#mandy is sleep deprived

[prompt-master]

Can't lie as a kid I used to think vampire fangs worked like straws

[hexjulia]

mandy, short for mandible.

[storm-angel989]

Hello!!

I was wondering if you could do a Val x daughter teen reader.

- She’s super duper sleep deprived (yawning every other 5 minutes and it’s so obvious she’s fighting to stay awake), and relies on a crap ton of energy drinks to keep her up and going. How would Val, Vel, and Vox react to finding out about this?

Hi Friend,

Thank you so much for your patience <3

As all three of the Vee’s very well know, sleep is so important. They want to see Reader succeed, but not at the expense of her own health. So take a peek at what happens!

Enjoy!

<3 Mandy

My official bedtime is eleven. I crawl into bed at two. 

My day started at 4:30.

Get up. Drag myself to the gym. Lately, I’ve been listening to my textbooks on audiobook while I run because I, for the life of me, can’t get my brain to retain any of the information. My first sip of an energy drink is paired with water as I frantically scramble to scrub my hair and get dressed in my uniform before I need to leave for school. 

Seven thirty. Skip breakfast in favor of the second energy drink of the day. Slide into my homeroom seat exactly six minutes before the bell rings. I can’t be late, or else I risk getting kicked off the water polo team. 

School ends at three. I lose track of how many energy drinks I buy, how many cups of coffee I consume. All I know is it’s easier to study and drink coffee than it is to study and eat. And midterms start tomorrow. 

Practice starts at three thirty and by the time I get in the water, my week and a half worth of cramming for midterms is starting to catch up to me. It’s all I can do to stay awake, and unlike the other girls, I’m grateful for the freezing cold water. 

This routine had been mine for the past two weeks, and I was exhausted. Cramming for exams always sucked, but this time around felt harder than most. 

“I just need to review one more chapter,” I promised myself as I climbed into the limo. The ache in my head matched the heaviness of my eyelids and I let out another yawn. “One more chapter, and then…”

Out of habit, I pulled out my exam schedule. I felt my heart drop and jolted awake as I read through the test list for the next day. Fuck. Science was tomorrow. Not history. I hadn’t even started to review science.  I opened up another energy drink as I stared into the eyes of what would be another all nighter. As the last drop of liquid entered my body, I could feel my heart beat- an uncomfortable buzz. I tried to ignore it as I exited the limo and trudged upstairs. My mind blurred as I went through the motions without remembering exactly what I was doing. 

“Ah, princessa, I’m glad you’re home,” my father’s voice floated across the room. “Your Uncle Vox just finished making dinner. Come sit.”

“I can’t, Daddy, midterms start tomorrow,” I replied through a yawn. “I have to study, I mixed up…”

“You can’t study on an empty tummy. Your body needs fuel,” my Aunt Velvette replied.

Her tone told me I wasn’t getting out of it. I dropped my backpack and hazily made my way across the living room. I stumbled but caught myself on the table. I could feel all three sets of eyes on me as I righted myself and slowly sank into my chair. 

“Babygirl, are you feeling okay?” Vox asked as he pressed his hand to my forehead. “You don’t look good.”

“No, no you don’t,” my father added. “Did you eat before practice?”

I tried to remember but the memories of the day wouldn’t come. I shrugged in response. 

“Have you been drinking?” Velvette demanded after a moment of silence. She crossed her arms. “You’re stumbling, you’re pale, you’re slurring your words, something is wrong.”

“No! I’m just, I’m really tired,” I protested as I tried to bite back a yawn. “Midterms, they're tomorrow and I..I need to study. I can have another energy drink, maybe that will help.”

I went to push myself up from the table and felt the heaviness of Vox’s hands on my shoulder hold me in place. His other hand reached over and clicked on my VoxTech watch. 

“When did you go to bed last night?” My father asked gently. 

“More importantly, how many energy drinks did you have today?” Vox asked. 

Unable to hold back, I yawned. “It's midterm week, I dunno. Guys, I have to study, I…” 

I watched all three of them exchange glances. Vox hit a button on my watch and they both looked at their phones. Alarm spread over each of their faces.

“No. You’re not going anywhere except to bed,” my father said firmly as he stood up. 

“Dad, no, I’m…I’m fine..” I started to protest as he lifted me into his arms. “Daddy, I’m sixteen, lemme go…” I laid my head on his shoulder and closed my eyes as I tried to push myself away from him. 

“Mhm, yeah, you’re right, you are sixteen,” he replied softly.

The next thing I knew, he laid me down in my bed and pulled the covers over me. I felt the weight of his body on the bed as he sat down next to me. 

“Close your eyes, ninita,” he said softly. “You need to rest.”

Under the warmth of the covers, snuggled in the comfort of my bed, exhaustion swept over me. Unable to fight, I sank into a deep, dreamless sleep. 

It could have been days, or hours later. As I slowly came to, the red digits of my alarm clock flashed. Eleven thirty am. Panic rushed through me. Late! I was so late! I sat straight up, but before I could swing myself out of bed, Vox’s hand pushed me down. 

“Hey, hey kid. Calm down. Relax, you’re fine,” he said soothingly.

“No, Uncle Vox I have my history midterm today, I have to go, I’m so late!” I babbled as I tried to push against him.

“You’ll make them up, deep breath,” he replied evenly. “It’s okay, I promise. I’m going to let your Dad and Vel know you’re awake. If I let you go, will you please stay down?”

Slowly, I nodded as the panic began to subside. He released me and sat down on the bed next to me. A few moments later, the door opened and they both walked into the room. 

“How are you feeling?” my father asked. 

“Better? Dad, my midterms, practice, I have homework,” I began.

He held up his hand. “Stop. Take a breath. Uncle Vox called the school. Your midterms are rescheduled for two weeks from now. Lots of time to study without you running yourself down to nothing.” 

“As for homework and practice, you don’t have to worry about that until Monday, which is when you’re allowed to go back to school,” Velvette added. 

“Allowed back to school? What the fuck does that mean?” I asked. 

“It means you’ve been asleep for almost a day and a half. It’s Thursday, sweetheart,” Vox said gently. 

Panic washed over me. A day and a half? I slept for a day and a half?

“See, the problem with sleep deprivation is that it catches up to you. No amount of energy drinks or coffee can fix the issue. The only way to feel better is to sleep,” he continued. “And it appears that you, little girl, pushed yourself to your max.”

“And could have done some serious damage to your body in the process,” my father added. “So this is how the rest of this weekend goes. You’re going to the doctors to get checked over…”

“Why? I was just overtired,” I protested. 

“No, you were exhausted. And you consumed so much caffeine your heart rate and your blood pressure were sky high,” Vox answered.

“Your Aunt Velvette, Uncle Vox and I have been taking turns sitting with you just to make sure you were okay,” my father added. “So no. A checkup is not negotiable. We’re also going to have a discussion with the doctor on the importance of sleep and the negative effects caffeine can have on the body. Anyway, after you get the all clear, you are going to spend the weekend resting. You can watch movies, study for a few hours, I don’t care. But when your body is tired, you need to sleep. Otherwise, you’re not going to recover from this.”

I felt myself deflate. “Am I grounded too?”

“Call it grounding if you want, but you’re staying home all weekend,” my father replied calmly. 

A thousand protests raced through my mind. I had an away game this week. I needed to keep in shape. I had projects to do and laps to swim. But as I studied the concerned expression on my fathers face, I realized that nothing I could say would make them change their minds. The creeping feeling of exhaustion swept over me and I yawned as I settled back against the pillows. 

I felt lips press to my forehead and I snuggled back under the covers. Maybe a bit more sleep wouldn't hurt.

[rreskk]

Fuck buddies

Thanks for requests. Working on them :)

Summary: Trevor was starving for Mikey, breaking an entry and giving him a sight to behold in the bedroom.

TW: -Smut

Pairings: Trikey

Word count: 1727

Michael returned home after dropping Amanda off at the shops. He approached his bedroom door, unbuttoning his white shirt in hopes to catch up on sleep. When that handle pushed open the door, he paused in his tracks and stared ahead. His throat clogged with secret arousal. The surprise of seeing his best friend sprawled out on his own bed. Michael was uncertain. He held his forehead, believing this was some sort of sleep-deprived hallucination.

“Fuck… Mikey…”

Trevor was lying on his back, wearing this slim, silky red dress and black fishnets that were torn around his crotch. The dress was so tight around his waist and stomach that it crazed the surface of his small tummy, and whenever he’d inhale, tainted abs would form. Beyond this sight, Trevor was also making passionate love with himself. Dick in hand, touching his neck and hair; crying for Michael with such desperation. He arched his back and moaned when masturbating harder. He had his nose based on Mikey’s pillow, sniffing up the scent he had missed the most.

Michael held the doorway for stability as he continued watching his best friend beat himself raw. He felt disgusted but so allured. There was this sudden strain in his pants, an itchy throb that tugged at his forming erection. It has been quite a while since he’s felt so sexually aroused. It almost felt like a sexual awakening – even through the past of intwining with Trevor so physically and intimately. Michael was so engrossed that his stomach twirled at the memories.

Now his best friend was on his own bed, such a sudden surprise.

Then he remembered Amanda. He remembered all those arguments about her suspicions of Trevor. He remembered all those nights he tried to make-up for his absence, but she knew. She always knew.

“What are you doing?” Michael croaked with such intensity that his voice cracked. His eyes watered with overwhelming disgrace at the torturous memories. Yet it didn’t stop his body from yearning for that familiar feeling.

Trevor’s head jerked up at the sound of his favourite person. He clawed his own jaw and gritted his teeth, his hand loosening from that twitching penis. It stood up, so fiercely erected. It was hidden under the dress when he sat up, his hair tangled and drool falling down his chin.

“Are you wearing Mandy’s clothes?” Mikey whispered – taunted and tempted.

“I missed you.” He’d whine back.

“What are you doing here, Trev?”

“C’mon, Mikey. I can’t pretend anymore. I miss you,” Trevor stayed on the bed, his legs only widening that his cock returned in the spotlight, “Please… One last time?”

“We said that last time.” Michael uttered and clenched his fists in retaliation.

“Don’t you miss me? We had so much fun when you were bunked with me. I can’t stop thinkin’ about you, Mikey, baby.”

“Trevor… Not here, not when Amanda’s around – “

“You said that before,” Trevor glared, “It’s not fair. Why can’t I see you anymore? Only when she ain’t around. Pathetic.”

“You know why.” He stepped closer, avoiding the pieces of clothing scattered on the floor.

“It makes me want to exile her for life – just so I can have you to myself, Mikey!”

Michael’s eyes twitched as he pointed a finger at Trevor. But he grinned, spreading his legs more. His scrawny hands returned to his tip, slyly scraping the skin and making himself moan huskily. His eyes kept tabs on Mikey, making sure this show was only specialised for him.

“You like this...?” He’d purr and arch his back again.

“Stop.” Michael pled, refusing to look (even if he wanted to).

“Babbbyy – “

“Trevor, you need to leave. What if the kids walk in, huh? What if Mandy comes back?”

“Your “kids” are grown adults now. They know best than to walk into daddy’s bedroom.” Trevor sensually dragged up his dress to reveal more of his naked body.

“Trevor…” He sighed at this sight.

“C’mon, Mikey. Remember how good it feels? I could help with that… Issue of yours, if you know what I mean – “

“Trevor.” Michael snapped but was greeted with an amused cackle from his best friend. He wanted to walk out and prove his strength, he really wanted to feel something other than attraction. This wasted years of messing around led to hiding another affair from his wife. And with the same man he told her not to worry about.

“I want to be a better man.” Whispered Mikey, sitting on the edge of the bed.

“When are you ever a good man?”

“I didn’t say good. I just wanna be better…”

“In the bedroom, or? – “

“Can you be serious for once?” He snapped and glared towards Trevor.

The other man gave him a look of distaste before reaching over and wrapping his arms around Michael’s neck. He ignored his attempts to escape and pulled him close, managing to lure him on top. Trevor gazed up at Mikey with a cheeky smile, one of his legs wrapping around his waist.

“I wanna be serious with you for once.” He whispered then pressing his lips against his.

Their lips melted together perfectly, just like how they used to back in the Midwest. It sent Michael into a fit of nostalgia and want. Without knowing, he kissed back, his hands holding onto Trevor’s scrawny hips and guiding their bodies closer.

Trevor smirked during the kiss, “I know you’ve been missing me.” Before he continued making it deeper, wanting to feel him everywhere again.

Mikey mentally rolled his eyes before pining Trev against the mattress, his hands naturally finding itself around the other mans throat as they made intense eye-contact. There was this hardened boner that pressed against Michael’s groin, and when he gazed down, he wondered how it could get even more stiff and pulsing. He knew Trevor had a hyper-sexual drive, but by the looks of his cock, this was pure arousal. It looked Godly painful.

“Fuck, Trev…” He uttered and nudged his waist forward, grinding that monstrosity against his work trousers, causing Trevor to moan. This gave him access to full power. Michael abused this, deciding to release one hand from T’s throat and using it to handle this throbbing penis. He tortured the tip, watching it squirm and gurgle out pre-cum.

“Mikey! Yes, baby!” Cried Trevor, “I’m your fucking cum slut, baby!”

Michael groaned at his desperation. He looked down to see Trevor’s cock passively squirting out more cum. He’d then rub him raw, warming the skin and making the frame of his best friend shudder and squirm.

“FUCK!”

“You wanted this, you dick – “

“I want more, more. Mikey, more!” He begged.

“You fucking whore.” Michael smirked and unbuckled is belt, letting his trousers fall around his ankles to show that growing bulge within his pants. The way Trevor’s eyes widened. He went to sit up and grab at his boner, but once again, he was thrown back and pinned against the bed.

“Babbyyy! – “

“No touching unless I say. C’mon, T, you know the rules,” Mikey tormented, freeing his penis and lining it against Trevor’s anus. He ogled down at this pathetic excuse of a man underneath and smirked before thrusting. Instant relief. He remembered the first time they’ve ever done this, and it brought him loving memories.

“Mikey! Yes, fuck me!” Trevor moaned and moaned and moaned.

“You like that, huh?” He grunted when rocking back and forth, “I bet you missed being fucked like this.”

“You’re so big, baby!”

“Shut up before I shove this cock down your throat.”

Trev smirked cheekily at this threat but obeyed. He grabbed his cock and began to jerk as Mikey continued to butcher his anus alive. The dress was practically torn off by the rapid movements, exposing all his chest and stomach that glistened with sweat. He eagerly grinded against the penis that was fucking him, adding to that extra spice, making them both groan sensually.

“Mikeeeyy! Hit me, hit me hard! Ah! – “ He was silenced when a strong hand slammed his mouth closed. Trevor’s muffled giggle was felt from behind Michael’s palm as he was physically forced to stay silent in case his family could hear.

“You’re an asshole.” Mikey hissed with anger, beginning to thrust deeper and rougher. The bed beneath them shook frantically and Trev’s body was pathetically jerking up and down like a personal fuck-toy. He’d squeal from behind Michael’s hand, loving the idea of being restrained because of his unnatural chaos.

Soon enough, he was drilling into Trevor relentlessly. They were having the roughest sex imaginable. Their hips were slapping together, Trevor’s face was bright red with the inability to breathe, Mikey was sweating through his whole suit attire. It was forgotten that his kids were at home, and admitting the volume, they were super louder. Trev’s screeching of joy was heard, Michael’s dirty words, their moans, the bed creaking, the floor struggling to keep the weight. This passion was unstainable, resulting in this godforsaken, mutual orgasm.

Trevor was released and he yelped, “MIKEY! FUCK!” His cock squirting ruthlessly onto his stomach.

Michael fucked through the orgasm, his own penis ejaculating fluids into Trev’s anus. He was stumbling with his movements. The staggering thrusts of his hips made them both moan before he fell backwards, holding his limb cock and staring at Trevor’s abused hole. He grinned and stroked his thumb across the surface, then giving it a deserving slap.

“Ah!” Trev gasped at this aggression. He had completely disbanded the dress, lying on Mikey’s bed naked. He was breathing furiously after the intense orgasm.

However, before they could speak, the front doors opened.

“Michael! Help me with my bags!”

He went wide eyed, hushing Trevor out with a hand. While begging him to leave, he had zipped up his flies and brushed any creases from the bedsheets. Mike pled him to hurry as Trevor seemed annoyed but nodded. He left the dress, crawling out of the window naked.

Michael watched him with disturbance before the bedroom door opened, but luckily his fuck buddy was long-gone.

“Michael!” Amanda sighed, “Didn’t you hear me?”

He shook his head shamelessly.

“Well, I got bags from shopping. Could you help?”

He nodded and followed close behind. He took one last look at the window Trevor climbed from, softly smiling to himself.

[m4ndysk4nkovich]

The thing that surprised me when I first got into the fandom side of Shameless is that Fiona and Debbie will very rarely receive a nuanced reception for their actions (thinking about the things they do that are wrong and thinking about intent) whereas Lip's actions will always be handwaved away, even when he's 100% in the wrong. I still love Lip but it's led to me sometimes eye rolling at some of his scenes. Really the one's where he's screaming at someone about how wrong they are.

yeah… i love shameless and i love the fandom but they are both incredibly misogynistic, unfortunately.

*cue the man by taylor swift*

lip’s actions will always be defended because people think that he’s cool. debbie and fiona’s actions won’t, because people think that they’re bitches.

and there are so many pieces of evidence that the reason people (men) love lip and hate debbie and fiona is because of gender.

debbie or fiona could (and have) do the same fucked up thing that lip did and people react so differently.

for example:

lip trying to convince karen to keep her baby, wanting desperately to parent the child despite the fact that fiona warns him it’s a shitty decision because they can’t afford it, and for that, he’s stepping up. he’s mature. he’s brave.

debbie lies about being on birth control to purposefully have a kid and refuses to abort it despite fiona’s pleas because they can’t afford it, and she actually raises the kid all on her own, for that, she’s dumb. she’s a brat. she’s a bitch.

both of them were wrong. lip was wrong for telling karen what to do with her body and risking everything for his family for a child he wasn’t even 100% was his. debbie was wrong for lying to have a baby at fifteen (she was not wrong for not aborting franny, though. a lot of people think that she was, but i’m a firm believer in my body my choice, so it’s her absolute right to not abort her child).

debbie drops franny because of sleep deprivation and she’s suddenly the worst. fiona’s a drunk and suddenly she’s a bad character and a shitty person (she is a shitty person, but they all are). lip dropped his kid and is an alcoholic but he’s given the benefit of the doubt.

lip treats the women in his life like shit. probably because of monica. debbie and fiona get screamed at by him for honest mistakes (mostly fiona), mandy, amanda, sierra, and tami all got treated like shit by him when they were dating (tami doesn’t put up with it as much, though). and i’m not even necessarily saying he’s a misogynist, but he generally treats men better than women. and people are a little too okay with that.

all of lip’s actions are defended by how hard he had it, fiona and debbie’s aren’t. people will get really deep with lip, and explain how his every move is okay because his childhood was shitty. debbie and fiona are so complex also, and they literally had the same parents as lip, but people don’t like to get as deep and explain their every move with them (i do tho😉). every shameless character is complex. even the characters that aren’t as big. they all are complex and they have layers and if you look into them you can find a lot. people will do that with characters like lip, but with debbie and fiona they just kind of shrug it off. personally i find debbie much more interesting than lip but that’s just me.

if you’re going to defend lip because of how he was raised, you should defend all of the siblings. they literally grew up together.

and i love lip. i’m not trying to say i hate him, but if people are going to shit on fiona and debbie, then people should shit on lip, too.

i’ve said this before, but all of the characters resemble a role. they all have trauma and they all have different trauma responses. but just because they deal with it differently doesn’t mean that they aren’t traumatized.

i’m getting off topic as always lol.

but i wish that lip would get held accountable more. and i wish that people would go easier on fiona and debbie.

the show is called shameless. all of the characters are massive pieces of shit. to call any character except for like, liam, a good person is stupid because that’s missing the entire point. just because you like a character doesn’t mean that they’re an angel. one of my favorite characters is debbie and she’s a piece of shit. like she sucks ass but i also love her.

i’m unhappy with this post i might just redo it😭

[eksvaized]

[ 𝖕𝖔𝖎𝖘𝖔𝖓𝖔𝖚𝖘 𝖔𝖇𝖘𝖊𝖘𝖘𝖎𝖔𝖓 ] — 10

>> Ghost x Reader, part ELEVEN

>> 18+

>> this was inspired by the tv show 'you'

Simon’s muscles ached by the time he finished disposing of Matt’s body. His hands, covered in painful blisters, and his shirt soaked with sweat, were proof of the work he had done. Every inch of his skin was coated in dirt, but as he tossed the shovel on the floor somewhere inside the shed, he knew that there was still a lot that needed to be done.

He had to convince people that Matt went missing after going off the grid. He needed to get rid of Matt’s car and return to his home to ensure that no proof of his presence there was left behind.

He couldn’t, however, throw away Matt’s phone. He wanted to break it and get rid of it, but he didn’t since the gallery was full of pictures of you, which he wanted to keep for himself; the phone was going to end up in the black box, which was in his office.

Simon spent a whole day creating an alibi, which wasn’t necessary, but he liked knowing he had an escape route just in case something went wrong. After making sure to wrap up the whole business with Matt, he knew he had to get back to you.

For a few days, he didn’t text you, but as soon as the weekend rolled around, he decided to call you, anticipating you to be missing Matt and angry with him for ignoring you.

When you answered the phone, even if he couldn’t see you, he could tell by the tone of your voice that something was bothering you. However, when he asked you out, confessing that he would love to take you out on a date, you didn’t reject him.

“Does Friday work for you?” He asked while pacing around the room.

He knew that day was reserved for your girlfriends, but he desperately wanted to distance them from you, to make sure that in the future you could only rely on him. And this was the first step to doing so.

“If you had asked this yesterday, I would have said no, but Mandy is out of town and Liz hates going out with just me... Well, actually, never mind, all that. I won’t go into detail.” You giggled, making Simon smile as well. “My answer is yes. I’m free on Friday. And I would love to go on a date with you.”

The conversation lasted for a couple more minutes. You wanted to know where he was going to take you, but he insisted on keeping it a surprise, and you ultimately agreed to it when he promised to tell you at least what sort of location it was so you would know what to wear.

The call ended after he asked you for your address (which was just his way of pretending that he didn’t know where you lived), so he would know where to come to pick you up.

Simon walked to the bathroom after putting down his phone. After what happened at the shed, no matter how much time he spent under the running water, no matter how many showers he took… no matter how much he scrubbed his skin, he couldn't shake the feeling of dirtiness on his body and the nauseating sensation in his stomach.

He tried to persuade himself that what he did was necessary.

Matt was dangerous. He just used you to get what he wanted. He had to be stopped, and Simon had no choice but to end his life after Matt took off his mask, revealing his face.

If Simon had let him walk free, Matt would have reported everything that transpired to the police, who would have arrested him. Simon could not let that happen. There was no way he could have continued seeing you if he was locked up, and Simon felt you were incapable of caring for yourself – you needed him.

The nagging guilt, like a voracious beast, tore at Simon's conscience, despite his conviction in his choices.

He spent the rest of the week in a sleep-deprived haze, his eyelids heavy and only able to drift off for short periods. His body was basically operating on black, oversweetened coffee, and nicotine. Whenever his thoughts would become too loud, he found temporary relief in cigarettes, their scent mingling with the fading echoes in his mind.

Simon had planned to take you to your favourite restaurant, but he changed his mind since he wanted the night to be more special than simply going out for dinner.

He brought a takeout from the restaurant (ordering nearly the entire menu because he wasn’t sure what you liked). The clinking sound of the wine bottle in his other hand, and the vibrant red roses, making it all more special.

He knocked on your front door.

He could hear your footsteps.

And then there you were…

When you saw him, your eyes brightened up. Your lips curled into a smile as you looked down at his hands, observing how full they were.

“What is all of this? I thought we were going out.” You said, a little confused, but nicely surprised, as he handed you the flowers.

“I changed my mind.” Simon said when you stepped aside, letting him through. “Instead of taking you out on a typical date, I wanted to do something special.”

“You could have told me so. I wouldn’t have bothered dressing up then.” You giggled as you looked down at yourself.

You were wearing a little black dress. It was short, quite plain, but you looked absolutely stunning in it, and as Simon followed you to the living room, his eyes shamelessly glided down your body, lingering on your ass just for a moment too long.

“…so I pretty much ordered everything on the menu. I probably shouldn’t have, but this is my favourite restaurant and everything there is delicious...” Simon explained, embellishing the details because, after all, it wasn’t his favourite place, but it was yours.

“Wait… I know where this is from.” You said while inspecting the bag and what was inside it. “I love this place!”

“It’s a lucky coincindence then.” Simon grinned and popped the cork on the bottle of wine.

“I’m going to be right back.” You mumbled and left, returning with two glasses, plates, and silverware; just because you weren’t going out didn’t mean you needed to eat out of paper plates.

When the conversation started to flow, you told him more about yourself, how you weren’t expecting him to ask you out, and that you didn’t say no because you were curious about him. Simon didn’t want to bring up Matt, even though you had told him the last time you saw each other that you were kind of dating him. However, it appeared like you felt the need to justify and explain that you weren’t some kind of man-eater.

“I know I told you that I was seeing someone, but I promise I’m not two-timing you.” You said, taking the glass and getting comfortable on the couch after you both finished eating.

“But the guy… Matt… He’s avoiding me, and I’m beginning to suspect that he wasn’t as serious as I thought.. We used to be close; we dated in high school, and he was always so patient with me, and everything... And I guess at first, I didn’t want to see, didn’t want to think that… I was only a means to an end for him, you know?”

Simon nodded his head. Yes, you were naïve, but now he could see that you were smart, and Matt was mistaken for thinking he could exploit you.

“It’s his loss.” He stroked his fingers down your arm, reassuringly squeezing your hand. “A woman like you deserves better. You shouldn’t settle for some douchebag who doesn’t know how to treat you.”

And maybe it was just the wine, and the fact that you finished half of it (Simon only pretended to drink), but you leaned in and softly pressed your lips to his cheek.

“Thank you.”

Simon's heart thumped against his ribcage, threatening to break free. Your touch sparked a wildfire on his skin, while your mere presence acted as a magnet, pulling him towards you.

You only kissed him on the cheek, but that small gesture meant more to him than you realised.

The softness of your lips against his was like a revelation; that kiss made him feel like everything he has done so far, the way he acted, was justified and even if his dark impulses took over him more than once, it was all worth it because now he was here, and you were next to him.

[temperancecain]

Hi, fellow WW fans!! Here's a snippet from my first West Wing fic, 'Do You Have Room For a Turncoat On Your Coatrack?' It's Josh/Donna and is a canon-divergence from the season six finale episode '2162 Votes,' and you can read it on either AO3 or Fanfiction net, where my username is Temperance Cain. Enjoy!!!

****

No, he couldn't think about her. Not now, when he knew she was somewhere in the convention center, maybe even on the same floor of the building as he was now, as he hid from Leo's knowing eyes, asking him for something he couldn't give. Just like he hadn't been able to give her what she'd wanted, what Josh had known she deserved, right from the start. He'd left because she left, he hurt because she'd hurt him, in a way no woman ever had. Not Mandy or Amy or anyone other woman Josh had ever set eyes on had been so spectacularly efficient in crushing his heart, and his hope along with it. So he'd put it all into someone else, a dark horse he was determined to get across the finish line even if he had to drag it himself, cursing and screaming and bleeding, if he had to tempt it with carrots and sugar cubes abd whatever else horses liked. Hay, maybe? Those shiny rosettes that he'd seen in glass cases in high schools that always looked super complicated to make? Seriously, who had the patience to make so many folds...?

It didn't matter. At that precise moment in time, nothing seemed to really matter. Here he was, Josh Lyman, hiding out by a vending machine whilst Governor Baker one more and more votes, votes his campaign had worked so hard for, votes they had earned, votes he'd lost countless hour's sleep over, thinking so hard it was a wonder his head didn't explode like a watermelon and spray everyone in the vicinity with the pips of his political jargon. Ha, he really must be teetering on the edges of sleep-deprived delirium if he was thinking about fruit.

[spokenofwords]

Chemical Romance

 

This rhythmic rapture is about a different kind of love

Not the hand-written romantic vows strapped to the leg of a messenger dove

Or the palpitating scarlet letter, fallen from the courier and left in the mud

It is a secret swan song, undercutting a police state circling high above

I share this surreptitious subject because it needs to be discussed

It’s important, a must, like freedom of speech, in danger of being lost in the dust

And I won’t pander to you with black and white issues

Or cite the wrongs of the world, to pull on heart strings, with cheap shot virtues

Instead, trigger warning alerts, the descriptions will be overt,

But the intention is not to resurrect long dead hurt

The aim is to divert off the beaten path most poets walk their words

And cover new ground, a little less tightly wound

To avoid red rose lovers, and sun and moon significant others

Both gone rotten with an overuse in culture

Because I want to talk about my love for those magical substances we call drugs

Our back-pocket relationship has the magnitude of any star-crossed love

And I don’t love drugs because they fill a hole I’m so desperate to control

Or because they expand my mind to three times it’s expected size

The moment that first milligram touched my blood I knew the future

Legendary nights stretching out like the echo of a rumour

Their flavour to savour, the kind billionaires pay for

Drugs are my healing factor

Allowing me to decipher the anger splattered across my body’s tattered armour

They knot an umbilical cord to strangers I wouldn’t know

And lift my sleep deprived party soul from morning lows

But company is the coagulant that consolidates these chemicals into gold

Their magic stays static until shared with similar enlightened souls

Coz I don’t need twenty-four seven consumption to feel whole

Without them, I don’t wallow and wine

My mood stuck in a clinical landslide nose-dive

Things are fine, I’m fine

Even when the days are a sickening grind I manage to survive

I stay sober and alive, no suicide

But why watch the world go by with colourblind frosted eyes

When you could indulge in a 4K high-def Friday night high?

Mandy Monroe takes me dancing

Till the last empathetic drips of energy have evaporated

Kelly Coke keeps me going

Her eternal heart-pounding hope never stops flowing

Katrina Ket-Ket-Kettlehead is a blessed mess,

Dragging me backwards through the night in a state of undress

Alice Acid is my go-to-girl

She shows me the Wonderland colours of the rabbit hole

And the two CB siblings hold me close to consolidate the evening

Their magic sandwiches me in a waterbed of teddy bear feelings

Now I know the little gears between your ears are whirling with fictions

Making conscious connections this sounds like an advertisement campaign for addiction

But you’ve identified the wrong negative symbol in this equation

Addiction and recreation are separate beings, with no genetic relation

Recreation creates elation, spreading love in all the clubs

Like a superpower handed down from the Gods above.

Addiction’s a different shape, with it’s own backbreaking weight

A hopeless fate, chasing your shadow for a made-up taste

Body dissolving into waste

It’s true they breath the same air, that’s fair

But only one keeps you bound and gaged in a basement of despair

I separate the two with boundaries, walls to keep you functioning in society

But thinking one always follows the other like fraternity brothers is an absurdity

I have three culprits banned from my body’s shop floor

Crack, meth and heroine always get ignored, doesn’t matter how many red roses they leave at my door

Half of you in here share these truths

You’re chemical romantics too, with your own riptide stories to boot

And the rest of you think I’m a social deformity with a screw loose

Spewing self-justifying delusions from the bottom of my stomach as proof

And that’s fine, I’m happy to walk the duality of that tight rope line

But please recognise the hypocrisy littering your mind

As an indulgent glass of wine becomes a ritual bottle sacrifice every night

Because I think alcohol was the devil’s design, his trick to destroy us, body and mind

There are so many more efficient ways of feeling good

And drowning your sorrows just drowns you

Trust me, I’ve tried it more times than a few

We all have our vices, it’s one of the human strings that ties us

So bring your vice out of the cold weather,

Embrace it, face it, wear it to your skin like tight fitting leather

Because your connection can’t be severed, you’re tethered,

And a balance must develop, like the falling dance of a feather

I’m not saying my love hasn’t had it’s issues,

I’ve been guilty of pushing the relationship to misuse

The early years deliver new frontiers, but a level of conscious responsibility also disappears

So to avoid salted tears, a reciprocation of respect must be adhered to

Each love is special, and in the throws of its arms one should be careful

I respect drugs like a sacred new love

I don’t burry my head in its bosom, ignoring when to say enough is enough

I choose the red pill, because ignorance isn’t a skill

It kills opening up our third-eye with cheap throw-away thrills

So this has been a love letter to one of life’s unspoken treasures

In the hope that our perception of them gets better…

[idv-lockheart]

“I wanna take the loose ends of Paranormal Detective’s hair and just snip it off”

“How did he even manage to get his bangs like that? Like did he just cut a chunk of-“

“He’s British.”

Immediately starts losing their shit

- Tae and Mandi at 2am

( @idv-prisoner-merman )

[0perfectimperfections0]

Hiya! I absolutely adore your Lou fanfics. That man has emotional baggage the size of Mount Everest, and I'm so happy to see him getting comfort. I was wondering if you might write a sleep deprived or sick Lou who gets taken care of by Ox and Mandy (or any character you like) after trying to hide it? I'm a sucker for fluff or angst. Again, thank you for writing your stories! They're awesome! I love how he struggles with feeling like he should be absolutely perfect.

Aw, thank you! Yes, Lou has a lot of trauma that he's working through. Luckily now, he doesn't have to deal with it alone. But, he's still learning that fact with the help of the gang.

Also! Just because I got asked this in the other Fandom I write for, my prompts aren't necessarily in a specific order. Like, I place the prompts in the timeline that works best for the story. So, for instance, this one will be before the "Hugs" one where he stays with Ox. Cause I'm sure Ox would make ABSOLUTE SURE that Lou went to sleep every night.

And same, I'm a sucker for fluff and angst. I absolutely love that prompt! Let me see what I can do...

<><><><><><>

He had grown to be quiet after his turn in the wash. Most of the dolls who made their disgust with him known joked that the water had made him lose his voice. The airheads often considered the term prototype to be something akin to the robots around the village. And they didn't stop at that. Lou was essentially dehumanized as if he hadn't been when he was first created already.

But the silence he kept himself under was off-putting.

Ox was obviously the first to notice. He didn't allow the blonde to stray from his sight as he cleaned the floors. It was the tiny things he noticed day by day. The way Lou's legs would give out on him periodically. The mop looked bent from where Lou seemed to be putting most of his weight against it as if he couldn't hold himself up on his own accord.

The bunny nonchalant had made a comment or two about his concern to the others. He was met with discord, which didn't come as a surprise to him. But, Mandy and Moxy didn't have much to say in opposition to his comments as the others did. That had to be a good sign, right?

And now, as he stood by the wayside with a close eye on the prototype, he was mildly shocked to see the two girls walking up to him. "Don't think we haven't noticed you hanging around here all the time," Mandy commented as she stood beside him.

"I'm just worried," Ox didn't take his gaze away from Lou. "Somethin' doesn't look right."

"Well, that washer did a lot more than we thought it would." Moxy hummed.

Ox's ears twitched, "Very funny, Moxy. I won't talkin' about his actual looks."

"I know," Moxy was quick to raise her hands defensively. "I mean the washer did something to his head." Another glare in her direction. "I mean mentally!"

The concern knawing at him was the culprit for his short temper at the moment. And both girls knew that. And, to be fair, Ox had every right to believe that any comment made toward Lou was to be taken offensively.

There was a sound that caught their attention and the dolls looked up to see Lou had collapsed on the floor. Ox immediately rushed over and tilted the blonde's head toward him, "Lou? Lou!" He turned to Mandy, "Get Lucky Bat!" The Ugly was the closest thing to a doctor that would stand a chance at helping them. Ox couldn't depend on the Pretties to any extent. Not with his brother.

Lucky Bat could ensure that Lou was still alive. Exhaustion seemed to be what drove Lou to this state. "We need to get him somewhere to cool down," the bat waved a wing over Lou's face to try and relieve the red hue that had overcome it. "And he needs sleep. When was the last time he's slept?"

Ox opened his mouth to answer before realizing he didn't know. Once Lou was done with his job and disappeared into the shed, Ox always assumed he was safe and no longer had to worry. "I don't know."

Fortunately, Ox didn't have to ask for any volunteers. Mandy gently picked Lou up. Moxy piped up before Ox could speak, "We can take him to my house!" Ox blinked in surprise at her. She rubbed her arm, "I feel like I owe it to him...I mean, I did kinda start this whole thing. It's the least I can do."

He let out a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding in. It felt relieving to know he wasn't the only one in defense of the blonde. It took a lot of weight off his shoulders. Mandy gingerly followed the two to Moxy's house, Lucky Bat trailing along to keep tabs on Lou. The dark-skinned doll looked down at Lou worriedly, "He's not moving at all, except for breathing. Are you sure it's just exhaustion?"

"If it is sleep deprivation, his body probably forced itself to shut down to keep from something worse happening." Lucky Bat recalled through some of the human books his kid had brought home from school. Health was one of the subjects that caught the Ugly's attention.

"Worse?" Mandy didn't like the sound of that.

Lucky went skittish, wringing his wings together, "If it goes on long enough...I read that it can cause death."

______________

There were some murmurs around him. None of the words could be heard clearly, but it sounded like more than one. Lou hummed, brows furrowing from the pain in his head. The voices quieted down and something wrapped around his hand, "Lou?"

The blonde blinked his eyes open groggily. His eyelids felt heavy and his body wanted nothing more than to go back to its unconscious state. Ox stood in front of him, a paw clasped around Lou's hand tightly.

"...Ut...ppened," his speech wasn't working properly.

Moxy was sitting beside him on her bed, "You passed out earlier."

Lou couldn't find the strength to speak again, no matter what little he said before. Mandy walked into the room with a rag. She folded it and laid it across his forehead. It was cool. Some of the throbbing he'd woken up to numbed down after a moment.

"You gave me a scare," Ox chuckled airily, eye still trained on the doll to make sure nothing bad happened.

"All of us," Mandy corrected. She fixed some of the hair that had stuck to Lou's face, brushing it behind his ear. The red flush in his cheeks was starting to go away. "How much have you been sleeping?"

He didn't want to answer that question. It was already obvious where this was going and he wasn't ready for the chastisement awaiting him. He'd already dealt enough with that. Yelled at for not working enough. Yelled at for not sleeping enough. Nothing was ever enough anymore, was it? And with how the company treated him, he didn't feel like there was ever a time where it was enough.

"Lou?" Ox pressed.

"...Oo...rs," his voice was still weak. He tried clearing it, "T...oo."

Moxy's eyes widened a smidge, "Two hours?" The blonde nodded shortly. "Lou, you've only been sleeping for two hours every night? You need more tha--"

"Eek...," Lou whispered.

"Huh?"

He took in a breath, bracing for the reprimanding, "T...oo...ch...eek."

Their jaws dropped and Moxy dared to interpret what he'd said, "Two hours a week?" After a moment of hesitation, he nodded.

Ox looked away, taking in a breath to calm himself down. He turned back to Lou, squeezing his hands, "We're havin' a talk once you've got your speech back. I want you to sleep."

"An't...," the faintest whimper escaped Lou. His chest heaved.

"What?" Ox was scared the worst was happening.

"...P...ease...c...an...t," a tear trailed down Lou's face.

Mandy kneeled down beside the bed to hear him better, "You can't what? Sleep?" He nodded. "Just relax, okay? You'll be out like a light--"

"O," he choked out. More tears followed.

Ox instinctively sat up on the bed, putting a paw on Lou's cheek, "Hey, it's alright. Why can't you sleep? Is there somethin' stoppin' you?" Lou nodded, sucking in a sob. "What is it? Maybe we can help."

His chest still rose up and down erratically, "...Ight...ares."

Moxy understood immediately, "Nightmares?" Her heart sunk when Lou nodded. The gang exchanged looks. Moxy remembered the times her kid, Maizy, would have nightmares at night. She would stay with the girl overnight instead of going back to Imperfection. Maybe that's what Lou needed. Someone to stay with him. All those nights alone in the shed...not to count all the years in the Institute. It had to have done something detrimental to his sleep routine.

"I'll stay with you, how about that?" Moxy offered softly.

He didn't respond right away and she half expected him to not answer at all as she adjusted herself beside him. "...Ank...Oo."

She smiled, wrapping an arm around him. "I'll stop by Wage's," Lucky Bat piped up, "he'll need to eat something when he wakes up."

Ox nodded in thanks and turned to Mandy, "Thank you for bringin' him here. You can go now if you want."

She shook her head, "I'll stay." Gingerly, she sat on Lou's other side, back resting against the headboard. "Something tells me he'll need all the help he can get."

"Thank ya'll," Ox felt more of that weight lifting off his shoulders. He looked down at the blonde whose eyes had grown too heavy for him to keep open. He carefully took the rag off Lou's head, "I'll resoak this."

After a few minutes, he walked back into the room. He stopped short and a wide smile crossed his face. Lou was definitely sound asleep now and without a nightmare. He was turned on his side, arms wrapped securely around Moxy with his face buried in the top of her head. She smiled at Ox when he walked up to the side of the bed. Mandy had laid out fully on the bed and wrapped her arms around Lou from behind. The Pretty Doll was out like a light along with Lou.

Ox just opted for turning the fan on a higher level and sat the rag down on Moxy's desk. "Ox," Moxy whispered, "Could you get the blanket in my closet?"

The bunny retrieved a soft grey throw blanket and draped it over the three. He patted Lou's leg softly, "Let me know when he wakes up." She nodded. Closing the curtains, he closed the door behind them.

[natalie-the-writer]

Hey y'all! It's another UglyDolls story. Yep.

Except this time, I did a big twist with an AU idea I've had in my mind for months. This story follows where the Lou in the movie wasn't the real Lou, but a replacement and, well, you'll see how it goes.

Replacement and Rescue

It had been two years since Lou woke up locked in the basement of his own home. Two years since of him being in this ten by ten foot cell with three sleek grey walls and one glass wall. Two years since he was replaced for being 'corrupted' because he learned emotions from Ox and was willing to send a so-called 'ugly' doll to the Big World. Two years of learning dolls' names every night, seeing the memories of his replacement, and trying not to cry from helpless loneliness. He couldn't save his dolls. He couldn't protect them from the harsh words of the doll who pretended to be him. He couldn't protect Ox. 

 Everything changed a few days ago. Dolls that could only be from wherever Ox came from had shown up. They were going to go through the Gauntlet - an exercise for compassion and skill during his leadership and an object of pressure and fear for his replacement. If they made it through, it would reveal the secret. Lou might get out of there. For the first time in a year, he allowed himself a little bit of hope as he meditated, peering through the eyes of his replacement. The creator couldn't completely sever their connection with one Lou alive. Why he was alive in the first place, he didn't know. Didn't really want to know the answer. 

 It had been hard to stay up straight and meditate for hours. He usually kept it short, just a glimpse because even though it was torture for himself, he had to know. He hated not knowing even if everything he found out, everything he saw during lessons, crushed him. He was sleep deprived for hours, shaking where he sat and heart thundering in his chest, but he had to know what would happen. Ox was back. His replacement dragged him here and as much as Lou hated him being tossed around by someone he thought was Lou, there was a part of him that was happy. Hopeful. Ox was near. He would figure it out. He had to. The replacement had his memories, but not his attitude. 

 Ox would figure it out. 

 Lou watched as his replacement ran the Gauntlet, doing everything he could to trip the other dolls and failing. His heart went a mile a minute, a foreign, forgotten smile of triumph appearing on his face every time the other blonde was thwarted. He watched Moxy, Mandy, Nolan, Ox - everyone. He watched everyone cross. Watched his replacement fail. Grinned when the metaphorical ax fell and his replacement revealed he was a prototype. 

 Exhaustion took over in a wave as his replacement fought Lou's brother. His palms hit the ground, head hanging forward and bangs covering his face. His hair had long since fallen out of a perfectly good style, hanging in wavy locks on his forehead and reaching just above his shoulders. The last thing he heard was his replacement's cackle and remark of, "I'm not the Lou you knew." 

 He woke up hours later on the ground with a crick in his neck and his replacement banging on the glass. He rolled his head to look, lacking the strength to stand or even raise up. 

 The second Lou looked so much worse for wear than ever - suit shrunken, hair a mess, and a scowl permanent on his face. They must've sent him through the wash. Lou allowed himself a small smile. 'Was the water nice?' He wanted to ask, but all that came out of his mouth was air. He hadn't spoken in months. He wasn't sure if his voice worked anymore. 

 "I'm leaving to talk to the creator and get my position back since your stupid doll friend took it from me." He growled, folding his hands behind his back. Lou's smile grew. "Don't worry, they know nothing about you. They won't find you. They aren't looking for you." His mouth pulled into a smile as Lou's heart dropped. "I can sense your hope as well as you can see through my eyes. You shouldn't have developed emotions. If you hadn't, you'd be in my place without a stupid mistake to take care of." 

 'I'm glad I developed them!' He wanted to scream. 'I don't want to be like you. I'd rather be here than hurt any doll, especially my brother.' Since his throat refused to cooperate, he glared with newfound defiance. It'd been so long since he'd stood up against his replacement, acknowledged him with more than a short look, and it felt powerful. It felt right, for just a moment. 

 His replacement snorted. "Adorable." He spun on his heel. "I'll be back in a week or two. Try not to die before then. Sir wants you alive for some reason, despite all your mistakes." Lou waited until the door down the hall closed before letting his eyes shut, breathing deeply as he slowly pushed himself to sit up against the wall. The little cot of a bed was only three feet away, but he didn't have the willpower to get on it. Instead, he drew his knees to his chest and settled his forehead on top of them, unbidden tears falling down his cheeks. Relief. Hope. Desperation. It all boiled over into uncontrolled crying. He hadn't cried in months. 

 It felt good. 

__________________

 Lou waited five days. 

 He forced himself to take a long cold (it was always cold) shower in the little cubicle in the corner every day. Most of it was letting the water fall down on his face and over his threads, grounding him to reality with every shiver. A robot brought him a meal once a day. They seemed to get smaller and smaller with every month that passed, only enough to keep himself alive. He wore plain, stiff clothing, usually black or white, and he hadn't felt comfortable since his capture. 

 Who was he kidding? The only time he felt comfortable in his life was when he was singing his songs, teaching, or with Ox. It had been a long time since any of that happened. Could he even sing anymore? What would he sing about?

 On the evening of the fifth day, Lou sat once again with his back against the wall. He couldn't sleep. He hadn't been able to sleep. Every sound made him jerk, hope skyrocketing that someone was here to save him only to crumble when no one showed. He couldn't take much more of this. His hair was wet from his most recent shower, damp clothes clinging to his skin because he hadn't had the energy to dry himself as much. Shivers wracked his lanky frame making him curl up tighter. 

 Lou eventually put his head down against his knees again, wrapping his arms around himself in the closest thing he could get to a hug. He missed Ox's hugs. He missed Ox. His only friend. The only person who ever hugged him. Sometimes, he could feel the phantoms of his arms ghosting around Lou's torso, a barely there touch that was really only air. Absentmindedly, he wondered what other's hugs would feel like. 

 His imagination was torture. 

 Lou sighed and closed his eyes, trying not to picture for the millionth time what it would be like to be rescued. He couldn't get himself out of this. He'd tried so many times. Attempts only ended in punishment. His body was too weak to try now, even with his captor away. His mind was only sharp through single player card games and mental problems he solved. How he kept his sanity, he wasn't sure. Always remembering Ox? Always keeping a small drop of hope despite everything? 

 There was no hope now, he realized. Tears pushed at his eyelids and his head pounded in time with his heart. Ox was within a mile from him and he hadn't found him. Hadn't figured it out. He wouldn't be found. Lou #2 would come back and take over again. Everything would be the same except... Ox and the others would undoubtedly be kicked out or worse, never able to return. Lou would be truly alone. He shook, pulling his legs closer as tears broke through, soaked into the cloth of his black pants. 

 He didn't want to be alone anymore. It was cold. Sad. Scary. All the bad emotions Ox gave him names for. He wanted it to stop. 

 He wanted his brother, but he was just out of reach. So close, yet painfully far. 

_______________

 Lou wasn't sure when he fell asleep, but he knew when he woke up to the call of his name. 

 "Lou!" 

 He shook his head a little, pressing his eyes shut again. It was only in his mind. His stupid imagination. He kept his head downward, pulling his body as close together as he could go to try and block out that imaginary voice in his head. A voice he hadn't heard in years. The last time he truly heard Ox, they were wishing each other goodnight the day before the Gauntlet. Lou had replayed that moment thousands of times, wishing that he'd said so much more. 

 "Lou! Please, Lou, look at me." 

 'No, I won't.' He said to the voice in his mind, fighting back the urge to really look around. It would only be another disappointment. 'You're not really here. I'm not about to get tricked by my own mind. Not again.' His fingers pinched the fabric of his pants as he screamed at himself to snap out of it. He was losing his mind. He really was going crazy.

 "I'm coming, buddy. We're coming. Just hold on and I'll be right there with you. I'm here." 

 Buddy. Only Ox ever called him buddy. He went to raise his head only to forcefully stop himself. No, he was not going to respond. Voices without bodies don't get responses. Their promises aren't real. Their words can't bring the comfort he longed for. 

 There was a whoosh of air and then the pattering of several footsteps, one set much faster than the others. He really was losing his sanity after two years. He was breaking- 

 Soft arms wrapped around his torso from the side, one looping around his back and the other across the front of his legs. He jolted with what little strength he had left in him, but was otherwise frozen, his mind coming to a stuttering halt as he curled further into a ball. No. No. No. This wasn't real. It was too much. Why? Why did his mind do this to him? Hadn't he suffered enough?

 "Lou." His name was spoken softly. Ox. That was definitely Ox's voice. It was always Ox in his nightmares and dreams, screaming at him or comforting him. This was no different. He wouldn't fall for the trick. 

 The arms tightening around him almost broke his resolve. He turned his head away a little, unwilling to look at the illusion or think about how real the hug felt. "Talk to me, Lou. I'm here. I'm sorry. Can you hear me?" One of the arms moved. Lou almost let out a whimper at the loss of contact, as fake as it was, and opened his eyes to stare at the blank tile. A hand took his chin gently, pulling it until he was face to face with Ox. 

 Ox who's hand was warm. Ox who was looking at him with his one eye brimming with tears and mouth turned up in a shaky attempt at a smile. Blurred figures stood at the edge of Lou's vision, silent and staring, but he only had eyes for the illusion. "Say something, Lou. Please." His voice cracked, fingers tightening minutely on the blonde. The touch, the pressure, gave Lou a realization that had his lungs hitching and tears pooling in his eyes again. 

 This was real. 

 With a burst of sudden strength, he gripped onto Ox's arm with his hands, checking- He was solid. Completely solid. A strangled sound left his throat as he met eyes with his friend, more tears running down his face. He choked on them, breaths coming faster as he was enveloped in a strong hug, face pressed into the green fur of Ox's chest. Lou hung onto his warm with all his might, begging for this not to be a dream. 'Please, don't let this be a trick. Please.' He wasn't sure who he was begging to. Himself? God? Ox? Trembles ran through his frame, suppressed sobs and flagging strength overtaking him. 

 "I'm right here. I promise." Ox whispered, voice breaking again. He always knew what Lou was thinking. "Oh gosh, Lou, I'm so sorry. If I knew - if I'd known - I would've been here in a heartbeat." 

 He hadn't used his voice in so long that he wasn't sure how to speak. He opened his mouth, pushed his throat, and- "Ox." The name was barely a whisper, hardly loud enough for he himself to hear, but Ox's arms tightened anyway. He tried again, managing something slightly louder. "Ox. Ox." 

 "I'm here. It's- You're gonna be just fine. We'll get you out of here. He'll never hurt you ever again. Just rest a minute. I promise I've got you." One hand moved from his back to run through his wet hair. Lou's eyes closed involuntarily, breathing evening out at the action. "Moxy, Ugly Dog, keep an eye out for that... monster of a doll. Mandy, your house is closest. We need to get him somewhere comfortable and out of here. You're going to lead the way. Nolan, I need you to come here. Everyone else, find anything that might actually belong to Lou and then act as bodyguards outside. We don't need other dolls seeing. It would be too overwhelming." 

 The calm command in his friend's voice soothed his heart further. The role of leader fit him well. Lou peeked an eye open as several pairs of feet moved, vision clearing now that the tears bad slowed. He recognized all the dolls, seen them from his replacement's memories, and knew the Pretty Dolls' names since they were created. He also remembered all the others. As Nolan came closer, an anxious look in his mismatched eyes, he let his eye fall shut and relaxed against his brother. If he trusted them, then Lou could trust them, too. 

 "What do you need me to do?" The brunette's voice was small. Lou recalled the Ugly sign on him and the U.G.L.Y. song that made him cry. Did that shatter his confidence on the first day? His heart wrenched with the thought. He'd have to make it up to him. Somehow. 

 "I can't... I'm not tall enough to carry him comfortably. I need you to, until we get to Mandy's house. Please." 

 "I... I'll do it. As long as he's fine with it." 

 Lou felt the eyes on him and ignored how his heart picked up the pace again. He wanted Ox and only Ox, but he also wanted out of here. It had almost been a week since the other Lou left. He could be back at any moment. He wasn't about to get locked in a cage again when freedom and safety were right in front of him. So, he forced himself to open his eyes halfway, look between Ox and Nolan, and nod. 

 "You'll be just fine. I won't be far." Ox assured as he was gingerly shifted away. His brother didn't let go until he was safely tucked against the chest and shoulder of the other doll, one arm looping around his back and the other under his knees. After a '1, 2, 3' count, he was lifted from the cold floor. He tried not to 'cuddle' up against Nolan - they weren't exactly friends and the Lou the brunette knew was far from the original - but it was hard when you hadn't had the contact of another individual in two years. Carefully, he pressed his forehead to Nolan's neck and folded his hands over his stomach. Nolan stiffened, saying nothing, and Lou deemed it safe enough to close his eyes again. 

 He wasn't sure when he drifted off. Slivers of consciousness came and went as he was carried down the vast hallways of what was once his mansion (he wouldn't admit to himself that he flinched when he peeked and saw all the statues and artwork). He opened his eyes a little when warmer air hit him, almost crying when he saw sunlight and buildings. Outside. He was outside. The wind whipped by, running through his hair like an old friend, and he smiled. Lou wanted to see all of it, but his exhausted body begged for reprieve. He gave in, letting unconsciousness take him in bits and pieces for a little while. Vaguely, he was aware of the forms moving around him, creating a barrier, and Ox's hand on his arm. 

 He awoke again when he was put down, laid across something so soft he could've cried a third time. A bed. A soft bed that was a stark contrast to the cot he had nightmares in. A large hand rested on his head as the comforter was pulled over him. "Rest bud, you're safe." He whispered as another, heavier blanket was flattened over Lou. A weighted blanket. Lou snuggled down into it, a small puff of content air escaping his mouth. Everything was soft and warm. He could lay there and not get up again for all he cared about right now. 

 There was a small shifting of feet as he laid on his side. He listened as Ox told some dolls to leave, grab supplies, and inform the town that he'd be unavailable for a while. (Knowing Ox would be there made the last of the unknown tension ease from his muscles, leaving him feeling floaty and happier than he'd been in forever.) He called back two dolls: Mandy and Nolan. He instructed them to help keep watch on Lou. 

 Before everything, Lou would've protested being babied. He was independent, perfect, and everything in between. Now though? He wanted dolls close to him, even nice dolls that he didn't know because they weren't mean and cold. 

 As the conversation went on, Lou found himself no longer able to feign sleep, slipping into real oblivion easily. No nightmares interrupted him.

_________________

 Despite everything, something urgent came up that Ox had to deal with. It had been several hours since Lou went to sleep and the sun was going down, the bustle of the town at a slow down before dolls poured through the portal, their children asleep and ready to get rest themselves, hang with friends, or grab a bite to eat. Mandy had returned barely half an hour before, walking in the door right before Ox left, leaving her and Nolan to watch over the sleeping blonde who looked so much like the tyrant who was toppled a week ago. 

 "He looks a little different." Nolan muttered after a long stretch of silence, unaware of her racing thoughts. He was looking at Lou, almost studying him, and watching the ride and fall of the doll's chest. Lou had barely moved since he was placed in bed. The only movement he did make was from when he was switched into more comfortable blue pajamas, now laying on his back instead of his side. His hair was laid out, fanning over the pillow in golden waves. Sometimes, he'd almost smile, lips twitching up, only for his face to fall lax again. 

 But there were things underneath the blankets and a peaceful face. Lou was thin, thinner than a doll should be. He'd been locked inside of what could only be described as a cage, unmoving against the wall when they found him. He'd broken down in tears when he finally responded to Ox, eyes so lost and vulnerable it made her heart hurt. She hated to think she'd been so skeptical of Ox's suspicions that there was something else going on. It was only after they found the secret door by pure dumb luck (as in Lucky Bat and Ugly Dog horseplaying until they ran into the fake column-lever) that they found the real, vulnerable Lou. If they hadn't gone in there, hadn't found him.... who knows what would've happened. 

 He'd been there a long time. That was clear to see. Why hadn't anyone noticed? She wasn't here for his personality flip, wasn't here to see one Lou turn to another, but did he not have friends who would see it?

 She thought back to the words and technical warning Ox gave before he left. "We can't fix the past. I was the only one who coulda seen it and I didn't..." He'd ran his hand over his head. "We can only help him now. He's going to be a complete flip from the Lou you know. He... He was only just learning emotions when I knew him. There's no telling what that time did to him. Be careful with him." 

 Then he'd left, leaving the three dolls alone. It'd been an hour. 

 

 "He does," she replied after another minute. They were sitting in armchairs by the bed, watching either the window or Lou. "But...before he probably looked exactly like... him." Her voice lowered to a near growl on the last word. She didn't understand how someone could take the identity of another, destroy who they were in the public eye while torturing the original. 

 Nolan fiddled with his hands. "What do you think he's like?"

 "I... I don't know. We'll find out soon." 

 A few heartbeats later, Lou shifted. 

 'Sooner than expected,' Mandy thought, tensing a little while trying to appear relaxed. She thought she mostly succeeded. Nolan did not. He gripped the fabric of his pants, shoulder going a little rigged as Lou slowly pulled his eyes open, brief confusion and fear flashing across his features until realization settled in. He blinked at the ceiling, then his eyes landed on them, curious and hesitant. None of them said a word for a full thirty seconds. 

 It was Lou who broke the silence, voice an unused rasp. "Hi." He gave a little wave with his fingers. 

 Nolan jumped into action. "Hi- uhm, oh, you must be dehydrated. Hold on. I'll get some water." He sprinted from the room so fast that he ran into the hallway wall. Both Mandy and Lou winced. "I'm okay! Just a minute!" His fast footsteps disappeared down the stairs. 

 The two remaining occupants met eyes, Lou looking between her and the door with a little worry. She waved it off, trying not to show how caught off guard she was to see that face show such emotion. "He'll be alright. He does that sometimes. Do you want to sit up?" He opened his mouth and she stopped him. "No talking. Just move your head, okay?" He nodded twice, getting his elbows up under him. Mandy hastened forward to help him, putting her hand against his back as he slowly sat up. She helped him lean back against the headboard, blankets still firmly wrapped around his shoulders. He looked a little like a sick child, except with emptier eyes.

 "Thank you," he mouthed, offering a tiny smile. 

 Instinctively, she smiled back. "You're welcome." 

 Footsteps came down the hall again. Nolan practically sprinted into the room with a half full pitcher of ice water and an empty glass. Mandy raised an eyebrow. "You didn't spill half of that, did you?"

 "No, but I knew I would if it was filled to the top." Nolan replied sheepishly. He poured up a glass and held it out to Lou. The blonde pulled his arms out from under the blankets, taking the glass in slightly shaking hands. Mandy stepped forward to offer assistance, but he managed to drink it by himself. He went through another refill in slightly weird silence before putting the glass on the bedside table with the pitcher. 

 Lou ran a hand down his throat and cleared it. "Thank you, Nolan." His voice was still weak, but less gravelly. A bare whisper that could almost not be heard over the ceiling fan. Nolan grinned, some of the tension broken, and said "anytime." The word made a smile form on Lou's lips. 

 It was strange. If the Lou from last week had smiled, it was the smile of a shark, teeth or not. The hesitant smile on this wavy haired Lou in pajamas was entirely different. A doll pushed toward the edge finally saved. 

 "Where's Ox?" He asked, folding his hands in his lap. Blue eyes scanned the room in one swoop, anxiety visibly growing the longer Ox wasn't around. The image of him clinging to his brother as hard as he could flashed across Mandy's mind, pulling on her heartstrings once again. 

 "He had to step out for a little bit." He'll be back soon." She assured him. "Something about several dolls fighting." 

 "Oh. Alright." 

 Silence descended for a minute. Not exactly uncomfortable, but they didn't know each other. Lou didn't know them. They didn't know this Lou. He needed to be comfortable, especially while recovering. 

 Wait...

 "How did you know Nolan's name?" She asked, sitting on the edge of the bed in front of him. Her tone was carefully constructed to be curious, not accusing. 

 He fiddled with a stray thread on the blanket. "I was awake earlier, but it wouldn't have mattered if I was or not. I know the name of every doll that is made for me to teach." He said, then winced. "Well, before, anyway. Now I know the names and have to watch while my replacement teaches you all. He's right and wrong." Like that, he was off on a tangent, eyes narrowed on the bed as his voice gave in an out. There was a small fire brewing in his irises, drawing Mandy in. "The washer is only for demonstration. Not to be used on dolls. The Gauntlet isn't supposed to just test strength, as you all finally figured out. The-'' He broke off in a coughing fit. Nolan poured another glass and passed it to him. 

 "Slow down, Lou." Mandy said. The name felt foreign on her lips. "There will be plenty of time to dissect that later. The other... guy is gone. All you need to do is rest up." 

 He finished the glass, voice dejected as he spoke again. "He'll be back soon. Possibly with an army of robots or something. He wants his... throne back and me gone. He hasn't been able to since the creator wants me alive for some reason, but now? He'll kill me no matter what." He let out a frustrated huff. "If I had the strength, I could tell you exactly where he is?"

 "What do you mean?" Nolan voiced the question on Mandy's mind. 

 "He is... hardwired to me. I am the original prototype to run this place. Since there can't be two from the base programming, he is based off of me. Connected to me." He touched his chest, right above his heart. "We both have chips. Mine is the original. His follows mine. I can see through his eyes and he can feel my emotions since that's the one difference between us. The creator made sure he wouldn't develop emotions like I did. He has many purposes to drive him, but not emotions. He won't listen to a word I say. He's less doll, more... robot."

 "We'll fix this." The promise pulled itself from Mandy's lips. He looked at her through hanging bangs. "You won't be hurt again. We'll get rid of him. You'll have your rightful place again." 

 He smiled, looking somewhere between shy and surprised, but grateful all the same. "Thank you." 

 "It's the right thing to do." Carefully, she took his hand in hers. The muscles tightened a brief moment, hesitation flickering across his face, and then his fingers curled around hers in a gentle squeeze. "Wage is coming with some food for you. It should be here soon. Ox said you liked pasta with pepper." 

 A small light lit up his eyes. "I do."

 "Then you're in for a treat." 

___________________

 Not long later, several sets of feet came bounding up the stairs, murmurred voices and 'shush' admonishments following. Mandy shook her head fondly. She loved her friends, but a lot of them couldn't be quiet for anything. Nolan shared the same sentiments in a small chuckle. Lou just looked vaguely amused, settled back against the pillows. He was exhausted, but refused to sleep any longer. 

 The door came open and Moxy's head peeked in. She grinned when she saw Mandy and Nolan. Her grin grew wider when her eyes landed on Lou. "He's awake!" She told the others, running forward to the bed as everyone else filed in, Wage holding a styrofoam box of pasta and Lucky Bat with a bowl of ice cream held in his wings. "How are you feeling, Louey?" Moxy asked. 

 "Uhm..." He was clearly a little overwhelmed by the exuberant pink doll. "... better, I suppose." 

 "Your voice is shot." UglyDog said blatantly, receiving a light smack to the back of the head by Babo. "What? It's what the ice cream is for! I was setting the scene, man!" 

 "Ice... cream?" He sounded so confused it hurt. 

 "Yeah dude! Vanilla!" The dog doll jumped onto the end of the bed as Lucky Bat walked up with Wage. They settled the food in front of Lou with friendly smiles. He smiled back, but Mandy saw the glistening sheen of tears in his eyes. She squeezed his hand again and their eyes met. 

 'Are you okay?' She silently asked as the others moved around the bed, laughing and joking lightly with each other. 

 "I'm fine," he murmured. "Just...happy." 

 She smiled. "Eat your food. You need strength back, and the ice cream will help your throat." She reached out and opened the containers for him, putting the fork in his hand afterward. After a moment of hesitation, he started eating, watching the others and her with slightly wary eyes. It would take time to build a friendship with Lou. He'd been burned a lot mentally, but they'd help him. 

 A few minutes later, Nolan's voice broke through the chatter. "Does anyone want to play cards?" He held up a stack of Uno cards. 

 A chorus of "yes" went around until eyes landed on Lou, halfway done with his pasta. He looked between all of them, then asked, "How do you play?" 

 Instructions were given. Cards dealt. Lou's half eaten plate was put to the side because he couldn't stand any more and he nibbled on a scoop of chilled ice cream in a cup, the rest having been put away in the freezer while cards were given. They played round after round as the sun went down, laughing and sending good natured jibes at each other. Lou stayed mostly silent, smiling as he organized his cards. When he won, he laughed. 

 It was like a million cheerful bells going off. Beautiful and contagious in every right. Maybe it was a little weak and breathy. Who cared? Nobody. Everyone enjoyed the fact that he was laughing. 

 Ox came in at about ten o'clock, frazzled and worried, but when he stopped and saw them all playing Uno, Moxy about to win and Lou grinning as he laid down a draw four on her, Mandy watched him smile. It was sad and happy at the same time. She allowed him to slip into the spot between her and Lou, smiling to herself as his arm slipped around his brother's back in a side hug that Lou leaned into. 

 It was the calm before the storm, she knew. The replacement would be back eventually. Lou was struggling in both mind and body. The storm would come with a bang and they'd get thrown around a while, but they'd be okay eventually. As long as they stayed together. 

 For now though, Mandy pushed the thoughts of the hard future away and enjoyed the moment. They were together now, getting to know Lou, and that was what mattered. 

 (Lou won again.)

[storm-angel989]

Part 2 please of sleep deprived Val’s daughter I’ll give you my first born 😭

(Love your works!)

Hi friend,

Thank you so so much for the compliment- I’m glad you like my writing! As much as I adore kids, I do not want your first born (but it was very kind of you to offer!). I am a much better Aunt than I think I would be a mom. I am 100% guilty of taking my nieces/ nephews to the store, buying whatever they want ( particularly slime, things that light up and loud, noisy toys), give them a huge bowl of ice cream and send them back home to my siblings house. So you probably don’t want me babysitting either LOL. 

That being said, please enjoy the below part two! 

All I can say is Good Luck, Vox!

<3 Mandy 

I slept most of the next day. 

The few hours I did spend awake, I was overly supervised. The crabbiness, the crankiness was in overdrive. I wanted nothing more than an energy drink, hell, even a cup of coffee and I was more than willing to make it everyone's problem. Finally, my Uncle Vox took me by the hand, told me he had had enough of my attitude and pulled me onto the elevator. 

“Uncle Vox, I am not allowed in Daddy’s studio,” I grumbled. “And I’m in my pajamas, so I know I’m not going to yours.” 

“You’re right on one account. But your father is waiting for us,” Vox replied as his flingers flew across his phone. “We’re going to have a little discussion.” 

I crossed my arms and pouted. With one hand on my shoulder, he guided me through the empty studio down to where I knew the nurses office was.

“Oh fuck you, I don’t need a check up,” I snapped as I stepped back. 

“Watch your mouth crabby pants,” he replied as he pushed me forward. “We can do this the easy way or the hard way. Which is it?” 

I grumbled but didn’t respond. I didn’t doubt that one look at Vox and I would be walking into the doctor's office, calm as could be. He had that effect on people. With a sigh, I allowed him to push open the doors and lead me inside. 

My father and Aunt Velvette stood, waiting. 

“We really didn’t have to make this a family affair,” I growled. “Really, it’s not even like its complete.”

“We are grouchy today,” Velvette said dismissively. “Get into the gown. Sit on the bed. You know the drill.”

“I would like it documented that I hate all of you,” I snapped as I pulled the cloth screen closed behind me as I stepped into the little room.

“Duly noted,” my father said drily. “Let us know when we can come in.”

I changed into the gown and plopped on the bed, leaning back with my arms crossed. “I’m done,” I called. “Come in if you have to.”

“We do,” my father told me as he pushed the curtain aside. I crossed my arms as the doctor walked in. 

“Uncross your arms,” my father told me firmly. “This is how it’s going to go. You’ll get an EKG, physical exam, an ultrasound of your heart and your blood drawn, in that order. You will not fight, or your Uncle Vox will step in and you will be compliant. Do you understand me?”

The tone of his voice indicated that challenging him would be the worst idea I could have. Dejectedly, I laid down on the bed and kept quiet as the doctor stuck sticky pads all over my body. 

“I promise, the rest will be just as painless,” the doctor told me cheerfully as he detached the wires. “Sit up for me, I’m going to listen to your chest.” 

I didn’t answer and instead gave my dad my best scowl. He raised an eyebrow as if daring me to protest. 

“Babygirl,” Vox’s voice floated through the room. 

Inadvertently, I turned my head and was met with a swirling red eye and a brightly lit screen. 

“Relax and do what the doctor says,” he continued. “Come now, you don’t want to make this harder than it has to be.” 

I felt a fog flow through my brain and without really knowing why, I complied. Without protest, I obeyed the doctors every command, staying still as he listened to the inner workings of my body, and quiet even when then cold gel hit the skin over my heart. As soon as he was done, he handed me a towel and I sat up as I wiped the leftover goo away.  

“Just some bloodwork, and we’re good to go,” the doctor told me as he stood up. “Let me go get a few things while your dad takes your blood, and then we can chat.” 

“Reader,” Vox’s voice came instantly. “Look at me.”

I did as he demanded and our eyes met. Like magic, the fog lifted and exhaustion crept through me. My father sat down next to me and I laid my head on his shoulder. 

“Tired?” He asked as he pulled my arm across his lap. “Bebita, you can lay down. I can’t take your blood with you sitting like this.” 

I didn’t answer. After a moment, he stood up and Vox took his place next to me. 

“I’m sorry babygirl, I know its a long day, but we need to make sure your healthy. You really put yourself through the ringer,” he said. 

I couldn’t care about the feeling of the rubber band being pulled around the skin of my upper arm, or the coldness of the alcohol swab. “

“Little pinch, princessa,” my father warned. “Just relax and stay still.” 

I felt the sting of the needle and closed my eyes. A few seconds later, I felt him hold cotton over my arm and the sting of the paper tape to hold it in place. 

“That’s my good girl,” Valentino praised. “All done. Now we wait for the doctor to come in.”

“I want my jammies,” I mumbled into Vox’s shoulder.

“I think all the testing is done, you can get into your jammies,” Velvette replied. 

Vox stood up and as soon as the curtain was pulled behind them, I slowly undid the gown and pulled my pajamas back on. The fog had lifted, but I still felt tired. Like it would be too much effort to fight or argue anything that was said. I tossed the gown to the side and opened the curtain.

To my dismay, the doctor stood, speaking quietly to the V’s. I couldn’t read the expression on my father’s face, but all at once, I felt very, very awake.

“What’s wrong?” I asked as I stepped across the floor. “Daddy?”

My father turned to look at me and all at once, his expression relaxed.

“Nothing, baby,” he said as he stepped forward and put a hand on my shoulder, guiding me back towards the bed. “Not this time, at least. Come, sit on the bed, we need to chat.” 

I sat quietly next to him as the doctor listed the dangers of caffeine addiction. From mild to severe, long term effects. 

“Most adults have some form of caffeine addiction,” he told me. “And up to 400 milligrams a day is fine for those adults. But what you inadvertently did was an overdose.”

“You can’t overdose on caffeine,” I protested. 

“Yes you can,” my father said sternly. “Your blood pressure skyrocketed, your heartbeat was through the roof. And when the doctor looked at the EKG your watch took during the time, you can quite literally see the irregularity in the rhythm.” 

“You’re fortunate you didn’t drink anymore,” the doctor continued, “and that your family stopped you when you did.” 

I leaned my head on my fathers shoulder as the doctor continued on. According to him, I was one more energy drink away from risking hallucinations, vomiting, confusion, muscle spasms, or even convulsions.

“Okay, I get it, no more caffeine, now what do I do? Am I going to be okay?” I asked.

“This time, yes,” the doctor said firmly. “The best thing you can do for your body is minimize your caffeine intake.”

“That means no more energy drinks, or coffee, for you young lady. Or for any of us, for that matter,” Aunt Velvette said.

I watched Vox’s screen glitch ever so slightly at her words. But the four sets of eyes on me again meant I had no way out. 

“I mean it, there isn’t any lasting damage that I can see, but you need to take really good care of your heart,” the doctor told me. “Got it?”

“Yeah,” I muttered. “I got it. No more caffeine.”

“That’s our good girl,” my father said with a kiss on the top of my head. 

“You don’t really mean no coffee, did you?” Vox asked Velvette as we walked back across the studio.

“Yes, I did. We can support Reader,” Velvette said with a firm smack to Vox’s upper arm. “Wouldn’t hurt to do a few days without caffeine.”

Vox mumbled something I couldn’t quite make out, but whatever he said was rewarded with another smack from Velvette.

“How about a movie when we get back upstairs?” I suggested as I stepped into the elevator. 

“I think that sounds like a good idea,” my father told me.

[purplemagpie]

23 + 64

23. Mafia AU + 64. Guns/Crime

(cc: @gallavichprompts)

With Terry six feet under, the family business is now in Mickey's hands. He's well-acquainted with the dark underbelly of the South Side, and he ain't afraid to rough some people up in order to keep 'em in line, so he's doing a decent fucking job if he does say so himself.

When he gets word that pigs are out for blood and big names keep getting booked, he decides to play it smart--definitely smarter than Terry ever did--and come up with a decent front. Make it look all legit and shit, y'know? Ain't no way he's going to jail and following daddy's footsteps to the grave.

With some help from Sandy and a lot of yelling from Mandy, he opens a 24/7 Ukrainian restaurant-slash-café that looks perfectly lawful, except for the part where it's got zero clientele that ain't Family with a capital F.

That is, until this clueless motherfucking redhead shows up one morning wearing some sorta uniform and orders a Ukrainian breakfast. Sandy looks like she's two seconds away from murdering the guy in broad daylight like that won't be suspicious, so Mickey takes over to see exactly what the guy knows and why he's sniffing around Milkovich territory.

Turns out the guy doesn't know shit. Like, for real. He's just some ridiculously hot and severely sleep-deprived EMT who doesn't know which way is up and saw the sign about the breakfast special and was apparently either desperate or adventurous enough to try foreign cuisine at ass o'clock.

And he picked a front. 

Mickey's front.

It's fucking hilarious.

Mickey makes sure he gets his breakfast and then sticks around just in case, keeps an eye on the giant slouching near the corner and inhaling food at a frankly unhealthy speed, but he's positive the guy ain't lying. What's more, when he's about to leave, he actually walks up to the counter, gives Mickey a tired but honest smile and says, "That was delicious," and leaves a generous fucking tip.

Up to that point, Mickey considers it a funny anecdote he'll get to share at some point and that's it. A casual, 'Yo, Sandy, remember that ginger motherfucker who actually wanted breakfast that one time? Fucking hilarious', end of story.

He isn't expecting the guy to come back.

He isn't expecting the guy to become a regular and go from 'some dumb redhead' to Ian Gallagher, middle child, buncha siblings, bipolar but handling it, bad puns, warm laugh, bright eyes, loves being an EMT, loves being an uncle, loves fucking talking, loves Ukrainian breakfast--and apparently loves other Ukrainian things, too, if the heated looks Mickey keeps getting are anything to go by.

But even with Terry dead, the thought of doing something about it lowkey terrifies Mickey, so he doesn't. Kinda deliberately changes the topic whenever he senses that Gallagher is working up to doing something stupid like ask him to dinner.

He does, however, make it very clear to everyone that Ian Gallagher is under the protection of the Milkoviches, and that anyone who harms one single hair on his coppery little head will suffer a very slow and painful death.

Unfortunately, Gallagher ain't that dumb, and he figures it out after his ambulance is the only one constantly being spared whenever the mafia needs easy drugs.

"What the fuck?! I'm on a fucking no harm list and you won't even ask me out, Mickey?" he demands, all angry chin and sparkling eyes.

"Don't know what the fuck you're talking 'bout, Gallagher." 

He grabs Mickey by the shirt and pushes him hard against the counter, his breath warm and so fucking close, and suddenly there are three guns pointed at him. 

Four. 

Five.

Gallagher doesn't even flinch.

Mickey might be a little hard right now.

A lot, actually.

"Put the guns away or lose a fucking hand," he says calmly to the room at large. 

Then he looks Gallagher in the eye and casually fixes his collar, the uniform just as appealing now as it was that first day, and whispers, "What you gonna do about it, tough guy?"

[the-feels-assassin]

That moment when you re-read what you’ve written and you have no idea if it’s coherent or not.

[m4ndysk4nkovich]

ok so i want to talk about what debbie did to matty and julia so tw: sa.

also, in advance, i have been sa’d before. not getting into the details because this is tumblr and i just simply don’t want to, but i’m explaining her behavior and defending it somewhat, but awknoleging that what she did was sa and was not ok. this isn’t me completely defending everything she did, because yeah, a lot of it wasn’t right.

so first of all, matty was also in the wrong but y’all aren’t even ready for this conversation yet. matty groomed debbie and was into her. that’s not even up for debate. he was twenty and she was thirteen, and he was aware of this. he was older than both lip and ian. and before anyone says “they were just friends” no. no they were not. you don’t call a thirteen year old sexy, invite her to your house, have her sleep in your bed next to you, go to her house, and say that you’ll have intercourse with her once it isn’t illegal and just have it be platonic. that’s grooming. debbie is just barely a teenager and has a shitty education that definitely doesn’t teach her sex ed, but what she does know is what she learns from her friends. mandy encourages her relationship with an older guy and advises her to send him a “picture” (keep in mind mandy also raped debbie’s brother a season earlier so….) and holly and ellie basically encouraged the entire thing (in their opinions, consent DOES NOT MATTER and i vaguely remember hearing one of them say that getting him drunk was a good idea but idk). debbie raped him, yes, but she also literally had no idea what rape was…like literally. he had to explain it to her and she was still like “we were on a date??😃”. she was a kid. no, that doesn’t excuse it. yes, minors can rape people, but it’s a bit different in her case. i would also like to point out that debbie fully awknoleges that it was wrong later on, which is something that many people on the show would probably not do (not to name names but… “it’s a gallagher thing”). however, something that mandy said had some truth to it. matty was upset about being raped, rightfully so, but he was also very fixated on debbie’s age, which he hadn’t been before. but he was more fixated on the fact that now that something has actually been done, now that the creepy things i did actually had consequences, i could get arrested. he knew exactly what he was doing, and she didn’t. people always paint it like she did know, but she really didn’t. it doesn’t excuse it, but it does explain it.

with julia, i can’t believe that people actually use this against debbie. julia was ten months younger than debbie, and probably had an upcoming birthday. it all happened before like…february/march 2020, and debbie was 19 (she turned 19 in december) but julia was 17, and 10 months younger. however, carl is born january 2002 and is older than her. so i’m gonna say that they just messed up the timeline (like they always do) and she was probably born around february 2002, so she was 18 when debbie was arrested, but 17 when they had sex. a 10 month age gap is ridiculous, and that was kind of the point. debbie said it herself, she only got in trouble with the law because she was a lesbian. claudia reported her simply as revenge, and it fucked up not only debbie’s life, but franny’s, too. the writers weren’t trying to antagonize debbie in this- but people read it that way. and hell, maybe julia’s birthday was a little after ian and mickey’s wedding and she actually was 17 with carl, making him also guilty. people shit on debbie for something so unreasonable and it’s just clear misogyny. debbie, out of all shameless characters, is a victim of misogyny throughout the show. she and lip both drop their babies on accident due to sleep deprivation, but only debbie is in the wrong. debbie and literally every one of her siblings (even liam) uses somebody to their advantage, but only debbie is in the wrong. it’s bullshit.

[greyeyedmonster-18]

Please forgive my sleep deprived brain if this is a bad idea, but what are your thoughts on an “A Walk to Remember”-inspired wolfstar AU?

😭😭

we did NOT need to put that thought into my brain. (though, as much as im a stan of romance, i will say nicholas sparks isnt my....ahem favorite). But mandy moore stole that show.

now, if youre asking me to write this, it is going to be a no simply because if Im going to AU its going to be my own fucked up little world with frozen tundras and and piano players who cook, and novelists. i am not a writer nor a human who does well with a script and a preset list of things that needs to happen/following someone elses agenda (canon whomst? even my "canon" fic is a love story that is mostly russian roulette and is only canon because theyre at hogwarts and teenagers and someone is a werewolf etc etc). But someone wrote a really great Jily Time Travelers Wife AU and i might suggest banging down their door (i forget the authors name im sorry someone tag them if they know!!)

However--I LOVE THE TROPES WITHIN A WALK TO REMEMBER AND WILL PROVIDE A DRIBBLE DRABBLE THAT MEETS THIS CRITERIA. GIVE ME BAD BOY SIRIUS BLACK WHO FALLS IN LOVE WITH SHY LITTLE REMUS WHO LIVES WITH HIS MOTHER AND ONLY HAS A FEW MORE MONTHS TO LIVE.

But if YOU want to write this???? This is a GREAT fucking idea and i will cheer you on and read the shit out of it and will happily support you in the writing process