but Miguel loved that about you. He would get riled up whenever you bickered with him. It brought some spark to the relationship whenever the two of you tried to see who would cave first.

Sometimes it was you.

Sometimes Miguel.

Whoever the victory was got to take control of the night. You never wanted to admit it, but Miguel was a fucking god in bed. You would not hesitate to bend over for him, but at the same time, you would. You didn't want to admit that you liked him taking control.

"(Y/N)," Miguel hummed as his watch went off. You leaned your head back into his,

"Which big bad is it?"

"A Green Goblin," Miguel sighed. You got up and put the paperwork aside, "Be careful. It's on one of those Earths with no humans."

"Oh, fun." You said with a smirk and leaned down to peck Miguel's lips, "I'll have some peace and quiet for a bit."

"Sure. Be careful,"

"I always am."

-------

You were fucked. You were so fucking fucked. Yes, you had managed to complete the mission and capture the Green Goblin, but the cost? That bastard sent you flying into a field of strange flowers, whose pollen was now soaking your panties.

You tried to chase some relief before returning, but your fingers were not enough. You had made yourself cum twice, but you still needed more. Hurrying back to the Spider Society, you knew that you could hide in one of the spare rooms.

If masturbating wasn't going to fix this, then you needed to stay under a cold shower.

Passing by everyone, you hurried to the rooms. You couldn't afford to let anyone find out. Gasping, you spotted Miguel heading your way. Your pussy clenched as you thought about his dick railing you. His hard cock fitting so perfectly inside your desperate cunt.

"(Y/N)? Are you alright?" Miguel asked. You shuddered lowly,

"Fine," Your voice cracked.

"No, you-"

"I-I'm fine!"

You were biting the inside of your cheek as you rushed off. Your body was burning up and being so close to Miguel almost made you pounce on him. This was horrible. You didn't want Miguel to see you like this.

Finally entering the room, you laid on the bed and screamed into the pillow. You needed to take a cold shower, but you wanted to relieve some of this pain first. Thinking about Miguel's dick inside you only made your symptoms worse!

"Hah~ Ah, Miguel...fuck..." You cried, furiously rubbing your clit, "F-Fuck...I...I need...m-more."

"(Y/N)? What's going on?!" Miguel quickly shut the door as he hurried to your side.

You cussed, laying on your back as you continued to rub your clit. Tears formed in the corner of your eyes as you made eye contact with Miguel.

"I-I got hit with...some pollen. Miguel, fuck...I-I ah~ can't do this by myself!" You cried, unable to take the pain.

"Ay dios mio (My god), (Y/N), you have to let me know shit like this. I'm here to help you, damnit."

You whimpered as Miguel removed your hands, replacing them with his. Your body jolted forward, moaning louder as you felt his thick digits pump into your wet velvet walls. Your pussy sounded so slutty as Miguel pumped into you.

"M-Mig, r-right there!"

"I've heard about the sex pollen. Never seen the effects up close," Miguel hummed, watching you cum against his fingers alone, "It's nice seeing you like this."

"Stop....smirking," You said with a small whimper.

"But (Y/N), it's so nice seeing you so submissive," He cooed against your ear, his talons tearing apart what little fabric you had left on,

"D-Don't....get used to....it," You cried out a soft moan, trembling towards the cold air hitting your cunt. Miguel lazily licked your bottom lip,

"You asked me to help, baby, so I'm helping...just slowly."

You cried and squirmed as Miguel rubbed the tip of his dick against your cunt. You shuddered and cried, begging him to just fuck you already. His dick was coated in your juices and you were ready to have him coat your insides white.

"M-Miguel, please...please, please, fuck me!" You kept begging. Miguel held your hips, pushing his dick in slowly,

"I'm never going to hear such sweet begs again, am I?" He asked, resting his dick inside your tight walls, "You took me in so well,"

"M-Move, please! It hurts."

Miguel frowned as he stroked your cheek and pulled you in for a kiss. His hips started to sway into yours, finally giving you what you wanted.

"Just let me know when it goes away," Miguel whispered.

You whimpered and moaned as you held onto your boyfriend. His thick dick pounding your fleshy core. Your vision was blurring as your body kept cumming from pleasure. Your core still burning, begging to be filled to the brim.

With each thrust, you felt you body jolt. No matter how deep and rough Miguel was hitting, you still wanted more. The bedsheets below you were stained in your juices as you kept crying for him. Your body trembling from the overwhelming pleasure.

Gasping as you felt Miguel fill you with his cum, you whimpered for more. Miguel placed you on your knees, pressing your face into the pillow as he railed you from behind. Your hands curled into fists as you tried not to pass out.

"Mig~ Mig! More!" You kept crying out.

You were losing count of how many times you cam. You were losing count of how many times Miguel's dick hit your cervix. All you felt was how hot and wet your insides were. The numbing feeling of his dick pounding into your horny pussy.

"Mhm~ Ah~"

You were a babbling mess, whimpering and moaning to each thrust. Right now, you didn't care about your pride. All you cared about what Miguel filling you up. Gasping, you felt your body burst once more as a cooling feeling washed over you.

"Fuck, hn, (Y/N)!" Miguel grunted as he slapped himself at a rougher pace.

"Ah~" You felt some of your senses return as you felt him cum inside you once more.

Panting heavily, you tried to say something, but your voice was cracked. Shuddering, you moaned as Miguel continued his rough thrusts. The sex pollen had finally wore off, but your body was so sensitive and fucked out that you didn't want to stop.

"Mig~"

After another few rounds, you were spent. You body laid against the bed, exhausted and weak. Miguel went to start a bath and returned for you, picking you up with ease. You just leaned against him, whimpering at the slightest touch.

"Shh, it's going to be a while until you're good." Miguel warned as he placed you in the bath with him, "Next time this happens, you need to come straight to me."

"...No...next time." You whispered tiredly. Miguel just chuckled in response,

"I know, I know. You won't get caught in this again," He hummed, kissing your head in response, "Sex pollen or not, I'll happily fuck you into submission."

"Mhm,"

You weren't going to argue this time. Not when you were already exhausted. Closing your eyes, you decided to let Miguel take care of you tonight. He deserved it for having to deal with your issue. Scoffing quietly, you also deserved to relax after being railed who knows how many times.

"Mig,"

"Hm?"

"Analyze....the pollen...I'm going...to need revenge."

"No,"

You just pouted, slowly falling asleep against him. Miguel was never going to let you live this down. He enjoyed it too much and you were not going to get the pollen yourself.

Guess you'll just have to take this loss.

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Hope you enjoyed!!!

[posionbirdmp2]

I'm the anon who sent the request for comfort of a lonely reader and idk if this is allowed and and you're probably tired of fluff but what about a Shadow Milk x Y/N who is suffering from gender dysphoria?

I really loved how you wrote my other request, and since you requested an emoji, can I pls be 🐰🐱 anon? Thank you so much for writing my asks!! You're very skilled and nice :D

OMG!!!!!! HI 🐰🐱 ANON, I MISS YOU MY CHILD!!! okay guys all of my anons are children now. I do kinda want some angst but I also love fluff so dw about it!!! Since you didn’t put in your ask about what y/n is transitioning too, I’m going to write that reader is afab (a female at birth) and is currently non-binary, if you want me to switch this up please let me know 🙏🙏

Warning:fluff, a bit of angst??, FUCKING OUT OF CHARACTER. “Shadow Milk Cookie isn’t nice” WOMP WOMP

“YOU MAY NOT SEE IT, BUT I DO.”

You are non-binary! And honestly, it’s one of the best things you have figured out in your life. The world just seems clearly to finally just accept who you are as a person. Everyone in Crispea is probably supportive of you too, even if they don’t know you. Well, a lot of people do.

You are ALSO Shadow Milk Cookies partner. How couldn’t you be so known after dating the BEAST OF DECEIT? Trust me, as soon as you guys started dating, he made it KNOWN. Like, C-MAILS (Cookie form of Gmail I made up) going to the commonest of cookies. Plays upon plays have been written for you, and you got to see them all.

When you transitioned and told him about it, well, he was the definition of supportive. He immediately understood the change and made a PROMISE that he would only call you by what you would prefer to be called. And if he ever broke this promise, you could break every single one of his fingers.

“I pinky promise.” He said, a silly but truthful look on his face. “And how do I know you’re not lying, hm?” You spat back, playing along like you knew he wanted you too. “I’ll let you break all of my fingers.” As soon as he said that, your pinky finger swooped in to make contact with his, and your mouth gained a smile. “Deal.”

But even once you accepted your gender, you couldn’t just stop yourself from picking out the small little details that made you look more feminine. Your big breasts were still visible, and it didn’t matter how much binding tape and binders you put on them. You had big hips, no matter how baggy your pants were. Bigs lips, smaller chin, rounder eyes, everything was a mistake. You couldn’t stand to stare at all of the mirrors in Shadow Milks palace, and there were a bunch. It felt like everywhere you looked, all you could see was a stranger, someone so distant yet so familiar.

One day, while changing into some clothing, you couldn’t help but too stare into your only mirror in your room. It was small one, but big enough so you could see your upper half. You looked over all of your features, from your face to your chest, and you could feel your cheeks heat up. Not from only being in a binder and some boxers, but from angry. You couldn’t FATHOM why the witches made you look like this.

As the feeling of rage consumed your mind, you suddenly PUNCHED your mirror, “SHIT!” You screamed. Glass shards went everywhere, into the floor, and some cut open your skin. You yelped in pain, and clutched your fist. You know you had some bandages in your room, but as you were scanning around, a blue jester cookie rolled in loudly.

You assumed that he already knowing what happened to your fist, since your scream was pretty loud.He flew over, and held your bleeding hand in his. “Aw.. my poor doll. Let’s go get your hand wrapped up..!” He mumbled, trying to still act silly, possibly to cheer you up.

He gently swinging you around and started dragging you by your wrist, trying to not to hurt you more then you are. Once at the palaces medical center, (trust me, you were shocked once you told out he had one) he basically shoved you into a blue chair. It was similar to ones in nurses offices, but this one was softer.

Shadow Milk grabbed some of those bandages wraps, and starting to put some over your now starting to bruise knuckles. You could feel his eyes on you, like he was trying to read through you, and why would do such a thing.

“Sorry for uhm..” You stop, trying to decide if you should apologize, “breaking your mirror..?” You whispered, it sounding more like a question than an apology. It was true that it was his mirror that he gifted you, but you also knew it was true that he said he could remove it if you wanted him too..

“Nonsense. I really don’t care, actually!~” He said, but then continued. “Well- about the mirror, I do care about you still.” You knew he still cared about you, but you found it funny that he still had to make it clear.

“But.. why DID you punch it?” He questioned. You knew he would see straight through his lies, so you were just gonna come clean about the truth. You just hated that you had to.. talk about all of this.

“Uhm.. Gender Dysphoria..?” You answered, with a slight giggle to your voice. You then continued after, thinking you should explain yourself a bit more. “I just HATE how my body looks so..feminine? I just feel like I’m not a real enby..”

Shadow Milk Cookie, shoved his silly attitude OUT the window. He himself could relate to all of this. With all of his shape shifting, it is just hard to pick a gender. (Shadow Milk is genderfluid canon)

He sighed, and finished wrapping up your knuckles so he could cup your cheeks like you were a little baby. Then, he spoke, “My little star. You need to realize that your appearance doesn’t change your gender, and it never will.” Before you could respond though, he ‘magical’ shape-shifted into a girl. He had a long silky dress, and his hair was all long and dressed up. “See?” He stated, and you couldn’t help but giggle a little bit.

“Can you stay like that?” You asked, and he nodded his head. “For as long as you want.” He added on. Your mouth earned a smile as you stood up from the chair and clinged your arms around his torso, trying to pull him in for a hug. He didn’t deny the embrace, but he actually pulled you closer. “Thank you..” you whispered, as you closed your eyes in his arms.

A/N: GOD, this took long. Still healing from my surgery but atleast my writers block is gone, hope you guys like this one!

P.S; I don’t experience gender dysphonia often, even as a trans person. I’m sorry if I wrote it wrong!