#jack watches mash

[organchordsandlightning]

the best way I can describe "MASH is an 11 yr show about a 3 yr war" is that over the course of the series, two separate characters get married and divorced while they are stationed in camp

[icomefromthemountains]

Lord forgive me for I have something to say about Father Mulcahy

[golyadkin]

I’m watching Torchwood again

[stainlesssteellocust]

The romantic leads of my fic are watching television in this draft of the latest chapter, and there's a few little jokes in there, for instance:

The channel shows re-runs of old shows but is currently between episodes, clogging the screen with insipid ads. A glance at the TV guide causes Jack to curse good-naturedly over the one that’s just ended: “Damn it, I like that episode.”

Agnes glances over, having sat at the far end of the sofa to avoid any more ‘static electricity’; an episode of M*A*S*H has just ended. The finale to the third season. “So do I.”

She could have grown a second head and Jack wouldn’t have been as surprised. “You do?” This might be the first time she’s hinted at even owning a television.

Which she doesn’t, of course. But she caught some episodes when it first came out, in passing, and on stolen TVs. “The one where the Lieutenant leaves them.”

Jack nods, happy at this sudden connection. “Yeah, and then…Yeah. When I was a kid it made me cry.” He admits with a laugh.

Agnes blinks, surprised.  Personally, she’d always thought it was hilarious.

If you don't know who Agnes is, she's the reluctant, indoctrinated-from-birth supernatural 'messiah' of a cult which worships an embodiment of sadism: They delight in ruining lives so the pain created can feed their god, they kill, not for the sake of killing, but for the grief it causes in those left behind and the delight in destroying what could have been.

As for why she might find that particular episode of that particular comedy hilarious, well:

M*A*S*H spoilers below:

"The final scene, in which Radar informs the 4077th of the death of Henry Blake, was unprecedented: it was the first time in American television history that a main character departing a comedy series was killed off in a tragic way."

Everything's played straight until the last minute. They didn't even tell the actors. It caused lasting upset to the guy who played the dead man IRL

[figureofdismay]

i have spent a lot of time lately trying to figure out what Jack's opinion of Hawkeye would be. like. I think at least Sarah would have gotten him hooked on the repeats in the mid to late 80s for the banter (and he'd have a secret crush on Margaret) but especially later Hawkeye got pretty, uh. heavy handed in ways that make him fed up with Daniel...

idk idk this is all for a side detail that will probably be cut but it's interesting to think about how fave characters would feel about other fave characters *as* fictional characters in-universe where the settings allow it 😆

[coredrill]

summoning circle for jueves this week bc i will be busy tomorrow 🙏

[zackcollins]

SuWINski 2: Hat Trick Boogaloo || SF vs PIT || 06/19/22

[dreamsandconstellations]

But all i know is nothing happens if you just give in, it can’t be any worse than how it’s been - ‘Watch What Happens’ Newsies

[luvhughes43]

ice cream? | dad!quinn hughes

luvhughes43 masterlist🌙

request: can you write another one like your uncle jack story? i loveddd it!! maybe jack and luke are babysitting quinn’s daughter. i feel like they’d mac and cheese for dinner and both completely struggle doing it. and when it’s bedtime the toddler has a tantrum and they so gentle with her (but also kinda freaking out and don’t know what to do) and end up giving her ice cream and letting her watch a movie with them and she falls asleep on one of them. and quinn and mom come home like really guys?! you let a three year old tell you what to do 

word count: 1.2k

“What are you doing? you don't put the tinfoil bit in the microwave?!” Jack scolded his younger brother Luke as he yanked open the microwave before it set itself on fire. 

Luke stood dumbfounded, “how else are you supposed to cook it?”

the “it” in question being a mini cup of mac and cheese. Quinn thought it would be the safest dinner option and yet…

“Okay, let me do this you go entertain the baby” Jack shoos Luke away and towards an adorable toddler who smiled gummily up at her uncles. 

Luke scoops the little girl up, who giggles all the way to the couch. Luke plops them both down and reaches for the tv remote. 

“Shit!” Jack swears as he rips the microwave open. “Luke! You put in too much water!” 

Luke clicks the volume up on the tv. “You like paw patrol! Yeah, let's watch paw patrol!” Luke cheers to his niece who continues to giggle at her uncle's antics. 

“Doggy!” the little girl shouts as she points at the screen. Luke nods enthusiastically as he tunes out Jack's grumblings from the kitchen. 

15 minutes later, dinner was served.

Luke picked at his plate, “dude…”

“if you say that this is gross i swear…” Jack cut in. 

Before a small fight could break out, both brothers' attention were brought to the little girl in the high chair. “Yummy!” she smiled, lifting up her little plastic spoon and shovelling more of the questionable mac and cheese into her mouth. 

“ha! She likes it!”

“Jack… she's 2.. She was eating canned mashed peas like a month ago,” Luke replies.

Jack scowls. “It's literally your fault that the mac and cheese-”

“Play now!” their niece once again recaptures their attention as she shows them her empty plate. 

Jack gets up from the table and takes his niece out of her high chair.

After an hour of playing, the brothers get a text. 

hughes bros👨‍👨‍👦

quinn: Put my baby to bed now it's getting late. If she gets a little fussy read her another bedtime story she usually falls asleep after two stories. 

“your daddy says it's bedtime!” Jack coos to the little girl sitting in front of him and she immediately starts pouting. 

She throws the bright red block she's holding and yells, “no!”

“Luke, you wanna put her to bed?” Jack asks as he watches the toddler throw a small tantrum. She was rolling around on the floor now, toys long forgotten. 

“No sleep! No sleep!” she repeated, looking up at her uncles with her infamous puppy dog eyes. 

Luke walks over and picks her up off the floor. “Why don't we go read a story! That's so much fun!” Luke exclaims happily and the little girl in his arms continues to frown. 

“yeah let's read a story!” Jack cheers in an attempt to get the young girl to stop pouting. “I love stories!” 

“No!” she shouts again. 

Luke ignores her shouts, and carries her into her bedroom where she continues to pout. “Uncle Jacks going to pick out a really fun book while I get you ready for bed, okay?” 

“No!” 

After 20 minutes of fighting with the young girl, she was finally all ready for bed. As soon as she was in her crib, she immediately settled down and was happy to hear her story. She insisted on both of her uncles reading to her, and by the time they were done the first story she had already drifted off to sleep.

Jack and Luke sat in the living room, both on their phones as they waited for their brother and his wife to return.

“Wow this has been really easy!” Luke joked.

Jack looked over, rolling his eyes. “You almost burnt down the apartment” 

“Yeah but the baby's asleep now so does it really matter?” 

Jack shakes his head, “i’m not even going to reply to that”

“‘ACK! ‘UKE!” the wails of their niece ring out through the quiet apartment.

Both boys look at each other, and then immediately rush into their niece's bedroom. “What's up?” Jack coos, voice soft as he approaches the little girl with tears streaming down her face.

The little girl continues to cry. She stands up by the edge of the crib and holds her arms out to her uncles. Luke takes the hint and lifts the girl out of her crib and into his arms. 

“No sleep” she whispers against her uncle Luke's chest and both boys stare blankly at each other.

“But you have to go to sleep,” Luke tries, but the girl shakes her head. 

“No!” she cries. 

The cries only get worse, so Jack has the brilliant idea of feeding the girl some ice cream.

“Two year olds can have ice cream right?” he asks as he pulls the large tub out of his older brother's freezer. 

Luke nods, “yeah i'm sure vanilias safe for kids”  he shrugs the shoulder that his niece is not laying against. 

“You want some ice cream?” Jack asks as he holds a baby spoon up with a tiny bit of ice cream. The girl eagerly nods and reaches one hand out for the spoon.

The boys move to the couch, the little girl sat between them with her little bowl of ice cream in her lap. A movie softly plays in the background, lulling the girl to sleep with her hand in her ice cream bowl and head pressed against her uncle jack. 

At the sound of the front door unlocking, both boys sit upright. “Shit! Don't wake her up!” Luke whisper-shouts as he stands up and starts clearing off the coffee table. There was ice cream everywhere, courtesy of the sleeping 2 year old clinging to Jack's side. 

“Take her bowl!” Jack whispers as he tries to lift the baby's hand out of the sticky bowl. 

“You gave my daughter ice cream before bed?” Quinn questions, surveying the messy kitchen and living room. 

Luke, hands full of the incriminating ice cream bowls, shrugs. “She’s teething?” he says, but it comes out more of a question.

“My baby's teething? Are her molars coming through?” your worried voice drifts through the apartment as you step inside. 

“No!”

“Yes!” 

Jack and Luke both speak at the same time. 

“Right… okay i’ll take my baby back now!” Quinn speaks. When he reaches down to lift his daughter up though, he sees her ice cream coated hands. Quinn doesn't have to say anything.

“Right well! This was really nice so…"Jack trails off when Quinn finally has his daughter in his arms. She was asleep, so what did it really matter if she had some ice cream? 

“Yeah! I’ll see you next time!” Luke says, retreating into the guest bedroom. 

“Yeah, what he said! It's been great!” Jack mimics Luke.

“You're cleaning this up tomorrow,” Quinn's voice is fully in dad mode as he looks around the messy room. 

Jack nods enthusiastically before bidding the small family his goodnights. 

“Thank you for babysitting!” you whisper yell, which Jack responds with a quick thumbs up. 

A second later the guest bedroom door is clicked shut and Quinn and you are left standing in your quiet living room. 

“They're never babysitting again” Quinn sighs, looking down at his daughter who was covered in ice cream. 

“No, they're not” you sigh, leaning over and pressing a soft kiss to your daughter's forehead. “Letting a 2 year old tell them what to do… you got those boys wrapped around your finger!” you whisper to your little girl.

[sadtonight]

Morning holder

Summary: someone can be very clingy in the morning — and that's you, not him!

Characters: first year students;

Warnings: none, reader is gender neutral, established romantic relationships, unspecified time period;

Side notes: I was daydreaming about sappy things because I saw a fanart from the other fandom when suddenly I realised that I can write it! Thank you, the ship of two middle-aged men which I'm crying over those days.

Ace

— you begun sleeping together pretty soon after you started dating Ace. He quickly grew used to having you around so much that now not having at least one of your limbs on his body causes him to move himself closer to you and settle your arm around himself. If, by any chance, you wake up during the process, ginger defends himself by lying how you were groping him in your sleep which you hardly can buy, not that it matters as you suspected what he was doing and why anyways;

— though if he wakes up to the feeling of your warm body cuddled closely to his side, Ace just can't be any happier! It feels so nice having your head mashed to his side, arms folded, and legs tangled with his, even if it was too hot to stay that way. Nah, he can't possibly complain. He instead can fondly brush you hair out of your face and lighty scratch your scalp, just admiring how peaceful you were;

— Ace is well aware that he, and in fact you too, need to get up in a few minutes and get ready for the day but still tries to hold off getting up as much as he possibly can. This results in you scolding your boyfriend for not waking up you sooner, but Ace never talks back to you. He just softly smiles at you, and the only thing you can do is pout and wonder what makes him so pleased in the mornings sometimes.

Deuce

— initially when you two started sleeping together in one bed, poor Deuce always freaked out when his drowsy brain registered a person lying right next to him. He calmed down only after cautiously taking a look at your sleeping form. R-right, the boy was dating you... It still sometimes felt like a dream, too good to be true;

— Deuce woke up earlier than the alarm clock: the dream he saw wasn't the most pleasant, consisting of him protecting you from some delinquents who looked uncannily similar to his acquaintances from the school, including himself. The boy was convinced that he abandoned all those ways and was living a life of an ordinary person, or so he thought. In a attempt to turn around to shake off the thoughts, Deuce only then felt arms — your arms — wrapped around his torso, your whole body pressed to his back. He could feel how your chest rose and fell in a steady rhythm;

— although not intentionally, still hazy from sleep, Deuce interpreted it as you being there, behind his back, because you believed in him protecting you and you were there to watch him from behind. The way you were holding him tight with your arms, he was so overjoyed while still overflowing with stress from the dream that he broke down crying, quietly sobbing. Upon waking up and seeing Deuce you couldn't understand why your partner's face was so red and puffy, but you got a lot of pampering from your boyfriend that day.

Jack

— there are undeniably lot's of advantages of having a partner built like Jack. Yet it also means that there are downsides. It was fear on Jack's part: he was anxious about accidently crashing you with his body in his sleep, so he tried to stay far enough when you started to sleep together. However, during nighttime one of you would relocate closer to the other, resulting in the two of you tangled in when the morning rolled out. Beastman had to come up with the solution to avoid unintentionally causing you any harm;

— that's why one day he asked you to sleep on top of him from then on. You weren't sure if Jack would find it convenient sleeping with a weight putting pressure onto him, but if anything it meant more training for the boy which he didn't mind. The position was rather funny, so you didn't miss the opportunity to tease your boyfriend for being so needy for cuddles. Something at the start of the relationship he would vehemently deny, but now Jack only folds his arms and wordless beam, ears perked up — you got him there, didn't you;

— you held onto your words and at night you crawled on top Jack's body each time he was lying flat. And in turn, beastman begun intense muscle training which paid off quickly. Now, he was waking up to you being there, sleeping undisturbed on his chest. He did want to keep watching your frame rise up and down, but Jack didn't feel comfortable staring at you like that without you knowing. So he would wake you up by softly patting your back and with same softness calling out your name;

Epel

— this boy was so eager to sleep with you in one bed! Epel fondly remembers sleeping with his parents and some relatives long time ago when he was just a baby. Winter night never felt more warmer than that! And besides, it was rather.... lovely and romantic to sleep together with your sweetheart right? He daydreamed before how he would keep you in his strong, secure hold, though he reluctantly admitted those feelings to you;

— surprisingly to him, the reality turned out to be the contrary of what he expected. It was Epel who woke up first to realise that he had cuddled up to you instead of it being the other way around. This soured his mood greatly, so he would carefully slide away from you and change the positions. But it happened times and times again which made lavender haired boy wonder if he's missing something, and the thing he was missing was acceptance of the situation;

— once he woke up even earlier than usual, with his head nested in your collarbone and arms embracing you loosely yet again, but it was different. Epel didn't feel the urge to get away or change anything. No, it felt so natural, so familiar and warm just like his childhood memories. However, being so close to you and you protectively squeezing him was an experience he found different while vastly more enjoyable. Could it be that's why it felt so good cuddled up to each other? Whatever it was, Epel decided to resume his rest instead, breathing in warm air around you and returning back to dreams;

Sebek

— sleeping together in one bed and before marriage is highly inappropriate!... It was, before the two of you eventually did sleep together and Sebek found the attempt to be not what he dreaded it to be. When you suggested sleeping apart since you still weren't on marriage stage, half-fae denied your suggestion saying that it was unnecessary — it would be safer if you slept with him. Yes, he wasn't less of a guard even while he was unconscious!

— subsequent nights went relatively peacefully, until one morning, as per usual Sebek woke up and tried to get up for morning exercise, suddenly to feel something pulling him down by his left arm. And it was no other than you, wrapped around his arm like an ivy the boy was so used to seeing back home. It took Sebek by surprise: why were you clinging to his arm? It wasn't because of a pesky nightmare, right? You didn't seem fazed nor troubled. Not risking making the situation worse, he sucked it up and waited for you to naturally wake up;

— royal guard had to ask you for the explanation, because he wouldn't get even a minute of rest if something was bothering you! Upon hearing Sebek's observation, you bashfully presumed that you instinctively wanted to hold him in your sleep. Of course you want to hold him while being do valuable, for he was a capable and apt fae magician and a rolay guard of lord Malleus himself. Although Sebek had to gather all his mental strength to get out of your hold each morning you captured his arm. Turns out, he had so much more training to do and it had nothing to do with physical training...

[harlowcomehome]

Thanksgiving on the road:

You sat beside Jack in the sprinter van, his jaw was tense and he was scrolling mindlessly on his phone. His legs were spread, your knees almost touching.

You knew he was upset about missing Thanksgiving this year but he didn’t want to openly admit that and make the day even worse.

The snowstorm had gotten bad, meaning all of the flights that were supposed to go out were delayed for days. Maggie had offered to put Thanksgiving dinner off for a day or so but Jack didn’t want his entire family waiting on him so he politely declined, even though a part of him really wanted them to.

This was supposed to be your first Thanksgiving away from your own family, you had agreed to go home with Jack which he now felt overwhelmingly guilty about.

He did his best not to miss major holidays, keeping a promise to his mom and now he felt like he was letting her down too.

Keeping all of these emotions inside was killing him, but he didn’t want to come off as ungrateful so he kept it to himself.

You were anxious about the roads, the snow making them slippery as you watched it continue to flurry out the window. Luckily you were almost to the hotel where you’d be snowed in for the next few days to come.

Jack grabbed your hand giving it a squeeze of reassurance with a slight smile. He knew you hated weather like this, and the intense fear of sliding off the road wasn’t helping.

“Almost babe” he whispered weakly, his eyes still set on scrolling on his phone. He rubbed your hand with his thumb for added reassurance.

Urban gave you a pathetic half-smile, knowing the energy in the van was gloomy.

When you got to the hotel, Jack mumbled something about taking a nap and you knew now that it was deeper than surface level. He was more upset than you had originally thought.

“Well, Happy Thanksgiving baby” he mumbled sadly, kissing you before falling asleep.

You waited for him to start snoring before sliding out of the hotel bed and going to Neelam's room instead.

You text her before walking over, asking her to text Urban so the three of you could talk.

Urban and Neelam sat apart waiting for you to come in.

“What’s going on with Jack?” You panicked as you entered the room, not giving anyone else a chance to speak first.

Neelam looked to Urban for a response.

“He promised his mom he wouldn’t miss any holidays, and now he feels bad because you’re also missing yours with your folks” he shrugged.

“He told you that?” Neelam questioned, looking to him and then you for a reaction.

“No, I just know him” he shrugged again, softly laughing like it should’ve been common knowledge.

“I know you-“ Neelam pointed in your direction. “So what are you about to have us do?”

Urban let out a loud laugh, also knowing this to be true and waiting for direction.

You looked around Neelam's suite frantically for ideas.

“Maybe we can push those tables together. We can call room service and see what kind of Thanksgiving meals they have if any?”

“I saw turkey sandwiches in the vending machines if nothing else” Urban shrugged and you nodded.

“Go get some of those!” Neelam gave him some money from her purse as the two of you moved the tables together.

“They might sell out” she defended herself as Urban quickly left the room.

Once the door shut the two of you started immediately talking.

“I knew he was upset about not being able to go home today but I never knew about the promise he made to Maggie.”

“He told her he’d try his best to not miss any holidays and this is the first one” Neelam responded before she looked around for a sheet to put over the tables.

“I mean, it’s not like he can control the weather” you sighed helping her cover the table.

“You know how Jack is though, a total control freak” she paused “Respectfully.”

Urban was back with the sandwiches and handed them to you to place in the fridge.

You called downstairs, ordering some mashed potatoes and a few other side dishes to be delivered to Neelam's room in thirty minutes.

That gave you time to wake up Jack and get dressed in something a little fancier than sweats and an oversized sweater.

“Should we call Maggie and Brian while we eat?” You pondered out loud, trying to think of a way to include his family.

“I’ll FaceTime Maggie, Brian, Clay, and the rest of Jack's family that way they can be here too” Urban suggested as you were getting ready to leave the room.

“I owe you” you smiled at him as you left to go back to yours and Jacks shared room.

When you made it back to your room Jack was sitting up in bed, he was watching something on TV with a sad expression.

“I called you” he mumbled, holding his arms out for you to get in bed with him.

You shook your head, “my love, I need you to get up!”

“I just want to lay here” he laid flat in bed, pulling the covers over his shoulders.

“You can’t! Get dressed babe, I have a surprise for you” you smiled, walking over to your suitcase to get out the dress you intended to wear today.

“A surprise?” He sat up, running his hands through his hair, fluffing out the curls. He was immediately curious.

“What are you up to woman?” He teased, throwing his legs over the bed and rushing over to hold you from behind.

“You’ll see!” You giggled as he spun you around briefly before setting you back down.

Jack didn’t waste time, he got dressed in a cream-colored sweater and dress pants and waited for you to finish touching up your makeup.

“What’s going on?” He asked impatiently, he knew you had to have planned something when Urban wasn’t answering his messages.

Neelam text you a thumbs up, meaning it was show time. You checked the hotel hallway for people before waving your hand and motioning for Jack to follow you.

He grabbed your hand, intertwining your fingers and the two of you giggled as you quickly ran down the hallway to the other end.

When Neelam opened the door, you led Jack to the makeshift Thanksgiving day table.

His family was on FaceTime, leaning against a chair.

Jack was in disbelief. He was shocked that you had gone through all of this effort but more so that you had involved his family too.

“Hi, honey!” His mom waved and Jack held his hand over his mouth, hiding the fact that his lip was quivering. He took a moment before sitting down in front of the phone with you by his side.

“Hi guys” he chuckled, finally able to form words.

“I’m sorry I couldn’t come home but…“

“Don’t worry about that. You couldn’t control it. We just want you to be safe” Brian chimed in, giving Jack the release of all the pressure that he felt.

Jack laughed when Urban set out the turkey sandwiches, a single tear escaping the corner of his eye before telling his family that he loved them and that he’d see them soon.

“Turkey sandwiches?” An authentic chuckle came out of him, one of those laughs that comes from deep within and you knew he felt much better about today.

You affectionately rubbed his leg, giving him a soft smile and looking to him with adoration as your chin leaned against his shoulder.

“Thanks for this” he smiled, making eye contact with the three of you briefly.

“This was all her idea” Neelam motioned to you.

“I went and got the sandwiches though” Urban joked, earning a soft elbow to the side from Neelam.

“Happy Thanksgiving baby” you whispered before leaning in for a kiss.

“Happy Thanksgiving baby” he mumbled against your lips in return.

[organchordsandlightning]

someone hold my hand i’m watching Goodbye Farewell and Amen

[void-wolfie]

Carving Commotion

summary: You go over to Jenna's for some halloween fun

pairing: jenna ortega x reader

tw: none really? light mention of knives for pumpkin carving but thats it (if i'm missing something let me know so i can fix/add)

words: 1.09k

a/n: Happy Halloween guys! i did this at the last minute if i'm honest. only did light editing and proofing so there might be some mistakes lol.

You pushed the doorbell in with your elbow, hearing the familiar sound echoing from within the house. You barely even had to wait thirty seconds before the door shot open, your girlfriend standing on the other side with a blinding smile.

You noticed her eyes excitedly jump down to the two pumpkins in your arms, her smile growing wider if that was even possible.

"What're you staring at, Ortega? My eyes are up here," You joked, smirking at your girlfriend's exasperated expression.

"You're late," if she rolled her eyes any harder, they would've rolled right out of her head, "just, get in here already."

Despite the jokes, both of you truly did love Halloween, it was one of the best times of the year. The two of you planned to spend the whole night together carving pumpkins and watching scary movies.

As you walked through the house you noticed all the decorations set up. Fake cobwebs adorned with plastic spiders hung in the hallway, fake bats hung from the living room fan, caution tape littered doorways, and The Monster Mash played quietly in the background. She really does go all out for Halloween, you thought to yourself.

Jenna helped you put the pumpkins down on the kitchen counter. She grabbed out the soap and a scrubby brush and told you to clean off the pumpkins in the sink, which you happily obliged.

You got lost in thought while cleaning off the pumpkins. You were excited, you couldn't stop thinking about what to carve. Should it be something elaborate and scary? Or maybe something simple and cute? Maybe a mix of both? It was your first Halloween with Jenna after all, and you didn't want to scare her off with your excitement.

By the time both pumpkins were done and washed, you turned back around to find the kitchen table covered in trash bags and Jenna setting the table with a handful of carving knives.

"Carving pumpkins isn't just some elaborate excuse to murder me, right?" You joked. Once again you saw her eyes roll, but the smile on her face told you she was far from annoyed.

"I could never kill you, you're too cute for that," She looked over at you and winked. The gesture alone made your knees wobbly and your stomach twist into knots.

Jenna refused to show you what she was carving into her pumpkin. You could see her eagerly getting into her drawing, her eyebrows furrowing in the cutest way while her Sharpie moved wildly in front of her. It’s a surprise, she insisted.

You decided that if Jenna could get so excited and into her pumpkin carving, so could you. You drew up the best pumpkin face you could think of, sharp gnarly teeth, and slanted eyes. The design wasn’t as good as you normally drew, but you chalked it up to the cute brunette across the table distracting you.

Once you had decided the design was good enough, you picked out a knife and started cutting away. You started with some of the bigger details, watching as the big knife cut through the pumpkin like butter.

It felt like forever, carving out little bits at a time, and you were covered in pumpkin guts up to your elbows. But finally, you were finished!

“Done!” You shouted, setting the knife down and jumping up from your seat. You looked over at Jenna to see her giggling at you, but you didn’t mind, you liked the sound of her laugh.

“Can I see yours now?” You asked, excited to finally see what the surprise was.

“Sure, love,” She smiled, getting up from her chair to turn her pumpkin around so you could see it, “I finished a few minutes ago anyway.”

She spun the pumpkin around to show a more traditional-looking jack o’ lantern. It had big triangle eyes and a toothy grin. Even though it wasn’t scary it still seemed much better than yours. Somehow hers looked perfect, and yours looked terrible.

“Wow…” you hadn’t even realized you said it till Jenna's face lit up, her smile growing brighter than the full moon on a cloudless night. You’d say it a million more times too if it got her to smile like that again.

“Come on baby, let me see yours,”

You spun your pumpkin around, albeit a bit reluctantly. Hers was so much better than yours, she was going to laugh at you for sure. Yours was a bit more on the scary side, pointy teeth with sharp fangs and hooded eyes, though it wasn’t very good.

You waited for the laughing, but it never came. Instead, she looked impressed… like really impressed. “Baby, that’s amazing, I love it,”

You were shocked. She had to be lying, right?

“Really?”

“Yeah baby, it's perfect.”

You rolled your eyes, attempting to hide the smile that crept up on your, “I mean, it’s alright, but it’s nowhere near as good as yours.”

She could tell you were joking around, but she decided to play along. She gasped, feigning shock, “What? Yours is like twice as good as mine,”

“Oh, well now I know you’re lying to me,” You joked, your tone dripping with sarcasm.

“What? I would never!”

“Liar!” You all but shouted it, faking an upset look. You crossed your arms and looked over your shoulder pretending to pout.

It was silent for a second. Then something slammed into your chest, smacking back down on the table.

You looked at your chest, then the table… She had thrown a handful of pumpkin guts at you.

“Why you little-” You grabbed the lump she had thrown at you and tossed it back with a smirk. She ducked at the last second and the pile landed with a wet splat against the wall.

You saw her laugh, then she started reaching for the bowl of guts in the middle of the table.

“Oh no you don’t,” You reached as fast as you could, both you and Jenna grabbed the bowl at the same time.

Fifteen minutes later, you were both covered head to toe in pumpkin guts. It covered the walls, the floor, and the table. Some made it as far as the living room, but most of it clung to you and Jenna. It was agreed that you’d both have to shower and clean up before any movies could be watched. But despite the mess, and the feeling of pumpkin strings down the back of your shirt, you already knew this was your favorite Halloween yet.

[dev1lm4n]

coward

pairings: jackson-era!joel miller x f!reader

summary: in which joel wanted to stake claim over you, but he's too much of a coward to do so. aka jealous emotionally pent-up joel

word count: 3.5k

warnings: suggestive, not explicit just mentions of sexual relationships

notes: this was ultimately cliché as shit but i NEED to write it

Clank. Clank.

Sunset has fallen upon the town just mere minutes ago. Gleeful chirping of the local birds were quickly replaced by a chorus of cicadas, loud clattering of metal cutleries, and scratchy scrapes against plates. There was a foreign atmosphere settling between tonight’s dinner participants and to be honest, it’s much weirder than you anticipated.

It’s foreboding; alike to those family dinners you’d attend to exchange bland pleasantries with cousins and nephews. The kind where you’d have to swerve from uncomfortable questions probing into your personal life, whether it’s your marital status or your paycheck. Except there wasn’t that much of a crowd tonight. Just you, your ‘date’, and Joel Miller.

Joel Miller was someone you couldn’t label properly.

You weren’t exaggerating in the slightest bit when it comes to your complex relationship with him, if you could even call what you had with him a relationship to begin with.

It’s just too messy and embarrassing. It’s like trying to pick apart a tangled up ball of yarn, hoping you’d figure out when things began and when it ended.

Has it even ended? The particular question had you mindlessly stabbing the roasted chicken you managed to cook up. It’s a little overcooked and mildly underseasoned, but it’s better than the alternative. Joel’s staple, which was heated up cans of Chef Boyardee’s Beefaroni, had always been reserved for those who’d acquired his unique tastes. You and Ellie were his number one frequenter when it comes to it.

Joel looked displeased by the pleasantries. His nose crinkled briefly, but he played along regardless. “I go on patrols most of the time, but I could fix things too here and there.”

“So.. Joel, right? What do you do ‘round Jackson?”

Jack managed to break up the everlasting silence with his low-register voice. You assumed that despite the initial awkwardness, he had at least enjoyed the food, considering the heaping glob of mashed potatoes he’s adding onto his plate.

“Oh. That’s nice. I’ve never gone on a patrol before,” Jack shared briefly, only to beam a shy smile towards you. He’s a cute boy you won’t lie. Maybe that’s why you scouted him off  the bar last week. “I take care of the horses with her.”

“Jack’s also from Texas, you know. Thought you two would get along,” you opined.

You watched the cocky raise of eyebrows Joel did and the half-smile following after. He’s silently judging the excuse of a man you’ve brought home tonight, that or he’s just not in the mood for a late night chat after such a troublesome day.

Joel had always been an incredibly difficult man to read. You still think you could read a horse better than him. You’ve gotten better at it throughout the years you’ve spent alongside him, especially after the trip around America for Ellie’s sake, but it’s still a hit or miss most times. It almost felt like he kept changing the numbers to the safe. Just when you thought you’ve cracked the code, he’ll have you come right back to square one.

Joel’s mouth twitched at your silly little assumption, his face contorted as if asking you if you’re for real. You shrugged, amused in a sense. It’d be good for him to start making actual friends, right? Right now his circle was a limited bunch with you being the only non-family acquaintance. His social skills were something you and Tommy are both working on these days. Plus, Jack’s easy on the eyes, so it’s two birds in one stone. 

“I see you still have a thing for Texas boys, hm?”

Joel teased you, this time not even bothering to flash you one of his degrading glares. He pretended like he’s really into the colorful medley of roasted root vegetables you’ve roasted, when you know for a fact he hated any kind of greens. He’d only pretend to like it when Ellie’s around, preaching around about its importance. You realized that you’re getting sidetracked from the real offense he’s just given. A jab of jealousy you’d say.

What kind of game is he playing? Was it another one of his ‘push guys away from you because all men are shit and you’d get hurt’ game? Jack was such a sweetheart, he didn’t even catch on to Joel’s implications, instead he settled on laughing alongside your awkward chuckles.

“Friends?”

“How long have you two been friends?”

Jack’s eyes sparked with curiosity, looking like he’s genuinely in awe of the fond illusion you two must’ve convinced him with.

Joel grinned, a corner of his full mouth lifted at the thought. He almost looked pleased at the premise.

“Two years,” you chimed in for a quick save.

“Man, I thought you two were together,” Jack confessed, salad dressing smeared lightly on his top lip. “Can’t say I ain’t happy when she came sizing me up for a date.”

Your gaze cruised back towards Jack, fluttering a sweet smile his way in case he finally caught up to Joel’s inappropriateness. All you saw was just an innocent look of acknowledgement. His cheeks brightened and swept by a soft wave of pink when he noticed you looking his way, appearing to be thrilled that you spared him a chunk of your attention.

Such a sweetheart. It wouldn’t be so bad if you actually got serious with him; move into a small cottage house, raise chickens and sheeps. Then you could finally bask in stability and mutual understanding. The two things you’re currently lacking.

A silent beat passed at his words. 

You humored him with an obscure chuckle, but it was painfully obvious how the atmosphere dimmed and crumpled ever so slightly around the edges. It’s not the first time the two of you were mistaken as a couple by other villagers, even Tommy and his wife were dead set convinced the first time you sauntered in with him. The months spent on the road with Ellie and him were life changing to say the least and you’d like to think the two of you were bonded by such traumatic events. He needed a purpose, you needed refuge. It’s always been like that from the start. 

There wasn’t even a tinge of romance to humor. Once in the past, you made the mistake of giving in to your ‘delusions’. You wondered whether the silent brief touches he made whenever he walked beside you meant something more. You wondered whether the way he reacted exaggeratedly when you prick your fingers on a rotten door frame meant that he cared. You wondered whether the confessions he made while you were curled up, riding out a fever from a stab wound meant that he wanted you. Those pathetic flourishing feelings were stomped by the heavy soles of his boots the one time you asked.

You could still remember vividly the terrible things he said and the way you sobbed your heart out at that. Thinking back, you’d understand why he said what he said. It was wrong of you to humor such thoughts.

Jack hummed fondly into his handkerchief, neatly cleaning up his fresh shaven complexion that always seemed to make him look a few years younger than what he truly is. He’s more of your age, something you took into account when he came up in your radar. That must mean he’s more suitable for you, right? Unlike Joel who’s reeling into his late fifties; who’s probably too old for all the ‘childish’ shit you put him through. Jack’s also kind and considerate. He went out of his way to get you a basket of fresh apples when you’re sweating bullets trying to catch a loose mare. He never scowled or snapped at you. He’s good for you.

“No. We’re just really good friends,” Joel spoke up firmly into the warm summer air.

It looked like he’s finished with his meal, assuming from how squeaky clean his plate has gotten. Good that he’s filling up. You’ve always liked guys with a little more pudge to them. Not that it mattered. You two were just really good friends as he put it.

“I don’t think I can stay friends with a gal so pretty,” Jack chimed in flirtatiously, a charming smile etched its way across his lips.

You smiled in return, making sure to count to three before letting your eyes wander back to where Joel was sitting. It might be wrong for you to be searching for another man’s reaction when you’re here having sweet Jack as your date. What was certainly wrong was how your stomach finally rumbled with nervous butterflies when you saw his expression. When you saw the small itch disrupting his collected expression; setting his lips into an unimpressed thin line, a small vein prominent on his neck.

God, you wish you could capture the moment on camera.

The rest of the evening went by civilly; you’d expect your really good friend to rip Jack’s head right off when he kept making those stupid flirtatious jokes. Joel looked like he was trying his best to stay grounded and rational, but it's no secret he's holding back a dirty scowl. You caught the way he stuck his tongue onto his inner cheek, or the way he scrutinized each and every joke your date made. Forcing him to explain it thoroughly and embarrassing him in the process; you know he’s an ass, but tonight he’s really testing your limits.

You’d imagine he’d have an excuse as to why he’s behaving this way, like how your veggies tasted weirdly bland he couldn’t hold back his face. It’s unbelievably silly how he thought you’d believe such things at your grown age. That’s another thing to deal with. 

At the moment, you just needed to focus on bidding Jack a sweet goodbye. His smooth blond hair glimmered underneath the moonlight as he leaned in for a kiss. One you didn’t expect quite yet, but you didn’t have the heart to push him away. He’s been a good company after all.

As you expected, it didn’t feel right. His lips were soft and tasted like fresh oranges, but it didn’t feel right. Was it a mistake to keep him at bay when you’re still unable to let go of your peculiar crush? Probably. You were deep in thought as you pulled the front door closed. A gust of wind blowing over your shoulder while you let the guilt marinate into every inch of your skin. 

You felt icky.

“I don’t like him.”

Joel’s disdain traveled quickly along the walls, down the hallway, and onto the exact spot where you’re standing. You turned on your heel to face him, your lips drew back in a snarl. After everything you went through tonight, all the pillow cushioning so that Jake doesn’t feel all the more offended by his audacity, and you’re rewarded with this? You expected him to do one thing and he couldn’t even make it right.

“Yeah?” you piped up, eager to rile him up. “Well, I like him a lot.”

He’s used to listening to your childish preambles. It didn’t take him long to learn how much fun you have just by disobeying his rules, going through with whatever your heart desires, even when it poses a great danger to your own safety. You’re always tricky to deal with, but it’s the only thing that keeps his heart pounding at his old age. The only thing that made him feel alive, thawed after years of surviving. Maybe that’s why he still persisted in keeping you around.

“I’m serious, sweetheart. He sounded like bad news.”

Fucking sweetheart? You scoffed, sounding offended. He would always use that nickname whenever he’s trying to get something through your thick head, whether it’s to stop you from jumping head first into a pond or in this case, to stop you from making rash decisions. He knew what he does to you. He knew that you’d always listen, but not tonight.

“If you spend just one second of your precious time listening to what he has to say, you might actually see what I see,” you glowered. “You were fucking with him the entire time.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“You were looking down at him, Joel. You always do that. Think everyone’s beneath you.”

“I wasn’t. He’s just a little.. well, flimsy for you.”

“Oh fuck off. You don’t know a thing about me.”

That was a complete lie. He knew more things about you than you’d like, like the way you like your coffee in the morning and which horses were your favorite.

“I don’t?”

“You don’t.”

You solidified your answer, trudging your way past his shoulders like some agitated teenager. Joel thought you looked cute upset and maybe that’s sick of him, but he couldn’t help but be entertained at the way your lips jutted out in disagreement. You’re like this young new thing he’s obsessed with.

“Okay, okay. Come here. Don’t be upset at me. Jake is a nice boy.. I guess,” he gave in to the commotion you made, although he still felt somewhat bitter. 

Jake’s not that much different from what he’s like when he’s younger. Way before his kid, his botched marriage, and the apocalypse. When he’s twenty with a vision for life. It vexed him to admit that he was truly a good man for you. That the man you chose for once wasn’t a scheming jackass. “He worked with horses?”

“Yeah,” you gave in, flashing him the look. The one where you’re further emphasizing that you’re certain with your decisions, that you don’t need him guiding you towards what’s wrong and right like he always has. “He’s good with the horses.. and with me too. Gave me apples when it’s in season.”

Joel’s dark eyebrows curved at your statement. His arms lifted further up to rest against the thin of his waist, a judgemental stance in action. Did you think things like that were peak romance? What about all the times he personally executed all those clickers lurking over you? Whether it’s with a gun or a knife, he’s sure that he’d top Jack when it comes to things he did for you.

“Well then I’m happy for you,” he concluded with a curt nod, doing the one thing you didn’t expect him to do. You scrutinized his expression in response.

“You’re happy for me?”

“Yeah.”

“I’m gonna go on a date with him.”

“Go ahead.”

“I’m gonna get him to kiss me again.”

“Wow. Sounds fun.”

“I’m gonna get him to fuck me so hard you could hear me in your stupid room, Joel.”

That one surely struck a nerve deep within him, judging from the way his lips contorted in disbelief. You’ve never been so.. vulgar in front of him. Not once have you mentioned anything about your sexual desires in front of him and so he thought you didn’t even know those kinds of things existed despite your big age. 

Maybe you’re untouched by the twisted world you’re living in. He assumed you were this sweet girl with an innocent crush on him, eyes twinkling with admiration everytime he walked in a room. He loved the attention, shamefully so, and he’d love to savor it as long as possible. Even when it felt wrong. He didn’t think it was possible for you to look at another in that manner. The thought had him marching towards you, large figure towering over.

“I don’t think that’s a good idea, sweetheart.”

“Why not?” you challenged him.

“Because you’re doing this for attention.”

“I’m not,” you struggle to keep the act upright.

“Look me in the eye and tell me you actually like him. Tell me you like that silly boy.”

You gaped at his request. Adam’s apple bobbing reluctantly as you gathered every last bit of your plummeting confidence to look up into his eyes. They were arrogant; browns peering down at you like he’s just delighted to domineer, to reassert the magnitude of his influence towards you. He caged you in with merely a look. 

This spited you. He’s always been like this. Give you some room to explore so that you don’t feel trapped with him, but he’d always give a little tug to your leash whenever you forget your position. You were his, before he was yours. That was rule number one.

“I like him,” you repeated yourself, bracing for the onslaught of tsunami he might release at your stubbornness. “He’s kind and sweet and lovely and.. and he has the balls to tell me how he felt about me.”

His expression of disapproval seared through your skin, leaving you raw and vulnerable to whatever it is he’s going to say right back at you. You could tell that he was livid, although he's clearly trying his best to be the better man out of the two of you and stay grounded. 

He knew what you're like. He knew that you're riling him up so that he'd cave in to your requests, because God was it terribly hard to stay put when you're looking at him like that. Round pupils bared into his own. Joel felt the revolting urge to soothe your worries, to utter meaningless words of assurance, to validate the bond he's been trying his best to suspend. His desire festered like it was contagious, blurring the line of boundaries.

“If this is about last week, you know my answers remained unchanged.”

"Why?"

You sounded hopeless and it's clawing at his skin.

"It's unfair to you."

"You know what's unfair, Joel? Acting like you gave a damn, then shutting me out of your life like I meant nothing."

You scoffed. You weren't just desperate for an answer now, no, you were furious. Angry that he thought he could make the decisions for you, that he could be the one to determine which things were right and wrong for you when he knew for a fact that you're a grown woman with your own mind to rely on. Angry that he'd put his self worth in the gutter. Angry that he thought you'd judge him even after the things you've been through together; endless drives through the motherland, camping under a sea of stars, dancing with death itself.

Was it that bizarre of an idea? You plucked up the courage to get even closer. The frilly yellow ruffles of your sundress grazing his crossed forearm.

You poked an accusing finger into his chest.

"Drowning yourself in your pathetic pity party because oh, you're so broken. So undeserving of love."

Your furrowed eyebrows drove him insane.

"Yet you still keep me around. Couldn’t push me away because God knows you need me more than you'd like."

Your labored breath teased the column of his neck.

"That's what's unfair. The fucking waiting. The dancing around. Put me out of my misery, Joel."

He didn't know what to say. Silenced for once.

"Look me in the eye and tell me you don't want me."

You dared him, just like how he dared you. Joel felt conflicted. His vision glued onto the tips of his worn down leather boots as if it’d provide some kind of answer to your demands, He inhaled sharply, before letting out a shaky sigh. Afraid that he’d promise you something he couldn’t own up to, especially since his sharp edges are now dulled from age. 

Joel couldn’t be selfish. No, he couldn’t be that person any longer when he has one foot in the grave.

He knew his end was approaching.

Subtly, but surely. His heart tightened sporadically every time he’d run a little too fast. His joints were stiff and useless, enough that Tommy threatened to pull him off patrols if he kept pushing at his pace. He recalled the incident from his last trip. How he barely escaped a loose infected because his senses had dampened. Your voice also seemed to become more and more faint; he couldn’t even hear the list of items you’ve burdened him with on a shopping trip. Whether you needed a jar of raisins or a pair of shears.

Claiming you was selfish.

He decided on that awhile ago. Far before you’ve realized your infatuation with him, far before you offer such a sweet proposition. 

“Come back to me when you stop being a fucking coward, Joel.”

His throat grew parched at the buzzing silence. He willed himself to touch you, even when it burned his finger tips and sizzled the tip of his ears red. You looked furious, but that cute expression faltered in a miniscule of a second when he cupped the side of your cheek. His thumb stroked agonizingly slow as if you'd evaporate into thin air if he was too brash.

He'd always thought you’re beautiful. One of a kind. Whether it’s when you’re drooling embarrassingly or when you’re dressed up for the commune’s party. But you look the most unbelievable when you’re worried for him.

Was that selfish of him? He traced over your bottom lip gently, feeling the plush material underneath. How he longed to press his lips onto yours. Would it taste sweet? Would you feel soft? His bottom lip quivered, unable to form an answer.

[onbearfeet]

Kat watches Moon Knight

Okay, so with the encouragement of several people on here and the emotional support of my roommate, I have finally (in February 2024) started watching Moon Knight, a show whose basic concept scares the shit out of me.

Context: I had an adopted older brother with DID. Note that I said "had". That's past tense because life treated him so appallingly poorly that he died (horribly, in prison) when I was 19. Part of that abuse was enabled by pop-culture depictions of DID in the 1980s and 90s that convinced everyone who knew about his condition (including the court system) that he was a walking time bomb.

One of my earliest memories is of my brother as a young adult, playing Super Mario Bros with my toddler self. Another is of him patiently teaching me how to make friends with a large dog. I never met any of his alters, afaik; I was small and cute and safe for him to be himself with, so he probably didn't need them around me. He was a profoundly gentle man when he was allowed, and it hurt like hell to see him turned into a monster in movies and on TV. I've turned off a lot of "psychological thrillers" in sorrow and disgust.

Ironically, I loved Moon Knight comics as a kid in the 90s, BEFORE he was retconned to have DID circa the mid-2000s. Because those comics came out right after my brother died in 2002 and leaned HARD into making people with DID seem like violently unstable monsters (for reference, see the cover of Moon Knight: God and Country), I stopped reading them around 2008, when I couldn't take being poked in the trauma by a comfort character anymore.

But I do love Werewolf By Night, and there's been a lot of good fic mashing Jack up with Moon Knight without dehumanizing anyone, and several people have encouraged me to try the show. So this post will be a place for my thoughts as I try to work my way through with my Essential Editions in one hand and my memories of my brother in the other. I'll add to it as I watch.

If this entertains the Moon Knight fandom or provides useful fic reference, so be it. Just don't be jerks on my post.

Also, anyone who chooses to be shitty about my brother will be eaten by bears. I don't make the rules.

Episode 1

Okay, we open with Steven as our POV character, and he's...convinced he's a sleepwalker. All right, not terrible. Steven is now a bumbling nerd, which is probably an improvement; good luck making a billionaire playboy sympathetic in the 2020s. Jake would be the logical everyman POV from the comics, but I understand from fic that he's got a different role now. I'm confused about the accent, but it's only episode 1, and Steven clearly doesn't yet know who Khonshu is, or that Marc exists, so obviously there's a ways to go here. (Is Marc ... undercover inside Steven? Ugh, this is a trope I have seen and do not like.)

Did Marc kill Steven's fish? Did Khonshu kill Steven's fish? I'm baffled by the fish. Which is a nice break from the larger anxiety. I'm gonna try to worry more about the fish.

The bits with Steven losing time and finding himself in odd situations were distressingly close to the old tropes, but both of those happened to my brother, so I'm not going to bitch about them quite yet. I want to be as fair as I can.

Oh, hey, I recognize Harrow from the comics. What up, dude. How's the cult biz treating you?

The end of the episode, with the jackal thing chasing Steven into the bathroom, came RIGHT up to the line for me. I realized that what I was most afraid of was that the story would assign "good" and "bad" labels to the alters--make Steven the sweet, innocent one and Marc (or maybe Jake, I guess) the monstrous killer. The early flashes of Steven covered in blood didn't really help allay that anxiety. And now Marc is demanding that Steven let him have control in a pretty threatening manner. But so far, it seems like the contrast between Marc and Steven is one of competence--Marc is better at fighting and Steven is better at ... panicking? Unclear. At least Oscar Isaac is playing the protagonist, so his character(s) might remain sympathetic. Nobody has been monsterized quite yet.

I finished the episode with every muscle in my body locked up, waiting for the emotional punch in the face. But I did finish it, and I think I'm gonna try episode two.

[vanwritesfan-fiction]

Heart and Soul

Received the really cute request below and changed it just a little bit

Request:Jack is in the living room cleaning up while Brooklyn is playing with her toys on the couch. He has music playing softly in the background. Jack gets excited when Fleetwood Mac’s song Rhiannon plays, drops everything, scoops up Brooklyn, and has a sweet moment with her like the TikTok video!! Brooklyn is quietly enjoying Jack humming the song to her as he’s holding her so close maybe even falling asleep in his arms. Reader comes out of her work office to see them having their sweet moment and admiring it from a distance ❤️

For the last week, the flu had run rampant throughout the Harlow household. Brooklyn brought it home from preschool and it hit each member of the family, one by one, like dominos. Before you could even sneeze, both you and your husband were bedridden, trying to take care of two sick children.

Jack had to cancel quite a few work commitments, and while he was grumpy about it, you were happy that he was able to be home and present with you for more than a couple days, something you don't remember happening since the two of you first started your family.

It always felt like you were just two ships passing in the night; Jack constantly on the way to the studio or the airport, while you were running around trying to take care of things back home. You missed your best friend and lover, and even though your head was pounding, and you went through more boxes of tissues than you could count, it was nice having the family together in one place.

It was a lazy Sunday when you finally started to feel like yourself again, and even though you woke up with enough energy to make it out of the house, you were met with a torrential downpour to start the fall season, so the family decided to make the most out of a day inside.

A calm settled over your home as Jack watched the girls while you were in the kitchen keeping your hands busy. The house smelled of a wonderful mixture of cinnamon and nutmeg, the cool breeze through the open windows carrying the scent through the rooms.

****

"Damn, it smells amazing in here baby. What are you making?" You peeked over your shoulder as Jack walked into the kitchen, cradling baby Aaliyah in his arms like a football. You were spreading the icing over the cinnamon rolls that were fresh out of the oven. He tried to dip a finger in the bowl, but you slapped his hand away, playfully chastising him.

"Hands off, Jackman. You're smelling our dinner for tonight. Roast chicken with mashed potatoes and vegetables. " You wiped your hands on the kitchen towel draped over your shoulder before brushing your hand over Aaliyah's head.

"I was hoping she would sleep a little longer. Does she still have a fever?" Jack shifted Aaliyah to sit up against his chest, those precious dimples she inherited from her father showing when she smiled, her nose and cheeks flushed.

"Just a little one. I checked it before we left the nursery." He pressed a kiss to Aaliyah's forehead before he placed her in her high chair. You turned back to your setup on the kitchen counter. You felt Jack's hands at your lower back, his fingers tickling your sides as they moved towards your hips.

You smelled his smoky cologne as he rested his chin on your shoulder, giggling when he kissed that spot behind your ear. "What's the occasion, mama?", he asked casually, taking in the bowls of ingredients surrounding you. You shrugged, turning in his hold to face him. "I don't know, really. This was the first morning where I woke up and didn't feel like I was at death's door, and that felt like reason enough to celebrate."

Jack grabbed both of your hands, interlacing his fingers with yours before pressing a kiss to your knuckles. "I like the sound of that. Is there anything I can do to help?"

"Yes, actually..." You guided him backward towards the doorway to the living room. "You can stay far away from the kitchen. I want dinner to be edible tonight." You giggled, Jack rolling his eyes before he broke out into a smile. "Wow, that really hurt my feelings."

You ran your fingers along his beard line before snaking your arms around his neck, Jack pulling you in close to his body. "Oh really, how can I make it up to you?", you whispered, gently caressing the curls at the nape of his neck.

Jack's gaze fell to your lips as he pushed you back towards the counter. His lips were soft as they pressed to yours, reminiscent of those romantic moments when you were first dating, and things seemed much simpler. "I've missed this", he mumbled into your mouth, breaking apart to take a breath before kissing you again.

"Daddy!"

Jack ignored Brooklyn's first call out to him from the living room. His mind was too focused on you, and wishing the two of you had a moment to yourselves. He was desperate to feel your lips on his mouth again. You cradled his face in your hands, stroking his cheek with your thumb.

"Daddy!"

He almost made it to you before she yelled for him again, her voice much louder and tone urgent. Jack groaned, pressing his forehead to yours as he gripped the counter, his arms encircling you. You chuckled, rubbing his back. "You should go Daddy, the princess is waiting."

Jack grabbed Aaliyah before walking out of the kitchen, turning to look at you. "We're not done here." His voice was dripping with a huskiness, his intentions to continue where you left off clear.

"I'm not going anywhere, baby." You winked at him as you slipped on an oven mitt.

****

Jack found Brooklyn in the living room on her hands and knees, tears streaming down her face. He placed Aaliyah in her rocker before helping Brooklyn up. "What happened, baby girl?"

She wiped her eyes with her sleeve, taking a shaky breath before she spoke. "I was trying to reach for the record so I could play the Rihanna song." Jack looked behind her, a pile of records that were once on top of the console were now on the floor, scattered across the rug.

"Oh, boy. Well, let me take a look at you." He led her to stand in front of him as he sat on the couch.

"I gotta do an inspection to make sure you're okay." He took Brooklyn's hands in his, flipping them over a couple of times to make sure she had no scratches. "Let's see. Still got two hands, that's good." He smiled up at her, but she was still visibly upset.

"1,2,3..." He mumbled, counting each individual finger. "Looks like you still got all of your fingers." A small smile was starting to slip on her face.

"You still got two eyes, two ears, one nose." He touched each spot, and Brooklyn was fully smiling now, the incident behind her. "Daddy, you're so silly!"

"Ya think so?", he grinned, pulling her onto his lap. "Ok, final test. Let's make sure you have all of your toes still. 1,2,3..., Oh goodness." He looked at her with a serious face, making her eyes go wide.

"I'm afraid you only have nine toes. You must have lost one in the fall." She looked down at her feet, wiggling her toes. "No, daddy, see I have 10 toes."

"That can't be right. Let me see." He began to tickle the bottom her feet, sending her into a fit of giggles. "I guess you're right. I just don't know how to count. Feel better?" Brooklyn nodded, kissing the top of Jack's nose.

"Ok, now let's clean up this room before mama gets upset. She's making my favorite dinner tonight, and I don't want to miss any of it."

"Can you put on the Rihanna song?" Jack picked up the pile of records, filing through them until he found the Fleetwood Mac record. He bought it for you for your first dating anniversary, and it had gotten a lot of use over the years. He knew Brooklyn meant she wanted to hear 'Rhiannon', a song he played for her when she was just an infant.

Jack placed the record on the record player, moving the needle to drop on the right ridge. The sound of guitar flowed through the room as the song began to play. He smiled to himself as he began to pick up Brooklyn's toys. He had vivid memories of holding you in his arms as you swayed to this song in your apartment.

"I really like this song, Daddy." Brooklyn hopped off the couch, running over to Jack.

"Me too, Brookie." He lifted her into his arms, moving around the living room. It only took a few seconds for her to relax in his hold, her earlier tears tiring her out. She rested her head on his shoulder, closing her eyes He continued to sway around the room, picking up her stuffed animals.

You shuffled into the living room, stopping to watch Jack and Brooklyn dancing, not able to hide the grin on your face as your heart swelled with love. These were the moments you missed the most when Jack was away. The little ones that were so inconsequential, but you'd never dare to forget.

"Time for dinner, my loves." Jack smiled when he laid eyes on you.

"Perfect timing."

****

Jack was in front of the sink, drying off the last pot from your cooking when you walked in the kitchen after putting the girls to bed. "See, I can be helpful in the kitchen."

"Yes, once all of the food is out of your reach", you replied in jest. He playfully slapped you with the kitchen towel, grabbing you by the waist. There you were for the second time that night, so close to each other, the tension still building after being together for almost a decade.

"Dinner was fantastic, baby." Jack's tone was low as he moved his face closer to yours, your lips just inches away from touching.

"You think so? I wasn't really a fan of the gravy. It was the first time I tried that recipe-" you were forced to stop your rambling when Jack kissed you, cradling your head in his hands.

"How do you do it?", You asked, chuckling as you looked up at him. Jack's eyes were closed when you backed up, his mouth slightly agape, still trying to treasure the moment. He slowly opened your eyes, taking in your beautiful face. "Do what, baby?"

"Still make me feel these butterflies like when we went on our first date. We have two kids together, and you still make me nervous in the best way." Jack felt his face start to flush, not able to stop the smile forming on his face. "Follow me."

He led you to the living room, guiding you to the leather chair in the corner of the living room. You heard matches strike against the cardboard box as he lit candles around the room. He dropped the needle on the record still in the player before turning to you, extending a hand out to you.

"Can I have this dance?" You took your first steps toward him as you heard 'Rhiannon' start to play. You grabbed Jack's hand, resting your head on his chest as he glided across the floor.

"When I was dancing with Brooklyn, I remembered dancing with you in your apartment on our first anniversary." You hummed in acknowledgement, closing your eyes.

"My dad told me that this was the record that I should get you if I wanted you to fall in love with me." Jack laughed, all of the memories rushing back to him. "He was right", you whispered, smiling to yourself. You enjoyed the silence for a few minutes, stopping in the middle of the room. As the song ended, Jack pressed a kiss to your forehead, not daring to let go.

"I still feel those butterflies too." His words made you look up at him. "Every second I'm with you, I feel extremely lucky that you chose me. It honestly feels like a dream that this is the life I have, a beautiful wife who I'm lucky to call my best friend, and my perfect girls."

You wrapped your arms around his neck, pulling him into a tight hug. "I love you Mr. Harlow", you smiled, your words muffled into his sweater.

"I love you too, Mrs. Harlow."

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