#like Tay said in his live “I need to calm myself

[boozles]

Something I find interesting is that I haven’t seen any backlash against Gun. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t want him to be hassled, but it’s strange to me that Tay is the one I’m seeing being targeted. People are acting like New has been treated poorly, but no one (that I can see) has said anything about Off or Gun. All vitriol has been aimed at Tay and I don’t think that’s fair at all.

(Just so I’m clear, NO ONE should be getting hate, but I’m bitter that I am still seeing idiots comment things like “sorry I will only support New now” or “how could you do this to New” and “shame on you for lying to us” and I am so confused? No one has lied about anything?! 4 men in their 30s are comfortable enough with each other that they are affectionate with one another - why the hell is one of them getting hate for that?!)

(Also, shout out to Mek for stepping in and informing everyone that he too kisses his friends on the mouth! He said it’s something culturally normal to them, and I love him for that.)

(ALSO!!! TayNew mentioned kissing Nanon - let me see that please - and it reminded me of the hate Nonnie got for the picture she posted where she is kissing Nanon on the mouth and people attacked her for it. For kissing her big brother. Sorry if it’s weird for some, but kissing is not always sexual. I kiss my friends, my brother, my parents…cheeks and lips. It’s normal for so many of us. If you’re my pal and you’re cool with it, I will kiss you too!)

[wherethehellisderrymaine]

September Wrap Up

Books

vinculeando The OutsiderMusic my bod dysmorphic disorder music:  catriel 5so5 jessie reyez silvestre y la naranja enhpyen noah cyrus black pink  two sugars - tai verdes

Events:

01: sleepy and sick with a cold making croissants  long day ahead - 9 hours of classes

bough lcho’s therm. not the color i wanted but it’s never on stock, damn it.  02: no classes bc of cristina’s muderder attempt - went to lucho’s when he left work - he talked to me about what i’ve done, he was so patient and adorable and sensible and sensitive; i know i messed up by reading something that was not meant for me and for not telling him about but I know I won’t do shit likethat againg and I’ll keep on working on letting myself be vulnerable. -- watched jolly’s videos together

03: made coffee, watched the qualy, had sex (god i love him) - had lunch together watching fargo, it’s amazing. - went to parque san martin and to little ofelia with cata and lari. it was tense bc i haven’t been a good friend AT ALL lately, but they love me and i loved them and I WILL get better at it. 

had plans with lucho but i went back late to the baticueva, so we stayed and ordered food from asian ghetto. he was cleanning the banjo, i love watching him do things he loves - i sensed him a little tense or nervous but he said he was fine. after dinner he used the toys on me and he even tied me up to the bed... this man’s gonna be the death of me, i cannot love him more because that it literally impossible.

04: shower together, rushed bike ride to home with lucho to watch the race - 3rd place -. lovely ride back to the baticueva, finished fargo (LOVED IT), blow job (i live for that, i fucking love his moans and that he bites himself, i’m fucked up), made a pascualina together, watch the rings of power and feel asleep in the sofa. 

05: bloated, feel ugly. neck hurts. tired sad day at work, juli cried bc of other kids being mean for no reason. i wanna kill them  anxious, feel ugly, doubt myself,

06: had nightmares of lucho dating another woman and being happier with her than with me, uncertainty is scary sex books - i gotta get better at it feel ugly and anxious -- bad body dysmorphia -- had a lovely dinner with lucho, watched rick and morty, ate ice cream -- FEAR FOOD that triggers my worst thoughts, i’ve been working on it but it’s still something hard for me. lucho was patient and talked to me, which again is hard for me to do because i am ashamed of being like this. 

07: tired -- ugly 

08: really bad body dysmorphia day - anxious and cried - i feel nauseous - i weighted myself and I’ve gained weight. I hate that and I’m terrified of falling back into my old ED patterns

09: still feel bad. a little less anxious but i couldn’t sleep, i feel ugly AF. cancelled valeria’s session bc i can’t stop crying and it would be pointless i’m not breathing properly bc of the anxiety - i feel sad and my head hurts. 

i took photos of myself and i don’t believe what i see. that’s my mental illness.

10: qualy at el grosellar with mum and dad -- rough night bc of anxiety and slight depression, and nightmares. -- woke up feeling a little better 

better body image but tummy aches 

luch with cati and lari at mitre’s park -- it was lovely -- we planned Ori’s birthday. 

went to lucho’s - said hi to angie that was just leaving -- lucho was really affectionte which made me feel much better bc i needed him and his love -- we were about to leave to Pampa’s beer party but we had sex, which i also needed. 

then we went to the party. i had lots of fun and beer but at the end of the night i felt sad bc i missed Foni and I couldn’t stop crying. Lucho and his friends supported me, made me feel comfortable and calmed me down. i adore them

11: tired, slept bad -- went home with lucho to watch monza’s race - leclerc ended up in second place, not bad

lucho made lunch, it was delicious. tender meat and creamy potatoes -- i made cinnamon rolls

went back to the baticueva, gave him his stanley’s therm and i think he liked it - took a nap bc we were both really tired -- hand job, i live to touch him, it’s my favorite thing 

made terrarios - i loved that -- listenes to music -- he made empanadas and we watched how i met your mother, jolly and teloresumo’s videos. -- tried milka oreo’s alfajor

went to bed bc we were both feeling sick and my headache didn’t ease on me. 

12: bloated and tummy aches. feel ugly but not boderline bipolar anymore. i still have that weird headache

tired, had nightmares and slept bad bc of coughing

13: akward, pain, lucho’s house, payday, plazo fijo, clases en la casa de lucho

14: PERIOD...makes sense just fucked up - better body image but still obsesing over it - lucho made me ramen, i loved it and i love him, we finished naruto, had s3x, it was great but i felt like i didn’t do it as good as i could have -- too self concious

15: better body image but really bad headache, ginecologa -everythign was ok- cleaned lcho’s house - lots of classes - tired and headache at night 

16: same as yesterday, feel like crap - had therapy, talked about my mental disorders and how much i am body checking and counting calories... it scares me to admit that i am falling back into that and how good i feel when i think i’m skinnier. i’m the worst and i hate myself. -- lucho went to the nutricionist and i reacted badly, topics like weight gaining and losing trigger me so much, even more when the person talking about is already skinny. i know he is doing that to be healthier and feel more confident and be happier, which i totally support; it’s just i don’t know how to talk about it. i’ll have a talk with him to explain why i’m such a bitch. 

---- i need to stop talking this bad to myself. valeria will kill me. 

---i’m anxious about tonight :( and i’m ashamed of it 

--- it wasn’t that bad but i was too into my own dark thoughts and I couldn’t enjoy the time. my head hurt and the music was super loud. i tried to focus on his cousins and on him bc they are great and funny but i was feeling like shit  when we came back home, we talked about it and i felt a little better but i stil hated myself

17:  my head still hurt - felt kinda tired mum and dad brough ori’s cake had lunch with lucho and watched how i met your mother -- had a long nap of 2 hours, i really needed it  had sex again had sex, felt better. i need that when i feel ugly bc he makes me feel beautiful and wanted. 

before taking a shower together and going to ori’s brithday party at my nonna’s apartment we had fun, lucho bought 2 wines and they were delicious, the girls met by gorgeous, it was important for me bc i love them all and wanted them to meet for a long time -- had pizzas, nachos, talked a lot, listened to music... it was great we went back home, watched how i met your mother and drank some water

18: slept in till late - we needed it  had sex - loved it -- it get better and better and i don’t get it. i adore him went to the park for a walk and to do the groseries for dinner cleaned the frige - made lunch and watched ELVIS -- super sad but i liked it  made eggplants and listened to music Ro and Angi came over for dinner. i really like them, they are fun and easy going. we made pizzas, drank beer, and talked a lot -- i love seeing my gorgeous with people he loves. i just want him to be happy we watched how i met your mother bc rick and morty’s wasn’t available still, and ate cake. 

storm

21: spring day - lovely day at work with the kids and adults.  celebrated 3 years of the baticueva at lucho’s - lovely night, had lots of fun and then talked with lucho. i love our chats

22: student’s day at cem -the kids loved the cake i made for them, and played games with me, i adore them

24: went to sierras’s with lucho. the day was amazing and I met his father. I felt good but nervous bc i didn’t want to make him feel inconfortable. then jime and santi came and we all had dinner together.  collected paltas and moved the glasses for their remodeling project

25: bbq at el grosellar. lucho made it, he worked really hard the entire weekend but i think he had fun and that he liked going there.  IAN hurracain in cuba and miami - strong winds where Foni’s at but they are out of danger.

28: lari’s birthday went to authorize the xray order - got the appointment for it visited lucho at work - i love visiting him bought wines for the party  felt tired and had a headache - losing my voice the kids from first children liked the class went to lari’s house, had dinner, some wine and went back to lucho’s. he was playing videogames. i laid with him and then we went to bed and had s3x - i fucking love EVERYTHING about this man. i cannot stand how much i adore him 

[plentyoffandoms]

Everybody's Free (Part 12)

Wardlow x f/Reader

Just like all my other stories, this has not been proofread, but please enjoy.

Warnings: Some swearing.

Gifs & photos do not belong to me.

Story idea & request by @lghockey

Main Masterlist ♡ AEW Masterlist ♡ Wardlow Masterlist ♡ Everybody's Free Masterlist

Daniel - Cash Wheeler ☆ David - Dax Harwood ☆ Ronnie - Shawn Spears.

Summary: F/Reader is friends with Sammy & everyone in the Inner Circle. She is also a member of his vlog squad. They found out she has a secret boyfriend & they try to figure out who it is.

Sammy Guevara POV:

"Sammy, you can't keep putting off this match. When Mike comes back in a few days, you and him will have that match." Tony said to me.

Every time he asked me if I was ready to go against him, I would say give me a bit more time. I need to keep training.

Maybe it is the fact that Wardlow can actually crush my skull in with his bare hands?

Maybe it is the fact that he can literally throw me across the room?

Or maybe it is the fact that I laid my hands on his girlfriend and destroyed everything important to her?

"But Tony," I tried to say to postpone it once more.

"Enough of this Sammy. It is happening whether you want it too or not. It has been months since he challenged you. It is happening when we get back to Daily's Place."

Tony pointed to the door, asking me to leave. I wanted to try and say something but he just gave me a look and I shut my mouth.

I left the room he was using as his office and I met up with Tay and Anna.

"What did he say?" Tay asked me as she wrapped her arms around my waist.

"He says it is happening at Daily's Place. Whether I want it to happen or not."

"Looks like you have a lot of training to do. Mike is going to come at you with everything he's got Sammy." Anna said.

I sighed and I nodded my head in agreement. "I know."

"But he is taking a few weeks off. He may not train at all." Tay said trying to confort me.

I actually snorted.

"You are talking about the same man who lives at the gym? The same guy who finds out where a 24 hour gym is in each city we go too?"

The smile came off of her face.

"Where did he go anyways? One minute he was on next weeks lineup and now he isn't?" I asked them.

Tay shrugged her shoulders at me and then the two of us looked at Anna, who wasn't looking at us.

"You know where he is?" Tay asked her.

"I'm not supposed to say anything but he is going to propose to YN. That is what Jack told me."

I felt a lump form in my throat. I swallowed and took a deep breath.

"She may say no." I said more to myself.

"I don't think she will. He also bought them a home to move in together."

I couldn't listen anymore to Anna. I walked away from the two of them and went outside. Ignoring them both as they called my name.

Wardlow's POV:

I have spent the last few days with YN and sometimes with Pam and YN. They showed me all the sights that Houston has to offer and even some of the surrounding towns.

But today is the day and I am trying to be calm and act like myself. But the box in my pocket feels like it weights over a thousand pounds.

"Are you almost ready Michael? The walking tour is going to start soon." YN's voice brought me back to reality.

"Oh yes, I just have to brush my teeth." I lied as I went and brushed my teeth for what felt like the fourth time today.

"This is exciting. I have never been on one of these." YN called from her livingroom.

"You don't think it is odd that we are doing a walking tour around the city you grew up in?"

"Not at all. There are things about this city that I don't know the history behind so this will be interesting."

♡◇♡◇♡◇♡◇♡◇♡◇♡◇♡◇♡◇♡◇♡

We met with the 'tour guide' who was hired through the company that helped me plan all of this. They are a real tour guide and they were wonderful.

They would take photos of YN and I and I know we were being followed by another photographer, who was capturing these moments at a safe distance.

Now we are at our final destination and I am very nervous. I have gone up against some of the best wrestlers in our industry. I have been punched in the face and been thrown against a fence.

"And this is Williams Waterfall." The tour guide started to tell us more about it and once they got to end of speech, it was time.

YN was looking up in awe of the waterfall and I am behind her, slowly getting down on one knee. The box is now in my hand, open.

Just silently waiting, trying not to faint.

"Michael, this is just gorgeous." YN said to me.

I didn't say anything as I needed for her to turn around.

"Michael are you..." YN turned around and with a gasp, her hands went over her mouth. Her eyes were tearing up and I too had to hold back my own tears as I started.

"YN, our lives together are a beautiful story in progress. We met serendipitously at Daily's Place and shared some of the best moments in my life since then. You believed in me and supported me through my life, to be where I am now. At the same time, you are also going after your dreams then and you’ve achieved so much more now. Though there are many chapters yet to be written, let’s hand-in-hand write this amazing love story together. Will you marry me?"

It felt like time stopped as I waited for her answer but she moved her hands from her face, and with a watery smile she said probably the best words in the world.

"Yes Michael, I will marry you."

I slipped the ring on her finger and lifted her into the air as I kissed her.

I completely forgot we were not alone and people were clapping for us.

I placed her back on her feet and she put her face in my chest.

A few minutes later, the photographer that has been following us around came and introduced himself and showed us all the photos he took and said they will be sent to the email I provided.

That night, the two of us went to dinner at Brenner’s on the Bayou. The two of us in our own little world, just enjoying the fact that we are engaged.

♡◇♡◇♡◇♡◇♡◇♡◇♡◇♡◇♡◇♡◇♡

YN's POV:

I am still in awe about the whole thing. My mind is completely blown away at the fact that Michael pulled this all off.

When I saw him on one knee I almost fainted but I held myself together. When he slipped the ring on my finger and I looked at it, I almost cried once more.

He knows me better than I know myself. He must of ordered this ring the moment I told him I love the rings from Disney.

"You truly are a man who keeps surprising me Michael Austin Wardlow." I said to him the next morning.

We were up early as we have to fly to Neveda for this week's taping of AEW.

"And why is that gorgeous?"

"You actually listen. You know what I need and want before I even do. You know me so well." All he could do was smile and give me a kiss.

We had brunch with Pam before we left. I showed her my engagement ring and she gasped at it.

I can see she is hiding her pain from her broken engagement as she congratulated me and I just gave her a hug.

I promised her I would be back or that she could come visit us once our home is done being renovated.

Pam told us that she would like to see our home as she drove us to the airport. With one final wave goodbye, Michael and I left Pam and went into the airport.

Which we were bombarded with paparazzi the moment we got through the doors. Airport security came rushing towards us, trying to keep them at bay but they were yelling at us and asking us questions.

Michael just held my hand the entire time and kept me close to him.

One of the paparazzi was able to get around security and got close to me. The camera was right in my face as he took photo after photo.

Michael pulled me behind him and stood between us. I looked around the massive size of my fiancé and saw the paparazzi actually gulp and look up at him.

"Get the camera out of her face before I have you arrested." Michael so nicely threatened.

The man didn't get a chance to answer as security got to him and took him from our sight.

Michael turned around and looked me over. "You okay love?"

"I am." I said to him gently. I know he doesn't like us being followed by them. He told me once he can handle it when he is by himself but when it comes to me, he wants them to stay away from me.

Without any further delays, we got on our flight and I took a nap. Leaning my head against his shoulder.

♡◇♡◇♡◇♡◇♡◇♡◇♡◇♡◇♡◇♡◇♡

Our flight was about three hours give or take. We had no issues with anyone when we landed, thankfully.

On our way to the hotel, Michael was going through his work emails.

"Looks like Tony finally told Sammy that we are having our match when we get back to Daily's Place."

"Good. Sammy knows better than to keep putting off a match. It was getting ridiculous." I said.

"I want you there. Doesn't matter if is in the crowd or in my corner."

"I will be there. If you want me to sit in the crowd, make sure I get first row seats. If you want me at your side during the match. I am there for you."

"I will ask Tony and see what he says."

"Okay Michael, but either way I will not be far from you."

We finally checked in to our hotel and we met up with David, Ronnie and Daniel and their families.

The two of us barely said hello before we were bombarded with them hugging us and congratulating us.

Cassandra, Ronnie's wife was practically begging to see my ring. The moment I held my hand out, she grasped it in her hand and she was practically squealing with approval.

"You outdid yourself Mike." Cassandra said. He didn't say anything. He just got a big smile on his face.

"He really did." I said as I smiled at her.

"Your proposal is all over the Internet. I think many of your fans were waiting to see if it was in fact real and not a PR Stunt as a few douchebags said it was." Ronnie said.

"We will announce our engagement when we feel like we want too." Michael said.

"I agree with Michael."

The topic of conversation changed and I was sitting there with Maria who is David's wife.

"YN, why do you call him Michael when we all call him Mike." She asked.

"When I first met him, it was after one of the first matches between him and Sammy. I was so angry that when I saw Michael I went up to him and started to bitch him out."

I took a sip of my water and continued to talk.

"Then at the holiday party he found me and we talked. First he was Wardlow and then as we became friends, it was Michael and it has just stuck. I don't think I will have call him Mike. To me, he is Michael."

"Makes sense. A lot of people call David, Dave but I can't do that." Maria said.

"I think if I actually call him Mike, he would look at me like I have three heads."

Cassandra came over and our conversation changed once more.

♡◇♡◇♡◇♡◇♡◇♡◇♡◇♡◇♡◇♡◇♡

Michael and I were almost to the MGM Grand Garden Arena. Enjoying our Uber ride. His hand was in my lap and I was playing with his fingers.

"Nervous?" He asked me.

"A little bit." I told him honestly.

He turned his body as much as he could in the seatbelt and with his other hand, he cupped my cheek in it.

"Look at me love."

Michael talked once I made eye contact with him.

"He won't come near you if I can help it YN. I will do everything I can to keep him away from you."

"I know you will but I have to face him soon. I can't be scared of him. You and him work together. I will have to see him."

"He will not ever lay another hand on you."

I turned my head slightly and kissed the hand that was cupping my cheek. "I know baby."

Our moment was broken when the driver told us we were at our destination. I took one deep breath and got out of the Uber.

I held my head up high and walked beside my fiancé.

Wardlow's POV:

I didn't want to leave her side but I had to go back stage. I watched as security escorted her to her seat in the front row.

I didn't move until she was out of sight. I went and got changed and got ready. I can hear the crowd cheering for everyone who walked out there.

I can hear the music for each member of our roster as they did their entrance or ran down the ramp to interrupt a match.

I still wasn't due to go on for a bit. I was the main event and still had a couple of hours to go, so I am just sitting in the back with Lee, John and Alex.

I was in mid sentence when I heard the music. I was up and out of my seat before the other guys even knew what happened.

Security wouldn't let me out into the arena and I had to watch on screen as the little fuck sauntered down the ramp, not giving a shit.

I watched as his eyes landed on someone in the crowd and he walked straight for them.

I watched as my YN stood her ground and didn't flinch as Sammy stuck not one but both of his middle fingers in her face.

Part 13

Tag List: if you would like to be added, please let me know. @lghockey @irish-newzealand-idian-dutch @ecarroll1978 @wardlow @anaeve @crowleysqueenofhell @thewrestlingbitch @thenerdybaker523 @hungmanhorsecarriage @brie-mode-activated @louisianalady

[unkownknowledge]

This post is a sort of collaboration with @golden-wingseos who is kindly letting me use their toxic traits post as a base for writing some Fluff! Check 'em out! Hope you enjoy.

Warnings: Albedo might be a OOC. This is my first attempt at more serious writing. And of course you should always remember that problems in a relationship might need more than a short talk.

Edit: request are open, if anyone reading this likes it feel free to request. Rules are pinned.

Now onto my post:

_____________________

Albedo: your heart is real

_____________________________

-you knew Albedo's secret, you knew his feelings, you knew enough to know he didn't want to love you.

-yet he did.

-you also believed he shouldn't be chained to someone else's wishes, especially when it wouldn't bring him happiness.

You were sitting in Albedo's lap, your head on his shoulder as you gently played with his hair.

"I'm going to destroy monstadt you know," he said, like he always does in an attempt to push you away, "that includes the people"

"Then I'll just stop you." You reply calmly.

"Then I'll have to kill you."

"So then you won't destroy monstadt."

Albedo was confused, you usually told him you would stop him but you've never said he wouldn't do it to begin with.

Albedo grabbed your shoulders and made you look at him, "what does that mean? Why wouldn't I destroy monstadt?"

"Because you would have to kill me." You said smiling.

'That damn smile' he thought, "why would I not destroy monstadt, not fulfill my master's wish, just because you would need to die?"

"Because you love me."

Albedo pushed you off and got on top of you, holding a knife to your throat, "would someone who loved you so this?"

"Yes" you never stopped smiling at him.

"Exa-wait what?" Albedo was dumbfounded, not comprehending what you meant.

"You're trying to push me away," you grabbed his shaking hands and pushed them down, causing him to release the knife, "because you don't want to feel any remorse, because you don't want to hurt me."

"Who says-"

"And I know you don't want to destroy monstadt," you grabbed his head and brought him closer, "because you love it there."

"I'm not real, I'm just a tool my master made to carry out their dreams. Stop treating me like a person."

"But you are a person, and as a person you can choose what you want."

"Well I want monstadt destroyed!"

"Even if that meant killing me?"

Albedo was shocked, he never felt conflicted before. Not in following his master's wishes, but now? At your words? He doubted every desire he's had.

You placed his hand on his heart, "feel that?"

"That's my heart..."

"So your heart is real. Now tell me, what does a tool need with a heart?"

Albedo didn't answer.

"Your master might want to destroy monstadt, but who says they want you to? Why give a weapon a heart?"

You didn't give Albedo time to respond before you kissed him.

"Your heart is real. Just like your love for me."

Albedo sat up and pulled you back into his lap, "you're an anomaly you know that? No one else can make me feel this way." He looked into your eyes and put his hands on your cheeks, "I guess I can hold off on destroying monstadt, atleast until I conclude my research on you."

"Well, let's start experimenting."

_____________________________

Hope that didn't suck.

_____________________________

Diluc: you'll get hurt if you love me

_____________________________

-Diluc has been avoiding you for a month now, he hasn't even gone out to do his darkknight hero duties.

-he's just locked himself away in his manor, ordering his servants to not let you in.

-Diluc, however, forgets that you met because you tried stealing from his house.

You were fed up with Diluc, he kept pushing you away and now he has CROSSED THE LINE! You're going to break into his room and make him explain why he's been avoiding you, it's been a year since you and him went on a date and now this? Something is seriously wrong.

You climbed up to the window sill and lock picked your way in, you walked over to Diluc's bed and sat down, waiting for him to return.

Diluc entered the door and, without looking, fell on his bed right next to you.

"You look tired, almost like you took the long way home just to avoid the route I take."

Diluc shot up and looked at you in shock.

You crossed you arms over your chest, "I want an explanation."

"(Y/n) what do you m-"

"You know full well! And don't call me (y/n)! You always call me 'dearest' or 'honey's, in fact you do a lot of things you seem to have forgotten about, like dinners, and tea times, and DATES!"

"Please I-"

"No! No running away, no excuses!" You grabbed his shoulders and turned him to you, "why the hell are you avoiding me!?"

Diluc looked up and saw you were crying. This isn't what he wanted, this is the opposite of what he wanted!

Diluc looked away, unable to face you, "Because I want you to hate me."

Your eyes widened, "w-what?"

"I want you to leave me, in a way that won't make you sad to leave me."

"Why!?"

"BECAUSE YOU'LL GET HURT IF YOU LOVE ME!"

You jumped at him and held him close, and yourself closer, "idiot."

"What?"

"I said," you managed between sobs, "your an idiot, Diluc. I knew full well what I was doing when I fell in love with you, and I did it anyway. What-what gi-gives you the right t-to abandon me now?"

Diluc was shocked to say the least, he didn't know what to say.

"I know how dangerous being near you is, how many enemies you have, how likely I am to die, but Diluc," you look up at him with tear stained eyes, "I won't be able to live another day, not without you in it."

Diluc pulled you onto his lap and held you, enveloping as much as he could.

"(Y/n)- honey, I'm sorry," he cried in your hair, "I'm so sorry, so very very sorry. I just wanted to protect you, I wouldn't be able to live with myself if you got hurt because of me."

"But you did hurt me, you hurt my heart."

"I know.. but please," he tilted you head so your eyes would meet his, "let me heal it."

_____________________________

Kaeya: no more secrets

_____________________________

I wrote this perfectly but the draft didn't save. If it's bad blame my rage.

_____________________________

Another day without you.

Another day spent drinking.

Kaeya remembered that day clearly, more clearly than he wanted.

Kaeya was happily walking home to you.

He was always happy on the way home, but he was happiest when he saw your smile. Lately though you've been acting strangely, he was going to talk to you about it today.

"Honey I'm home-" he stopped, it was quiet.

You were never quiet.

He decided you were just out, so he waited.

And waited.

And wait-

"Where are you?"

Kaeya reached for his drink, but he couldn't find it.

"Eh Dilc, wers meh ferkin dernk!?"

Diluc sighed, "sober up."

Kaeya slammed his hands on the bar and grabbed Diluc by the collar, "WAH SHELD AH BEH SURBER!? WAHTS DA FEKEN PEINT IB TAY AIN ERE WID MEH!?"

Kaeya fell backwards and cried, "wad tay lev meh Dilc?"

Diluc sighed and walked around the bar to his brother, "sober up," he picked Kaeya up, "and I'll tell you."

Diluc carried Kaeya to the winery.

Next day

Kaeya woke up with a scream, "(Y/N) WAIT!"

He looked around and saw he was in an unfamiliar bedroom.

Diluc walked in with water and breakfast, "are you sober?"

Kaeya held his head, "I wish I wasn't."

"Well you'll want to be," Diluc set his brother's breakfast down on the nightstand, "I'm going to tell you how to get (y/n) back."

Kaeya jumped at his brother, knocking them both to the ground as he held the red head's throat, "WHERE ARE THEY?!"

Diluc calmly pushed Kaeya off, who was weak as hell right now, "calm down, you need you to understand why they left or they'll just leave you again."

Kaeya just laid there.

"Good. Now listen because this is something it took me a long time to realize too: communication is key to a relationship."

"What?"

"Did you ever tell (y/n) anything about your work? About your dealings in the dark? About your 'off the clock projects'?"

Kaeay didn't speak.

"I thought so. Kaeya you need to talk to them about your life, if you don't you'll just drive them away."

"BUT I ALREADY DID!" Kaeya shouted as he slammed his fist on the ground.

"True, but I can bring you to them. But you have to swear you'll tell them EVERYTHING."

Kaeya nodded.

Diluc and Kaeya took a trip to Liyue, to a remote village you were living in.

"They're in here. Remember Kaeya, no secrets."

You opened the door at Kaeya's knocking, before immediate closing it.

"Go away Kaeya."

"(Y/n) please, I want to make amends."

"How? Batting your eyelashes? A kiss on the cheek? Sex? Well? What have you come up with as a substitute to trust this time?"

"No. No substitute, no lies, none of that. I'm here to tell you the truth (y/n)."

You opened the door, "no more secrets?"

"No, darling, no more secrets."

_____________________________

Childe: you give me strength

_____________________________

Childe met you when you first joined the fatui, and from the first day he was smitten. You always strived to get better, never once did your lack if vision keep you from being powerful nor keep you from getting more powerful. You were his ideal person for him.

But you didn't feel like it.

You always worried, 'what if I lost? What if I can't get stronger? What if I'm weak?' Were constant thoughts going through your head. You knew Childe was greedy for power, how he wanted nothing but power, how he would do anything for it, and as far as you were aware he cut off anything that held him back.

Even you.

You pushed yourself to far everytime you trained, to the point you were getting weaker by how little time you took to recuperate. But you never realized nor did you let anyone know out fear for what Childe would do if he saw you being so insecure in yourself.

You realized you were getting weaker and weaker, and that scared you, scared you to the point you decided to take drastic measures.

You decided you would prove how strong you are.

With Childe

Childe sighed as he wrote yet another debt collection warrant, he was tired from the month long mission he just got back from and now he had to do this. He decided he would indulge himself and pamper you when he got home, after all nothing pleased him more than seeing your constantly stern face blush and smile as he showered you in gifts and affection. And while he wasn't exactly good at reading people in an emotional sense, even he could tell you were insecure about something so he wanted to talk to you about it, maybe even introduce you to his family.

He wad actually getting lost in happy thoughts when a collector ran in, "HARBINGER! I HAVE URGENT NEWS!"

Childe glared at him, "what is it, I was thinking about my snow flower!"

"IT'S ABOUT THEM SIR!"

Childe snapped the pen between his fingers and stoop, "what happened."

"Sir they-"

"WHAT HAPPENED!"

"SIR! (Y/N) HAS GONE OFF TO TRY AND SLAY A GEO REGISVINE!"

Childe immediately bolted over his desk and sped through the bank, out of the harbor, and across the country of Liyue at speeds lost would think belonged to Baal themself.

He got to the regisvine just in time to block an attack that would have killed you.

It took him mere seconds to completely demolish it.

Childe approached your crumpled form, you could barely move and your bones were probably all broken.

"Ch-chi-lde..." you got out before blacking out from pain.

Next day

You woke up, everything below your chin was in a caste and you felt about as bad as you looked.

"Let me through!" You heard the one voice you didn't want to hear right now.

"Sir please they have to r-"

"DID I FUCKING STUTTER!"

A doctor was flung through the door and Childe charges right at you.

'This is it,' you thought, closing your eyes, 'he's going to cast me away, like I always knew-'

Your thoughts were interrupted by the feeling of lips against your own, and a wet feeling against your cheeks.

You opened your eyes in time to see Childe pull away from you, "what were you thinking you idiot?"

You looked at Childe, dumbfounded.

"WHY DID YOU DO SOMETHING THAT STUPID!?"

"W-what?"

"Why did you try and kill a regisvine on your own?!"

You looked away.

"WHY (Y/N)!? WHY!?"

"Because I don't want you to leave me..."

Childe recoiled at that, what did you mean you didn't want him to leave you?

"Why in the world would I want to leave you? Your my snow flower."

"Yes but..." you didn't want to say it.

"Come on, snow flower," Childe put his fingers under your chin and gently made you meet his gaze, "you can tell me anything."

"You...you only care for power...and I could tell I was only getting weaker no matter how much I tried, I was....I was afraid....afraid you would leave me...."

"(Y/n)," Childe said lovingly, yet with obvious sadness, "please, I dont want power just for power's sake.... I'm so sorry that I seemed that way to you."

"But you always seem so...dedicated to getting power..."

"Yes, but power is simply a means to an end," Childe chuckles, "I have a family, with a lot of siblings, and I care about all of them. I do so much for them, and every bit of power: be it with more, status, or pure power they are what drives me to get it. I'll admit though that it has developed into a bit of a....addiction, I guess you could call it, to battle and by extension to getting stronger. I-I didn't realize how much I let that take over-"

"No!" You shout, "no! Don't apologize for that. That's why I love you: your drive for power, your willingness to never settle, everything you do you do for power. I don't care if it's because you like battle or you like your family, because I love it. I love you. And I don't want to hold you back, and because of that I didn't want to be so weak that you had to....dispose of me..."

Childe kneeled besides you, "(y/n). You never have to worry about holding me back. Remember what you said? Even if I do, granted in a much smaller part than I originally stated, want power to protect my family, it is also very true that I want power for nothing more than to have it. But you could never hold me back from that, in fact you give me strength, (y/n)."

You chuckled, "that's so cheesey Childe."

"Well it's true, and the only thing more true is this:" Childe leans towards you, "I. Love. You."

[ilovejevsjeans]

Daniel Ricciardo on his passion for combat sports, a walkout song and the time he asked Lewis Hamilton to ‘fight’

McLaren Formula One driver Daniel Ricciardo, who currently sits seventh in the driver standings heading into this weekend’s Spanish Grand Prix, is among the world’s best behind a steering wheel. But how would he fare if he swapped his racing gloves for boxing or MMA gloves?

“I’d love to do a charity boxing match or something just to feel that adrenaline of walking to a ring,” Ricciardo said. “It’s on my to-do list for sure. At school I had a few little fights but nothing crazy. Nothing I’d brag about here.”

Ricciardo says he learned the sport of boxing from a friend who fought as an amateur growing up. However in recent years his love of combat shifted more toward mixed martial arts, a sport that is “quite beautiful. It’s an art form and I was just taken by it.”

The Australian — who boasts 4.6 million followers on Instagram — rarely misses a fight night, whether that’s a small card or pay-per-view. Every Monday he gears up for multiple MMA podcasts to hear analysis on what just took place in the cage.

In an exclusive interview with The Athletic, Ricciardo opened up about his love for fighting, which driver would make the best opponent and why Lewis Hamilton turned down an opportunity to get in the ring against him.

You’re an avid fight fan. How did this passion for the sport start?

One of my best friends growing up, when he was growing up, he was doing amateur boxing and got very good at it. I was then doing my racing and he was doing his boxing. We were both on a bit of an unconventional path — both individual sports, not really the typical sports the kids at school were doing. We had that in common. Once I started taking my racing more seriously I began taking my fitness more seriously. So I started going to his gym to just train. I really enjoyed doing it. But the truth is — I don’t want to lie to anyone. I’m not a fighter. As much as I would picture beating the bully up at school, it’s not me. But I just fell in love with not only doing it but also watching it.

I enjoyed watching boxing but it was really when I got exposed to MMA … It just had me. It was back in 2011 when I started properly getting into it. It was the quickest sport I had ever been absorbed by. I was all in.

My whole YouTube feed is just all MMA shows, whether it’s press conferences, interviews, podcasts. It’s just full of MMA stuff. I’m a full nerd now.

Being in Australia and traveling a lot, are you forced to get up at weird times for fights?

The beauty was I was in LA when (Conor McGregor vs. Dustin Poirier 2) was on so it was prime time and I was happy. But normally in Europe, it’s 4 a.m. or 5 a.m., which isn’t as good. Any kind of sporting event that you look forward to, it’s always cool when it’s in the evening because you have all day to get ready and talk about it. If you wake up at 4 a.m. it’s like “ugh,” and then you’re straight into it so there’s not as much of a build-up. But it’s all good.

So do you still train at all?

No. To races, my trainer carries some pads and gloves just to stay a little sharp and change it up. If I’m getting my reflexes with some tennis balls, maybe I throw in a bit of a boxing combination or something. Again, I’m not saying I’m good or anything. But I just enjoy the whole movement part of it.

Boxing was cool and I enjoyed watching it growing up. But there was something with MMA where there’s just so many different disciplines and the matchups … as a contest it was so much more open and for that, exciting. I feel — I know it’s not always the case — you can kind of tell in boxing if someone is getting momentum, the advantage. It’s like “this guy is going to win the fight.” But in MMA, it’s like “this guy is winning standing but if this goes to the ground, it’s back to square one.” So I just loved it. I was really immersed by it all.

Did you have a particular fighter or fight that got you hooked early on?

One of the first events I watched was UFC 116. Chris Leben was on the card and I think he was losing the fight. And then he got a triangle with probably 20 seconds to go in the third round, so that was really exciting. Stephan Bonnar was also on that card and he got a really cool finish on “The Polish Experiment” Krzysztof Soszynski. That was a card for me where I was very taken from that. Then I discovered “The Ultimate Fighter.” I just binge-watched all of those (seasons).

In terms of fighters, Leben was a character, I liked him. Carlos Condit. I’d say Condit and Cub Swanson were two guys I got behind early on. Condit, I love his style and the way he carries himself.

Have you been to a lot of cards in person?

The very first one I did was the best for me personally. To this day, it’s my favorite sporting event I’ve ever been to: (Conor) McGregor-(Chad) Mendes. Vegas in July 2015. Obviously McGregor, but he wasn’t yet a champion and still kind of on the rise. It was the energy and atmosphere. It was just wild.

The whole event too. (Robbie) Lawler-(Rory) MacDonald, which had the fight of the year. Every fight on the main card I think was a finish, so I got very lucky at my first event.

I’ve done (Michael) Bisping-(Anderson) Silva in the UK. That was a great contest as well.

There are a lot of great fighters from Australia and New Zealand like Israel Adesanya, Alexander Volkanovski and Robert Whittaker. Have you had a chance to meet any of them?

I haven’t met them. A couple of them I’ve had interactions with on social media. But I love Whittaker, obviously Volkanovski is killing it. I’m fairly patriotic to the Aussie fighters. If they are fighting, 99 percent of the time I’ll be supporting them. But one of my good buddies is roommates with Luke Rockhold, so I got to know Luke the last couple of years. I was trying to do some training over Christmas with him but it didn’t end up working out.

I know you’re a big shoey guy. What do you think of Tai Tuivasa doing it after wins?

I’ve had a bit of contact with Tuivasa as well. It’s obviously great. But one thing I can’t get behind is spitting. That’s a little extra.

Plus he’ll grab some random fan’s shoe.

He definitely takes it to the next level. It’s cool that — as disgusting as it is — we have some traditions like this.

Shifting a bit to F1, have you ever gotten into any big fights on the track? What was the worst fight you’ve gotten in?

Earlier in go-karting there was a bit more. Unfortunately in F1, I guess because you’re on the world’s stage, even if you push someone you probably are going to get a fine or get penalized. At times it’s a little too clean. But I’m still waiting for the day that someone confronts me and I just lay them out (laughs).

You also just seem a lot more laid back than a lot of other drivers, so you’d probably not be my first choice of someone getting into a fight soon.

I’m all talk, it would be nice obviously to not have to fight anyone. But no one would expect it from me. Even when I tell people I’m a fight fan, people are like “oh really? You’re into that? You seem too nice to like that.”

But to get where I have in the sport, you need a bit of a killer streak in you. I do have it, but don’t always show it.

What other driver would make the best fighter?

I know some guys have done — for fitness — hit some pads. Randomly, he doesn’t have a seat this year, but Daniil Kvyat started doing quite a lot of boxing last year for his training. I saw a few clips and it started to look like he knew what he was doing. I would say he would be the guy who has the most idea. I’d put him and myself up there. The rest I don’t think stand a chance.

So if you had a charity event, you don’t have anyone in particular you’d want to go against?

To be honest, I actually asked Lewis Hamilton. At the beginning of 2016, he posted a video on his Instagram hitting pads. I was as well at the time, so I was like “hey, let’s do a charity fight.” I asked him in person. But he didn’t bite on that one so I was a little sad.

I might re-ask the question.

What about Max Verstappen? For people who watched the first season of the F1 show “Drive to Survive” on Netflix, I’m sure they would love to see you guys throw down at some point.

That would have been cool as well (laughs). Max would be a good competitor in the ring. The way he drives, he’s quite stubborn. He’d be a hard guy to put away. He’s probably the guy that you’d choke him and he’s going to sleep and not tapping. That would make an interesting one.

In contrast, is there an MMA fighter you’d like to race on the track?

An obvious one would be Conor McGregor. To hear in his Irish accent all kinds of things, that would make pretty good television. And he loves his cars. It’s obvious, but that would probably be the best.

How often would you say you watch fights now? Not just PPVs, right?

Unless I have something like work or another commitment, I’m watching it every week. Mondays I’m getting ready for every podcast. I sound like a real nerd but it’s just an addiction. I love it. Anyone doing that for Formula 1, I’d be like “you’re such a nerd,” but here I am doing it with MMA.

Is it hard to follow everything during the race season?

If I can’t see it live, then 100 percent I’m going to watch the replay or buy it later. But it’s also a good escape. If I’m traveling and I’m in between races, to get my mind away from my competition, I like to watch it. I also try to pick up things as well. Whether it’s from a mental point of view … I’ll look at the walkouts and how they are behaving. I try to figure out if they are really as calm and collected as they are portraying or if it’s a bit of a facade. I’m trying to work out what I can use in my events.

Do you have a walkout song prepared if you were to fight?

I’ve thought about it. The short answer is no. You typically have to have something heavy and fast, but I fell in love with Chris Weidman’s “Won’t Back Down.” It’s not typically a song that will pump you up but it’s so iconic and now it’s his, it’s very fitting.

I’d go for something more lyrically powerful as opposed to instrumental. I loved Max Holloway’s, I think it’s called Mount Everest (by Labrinth). (X)

[daisybeewrites]

Academy Blues

oh, deer

word count: 2.8k

warnings: none for this chapter, vague foreshadowing

ship: dousy (daisy johnson x daniel sousa), background Fitzsimmons and Philinda

heyyyyy…. yes i posted it early on Ao3

howeverrr you guys are gonna like this chapter. i just feel it in my bones (bc its fluffy and the angst starts kicking in in the next one)

“You look like Rudolph, Daisy,” Elena greeted.

Daisy took a large swig of coffee, rolling her eyes but smirking. The pair were walking together to Elena’s first class after a tough early-morning spar.

“You’re the one who punched me where I already had a bruise,” Daisy shot back.

“Hey, I already told you I was aiming for the jaw. It’s not my fault you didn’t duck quick enough.”

They laughed as Elena swiped her key card to the comms building. Daisy held the door for Elena, shoving her lightly in the back as she passed.

“Hey!”

“Not my fault you can’t see backwards,” Daisy teased.

It was Elena’s turn to roll her eyes and laugh, slowing to a stop outside May’s lecture room.

“Right. Wish me luck, I heard May was giving a pop quiz today,” Elena grimaced.

“You don’t need any luck. I’ll see ya, Elena,” Daisy replied.

“Yeah, you will!” Elena said, backing into May’s large lecture room.

Daisy watched her wave and sit down with a group of third-years, her perfect french braids swishing behind her, before turning around. Daisy didn’t have a moment to think about where she was going before she ran into a solid wall.

Daisy looked up into a pair of dark chocolate eyes, crinkled at the edges with a small smile. The wall’s hair was ruffled, as if he had just gotten out of bed. He wore black SHIELD sweats and a white t-shirt. The wall was very attractive. She vaguely registered the smattering of books on the ground, her mind more focused on his hands on her shoulders.

“Daisy, are you okay?”

She must have been staring for too long. “Yeah, I’m good! Great! Sorry, Sousa,” she apologized, quickly bending over to pick up his books. She almost dropped them again when his hand brushed hers while she handed the thick textbooks back. She gave him a quick smile, taking a deep breath to compose herself, reciting her affirmations. I am Daisy Johnson. I am an Agent of SHIELD. I can move the Earth. I am powerful. I am in control of myself.

Daniel’s smile grew a bit when he heard Daisy laughing quietly to herself.

“I guess you could say I really swept you off your feet.”

Daniel chuckled at the quip, his hands still on her shoulders. “Yeah. Foot,” Daniel corrected. Daisy furrowed her brows, but ignored the strange comment.

“Right. Well, the bell—” Daisy was cut off by a long, high-pitched bell. She closed her eyes tight, the blaring alarm causing tiny vibrations to travel through her skull. When she opened them, Daniel was still standing in front of her, white tee and black sweats and messy morning hair encouraging just a bit more flirting before he had to leave.

“Wow, look at you. Late! I’m a bad influence on you, Danny.”

Daniel shrugged, glancing at his watch. “S’not the first time,” he murmured lowly, stepping away and giving her a last look before he disappeared into the classroom.

Daisy pretended not to notice her heart rate had risen from it’s usual sixty beats-per-minute to seventy-six beats-per-minute.

Daisy spent the rest of the day absentmindedly completing work in her classes. For some reason, flirting with Daniel felt… different than it had with her exes. Even her exes in SHIELD. Daniel was grounded. He had a calm presence. Being late didn’t phase him in the slightest; Daisy would have internally berated herself for the rest of the day.

She was finishing a short answer assignment from International Law and SHIELD Policy while stretching on the outdoor training grounds when she saw him again: still in sweats despite the heat. He was still walking with same, familiar limp. Then it clicked—’Foot’; the throwaway comment from earlier made much more sense now. He had a prosthetic. Before she could think anymore about that revelation, May called the Ops trainees to gather around her under a giant maple tree. Daisy was the last to get up, hanging towards the back as usual.

“Ops training, eh?”

Sousa turned to Daisy standing beside him, breaking his focus on May to turn to her. “Yeah. I used to be military, remember? 28th Infantry Recon Scout. I figure I’ve got to get at least near the level I used to be before I can go in the field.”

Daisy nodded, her hair caught in a slight breeze. “As long as you don’t steal my crown as the Queen of Spar, Master of Field Ops Physical Training.”

Daniel chuckled quietly, turning his attention back to May, who was explaining today’s exercises.

“Partners,” Daisy breathed. Daisy hated partners, unless it was May. She’d rather condition. It wasn’t that she didn’t like the other trainees, they were great people! But her nerves got the better of her and she ended up holding back, not helping herself or her partner. She knew how to control her powers, how to keep herself from using them while sparring. Whispers of doubt and guilt still invaded, fogging her mind like deadly mist.

You could kill them. It’s happened before…

She was taken back to the moment by Daniel tapping her shoulder. “Partners?”

Daisy reluctantly nodded and motioned to him to follow her over to a thick pad of grass next to a small willow tree.

“So, what exactly are we supposed to be doing? It’s Tuesday, which is usually a mix of breathing and nerve control and focusing on technique, rather than strength.”

Daniel glanced over at the other partners, who were all going through defensive and offensive stances slowly, like tai chi, he thought.

Daisy walked closer to where he had stopped beside the willow, pointing out a pair of partners moving almost in sync.

“They’re focusing on how their breathing can help their fighting. Mentally and physically. If you’re nervous, your heart rate spikes, your brain goes fuzzy and then your body gets sloppy. If you aren’t breathing, your heart rate spikes, your brain goes fuzzy and your body gets sloppy. Breath can make a punch more powerful and a kick more accurate, if you know how to use it. I’ll show you the moves.”

Defensive, offensive, block, strike, block, kick. Daisy continued in a cycle until Sousa could mirror her movements with little effort.

Daisy stopped him then. “Great! You’re a quick learner,” She winked, smiling wide.

Daniel smiled back, “So how do I do the breathing thing?”

Daisy pondered how to explain it for a second. “You have to flow, like water. You control your breathing, you have the power. But at the same time, you have to let the air flow naturally. The moves will align with your breath, don’t force it.”

Daniel nodded, and they were off. It took a minute to get into the groove, but once he did, it felt effortless. Every kick, block, inhale and turn, exhale and strike came naturally. It gave him the opportunity to study Daisy.

Usually, especially in the early mornings in the computer lab, Daisy looked tired. Her brows were drawn slightly, fingers fidgeting, knee bouncing. In the halls she walked briskly and adjusted her bag or checked her watch often, a small tic she didn’t seem to notice. Right now, though, breeze across her olive skin, Daisy looked cool as water.

She felt the earth beneath her. The trees and grass and flowers in the wind. She tuned in to the radio of her surroundings, letting her muscle memory guide her. The forest was really loud. The concrete buildings had a sort of buzz, too. They mixed in her bones like the sounds of a great symphony, low rumbles and high-pitched chittering and long, constant notes that provided a harmony to the undulating melody. The frequencies of each living and non-living thing in the area seemed to be flowing around her, steady.

Daniel softly stared at her as she moved through the flow with him. She was very good at this. He was having a bit of trouble, though he doubted he would be having this much trouble if it wasn't Daisy right in front of him. For an exercise designed to relax them, wasn’t it counterintuitive to partner with the girl that made his heart skip a beat when she smiled?

When May clapped her hands and signaled the end of the session, the tired, sweaty kids gathered around May’s oak tree. The sun was beginning to dip towards the horizon, bringing a glow to each of their faces. Daisy looked radiant.

“Class is dismissed. Tomorrow, we’re conditioning,” May warned. In a quieter voice, May called, “Daisy, can you hang for a second?”

Daisy stepped away from her bag and towards May. “Is everything okay?”

“Yes, everything’s fine. I have a question for you. Would you mind giving up your free period three times a week?”

Daisy’s eyebrows raised, no classes that she knew of only took place three times a week. “I want to say yes, but I’d also like to know why?”

“Fair. Top brass called. If you want to be a field agent with powers, you’ve got to practice fighting with them, get comfortable with them. I know everything that happened with Lincoln…” May paused, gauging Daisy’s reaction. When there wasn’t any, May continued. “Your powers didn’t make you an agent, I did.”

May paused, giving Daisy a chance to settle her thoughts before adding, “But I think this is important.”

Daisy slowly nodded. If this was important to May, then Daisy had no problems giving up her free period.

“Who will I train with?” she asked.

May smiled. “Meet Yo-Yo and I behind the garage at seven sharp tomorrow morning.΅

Daisy saluted playfully, wandering to her bag and walking in the direction the other students had gone. She could see them filtering into the cafeteria. A smoothie sounded nice…

The canteen was full of students grabbing plates of chicken and veggie tacos. Daisy was always happy during dinner on taco Tuesday. She grabbed her plate and a small green juice and searched for a familiar pair of heads, warm brown eyes and freckles sitting next to dirty blonde curls.

As she approached, two hands went up, waving. Weaving her way through students, she saw Fitz pat the seat beside him.

“Oi, Dais! I've got something to show you!”

Daisy sat down, her attention drawn to the tiny device on the table in front of her. It was small enough to fit in her hand, but surprisingly heavy for its size. Multiple coloured wires stuck out from various surfaces. Fitz was grinning at her with a mischievous twinkle in his eye. He pressed a button on a small remote that sat on the table. Daisy looked over at Jemma, puzzled. Was something supposed to be happening?

Daisy glanced down at her hand. There was nothing there but a constant weight.

“Fitz! You replicated cloaking!”

Jemma and Fitz immediately shushed her, looking around. “He wasn’t supposed to! It’s above his ‘level’. Professor Weaver practically forbid him.”

Daisy’s eyes widened. This was very Fitz. Tell him he can’t, and he will, just to prove it to himself. Holding it up to eye level and moving it around, Daisy marveled at the seamless invisibility. “What are you gonna do with it?”

Fitz shrugged. He began to explain a number of uses for the device, along with the technical modifications he’d have to make for them to work. She tuned out after Jemma exasperatedly told him they couldn’t train monkeys to be invisible recon scouts.

Her plan to learn something from Fitzsimmons banter was derailed when Daisy noticed a shadow at the corner of her eye. It slipped away as quickly as it came, around the corner of the cafeteria and out of sight.

Why was she getting déjà vu?

“Dais, you alright there?” Fitz asked quietly.

Daisy turned back to him, smiling. “Yeah, I thought I saw something. Probably just tired.”

The sandy blonde boy laughed, “S’only Tuesday, Dais. We’ve got a whole week ahead of us!”

“Ugh, don’t remind me. I’ve got six tests this week!” Simmons countered.

Daisy’s mouth opened in surprise, quickly shut when Fitz made a comment about catching flies. “Wait, so you aren’t excited for the tests?”

Jemma shook her head miserably, her amber eyes rolling. “No. Usually I would be, it’s so odd! But I was studying the other night and reviewing old tests, and my chest felt so heavy and my head started spinning—”

Fitz stopped her by putting his hand over hers, gently reassuring her. Watching the two, Daisy thought her heart might burst, a bubbly feeling rising in her chest.

Jemma turned back to her, considerably less distressed.

“Do you want some help studying?” Daisy offered.

Jemma nodded. “Tonight, 8, the rooftop?”

The group nodded.

At eight o’clock, Daisy carefully climbed out her window and around the corner to the fire escape. The stairs whispered and creaked with the wind, but you would never know anyone was climbing the iron to the roof unless you ran directly into her.

She arrived at the last landing, one floor above her own, and crouched down. She jumped, using small quakes as a make-shift propulsor. Jemma turned her head towards the soft thump of Daisy landing on the roof.

The space was decorated with a jungle of potted plants and fairy lights strung around the ledge, mix-matched multicoloured and shades of white. They cast a warm glow across the spread of notes and textbooks neatly placed in front of Jemma. Daisy approached, pulling out her laptop and a pouch of pens, pencils, highlighters, and white-out.

“Ready for our study date?”

Jemma smiled. “Yes. Fitz should be here any minute.”

The two girls got comfortable, beginning to go over notes and chat idly. Daisy wrote down vocab and key ideas on note cards and organised them by subject. Jemma laughed loudly when Daisy expressed her confusion at the difference between the three biochemistries that she was taking. Suddenly, loud clanging was heard from the side of the building.

“Daisy! Jems!”

The two girls shared a glance at the panicked voice. Fitz.

They rushed over to where he would be coming onto the iron landing, grabbing his hand and helping him over the concrete barrier onto the roof.

Fitz supported himself on his knees, panting. “There's a guy down there. Creepy bastard.”

Jemma and Daisy shared another glance, this one full of concern and trepidation.

Fitz pointed to Daisy. “Askin’ about you, Dais. Your…” Fitz trailed off, drawing waves in the air with his hand.

Jemma rested a hand on Daisy’s shoulder, squeezing slightly. “Go check it out, we’ll be here when you get back.”

Daisy reluctantly jumped onto the metal landing below, resisting the urge to use her powers to cushion her landing. She quickly checked the perimeter of the dorm, then wandered closer to the forest that backed up to the dorms.

If only she had night vision as well as the power to create earthquakes.

A subtle movement caught her eye, a dark silhouette shifting in between the trees. A haze of clouds covered the moon, making the forest darker than usual. Daisy stepped forward slowly, her breath speeding up.

The air seemed electric, the few clouds in the sky bloodred with the remaining rays of sunset. The tall pines and thick oaks were silhouetted black against the sky, branches seeming to reach out to grab the twilight shadows. Daisy threw a quick glance over her shoulder, letting out a relieved exhale when she saw Fitz and Jemma watching over her from the roof.

A twig snapped right in front of Daisy, the treeline only twenty feet away. Daisy felt the echo bounce around the forest. She took a deep breath, steadying her hands and lungs. Something, someone, was right on the other side of those bushes…

“AAGH!”

A deer leapt out of the brush, landing right in front of her. Its large doe eyes stared at her, ears back. It was just a fawn.

Daisy slowly let out a sigh of relief, dropping her arms from where they had come up in front of her. She snorted.

“You’re just a baby. What are you doing in the bushes by yourself?”

Daisy tentatively reached out, the fawn showed no signs of moving. She opened her palm, letting the deer sniff before it bounded away across the field.

Daisy sighed. She felt something was off, like you would the moment before you were struck by lightning. Like any second, something else would pop out of the forest, this time a real threat…

Silence.

Stillness.

Daisy sighed, shaking her head and rubbing her eyes. I just need sleep. If the paranoia has set in, I definitely need sleep.

Daisy headed back to the dorms, the feeling of eyes on her following until she was safely on the roof with her friends.

The twinkling fairy lights lit the rest of their evening, shadows and deer forgotten in the warmth of laughs and starlight.

[itjazzbicch]

The Last Laugh PT. 3

Pairing:  Kenny Omega x Fem Reader

Summary: Continuing from my Last Laugh Series (In my wattpad which is in bio):

The reader and Kenny are now realizing their true feelings for one another, but the Young Bucks still have their questions due to previous events, trying to crack the reader but when they fail, they test Kenny...

Warnings:  N/A

Requested by: No one (But I hope you all enjoy!) 

Word Count:  2784

Tag List: @demonqueen29 @jessiebean00 @new-zealand-chic @crowleysqueenofhell @justamess44 @thatpanpal @hungmanhorsecarriage @irish-newzealand-idian-dutch  @linziland13 @yungbludjazz360​  

I DO NOT OWN THIS GIF

[You coming over not? I have a big match tonight you know] I sent to Kenny.

I thought I’d never see the day, but Kenny and I were getting along, getting very close and having true feelings for each other rather than just going at it.

[Just give me a few minutes. I’ll be over] Kenny sent back.

I had a championship match tonight and Kenny said he wanted to see me before since he couldn’t escort me out himself.

Since he had to take his time, I patiently waited for him. There were still some things for me to do. I just got out of hair and make-up, my gear still needed to be adjusted, so I just sat in my locker room waiting.

Kenny didn’t take as long as I thought he was going to, quickly turning to my phone when I heard it vibrating consistently.

“You finally coming over?” I asked, holding my phone up to my ear as I was still fixing my boots.

“Sure am!” Kenny said cheerfully, “You ready for the night?”

“Always ready,” I smirked, sitting up straight.

“You always have been,” Kenny cooed, but then there was silence. After a moment, Kenny whispered into the phone, “Hey, give me a second.”

Kenny didn’t hang up, but it sounded as if he put his phone in his pocket, it was muffled, but I heard Matt.

“Kenny, we have an interview and some other stuff to take care of. Where are you going?” Matt questioned.

From the sound of Kenny’s voice, he was remaining calm when he sighed, “You guys realize that I am a champion across three different companies, right? The champion is a very busy man.”

“Yeah, but we already had this planned dude,” Nick groaned, but Kenny didn’t budge, explaining:

“A few minutes delay isn’t going to ruin anything, okay? A few minutes is all I need. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have business to attend to.”

“You know,” Matt said, sounding like a stand-off was ready to happen, “I have heard that phrase before and I’m convinced that it’s a code word of some sorts.”

Kenny scoffed at his comment, groaning, “Where else have you heard that from?”

“Remember when Y/N tried being a bitch again out in the parking lot? Well later that night, we coincidentally ran into her again. She told us that she had business to attend to. Said it just like you did,” Matt pointed out, Nick adding:

“And how strange it was that your phone kept going straight to voicemail that night and she also went up to the floor of your hotel room.”

Kenny was always good at getting around sticky situations, laughing at them at first, “Aren’t the two of you observant!” But then, his voice grew serious when he continued, “Look, you two are just letting mind games get to you. Now, I have business to do. I’m not going to stand here and play into your conspiracies.”

After that, the phone hung up. I was on the same page as Kenny. They sure were nosey and it angered him. I could tell by the tone of his voice.

This week, I got myself a private locker room and no one knew where it was except for Kenny, so I left the door unlocked.

When Kenny entered, he was stressed and I addressed it.

“I heard everything, Kenny,” I informed him.

Kenny had both hands on his hips, still frustrated, groaning, “They are like brothers to me but damn, they need to mind their business!”

Quickly, I went to Kenny, pulling his face towards me so I could look in his eyes, saying, “What they don’t know won’t kill them. They are kind of catching on and hell, even if they figure it out!

They will prove their loyalty and accept your decisions.”

“They just don’t realize how things have changed,” Kenny whispered, “I know they can tell. They just won’t face it.”

“I agree, but right now, we have bigger things to worry about,” I sighed, smiling, “I do appreciate you coming back here to support me.”

“Believe me, I wish I could escort you out there,” Kenny smiled back, looking down at me, “And then bring you back here and get you out of that gear.”

“Hey, my shower is big enough for the two of us,” I chuckled, laughing more when Kenny said:

“First handcuffs, now shower sex? You sure are creative.”

“That’s only the beginning baby,” I cooed, raising up a bit to kiss him, Kenny returning my kiss, putting an even bigger smile on my face.

“But in all seriousness,” Kenny whispered against my lips, “I am proud that you are a fighting champion. I know you’ll kick ass out there.”

“Don’t I always?” I snickered, “Tonight, I’ll even step it up, just for you.”

“I’ll be watching so you better live up to that,” Kenny warned me playfully.

“I always live up to the hype,” I sighed, kissing him one more time.

Kenny stayed in the locker room with me for a bit longer, we even went over some exercises to get me in the zone and I was ready.

I had about seven minutes to get to the guerrilla and Kenny already took off, so I made my way there with my title on my shoulder.

I was laser-focused, confident like always, but on my way to the guerrilla, someone was there to give me “support”.

“Y/N!” Matt smiled, approaching me with Nick right behind him, “There’s our reigning, defending, women’s champion!”

“For once, I agree with you,” I smiled in his face and I could see how it angered them.

“Unlike Matt, I’m not going to play these games anymore,” Nick said sternly, “We know what you’re trying to do to Kenny.”

“Thank you, Nick,” Matt smiled at me, “We know you’re just trying to hurt him. It’s Japan all over again. Not to mention that little fight you keep mentioning .”

Even I couldn’t deny it, My rivalry with Kenny in Japan was intense, but as Kenny said earlier, things were different and I wasn’t going to let Nick and Matt get the better of me.

At first, I just laughed but getting serious when I said, “You two are just delusional. I have no intentions with Kenny. So what I poke some fun at him every now and then. Rivalries just don’t end you know. And that fight? Again, Kenny is the one who needs to tell you. Not me.”

“We know what’s happening,” Matt growled, stepping up to me, “I’ve seen all the signs and you might think we’re stupid, but you are rudely mistaken.”

“Whatever you say, boys,” I sighed, rolling my eyes.

I didn’t have time for their interrogations and bullshit. My title was on the line and I was facing Tay Conti, a very good female wrestler who I could not underestimate.

My match went exactly like how I imagined it would. It was all straight-up wrestling. We showed that it was main event worthy and we tore the house down.

The only thing that kept slowing me down is her constant attacks on my left arm. It all began whenever she rammed me into the steel ring post.

I was truly afraid that I separated my shoulder or something, the moment I fell to the ground, holding my arm, the referee and some medical staff tried tending to me.

Like always, my stubbornness took over. I refused to quit this match, crying through the pain when I got back up and into the ring.

Everyone thought I was crazy, but I still kept going, using my striking and my legs to the best of my abilities.

Towards the end of our match, Tay had me in an armbar on my injured arm and everyone watched in shock whenever I yelled through the pain, picking up her entire body with my bad arm, power slamming her on the mat.

My arm needed a moment. I didn’t even bother to go to cover her for the pin. The ropes assisted me to my feet, Tay getting up at the same time.

We met in the center of the ring and she went to hit me with a kick but I ducked it, running to the ropes, coming back and dodging again but the next time I came back, I hit her with a devastating, jumping knee strike, similar to Kenny’s V-Trigger and I pinned Tay, retaining my title.

The entire crowd were on their feet and cheering me while I sat on the mat, taking my title and holding it close, sitting still while the referee was checking out my arm again, but then we were all confused, looking to the stage when we heard:

“SUPER-KICK PARTYYYYY!”

I literally couldn’t believe it when I stood up, turning around to see Nick and Matt on stage.

“Wow! So impressive! That is one of the best women’s matches I’ve seen!” Matt smiled, Nick following with:

“So much technical wrestling. I loved it!”

“Y/N, you have beaten just about every female on the roster. I appreciate you wanting to be all about the women’s division,” Matt began, “But remember back in Japan when you wrestled in the men’s division?”

“That was crazy times,” Nick smirked devilishly, “And unfortunately for you, Y/N, you left some unfinished business in Japan and now it followed you to AEW.”

I was just in shock. My arm was killing me, I just wrestled my ass off and now they were doing this, live on television!

“You said it yourself, rivalries never really end and ours sure as hell hasn’t ended yet,” Matt growled at me and after that, I had enough, requesting a microphone.

“Are you kidding me? I just wrestled my ass off and you want to come out here, trying to pull up dirty laundry that happened forever ago!” I yelled at them, my anger controlling me when I said,

“I can tell you’re in a fighting mood and I am pretty pissed off! You wanna fight? Get your asses in this ring! I dare you! I’ll kick both of your asses just like I did in Japan!”

Slowly, Nick and Matt walked to the ring and I got into a fighting position, but I knew something was off. They were anticipating something, but after a moment, they rushed into the ring and I didn’t back down whatsoever.

Right, when they got to me, I was ready to swing, but then we all got knocked over. For a moment, the adrenaline in me died and all of the pain from my shoulder hit me hard.

Quickly, I rolled over into the corner, not caring that I was crying, but watching whenever I saw that it was Kenny. He didn’t intend to knock me over, he was protecting me and that’s when I realized what Matt and Nick were doing. They were testing Kenny.

“What the hell are you doing?” Matt yelled at Kenny, standing up and getting in his face.

Kenny delivered that fire right back, forehead to forehead with Matt, yelling back:“What the hell are YOU doing?!”

Everything was just a mess, everyone so confused as to what was happening, Nick yelling to Kenny:

“Tell us the truth, Kenny!”

Quickly, Matt pushed Kenny away, yelling at him, “Tell us now!”

“You want to know the truth?” Kenny yelled, looking back at both of them, his face so red from anger, taking everyone by surprise, which included me when he yelled at the top of his lungs, it echoing through the arena, “I LOVE HER! I ALWAYS HAVE GOT DAMN IT!”

We all just froze my heart about burst through my chest.

“Oh my god,” I whispered, still crying especially when Kenny turned back and saw the condition I was in.

At that moment, Kenny just forgot about Matt and Nick, tending to me instead. I had previous shoulder injures so I was truly concerned about my condition.

“It’s your bad shoulder isn’t it?” Kenny asked quickly and I just nodded my head, crying:

“It hurts so bad.”

“Don’t worry, I’m going to get you taken care of,” Kenny assured, taking my other arm, “You have to get up though.”

Again, I was fighting through the pain, standing up and grabbing my title, still across the ring from Nick and Matt. I still wanted to fight them for the scene they just caused, but Kenny killed that whenever he pointed at them, saying:

“I’ll handle the both of you later.”

Finally, Kenny and I left the ring, taking me back to get the medical attention that I needed. They were checking out my shoulder, multiple tests needed to be done and that scared me.

I was grateful that Kenny didn’t leave my side, but there was a moment that he needed to have whenever we heard outside the door.

“Can someone please tell Kenny to come to talk to us?”

It was Matt.

Kenny rolled his eyes, turning red again because he was still super upset with them but he stood up, giving me a quick kiss, “I’ll be right back.”

He left the door crack and even though they kept their voices low, I could still hear everything.

“So, you love her, huh?” Nick asked, truly curious rather than being a smart ass.

“Have you two ever noticed how in Japan, I’m the one who started the beef with her? All the sly little comments we’d make? How we never took our fights seriously?” Kenny sighed, “Since the day I met her, I’ve wanted her. I just didn’t know how to do it.”

“Kenny, I’ll be the first to say, we’re sorry,” Matt explained, “We just thought that you two legitimately hated each other and when you two got close all of a sudden, we just wanted to have your back. I didn’t want to have to do that, but you just weren’t telling us!”

“Well maybe you should have taken the fact that we were taking things slowly into consideration,” Kenny scoffed, still upset with them.

“You’re right, Kenny,” Nick sighed, “Again, we’re sorry, and just know that we love you, man. If you want to be with Y/N, I’m all for it.”

“Me too,” Matt agreed, nodding his head.

I could see them hugging and it made me feel good. They had brotherhood and I never intended to break that. I just wanted to be with Kenny and it was good to know that he wanted the same with me.

“How’s her shoulder?” Nick asked and Kenny just sighed, his hand covering his face for a moment.

“Not going to lie, I’m worried for her. She had to have surgery on that shoulder before,” Kenny huffed, “They’re making her do a bunch of testing for it.”

“God I feel like shit,” Matt whined, then he just came through the door and he hugged me.

“Dude, my shoulder,” I said quickly, but also laughing as he backed away, mumbling;

“Right, I’m sorry about that.”

“Y/N, we owe you a long overdue apology. What we did tonight was wrong and irresponsible,” Nick admitted to me, “We shouldn’t have tried to invade your privacy.”

“I understand why you did,” I sighed, poking some fun at them when I added, “Besides, fucking with you guys is always a fun time.”

We all shared a good laugh, Nick giving me a soft hug too.

“Also, just know, that match was fucking awesome,” Matt smirked at me, “I wasn’t lying about that. You’re an amazing champion Y/N.”

“Thanks. Hopefully, I don’t have to give it up,” I sighed, looking down at my shoulder.

“Everything will be just fine,” Kenny smiled at me, trying to raise my spirits, and then finally, we had a true, one on one session whenever Matt said:

“I hope you feel better, Y/N. Nick, let’s go. They need alone time.”

Nick and Matt finally went off and closed the door behind them and once we were alone, Kenny was still standing in front of me while I was sitting.

Slowly I looked up into his eyes, getting emotional whenever I asked shyly, “You’ve always loved me, Kenny?”

With a bright smile, Kenny nodded his head and just to brighten our moods when I said:

“I fucking knew it!”

We both laughed together, Kenny hugging me and being gentle and when his head came close to me, I whispered, “I’ve always loved you too, Kenny.”

“I’m serious, Y/N. I love you. I just never knew how to express it. Then next thing I knew, we were the biggest rivals in Japan,” Kenny exhaled.

“That doesn’t matter anymore. We have each other now and I’m serious when I tell you, I love you,” I whispered, my arm wrapping around his neck.

Kenny gave a little bit of a squeeze and when he looked back up at me, his eyes looked teary but a gorgeous smile was on his face, his head falling to kiss me softly, whispering against my lips,

“No more hiding it. You’re mine and that’s never going to change.”

I quickly smiled against our kiss, kissing a bit harder, whispering back, “Just how I want it to be.”

[worldoffanfiction2021]

Eternal Love of Dream - Chapter Next 3

(Image Source: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/469711436133487066/)

It had been somewhat quite these past few days. Dijun had settled into the Quingqui way of life slowly. His wife’s family, now his family, had slowly come around to understanding his past and forgiving him. They were never the ones to hold a grudge anyways. They knew he cared for Xiaobai deeply. He cared for Gungun deeply. There was nothing more they would ask of him.

Gungun had stayed with him all this while. Every time he looked at the little boy he was in awe. And he fell in love with his once lively, now comatose Xiaobai all over again. She had created this little miracle. For him. The two people in this room were his first ever real family in a few million years.

As Dijun watched Gungun read a book, he was surprised. Were little boys his age always this obedient and well behaved? Gungun had shown keen interest in reading as well as in learning new things. He had a natural curiosity to figure things out.

As evening came, Cheng Yu and Si Ming walked in. They greeted his majesty and Gungun. They inquired about the Little Princess Fengjiu. There wasn’t any change to report, but Zhe Yan had been to see his patient earlier that week and had sounded hopeful about her waking up soon.

”Would you like to come to the Sky Kingdom with me,  Little Prince? I am about to head out and the Prince Ah-li had asked me to bring you along for a few days. Of course, if it is alright with Dijun?”, Si Ming asked politely after the initial conversation.

“Sure, Si Ming. I need to give you some instructions regarding things in Tai Chen palace. Gungun, say goodbye to mom. I will see you both out. Cheng Yu, do you mind staying with Xiaobai for some time? Gungun was reading to her, maybe you could continue?”, said Dijun.

“Sure”, said Cheng Yu gladly. She took the book from Gungun and patted his silver hair.

Gungun smiled and walked over to his mom. “Mom, please wake up soon. I miss talking to you. And I miss the food you make for me. I have been a good boy like I promised. Little Uncle Ah-li has invited me to Sky Kingdom. I will be gone for a few days. I will be a good boy. I will ask father to take good care of you. You get well and wake up soon, ok?”, he said as he held his mom’s hand and kissed it sweetly.

“Father, please take care of mom. Remember, don‘t let her get cold at night. Ok?”, he tilted his head and said to Dijun. Dijun smiled and extended his pinky in promise. Then they walked out hand in hand with Si Ming following behind.

Cheng Yu sat down near the bed and continued reading. It was a book about Buddhist Theories. Cheng Yu knew Xiaobai never liked that subject, but she didn’t know how else to keep Xiaobai company and make her presence felt. So she read on.

After some time, she felt Xiaobai‘s fingers move. Slowly Xiaobai opened her eyes. Cheng Yu bent over her surprised, excited and so happy to finally see her friend wake up. “Are you feeling better, Fengjiu? Are you still hurting?”

Fengjiu gave a faint smile and nodded. Then she mouthed her first word in several months, “Dijun?”, she inquired worriedly. Cheng Yu closed the book and said, “Well, Dijun... ” and glanced at the door.

Somehow this worried Fengjiu into a frightened fit. As if possessed, She mustered all her strength to cling tightly to Cheng Yu’s arm and pulled herself half up from her pillow. She asked urgently, “Cheng Yu, where is Dijun? How is he? Is he okay? If not, I don’t want to wake up. I don’t want to live without him. I can‘t live without him. I won’t... .“

Cheng Yu struggled to get over Fengjiu’s sudden outburst and tried to calm her down, “Shhhh... stop. Listen to me. Listen, please. Dijun is okay. He has completely recovered. He just stepped out to see Si Ming and Gungun off to Sky Kingdom. The Quixin toxic in his body has also been fully cured. Star Light ward has been broken and everyone is safe now. You are the only one still not recovered.“

Fengjiu let out a huge sigh and slipped back on the bed. A trickle of few tears still escaped from her eyes onto her pale face. “Dijun is alright? I am happy.“, she smiled. But then she caught on to something else that Ching Yu had said and asked worriedly again, “Wait, did you say Dijun went out to see Gungun off? You mean my Gungun? You know about my Gungun? Dijun knows about my Gungun too? Is Dijun very upset with me that I kept his son away from him for 200 years?” Fresh tears filled her eyes and her face was full of worry again.

”I am not upset. I am grateful. And I am so sorry, Xiaobai.”, Dijun who had just appeared in the doorway and had heard their last conversation, replied. He appeared to be in a daze as he ran to his wife and held her hands tightly. Cheng Yu made a smart and timely exit.

”Dijun, you are okay. You are really okay. I am so sorry, Dijun. I thought you wanted to stay with Ji Heng. I didn’t want my child and I to be a burden for you. I have known the pain of having to stay away from the one I love. I could never wish for you to go through that. I didn’t want my family to force you to take our responsibility either, especially if you had decided to be with Ji Heng. So I left. I am so sorry. I really didn’t do it to keep Gungun away from you.” Fengjiu said tearfully. She was tired from all the excitement of walking up and all the talking. She stopped to catch her breath.

Dijun helped her to sit up and supported her on his shoulder. He held her close and said, “Xiaobai, I am truly not upset. I am sorry. It was my behavior that led you to think this way. It was a miscommunication from my side that put you through all that. I can never forgive myself for it. But I do want to ask for your forgiveness. I will prove to you every single minute for the rest of my life that I am yours and yours alone. No one is more important to me than you. Please give me a chance to make it up to you. Please?” .  Xiaobai held his hands firmly, dried her tears and nodded that she would.

Dijun felt like a heavy burden was lifted off his heart. He bent down and planted a lingering kiss on his beautiful wife’s delicate nose.

They heard footsteps outside their room. Cheng Yu had told everyone that Fengjiu had recovered and they had rushed to see her. Si MIng who had almost left had also come back with Gungun. There were words of congratulations and thankfulness all around. Everyone was trying to show her how much she was loved.

Gungun was the first one to rush to her bed and hold her hand. She kissed his forehead and smiled. Demon lord Xiaoyan could not stop boasting how powerful his friend Xiaojiu was. Third prince and Ye Quingti and Xie Gu were all bowing to her and showing appreciation.

Zhe Yan came forward to check her pulse. He declared that she was finally completely out of danger. “However, the recovery will be a slow process for sure.”, he explained. “You will be in and out of consciousness for the next few months. Try not to over exert yourself and rest as much as you can. I will modify your medicine for this next phase of recovery. Dijun, you need not give her any more of your golden blood. She can recover just with my medicines from here on out.”

Everyone was relieved to hear that. They saw all this excitement was tiring her out, so they all asked her to rest up and left. Dijun helped her lie back down and he laid down next to her himself.

After so many months, he was a bit relieved.

[colorfultrashcrusade]

Who knew

THIS STORY WAS WRITTEN A LONG TIME AGO AND I WANTED TO POST SOMTHING FOR CALUMS BIRTHDAY. I know its not good grammar and all that but if I'm being honest I didn't want to edit it. Spacing it correctly was enough for me haha.

“Babe ready for tonight?” Cal said as I tied my shoes. I decided to go pretty casual. Black jeans, white tee, black converse. Hair tied back in a low ponytail.

'Yeah just about.' We head outside to the car over to Ashton's for the long awaited house par-tay. About 20minutes later, Cal and I reach Ash's place. And get inside quickly because it was beginning to rain.

“HEY EVERYBODY!” Michael yells with a drink in his hand. 'Well someone is already shit faced' I say  causing Calum to laugh. I look around to see Luke talking to Miranda and Casey as well as  newbies, who I haven't gotten to know yet. Ash and Sasha were fetching more drinks from the 'beer fridge' Nia and Rena giggling at something one of them said and of course, already drunk, Michael (lol).

“Here guys” Casey says while handing us a drink, 'now let's get this house party started!' He shouts and we all laugh.

(Couple hours into party)

The music was blasting; so loud I could feel every beat in it. Luke, Casey and Miranda were "dancing" I think (lol) Michael passed out a while ago. No one wanted to move him so we left him in the middle of the floor. I was sitting next to Ash who was sitting next to Sasha who passed out on the couch. Rena was across from us and passed out as well. As I turn to see what calums doing I couldn't believe my fucking eyes. With his drunken gaze and smile he stood flirting and giggling like a fucking school girl with Nia. I'll just say it. I don't like Nia, she doesn't like me either. So I normally wouldn't waste my time on her but she was too close to my boyfriend and I wasn't having it. I jumped off the couch,and I walked over to Calum and Nia.

'What the fuck are you doing?'.

'Fuck off Alyssa, can't you see he's busy with someone he actually likes?' Nia says.

'Aha Nia you're so full of shit' I fake laugh to finish off my sentence.

'The fuck is that suppose to mean?

' 'You're a fake ass bitch who no one likes, if you were actually respectful, you'd have real friends. 'Removing herself from cal she pushes me. 'Excuse me bitch,' I go to push her back but am hit in the face with a big, strong hand. Calum's hand. I turn to him, a hurt expression on my face.

'Fuck off' he simply said. I turned back to Nia who was smiling like the bitch she is. That's when I went to her. With a fist full of her hair I began bashing her head and face with my other fist again and again and again. I was so engulfed with rage and didn't care how much my hands were hurting. Her hand managed to grab hold of my hair too. She started punching me as well faster; harder. I closed my eyes as we moved around trying to throw her to the ground. But suddenly I was the one thrown down. She had kicked the side of my knee causing my knees to buckle backwards. As she sat on top of me punching and scratching. All I could do was try to cover my face and head. I don't understand why I wasn't winning this, I could easily take her. But I realized it was because of Calum. He wounded me mentally and emotionally. He's such an asshole when he drinks. I tried to look over at him to see if he was seeing this. And he was.  I feel the blood oozing from my face. I feel where the bruises will be tomorrow. I started to see little black dots. I was blacking out.

'That's right bitch, I'm gonna take your ma-.'

'NIA WHAT THE FUCK!?' Casey yelled. Ashton, being closest to us got here first.

'Nia... Get... The fuck... Off her!!!' Ash said as he literally threw Nia off, with Miranda and Casey catching and holding her back. Ash came over and I felt my body being lifted up; hearing Sasha repeating my name as well as Ashton yelling.

'What the fuck is wrong with you mate?! You're just gonna watch as your girlfriend gets beat up?! That's a dick move man. You don't even deserve Liss, I can't fucking believe you!' Then I hear a smack and something that sounds like a body hit the floor. Then it went completely black.

(Couple hours later)

As I come to, my body aches everywhere; my head is killing me; and I can barely open my eyes. I  sit up very slowly taking in my surroundings.

'Liss, honey don't sit up, you need to rest.'  Grandma's voice  boomed like thunder in the room. I grimaced. 'Sorry' she said.

'How did I get here?'

'That Ashton boy came, I nearly had a heart attack when I opened the door but he told me what happened.'

'Oh' I said simply. Over the course of the next few days I stayed with grandma till my body wasn't as achey.  I was moving around and doing minimal tasks around the house. Grandma left for the weekend with her boyfriend, so I got to play music softly in the house. Just as I was going to make myself some food, there's a knock on the door. I go over to open it and it's Ashton. I smile spread over my face, as painful as it was. 'Here come in.' He comes in and immediately gives me a hug. Not that tight though. The embrace was so warm and loving I didn't want to let go of him. When I did, he was in tears. 'Ashy? What's wrong?'

'Nothing I'm glad to see you up and moving. But I'm here to take care of you.'

'Take care of me?, Hun I'm okay.'

'Please, it will give me peace of mind?' I looked at him; his eyes so glossy, I couldn't say no.

'Okay ash.'  As the weeks pass, I've been with Ashton 24/7. Meanwhile Calum hasn't made any effort to text or talk to me. And normally I'd be depressed but for some reason, I'm not. Ashton has made me feel so good and so warm and so loved that I'm not sure about Calum.

(Couple days later)

'Yay movie time!!!' Ashton yells running down the stairs.

'Ahaha, what movie tonight ashy?'

'The best of me.'

'The best of me? Aha.'

'Yeah, I'm feeling romantic today. Aha.'

We pop in the movie with our blanket and popcorn and my dots gummies. Something about tonight felt different. I noticed Ashton was wearing cologne; he was just extra hot tonight. As the movie played on, I couldn't really focus, and neither could ash. At least in the movie.

'Liss?'

'Yeah a-' before I could finish his lips were on mine. So soft and warm and I couldn't help but kiss him back. There was a spark bigger than any I've ever felt, even with Calum. His hands felt all over my back, arms and legs. I felt so safe in his arms. Next thing I know, we are making love on his couch. Gentle and passionate love till we reached our highs and fell asleep in each other's arms.

(Couple months later)

Mikey's birthday is coming up and I wanted to get him something he'd like so I went with Sash. We went into the shop and looked around.

'Liss, are you okay? You look a little pale.' Sasha says with concern on her face.

'I'm a fine girl, it's good.' I smile. But actually I don't feel fine. I've been like this for a while. And right now I felt even worse. 'Sa.. Sash, I don't...,' the room started spinning and my legs felt weak.

'Liss? LISS!' She said it when dark.  

When I came to, I was in the hospital, and Sasha was rocking back and forth in the chair next to me holding my hand. 'Sash, what's happening?'

'You fainted Liss, I freaked and called an ambulance and they did some tests. I'm er... We're waiting for the results.' Just as she finished, the doctor came in.

'Miss Perkins, how are you feeling?'

I'm feeling better.'

'Good, we gave you some fluids to help nourish your body. We did some blood work and noticed you're not nourished enough due to your pregnancy, an-'

'WHAT!?' Sasha said.

'Wait, I'm pregnant?' The doctor nodded her head.

'Yes Miss Perkins, the tests show that the fetus was conceived about three and a half months ago.'

'THREE AND A HALF MONTHS!?' Sasha said and turned to look at me. '

I see you need a minute ladies, I'll leave you be.' She left and closed the curtain.

'Three and a half months Liss?' I stared into space thinking.

' three and a half months ago I had sex with Calum but at the end of that month, after all that, I slept with Ashton to-.' Sash sat with her jaw dropped. 'I don't know, whose it is.'

'You have to let them know Liss.'

'Can you go with me?'

'Course Liss.'

(The next day eh... Night)

I asked Ashton to come over and without hesitation he came. And with the help of Sash, Calum came to. I'm nervous, I haven't seen or talked to him in months. How would he react to this news, how would both of them react? But they're both here. And I need to get this out.  I walk to the living ash and cal are sitting on opposite sides of the room. I clear my throat as I enter.

'Hey guys.'

'Hey liss.' They say, one quieter than the other.

'I...uh.... I....uhh..' I look to Sasha for help.  And she came.

'Listen guys with everything that has happen, Liss need you to put it behind you and listen the fuck up, Liss is...

“I’m Pregnant and either one of you can be the dad. I'm not sure but I wanted you both to know.' Calum's eyes went wide. Ashton's hands went to his chin

As the months come and go. Each appointment was just a reminder that the baby was coming soon. Sasha went with me for every one. I told the doctor I didn't want to know the gender of the baby. All I care about is that it's healthy. Ashton was there helping every step of the way. Making sure I was relaxed and calm and that there was no stress around the baby. When I needed a back rub, Ashton was there to give it. If there was no ice cream in the house, he was on it. Calum on the other hand helped more in a financial way. He had stopped by two days ago, which I was shocked by, just to talk.

(Flash back)

'Uh.. Come in.'

'I'm not staying long princess.' Princess? I just looked at him more confused than ever.

'I haven't been around or contacted you because I don't know how to forgive myself from that night. I lost myself after that. I...' He started rubbing his arms.

'Cal, no. Please tell me you didn't.' As he looked at me a tear left his eye.

'I'm sorry princess, I.... I didn't know what to do. I went to rehab  and... I do-.' I wrapped my arms around him, hugging him. Stopping his words in their tracks. He squeezed me, getting as close to me as he could due to my belly.

'Liss, I love you, I've never stopped loving you. You're my one and only. I'll do whatever it is for you to forgive and take me back. Please. Baby please.'

End of flashback)

Since that talk, he's been around the house more and the tension between him and Ashton was very uncomfortable. The dirty glances they give each other. The shoving into each other. At least that's what Sash tells me. They behave themselves in front of me and the baby. I was lying in bed continuously tossing and turning. I don't know why I couldn't sleep. Then all of a fucking sudden, Sasha burst through my door. 'SASHA!?'

'Shhhhhh!!!'

'What the hell I almost peed on my-.'

'Shhh, listen.' I didn't understand what she was talking about till I heard voices.

'Cal and Ash?' I mouthed to her. And she nodded her head.

(Whisper yelling)

'Listen, I don't give a fuck that you like her Ashton, she's my girl, so you need to back up off her.'

'Me? Are you fucking kidding me! I've been here for her all this time you stupid fuck, she wants me. I don't care what you two used to be, but I know she cares for me. I'm here all day every day taking care of her and when I'm not I-.'

'When you're not blah blah blah, I'm the father of that child, Ashton. Not you. Get over it. Whatever you thought you had with her is not there anymore.' It went quiet. They must have been angrily staring at one another. Till Ash spoke.

'As much as I want that baby to be mine, as much as I want to stand here and brag about how my dick got her pregnant,  we won't know whose it is till its born, and till then let's act like men and cut the crap Calum, we've caused enough drama in this house.' Two pairs of footsteps walked in opposite directions and two doors slammed. Sasha looks at me with her mouth partly opened.

'I don't know what to say or think about that.'

'Me neither Sash, me neither.

With the baby coming in less than a three weeks, sasha is busy getting everything ready for the baby shower being that we don't know the sex yet. The color theme is light grey and soft green. Everything looks so cute. I look around the living room to see Ashton putting up streamers and Calum putting up the giant pacifier piñata. Calum and I are better and by that I mean back to being couple-like. Ashton has gotten a bit distant. After that night when Sasha and I heard them talking, they act like neither one is there. They don't talk to each other and it makes me sad. They were really good friends always joking and playing around. And now, nothing. They're just strangers who know each other really well. But they're okay for right now.

(Later that day)

It was time for the shower to start. Sasha made me a special seat covered. The guests arrived and everyone came. Everyone except Nia. Everyone got situated with food and drinks and we socialize for a while.

'Okay everyone it's time for a game!!' Sasha shouted. She was more excited than anybody. 'So in this game you will pick up a diaper. All the diapers have a number on the-.'

'Why do they have numbers?' Mike butted in.

'Michael shut up let me have my moment!' Everyone laughed. 'As I was saying, all the diapers have a number because inside all the diapers is a little mess. Don't worry it's all candy, the point of the game is to guess the candy!'

'Why does it look like shit?' Michael says as we laugh again.

'What the fuck do you think babies do in diaper's Michael.' Everyone laughs harder.

'Babe I'm just messing with you, you're doing really good at this.'

'Well thanks butthead.' We ended up not really finishing the game. We just kinda are all eating the chocolate in the diapers. Mine was a snickers, there was also the Milky Way, Twix, and... Well just a lot of chocolate. 'PRESENT TIME!!!' Sash yelled. And everyone went to grab their gifts.

'Hey Liss.' Miranda said.

 'This is from Nia. She handed me an envelope. Everyone got kinda quiet as I opened it.

'It's a card.' I said aloud.

'What does it say?' Ashton and Calum say in unison. I open the card and starts scanning with my eyes

"Congrats on the pregnancy Alyssa, hope all goes well. I'm sorry for giving you hell. I realize I can never have what you have and I'm sorry for trying to take it from you. You're his dream girl and I can't compete with that. You're more a woman than I ever will be and I hope one day we can get passed this. You deserve great things. But anyways, congrats."

'What does it say Lissachu?' Sasha says to me.

'She said congrats on the baby.' I say feeling a weight lift off of me, not knowing I even had one.  The rest of the baby shower went well. I just sat and ate everything Saha handed me (lol). These cravings were getting the best of me.

(Night time) Today was actually really good. There were a few spills at the shower, and after the shower that was mainly Michaels fault but got cleaned by 'mother Sasha'. And surprisingly Ashton and Calum, after a couple drinks, started talking again. (I know what you're thinking, alcohol at a baby shower? Blame Mike). It was as if there was no bad blood between them. It filled my heart with warmth and happiness. As I lay down and get comfy I close my eyes and give a big, calming sigh and begin to drift off the sleep. Then  I get a tickle in my nose and... 'ACHOO!' I sneeze. 'Aw shit, did I? Fuck I peed on myself.' I get up slowly and grab a change of clothes and go to the bathroom. When I finish changing. I go to change my sheets. Pulling on the corner closest to me, I start to feel pain, a really sharp pain. As I hunch over my bed, breathing heavy and choppy, my door opens and I feel arms around me.

'Princess what's wrong? Are you okay? What happened?' Calum says. His voice rang with panic.

'I..uh.... I think...my water broke.'

Calum's eyes went wide. 'Okay, come on. Let's get you in the car.' He walked with me letting me stop whenever there was a contraction.

'GUYS!?? GUYS WAKE UP, THE BABYS COMING!!' Sasha ran out of her room and straight for the bag she made me put together for this very moment. Ash moved at a slower pace but we got out of the house pretty fast. With Ashton at the wheel, driving beyond the speed limit, everything was kind of a blur. Sasha to my left; Calum to my right. Both letting me squeeze the fuck out their hands as Sasha does breathing technics with me. We finally get to the hospital and Calum picked me up bridal style and ran through the emergency room doors.

'SHE'S IN LABOUR!!!' As soon as the sentence left his mouth, nurses came around so fast. I was put in a wheelchair and rolled away; In the distance I hear Calum yelling. 'NO I HAVE TO GO WITH HER!'

'Sir please calm down you're frightening other patients.'

'NO, GET OFF ME! ALYSSA!! I LOVE YOU!' Pain. Excruciating pain. I feel as if these are the absolute worst cramps in my life. I feel like Satan is shoving a small trident dagger in my uterus and turning it around in circles

. 'It's okay ma'am, just breathe an-'

'I AM BREATHING!' After moving me from the wheelchair to the bed with wheels, I'm rolled into a room. They change me into a gown and I'm left there by doctors checking in from time to time.

'ALYSSA! Oh god princess are you okay?!'  His voice rang with worry.

'I'm okay cal, did they finally let you in here?' I joke. Then Ashton walks in with Sasha.

'How ya feeling Liss?' Ashton says.

'Like I'm gonna have a baby.' Then another contraction happens. FFFUUUCCCKKK!' I grabbed Calum's hand and squeezed till its blue and purple. He says nothing.

'Guys? The doctor is gonna ask if the "father" wants to be in the room and cut the umbilical cord.' Sasha says. 'Which of you want to do it?' Calum and Ashton look everywhere but at each other. Then to me.

'Princess it's up to you.'  Just then the doctor walks in.

'Okay Ms. Perkins, time for another look see. May I ask you three to step outside please.

'C'mon guys,' Sasha grabs both of their shirts. ' it's not like you haven't seen it before. It's the same. I giggle. The doctor chuckles to himself.

'Well Ms.Perkins, if you're ready, the bed is set up and down here, looks good. So who do you want in the room with you?'

'Doc, I don't know who the father is.'

'Doesn't  have to be the father, no aha. The young lady, is your friend right?'

'Yes.'

'If I was in your situation, I'd pick her. She was there for you. Besides, we'll find out who the father is later.'  He walks out. And Cal, Ash and Sash come back in.

'Sash I want you in the room with me.'

'Am I godmother?'

'Yes.' She claps her hands.

'Well okay, let's go deliver a baby!' I'm already in the delivery room. Sweat dripping on my face. The doctor gave me the epidural when I first got here. It hurts but no where near the contraction pain. More like I'm really constipated. The pushing is exhausting my whole body.Sasha to my right letting me squeeze her hand.

You're doing good Liss, couple more pushes then it's coming out.' I nod, my eyebrows furrowed

. 'Alright Ms.Perkins, push!'

'Aaaahhhh!' I pushed with as much force as I could. Then I hear crying.

'Okay Ms. Perkins one more push like that and it's out. Ready. Set. Go.' I take a deep breath and push letting out a massive fart (Lol jk yell).

'AAHHHHHHH!' Then the crying got louder. And louder.

'Liss! You did it! It's a, it's a...'

'Congratulations Ms.Perkins, you have a girl.' The doc smiles and wipes the baby enough for me to hold.

'She's beautiful.' I let out the tears. Streaming down my face in joy.

'She's beautiful Liss.' Sasha says. 'Hi little one, I'm sashie. Your god mom.' She was crying too

'Alright Ms.Perkins, we'll get her all cleaned up while you sign the birth papers. And then she's all yours.' The nurse took her to get cleaned and I handed her papers. '

Liss...' '

Yeah?'

Congratulations, I'm so happy and proud to be here and experience this, even though I can't feel my hand anymore. Thank you.'

'No thank you, for actually being her all the way.' We hug.

'But Liss, she looks like..... Calum.'

'I know, and I'm happy that she's his.'

'And yours Liss, don't forget that.' As I put pen to paper to full in the name part of the certificate, I pause. Then write. How the nurse comes back with her and I give her the papers.

'What's her name?' A voice says. Ashton and Calum walk in the room ( you were moved back to the other room to recover). I look at them.

‘She looks a lot like you Calum, aha. She has your nose.' Calum sits in the chair next to your bed, across Sasha; Ashton at the foot of the bed.

'Congrats, you two.' Ash says with a hint of disappointment in his voice.

'Come here.' I say as I give him a hug and a kiss on the cheek.

'Thank you for helping as much as you did.' He smiles and backs out the door

. 'I take it you guys are gonna be here a while so I'll leave and come get you later.'

'Wait!' Sasha buts in. 'Don't you wanna know her name?'

'Yeah, what's our daughters name?' I look from Ash to Sash. Sash to Cal. Then Cal to her.

'Schyler. Schyler Joy.'

[rwbyvein]

Firen Lhain: Chapter 511: Top of the World

Ruby walked up to Weiss and Yang in the living room. "Team meeting, our room." Ruby nervously said to her.

"Sure." Yang said.

"I mean, I'm still the leader, right?" Ruby asked.

"What's it about?" Yang asked.

"That's... what the meeting is about..." Ruby nervously said.

"I'll be there with bells on." Yang said.

"She most certainly will not." Weiss scoffed, and Yang looked her in the eyes with a wicked smile.

"What's the matter, Ice Queen?" Yang asked.

"Just admit you were seriously thinking about it, weren't you?" Weiss asked, to which Yang nodded.

Yang then gestured to the stairs, "Ladies first." and a flustered Weiss scowled at her as she stood.

"Yang." Ruby admonished.

"She's just upset that I'm right." Yang said, to which a frustrated Weiss nodded.

* * *

Ruby sat on one bed with Yang and Weiss sitting across from her. "Okay, so..." Ruby nervously stated, "I've tried to think of the best way to bring this up, but I really have no idea what I'm doing here. So, I'm just going to come out and say it. "We..."

"All have it hard for Jaune." Yang said.

"I wanted to say it!" Ruby exclaimed.

Weiss scoffed, "Do you have to say it that way?"

"We've all got lady-boners for Jaune." Yang said with a wide smirk, and Weiss scoffed even louder.

"So?.." Ruby nervously continued, "I really don't know what we should do, but I love you both so much... that... I really... and I mean..."

"She means she wants to kiss you." Yang added, and Weiss looked surprised.

"I - DID!" Ruby exclaimed.

"What, seriously?!" Yang asked. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"Well, I kind of thought I should, but then, with the Vytal festival, things got SO complicated... and I don't know... I mean..."

"Easy, sis." Yang said, "There's only one thing you need to do for me."

"And... that's?.." Ruby nervously asked.

"Let me kiss her, too." Yang said. Ruby looked confused, Weiss scoffed loudly.

"I mean... I guess..." Ruby said, and Yang somehow managed to pick Weiss up and dip her down in one move, bring their faces so close that they could taste each other's breath. Weiss looked nervous, but did nothing: no protest, no complaint, no scoff, no huff, just breathing as she looked into Yang's eyes. Yang leaned down and kissed her with passion Weiss had never imagined from a kiss. Yang sat up, draping Weiss gently along the bed, both of them breathing heavily.

"Point of... um... order... I think..." Ruby nervously said. Yang and Weiss were still panting, but slowly turned to look at her, expecting her to continue. "Okay, right, so, the point of the meeting was to talk about Jaune... not... um... whatever... so... I mean..."

"I say," Yang breathily voiced, "that we agree to not do anything until after what happens at Haven. It will give us all a chance to think about this. No hugging, no kissing, no confessing. Nothing overtly romantic between ANY of us until after Haven."

"Okay... but... what if Jaune hugs us?" Ruby asked, and then began rambling, "Because-he's-like-a really-good-hugger-When-I-asked-he-said-he-had-seven-sisters-and-that-seems-to-be-the-only-thing-that-ever-happened-to-him-and-I-mean-it's-like-he-didn't-have-friends-but-I'm-not-really-one-to-talk-because-I-didn't..."

Weiss and Yang looked each other in the eyes as Ruby rambled on, came to a silent agreement, stood up, and both hugged Ruby. Yang kissed her on the head. A moment later Weiss kissed her behind the ear. She was not certain of the rules for this kind of relationship. But, this was technically a chaste kiss, was it not?

Yang let the other two go, and the group hug broke up. "Alright, how about this?" Yang asked, "If Jaune hugs one of us, the others get a free hug from him. Just make sure you keep it, cool." She paused for breath, and looked at Weiss, "Right ice queen?"

"If I am an ice queen?.." Weiss asked, "do I really need to - cool?"

"Despite being an ice queen, you definitely need to learn to chill." Yang added.

Weiss looked down for a moment before looking back up, "Could I, perchance, be a Snow Angel, instead?"

Yang leaned towards Weiss, causing Weiss to flush light blue, "Let's wait until after Haven, and see what happens. Who knows, we might all have new nicknames. I, for one, and apparently his Summer Princess." she said with glee.

Weiss looked longingly for a moment before catching her breath, "I do believe it is you who needs to – chill."

"I can get a bit hot under the collar." Yang added, "and... other places... Alright, I need to get some sweat in to work out this, uh, enthusiasm I have. Time to go and trade punches with Jaune."

"But!.." Ruby tried to argue.

"Look, sorry-not-sorry, sis." Yang replied, "Oz did say we need to work on Jaune's hand-to-hand skills, and just because I'm a little hot in the yang right now, doesn't mean we can't kill two lady - birds with one stone."

Weiss scoffed while Ruby just hung her head and sighed, "FFFIIINNNEEEE. But no hugging."

"Or you get a hug, too." Yang voiced.

"Assuming I'd have the courage to..." Ruby voiced.

"Worst case scenario, I'll just throw you at him."

Weiss looked at her curiously, "You're serious, aren't you?"

"Never been more serious..." Yang voiced as she walked out the door.

* * *

"Alright," Yang said to Jaune, as the two lifted their fists, "hit me, but like... 10% of last time... or like 10% of that..."

"1%." Jaune stated.

"Yeah, try that." Yang replied. Jaune put barely any effort into it and hit Yang. "Yeah, like that." she said, and tapped him back. The two started going back and forth until Yang stepped back, lifting her hands. "Alright, now you're getting the feel for it. Remember, no two punches are the same. Every part of the body is different, and every way you punch hits differently." She then paused, "I've seen you already do this with Grimm. I'm going to teach you how each punch works, and when you use it." She paused, and looked distant for a moment, "Shit, is this what it was like for dad to teach me?"

"Hm?" Jaune asked.

"Oh, yeah, I kind of," she muttered, "have a tendancy to blow my top."

"Well, it works." Jaune stated, and Yang stepped forward, the two trading play punches again.

"Yeah, but what if it doesn't?" Yang asked, "I mean, what if I blow my top... and miss?"

"You just need to control your anger." Jaune stated, and reached back, making it as obvious as possible that this was a real punch. Possibly the realest punch he had ever thrown. Yang deeked to the right as Jaune's right fist flew past her hair, the shock from it visible as it traveled over the patio. "And learn when to let it go."

"What, you angry, bro?" Yang asked him, and he smiled at her.

"Don't bro me if you don't know me, ho'." he added, as the two went back to trading blows, though this time Yang was a bit more engaged. "Break." he stated, and Yang stepped back, angrily looking away. "You're pissed." he stated.

"No, I'm not!" she shouted, and then realized how foolish it was to shout about not being angry.

"Nothing wrong with anger." Jaune stated.

"What do you know about anger?!" she angrily asked him. She took a step forward and Jaune took a step away.

"I have seven sisters!" Jaune shouted, though doing his best to temper his shout, "From a... semi... traditional household!"

"What does that mean?!" Yang asked him.

* * *

Ruby nervously looked out the door to the patio, and almost stepped out when Qrow put his hand on her shoulder. "But?.." Ruby nervously said, and pointed at Yang.

"This is EXACTLY what she needs to hear." Qrow said to her, "I don't know what Tai said to her... but... scratch that, I DO know what he said to her; he wants her to be a coward. But Yang's not Tai. Tai is a mama bird making sure the rest of us idiots didn't hurt ourself, but Yang is a fire cracker waiting to go off. She doesn't need to be told to not go off, she needs to learn when."

* * *

"That means," Jaune continued, "they were allowed to hit me, but I wasn't allowed to hit them. Because we're all modern and progressive, but you know what?, that doesn't work on the farm. The strongest guy gets the most heavy lifting. Every day I used to watch my sisters get away with things I couldn't even dream of, and I couldn't do a damn thing about it! If I complained!.." Jaune said, and once again telegraphed his punch. This time it was angled down. Yang used her left forearm to brace against it and leapt off the ground, spining over it to avoid the shockwave, "It was just, OH, JAUNE, WHY CAN'T YOU GET ALONG WITH YOUR SISTERS?!"

Yang landed a few feet away, and the two stood, huffing at each other. "Shit, man, that's tough."

"No shit!" Jaune replied, and then breathed in deep, calming himself, quieting himself, "but you know what I do with that anger?" he asked, and Yang looked at him expectantly, "I channel it into whatever I do. Whenever I lift something heavy, swing my sword, draw my bow, I channel my anger into it."

"So?," Yang asked, "You're like always pissed off?"

"Yes?.." Jaune asked, "No?.."

"At your sisters?" she asked.

"Y... No..." Jaune voiced.

"Then what?" Yang asked him.

"Myself." Jaune nearly spat, and leaned forward, looking down.

"Chill, dude." Yang said to him, and he looked up at her.

"Chill, dude?" Jaune asked. "You guys... accepted me..."

"Wha?.." Yang tried to asked.

"What?" Jaune asked, "Why, how?" he then leaned forward to breathe for a minute before standing back up again, "Do you know what it meant that you guys accepted me?"

"Friendship and babeship, and whatnot?"

"Well?.." Jaune asked, "Yes... but... alright, you said you spent your time taking care of Ruby, right?" Yang nodded in reply, "Alright, how about this, think about Beacon... the Emerald Forest... everything after... but... from Ruby?.."

Yang breathed in deep to calm herself down and shut her eyes; the images flashed in front of her eyes. Ruby watching her do everything she did. Yang then opened her eyes again.

"I was always behind," Jaune stated, "but I was tied to everyone else, and that meant if I fell behind, everyone else might FALL!"

"You know we don't think of you like that." Yang tried to reassure him..

"I... know..." Jaune voiced, "But you know what I'm afraid of the most?" Yang shrugged her shoulders, "Failing you, all of you. You guys are so amazing, and spectacular, and know what you want to do with your life... and I'm..." he trailed off.

"Do you think my life is perfect?" Yang asked.

"Far from it." Jaune stated.

"Huh?" she asked.

"I can see how much anger you have for yourself, and how that anger disappoints you and makes you angrier. I know how fragile you are, maybe better than you know yourself."

"But you... said... I was your strength." Yang voiced.

"I might be new to this friends thing, but isn't that how it works?" Jaune asked. "We help hold each other up?"

"Shit?.." Yang asked, and paused for breath, "Don't take this the wrong way, guy, but for some reason I just want to punch you even more." She smiled as she adopted a ready stance. A smiling Jaune punched his gauntlets together again and adopted one of his own.

"I feel the exact same way."

* * *

"Aw, man," Qrow voiced, "it brings a tear to your eye."

"I can think of no comment for that." Weiss said, and the crowd that had gathered inside the house started to disperse.

* * *

洋 (yáng) meaning "ocean" or

阳 (yáng) meaning "light, sun, male"

[harveywritings92]

Fatgum x OC: oneshots 1 Daddy and baby's day out.

Taishiro's wife Violet is exhausted from staying up with their baby, so the tender tank hero decides to take their little one to work with him, Not on patrol! their gonna spend time in his office, so mommy can have few hours of sleep. While there they gets a lot of familiar visitors.

------------------------------------------

"Ai-chan!~ you’re going out with daddy today!" Taishiro cooed to his two month old daughter as his wife got the baby secured in the carrier for him, unfortunately the carrier was a little too small on his bigger form, so it was gonna be Fit-gum today! or at least until they get to his office... where he always keeps extra food around in bulk, Tai's thoughts were broken by his wife handing him the diaper bag, while rambling about Taiga's naps and feeding times. "She's starting to roll, So try make sure she's on her back during a nap. If the formula is too hot- put it in the fridge for-"  

The blond man cut his wife off by pulling her close and kissing her on the head. "You don't have worry my little sugar queen, We'll be fine,  just worry about you today, Okay?" the red head blushed and tiredly mumbling "I love you." before going to their bedroom, the pro-hero waited a few minutes before Violet's soft snores reached his ears.

He carefully looked in their room Taishiro felt a wave of relief wash over him seeing his wife sleeping like a log, before looking down at Taiga her little yellow eyes looked up at him curiously before calmly settling against chest soothed by the rhythmic beating of his heartbeat, Taishiro smiled before double checking the that the carrier was secure before zipping his hoodie up half way and quietly walked out of the apartment.  

[At Fat-Gum's Office.]

Taishiro had Taiga set up in her baby swing facing him so she wouldn't get scared and think he left her alone, the tv was was playing some cartoon a low volume which seemed to occupy her little mind, the pro-hero enjoyed some snacks while catching up on his paperwork, occasionally Taiga would babble causing, the blond to look over making she was alright. So far the little bean looked confused as to why her dad's body seemed to be looking taller and rounder by the hour. Just then the office door swung open to reveal Kirishma walking on in, He was asking about his patrol schedule for the week, Taishiro told him to hold on a sec while he typed it out. when the redhead noticed Taiga in her swing.

"Ai-chan!~ are you and mama Gum visiting your papa?" the teen asked in a cutesy tone as he crouched down to see the little one better. Taiga babbled at him as Kirishima's red eyes surveyed the office confused not seeing his mentor's wife anywhere; nor did he remember seeing her downstairs. "Did Vi-san step out?" he asked curiously as it was rare for Violet to be far from the baby.

"Nope, It's just me Taiga today."

"Oh, is Vi-san sick or something?"

"Oh no, Violet is just tired, we've started putting Ai-chan to bed in her nursery now, and it's causing her suffer from a bout of separation anxiety. my wife has working to prove that we haven't left her alone." Fatgum explained regret was evident in his tone as he wishes he could've been home to helped Violet a bit more then just giving her today off!

"Hey I'm sure your wife understands..."

Just then Taiga started crying causing Kirishma to panic, he started waving random toys and shaking rattles to try and calm her down! Taishiro who was watching calmly saved what he was doing on the computer and went to check on his daughter. "What's wrong Teddy Graham?" he cooed picking her up, he checked her diaper, Nope. all clear! "Guess you're just hungry, eh? Don't worry Daddy got ya covered!" Taiga quieted and gave her dad bright hopeful eyes at the mention of food, causing Kirishma to chuckle at her reaction, Yep! this was definitely Fatgum's baby..

"Dang, Babies sure do eat a lot!" Kirishma exclaimed brow creased as he and Tamaki who had arrived shortly after him; were watching their mentor feed his daughter for a second in amazement. While most babies would normally have one or half a bottle of formula, Taiga however has about two or three... "the doctor think it's because of mine and Violet's quirks intermingling is causing her have a abnormally large apatite." Taishiro explained while resting Taiga against his shoulder gently rubbing his daughter's back until he heard a little hiccup, with that the blond sat her on his lap, as the redheaded teen absorbed this information, it made sense Both Fatgum and Vi-Shock need to consume an enormous amount of calories and sugar to keeps their quirks active...

Kirishma felt his teeth start to itch as he thought back to that summer when he first met miss Violet. watching the red haired woman straight up eating raw sugar cubes while she used her quirk like bug zapper on hungry mosquitoes. "What do you think Ai-chan's quirk will be?" Tamaki suddenly asked causing their mentor to pause as he thought this over he had absobtion, Violet was electric...

"Conduc-"  before he could answer Gang Orca (who is Taiga's Godfather) burst in to the office along with a very annoyed Endeavor following behind causing everyone to jump. "Where's my little pearl?" he exclaimed before taking Taiga from Taishiro and held her in the air causing her to babble and giggle while Orca cooed and awwed "and what are you two doing here?" Taishiro huffed at the two invaders.

Endeavor grimaced watching orca act like an idiot. "We were having a meeting when this idiot spotted your spawn from the restaurant window... " the fire user grumbled clearly annoyed as they listened to Gang Orca gush to Taiga. "Oh you're getting so big! and looking like Violet every passing day!" he exclaimed cuddling the two month old, her father had tight smile on his face while he and everyone else eyed Taiga and sweatdropped. From her blond hair to her yellow eyes, right down to her toothless Cheshire-like smile; they all thought the same thing.

[No matter how you see it, that baby looks exactly like Fatgum/ Me...]

[Timeskip brought to you by Taiga barfing on Gang Orca.]

Violet woke up with a start as she read the alarm clock on the end table. it was almost midnight?! Holy crap! she slept for 14 hours?! she's gotta make dinner! do the laundry!?… she gotta... gotta...Holy damn! she's really gotta pee! the redhead winced as she rushed into the bathroom to do her business, before groggily making her way out into the hall and crept to the baby's room and saw Taiga sleeping soundly with the radio playing a lullaby in low volume...

the redhead's brow as she listened to the woman singing it sounded familiar... Violet sucked in a breath as she realized it was her voice! Her husband must of made a recording of her singing... Why didn't she think about that? but how did Tai... or rather when did Taishiro record her singing?...speaking of which where was her husband?

Teal eyes surveyed the hall before noticed the soft glow from the tv coming from the living room, quietly the tall woman made her way over the living room to find Taishiro in his mid-body form sleeping on the couch; surrounded by snack wrappers and soda cans, on closer inspection Violet could see he had earbuds in and his phone was unlocked...

curious the Canadian hero gently took one of his earbuds out, and brought it to her ear and blushed when she heard her own voice singing "Highway to hell" in the shower! she looked through his playlist and saw he had whole bunch of recordings of her singing when she thought she was alone! Violet's face was almost as red as Kirishma's hair as she set the phone back down and went to put the earbud back, when her teal orbs suddenly met the mischief filled yellow eyes of her husband.

"How long have you been wake for?"

"Since I felt you fiddle around with my earbud, got scared I was going deaf for a second..."

"Sorry gummy, would you like me sing you back to sleep?"

Taishiro stared at his wife's bare legs peeking out from his T-shirt, which was big enough to be a dress on her, his eyes then focused on her exposed shoulder, her clavicle was begging to be kissed and decorated with hickeys. "Gum? are you still there?" the redhead was suddenly down into Taishiro's lap. "I'm not really sleepy...I'm in the mood for a different type of music." the blond said huskily Violet gave her husband a blank look before feeling his hand trail up her thigh... oh!

{after a quiet smexy time because baby in the house..]

Taishiro was back in his fit form, he had a dopy grin on his face as Violet was resting against his chest as they enjoyed some-post sex lollipops. "...Y'know" Violet hummed causing Taishiro to looked at her curiously. "What?" her blond husband asked asked while unwrapping another lollipop and tossing his old chew up stick in the trash. "That was pretty genius...making a mix-tape of my singing for Taiga." She said pointing her lollipop at him. "Oh I didn't come up that, Endeavor told me to do it." Violet gave him skeptical look Taishiro snorted. "I don't quite believe it myself, but it's true."

{flashback}

Endeavor and Gang Orca dropped in unexpectedly, Orca pulled his favorite uncle routine on Taiga and played with the baby until she threw up on him and Gang Orca awkwardly handed Taiga back to Fatgum and the two left. but, not before Endeavor paused stared at back at Taiga then at Taishiro with an unreadable expression. "Does your wife sing to your kid?" the large hero looked back at the fire user incredulously. "Urm..yes?" Fatgum answered unsure why the redhaired man was asking, Endeavor was silent before speaking back up "Make a recording and play it for the baby when it's time to sleep." with that Endeavor left the office.

[flashback end.]

Taishiro finished his story now on his fourth lollipop, Violet still had a rough time believing it. "I thought it wasn't going to work!" the blond said anxiously "I thought the second I put her down she'd start crying, but nope! She heard your voice and Ai-chan just settled down." Just then the couple were interrupted by the startled wail from Taiga's room Violet sighed about get up, only to yelp in surprise when Taishiro put his boxers on and lifted her up bridal style and her brought her to their room laid her down on the bed "Tai the bab-" her husband cut her off with a kiss and pulled away with a smirk. "No,no sugar queen, papa-gum got this!" he said with a wink before going to check on their daughter.

[razorblade180]

Father’s Day

[Lasting embers au]

Jael is sleeping soundly in her bed until she feels something putting pressure on her arm. Slowly she stirs awake to Adam by her bed in his typical disguise. His hair laid down and temporarily dyed black, tented shades for the scar, and more pedestrian clothing. Jael carefully rubbed her eyes. It was nighttime judging by the light in her room.

Jael:Dad? I didn’t know you were coming home so soon. How was the mission?

Adam:Nothing worth talking about. It’s passed midnight, happy Father’s Day.

Jael:...I think you have this backwards.

Adam:Hehe, little bit but for good reason. Get dressed we’re leaving Menagerie.

Jael:...WH-*mouth covered*

Adam:Ssshh, your mother doesn’t know; I’ll apologize later. I already visited Sienna at her boot camp so don’t worry about you hogging me for the day.

Jael:Where are we going? And how exactly does this count as me giving you a present?

Adam:I get to spend time with my fourteen year old daughter doing something new.

He could see the happiness in her eyes when he said those words. Jael really was simple girl. All she ever wanted was time with him and he felt the same. She hopped out of bed and gently floated down. Jael wasn’t sure what he had planned but getting to leave Menagerie was enough. Finally, a chance to see the outside world.

Several hours have passed since they snuck out. Jael dozed in and out of sleep while on the ride in the airship, barely remembering it. Only that leaning on her father was strangly comfortable and Neo was flying the airship.

Now she rested on his back while he and Neo jumped from rooftop to rooftop in what looked to be Vacou from what books told her about the place. Jael wanted to walk around but apparently Adam didn’t want her to see the chattering streets yet.

Jael:Still haven’t explained why we are here. Not that I’m complaining.

Neo:Patience, baby goat. The sun will rise any minute now. Also you have me to thank for telling your father about this event.

Jael:Event?

Adam:Father’s day falls on a special day this year for Vacou. When Neo told me about it I knew I had to bring you. This spot should do.

He bent down to let Jael get off then got behind her. She’d be lying if she said her curiosity was running rapid; he seemed proud of himself by the way he spoke. Slowly he adjusted her to a spot that overlooked everything but it was still a little too dark to see.

Then...sunrise hit. Light slowly grew over the land and what couldn’t be seen before quickly became visible, leaving Jael speechless. The buildings, the people, the very sand, it was all bathed in color. Multiple colors that belonged on a spectrum she had told him she was apart of a few months prior. Jael was looking at a huge Pride Parade.

Her gaze on it was finally broken when she felt weight of something draped over her. Jael could barely hold back her tears as she wrapped the flag around her tighter and turned around to see Adam smiling and Neo putting on face paint; the bisexual colors if Jael remembered correctly.

Jael:I...I don’t know what say right now.

Adam:A few months ago you came to me terrified, not sure what I would think if you told me you were lesbian. Remember what I said?

Jael:You were happy you didn’t have scare any boy?

Neo:Oh my god.

Adam:Okay, I did say that, but after I said...

Jael:*smiles* Your love for me as my father is on every spectrum.

Adam:No you know how serious those words are. I love you.

He opened his arms and Jael quickly ran to be embraced by them, happily shedding her tears of joy. Definitely not a conventional Father’s Day gift, but it’s the best one yet.

xxxx

Ren was having a calm morning. For the pass two weeks Nora and Tenzen had been gone on some camping trip so his days had been quiet. A little lonely but he could handle it. He knew today they’d be back. They didn’t say they would but if he knew his family...

Nora:*opens door* We’re home!

16 yo Tenzen:Yeah!!! Happy Father’s Day!

No way they would miss today. Both of them were dirty, unusually dirty. Specially their hands and knees seemed extra worn out.

Ren:You two okay? You both could’ve washed up before rushing back. Honestly it wouldn’t have bothered me if you came back halfway through the day.

Nora:Don’t worry about us. Nothing is too much when it comes to spoiling you.

Tenzen:She’s right, we’d move mountains for you. Or in this case...rubble.

Ren looked confused by Tenzen’s words. The boy reached into his bag and pulled out a wrapped present to hand to his father. It was small and rectangular; too thin to be a book Ren thought. He unwrapped it gently and gasped when the paper was finally removed. Tears instantly came from him.

Nora and a Tenzen took the opportunity to stand on each side of him and hug tightly. They smelled like the great outdoors but he didn’t care. Why would he when they had just given him a picture of his mother and father holding a infant version of himself. All that rubble that must’ve buried it, and it remained okay. He took ahold of their tired hands and held them close to his chest.

Ren:Thank you...

Tenzen:Like mom said...

Nora:Nothing will ever be too much.

xxxx

Jaune was having his own emotional moment. It wasn’t unlike Yujin to try and do something creative but this time, she went big.

Currently he stood on his porch and stared at the fifteen year old girl who wore her ‘Proof Jaune Arc Got Laid” t-shirt like she did every year, but that wasn’t the amazing part. What had him speechless was the dozens of family members that stood behind her. Yujin managed to get them all the way to patch.

Jaune:Wh..what’s all this about?

Yujin:I had them all show up so you couldn’t dispute what I’m about to say. Dad, Jaune Arc, I owe you so much. Yes it takes a villages to raise a kid and I know you had plenty of help but that doesn’t change that you were always in my corner. Me, the girl who refused to open up to you sometimes; who truly deserved strong lecturers for her attitude instead of the hugs you decided to give. Every single day you gave me so much love and affection above what I thought possible in order to make up for mom. All the kisses, hugs, late night talks, t-tears....

Her voice started choking up and her eyes began to water as she kept speaking.

Yujin:When I was at my lowest and filled with anger you never lost your patience with me. Instead you made sure I continued to eat and gave me space to go through it all. Then the moment I called for you, there you were, by my side ready to talk. Almost sixteen years of living in that house filled with love has gone by and I just need you to know that even as I get older, act like I might have everything figured out, and go off to Beacon soon thanks to your training. I’m always going to be your little girl and I love you from the very bottom of my heart. So can you please shut me up right now and hug me.

Jaune:*sniffling*You can run over here anytime.

Yujin ran up the porch steps and gave Jaune the biggest hug she’s ever given, crying ever so slightly as he rubbed the back of her head. He could hear the clapping and tears from his many family members, but noticed one thing. No Tai. He felt a sudden surge of warmth as he saw through his watery eyes the main in question through the trees, hugging his own daughters who should be hundreds of miles away.

As if by instinct, both girls looked in his direction, also emotional. He knew they couldn’t stay. That Raven most likely opened a portal so they can have a moment with Tai who would’ve been sad not seeing them. Yang looked at him lovingly as she watched him hold their daughter. “I love you” could be easily read from her lips and smile on her face as he mouthed it back. Then, they left. He thought it best not to tell Yujin. He knew Yang would eventually be able to come home, that Yujin would see her mother again. Until then, he’d continue giving his daughter enough love to make up the difference.

Jaune:Yujin, thank you for being my daughter. I know your mother would say the same.

[Twin Snowflakes au]

Valerie:Hey dad, I need your opinion on something. Can you come in the living room for a second?

Ren:Sure thing. What’s-

Right in in the middle of the room were two game pads and Valerie in baggy shorts and a green tank top. Ren looked at the tv flashing DDR in neon colors.

Valerie:So I was in town and found this game store selling this pretty old game. Apparently on two player it’s supposed to be really fun and competitive so I got to thinking.... I bet dad wouldn’t mind a few rounds.

Ren:Nora has been talking about the old days again?

Valerie:Perhaps, so, think you can show your daughter a thing or two? The apple might not far too fall from the tree. Happy Father’s Day.

Ren:*smiles* Don’t cry when I blow you out of the water. Loser pays for dinner.

Valerie:You’re on.

xxxx

Qrow quietly reads a book at the dining room table like usual during lunch time when suddenly, he feels eyes on him. He puts the book down to see Winter and Sparrow quietly sitting down at the table with their own books. The only difference is the fancy glasses have been placed by each of them, along with a bottle in Sparrows hand.

Qrow:Is that....?

Sparrow:A bottle of the most expensive rum, made only in Salem’s previous territory? Why yes it is.

Winter:The same rum that can only be acquired after slaying countless grimm. Now I know I typically discourage you from spirits and don’t drink myself, but Sparrow is twenty one and did all of this for you. I think that deserves a toast.

Sparrow:Happy Father’s Day pops. Cheers!

Qrow looked at two pour him a glass before raising there’s with excitement. Was getting to drink with him this exciting? He couldn’t help but feel flattered and raised his as well with renewed vigor. A drink with family, now that sounded pretty nice.

Qrow:Cheers!

xxxx

Breakfast was in the air at the Schnee Manor. It might’ve been his special day but that didn’t n make anybody suddenly a cooking genius so Jaune was flipping the pancakes like usual. Weiss and Summer were a little red with embarrassment as they shifted around in their Pumpkin Pete onesies he had gotten them years ago.

Jaune:You know you don’t have to wear those every year right?

Weiss:You can’t say that when you smile really big whenever you see us in it.

Summer:We’ll stop when you stop caring, so never.

Jaune:That’s a present all by itself.

Summer:Well prepare for two more. I got something for my number one fan and teacher.

Weiss went around the corner and pulled out a white and yellow electric guitar with his symbol on it. Jaune nearly flipped the pancake too high, he was actually shocked. If she bought that then it meant one thing...

Summer:Let’s go around performing for people and putting smiles on faces today. A father and daughter duet!

Jaune:If this is the first present then what could possibly be the second one?

Weiss:Months ago your kids helped raise some extra money for Argus and Vale. Now Remnant has two Pyrrha statues, both in beautiful condition.

Jaune could feel his heart swell up. Weiss walked over and turned off the burner while he processed that info. A smile came across his face as he hugged both of his lovely women tightly.

Summer:Happy Father’s Day. Nick-

Jaune:He told me earlier before he left. I’m proud of what he’s doing.

Weiss:Summer, why don’t you go wash up and get dressed so you’ll be ready to go after breakfast.

Summer:Sweet! I can take this off. Love you dad! *runs off*

Jaune:Today is a good day.

Weiss:It gets better. You actually have three presents.

Her face turns a brighter red as she grabs ahold of his, making him tug on the zipper slightly. Jaune nearly chokes on his own breath as he discovers Weiss is only wearing the onesie. He regains composer and teasingly makes her yelp by slipping his hand though.

Weiss:*crimson* Happy...Daddy’s Day...

Jaune:....*puts her on the counter*

Weiss:Jaune there is food out!

Jaune:I’ll make more...

xxxx

At there other estate, Nick warmly embraces Whitley while clutching gifts he didn’t even get the chance to give yet. The older man can only hug him tighter and hold some tears.

Whitley:This means more than you can imagine.

Nick:As far as I’m concerned, you’ve always been a second dad instead of an uncle. Happy Father’s Day.

[Premonition]

Lucas sat silently on the the Belladonna steps watching the crescent moon. The cool air making its way from the sea brushed passed his face and put the boy at ease. Moment’s later he heard approaching footsteps get louder before stopping next to him, his caring father took a seat.

Jaune:Waiting for Blake to get back from her meeting?

Lucas:Nah, I needed fresh air. You always get antsy whenever I step aside.

Jaune:It’s a miracle every time I can get you off the couch and into town. Let me guess, you knew I’d come to you if you walked outside.

Lucas:Yep, all part of my master play.

Jaune:To what?

Lucas:Tell you Happy Father’s Day. You know I’m not really good at this sort thing but... here.

He lifted up a small bag by his feet and gave it Jaune. The knight grabbed the bag and instantly let out a chuckle the moment he felt the box. He wasted no time pulling out the cereal box that honestly surprised him on closer expectation. Jaune Arc....was on the box, he was on the box!

Lucas:I may have told mom how crazy it was that a hero like yourself wasn’t on his favorite cereal box and got a good petition going around. Pretty cool huh?

Jaune:You...I...what!? Hell yeah it’s cool! Honestly I thought the plan was stargazing and that would’ve been fine.

Lucas:So why not both? Cereal and stargazing.

Jaune:I say...I’ll go grab the milk.

Lucas:I’ll get two bowls.

Blake:Make it three!

The two gentlemen looked down to see Blake walking up the steps. Jaune quickly walked down and gave her a thank you kiss.

Blake:I wouldn’t mind eating the “breakfast of champions” right now. Especially with that hero on the box.

Jaune:Aww you spoil me.

Lucas:Hehe, three bowls it is.

[Rosebud]

Jaune: That was dangerous!

Carmine:I know.

Jaune:You could’ve been killed!

Carmine:But I wasn’t!

The two have been liked this for hours. They had gone on a mission together where the point was to evacuate a village under attack. All lives successfully saved fortunately, but it was a close call.

In a lapse of judgement, Carmine had abandoned the her responsibilities to help Jaune with a Goliath that gave him trouble and she had gotten work hurt in the process. If it weren’t for his semblance, she’s sure her ribs would be broken right now.

Ruby had managed to calm them both down and split them up, Carmine opting to go outside. This should be the last day to be arguing. Jaune sat quietly at the table and watched Ruby get closer to hold his hand.

Jaune:She could’ve been killed...

Ruby:Yeah but from the sound of it, losing you today was possible as well. In either scenario, I would’ve been devastated.

Jaune:What’s a greater loss?

Ruby:Don’t even try to put that on a set of scales. Everyday we look at her and worry but I’m not gonna pretend Carmine and I don’t hold our breath when we see you endanger as well; don’t act like you don’t do it for me.

Jaune:...

Ruby:Sometimes our nerves get the better of us. We know that all of us can handle things but yet we find ourselves calling out to each other while rushing in. I don’t she’ll ever say it but... I’m sure she’s scared sometimes. She’s sixteen after all.

Jaune:Yeah, sometimes I forget that. She used to fit in my hands for crying out loud. Taking her on missions is still a little unnerving.

Ruby:Give her time. I’m sure-

The door opened and caught their attention. They hadn’t realized Carmine took Garnet outside too. The adorable four year old excitedly pointed outside. Ruby rushing over before he tired himself out.

Suddenly she alone started pointing and looked amazed. Jaune was left no choice but to take a look, he glad he did. The front yard was filled with white and yellow roses shaped in the Arc crest. Carmine was kneeling in middle of her work tired and with her sword stabbed in the ground.

Carmine:Do you remember...when you I asked you how to be a knight all those years ago?

Jaune:I do. I said, I said I wasn’t sure. That I never really thought of myself as a good example of one.

Carmine:I’ve thought about that a lot recently. You gave me such an unexpected answer. How could you not know when I’ve seen you been so kind. The way you fight for us, your loyalty to your family, empathy, wisdom, courage; I saw it all. Then I realized, maybe I was really asking how I could be more like you?

Jaune:...

Carmine:We’re different. Our thought process, opinions, etc. I’m beginning to think maybe I can never hold those qualities like you. Which really...frustrates me. Because dad, you are my ideal knight! I know I messed up and-

He walked towards her, unsheathing his sword on the way. Jaune stared at his visibly tired daughter. How often did he see this strong and capable fighter express her woes so freely? Ruby was right, he must’ve really scared her. Jaune lifted his sword and tapped it on each of her shoulders.

Jaune:Carmine...were you scared today? Of losing me?

Carmine:What kind of question is that?

Tears ran down her face. Jaune knelt down and captured her in a hug.

Jaune:I’m sorry...

Carmine:I’m sorry too. Dad I...I love you okay? So please, don’t scare me like that and I won’t scare you. Deal?

Jaune:It’s a deal. And don’t worry about being like me. I do what can do, so you can be like yourself. I know it’ll be just as great.

Ruby held Garnet close and watched two of the most stubborn people on her life hug it out. As far as she was concerned, they were both perfect, as knights or otherwise. They cared about each other. What could be more perfect than that.

[marmolady]

The New Taylor: Part 2

CONTINUED FROM PART 1

Book/Series: Endless Summer

Main Pairings: Estela x MC(f)

Summary: (Endless Ending).  Saving the world takes a lot out of a person. For Taylor, growing into her new self beyond La Huerta can only happen as fast as her exhausted body will allow her….

Warnings: Non-graphic sex scene, little bit of blood.

Word Count: 6246

Tagging:   @saivilo, @edgydepressedchoicesthot, @sceptilemasterr,  @greengroove

______

“Estela-- no!”

Unblinking, Estela brought her knife to the side of her head, and plunged it behind the blinking mind-control device. She yelped and dropped the knife, but renewed her assault with her own fingers, tearing at her flesh until the cold metal device came loose, to be flung across the room. All the while, she was deaf to Taylor’s  cries, dodging the frantic attempts at prising her fingers away from the now gaping wound.

She slumped to the floor, her face pallid as blood continued to gush.

“T-Taylor…”

“I’m here… I’m h-here, okay?” Desperately, Taylor tried to stem the bleeding with her hands, but as Estela’s cold fingers reached up to touch her face, scrunched in anguish, she knew it was already too late.

“I-I d-didn’t… hurt… you?”

“No. No, baby, you could never.”

Estela’s choking exhale shook. “I’m… m-me. I would never h-hurt you… Tay….”

“Shh, shh…. I know. You’re here. My Estela. You saved me.” Tears cascaded down Taylor’s cheeks, mingling with blood. Please, Estela…. No….

Estela shuddered, her body a dead weight against her lover’s chest. “I g-get to go out as m-me. W-with you. T-taylor….”

“With me. I love you-- I love you-- I--”

“...Love…you….”

The last light behind Estela’s eyes dulled, and she was gone. Taylor unleashed a howl of agony….

 And she awoke.

Taylor’s heart felt as though it might pound right out of her chest. Her face was wet-- tears?-- sweat?-- both? She let out a quiet, dry sob. The tingle of blood on her hands could have been real. After so many of these nightmares, though, she knew how to ground herself. Against her back, she felt the gentle rising and fall of Estela’s chest. Against her ear, the soft, grumbling breaths of Estela deep in slumber. In the dim light of the bedroom, Taylor could make out the outline of the tiny dog that lay curled up at the end of the bed. All was peaceful.

Slowly, the thundering against Taylor’s ribs calmed. It’s okay. You’re home. Estela’s with you; she’s safe. You’re safe. Stress seemed to make these nightmares-- flashbacks of memories bestowed by the Endless-- rear their heads. Her throat was dry, as if she truly had screamed for the loss. Taylor carefully extricated herself from Estela’s arms, and stood on shaky feet. She’d disturbed her lover too many times; as much as she herself did, Estela needed to rest and recover.

Taylor padded out to the kitchen and poured herself a glass of water.

“You’re not sleeping so well, mija?”

It was perhaps the third time Nicolas had called her that, and it still gave her a happy jolt. She stood up from her slumped stature over the sink and turned to see the tall silver-haired man perched upon his desk chair, apparently restless himself.

“And what are you doing up so late?” she asked, the croak to her voice betraying the impact of that haunting vision. “An old man like you? You need your full eight hours.”

Nicolas chuckled. “The mouth on this one…. Well, being so old, as you say, I find myself with a lot of accumulated thoughts to organise. Estelita told you I was thinking of writing a memoir? It happens that such an undertaking comes with the stirring of memories. Some… are disquieting. The thing with war is you might find yourself processing memories you’d once pushed aside for sheer survival. But it is nothing I don’t know how to deal with-- a way of life by now.”

Having tiptoed into the front sitting room, Taylor set herself down in a chair; there was little point to heading straight back to bed while her mind was a whirl of traumatic images. Quietly, she was grateful for the company, appreciating how comfortable she was in sharing with her wife’s cantankerous uncle, even for the bumps they’d had in the road.

“I’m surprised she let you slip away,” Nicolas growled-- not an unfriendly noise, but gruff. “After your fainting episode, she’s been on you like an extra limb.”

“I didn’t want to wake her. Estela has had too many bad nights because of me.”

Understanding, Nicolas gave an almost imperceptible nod. “You haven’t been sleeping well?”

Taylor opened her mouth, then closed it again. How to even explain her visions to someone who’d never stepped foot on La Huerta? “I have nightmares,” she said, after a moment of deliberation. “But like, really, really vivid. And not like just a random dream, more like… like I’m living this version of a past with crystal clarity. What might have happened on the island… how it could have all gone wrong; as real as my own memories. I see all the hundreds of ways my friends might have died, how Estela….” She shuddered. “I’ve seen her die so many times. I’ve felt her dying in my arms.”

“This is… all the time?” Nicolas was frowning, but didn’t appear alarmed. Apparently, life had made him pretty unflappable.

“Mmm… more when I’m emotionally stressed. Or at least, that’s what it feels like. And then it’s this really fun vicious circle; you try and not be an emotional wreck when you can’t close your eyes without seeing everyone you love die.”

Nicolas grunted, thoughtful. “It seems the last thing you need is to not be sleeping properly. Have you considered meditation before bed?”

“Yeah, actually. Estela suggested I try that. It helps me with getting to sleep, but I still have the dreams.”

When Nicolas spoke again, his voice was small. “I spent many months unable to shake scenarios my mind conjured… how that fool’s mission would have Estelita killed. It seemed inevitable for so long that I’d lost her, that she’d been wiped from the face of the earth without a trace. And here you have all those ‘what if’s’ collected in your mind. All the ways it could so easily have all come undone.”

“She always would have gone down fighting. I think… every single time. Whether she was going after Rourke, or saving her friends from some monster from the pits of hell… she would be this unyielding force of nature, so sure. To Estela, none of those eventualities ever happened-- she doesn’t have these memories, thank God--, but they’re real to me.”

For a little while, Nicolas was silent, lost in thought. He looked up at Taylor, a twitch of a smile upon his lips, and then his tired face was sombre once more. “I’ve learned a few things over the years of being the guardian of a wonderful, foolish child; one of those things is that to come down hard is to create fractures. And I have been hard on you-- harshness you do not deserve. I am very sorry.”

She swallowed hard. “I… I appreciate that. I’m sorry too. For blundering around like an idiot.”

“Yes, but you are our idiot. My second niece.”

Taylor was certain her heart just skipped a beat. She covered her shock by laughing it off. “You’ll be having me call you ‘Tio’ next….”

“By all means. It is quite clear that Estelita intends to keep you; we may as well cut to the chase with familiarity, mi Taylita.”

“Well, fine. If you say so, Tio.” In spite of her casual tone, Taylor couldn’t keep the smile from creeping to her face. Acceptance.

Nicolas took a long drink of rum.

“I’ll admit it seemed too good to be true; for Estelita to be happy. I always had this dream of seeing her, sharing a life with someone she loved, free from the shadows that have been there for as long as she knows. You’ll forgive me-- it is not that I didn’t wish to believe it, but my guard is there to keep her from being hurt more. Do you know when I knew that this-- you-- were real, not some cruel wishful thinking?”

“What was it?”

“It was, I think, four, maybe five , days after you came home. I didn’t hear what you said, but she was laughing. Really laughing. As though her body could not possibly even try to contain her joy. It was the sort of unrestrained delight in living that I hadn’t seen in her eyes since she was a little child. It was magic. So, I wish for you to know that I will be forever grateful for that gift. For your care for her.”

Feeling like she might just about burst with happiness-- with love for her wife-- Taylor flushed. Whatever life would make of her next, she could be proud of the person she’d been for Estela. “It’s not just me, you know. The rest of us, our friends; they love Estela so, so much. I guess you see that with Jake, but it’s like we’re our own family. This thing we all went through together, it’s seared in us. Whatever happens next, even if I was to get struck down by lightning tomorrow, Estela is not gonna be alone ever again. Not really.”

“I’ve seen a good few impossible things these past weeks. I’d been certain that if she dared try to smile, her miserable old face would shatter! And now, here she is, light as a feather.” Nicolas looked down, his eyes misted over. “I have seen what you, your friends, have done. To say… to say I am thankful feels small. Inadequate.”

Taylor shook her head. “Something like that doesn’t even need thanks. What we have is a privilege. It’s… all the family I thought I’d ever have-- until I came here.”

“Then, it seems my family has grown more than I know.”

 _________________________

Sprawled out in front of Taylor were a collection of notes, cutouts and photographs, atop a poster-sized paper. When the idea of a vision board was first put to her, she’d barely given it a thought, but it had become so damn hard to see anything past this period of physical rehabilitation that doing something was a necessity. With a piece of toast in one hand, and the other offering quiet reassurance to her thin half-hairless canine companion, she pored over the visual summation of herself. As it happened, she didn’t appear to amount to much. In the middle of the board, she’d scrawled ‘Who Am I?’, and the wishy-washy answers she’d managed to surround it with did nothing to light the much-needed fire of self-confidence.

‘A people-person’, ‘nurturing’, ‘compassionate’. She scritched Fenix’s belly. ‘A strong leader’, ‘determined’, ‘resourceful’. There was no need for any kind of translation into the real world; all that had come with her. Those things, at least, were hers. But there was no history-- not any that she could ever talk about outside her own close circle.

“I can’t even put down any hobbies…,” she muttered.

Beside her, Estela peered over.

“I don’t think that’s true. You’ve been learning to knit; that’s definitely a ‘you’ thing. And we used to go hiking, swimming, wind-surfing….”

Taylor flinched, and it didn’t go unnoticed.

“Hey… I know it feels like your body’s giving out on you right now, but this won’t be forever.”

I love you, but you don’t know that.

“Taylor, you can look at me like I’m crazy all you want, but… I know things are gonna get better.” Estela gently took Taylor’s hand in her own. “When you were in the med centre, those first few days… I couldn’t see a light at the end of the tunnel. You were gone, and there was no hope. But you came back to me. From nothing, you came back. I’m scared too, no matter how much I try and push it down. Even hard as things are it seems like it’s too good to be true. We can’t listen to those doubts, okay? I believe in a lot of things, but more than anything, I believe in you.”

“Well, at least someone does.” Taylor gave her wife’s hand a squeeze, and offered a grateful smile. “Considering what I clawed myself back from, this could be as good as it gets. But… I guess I’m not done fighting.”

Estela pecked a kiss to Taylor’s cheek, nuzzling close. “Good. I’m glad some of my stubborn streak has rubbed off on you.”

Taylor couldn’t help but chuckle. She was just about to go in for another kiss, when Nicolas marched into the kitchen for a drink of water.

“Buenos días, Tio!”

So… the smooch session was on hold. Resigned to being patient, Taylor reached for her glass of orange juice.

“Estelita, your poor esposa tells me she is having nightmares!” Nicolas announced as he popped a couple of slices of bread into the toaster. “You need to be making sure she is nice and relaxed before she goes to sleep.  A hot bath would not go amiss. And you should have plenty of sex. The oxytocin will do you both many favours.”

Taylor spluttered into her juice, slopping it down her front, while Estela promptly turned a glowing scarlet.

“Tio!”

“Sex is good for you, mija.”

“Ohmygod!”

Of course, Jake chose that moment to stroll into the room, a shout of laughter giving away what he’d overheard.

“Ya hear that, Katniss? Sex is good for ya.”

The look Estela gave him might have killed a lesser man stone dead on the spot.

“Eh, Lobito, I hope you are not expecting sympathy when she murders you.”

Taylor snorted. “And you will have no one but yourself to blame!”

“Enlighten me, E.T.; what’s all this you’re up to? Taking a break from being nurse to the world’s ugliest dog?”

“That’s Princess E.T. to you,” she retorted, placing a hand over the sleeping animal by her side. “And she’s characterful. Pretty sure she’s a damn sight more attractive than you’d be if you were half starved and crawling with mange.”

“Ten out of ten would not let you in the front door,” Estela said dryly. She looked to Taylor and Fenix with an affectionate glance. Having someone to help out was good for her wife. A few days after the little dog came home and the fire in Taylor’s eyes was once more shining bright. When Estela had suggested the name for the dog, it had not just been an expression of hope for the miserable little creature.

“What I’m up to,” Taylor explained to Jake, “is something like a personal vision board. I’ve been really tripped up by not really knowing who I am in, you know, the real world. Quinn actually suggested this-- I use words and images to make a tangible impression of who this new Taylor is, what I want her to be. The more I think about it… the more I actually see it in front of me… I find it really difficult to separate my sense of self from my friends.”

“Kinda makes sense considering what Vaanu made you for.”

“Yeah… it does. But they didn’t make me with this life in mind. It’s hard to see me fitting.”

Estela grasped Taylor’s free hand, entwining their fingers. “Nope. You fit perfectly. See? It’s just a case of you finding your feet.”

Taylor exchanged a look with Jake. It wasn’t that simple. She’d been created for a purpose, and she’d fulfilled it. How would she even relate to people beyond that world? It would have to be built up slowly. Her friends had ensured she left La Huerta with a plausible life story to parrot, a medical history, even a collection of fabricated childhood anecdotes. Anything more that was a matter of time; she’d be built into a semblance of a real human being through her stumbling experiences.

“I’m serious, carińa! You know it doesn’t help you to see yourself as something set apart. Vaanu created a human person-- not anything else. The human experience isn’t defined by just one thing.”

Jake shrugged. “Eh, that ain’t a bad point, if I’m honest. Not a soul outside anyone you’ve told is gonna think of you as anything but what you look like; and that’s the same slightly irritatin’ human woman that came barging into my cockpit. Ain’t as if anyone’d believe who you are if you even tried tellin’ ‘em.”

Taylor frowned. They couldn’t get it; not really. How was she supposed to see herself as anything other than an outsider when her very body seemed intent on telling her that she was incompatible with this life.

“Look, I know you guys are trying to help, but I really don’t want to talk about that. I want to focus on recovery… on who I am in the here and now.” Maybe to them that was one and the same, but to Taylor, there was a big difference. She didn’t want to hear reassurances of how human she was-- she wanted to just be that human.

Jake put his hands up and backed away, but Estela simply held her wife’s gaze, thoughtful, then nodded.

“I guess I can’t really help you with what to put on this collage-thing-- what with the whole point being that it’s personal-- but I’ll dig out some old papers and magazines. And if you want any pictures printed….”

“Thanks,” Taylor said warmly, offering a squeeze of Estela’s fingers. Even in her gratitude for the subject being dropped, something had been stirred; was she making an outsider of herself? Could it be that she was her own worst enemy? If she’d never uncovered the truth of her being, would she be so scared now? The Taylor who arrived on La Huerta did so with no hang-ups about how she’d fit with others; she just got on and did it. That Taylor wouldn’t be drowning in this cursed self-doubt.

  ___________________

The little dog, Fenix, made for good company. There were no preconceived expectation to meet, and it was refreshing. Nursing the dog back to health had occupied most of Taylor’s past few days, and it had been a welcome point of focus. Fenix wasn’t in the best shape, and the thought of having a recuperation buddy actually did a lot to lift Taylor’s spirits. If nothing else, she was grateful that she at least didn’t have mange.

The sight of Fenix rolling contentedly onto her back made Taylor smile. It seemed she’d managed to put the sickly animal at ease. That ability to reach people-- and mangy little dogs, apparently-- was one part of herself she was sure of. To be building new relationships, with Nicolas and Fenix, gave her the confidence boost she’d sorely needed”.

“Okay, pupper. See if you can help me with this. I’ve got to do some kind of representation of my future. Whatever the hell that looks like for someone like me.”

The basics were simple. She’d be by Estela’s side. They’d have a child together-- even before Taylor had decided to sacrifice the alien part of herself to restore the world, the two of them had discussed that. She would remain close to her friends, now family for all intents and purposes. More than that… did she really need to have it all worked out?

Maybe it would help.

In spite of herself, Taylor pouted. It’s not as if I even know if I’ll physically recover. Maybe… small goalposts are gonna be more helpful.

She jotted down some notes; small goals…. ‘Go on hikes with Estela’-- they used to go on long walks all the time back on La Huerta. ‘Lean some Spanish’… if nothing else but to see the gobsmacked look on Nicolas’ face. ‘Survive first year of college without worrying too much about picking a direction’…. ‘feel in control of my own body’… ‘take more baths, have more massages-- basically, anything to get me to actually relax’. She tickled Fenix under the chin, and chuckled to herself as the dog groaned happily. “Get this little lady on her feet and living her best life.”

Progress, though, quickly ground to a halt. Self-reflection was tiring, and Taylor simply couldn’t handle tiring. With a hand to her forehead, she looked down upon the jumbled mess before her-- at least in that way it was a fairly accurate representation of the woman she was. It felt pointless. Quinn’s idea had been lovely in the abstract, but all this just hammered home that she was building something from scratch. Her eyes stung. It was crystal clear that she’d been fooling herself; a bit of positive thinking and visualisation wasn’t going to make a human being out of a glorified lump of stardust.

“Taylor, if this is only making you more stressed, you should take a break,” Estela said calmly from the doorway-- how long she’d been standing there, Taylor couldn’t be sure. “The whole idea is to help your recovery.”

Taylor hunched over, her eyes stinging. Torn between letting it all pour forth, taking comfort in her partner, and holding back and keeping up the crumbling facade of some easy happy ever after; she froze, all the while tears wove their tracks down her cheeks. Then, two strong arms took her from behind, carrying away the burden of choice. She sobbed.

Why am I falling apart like this?

After a long while of simply being held, caressed, kissed through her tears, Taylor found her voice.

“I thought I knew who I was. I guess… the fact that I don’t physically feel like me right now… it… it makes all the other things stick out to me so much more. All the ways I don’t fit.”

Estela nodded thoughtfully. “That makes sense. It… it must be hard.”

“‘Stel… are we insane to think I could just waltz into Hartfeld and just be another student? I never even went to school; people are gonna see right through me. I’m scared, ‘Stel. Of being some kind of broken half-person who can never be what you deserve.”

“Amor, no--”

Taylor shook her head. “I know how much you love me. You’d never say those things or even think them… but I might not be the same woman you fell in love with. Back then, I was ‘Taylor, Hartfeld student kicking ass on crazy island’, not ‘Taylor, sad little alien that might not ever be close to keeping up with you ever again’.”

“Not that I don’t appreciate a good badass streak… but everything I fell in love with is still here. I’m looking at it right now, and falling in love all over again.”

“I’m not even human.”

Estela gave her wife a hard, penetrating look. No way would she let that go.

“Look at me. Your favourite flowers are sunflowers. Your favourite food is ice cream-- strawberry. To you, a day when you haven’t given out, like, ten hugs, is a day wasted. If you could only watch one movie for the rest of your life, it would be Princess Bride, which I find personally amusing, but Back to the Future would be your close second choice. You’re more clued up about world issues than most of the people I shared a lecture theatre with in college, and you actually care. You might have just appeared on some magical tropical island a year ago, but you know all the words to songs I’ve never even heard of. You never needed a high school education-- it’s all there, innate to you. More than that… more than anything, you’ve got more humanity in your little finger than most people have in their whole bodies. That person who came and sat with me on that first night on La Huerta… she wasn’t just a human being, she was a wonderful human being. You are and always will be.” Estela brushed Taylor’s hair out her eyes, seeking her gaze. When she found it, those sapphire eyes were welling.  “I just… you’ve gotta know that. I know it’s hard-- God, I just want to make it easier for you… for you to see it. And we’re gonna keep building your strength up. It’s okay that this is getting you down-- that’s only natural--, but I won’t let you stay down. It’s your corner I’m fighting in now.”

“Thank you. For always knowing what to say… and for making me feel so, so loved.”

“It’s only because you are.”

“I love you too.”

“We’re getting through this, okay? We need a solid plan. All these things we’re doing that help… but there’s no routine, no targets-- you can’t see how far you’ve come.”

“So… you’re gonna be my personal trainer? Just like old times.”

“Well, kind of. We don’t have the threat of you dropping dead to worry about, so it’s definitely gonna be more pleasant than preparing you to return Vaanu’s essence. And I’ll be taking things a lot gentler.”

“Oh, thank god.”

Estela couldn’t hold back a giggle. And the sound of it, the airiness… and the sight of that once-so serious face scrunched up in mirth, it tickled Taylor until she was laughing herself.

“I mean it though. I love you, so damn much.” Catching her breath back, Taylor looked down beside the table, where Fenix was now fast asleep. Peaceful. There was something kind of satisfying about seeing that. A little sign that Taylor might just still be capable of doing something worthwhile. She needed more of that feeling. Much more.

She brought a finger to Estela’s chin, and let her eyes speak her desire.

“Hey… the dog’s sleeping, no one’s home…. I could really use some nice feelings right now, if you wanted to take this to the bedroom.”

Concern furrowed Estela’s brow, and it made Taylor laugh all over again.

“I wouldn’t be suggesting it if I was to tired. We can just take it slow.” As usual. She was pretty sure there was a joke to be had there about a worst case scenario in which at least she’d die happy, but she kept it to herself. Too soon. Besides, it wasn’t important. Something else was on Taylor’s mind.

The smile slowly returned to Estela’s face. “I won’t say I’m not tempted,” she said quietly. “Okay, fine, I’d love that.”

As Estela settled on the bed, Taylor carefully pulled the door closed, not wanting to wake Fenix from much-needed rest. She looked at her wife, waiting there for her, all tenderness and affection, and felt a rush of warmth. There could never be any discomfort in expressing what she needed, not here. Estela was her safe place.

“I… actually wanted to try something different,” she said, slowly moving toward the bed. When Estela’s quirked eyebrow gave away her interest, Taylor continued, pink spots blossoming upon her cheeks. “You know how I’ve been feeling like I’ve got no control… like I’m just along for the ride in my own body…? Well, I want, I guess, the opposite.”

Estela nodded solemnly, but a matching blush rose up on her face. “Oh, you want to be in charge. Are you thinking a… um… bondage… kind of… thing?”

Ignoring the raging heat that had flushed her skin, Taylor responded enthusiastically. “Yeah. Something like that. If you’re open to giving it a try?”

Having shrugged off a pesky layer or two of clothes, Estela settled into the pillows and offered her wrists. She watched with smoldering eyes as Taylor rummaged through her La Huerta luggage until she came across a scarf.  

With gentle hands, taking time to caress along Estela’s sensitive inner arms, Taylor carefully secured a knot, then slipped out of her clothes-- all the while, butterflies danced in her stomach. The kind of trust involved here was… a lot. Complete vulnerability should have been against everything life had hammered into Estela, and yet she looked comfortable. Okay-- more than comfortable.

“You’re sure this is okay? Just-- I’ll stop the second you--”

“Taylor. I know. I wanna try this. So, now you’re in charge.” Estela settled back into the mattress, her glittering eyes poring over her wife’s scantily clad figure. Have me.

One hand remaining firm on Estela’s tied wrists, Taylor let the other trail downwards, dancing a slow dance across supple shoulders criss-crossed with faded scars.

“Close your eyes.”

Estela did so, though not before meeting Taylor’s gaze with a smirk clearly intended to make her lover go to pieces.

“Oh, god,” Taylor hissed out as the warm throb between her legs heightened. She took a moment to catch her breath. This was another area in which her confidence had taken a knock, but she was safe and loved, and knew she could take all the time she needed. She leaned close, and began to touch, to feel, responding to the soft whines and moans of pleasure that followed in her wake.

Some time later, after a few stops and starts, for rest breaks were something Taylor now simply had to accept, the two lovers lay entwined in one another’s arms.

“That… was nice.”

Taylor collapsed into breathless giggles. “’Nice’? That’s the review I get?”

“I’m sorry, it’s not my fault I can’t throw a sentence together right now. Most of the things I’m feeling are kind of… too big for words.”

“Yeah? Well, I guess I can take the compliment.”

“You should. I am so lucky.”

“Not nearly as lucky as me.” Taylor sighed contentedly, snuggling against Estela’s shoulder and appreciating the joyful hum that rumbled from her throat. “It just felt so good, to feel like I’m actually in control of something, to not be helpless. So, thanks for giving me that.”

Estela flushed. “When I say it’s my pleasure, you don’t know the half of it.”

Giddy, Taylor couldn’t hold back the laughter. For the first time in a long time, her body felt simply light, no longer an anchor dragging her down. As Estela gave into giggles herself, the tickling bounce of her stomach only served to chase out one laugh after another, until Taylor found herself spent.

“I love you…” she gasped. Her body ached all over, but it was the happiest kind of exhaustion, without a trace of the frustration that had plagued her. She’d stopped fighting it, and as it turned out, her body was still hers.

“I love you too, mi vida. With every beat of my heart.”

Taylor gazed adoringly into Estela’s dark eyes and knew home. How is it even possible for someone so tough and prickly to be utterly soft? Of course, she knew, the hard outer shell was itself a force of love. As long as you’ve got her, you’re indomitable.

“I guess we’ll see if Tio’s right about the oxytocin helping with the nightmares.”

Estela snorted. “Joder-- I’d never hear the end of it. Whatever works, I guess… but I still think we should keep up the meditation before bed tonight.”

“A bit of clearing out the old noggin never hurt anyone.” Taylor grinned, and pecked a kiss to her lover’s cheek. “It’s like… the more I’ve been scared, the more tired I get, just from the worrying. Well, I’m done. The new Taylor might be a little frustrated with her limitations, but she’s done being scared by them.”

Pulling Taylor ever closer, Estela kissed her deeply, then pressed her forehead gently to hers.

“This is how you’re gonna get better,” she said. “By ramping up the self-care. If it’s knitting a jumper for our sad, naked dog, or  taking two or three baths a day, or curling up with me in a hammock and watching the world go by. I think… in this instance, fighting looks like… like letting go. Like enjoying the quiet moments, and letting your body rest and heal.”

Taylor nestled into the blanket, and slid down so that her face was tucked against the sensitive crook of Estela’s neck. I’ve been such an idiot.

“I’d over-think myself to death if I could,”she sighed. “And I’d miss all of this in the process. You.” Her lips tickled a teasing trail of kisses down to her love’s collarbone. Maybe she’d been so focused on the impossibility of her being her, alive and with a life by Estela’s side, that she’d been fighting it. Fighting herself. Sabotaging her own happiness, her own body, with fear. Maybe she didn’t need to fear letting Estela down.

The ‘new’ Taylor, was, after all, just the old Taylor. And she was enough.

[ahiddenpath]

Four Years news

I have a draft finished of the next chapter, so it shouldn’t be long before that’s done.  Uh- more below the cut?

So basically I changed some things around last second, hence the hiccup in posting.  Frankly, I’m not really interested in the summer arc anymore, and I’m in one of those...  “Do you want a perfect story, or a finished story?” moments that inevitably occur in every fanfic.  Perfection isn’t an option, so always, always choose to keep moving (although certainly, it’s great to take your time).

So next update, we’ll start the second year of college for Izzy and friends!  I’m a bit nervous, because all I really have written is a general setup of sophomore year and the Shauna resolution.  There isn’t much written for the other kids, although they’re around.  I’m not super sure where I’m going at this point!  I admit that I’m wondering if my goal is to wrap up the open drama and flash forward to year 3, where the older kids will live together just off campus in a rented home, and the younger kids will arrive on campus to provide some new personalities to bounce around.  FRESH BLOOD, lol!

There are about 24K words of material written right now, but I don’t want Izzy/Amy/Shauna stuff only, especially after that hefty summer arc.  I won’t be covering summers again, at least, not like that (I’ve toyed with the whole group renting a house in the Outer Banks together for a week or two over summer, or something like that).  I know I’ve written some ideas down.  One thing in particular is that I love Sora so much, I have a bad tendency to present her as...  Basically as close to perfect as a human can be.  Most of her “negative side” in FY thus far has been her hesitance to commit to anything in her future and her tendency to overwork/focus on goals to the point where she drops other important things.  

These days, I think I understand Sora much more than I did when I started FY, and I want to show her losing composure/snapping at people when she’s been under pressure for too long, nagging a bit, misunderstanding herself and others, suffering caretaker fatigue/resentment, and ignoring her problems by working too hard/focusing on others.  Like- she should get to grow and change, too.

We should definitely see some more of Hana and Tai, too, and maybe have Dyani come around...  I realized that Dyani kind of...  Reappeared to help Amy???  And she’s a really awesome character (if I do say so myself, lol!), so I want her to have her own problems and growth/receive help in return.  Like, she won’t hit the same involvement level as, say, Hana, but I want her to have more material.

I’m still not sure if I ever resolved how I’m writing FY Matt these days, lol!  You know I’ve been editing early FY chapters, and this boy is all over the place.  I think I’ve more or less???  “Resolved” it???  As, “Matt has a cool, arrogant stage persona that sometimes leaks into his normal life, which isn’t too surprising, given all the fame and attention it’s given him,” plus, “But Matt is an emotional, introverted, easily embarrassed mess who loves his friends so much he sometimes doesn’t know how to act.”  And, as I’ve said, Matt also has strong social intuitiveness, because I need a male character with this skill.  This isn’t... necessarily... true to canon (sometimes Yamato truly nails it, and sometimes he can’t notice a hint if it dances naked in front of him.  I haven’t been able to 100% understand why, but I think it might have to do with how calm he is in that moment.  If he’s not calm, forget it).

I haven’t even mentioned Joe and Mimi, lol!  What are they up to?

So yeah, I want to interweave more material into the Shauna arc, and then leap to year three.  And thennnn...  Davis!  Ken!  Mystery surprise characters!  TK and Kari on campus!  A few more faces!

Uh-  Uh-  I guess tell me what you’re most interested in!  And look forward to an update soon!  Okay, bye!

[imaginedigimon]

hey no pressure just in case your inbox is low thought i'd throw this in if your bored! No pressure! Maybe some Matt and Ken with background kenkeru stuff? Like Matt being super chill cuz of course he supports them but also obvious big brother but sus out the datemate or at least freak them out kinda fun lol -Cute Anon UwU

Cute Anon... this is where I apologize.

Tropical storm took out my power, and then I had the last few days of my summer camp to handle, and every time I came on Tumblr, I’d look at this inbox and say, “;aldkjfakls;dfjlkasjakd;lfaj I NEED TO DO THESE” but then I didn’t ;-;

I have failed you. BUT I WILL REDEEM MYSELF!

(Also I’m really vibing now since Legally Blonde is on the TV)

"Meeting" the Brother

(But Also Not Really)

Ken was a little nervous. Okay, that was a lie, he was a lot nervous. At first, he’d only agreed to come over to T.K.’s because he thought they’d be, like, watching a movie or something. Alone. Just chilling.

And then Matt was there.

What the hell was Matt doing there?!

He didn’t panic on the outside; at least, he didn’t think he did. But he did inch his way into the living room as if T.K. hadn’t just opened the door and abandoned him to his fate.

Had he looked too stiff when he sat down on the couch next to Matt? Was he sweating a lot? How the hell was he supposed to start a conversation with his boyfriend’s older brother?

A rational part of him chided, “You’ve hung out with Matt before, what’s the big deal?”

That was before we were dating.

Oh, yeah...

Matt, however, didn’t seem fazed by any of this at all. His arms were folded behind his head in a gesture that he had to have gotten from Tai somehow, and he was reclining on the couch as if the movie was already playing. (The TV was, in fact, off and showing Ken a reflection of one very nervous dark-haired boy and a calm and collected blond. Great.) His eyes were closed, and Ken was starting to realize the appeal to the Teenage Wolves' fans. This man looked like a bit of an Adonis with all that confidence.

Why were these brothers so attractive and hard to talk to?

“Ken,” Matt said, his eyes still closed.

Ken’s spine straightened. “Y-Yes?”

Cracking open his crystal-blue eyes, Matt glanced over at him. “Chill, man,” he said with a slight smirk. “I’m not gonna bite.”

It was slight, but Ken’s shoulders managed to relax a bit.

“Gabumon might, though.”

He nearly had a heart attack right on the spot.

--------

I hope this is okay for you, Cute Anon! I really liked the idea of Matt’s mere presence being intimidating, so here we are. xD

And because I found this so amusing to write, a little bonus:

“Matt, why does Ken look like his soul left his body?”

“I just told him Gabumon might bite.”

“I thought Gabumon got over the biting thing.”

“He did.”

[of-muppets-and-men]

A Rose and Her Thorns

A piece I finally found the time to finish.

Spring.

Arguably Raven’s least favourite season. Summer was always warm and inviting; never sullied by the rain. Autumn was cool, its winds delicate and gentle; not to mention the breathtaking beauty of the forest. Winter, while bitter and unforgiving, at least gave her a reason to hunker down in her tent; warmed by fresh tea and heavy blankets. But Spring?

Spring was what it always was: Groggy and Wet.

The near constant rain seeped into everything it could; her clothes, her tent, and more annoyingly, the earth. The ground became a thick field of mud, making setting up camp a pain. Trees and foliage damp to the touch, making campfires all the more difficult to light. Raven had been through this time and time again, and with every passing year, she hated it even more.

And so, Raven sat quietly, trying to enjoy a cup of jasmine tea. A steady beat of raindrops pelted the roof of her tent, causing the bandit queen to seethe. With a deep sigh, she took a slow sip from her porcelain cup. The tea brought warmth to her numb fingers as she relished in her favorite tea. But her bliss was rudely interrupted when she heard the loud stomping of boots headed towards her tent.

The Bandit Queen nearly dropped her cup as Vernal and two of her scouts came fumbling in, trodding mud with every step. Raven was surprised to see her scouts so badly beaten. They may not have been her, but they definitely knew how to handle themselves. One of them was basically being carried by Vernal while the other stumbled inside, clutching his ribcage. Raven half-heartedly walked over to inspect the damage of her comrades; Vernal dressed the injuries best she could.

“Who did this to you?” Raven asked abrasively “C’mon. Speak up.”

“No idea.” Her scout spoke “This chick just ambushed us out of nowhere. Didn’t even have time to fight bac-”

The well built man winced in pain as Vernal bandaged his broken ribs. His partner was nursing her concussion with a bag of ice. Raven scoffed in disappointment, but led onto the more pressing question.

“This woman… Was she a huntress?”

“Maybe.” The other scout piped up.

“What did she look like?” Raven questioned again.

“Short. Couldn’t see her face under her cloak though.” The scout explained.

“Cloak?” Raven spat, eyebrow cocked.

“Yeah… big white and red cloak surrounded by flower petals.”

The Bandit Queen’s eyes grew wide in realisation. She stood back up, fists clenched and body tense. A deep sigh followed as her subordinates looked on in bewilderment. Raven had long dreaded this would happen. The day she left her family, her team; she knew one day they’d come looking for her.

“You okay, Boss?” Her scouts asked in unison.

“Vernal. Get these two patched up in the medical tent. I’ll tend to this myself.” Raven declared.

Her lieutenant attempted to protest “Raven, Are you sur-”

“Yes, I am. Now go.”

A tone of voice Vernal knew well and she knew it wasn’t wise to stick around. The lieutenant ushered the scouts of the tent, hoping not to exacerbate their injuries. Raven ambled toward Omen, clutching her weapon’s scabbard intently. She fastened it to her hip, unsheathing the crimson blade. The red glint comforted her in its own strange way, a poignant reminder of her own strength. The Leader of the Branwen tribe resheathed her blade, donned her mask, and set out in search of the trespasser.

In a moment’s notice, she flew above the treeline.  As much disdain as she held for Ozpin, this was far and away the best thing he’d ever done for her. Raven glided through the air, relishing in the freedom of flight. There she gazed upon the earth for a sign, any sign of human life.

And sure enough, a plume of smoke protruded from the canopy; an obvious signal to lure her in. The smoke was too thick to be just logs. No, someone had intentionally let it billow. A clever ploy at the very least. Raven dived back into the forest to better trace the source, noticing hints of flame through the damp thicket.

With a surge of magic, Raven returned to her human form and hid within the treeline. A move she’d learned as a child and perfected as a huntress; She laid an eye onto the clearing. And the lack of… anything, worried her. Other than the fire, there was nothing; no bedroll, no provisions, nobody. Every bit of this reeked of a trap. Raven gripped Omen tight; the mechanism swirled and locked in a blade. Hesitant to expose herself, the bandit queen waited for the perpetrator to act…

*Swish*

Three dust bolts flew past her head, embedding themselves into an adjacent tree six inches above her. Her cover blown, Raven blitzed out of the treeline. Her gaze zeroed in on the direction the bolts came from; a large oak tree. The closer she got, the silhouette of woman became more apparent within the branches. Another volley wisped past the brush. Raven sidestepped them before lunging at the trespasser. But before Omen could connect, the mystery woman exploded into flower petals. Raven’s eye widened in disbelief, only to sharpen once more as she turned around.

The edge of Omen’s blade nearly an inch from the woman’s throat; countered by the fact a blade hovered over Raven’s heart. A smirk formed on the Bandit Queen’s face as she breathed the woman’s name.

“Summer. Long time no see.”

“Likewise Raven. Do you… want to continue?” Summer inquired.

The old friends chuckled before resheathing their weapons. Their eyes remained locked on one another; hostility not entirely off the table. Raven could see her former leader’s eye glimmering in the shade; a sight that made her nervous.

“Let’s talk over there.” The smaller woman said, gesturing over to the clearing.

Raven nodded and followed Summer back into the dim light of the afternoon. With a couple cleaves, Raven had made a tree into something relatively comfortable to sit on. They awkwardly sat at opposite ends, facing away from each other to avoid eye contact. Silence enveloped them as they both pondered on what to say. After all, in the grand scheme, Raven had only departed one and a half years ago. Such a long time and yet equally not. But ever abrasive, the bandit queen started her inquiry.

“What the hell are you doing here, Summer?”

“A girl can’t catch up with an old friend?” the smaller woman answered coyly.

“You could… But I highly doubt you roughed up my men just for a chat.”

“Hmph… I missed your skepticism.”

Summer let out a deep sigh, her hands trembling as she did so. A thing Raven found odd to say the least. Summer, as far as she knew, was the most cheerful beacon of hope she’d ever had the displeasure of meeting. So seeing her former leader downtrodden was alarming to say the least.

“I really am here to talk, Rae. I have a thing I need to vent about. I can’t tell Tai and I sure as hell can’t tell Qrow, so if you could bear with it without bitching at me; That’d be great.”

It took a moment for Summer to realize she had begun to cry. She half-heartedly wiped the tears away with her sleeves, only for more to take their place.

A sight profoundly alien to Raven. In the many years she’d known her, she’d never seen Summer with anything less than a grin. And now to see her former leader falling apart at the seams, it… scared her. In ways she hadn’t felt for a long time.

Raven shuffled closer to her old friend, rubbing her back to calm her down.

“Summer. What’s wrong?”

A still teary Summer looked up at her old friend and managed to whimper out an answer: “I’m pregnant, Rae.”

Her answer lingered in the air for a spell; Raven’s shock telegraphed by her eyes. She didn’t know how to feel about it. Should she be happy? After all, despite her current position, this was still a momentous occasion. Or should she be angry? Considering Summer and Tai had been living together. A fact she knew as a result of her snooping. The latter would have to do…

“That’s… incredible, Summer.” A stale attempt at enthusiasm.

The soon-to-be mother didn’t respond. She only continued to lazily wipe away her tears.

“It’s no wonder you haven’t told Tai. The blond idiot couldn’t stop celebrating when I told him. Couldn’t imagine it happening all over again.” Again, Summer remained silent.

“Y’know Sum? I’m almost proud. Snatching up Tai as soon as I was out of the picture. Didn’t think you had it in you if i’m being honest…”

“Raven, stop…”

“No, I’m serious Sum. I didn’t think you had an assertive bone in your body, yet here you are carrying my ex’s ba-”

“IT’S NOT TAI’S!!!!” Summer snapped, standing now with her fists clenched.

Once more, Raven sat dumbfounded, “Not Tai’s? Then who’s?”

With her hood pulled over her head, Summer spoke: “Qrow’s”

Silver eyes shone through the shadow of her hood, fear and uncertainty shrouding their beauty. The mirror-like gaze matched by deep scarlet. Raven was at a loss for words. Today was turning out to be far more eventful than she had thought. She hadn’t seen anyone from STRQ in well over a year. Now, in a matter of a few fleeting minutes, her former best friend drops back into her life and tells her she's going to be an aunt.

But Qrow? Qrow?

Her pissant little brother was going to be a father. The cursed brat of the Branwen tribe. She could barely believe her ears. Raven stood in stunned silence while Summer gave that annoying look of hers.

“See my problem, now?”

It took a moment for Raven to find the words. Where should she start? Her entire perception of life as a student was just uprooted. Summer and Qrow. The thought of them together made her stomach churn. But how long had they been this way? And how did she never pick up on it? Too deep in thought, Summer piped up to give the answers she required.

“Second year.” Summer voiced.

“What?”

“We’ve been together since second year.” the little woman clarified.

“You’ve been keeping this secret for 3 years?” Raven fumed, nearly impressed by the resolve. “Does Tai know?”

“No. And It wasn’t our intention for it to be this way. We were going to tell you two when we graduated, but then you left… Tai was in a bad place and I chose to help him. We both decided it wasn’t the time or the place, which is why I’m here now.”

The Bandit Queen scoffed, her fists clenched with frustration, “So that’s why he stayed...”

Raven shot up from her makeshift seat, Summer puzzled at her sudden change in temperament. The Bandit that was once her friend started to make her way back to the tribe she’d left them for. The smaller woman followed close behind, intent to change her mind. Their boots sloshed in the mud as Summer grabbed her wrist.

“Where are you going?” Summer badgered.

“Home. I’m done with our little talk.” Raven snarled in response.

“Then you’re going the wrong way.”

Scarlet eyes whipped back, clearly laced with insult. Summer looked back defiantly, unfazed by Raven’s temper.

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“You have a home, but it’s not here. It’s back on Patch where your husband, daughter, brother, myself and now your niece are waiting for you.” Summer lectured, clutching her abdomen. “Your FAMILY.”

Raven said nothing in return. Only rolling her eyes as she pulled her wrist from Summer’s grasp. Family? What a joke. The wilds were the only place for her now, as much as Summer begged to differ. It was Qrow’s too, but he was a fool, just like Oz and the rest. Raven would have no part in it. She stormed away, back through the thicket and loose earth.

It stung. Watching her friend choose a group of lowlifes over the family they made. A low scoff wisped passed her lips.

“You were a lot of things, Rae. Strong, Stubborn, Proud. But I never took you for a coward.”

Coward. The word struck Raven like a punch. In a flash of rage, she lunged at her former best friend. Omen’s blade sliced through the air, narrowly missing Summer’s head. The Tiny Huntress flowed around the weapon’s edge, sidestepping it entirely. With a solemn look, Summer then kicked Raven clean in the jaw, sending her tumbling into the mud. In her anguish, she’d forgotten to engage her aura.

Raven rubbed her aching chin, looking up at the woman who beat her. Summer gazed back, her expression dripping with disappointment. And with a shake of her head, she left, dissipating into a shroud of flower petals, leaving Raven alone. The bandit picked herself up and made the walk back to camp.

Vernal stood waiting for her, pacing by the gate. As soon as her leader appeared from the treeline, she rushed over to assess what had transpired.

“Raven? Gods, what happened out there?” The lieutenant questioned.

“NOTHING.” Raven barked as she trotted back to her tent.

Vernal watched her leader vanish behind the vestibule. Raven tossed Omen aside in a pile of cloth. She angrily poured herself more tea, recounting the day she’d had. Gods above, she hated spring, but summer was becoming a close second.