#im just too busy and stressed out to find time to gif and keep up with everything

[unoislazy]

I am feral for Mizu and you’ve been feeding me well with your Mizu fics so thank you so much for your service!! 💕💕💕💕💗💗💗💗💗 i really enjoy your writing and the way you portray Mizu. With that said i wanna run a scenario by you and im just wondering how do you think it’d play out (if you like the idea enough to do a mini fic or headcanons that’d be awesome but if not then that’s okay and i understand 💕) hear me out, what if Mikio had a sister and she lived with him and Mizu during the time they were married, say her and Mizu bonded while they all live together but then their friendship blossoms into romantic love 🥺 how do you think that’d play out?

I Am No Coward

(Part 1)

Mizu x Fem! Reader

A/N: all of you guys are so nice and I love all of you. Thank you for the suggestion! This will be around a 4 part series that I hope to continue working on in the near future so BUCKLE UP

Also!

I am planning on making a Mizu x Black reader soon but I’m struggling on deciding a scenario for it. If anyone has any suggestions they won’t be to try out for it, I’ll take them with open arms!

Summary: You’re Mikio’s sister and todays the day you meet his new bride to be.

————————————————————

Days were quiet with you and your older brother Mikio. After you had been put under his care and he had been outcasted by the lord, you both lived on his land more on the countryside, away from those who would cast their unwanted opinions on to you.

You usually took care of the more mundane tasks, cooking, cleaning; Things Mikio never truly liked to do. He wasn’t against helping but he was usually too busy with the horses to ever truly give you a hand. You knew your brother was obsessed with trying to win back the favor of the Shogun and as much as you knew it wasn’t going to happen, you let him believe anyways.

Time went on as usual until one day Mikio had returned home with some news.

“I’ve been offered a wife.” He said plainly as he took off his cape. You stopped cutting the vegetables and turned to him with a smile.

“That’s great… right?” You smiled hopefully. Given that he was now deemed an outcast and he was an older man it was unlikely that he would find any matches at this point, so you were just pleased that someone had been offered.

“She has the eyes of an onryo.” Was all he said in response before walking over to you. He kneeled down, watching what you were doing with a watchful yet critical eye. He adjusted your hand, suggesting that you had been cutting wrong in the first place.

“And that’s a problem?” You asked, your smile dropping for a moment as you rolled your eyes at his wordless suggestion. You knew he truly had no say in what opportunities were offered to him, you both did. If he had anything to gain, he should take it. He sighed for a moment, looking down before answering,

“No, She’ll be here in three days.”

Your smile returned, pleased to know that at least your brother would experience something other than the constant stress of trying to win back his honor.

You didn’t care what his wife would look like, she could have blue eyes, green hair, and purple skin for all you cared. All you cared about was your brother being happy, and you hoped she would be the key to that.

Mikio used to be a much more upbeat man. He liked to bring light to dreary situations with a joke or some laughter, but he always knew when to keep it serious. However, after he had been outcasted it seemed like all the fun parts of him disappeared. He became so hellbent on training the horses to be the best they could be that he forgot to have fun or indulge himself in anything. You used to enjoy spending time with him and you were elated when you realized you would be put under his care, but that joy soon subsided when you realized just the effect a bruised ego can have on a man. He became closed off, irritable, and would barely even give you the time of day. He cared about nothing more than his honor and as much as you tried not to, you began to resent him for it.

But you kept your thoughts to yourself and went on with your life, hoping someone would come along and change him.

The three days had passed and it was time for his new bride to arrive.

And Mikio was nowhere in sight.

You sighed, disappointed in him, believing he was avoiding yet another responsibility that seemed to ‘get in the way’ of his horses. Even if you had suggested anything, he wouldn’t listen to you, he knew what was best for him.

At least that’s what he claimed.

You sat quietly outside your house, waiting patiently for the woman to arrive so you could greet her. If anything you were ecstatic to meet the mystery woman and you hoped you’d manage to get along with her.

It hadn’t taken long for you to see them approaching. The two women walked towards your direction, both holding two bags, presumably full of their belongings. However, the younger woman seemed to also be holding what looked like a sheathed sword.

You smiled, now standing and walking down the steps, excited to meet the woman. You watched as the two women made their way towards you, one older and one younger. The older woman had turned to face the house that you stood before and spotted you, giving you a wide smile before turning back to the younger woman who seemed reluctant to continue following.

You couldn’t blame her.

Marriage wasn’t something a woman had control over in your world, you just got lucky that you got placed under your brother's care; because of him you were also considered ‘disgraced’ so not many men would truly want you.

She finally made her way, after many unpleasant words from her mother, and stood at her full height with a very plain expression.

She was beautiful.

You examined her features for as long as you could deem polite, your eyes floated from her hair, to her dress, taking in her height, and then lastly taking notice of her eyes.

However, when it came to her eyes, you didn’t see the eyes of an onryo. You saw eyes that reflected a color you saw only in the sky above, you had never seen such eyes before, but you needn’t stare and make the woman uncomfortable, she just got here after all.

You walked towards the two women, an excited smile on your face as you greeted them.

“Hello! You must be the woman Mikio’s going to marry. What’s your name?” You asked happily, the woman stared at you for a moment, clearly in some inner battle with herself on what to do now that she’s in this position. You waited patiently, understanding that being forced to marry someone is not always the happiest thing to do so you did not want to push her.

Her mother, however, cleared her throat and sent a glare at the woman, you assumed from this she was the one who had set up this offer.

The woman sighed, looking back towards you and answering,

“Mizu, my name is Mizu.” She waited for a moment before looking at you, expecting you to say something before speaking up again and asking, “and you are?”

“Oh! I’m sorry, I’m Mikio’s sister.” You introduced yourself, you did give them your name but you figured it would be more helpful for them to know why you were there in the first place. With this new information Mizu seemed to relax just the slightest bit. Maybe she thought you were a concubine.

Gross.

“So, Where is the man?” Mizu’s mother asked, seemingly wanting to get the show on the road as she turned to you expectantly. You averted your gaze, a bit embarrassed as you answered,

“I’m actually not sure.”

With that answer both of the women stared at you like you were crazy.

“You may or may not be happy to know that Mikio often isn’t home. He’s usually out training his horses.” You explained, trying to subdue the urge to roll your eyes.

“I’m sure he’ll be here any minute.”

As if on cue, you could hear the thumping of hooves accompanied by the sound of a horse's whinny. You all turned to the source of the noise which just so happened to be the aforementioned man. You sighed a small sigh of relief, thankful that he didn’t make himself look too bad.

You snuck a small glance at Mizu, wanting to gauge her reaction to your brother and you noticed that her fists were balled up tightly and her face was scrunched. Just like you had expected, the marriage wasn’t her idea. You hoped to the gods your brother wouldn’t ruin this opportunity, if not for his sake than for yours, you were tired of only having his company and truly wanted someone else to be around.

Mikio yields his horse, stopping just in front of Mizu. The first words he uttered were,

“You’re not as hideous as I expected.”

If you could’ve gotten up on that horse and smacked the life out of that man, you would’ve. It didn’t have to be love at first sight but out of all the things to say when he first meets his soon to be wife, and that's what he says? In that moment you were disappointed to have introduced him as your brother.

“You’re a lot older than I expected.” Mizu responded, earning a quiet snicker from you. Between you and your brother there was a decent age difference. If anything you were closer to Mizu’s age which was quite weird in your eyes but… it’s a sign of the times you guessed. Mikio shot you a silent glare telling you to shut up, which you did and you acted as if you had done nothing wrong.

“Let’s get this over with.” He said plainly, guiding his horse back to the field. You rolled your eyes, turning back to Mizu who just watched him go with a very obvious glare on her face.

“I’m sorry about him but if it's any consolation, you won’t have to deal with him alone.” You mentioned, trying to be at least a little encouraging. Mizu looked at you, her glare subsiding as she gave you a very small smile. With that, Mizu’s mother quickly began to rush her inside, wanting to get her ready to be wed before the sun went down. You offered your assistance in getting her ready, the entire time taking it as an opportunity to get to know Mizu.

“I noticed you brought a sword, do you know how to fight?” You asked curiously as you carefully brushed the white makeup across Mizu’s pale face. You couldn’t help but admire the woman's beauty, sure she might not have had the face of a princess, but to you that didn't mean anything. Her eyes of course were the main feature but you had also taken notice of the curl that stuck out from her hair that was pulled up.

“I fought a bit in the past… I don’t know how much I’ll keep up with it though.” She answered with a sigh but she regained her composure once she had looked over to her mother who glared at her.

“I don't know, Mikio might enjoy someone to fight with,” You began, gaining her interest a bit as she looked back up towards you. “And if he doesn't, then I would love to learn if you’d be willing to teach me.”

She gave another small smile, acknowledging your attempt to lighten her mood.

Once she had finished getting ready, her makeup was done, she was dressed in all white, you and her mother took a step back to assess how she looked.

“You look perfect!” You exclaimed to which her mother slightly nodded.

“You look fine, now where is your brother?” She asked impatiently. You turned to her, about to answer but Mikio had already walked in before you could say anything. He had taken off his cape that he wore everywhere and walked past you without saying a word. You sneered at him, he couldn't even try to make an effort? He was more of a grump than you ever remembered him being.

The private ceremony went on with the help of Mizu’s mother. You had no role in the ceremony so you simply sat back and watched. You looked on and for a strange reason you almost wanted to stop them… you felt as if one of them was making a mistake and all though it wasn’t entirely clear who, you could take a wild guess and probably be right. Regardless, you sat back. Your opinion in this matter doesn't matter anyways even if you did have the courage to go out and say it.

Immediately after they had finished, Mikio stood up, handed his dish over to Mizu, and went on his way. You could see the subtle yet dejected look that came across Mizu’s face and you felt a pang in your heart. Sure he might not know the woman very well but the least he could do is act as if he’s even the slightest bit interested. You quickly walked over to Mizu and took the dishes from her hands.

“I’ll take those, don’t worry about them.” You smiled at her, again trying to offer some sort of comfort or reassurance but this time it led to no avail. Her mother had decided it would be best to get her ‘ready for tonight’ so they both walked out and into a different room, as they walked out though the expression Mizu held had shifted to one of confusion or fear.

You sat quietly as you cleaned out the dishes that had been sitting around from hours prior. The resentment you felt for your brother only doubled down by seeing his actions first hand. Was he the most disrespectful man to ever walk the earth? No, but you still expected better from him, and when he arrived home you weren’t going to let him forget it.

A few hours had passed and the sun had set long before your brother had finally deemed it an appropriate enough time to come home. The moment he did you stood up from where you were sitting and walked over to him,

“Whatever you’re about to say, I don’t want to hear it.” He said, already knowing you were going to complain. You looked at him up and down with a look of disgust, as if he had a choice in the matter.

“Well you're going to hear about it.” You argued.

“Can’t this wait?”

“You don’t even know what I’m going to complain about.”

“I don’t need to know what it is to know that it can wait for another time.”

“Oh sure, just so at that ‘other time’ you can shoo me away and say you have to take care of your horses, or you have work to do, or you're too busy.” You began to rant, much to Mikio’s dismay. This of course was not the first time you had gone off on him, and usually you were quite good at holding your tongue around him, usually his ego was too fragile to handle it, but you were not going to watch this woman sign her life with him just for him to look straight through her.

“You have been nothing but a slob and a grump all day and, I don’t know if you noticed, but you have a wife now. A wife that you called ‘not that hideous’ within two seconds of meeting her, are you serious?”

Mikio didn’t make a move to acknowledge any of your statements but you knew he was listening. You knew, even if it wasn’t exactly obvious, that he knew his actions were wrong, but Mikio was not the kind of man to admit to his failures and you knew that. You knew this argument would go nowhere but you at least hoped if he made a change, he would pretend he got himself to that conclusion.

“It’s not exactly like I’m marrying a princess.” He finally responded, his tone laced with sarcasm causing you to scoff.

“Any woman who has to be subjected to marrying you, deserves nothing less than to be treated like one, and if you wont, someone else will.” You spat, storming out of the room to leave the man with his thoughts, or lack thereof.

[pinkpigtailsprincess]

𝜗𝜚 ݁ ˖ Summer Glow up: creating new habits 🎀⭐️ *࿐ ࿔*:･ﾟ!

Hi Dolls!! Welcome Back 2 Dollies 2 Months of Summer Glow Up !! 🎀⭐️ Today im gonna talk all about implementing brand new habits in my life !!

> Hobbies !! 🎀

> Academics !! 📒

> Beauty Care !! 🧖‍♀️

> Scheduling !! ☀️

> Taking Baby Steps !! 🛼

❤︎ ໋𓈒 Hobbies!! 🎀

…: This Summer I Plan on Taking up Some brand New Hobbies to keep my self busy and learn about brand new things bc everyday is useful!! and so i can use my time more wisely some hobbies i have in mind are…

- Yoga

- Painting

- Creative Writing

- Learning Japanese + Spanish

- Reading

- Puzzles!

- Blogging

- Learning To Code

- Doll Collecting

- Book Collecting

- Sewing + Crocheting

- Digital Art

- Piano

and obvii im already a blogger but i still added it anyways i will watching videos on how to get into these hobbies and videos on learning Spanish and more Japanese, also fun fact i’ve actually been studying Japanese sine 2021 but i stopped bc it got to hard but im starting back up!! anyways, after i watch the videos im gonna set up a financial list bc i have the fund all of these but its okay bc i can easily get money!! 🎀

❤︎ ໋𓈒 Academics !! 🎀

More Goals of mine are to raise my grades in an academic space bc i do have decent grades but i wanna aim higher and have PERFECT Grades so in turn that means i must study more and have more discipline and not so irresponsible with my time!! and i also wanna study subjects outside of school bc its always good to learn something new!! now for learning tips so far i have..

- Flash Cards

- Practice Methods

- Teaching Someone Else

- Trying to explain it to a 5 yr old

- Study a Week Before

- watch ted talks on topics

- SLEEP

- write out notes

Now i Also Have a list of subjects i want to learn about!!

- drawing facial expressions + bodies

- Sewing Stiches + How to Hem and Crochet

- How 2 Draw Bodies + Poses

- Full Anatomy 4 Both Genders

- Japanese + Spanish + French + ASL

- Color Theory

- Learning Cursive + Improving Handwriting

- Expanding Vocabulary

- Religious Cults

- Case and Law

- Poison and Toxicology

- Astronomy

- Medical Surgical Instruments

- Matriarchal Societies

- Socialism Societies

Now i definitely won’t be able to do all of this all at once bc it would definitely we too stressful so im gonna choose as least 2-3 to start with and study them and just learn! 🎀🧁

❤︎ ໋𓈒 Beauty Care !! 🐬

📧: Now I already have my regular beauty care regime skin,hair,eyebrows,eyelashes etc. but im also more focused on getting weekly treatments & weekly beauty care habits like…

- Nails

- Hair

- Eyelashes

- Face Mask

- Hand + Foot Mask

And i wanna try and find people in my city that can do this especially for nails bc i would go to the nail salon but i feel like they won’t be able to do it exactly how i want it to be !!!

❤︎ ໋𓈒 Scheduling !! ⭐️

Now That im gonna be so busy i need to make sure i also stay organized with my time so it doesn’t lead to stress so ill have my regular school classes on my regular schedule then making dedicated hours to studying Things i wanna learn about + Language Learning!

My Workouts are always early morning before school in the evening hours before i got to bed so i won’t have to worry about that affecting my academics. With my Hobbies i feel like only some of them really need scheduling so ill also make time dedicated to those as well !!!!

Beauty Maintenance will probably always be on weekends for the stuff that weekly/bi weekly like face masks,manipedis,hair etc!!

and last but definitely not least!!

❤︎ ໋𓈒 Taking Baby Steps !! ⭐️

This whole process is still all new too me so i’ll definitely only be doing a little at a time and working my way up and i get more familiar with the change in my daily life and i won’t pressure my self to complete everything extremely quickly and just take my time with everything! bye bye dolls tysm 4 keeping up with me while doing this kisses 4 all of u!!! 🎀⭐️

[gatorbites-imagines]

Immortal with an immortal S/o pls(maybe where the s/o isn't a hero)

The Immortal x Immortal male reader

Headcanons

Im going off my personal headcanon that Immortals name is Abraham or Abe, just cuz its easier to write. A shorty but a goody. I was listening to old people music, cuz I kept imagining them acting like an old married couple.

Having an immortal partner would be something that helps Abes mental state quite a lot, since one of the reasons he struggles mentally is the fact that the people he loves keeps dying from one thing or another.

How you are immortal doesn’t really matter, even if it strong effects your physical appearance. As long as you can come back like immortal can, or somehow can’t die at all.

Maybe you stood by his side back during the beginning of his hero acts, back before it was called being a hero and it was just Abe wanting the best for the world and its people. But you quickly realize being a hero like that isn’t for you.

You do your own thing when Abe goes out to be a hero. You guys have both been alive for so long that neither of you really get jealous or worry too much if you don’t see each other for months. It’s nice to keep in touch though, and you guys make sure to meet up as much as you can.

Maybe you are more focused on something like the arts, performing, writing, and so on. Or you might even be more active in helping the little guy, like food banks and the likes.

Maybe you live in a cabin far away from the cities, up in the mountains where even the GDA leaves you alone. So, its somewhere Abe can come and just relax and be himself. Cue him coming back from a stressful meeting with the guardians, and he immediately relaxes when he hears the music playing from wherever you are.

You are both very old, which means your tastes are kinda dated. With you not being so busy being a hero, you can be a bit more modern, but there’s still lots of old things that make you nostalgic, and stuff you two like to do together.

I could imagine that Abe quite likes to do domestic things together the old way. Like cooking with the old tools, no modern machines or crazy inventions. Just you two, your hands, and whatever tools you guys have had since the 50s.

You guys would also dress quite old at times, even if it was on accident. People end up thinking you guys are some of those people who dress up and act out old times. It gets a little funny when you guys meet other people who do that, who all gush at how great your outfits are, unaware that it’s so good because its actually your clothes from back then.

Abe is also old school romantic. You bet he brings you flowers. You bet he still acts like he’s courting you like some kind of knight. And you bet he gets scandalized and flustered being too affectionate in public. You find it adorable though.

It’s a very common occurrence for you two to dance together. Be it in your kitchen or living room with oldies playing. Or at those clubs that are for the people dressing up and acting like it’s the 50s for fun.

You guys have most likely also been married for many many years. Way before it became illegal for two men to be married, and maybe even before marriage is as we know it now. But Abe would be so flustered thinking about marrying you again.

You can tell what he’s fumbling about since you’ve known him for so long, but its so endearing that you just let him work up the guts to propose again, probably for the 10th time in your guys long lives.

All in all, you help center Abe much more than he is in canon, since he doesn’t have to worry about you growing old and dying, or just you dying in general. He still worries of course, I don’t think he ever doesn’t worry, but its not as bad.

[biibini]

Could you possibly write something for modern mizu with a gf that bakes alot during the odd hours at night due to insomnia to past the time :^ due to this, mizu gets gifted a bunch of sweets and pastries

modern!mizu x baker!reader (request)

a/n: this is such a cute idea omg,,, personally im more of a cook over baker (my roomie bakes more than me) but i do like a good pastry. time to add my fav gif of mizu … isn’t she just so dreamy 😻

the first few times u stayed over, u were able to sleep in peace with mizu

surprisingly, ur insomnia didn’t keep u fully awake while ur gf was sleeping

feeling her warm arms wrap around ur body made u feel more secure as u started to slumber

u weren’t fully knocking out every night but it became easier to fall asleep and stay asleep for a good duration of the night

it felt so satisfying to finally sleep through most nights

as midterms became closer & closer, the quality of ur sleep began to decrease dramatically

most nights spent with mizu ended up into some

and then some nights became few

at first, u attempted to hide ur insomnia with using homework and projects as an excuse

initally, they weren’t excuses but u had played the card so much that it started to become one

It was a week and a half before midterms week, aka hell on earth. You and Mizu had just finished dinner, now relaxing on her bed. While she was busy on her phone, you were preparing to find the best way to fall asleep successfully. Staring into your laptop in front of you, you felt her get up from the bed.

She walked over to the bathroom and getting ready to go slumber. You on the other hand, are still mentally stuck on how well you will sleep tonight.

Having insomnia meant having many off days and nights. During high-school, it was more difficult to manage your sleep schedule due to the amount of extra-curricular activities and schoolwork you had to balance while growing up. You’ve found a few ways and simple tricks to fight against it.

One way that helped you calm down during high school was baking. A messy task, yes, but the end result was worth it. It had been a few years since it’s gotten this bad. Junior year was a while ago, and the thought of college during that time sent your stress levels through the roof.

Maybe bringing back baking wouldn’t be so bad…

“Hey baby?”

You snapped out of your empty stare and look up at Mizu.

“Yes?”

“Are you going to wash up soon? It’s past midnight and you have a 9 AM tomorrow.” she reminded. Mizu knew how grumpy you could be the next day if you stayed up too long.

“Yeah, um” you glance at your computer only to find a title slide on a history presentation, “I’ll sleep soon, I just want to finish my part of this project.”

Mizu nodded as she turned off every light except for the night next to you. You look up to her, a small smile growing on your face.

“M’kay,” she placed a hand on your cheek and planted a soft kiss on your forehead, “Just not too late.”

She moved to your lips, giving them a good night kiss.

“I’ll try.” You say as you reach for her face to share another good night kiss. You lower the brightness of your laptop as Mizu tucks herself in next to you.

An hour later, you end up finish your part of the presentation. You check your phone to let your group know about your completion. Putting it down, you read the time. 1:30 AM.

Fuck, you should really get some sleep for tomorrow’s lecture.

You slowly get out of bed, checking to make sure Mizu hasn’t waken up from your movement. All you hear is a turn to the other side away from you.

Whew.

You plug in your laptop quickly on the desk, making sure that all the lights in the apartment were closed. You gently tugged at the sheets, tucking yourself in as quietly as you could. As you started to close your eyes, you took a deep breath.

In. Out.

In. Out.

In. Out.

A grumble could be heard from Mizu, turning back towards you. You feel her hands try to find you, slowly grabbing what she could find. As she pulled you closer, you continued to relax your body.

Eyes closed, mind empty.

Yet, your mind does reach a thought. An anxious thought.

What if I wake up tired, like before?

You try to shake away the thought, enveloping yourself with Mizu’s presence. Forcing your eyes shut, you continue to take slow & deep breaths.

2:30 rolls in and you’re still stuck trying to fall asleep. Technically, you should be in dreamland right now instead of being awake. Your eyes are heavy but they not too heavy to completely close. Your body is still yet your mind keeps racing.

You trusted your old tricks would help you fall asleep. Hoping that they would work, your mind finally begins to clear up and rest.

as the days went by, it got progressively worse and worse

it went to the point where u were just always up, maybe spare an hour or two for a nap, and then the nightly attempt to fall asleep next to mizu

ur aware of what was happening yet ur mind wouldn’t stop running at full speed

u wish ur mind would just shut off

and if it wasn’t ur mind staying awake for once, it was ur body keeping u awake

it was so tiring to think ab peace night after night after night, hoping for a good nights sleep but to end up feeling drained and half awake once the sun rose

on nights where ur mind or body wouldn’t shut down, u ended up succumbing to ur old habits and took out the baking pan & sheets

u thought u could stay quiet like a few years before

on the other hand, mizu began to notice the slight changes in the house

whenever she would wake up for morning workouts, ur laptop would open and on ur lap

or the baking pan and whisks and mixing bowls would be dripping wet on the drying rack

once she found a new loaf of bread in the pantry, something was up

she figured u were just up cleaning late at night as a break from the late night homework grind

but with the random loaf, it didn’t quite fit the story she had in mind

one early morning, she heard a metal noise mid toilet and tiktok session in

(a/n: i’m guilty of doing that too sorry)

concerned, she went go check in the bedroom to find an empty bed

“Y/N?” she quietly called into the hallway.

God damnit.

You had accidentally banged the baking pan on the oven’s metal rack. You quickly slid the pan into the oven, hoping the croissants u had just prepped wouldn’t be seen. You peeked over your shoulder to see Mizu’s eyes half awake, trying to comprehend what she was seeing.

You quickly checked the time on the clock. No way it was already time for her workout.

5:30 AM.

“Morning, Mizu.” A weak smile spread on your face. You felt blood rushing to your cheeks, stemming from the embarrassment of getting caught in the act.

“I just went to the bathroom and heard a noise. What’s going on, Y/N?”

She looked down into the oven, spotting the croissants.

“Did you want a sweet treat that badly?” her voice questioning you and slightly concerned. She walked towards you and gently pressed your hand.

“No, it’s just that…”

“That?”

You took a deep breath as you glanced down at her hand grasping onto yours. You look up to her eyes, ready to tell the truth. Her blue eyes seemed more awake and ready to listen, almost glowing in the dark.

“I have insomnia.” You let the truth spill out. “It hasn’t been this bad since high school but coping with it has been a bit difficult these days. I’ve tried so many ways to shut my mind off but nothing’s working.”

“Aw, baby…”

“And the best way I managed it back when it was worse was baking. It helped me keep my mind off things and pass the time.” You took a step back to find your phone and put on a timer for 12 minutes.

“So here I am. Back to old habits.” You ended, sighing in relief. You weren’t sure of what Mizu’s reaction would be. A little part of you was frightened, anxiously waiting for her response.

You didn’t expect her next actions. She let go of your hand and headed toward the sink, calmly washing the bowls and other dishes that have collected over the night.

Stunned, you watched as she continued to wash up. You looked over to see her reaction only to find a calm face.

“Mizu?” you asked, still confused about her response.

She looked up, her hands still cleaning the mixing bowls you had used.

“Did you need help with anything else before I go to the gym? I know insomnia must be hard to cope with but if this is what helps you pass the time,” Mizu finishing the final bowl, placing it gently on the dishwasher rack. “I’d like to help out in any way I can.”

“No, I’m okay but thank you for cleaning up for me.” Coming up to her, you give her a kiss on the cheek. She smiles at you and nods.

“Anytime, hon.”

She takes a glance at the clock. 5:40 AM.

“I’m gonna get ready now. Let me know if you need anything or any ingredients.” She hurries into the bedroom, getting ready to change into gym clothes.

“Okayyy.” You say, checking your phone for the timer.

A thought comes to mind.

“Actually, there is one thing you can do.” You say, following her into the bedroom. Mizu, mid-tying her hair, paused and gave you her full attention. “You can be my little taste tester.”

She chuckled as she fixed her hair into a bun.

“I get first dibs? For lil ol’ me?”, she says playfully as she grabs one of her light zip-up jackets from the closet, completing her workout outfit.

You nod happily. “Mhm. You can even request a recipe or two.”

How enticing, Mizu thought.

if u were up during her workout days, she would always find a fresh batch of pastries sitting on the dining table

on days that her or ringo had classes, u would leave a little bag or container of pastries that they go bring to school

u would always leave a little love note with a little heart and a “To my Mizu”

mizu loved the little gifts, especially if they were at her request

one night, she asked for a peach cobbler pie

woke up the next morning to find a slice in a container and a sticky note atop reading “a request for my love ♥︎”

she placed the sticky note by her desk

and brought the slice to school with her

after her class she shared with akemi, they decided to get some late morning tea by the coffee shop nearby

mizu’s eyes widen after the first bite settled in

it was bomb

peaches were practically bursting in her mouth

she continued to eat, trying to contain the deliciousness of the pie

she would text u later ab how good it was

in full detail

many paragraphs

many positive critiques

and end with a thank you for ur baking ♥︎

[that-one-weeb-buts-its-the-main]

Ronin raising a baby left at the door-step| pt.1

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Reader: female - the baby

Notes: i live for this man and father daughter content, and also Part One <3

Warnings: Yelling, Baby Y/n throwin punches bc she dont take no shit 👊

✧▬ ▬▭▬ ▬▭▬ ▬▭▬ ▬▭▬ ▬▭▬ ▬▭▬ ▬✧

We're gonna go being left on the door step daughter father content here

Left at the doorstep of the leafmans barracks with a little tag that said "Commander of the Leafman army"

Some rookies found you, all bundled up in a hand woven basket.

So they take you to Ronin, whos probably already on his 40th cup of caffine that day

"Ronin!"

"Busy-"

"This is important."

He looks up at his soilders, and tells them to come in.

There they are. With you. No more than a month or two old asleep in the bundle of blankets.

"What? Sanchez finally had her baby? On Duty no less? That woman has to be strapped down for bed rest."

"No...sir. She was at the barracks entrence."

What? Huh?

Did he hear that right?

"By who?"

The soliders shrugged.

Ronin was quick to get up and the soilders handed him the baby.

"Basket had your title on it sir." One spoke, "Does that help identify the parents at all? You know anyone who was havin a baby sir?"

"Just Sanchez." Ronin answered, he too wanted to get to the bottom of this, "Find her and her wife, make sure there okay. Both of you go together."

And off they went, he sat down with you, a big yawn coming from you.

Truth be told he didn't know who this child was or who's it could be.

But he thought it was cute how you grabbed onto his finger, eyes big and gray, your color hadn't come in yet.

Yet he could assume you had been born with that ashy black color hair. You had a pretty decently full head of it after all.

And that's when he saw it.

A pendant around your neck, tucked away and hidden, in the blankets.

Wraithwood.

A product of two worlds colliding.

Then and there he knew he had to keep you safe.

You were innocent in this war and in this world.

The soldiers come back; tell him what he already knows; it's not Sanchez's, and Sanchez is standing guard, pregnant as ever.

"Let's bring her to the Orphanage," one recommended, "They'll know what to do,"

"No," Ronin ordered, "She was left here, for a reason,"

"But sir, she's a baby, no offense, sir, but can you handle a baby,"

"I handle you two, don't I?"

Leafmen that see him leaving are in shock; did him and Tara finally get together? Have a kid? Wait had him and Tara been together this whole time?

Yet despite there stares he holds you close and leaves with you home.

Nod's was home, he putting dishes away; he was always home before Ronin.

"Don't tell me you brought home a baby aphid when you told me no," Was the first thing Nod told him when he seen the blankets.

Nod was quiet shocked when he was shown the baby.

"Who's kid?"

"Orphaned, staying with us just for a little bit. Till we figure it out."

Oh what a lie.

You were staying forever.

Lets just say: the first few days? Shit the first day was stressful

What are they suppose to feed you?

You certainly don't eat ration packets- or quiet frankly....anything

For there luck the old lady next store was real tired of hearing it and knocked on the door.

Nod answers the door.

"Why is that child trying like she hasnt eaten in an hour?"

"She won't eat."

"Move aside."

Props to the old lady coming to the rescue and saving Ronin's ass

"Milk Lily's tend to be the norm, especially when my children were growing up, I'll give you a list of needs and some milk lillies from my own garden to start you off with- Where is your wife Ronin? She must be tired from the bundle of joy."

"There's no wife," Ronin informed, "Someone dropped her off at the barracks."

"Then I can call up my sister. She works at the orphanage. Will that help any?"

Ronin was silent, looking up at the old lady rocking the child, "Im keeping her."

"Well..." The old woman started, "she is certainly cute. I dont blame you... You'll need a few things"

Bam Baby list.

It's just the essentials, really, especially for the age.

The first weeks were really hard on Ronin

Like really hard, hes use to no sleep. But...damn...

They can find both of you sleeping when Ronin has downtime in his office

And sometimes the other soilders take you to play with you.

"She can't walk yet idiot!"

"It's called training for a reason!"

Ronin after weeks of having you: has yet to name you

People litterally just call you "baby"

That's until one day he's coming home with you in a sling one of the soldiers had shown him how to wrap, he's coming back from his Milk Lily farmers.

Nod's not home: as he's on night rounds covering Sanchez's shift- finally she had taken bed rest

So the window at the end of the hall being opened confused him

He called for Nod but got no answer.

So he set you in the basket of groceries: you know. For safekeeping as something sounds in the kitchen.

Before he can even round the corner and into the kitchen he's attacked from behind,

Arms wrapped around him to choke him, hoping to kill him easily and cheaply.

Yet Ronin kicks as he's dragged and manages to grab the dagger that sits on his belt besides his sword and stabs backward at anything physically possible

Into the shoulder and let go he turns to face the intruder

A boggin woman, "Where is it!?"

"I have no idea what the hell you're on about!"

Yet the crying in the background catches ear, and it's a race for the baby. The woman gets there first and gets through his front door.

"Fuck!" Ronin shouts quickly following grabbing his spare bow and arrows at the doorside.

With his skill it was a simple shot and down the woman went. He running to grab you as you cried.

"It's okay. It's okay..." Ronin cooed, "shh...my Y/n...shh."

The commotion grabbed neighbor's attentions as they came out to help

"Ronin, are you -"

"Call the gravedigger..."

"Are you alright? The both of you?"

The people only got a nod as he walked back to his home.

And from that day forward you're named Y/n.

No particular reason he claims anyone who asks in the future

Its a lie, he had been thinking about it for a while

He'd be lying if he didn't get even more attached to you, especially as the months came through: you're eyes matched your hair in orgin: that yellow orange that came from Wraithwood with the midnight hair

As you get older too Nod takes a more brotherly role.

And Ronin finally introduces you to Tara closer to your year old mark.

"I have been wanting to meet you for some time." Tara smiled, lifting Y/n into the air with a smile.

Yet you reach back for Ronin

Totally does not hurt Tara's pride- it really hurt

"She's not keen on new people"

"Oh, she's your daughter for sure then." Tara teased.

Tara was right there

No matter what you were pretty attached to your dad.

Though your first words werent Dada, they were idiot and leaf.

He knew exactly who he had to make run laps because of that

You were an early bloomer, walked early, started babbling one or two words early

He was pretty proud of you.

There was no "big 1st birthday" party for you.

It was just you and Ronin, and Nod, Uncle Finn coming to watch you destroy a pie as you tried to eat it.

Pie is just about your third word.

Finally something more normal.

Besides that, you don't talk very much, even as you grow, and as you grow, Ronin, kinda not by his desires, gets pushed into a Mommy group.

Judgmental mommys are ass mommys

"Well, she doesn't talk yet. That's concerning." A mother commented.

"Y/n can talk when she wants. Isn't that right? Y/n?"

He only gets you hugging him tighter in response.

1000% daddys girl

You come to enjoy playing with his gear.

All of it

Weapons included.

And as your old enough to play on your own with kids your age, you don't

You prefer Older people to younger people: find friendship in the old man that sits on the corner with his coffee in the moring rather than people your age.

100% as you become older and able to play by yourself with no one watching over you (which isnt full true ronins always there somewhere in the background) you can be sure you'd come home with a pet aphid

"His names Charly! But with a Y! I don't like it spelled with ie!"

"Y/n let the Aphid go."

"No way! Charly needs me!"

Charly infact does need you.

And even grows up with you: as he was pretty young when you found him

The Adventures of Charly and Y/n have began

Ronin's the dad that says "were not keeping the aphid" and then becomes bestfriends with said aphid

Honestly? Really proud of himself for once when it comes to you, he's been really critical of himself in the past, seeing you be so loving and caring towards people you love really warms his heart.

Will let you sleep in his bed if you have a bad dream.

Yes Charly can come too

Shit Nods squeezing himself in there too

First day of schooling?

Ooo...he's worried about that one

No Charly to be with you, no one to keep that sass held back a little

Turns out you didn't want to go.

You cried- alot

"I don't want you to go!"

"I'll be back in a few hours. I promise -"

Holding onto him, she cried harder, "No! I don't want you to go!"

Only got you to stop crying with removing the creast from his helmet he had in hand

"See. I'll always be in here." He spoke tapping the metal.

"Really?" She asked, he wipping the big drew drop sized tears.

Ronin nodded, "It'll keep you safe. Like I do."

Y/n nodded as he kissed her head.

"No leafman-" he started

"Is truly alone." She finished as he smiled at her.

"Now. Go. I don't believe in anyone more than I do you."

Turns out school wasn't bad, and you were excited to do it again.

Bad idea on giving you the crest: you simply haven't let go of it

During school hours especially, holding it while your eating: while your at playtime standing alone. Its in your pocket if you have to use both hands

During anytime your at home your more leniate with it: sits at the table by your spot at the table, or under your pillow if you want a good dream, or on your dresser if your drying it from being freshly cleaned and polished.

Alot of kids repeat stuff from there parents. So alot of people ask if your moms Queen Tara

"I don't know Queen Tara." Y/n answered.

"Sure you do! You're her daughter!"

Y/n shook her head no, "she's not! My Dad's My mom and dad!"

"My mama says you're a half breed." A girl spoke up

"I am not!

"Yeah, you have that werid colored eyes because you're from Wraithwood!" A boy added.

"I am not!"

"My Momma said your momma got attacked by your daddy from Wraithwood, and that's why you're a half breed!" A third.

"I am not!"

"Yeah, you are! Momma says that the only reason Commander Ronin takes care of you is because they didn't wanna spread rumors!" The girl again, "the same thing with your brother! Your daddy probably killed his daddy!"

"That's not true! My Dad's My dad! My dad wouldn't abandoned me!" Y/n shouted, "My dad wouldnt hurt anyone!"

"He's not even your dad!-"

Then all the sudden your in trouble.

Like big trouble.

Punched someone in the face trouble.

And Nod's there to get you instead of Ronin

He gets the silent treatment as he walks the two of you home

You can sure Ronin's PISSED when he gets home

He's let you hang around "soilders" for too long

He's actually never yelled at you before.

Then again you've never gone to school before

Watching you physically flinch as he's yelled at you trying to get an answer out of you stopped him in his tracks

He's absolutely floored

Deadstop

What the fuck did you flinch for? Did you think he was gonna hit you? He's never hit you before?! Why would he do it now-

His response is shutting down: nothing like this has ever happened before and his shutting down is building up walls.

Seems you've latched onto that idea after the first time he yelled at you.

You stay away from him: you didn't show up to dinner so Nod brought you some.

Your hiding under the bed.

And he sits against the bed, a plate close enough for you to grab on the floor.

"Whats wrong baby bean?" Nod asked, yet she was quick to grab the food.

"Dad hates me...I'm not even his...." She responded, looking down at her favorite meal made, it only upset her more and she pushed it back out from under the bed.

"Ronin could never hate you." Nod answered, "He loves you, in his own way...sure-"

"Yeah? And I'm not even his."

"Y/n your his everything."

"Then why is everyone saying he hurt someone. And I'm not his."

It takes Nod a solid few mintues to figure out whats actually going on

He's realizing kids are most likely repeating there parents gossip

Which is lies anyways.

But it looks like you need more time than anything

So when he leaves and you're left in your room by yourself with Charly

You end up eating dinner with your hands, your aphid eating off the plate with you

Ronin's surpised to find a plate washing and air dried in the bathroom the next morning.

"Where'd this come from?"

Nod leaned against the doorframe rubbing the tired our his eyes: "Mhm? Y/n's probably."

"On the sink top?"

"Look, be glad she's okay, alright?" Nod argued, "She had a rough day yesterday."

"She had a rough day?" Ronin asked sarcastically, "Nod she floored a kid-"

"Alright. Yeah, whatever." Nod answered, rubbing his face as he slipped away for caffine.

So...with the thought now in his mind he went to go see how your doing.

Sleeping most likeky

Yet he finds an empty bed, and an open window.

"Y/n?" Ronin asked, no answer: and his worry spiked, "y/n-"

Yet the chirp of an aphid caught his attention as it slipped from under the bed to stretch, and Ronin was quick to kneel down and look under the bed.

There you were asleep and hiding, as far back as you could against the wall

So he does what ever dad does.

Moves the bed to get to you.

You're still sleeping when he picks you up

Your head on his shoulder and little legs wrapped around him.

Okay, maybe he wants to hold you like a baby again: it makes him sad almost, how fast you grew up.

You wake up but stay silent: After all your father hadn't held you in quiet a while.

[kiwicopia]

♥️ Fluff. Cursing. Protective Toji. | Bodyguard!Toji x GN reader. ♥️

You and your bodyguard find a lost child. Whatever shall you do? (drabble)

You had gotten used to Toji's presence after a few weeks. Was it easy? No. He still had no sense of personal space, and you knew he didn't care, but it was easier to deal with now. Your week had been a mess at work with constant failures from other co-workers and you having to pick up their slack, so you were grateful for the weekend when it arrived. No work. No coworkers to deal with. No stress. Or so you thought.

The mall was almost always busy on the weekends, oftentimes so packed with people that you didn't even bother going up there. It also wasn't uncommon for people to get lost, especially children. Which is the predicament you had suddenly found yourself in when you stepped away to purchase a cookie from one of the little shops, only to turn around and see the peculiar sight of a small child tugging at the man's pants leg.

This caused your bodyguard to raise a brow before he picked the kid up by the back of his shirt and lifted him up, holding him almost eye level like he would a puppy. "What are you doing?" You asked, causing the man to look away from the child and at you. He still held him in the same position, not really caring about all the stares he received from those that walked past. "Did you steal someone's child?"

"No," he answered, "the brat jus' came to me. Think he's lost or somethin'." Before you had a chance to respond, the child reached his hand out and gripped Toji's tie, giving it a few tugs that caused the man to furrow his brows in annoyance. Your bodyguard used his other hand to yank the accessory from the kid's grasp. "Gonna take him to lost and found."

You shook your head and sighed at him. "He's not an object. Let's just look for a security guard." The man only gave a small huff in response, but nodded. He moved forward, still carrying the child like some sort of shopping bag, and you frowned. "Don't hold him like that. Put him down." Toji gave his eyes a roll before setting the kid down, to which the little bugger immediately grasped his hand.

"Off," you heard him say, pulling his hand away from the child. It was cute watching the way he kept trying to keep the kid from grabbing onto him, and failing miserably. "Fucker won't let me go."

"Don't curse," you scolded. Toji only rolled his eyes at you, again. "He's probably scared. Just hold his hand until we find a security guard."

The raven-haired man gave you a look that, if you didn't know him better, would have certainly sent chills down your spine. "No," he said, "jus' drop 'im off at the lost and found." You shot a look at him and he grumbled in response. "Fuckin' hell. Fine." His green eyes glanced down at the child that stared up at him with large eyes and, with slight reluctance, held his hand out. The kid wasted no time in grabbing and holding onto it with a smile.

"Aw," you teased, "he really likes you."

"Jus' find the damn security guard," he grumbled. You hummed in response before leading the way. Your bodyguard followed close behind as the child continued holding his hand, his grip not loosening in the slightest. The three of you walked around the mall for what seemed like an hour without having seen a single security guard, and it was starting to make Toji frustrated. "The fuck is security at?"

The mall was packed and you knew there were only a few security guards around, but still, it was strange to not see any so far. "Maybe on break? Let's just keep walking around." The man huffed and shook his head in response. He was already annoyed that you dragged him to the mall of all places for respite from work. Now he had to look after you and some kid? He was getting soft for this. Too soft.

Another thirty minutes of walking and the efforts to find some assistance were fruitless. You were about to suggest going to the main office in the mall when a low voice rang out through the crowd. "There you are!" Yours and Toji's heads whipped around and watched a middle aged man approach the two of you. Your bodyguard's eyes lowered as he studied the man, his body tense just in case he needed to act. "Kou," the man smiled, approaching the child, "you shouldn't run off like that."

Your eyes watched as the kid's eyes widened and he took a step back, hiding behind your bodyguard. The raven-haired man felt the child's grip tighten on his hand. Toji was great at picking up signals, and this kid gave him one. It was all he needed to step forward and put himself between the man and child. Green eyes bore into the stranger's as Toji stared him down. "Ya know the kid?" He asked, eyes still trained on the man.

"Of course," the man smiled, "he's my son." When the stranger reached for the kid, causing the smaller human to flinch back, Toji put a hand to his chest and shoved him back. "The fuck is your problem?!"

Your bodyguard ignored the man as his eyes flicked to you, and he motioned his head, giving you a sign to get behind him. He then looked down at the child. "Ya know 'im?" When the kid shook his head, Toji turned back to the man. "Kid doesn't know ya, so beat it." The man ignored him and went to approach the child once more, this time with his hands out to grab him. Your bodyguard clicked his tongue as he roughly grabbed hold of one of the man's arms and squeezed as he pushed him back. "I said to fuckin' beat it," he growled.

You felt the air around the four of you tense up, and you knew it would get worse. Toji held a hard stare at the man, not backing down. The man seemed to notice the look in those green eyes. The malicious glint that dared him to approach once more. With wide eyes, the stranger turned and hurried off, deciding not to take a chance against someone much bigger than himself.

With the man gone, the child's grip on Toji's hand loosened a little, causing him to look down at the kid. "Ya good, pal?" When the little bugger gave a nod and smiled, you saw Toji's lips twitch faintly, as if mimicking the smile. "Good."

After that encounter, you both eventually found a security guard that safely took the child away to find his parents, leaving you and your bodyguard alone. "That was sweet of you," you said, "protecting that kid. Especially since you made it seem like you didn't like him."

The man closed his eyes as he walked alongside you. "Eh, he wasn't too bad. Couldn't let some stranger take 'im." When his eyes opened, you swore you saw the faintest bit of shine in them. As if he was thinking about something, someone, or even reminiscing. "Kinda wish that guy pushed more. Woulda been nice to fuck 'im up."

You chuckled. "Maybe next time."

[mxssingmemories]

hi hi hiiii juleeees can i pleaseee get a tony stark x daughter!reader where they're sick or smtj idk i have mild conjunctivitis rn amd it sucks ☹️ so maybe just smth wherr tony takes care of reader and gets cheeseburgers for them ot smth (im sorry if this is too big i love uu)

Burgers

Pairing: Tony Stark x daughter!reader

Summary: you're sick, and you scare the shit out of your dad. Fluff and burgers ensue.

Warnings: mention of not eating due to sickness, passing out, sickness in general

Word Count: 480, just a short lil blurb I'M SO SORRY

A/N: ASH!! HI!! this was so sweet to write, tysm for the request lovie

The sound of loud coughing startled Tony into consciousness, his heart immediately speeding up. He jumped out of bed, running to your room-prepared to find anything and everything. His panic subsided almost instantly, though. He ran in to find you bent over on your bed, in the middle of an awful-sounding coughing fit. He stepped next to your bed, sending a reassuring smile as he sat down next to you.

“You alright, sweetie?” he asked, softly rubbing your back.

“Yeah, dad,” was what you tried to say, but you ended up coming into another coughing fit before you could say a single word.

“Easy, okay, breathe through it,” he coached, worried lines showing through on his face. Luckily, you were too busy hacking up a horse to notice. He hated you seeing it when he was worried. Even in times like these, he wanted his entire focus to be on you. 

The fit steadily got worse, and Tony did his best to get you through it.

“Fri, can you tell Bruce what’s going on? I’m gonna bring her down to the medbay,” was the last thing you heard before everything went black; the stress on your body too much for you to keep up with.

“Oh god,” Tony exclaimed, immediately picking you up in his arms and rushing to the elevator. The ride down to the bay felt like an hour, even though it was only two minutes. When the doors finally opened, Bruce rushed to his side, eyes widening when he realized you weren't conscious. 

“What happened?” Bruce asked as you were rushed into a room, him already hooking up your vitals in less than two seconds.

“I-I don’t know. One minute she was coughing a lot and then she just,” he paused to wipe his nose on his sleeve,”passed out.” 

"Okay, so I'm not seeing anything serious. It looks like pink eye? She doesn't need to be in the hospital right now, Tones," he assured, smiling when all the tension drained out of his best friend's body.

As soon as Bruce finished talking, your eyes fluttered open, confusion masking your face. Tony reassured you as quickly as he could, and a few minutes later, you were riding down to the garage. He decided he wanted to take you to get some fast food-it was his cure-all for stressful days with you.

As you pulled up to the McDonald's line-"Why are we even here," being said about fifteen times from your dad- you laidd your head on his shoulder, letting your eyes close. Your breathing evened out, but Tony woke you up when you got your food.

"Thanks, dad," you smiled, digging into your food. You still felt like absolute shit, but you hadn't eaten in almost a day thanks to your illness. You could have sworn that was the best burger you'd had in your whole life.

[artful-aries]

Hiii again :D how are you doing? ,-, i hope you're doing well!!!!

My school finally ended and im free- so i was wondering if i can request for some hcs if your okay with it :>

Ive been having this idea for awhile now so, how about Xiao, Zhongli and Cyno with a s/o who avoids conflict? Like, whenever a conversation is slowly heading towards an argument they'll try to end it quickly and whenever a fight is going on they suddenly go quiet due to past traumas

Its up to you whether you wanna write it or not, but make sure to not overwork yourself and thanks for your time :] <3

I’m glad you’re out on break!! I have unfortunately been working my ass off for a promotion that should be finalized in the oncoming weeks, so needless to say I’ve been busy. At any rate, I hope you enjoy! This could be read as platonic if you squint

How They Are With An Argument Avoidant S/O (Xiao, Zhongli, Cyno)

Xiao

If you end an argument before it starts, it will actually take Xiao a little while before he notices the behavior. He thinks that you just finally understand his point and agree with him, rather than just saying whatever will stop the argument from escalating

Socializing isn’t his forte, so picking up on human social cues is quite a task for him. He can tell you’re nervous, that much is obvious by the way your breathing picks up, the way your eyes can’t seem to stay on him for too long, and your heart will be beating slightly harder. He knows this, yet he’s not sure exactly why, and can’t connect the dots. You’ve been nervous around him before and told him it was just because of your attraction to him, so when he notices these things he thinks it’s the same as what you told him before

It’s not until the day you aren’t quick enough to end the argument, when his tone gets sharper with you and you go silent that he discovers the issue in the first place

Even though Xiao knows something is wrong, he has the misfortune of not knowing how to be tactful about it. He will likely just bluntly ask you why you’re quiet, his tone neither gentle or comforting

Obviously, this makes the situation worse, and he’s confused as to why you seem to clam up even more, or in the event that he actually makes you cry, he’s extremely shocked

He’ll stay still as a statue, staring you down like his life depended on it as he tries to think about what he knows of humans to explain why you’re suddenly behaving this way. The fact that he can’t figure it out stresses him, which inadvertently makes him glare at you

If you keep trying to brush this aside and act like everything is fine Xiao will get very irritated with you. Why are you lying to him, and to his face no less?

At the sight of your tears he will do one of two things; either he will leave immediately, or will straight up ask you if you’re afraid of him. Most of the time he will go with the first option, as he often sees himself as some tainted beast with his karmic debt, but under the right circumstances he will feel the compulsion to ask, even though he’s afraid of how you might answer

If you say that you’re scared of him it’ll break his heart, and he will remain stony faced as he simply nods and leaves. If you reassure him that you aren’t scared of him, he will be very relieved, but won’t show it other than a slight tension leaving his shoulders

Xiao isn’t going to dig in much further on your feelings unless you volunteer the information, but he will try to find a way to get you to relax, whether that’s awkwardly asking if you want to share almond tofu with him, or giving you a slightly hard pat to your head to give you comfort

He might not completely understand your reaction, but he does have enough sense to connect the dots and tries not to raise his voice or sound too mean during arguments. Xiao isn’t always successful, but the attempt is there

Zhongli

After millennia of watching humans, the former Archon is pretty observant when it comes to reading subtle emotions and changes in demeanor of people, and you are certainly no exception

With the first few arguments that you go out of your way to deescalate, Zhongli will quietly let you do so, but don’t think for a second that he doesn’t know what you’re doing.

He wants to give you the chance to work your way out of this habit on your own. Humans are capable of so much growth and change in such a short amount of time, and he doesn’t want to feel like he is meddling with that. To him, it’s preferable that you come into your own and develop beyond this habit you have clung to for who knows how long

As long as the arguments aren’t serious, he will continue to let you fall back into your habit, waiting on you to feel comfortable enough to have a normal disagreement with him rather than backing down at the first sign of conflict. It’s only when he feels very strongly about the discussion that he’s trying to have with you that he will confront you on your behavior

Even when arguing he’s never been one to raise his voice or seem threatening, but when you once again try to take the easy way out he will fix you with a stern gaze and ask you why you always seem to shy away from tough discussions with him

If his intensity seems to intimidate you, he’ll softly sigh and ask you to join him for tea, but if it gets you to open up about why you don’t like arguing his expression will soften, and he will pull you into a hug if you’ll let him

Whichever route is taken, he is sure to reiterate that you are completely safe with him, and that no harm will come to you so long as he is alive. Zhongli isn’t naive enough to think that this will solve the problem, but he knows you need to hear it nonetheless

Be prepared to be sat down for a long, extensive talk with him. He’ll make sure it doesn’t sound like he is lecturing you, but it’s important to him that you feel comfortable in this relationship to argue with him. As he will so eloquently put it, “What is a canyon without the river to erode it?”

Zhongli desperately wants you to see arguments as something as inevitable yet mundane as a rolling thunderstorm, and not something cataclysmic like a typhoon. They are a natural part of interpersonal relationships, and he doesn’t want you to fear that form of intimacy with him

He will be one to effectively communicate and help you overcome your aversion to more tense discussions, gently getting you out of your comfort zone until one day you find yourself not feeling dizzy at the sight of his brows that are furrowed at you, you don’t feel ill when Zhongli frowns disapprovingly at what you said. Before you had even realized it, arguing with him just felt like arguing with an extension of yourself

He won’t say anything when he sees how much you’ve changed, but when he watches you argue with him there’s a light in his eyes that wasn’t there before. He’s proud of you.

Cyno

He’s one who is aware of how he could come across before he even knows of your aversion to arguments. Despite how serious he gets with work, he always does his best to not take that energy home with him, but some of that is bound to bleed over eventually

He might write off your dismissive, avoidant behavior the first time, but come the second time when you once again keep your head down and just mumble words of appeasement he will not have it

Cyno will cross his arms across his chest, and flatly ask why you seem to just be agreeing with whatever he says like he’s your boss. He loathes the thought of you behaving like everyone else in the Akademiya. He wants to just be Cyno to you, not the General Mahamatra

When his sternness seems to put you more on edge, he will attempt to make a pun about whatever it was that you were arguing about in an attempt to get you to at least relax a little. If it works, he will be relieved and ask you to not be afraid of sharing your thoughts even if they oppose his own

If making a joke seems like poor timing or if it doesn’t get a smile or laugh out of you, Cyno will frown a little and study you intently, trying to figure out how to approach this sensitive subject. In the end, he’ll settle on asking you if you want him to leave you alone for a while or if you want to have a discussion

Even if it hurts his feelings a little to leave you alone, he won’t show it as he’ll give a silent nod and stay out of your way for a couple of hours before checking back in on you. Though he would prefer to discuss things immediately, he loves you too much to push you

When it comes time to sit down and talk with you, only one question burns in his mind: Why did you seem to be scared of him? Regardless of what you tell him, he will listen without interjection, and will make sure to keep any emotions under control while you express your feelings

Whether it is his fault or not, Cyno can’t help but feel guilty. Perhaps if he didn’t come across so seriously most of the time, then maybe you wouldn’t have felt this way about arguing with him. He’s not one to dwell on his regrets, and will immediately ask what he can do to make things better for you

Your wish is his command, and whatever you suggest Cyno will make sure he fulfills it the next time you two have an argument. The last thing he wants is to instill fear into you, and will do absolutely anything to keep you from feeling uncomfortable or afraid

[worth-this-and-more]

Sarah Griffiths: a character study because people aren't talking about her enough and im so disappointed yall pt.1

[spoilers for legendborn ahead, read at your own caution; this is gonna be long so I'll probably make two posts about it]

first and foremost, Sarah Griffiths has been my fav character since like forever and I haven't been able to talk about her very much, sincerely sorry, but nvm this post is for her anyway

she is the third person from legendborn that bree met after nick and sel I hope this is some kind of foreshadowing because I want more sar content but okay I'm just grasping fallen marbles atp lool and I feel like a lot of people overlook her. which is understandable because she didn't have a lot of screentime but her time was really important too, so here's my rant about my fav sar moments + character study + fangirling

her introduction was quite normal and formal, and even i could not imagine her fighting the shadowborns, understandably so because this "pixie-like girl in a flowy dress" doesn't really seem fierce enough, or does she??

sar definitely surprised me specifically in this scene:

while everyone is heavily confused but still alert on their jobs, sar made sure to place bree to safety, without giving any unnecessary lecture about "oh page matthews tf were you thinking why arent you back to the lodge??" she really knows how to keep her cool, and her action and reaction are almost similar to what I expect wlliam or greer would do

next fav sar moment was when she defended bree from sel at the infirmary:

sel is right in his place to suspect bree, it's his job to see the safety of the order, and he is angry af. we all know our merlin boy is scary af when angry because as russ so eloquently stated "you're never sure if it's safe to talk shit about him behind his back" and that's true anyway, but like sar really defended bree even when she did not know her, because she trusted nick's judgment and has already accepted bree as their own.

i feel like this is a very important factor in all the characters, especially sar, as I'll discuss further

next, this one:

she noticed bree was shaken from this encounter, because for her bree is a onceborn who had the unfortunate luck of experiencing a shadowborn attack and see so many injuries real time, while being attacked by an uchel as well. she offered to drive her home and walked her to her dorm, a girl's girl through and through. ik it seems like the barest minimum but I will still appreciate it because let's be real, everybody was stressed, who else would've offered to take bree back to her dorm safely?? nick is injured, william is busy, sel is busy trynna kill her, evan is injured, and the others are still processing the day. this small gesture seems insignificant but really shows sar's mindfulness and makes me fall for her harder and harder each time

this car ride is where we find out that she is a victim of racism as well:

which creates multiple questions. she definitely knows tor is racist, and I wont be surprised if tor has herself made racist remarks on sar as well but just keeps it quiet in front of her?? sar must definitely hear tor's remarks about others, especially bree. she stays because she loves tor, as we've seen here:

but there's definitely some kind of resentment towards tor that develops further in the story. how did she end up with tor anyway?? like after tor's "rebellious phase", is she really just in love and trying desperately to ignore all the red flags or is there some other story??

also her devotion to the order?? i love it. the order ain't shit, we know that, but the definite loyalty that sar has towards the order, it doesn't seem like much but I admire that grit so much. she was raised for service, but she chose to stay and serve even knowing all the risks. bree is the first of her family, but sar definitely has her own stories to be known.

again, my fav sar moment:

no explanation needed lmaoo sel doubted his own demon side for a sec haha

sar keeps tor in check around bree, because she knows tor hates bree's guts, and as we see here:

sar definitely calls the shots. im pretty sure that everytime tor finds something to bitch about, sar gives her the deadliest side eye ever because the kindest ones are the deadliest ones always. and whenever bree calls tor out for her behavior tor goes crying to her gf because sar is the only one who tolerates her lool

and finally, the most precious sar moment in legendborn:

everyone is in love with sel because he was the first one to kneel for bree, but we are kinda forgetting that sar was the second one to kneel. she has already accepted bree as a part of legendborn, and did not hesitate to pledge her loyalty to bree. this is the most iconic sar moment I love because she is loyal to the order, to bree, and to her service.

this is what i mean when i say I love sar, there is so much story behind this one girl and I really really wanna know her. i hope she has more moments in oathbound because her loyalty is fierce and I'm pretty sure she will join alice and william too if this gang forms

bloodmarked will be discussed in pt.2 hehe I think this much is enough for today lool

[blakeprentiss]

Lauren

emily prentiss centric, mentions of emily/ian

warnings: cm typical violence (lauren arc), suicide, heavy angst

a/n: i posted this on ao3 like 3 years ago so im uploading it here

(my gif) / (read on ao3)

lauren reynolds.

that was her name. nothing else. her past didn’t matter anymore. she had to live second by second, minute by minute. that was the only way she would survive.

sitting in that dimly lit dive bar on the outskirts of boston, that was the only thought running through her mind. lauren reynolds, lauren reynolds, lauren reynolds.

and as the stranger she would grow to know over the next few months sat across from her, she knew who she was. who she would become.

he was charming, a flirt. anyone looking in from the outside would see them as a perfect match, but not to her. she would have to ultimately flirt back, get him to trust her, but there would be nothing serious. that wasn’t part of the plan.

as they conversed, she began to zone out a bit, focusing more on him. he was kind, his eyes hiding more than he would ever admit. truthfully, if he wasn’t a weapons dealer with law enforcement after him, and if she wasn’t more into women, she could imagine some sort of future with him. a house in europe, two kids, the so-called perfect family. but of course, this was real life. there would be no house in europe, no kids to look after.

or so she thought.

***

it was fine in the beginning, being in europe with ian. she’d travel with him, helping him with business. they’d sometimes take weekend trips to get away from it all, staying in the countryside on one of his many properties. she didn’t necessarily enjoy being intimate with him, but she had to. after all, it was really just an act. and it would soon be over, hopefully.

but the first time she had felt her heart flutter when he looked at her, she knew. she had to get out. she couldn’t just fall in love with a weapons dealer, it would end terribly. and he didn’t even know who she really was, that the lauren he had fallen in love with didn’t actually exist.

when they finally settled down in italy, she saw her chance to get out. she’d call clyde every few days, pleading with him to just arrest doyle. there was no good reason that her team couldn’t take him. but clyde had other plans. “a few more days,” he had promised, claiming they were getting closer. but he’d been saying this for weeks. she turned to tsia, eventually, but even that was useless. tsia would say the same as clyde, confirming the thought lurking in the back of her mind. she wasn’t leaving anytime soon.

to her, there was no end in sight. he wanted to marry her, have her raise declan. she knew deep down that this couldn’t go on for much longer. she needed an out. she didn’t want to be lauren reynolds anymore.

every morning, her first thought was “this could be the last day.” and it never was. it was getting to be too much, she couldn’t keep going on anymore. the stress of it all had finally caught up to her.

and as she laid in the guest bed, hidden away from ian’s prying eyes, she let her tears fall. reaching into the drawer of the nightstand, she grabbed the bottle of pills and took one. and another. and another. she took enough that she knew would kill her. and that was okay. she didn’t want to be lauren anymore, and now she wouldn’t have to be. she wouldn’t even have to be emily, a whole other life that she was never quite sure if she wanted to go back to. this was better for her. for everyone.

clyde would get her message eventually, or perhaps he would figure out something was wrong. but she didn’t care, she wanted them to find her when it was too late. the letter on the table would explain everything.

“it’s for the best,” her mind reassured her. she recited it softly under her breath until she couldn’t anymore.

her eyes drifted shut, heart slowly stopping.

lauren reynolds was dead.

***

they caught ian doyle the next morning.

[thelovelylolly]

can you do poe comforting an overwhelmed gn! reader and giving them his jacket to wear to calm them down? totally okay if not tho!! <33

Take My Jacket

Summary : As a Resistance report analyst, you always have a lot of work and sometimes it can get overwhelming. Luckily, Poe is there to help you. Warnings : not proof read bc im ~tired~ Notes : thank you for the request! ive been pretty busy and tired so im sorry if this is a bit short

You knew what you were signing up for when you applied for the report analyst job. You were happy that you weren't on the front line, you were better at analytical things anyway. As time went on and the war continued, the work got more and more intense to the point where it was overwhelming.

Everyday you did the same things for your shifts. You'd clock in and there would already be reports for you to go over. Through out the day, more reports would be submitted and if they weren't, it was your job to make sure they were. With the amount of missions happening everyday, you would have to work through your lunch break. After your 12 hour shift, you'd be able to clock out and go back to your room where you would immediately fall asleep.

You were too busy to notice that Poe had picked up on how stressed and tired you were. He wished he could help you out, but he was also busy. If he wasn't on a mission, he was filling out reports for his last one. You and Poe used to be able to hang out almost everyday, but now you barely saw each other.

But one day, somehow, Poe got a day off. He slept in, catching up on lost sleep, then immediately went to find you. It wasn't too hard, you were at your desk in the back, typing away while your eyes were glued to the screens around you.

"Hey," Poe said, leaning up against the wall next to your desk. "How are you doing?"

You sighed, your eyes not leaving your work. "To be honest, I think my eyes have been burned by these screens."

Poe laughed then pulled up a nearby chair, sitting next to you. "I'm being serious, I know how much you've been working."

"I'm surprised they let you have a day off, Poe, and that spending your time with me while I'm stuck working," you replied, switching to the next report.

"C'mon, you know I wouldn't want to be anywhere else on my day off. Besides, you need a break, too."

You let out a weak laugh. "You know I can't take a break, Poe. The reports just keep coming in and I can't get behind-"

"I see how it's stressing you out, you need to take a step back," Poe cut you off, his hand covering yours and stopping your typing.

You looked over at him, the tiredness in your eyes clearly there. "I want to, Poe. I want to hang out with you like we used to, but it'll just be more overwhelming if I take a break and let these pile up."

Poe sighed and pulled his hand away, but you didn't start typing right away. "If you change your mind, you know where to find me."

"Trust me, you'll be the first person I'll look for, Poe," you replied with a small smile before turning back to your work.

Poe watched as you immediately got back into a flow. He thought for a moment then stood up, took his jacket off and draped it over your shoulders before leaving.

You stopped for a second to slip your arms into the sleeves. Poe's scent still lingered on it through the day and it kept you warm as you worked. At the end of your shift, you wanted to go return it to Poe, but you were too tired.

You had enough energy to go back to your room and quickly get ready for bed. Right before you crawled into bed, you pulled Poe's jacket on over your pajamas. Surprisingly, his scent was still on it and it brought you comfort after your long day.

With Poe's jacket on, you fell asleep quickly and the stress of the day melted away.

[corvusunnx]

mushy may day 9: massage/aftercare

I chose massage :))

pairing: aether/rain

summary: aether is exhausted from taking care of everyone else, rain forces him to relax and gives him a massage.

quintessence ghouls have always been known to ease the emotional burdens of others. They're able to take the stress of another being as their own.

aether always helps the other ghouls when he can, relieving all of his friends whenever he can. he's the most selfless of his bandmates, never taking himself into consideration for anything. after a long practice, aether helps dew rid of some of his frustration, since the smaller ghoul couldn't seem to play well today.

"thank you, aether, you're always there when I need you." He looks up with a grin. they both sigh, one of relief and the other, well, frustration. annoyance might even be a good word. dew has always been one to get annoyed and angry easy. it's not hard to push his buttons.

"no problem." aether forces a smile through his teeth. his tail twitches angrily behind him while he tries to calm himself.

rain sees the two and walks over to greet them. he's been keeping an extra close eye out for aether, since he's been letting people take advantage of his ability lately.

"Hello, how was practice?"

"eh, shitty. how did it go for you?" dew asks. aether just stands there, still trying to work on his nerves.

"hm, it was pretty ok. I finally got a part down that I've been working at."

"that's good. wish I could say the same." dew laughs. his fangs show past his lips in a wide grin.

"aether, how was practice for you?" rain tries to pull aether into the conversation. he wants to know how aether is feeling, being told from something either than the larger ghoul's body language. aether lets out a big sigh, searching the room mindlessly as he finds the right way to word his sentence. as if the walls will have it written out for him.

"it went alright. I might lay down for a bit, though."

"hm?" I thought we were going to play board games tonight. I don't wanna play without you." rain's voice is coated in concern. dew left, getting bored of the conversation. he's known to just act on whatever he wants or feels at the moment. a little ball of impulses.

rain turns to leave himself after trying to talk to aether a bit, but after a bit of trying he gave up.

"aether, I can tell taking care of everyone has been messing with you lately. if you don't go easier on yourself I'll make sure you relax. I hate seeing you like this."

"no, rain I promise im-"

"I'm not taking no for an answer. I want to see you being your normal happy self."

aether sighs knowing he's fighting a losing battle. the water ghoul leaves, the quiet sound of his leather boots tapping against the marble floors. he leads himself to his room and lays down, finally starting to calm down from the frustration he took from dew. the stress he's had still remains, everything seeming to just pile up instead of eventually fading away. maybe rain's right. maybe he's been worrying too much about the others to properly take care of himself. it might not be so bad to listen to rain.

the next day aether is still in the same state as he fell asleep in. bags begin to form under his eyes, his tail dragging on the floor behind him. rain knocks on the door to make sure aether is awake and offer to walk with him to breakfast. aether doesn't know, but rain is going to make today flow as nicely for aether is possible. he asked the rest of the ghouls to make sure they relax today too, to prevent any more stress being inflicted on aether.

"morning, sleeping beauty. you woke a bit later than usual today." rains soft voice welcomes aether when he opens the door, rubbing his eyes.

"good morning, rain. what time is it?"

"almost 11 am."

"Oh, Yeah.. that's a bit later than usual, sorry."

"Its ok! I was a bit busy thus morning anyway, so it works out. do you want to get some breakfast with me?"

"I'd love to." aether smiles, taking rain's hand. they walk together through the hallways, light glimmering from the soft windows they pass. the natural lighting is enough not to need anything else, and the colors from the stained glass enhance the building's beauty. the two ghouls talk about whatever nonsense comes into mind, laughing and smiling with each other. rain is happy to see aether giving a genuine smile. it's the first he's seen for a few days. he wishes he could take a picture, just to be able to stare at it longer.

they find their way to the kitchen and grab whatever food the others didn't get to. unfortunately all of the muffins were gone. dew probably ate them, knowing the little bottomless pit he is, especially when it comes to sweets. rain hands aether a banana smoothie, one he asked a sister of sin to make. he sees her in the kitchen often, so he was sure to ask her to make one. he knows those are aether's favorite, and wanted to be able to surprise him.

"this is for you. I told one of the sisters to make it."

"thank you! you're always so kind." aether's face lights up and he begins to sip on it.

"how about we go outside and eat? maybe by the pond." rain suggests with a smile written on his face. aether gives a moment of consideration before agreeing.

they sit on the dock, out behind the ministry. the sun's rays hit the water perfectly, making the tiny droplets sparkle in golden hues. rain fights the urge to dive in and swim, knowing he's doing this for aether. he wants aether to enjoy the soothing ripples of water, lapping at the ground nearby.

ignoring the food he got, rain positions himself to sit behind aether, trailing his hands along aether's broad shoulders.

"your shoulders are so stiff, aeth! no wonder you've been so cranky lately!" rain chuckles, now forming near circular motions with his wrists in attempt to ease the muscles his hands cover. aether purrs at the gentle rubbing of rain's hands along his shoulders, sighing at the relief. his feet dangle just above the deep blue water, the sounds of the waves helping calm him. rain always knows how to get someone to relax. it's like it's in his nature, to be so peaceful, and able to give others that same peace.

[deepdisireslonging]

Maybe One Day: Chapter 1

Sophia Adler is a nurse in Gotham. On her way home one evening, a problem drops into her lap. But it’s hard to tell if her new patient is the bigger problem, or the man in red who seems insistent on irritating her.

Pairing: (eventual) Red Hood x Sophia Adler (OC)

Warnings/Promises: canon-levels mafia violence, cw blood

Word Count: 1600

Note: This was a commission I wrote back in December for a patron. I’m going to share it here bit by bit. As always, I really appreciate all reblogs and comments.

December Twenty-First 

DOWNTOWN GOTHAM, 7 PM

The well-suited man paced in front of the large ornate desk that took up most of the room. He straightened his tie for the hundredth time. “Shipment is set for that date? You have to be sure, or I can’t do anything about it.” 

Behind the desk, Black Mask furrowed his brow. “If it is delayed, you’ll fix your preparations. Or you get nothing. And your next campaign run will be heavily underfunded.” He leaned back, relaxed. “You above all people should know what happens to city officials who don’t have my stamp of approval. You replaced the last one.”

Stepping back, the official wilted. He looked like a child trying on his father's clothes. He nodded, defeated. 

“Great!” Black Mask pushed a button on his desk. “Ms Li, please show our guest to the door. Our business is finished for the day.” As his assistant did as he asked, an extra guard heavily guided the man out of the room. Black Mask looked down. The map on his desk showed all of Gotham with the usual police patrol paths highlighted. Other dots, far away from those paths, marked his warehouses and drop points. If everything went according to plan, Gotham would enter a new era. 

 <\\\*///>

 December Twenty-Second 

GOTHAM HOSPITAL, 10 PM

Incessant beeping was a daily part of Sophia Adler’s day. All around her various medical machines worked to keep Gothamites stabilized, and her team moved from patient to patient in a practiced dance. Carefully, she glanced at the watch on her wrist. Her patient chuckled.

“How long have they been running you for today?” His smile was hindered by bindings around one side of his face, but the warmth passed through all the same. 

Sophia side-eyed him with a smirk. “Just the usual twelve hours. Nothing I can’t handle.”

He whistled, or did his best to. “They work you too hard. A smart woman like you needs to move to one of those private clinics. Make bigger bucks on fewer hours.” 

“But then I couldn’t help people like you.” She looked up as the floor manager called out her name, motioning her to go home. “Don’t get into any more trouble while I’m gone?”

“No promises.”

They shared a laugh before she finished up his paperwork. Her friend and coworker, Alexis, bumped hips with her at the sink. They covered the usual catch-up for Alexis to take over Sophia’s rounds, then both leaned against the wall for a breather. 

“So. How are you liking Gotham?” 

Sophia rolled her eyes. “I like it. It’s home; always has been. I swear you guys treat me like a tourist sometimes.” 

“Yeah, but you’ve been in Metropolis for school. Coming back here must’ve been a culture shock.” 

With a laugh, Sophia picked up her bag. “No. The culture shock was moving there. Coming back was a relief.” 

Alexis leaned close. “How was seeing Superman, though?”

“I never saw ‘im. Just cleaned up his messes.” 

“Too bad.” Alexis leaned away, half-hiding behind a bed curtain as a manager walked by. “They say he’s a looker.” 

With a tsk, Sophia dismissed the thirst chat. “He’s probably got some alien or super girlfriend, so what’s it to me?” Snagging her arm, they headed towards the door. Before she could go through, Alexis tugged her to a stop. 

“Come on, who wouldn’t want a hero boyfriend?”

“No thanks. I’ve got enough stress in my life as it is.” She grinned. “If I find one interested in a nurse, I’ll send them your way.” Their giggles came to a stop when a Doctor walked by. “See you tomorrow.” 

“Yeah. Drive safe.”

Sophia called over her shoulder, “I’ll do my part.” 

Despite what she’d said, Gotham had been a bit of a culture shock. Metropolis didn’t have as many petty criminals. Hard to when their resident hero could hear everyone on earth. She had to reteach herself to carry mace and a knife, and to have a gas mask within quick reach at any given time. Still, the streets were the same. A few had been rebuilt. Though it didn’t take long for the city’s grime to reclaim them. 

She was a block from home when she could hear shouting. Slowing down, she rolled down her window, a bad habit she picked up in Metropolis. For her trouble, a body plummeted to the concrete next to her, making her scream. Her hands were shaking so hard she could hardly park the car and grab the keys. 

It was a man. And, based on the amount of blood and its placement, he’d been attacked. 

“Sir, can you hear me?” Sophia kneeled next to him and prepared to check for the most dangerous injuries. “My name is Sophia, I’m going to try to stabilize you. What’s your name?” The man managed to whisper “Bill” before a dark shape dropped next to her, pushing her out of the way. 

“Basically, goon number three.” The assailant dragged the man up by his collar, making him jolt with a hard punch to the stomach. “And he’s not worth stabilizing.” He proceeded to drag him into the nearby alley while the man blubbered for his life. 

Sophia staggered to her feet and followed him. “Stop! You’ll kill him.” She skid to a stop when the streetlight revealed his gear. 

The shiny red biker helmet identified him strongly enough. Red Hood. The red emblem across his chest angled more towards her, making her step back. 

“Now that we’ve been acquainted,” he said, “can I get on with my work?” 

“No.” Sophia swallowed. “There have got to be better ways of… processing this man than what you’ve been doing to him.” 

“You sound like the Bat.” 

“At least he recognizes that violence isn’t always the answer. And when it is, it is well deserved and he still delivers them to the authorities or the hospital.” 

“He won’t need a doctor. He’s going to need a coroner.”

At that, Bill started wailing, pleading for Sophia to not let him die. She didn’t think. Stepping into their scuffle, Sophia yanked him out of Red Hood’s hands and guided him to lie down. Surprisingly, Red Hood didn’t put up a fuss, even as Sophia dug gloves out of her pocket and began to examine him. 

“I didn’t want this job! It was all I could get in this crummy town.” He hissed when she pressed gently on his ribs. “I’m a good man. I try to keep my nose clean, I don’t take candy from babies, and I pay taxes on my income. What more do you want from me?” He shivered back with a yelp when Red Hood leaned into his face. 

“I want scum like you to stop sneaking weapons into my city.”

Sophia’s eyebrows rose. “Weapons?”

“Mhmm. This worm,” Red Hood dug his thumb into Bill’s shoulder, “is part of Black Mask’s gang. They’ve got a big present coming into town sometime around Christmas. And I don’t think it’s good cheer.” 

In her mind, Sophia recalled the last time Black Mask’s weapon market had brought her trouble. It inspired her to move to Metropolis for med school. And it about took out the city block where she lived. Angrily, she jammed her fingers into Bill’s side where he’d winced earlier. He yelped, confused. “You either tell this man what he wants to know, or I’m going to use my medical knowledge to help him hurt you more.” 

The helmet quickly angled towards her. With a tilt, he accepted the help. 

“I- I can’t. He’d kill me-”

“Mask? You’re still worried about him when you’ve got the both of us staring you down?” Red Hood nodded at Sophia. “Think again.” 

On cue, she prodded one of his wounds. He cried out. 

“Okay, okay. But I don’t know much. Something not from here. Some guy made a deal with the boss. R. Sage? Severe?”

“Savage?”

“Yeah. That sounds right.”

Red Hood ran his hand over his helmet like he would his fingers through his hair. “Great. When?”

The goon made a show of shutting his mouth. Until Sophia prodded his painful ribs again. “Christmas Eve! Geeze, lighten up, won’t you? Most everybody will be taking the day off. Minimum security.”

Sophia was in on it now. She needed to know if the upcoming attack was going to happen anywhere near her. Or near the hospital. “Where? And don’t say you don’t know. For a goon, you know an awful lot already, so spill.” To push her point, she made a show of grabbing his fingers, prepared to wrench them back. 

He blubbered and moaned, but finally said, “dock C. Some city guy is making sure most of the team gets the holiday. The others will get a special present to make sure they don’t see a thing.” 

Red Hood snapped his fist forward, knocking Bill out. He was about to hoist him over his shoulder when Sophia intervened. 

“Alright, you got your information. Now let him go.” 

“What? I’m not gonna-”

“I’ll call the police. You’ll be gone by then. And by the time he gets out, you’ll probably have this whole thing solved, right?”

She could feel him smirking as he crossed his arms. “You have a lot of faith in me, Doc.”

“Not a doctor. A nurse. And as such, I can’t let you-”

“Dammit!”

Bill had recovered while they argued, and ran off in a dead sprint. 

Red Hood pushed Sophia to one side. “You did good, I’ll give you that. Consider it your good deed for… the year. Now, stay out of this. Please. You’ll only get yourself hurt.”

“But I can help!” 

He was already gone. 

Suddenly very tired, Sophia went back to her car. Soon she was safe in her apartment. She fell asleep quickly. And wishing that what she’d just seen had been a dream. 

 <\\\*///>

***

Part 2: Here

Intrigued? Interested in a commission of your own? Check out more information here: Guidelines Here

[ambietwice]

( ꈍᴗꈍ) AMBIE'S DATING HISTORY

warning(s): lucas wong & like one (1) mention of sex :)

1. Lucas Wong

duration: january 2, 2017 - january 13, 2018

relationship: puppy love, firsts

current status: not talking

public or private: private

reason for break up: lucas was too busy preparing for his debut

about their relationship: lucas was a trainee and ambie was already a successful idol. they had a sweet relationship and had lots of fun together. though lucas rarely saw ambie eventually and is the reason she wrote many sad songs for TWICE's albums. they broke up eventually because lucas was not putting any more effort into the relationship at all.

2. Kim Hyunwoong

duration: april 1, 2018 - june 12, 2019

relationship: steady in love

current status: supportive acquaintances

public or private: public

reason for break up: the public reaction

about their relationship: these two had the easiest relationship, both of them able to speak english and being pretty chill people in general. ambie relaxed well with him and her members knew that, the members thought that they would be together forever and often teased her for it. when the public found out many were actually really supportive, but many thought bloo was a shitty person simply for the way he looked. the hate didn't necessarily drive a wedge between the two, but with ambie constantly trying to keep the fans happy and them getting increasingly more upset over random things, they decided to break up.

3. Kim Seungyoun

duration: november 4, 2019 - june 6, 2020

relationship: friends to lovers

current status: supportive

public or private: private

reason for break up: lack of time

about their relationship: this relationship shocked the members the most because, while they knew she and seungyoun were friends, they thought she was going to date her friend (jungkook). it took them by surprise when ambie introduced seungyoun to them as her boyfriend. he was the best bf ever and ambie really loved him, but time seemed to work against them. everytime one of them was free, the other was not. it got to the point that their touring schedules were the exact opposite almost, so in order to save the stress of constantly worrying about seeing each other, they decided to break up.

4. Lee Chan

duration: december 18, 2020 - may 27, 2021

relationship: friends to lovers

current status: friends

public or private: private

reason for break up: burnout

about their relationship: ambie's shortest relationship, ambie and dino dated with excitement for both of them. they were on cloud 9 at the start of the relationship, always talking about each other and thinking of each other and you know the drill. their stress almost completely disappeared when they were with each other and their members took great notice in this. once that special honeymoon phase was over, the only thing they really were was really close friends who had sex. that's when they decided to break up because they felt their spark had burned out. they are still close friends now, with little to no awkward tendencies.

5. Kim Donghyun

duration: august 28, 2021 -

relationship: friends to lovers

current status: dating

public or private: public

reason for break up: n/a

lmao so before you look too deep into this.. im aware that it's unlikely that she would have so many relationships given how busy she is bound to be,, but listen... i do what i want ;) much love <3

about their relationship: these two met in 2019, talking easily over kakaotalk after exchanging info. they never hid their friendship from anyone, and after a certain hang out in 2021, feelings shifted between them and they decided to explore things further. they have an easy relationship, full of fun adventures and chill evenings. despite both groups being busy, they find time to talk to each other at least once a day, be that seeing each other in person or just a simple voice note. netizens started noticing things between them, and after discussing with jyp & brand new music respectively, they decided to go public. fans weren't over the moon about it, but it could've been a lot worse.

[romanoffprentiss]

Emily's Car

A/N: I am seriously running out of Emily GIFS to use, also requests are always open

Working with a bunch of profilers left little to be secret. If it wasn't them profiling you then you were sure your son, James' excited blabbing would reveal anything. One secret he seemed to keep very well hidden was your late night companion. Emily and you originally were just fooling around. You didn't want anything serious just stress relief during cases, your job kept you busy enough the little time you did have you wanted to spend with your son. Despite your best efforts you fell for Emily quickly and even more so with how open she was about your son. It helped that James was well acquainted with the rest of the team so when Emily came over for movie nights, he wasn't thrown off.

Slowly her role became bigger, your heart melts whenever they interact. Emily never complained about it, she would gladly be on daycare duty, and offered to coach his t-ball team when the coach backed out. Which led to her most recent purchase. You were almost annoyed with how much time she took researching and double checking to find the safest possible car seat.

After two hours in the store Emily walks out with the carseat feeling accomplished,

"you know this means he's going to want to go with you everywhere now right?" you inform her and she smiles as she begins to try and install it,

"exactly that's how I get his hot mom in the car too" she winks and you scoff and gently push her aside to help her install the seat.

Just as you anticipated the second James found out about the seat he wanted to go with Emily everywhere. She had already spent most of her time at your place that every morning James would pout until Emily could take him. You would have to drive separate for the sake of keeping things secret from the team.

Though the day was simply a paperwork day you ended up staying a lot later than planned and your sister picked up James and brought him to you. Once your sister put him down Penelope held her arms open for James but he quickly ran to Emily,

"Emmy ! look what I drew today" he squealed as he showed the paper of his scribbles,

"oh who knew you were an artist" she complimented and he giggled before squirming out of her arms and ran over to Penelope,

"you got a new favorite aunt now?" she teased and he kissed her cheek,

"alright I forgive you" she relented and you chuckled. JJ and Derek didn't miss the way the James gravitated to Emily the whole time and decided to plan to investigate further.

When leaving the office that day you left quickly saying how James was getting tired but really you didn't want the team to hear James beg to go with Emily since that would surely give it away.

That night with James in Emily's lap and you snuggling into her side as Cars plays you look at her phone to see her looking at houses,

"baby?" you ask and she looks at you kissing your head,

"just thinking" she comments and you smile,

"send me ones you like" you say and she grins,

"aye aye captain" she salutes but James quickly shushes you both.

about a month later and you are standing in an empty house with James on your hip. Emily's heels can be heard clacking against the floor upstairs,

"welcome home Jamie" you say and he smiles,

"Is Emmy staying forever now?" he asks and you nod with a smile,

"yep we are all going to live together now" you tell him and show him around showing him where his room will be. While you watch James excitedly explain how he wants his room, Emily walks in and wraps her arms around you from behind, settling her chin on your shoulder,

"I think its time to tell the team" she comments and you nod,

"yeah Im surprised Jamie hasn't given it away yet" you joke and she chuckles,

"I want the world to know, also we will have to put in an address change so that might give it away" she says and you smile turning in her embrace and kissing her gently,

"EWWWW!" James runs over pushing your legs to push you two apart,

"well I have to give kisses to someone" Emily teased and chased after him making a kissy face as James screamed and ran giggling. You were so glad that they could run around now, no neighbors to complain about James' squealing, Emily had already ordered a play set outside for Jamie along with a tee ball set and had plans to take him to buy his first glove tomorrow. Telling the team didn't seem so scary anymore. It excited you to be able to tell everyone how happy the profiler made you. Too bad you won't remember telling them.

It was a tough case and Rossi offered to buy drinks and you can't really object to that. The whole team went over to the local bar and drinks were flowing. Emily offered to be the Designated Driver which everyone appreciated but in reality she had to be up at 6 to coach James' first tee-ball game.

Once it was getting late and only Derek, JJ, Penelope and yourself and of course Emily. You all pile into Emily's car,

"Em?" JJ asks as she climbs inside,

"yeah jj?" she asks looking into the rear view mirror and realizing she didn't put the carseat in the trunk,

"oh shit how did that get there" Emily plays dumb and you let out a loud laugh. They look at you confused as you turn to Emily.

"that's Jamie's, he loves being with his Emmy...almost as much as I do" you say clearly drunk and turn to the team,

"now get in the car, James is still with my sister for the night so I want to get laid all over our new house" you wink and relax into your seat closing your eyes as the rest of them stare at you in shock,

"surprise?" Emily shrugs and Derek grins,

"oh I knew it ! you finally bagged the hot mama" he patted Emily's shoulder and she chuckled shaking her head,

"yeah now buckle up I have a tee-ball game to coach" she says and they all buckled with smiles on their faces seeing how happy you two were as you held Emily's hand over the console.

[peakyblindersxx]

whiskey business - john shelby x reader (part 6 of ?)

gif by my queen @michaelgreys, i'm basically her fanblog now but im not mad about it :) i mean just look at him!!1! i almost fainted

a/n: first of all, if you stuck around to this point, tysm for reading!!! this has been one of the most amazing fics ive ever been a part of and it's all thanks to the gorgeous @stxdyblr-2k, who generously took control of the next few parts. her brain is beautiful and we all owe her flowers or something. when i read what she sent me i couldn't bring myself to change much except for some small edits, so pls give her lots of love if you like it!!!! i'm still working on requests as well :)

love, abi xxx

read part one two three four five | my masterlist

tagging: @datewithgianni, @mayaslifeinabox, @deepdonutkid, @springsoulofengland, @lilymurphy03

prompt: nothing this good can last forever. john doesn't know how to feel, and neither do you.

warnings: nsfw! a teensy bit of smut, angsty as fuck prepare yourselves accordingly, a lil fluff if u squint, yeah this fucked me up

Obviously, it wasn't the last time.

Over the coming months you had many last times; his mouth pressed against your neck said as much. As his responsibility at work increased, you'd find yourself heading to his office after your lectures and night classes more often, perched on his lap, smoking, while he finished up his numbers under your critical gaze.

Thomas was more than aware; his snarky comments made it obvious he had his ways of monitoring your actions. You'd seen the dark car lurking outside your rallies and lectures, and no matter how you'd try to throw him off, not even telling Ada where you were going and even, in a moment of desperation, through your neighbours back window, somehow, his silent shadow was still looming. He was practically begging you to make a mistake, to give everyone an easy out. You just couldn't give him the satisfaction. You knew Tommy saw the world as a chess board, always several moves ahead of his opponent. Even when you played him in chess club all those years ago, you could outflank him if you thought on your feet and kept him thinking he was winning until you obliterated him in the end game. It was brutal, sure. But as he told you, there were bigger games at play. You had your own. Thomas could read your mail, intercept your phone calls and have you followed, but he couldn't hear what you said out of earshot. Your lot could smell an interceptor in your ranks, so spying at that close of a proximity was out of the question.

That's why he'd decided to let you have John. You knew his silent approval and his constant management of the narrative meant he saw a tactical gain. There was only so much information he could get from Ada, but John? He just had to agitate him in the right way and all your secrets would come tumbling out. It was difficult hiding your world from John; of what he knew of, he was supportive, quizzing you over current affairs and political discourse, listening intently. Yet, you had to watch your mouth. You had to keep a barrier up and you knew John sensed the distance. Fundamentally, there was nothing either of you could do.

So here you were, in a comfortable limbo. Your days were filled with work, evenings were for lectures and reading groups at the city's university, Ada and you often stopped for a drink or three; you'd go by your flat to freshen up, and then to John's office. Sometimes, you wouldn't visit for a week or so when the guilt sent you over the edge, it was draining to be living so many lives and knowing you were betraying the person you loved most on earth. Ada was oblivious, taking you on her nightly adventures filled with men, dancing and waiting while she was busy kissing in dark corners. Sometimes a young blinder would ask if you wanted to be walked home. The first occurrence you thought was sweet, but as the nights it occurred coincided with nights John seemed extra pent up, you'd decided to ask. The boy, who couldn't be older than twelve but who you knew was trained in using firearms and had a revolver pinned to his hip and a razor in his cap, looked confused.

"Mate, it's not a tough question. Why do you come and ask?"

"There's a phone call." He shrugs, "Isaiah or Michael tells us to go and get you."

Isaiah and Michael were somewhat aware? Fucking hell. Your fling was basically a military campaign at this point, so many of your friends were complicit. The little lads who ran as messengers around Birmingham were complicit. You had to just end it.

But when you sat on his thigh, his chin hooked over your shoulder, it felt so worth it. He never turned you away when you came crawling back. He never mentioned it until after you were finished, hooked under his arm.

"Fucking missed you, gorgeous."

Sometimes he'd remind you not to be a stranger with a wink, but you could tell it was tearing him apart too. He never once came to you. That's how he could justify it in his mind; obviously, the bare minimum was not having sex with his sister's best friend, but in failing that, waiting for you to initiate it was somewhat better. He barely talked to Ada now, citing work as an excuse, but truly the guilt sickened him. He couldn't believe he was prepared to continuously hurt his little sister and betray her. But every time you turned up at his door, he couldn't find it in himself to turn you away. In his mind, every single time you came to visit him was the last time he'd let it happen, yet he was always waiting for you to come back, his blind closed to signal he was prepared. He never would call, it had to be your choice.

You'd been off and on for over five months now. It was so difficult to hide in plain sight, but you just couldn't stop yourself. Neither of you purposefully meant for this to be happen but fuck, was it fun.

For your birthday he'd gifted you a fur coat from the same shop his sister, aunt and the fashionable crowd of Birmingham had purchased theirs. He joked that you looked like a "proper razor chaser", kissing you when you pouted at his teasing, begging you to wear only the coat when you fucked him next. It was a practice for blinders to buy a coat for their wives and girlfriends as a status symbol. You were neither, but John claimed that being his "favourite lass" also counted.

John was a laugh, but you knew at any time he could close his door to you. Until he decided he couldn't be bothered with you, you weren't going to get caught. You just had to be careful until he got bored.

***

You did end up putting a foot wrong. It was a Thursday night; you were sitting on the edge of John's desk while he was ridding you of your blouse. It was past midnight, Birmingham was asleep. You almost didn't bother coming out tonight, but you knew John had lost a deal and you wanted to be there for him. Your skirt and stockings were strewn across the desk with his shirt, vest and waistcoat, muddled into the files and papers which were once neatly stacked.

His fingers were pumping in and out of you, his mouth lapping at your breast, your head tipped back in euphoria, groaning. The stress made him more affectionate and tender with you, and it was nights like these that made you wonder. Wonder if this could ever be something more, something real.

John's body suddenly pulled away from yours, quickly turning the light off.

"John, what-" You were cut off by John’s hand over your mouth, muffling your words.

"Shut up and get behind the desk." He hissed. "Someone's coming upstairs."

You quickly grabbed your clothes from the shiny oak surface and crouched, hiding yourself from view, quickly making yourself decent. You weren't going to get shot through the head with your tits out. You listened to the stairs creek, and it sounded like a group. You two were easily outnumbered. They were talking, but the thick panels of wood muffled their voices.

As your eyes adjusted to the darkness, the cracks in the door giving the room a dulled glow, you could make out the figure of John. He was free of his shirt, toned body on display, standing with his back flat to the wall, revolver produced from a discreet notch in the door frame, gaze fixed on where they'd enter. He was tense, ready. The door was unlocked from the outside, the door handle twisting.

John's lip shifted in confusion yet still he kept his trigger finger ready, not a single shake from your general.

The light flicked on and a shriek rang out. It was blinding, and you stood up slightly dazed. Finn was in the doorway, John next to him clutching his chest, panting and lowering the gun.

"Jesus Christ, Finn, can't you knock like a normal person? Scared the shit out of us." John bellowed, shaking as the adrenaline coursed through his body, resting his hands on the edge of the desk as he regained his breath.

"You're the one who pointed a gun at me! I didn't even know you were in 'ere!" Finn yelped.

The commotion had attracted the attention of Ada and Isaiah, who had come running and stopped in their tracks upon seeing you standing behind John's desk in the middle of the night. They weren't stupid. John was topless, your clothes obviously rumpled, both with matching tousled hair and practically stinking of guilt. You'd been caught red handed. Ada's eyes flicked between both you and John, and you could practically see the pieces of the puzzle clicking together in her mind, all the moments she found questionable since you'd returned suddenly making sense, realising she had been deceived by the two people who she was meant to trust most in life. Finn looked absolutely crushed, he'd never been able to conceal his emotions as well as his older brothers and sister, linking his fingers through Ada's, squeezing her hand.

"I forgot to drop this off earlier." Finn stated, holding up a money box, "Ada had keys so we thought we'd sneak in so I wouldn't get done by Tommy. We did call round yours, Y/N. We thought you were in bed."

"I'm sorry." You said. It was not enough but you just didn't know what else to say. You couldn't make it right, you'd really fucked up this time. Tears pricked at your eyes, as Ada examined you in silence.

John stepped in front of you defensively. "Look, Ada-"

"How long has this been going on?" She asked, her voice shaking with rage. You and John exchanged a glance. "I said, how fucking long?"

"Five months, six in a fortnight." He answered.

Isaiah whistled lowly. "That's fucked. I thought it was only a few times, that it'd finished."

"Never really over when it's John is it." Finn interjects, you glance to him, were you just one in a long string? You shouldn't be surprised but it was easy to pretend he may actually care about you.

"You've been fucking around for six months behind my back?" Ada yelped, Finn trying to comfort her but she pulled away from him. "And you fucking knew Iz."

"I'd expect this from you, yeah? Wouldn't put anything past you these days.." she sneered at John, "But you? You?! You're meant to be my best mate, but here you are sneaking about fucking my brother?"

"Ada-" you began, eyes welling with tears.

"I thought I could trust you. You're just another fucking razor chaser, aren't you?" She spits. "That's why you came back."

"No it wasn't, Ada-"

Her eyes flashed with anger, but this time John was on the receiving end. "You bought her that fucking coat ,didn't you? The fur one. You did! Fuck's sake!" Her fists were clenched, shoulders squared. For the first time in your life, you understood why crowds parted for Ada Shelby. Understood all the free drinks and cab rides, the nervous serving staff declaring your meal on the house (always acknowledged by Ada with a hefty tip), understood why the men of Birmingham didn't last long with her.

"Did it feel good to swan about town in that fucking coat, while acting as though you cared about me? It's so fucking embarrassing. All trussed up because my knobhead big brother makes you feel special? Thanks for rubbing it in my face."

"Ada, I love you. I never meant to hurt you, I got caught up and that's on me. It's my fault."

"You're not acting like you love me. This isn’t what love is, Y/N." She retorted.

You couldn’t do anything but nod. She was right.

John opened his mouth to speak, Ada silencing him, a scowl darkening her features.

"I don't care what you have to say. Any of you. Who else knows?"

"Thomas, Michael, Arthur-" John listed off slowly, each name prompting Ada to break down a little bit more in front of you.

"I didn't know Arthur knew." You said pointedly, John sending you an exasperated glance. He was planning on dealing with that later, but right now was about his sister. Fuck him if he thought you were going to stick around much longer. You didn't want to hear him justify everyone else knowing about your fling with your best friend being left completely in the dark.

"That all you have to say for yourself?" Ada snaps at you.

"I have fucking no defense, do I Ada? I should've walked away." You pushed your hair back, frustrated at yourself, tears pricking at the corners of your eyes. You begged yourself not to cry. Tears wouldn't help anything.

"Why didn't you?"

You didn't know. Your silence only riled her up.

"Why didn't you fucking walk away?" Ada yelled, slamming her hands on the desk.

You felt hot tears run down your face, quickly moving your hands to dab at your tears.

"Don't you dare fucking cry. After all you've done, you don't get to cry in front of me." Ada growled at you, John going to shush her, obviously wanting to comfort you. "You can all fuck off. You've all lied to me and gone behind my back. Fuck’s sake, you could've just told me. You could've just told me."

"We didn't want to hurt you." John said, reaching out to squeeze her shoulder but she flinches away.

"This hurts so much more. You get that you all lying to me is so much worse, don't you?"

"We weren't thinking."

"You really fucking weren't." Ada laughs bitterly, shaking her head, blinking away tears. "Fuck you lot."

She stormed out, tailed by Finn, begging her to slow down and talk to him, protesting his innocence in the situation. Isaiah hesitated in the doorway, his eyes flickering between you and John.

"I had no idea you two've been at it for so long."

"Iz, fuck off yeah? I've had enough today." John shot back, sliding across the desk towards you. "You alright, lass?"

"We're done here, John."

He slid off the table, his hand cupping your face, "Hey, gorgeous, I get it but don't go breaking my heart tonight. Can we just leave this for tomorrow? Sleep on it."

The idea of getting any sleep at all tonight was laughable, you'd be up all night replaying these moments and torturing yourself. Tonight couldn't get any worse so you had to finally end it. Now was the right time.

"John, it should've never happened."

"But it did."

"I don't want to talk about this anymore. It's over."

"Y/N. You know for me it was never just about-"

"You're making it difficult. Stop making it difficult. Whatever you say isn't going to change that right now we have to do the right thing."

"I know you're right, but I don't want to let go. Is it so wrong to want you? I adore you, you know that."

You wouldn't meet his eyes. Sighing, John pressed his forehead to the side of your head, chin brushing your shoulder, eyes closing. He was begging you to stay with him. There had to be a solution, you'd figure it out together. His voice was cracking, eyes glassy. He looked so much younger when he was pleading. The tall bloke who terrorised the Midlands with his razor rimmed cap, a revolver in his hand, and a ruthless trigger finger had vanished. You wanted to stay, burning to curl up with him and for him to kiss it better.

"I should go." You told him. He rested his forehead on your shoulder, letting out a shaky sigh before pulling away, nodding.

"I'd drive you home but obviously-"

"Obviously."

John suddenly turned from you, eyes narrowing at Isaiah who was still hovering at the door. "Thought I told you to fuck off. Make yourself useful and get Y/N home safely." His tone was ice cold once again.

Isaiah nodded, offering his arm to you. You reached the door and instinctively looked back at John. His eyes met yours, staring at you from his desk, just as you knew he would. He prepared himself to watch you leave every night, but this time was different. That was it with you two.

Isaiah strode down the street with you in silence. You were tucked into his side as was customary with the upcoming blinders who were particularly ambitious, but there was no relaxed chat.

"Isaiah. What’re you thinking?" You asked, voice tinged with nervousness.

He sighed, running his free hand across his jaw, "That was intense in there."

"Just how he is." You shrugged.

"Does he love you or sommet?"

"Fuck knows… does it matter?"

"Of course it does. Do you love him?"

"Drop it. None of that matters, it shouldn't have happened in the first place so it can’t," You snapped, the anger at the situation you'd created suddenly overwhelming.

Isaiah whistled, raising his brow at your obvious turmoil. "You're in fucking deeper than you want to admit."

He walked you up your path, watching you turn the key to the side door leading to your bedsit. You paused, turning to him.

"Iz… I don't know what to do next."

It was so dark, you could see his face only by the lit cigarette burning to embers between his fingers. He inhaled deeply, pausing before delivering his carefully laid out plan of avoidance. Obviously the event of him crossing the Shelbys and losing their good graces weighed heavily on his mind. You nodded, listening intently, noting his ideas of relocation but he explained they were a final resort. The best thing to do was try to regain their trust; in the long run, he had calculated, it was the only option that didn't result in your life being haunted by the Shelbys. Even if they left you alone, their enemies would make a point to go after you, seeing you as an easy target. The other option was to leave the country.

"Good luck, Y/N. I mean it." He muttered as you turned the handle to the temporary safety of your home. You nodded, offering you cheek for the polite good night kiss you'd become accustomed to. He rolled his eyes and obliged, pressing an affectionate kiss to your cheek and ruffling your hair. "I'm serious. Watch your back."

***

John broke down when he finally heard the lock click shut. His eyes had been prickling with boiling tears, his jaw tensed to hold them back. He yelled out in anger, flipping his desk with force, a loud crash as the wood splintered against the stone flooring, glass shattering from the photo frames. His hands went to his head, unable to stop the gasping breaths escaping from his trembling lips, his face reddening.

"Fuck’s sake." He growled. He'd fucked everything up. He had nothing, just as he'd told you the first night you returned. The consequence was no surprise, he'd anticipated the fall out for a while, but he couldn't resist you. He was completely guilty and had no defense; his only justification being that you made him think with his cock, not his brain.

Fuck’s sake. Polly was going to murder him. She'd always had a soft spot for Ada, as the only girl in the family, and was no stranger to lecturing him over his flirtatious behaviour around Ada's friends. She'd murder him. He had a half mind to never go home. He rubbed at his eyes with his knuckles. Polly had no use for tears. That's what she'd tell him when he was a boy coming home with a skinned knee. This was far worse.

He was also sure that he was a worse brother than Tommy, perhaps the worst in the world. His baby sister, who he'd helped to toddle, carry proudly on his shoulders after school and race with her on his back through the fields on the outskirts of Small Heath, had walked in on him obviously in the midst of fucking her best mate. If he had swallowed his pride and actually talked to her, he wouldn't be in this mess. He could've told her that things changed, that for the same reasons Ada loved Y/N he had fallen for her, that he was truly sorry but she had to know before it got too far and someone got hurt. He couldn't go back.

He should've never approached you that night.

He should never approach you again.

He looked over the mess of his office, the splintered wood and shards of glass, a confetti of paperwork. Now nothing mattered. None of this mattered. He'd lost everything and he had only himself to blame.