#me mom i wanna b left alone

[gurorori]

speaking of not having a room in my life ever... don't think it's ever talked abt how much of a deeply traumatic n dehumanising experience that is & i mean that wholeheartedly

everyone our age i know to this day who we grew up with has one, grown up with one since early childhood, had choice in what to surround themselves with in their own space and could have privacy when needed

i sleep in a single bed in a corner, that's all i have. we've always shared a room with 1-3 ppl and it was never a bearable experience growing up, but once you reach your early teens i feel like it just starts being traumatising regardless of environment. i know most of the time it's not anyone's intent to deprive children of personal space, it is most often the result of poverty & inability to give them that but i'm fully convinced you should not be having a child if you can't give them that

maybe my own experience is saturated by other household trauma that this lack of personal space opened us up to but as a whole, i think it's abuse to deny a growing human being their fully own space, as small as it could possibly be, any space at all ... i can't really explain why it's such an important part of growing up but not only do i still feel alienated based on that alone, i also don't feel like i have any right to privacy at all, no place i can just be and do what i want without being watched, judged, commented on or demanded a change (i can't turn the light on/off or close/open the door or windows without input! i can't keep the door closed at all actually bc she will come and open it and ask why i need it closed!)

anyway i just feel like it contributed to our trauma insurmountably and affected our mental health to this day. it feels like yet another puzzle piece in 'normal human development' missing that i will never be able to fill in?

i wonder if there r any studies done on this or any professional opinion on depriving children of personal space & privacy. reading other people's experiences online unanimously seems to imply it immensely fucked up our senses of self n complicated being in touch with our needs

so conclusion i guess. if ya plan on ever having N amount of children PLEASE think realistically if yr able 2 provide em an environment that allows em 2 have all of their needs fulfilled... n that absolutely includes the right to privacy

[opens-up-4-nobody]

...

[trippinsorrows]

with me + part ten

authors note: none

song inspo: “with me” by destiny’s child

status: in progress // masterlist

warnings: fluff, language, suggestive themes, angst

words: 5.8k

taglist: @pixiedust4000 @southerngirl41 @yolobloggers @msbigredmachine @wanderingreigns

You’ve never been a person who was big on holidays. 

Never saw the massive appeal. Easter was annoying cause everyone and they mama showed up to church just to show off their kids silk press and frilly dresses. Halloween was too dark. Valentine’s Day was always a toss up, depending on where you and Amir were at the moment. And 4th of July….fuck America. 

But Christmas…..in recent years, it’s starting to become a holiday you really enjoy. You owe a lot of that to Callie and her pure joy and excitement at the "most wonderful time of the year," for gifts, yes, but she loved celebrating “baby Jesus” birthday just as much.

And you couldn't deny that your town was most beautiful this time of year. Stunningly decorated, there wasn’t a non-resident building in town that wasn’t dressed down in HGTV worthy Christmas decor. Walking through town really felt like walking on the set of a Hallmark Christmas movie. 

And the activities were endless, especially for kids. 

Hence your current whereabouts, sitting on a bench with your mom as Callie partakes with a group of other kids in a workshop with some of ‘Santa’s elves’. Your eyes land on her more often than not, knowing you live in a safe area but never wanting to take any chances. You also notice how talkative she is at the table she’s seated at with another little girl. You smile. Seeing her interact with other kids always makes you happy. Once she gets past her initial shyness, you definitely see sprinkles of your extroverted personality in her. 

Checking your phone from a text from Joe, you can’t avoid the pout when met with empty notifications. 

Your mom, forever perceptive, notices this. “When does he come in?”

“Tomorrow,” you answer, unable to contain the smile on your face. You’re not sure who’s more excited about Joe’s return: you or Callie. Probably her, but you’re not that far behind. 

And not even just for sexual reasons. Yes, that’s definitely up there, but also expected. Because one thing about sex with Joe: it’s addictive. 

Having him like that for the first time in years awakened things in you that you forgot existed. No one could make you come like he could, and he knew it, hence his smug disposition during sex. One thing you were starting to realize was that Joe fucked like Roman, but he made love like Joe, and it was a deadly combination. 

You woke up alone the morning after the date, but you knew that was the case because this man literally flew out for one night just to take you out. And dick you down. 

But Joe being Joe, left you a note, like something out of one of those corny but sweet, romantic indie movies. It was thoughtful, but he’s always been thoughtful. 

That shouldn’t have surprised you. 

Just like you shouldn’t have been surprised to be woken up by Callie jumping on your bed, happy to see you and wanting to catch you up on her fun sleepover with Alexis. Alexis, who made sure that the first thing that she checked was the nightstand where that Plan B absolutely was nowhere to be found. 

Used and discarded in your waste bin. That’s where it was. 

The smirk she sent your way, you just knew she was gonna have a million and one questions. And clearly waiting for Callie to not be present to have that conversation was too much waiting, hence your phone buzzing with texts while you watched Wish with Callie.

Alexis: You dirty whore! I wanna know everything.

You: What’s there to tell? You don’t see the box anymore, do you?

Alexis: Bitch, you know what I mean. It was good, wasn’t it?

You: Girl…..good ain’t the word for it. 😩 I’m so tired and sore right now. He wore my ass out. Had me up all night.

You: I stopped counting after 4.

Alexis: 😖 You have no idea how much I love this for you.

Alexis: I’m also gonna take a wild guess that since you took the plan b, ya’ll didn’t use protection? He came in you, didn’t he? 👀

You: Every.single.time.

Alexis: Oh, he down baddddd. 

Alexis: Shit, do I need to get you some pregnancy tests?

You: NO. It was just last night…..I may have to get on BC because that can’t be a regular thing.

Alexis: Well….don’t you want more kids anyway? 

You: We’re not even dating, and you want me to get knocked up by this man?

Alexis: Bitch, you already have one child. Give her a sibling. 

Alexis: And what do you mean you’re not dating? That is your man. Just own it. 

It was a fun exchange, as are most things with Alexis, and it brought up a valid point. Joe was gonna have to either wrap it up or you were going to need to get back on the pill. 

And you knew better than to tell her that this man literally asked you if you were on the pill and said good when you told him you weren’t. You haven’t given yourself time to process that….later date and time. 

But Joe’s definitely been the subject of several dreams that left you waking up feeling aroused. Hence you counting down the days until his return, yes for Callie, but also because you desperately need your insides rearranged in a way only he can fulfill. 

And you also just miss him. 

Plain and simple.  

“I take it things are going well between ya’ll.” Your mom gives you that all-knowing look that all moms possess. You roll your eyes, and she playfully nudges your shoulder. “I’m happy for you, sweetie. You deserve to be happy. You and Callie.”

“We’re just….I don’t know what we’re doing exactly, but….it is going well.” It seems a bit silly to not acknowledge that you and Joe are dating again, but until he confirms as such, you lean on the side of caution. Granted, you know he’s not fucking anyone else, and you damn sure aren’t either. You speak to each other as often as you can, and there’s seldom a conversation that occurs without one or both of you hinting at the mindblowing sex you’ll have once he returns.

Nope….not dating at all.

“Well, he’s divorced now, isn’t he?” You’d eventually caught your mom up on that important update, knowing that she would never really approve if his wife was still in the picture. She wouldn’t outright say anything, but her demeanor would be telling enough. 

“Yes, but—”

“And he’s obviously very interested in being with you. I don’t need to ask if you’re interested in being with him, and Callie would do well in a healthy two-parent household.”

At that, you stop walking, arm in front of your mom. “Mama….you did amazing raising me all on your own. I owe you so much that it’d be impossible for me to ever repay you.” And it’s the truth. Definitely age and becoming a single mother yourself showed you just how much your mom sacrificed to keep a roof over your head and food in your belly. Your mom truly is your hero.

She smiles warmly, placing her gloved hand over yours. “I appreciate that, baby. But, if you don’t have to struggle, why should you? Joseph seems keen on being in Callie’s life and yours as well. What’s holding you back?”

You chuckle at her final question. “That’s more or less the same thing Alexis said.” Only gone for a couple days, you're starting to miss her too. She's been a great source of support the past couple weeks.

“I always did like that girl. A bit on the wild side, but I like her.” Oh, if your mom knew the extent of what that wildness looked like. Not just for Alexis but yourself. You’re certain your mom would have a heart attack if she knew you were a regular at the strip club in college. So much so that the owner knew you by name and often propositioned you for a job.

You’d be lying if you tried to say you didn’t consider it from time to time. 

“Maybe it’s how we got together,” you guess aloud, sitting back against the bench. “I think I still have some guilt about doing that to his wife.” 

It’s a take you’ve found yourself thinking about more and more over the past couple weeks. She may be out of the picture now, but she wasn’t when you first started messing with Joe. She was still his wife the first time you let him take you to bed, and that’s left a stain on your conscience you’re not entirely sure how to rid yourself of.

“I understand that entirely.” Hearing the change in your mom’s tone has you wondering if it’s truly wise to have this conversation with her. Is it still a sensitive subject? “But it seems they divorced before you even came back in the picture. Do you know why they finally went their separate ways?”

Shaking your head, you inform, “no, and a part of me wants to ask, but when he told me about it, I could see it was difficult for him. He had this….sadness in his eyes. And I don’t think it was because of the divorce itself but….something else.” 

A part of you wants to ask him again, feels like it’s information you should know. But, another part of you doesn’t want to pry too much. If it’s a sensitive subject, you don’t want to reopen any open wounds. 

“Well, if this continues to progress, it may be a discussion that needs to happen. Even if it just gives you a peace of mind.” You know she’s right. It’s just not something you’re ecstatic about having to do. “And you probably should also start thinking about what changes you may have to make for this to continue to work.”

Confused, you ask, “what do you mean?”

“He can’t keep flying in and out sporadically just to see his child. Or you. That’s not fair to any of ya’ll and not sustainable. You’re gonna have to relocate to wherever he lives.”

That….that is not something you’ve thought about until this very moment. You know Joe bends over backwards to make these visits work, but it hadn't occurred to you how long this dynamic could continue. 

Your mom must see the wheels in your head turning, adding, “and think about Callie, once she finds out that’s her daddy, she’s gonna wanna be around him as much as possible. It could be easier if you’re a bit closer.”

You don��t know how true or untrue your mom’s take is, but it’s also another conversation that will have to happen between you and Joe. He’s always on the road in general. Will moving really do anything to help with his visits? Relocating is something you’ve never ever thought about. This is your home. You grew up here. Callie was growing up here. You always saw her growing up here.

But, that was also a version where Joe wasn’t in her life. Now he is. So, of course, some things would change.

You just didn’t imagine that is what would change.

Even if your mom’s guidance now has you wondering what it would be like to have a house together, the three of you, Callie, with an actual backyard she can run around in. Not just limited to the space of your apartment. 

“I’m gonna go say hi to Gloria.” She taps your leg, gesturing to her friend’s store. “I’ll be right back.”

Nodding, you sit there, focusing on Callie instead of the nuggets of wisdom your mom just dropped on you. 

“Long time no see, stranger.”

And just like that, you’re regretting ever agreeing to leave your place. You should have just done something at the apartment with Callie. Invited your mom over. Baked some cookies and shit. 

Crossing your arms, you refuse to look his way. “Amir, it’s the happiest time of the year. Please leave me alone, and let me stay in my happy place.”

“You’re still upset with me?” He seems genuinely surprised at this, like you cussing him out in front of your daughter’s preschool wasn’t a good indicator of how upset you were. “Gotta let that shit go.”

“I don’t have to do anything but live, be black, and love my child.” Scooting to your edge of the bench, you tell him again. “Now go away.”

“We clearly need to talk this out—”

“No, we don’t need to do anything because there is no we.” You catch Callie’s eyes and remind yourself that you don’t need a part two of the last time. “I told you before. That’s done and over with. In all areas. You’ll never see my name pop up on your phone ever again.”

And that’s a promise.

“You’re so fuckin’ dramatic.” He’s growing annoyed. If only you cared. “Stop playing. What you doing tomorrow?”

“Sitting on my man’s face.”

Your answer seems to take him back. “He still around?” You don’t say anything. “You’re not stupid enough to be fucking him again, are you?”

“Amir, the only reason I was ever fucking you was because he wasn’t around, but he’s here now, and he’s not going anywhere. And without hurting your feelings before Christmas, I can promise you, dick is not something I will ever want or need from anyone else ever again.”

He scoffs, just looking at you with disgust. “Mariah was right. That nigga really does have you acting different.”

At that, your head snaps in his direction. “What did you just say?” Instantly, you see it. The regret in his face in realizing he’s fucked up. “Why were you talking to Mariah?” Your best friend couldn’t take your calls or texts, but she had time to fill your ex in on your private life? “When?”

He looks off, trying to hide the guilty expression you’ve already clocked. “We ran into each other at the store the other day.”

Lie.

Scoffing, you lean back against the bench. And you laugh. All you can do is laugh because never in a million years would you have put these pieces together, but it makes so much sense. 

“Yeah, you can get the fuck away from me. Now.” Seeing him about to open his mouth again, you decide to separate yourself. “Fine. I’ll leave.” 

And you do just that, moving to another available bench where you can still keep a close eye on Callie. It seems they’re nearing the end of the activity. One glance over to your previous seat, you see that Amir is gone. 

Good. 

Pulling out your phone, you send a simple text. 

You: If you were too busy riding Amir’s average dick to message me back, you could have just said so.

There’s barely any time for you to slide your phone back into your purse when it beeps.

Mariah: ??????

It actually takes a lot in you not to call and cuss her out right then and there. You’ve been trying to get in contact with her for weeks and the minute you send her that, she remembers how to reply?

“Mommy!”

You’re grateful for Callie’s distraction. Smile on your face, you see she’s approached you with not only the little girl at her table but a man also wearing a friendly expression.

“This is my new friend! Her name is Taylor!” Taylor appears to be the same or around the same age as Callie, box braids styled into two space buns, and she and Callie share giggles like they’ve been friends for years. In a weird sort of way, she reminds you a lot of Callie. 

“It seems the girls have connected,” the man speaks with a chuckle. He offers his hand. “I’m Darius. Taylor’s dad.”

Your phone goes off and you quickly glance, hoping it’s Joe.

Mariah: Can we talk?

Instantly, you reorient yourself to the conversation at hand. 

“It appears they have,” you agree, offering your name and asking, “are you from around here?”

“Naw. Just visiting some family. Me and my wife.” He looks around. “She should be somewhere around here. Her parents only live about an hour out, so they came to meet us.”

“Oh, cool.” Glancing at the girls, you recognize that plotting look on Callie’s face and wait patiently. Coyly, you share with Darius, “I believe a request is coming.”

“Oh, most definitely.” 

Sure enough, Callie is holding onto your leg, face peering up at you. “Mommy, can we see the fireworks tomorrow?” That’s certainly not what you expected to hear her ask. Callie has never been too big on fireworks. When she was younger, you’d have to lay in bed with her and soothe her to sleep because they made her nervous. Now she wants to go to an actual show? “Taylor is going too, right Taylor?”

Taylor nods happily. “And my mommy and grandma and grandpa.”

It's like the mentioning of additional parties triggers something for her, Callie offering suddenly, “Joe can come too!” 

That gives you a pause. Joe’s never gone out in public with the two of you, outside of the hospital, but that doesn’t necessarily count. It was an emergency, not happy hour.

There’s a bit of anxiety, even though you know your town is the perfect place to do so. You’d put your head on the chopping board that less than five people would actually approach him, asking for autographs and such. They might recognize him, but they’d never approach. 

It’ll also be the first time Callie can refer to him as her father instead of just Joe.

Finally deciding, you answer, “if you want to, baby.” 

You and Darius share a laugh as the girls rejoice together. He pulls out his phone and offers, “why don’t I give you my wife’s number? You two can communicate regarding the meetup and whatnot.”

“Yeah, of course.” Exchanging information, you program Bianca Johnson into your phone, sending her a text after Darius says he’s already messaged her regarding Taylors new best friend. 

It’s in programming the number though that you see an incoming call from Mariah. It’s an immediate decline. 

Mariah: Would you pick up the damn phone, please?

Navigating to her thread, you put her on mute. It’s almost Christmas. You refuse to allow her or anyone else to ruing this for you or Callie. 

________

Personally, you believe that there should be a mandatory set time for Children to wake up on Christmas. Preferably, any time after 10am. 12pm would be even better but highly unlikely given most kids go to bed extra early on Christmas Eve. Callie is no different. You and Joe get her down by 6:30pm which should have given you ample time to bake cookies, finish wrapping her gifts, the whole nine yards.

If only you two had a better sense of self-control, because the minute you were confident Callie was out for the night, he had you bent over the kitchen island. And that was….that was fine, because you’d been thinking about him being inside you from the moment he stepped foot in your place. Hell, from the moment he left. 

But then you somehow ended up riding him on the living room floor, his back propped up against the sofa as you bounced on his dick, surrounded by the toys you should have been wrapping for your daughter. And while you eventually did get the gifts wrapped and cookies baked, you weren’t even able to change from out of your towel and into pajamas when this man propped you on your bathroom counter, spread your legs, and ate you out like he’d been fasting for 40 days and 40 nights. 

It wasn’t entirely surprising. Joe’s always had a big appetite for sex, for you. Not that you were any better. And the fact of the matter was that having a kid meant you had to take advantage of the little free time you had, which you clearly did. 

But it was now coming to bite you in the ass, because it’s goddamn 9 o’clock in the morning, and Callie is jumping up and down on your bed when all you want to do is sleep for another ten hours.

“Mommy! Joe! Santa came!”

It’s nearly impossible to hold in your groan, so you suppress it by turning over and pressing yourself into Joe. Of course, he’s already got his arm around you, holding you against his body. He’s also still knocked out. 

Finding the strength, you shove on his chest. “Wake up.” It’s a bit incoherent, sleep still heavy in you and hindering your speech. Blinking your eyes open to allow the sun shining from the open curtains (courtesy of Callie) to motivate you to get your ass up, you punch him in his stomach. “Joe.”

He grunts, and you smile. “She’s up.” 

Pleased with the fulfillment of her alarm clock duties, she jumps off the bed, yelling, “come on!”

At that, you sit up from the mattress, scolding her, “Calista Manaia Anoa’i, you got one more time to jump off this bed, sis!” Looking back to see Joe still trying to wake up, you shove him again. “You better get your daughter before she gets punished on Christmas.”

This helps to stir him as he lays on his back, hand on his forehead. “Leave her alone.” It takes a minute for you to refocus. His voice in general is sexy as hell, but that morning voice is something dangerous. 

“Her ass is always trying to jump on and off shit.” Kicking off the blankets, you stretch and make your way into the bathroom to do your hygiene routine. Joe is not too far behind, coming in a few minutes later, slapping your ass as you’re bent over the sink spitting out your toothpaste. “Behave,” you warn. The two of you share the sink and counter space to get ready with you finishing first. 

Back in the room, you make up the bed and check your phone, sending out a few, quick Merry Christmas texts, Bianca included. Even though you’ve only texted since yesterday, she seems pretty chill and you have a couple of things in common, kids around the same age, both working as teachers. It’s just unfortunate that she lives further down South. You’re not sure how you’re gonna break that to Callie, but that’s a task for another day. 

Today is an exciting, happy occasion, and you’re not gonna let anything or anyone ruin it. 

Joe is suddenly behind you, arms around your waist and mouth on the side of your neck. 

“Merry Christmas, baby” he murmurs, pressing kisses against your skin. 

Chewing down on your bottom lip, you turn around and lean up to kiss him. “Merry Christmas.” Hands on his chest, you ask, “You ready?”

He looks at you, clearly thinking about what you’re asking. This is what he’d been building up to, but you’re certain there’s some level of anxiety. 

“Yeah, yeah, I’m good,” he finally answers. You’re not certain if he’s speaking more to you or himself. 

“She’s gonna be happy, Joe. I promise.” Stealing one more kiss, you take his hand. “Come on. She’s gonna start getting impa—”

“Come on!” She shouts from the living room, and you give him a look. 

“That’s your child.” His chuckle follows you out of the bedroom and into the living room where Callie is literally bouncing on the heels of her feet near the Christmas tree. You’re not entirely certain, but you could have sworn there weren’t as many gifts there when you left for your shower and eventually bed. 

“It’s Christmas!” Running over to Joe who swoops her up and kisses her cheek as she tells him Merry Christmas, you patiently wait for your turn, giving her a kiss and hug too before she’s pulling the both of you over to the tree. 

Using your phone, you snap photos and record intermittent videos of her opening her gifts. And in doing so, you’re certain Joe added a couple more when you were in the shower. He’s definitely that dad who doesn’t see an issue with spoiling the shit out of his kid. And as long as Callie remains kind and respectful, you won’t stop him. He’ll definitely hear about it tonight, but you won’t actually interfere.

Alexa playing Christmas songs in the background helps to set the tone as well. Mostly Mariah Carey because it’s literal law that one must listen to All I Want for Christmas is You on Christmas day. Really, starting the day after Halloween. 

You don’t make the rules. 

Literal fucking law. 

Callie suddenly pulls a gift, small and rectangular shaped, that you definitely don’t remember wrapping. “Mommy, it’s for you!” Thinking it’s something she made for you, you put your phone down and take it only to recognize that the writing is clearly too nice to be written by a child, not to mention that it has your name instead of mommy. 

Your eyes land on him. “Joe….what is this?”

“Open it,” he encourages, waiting patiently.

Still in somewhat belief he would actually get you something, you rip off the packaging and gasp. You almost drop it reading the brand name written in gold calligraphy. “Chanel? Thee Chanel?”

“Who’s Chanel, mommy?” 

“It’s a brand, baby,” you answer, distracted because you’re still stuck on the fact that you’re actually holding in your hand something that had to cost at least a thousand dollars. If not a couple thousand. 

“Open it, mommy,” Callie presses. This girl is both nosy but also loves to see people receive gifts. 

And so, you open it, gasping louder this time.

“Joe…..” It’s absolutely stunning, the most beautiful necklace you’ve ever seen. Gold. An intricately decorated ‘C’ pendant with a diamond in the middle. C for Chanel for most people. C for your heartbeat for you. “It’s beautiful….” 

He moves over to you, helping to remove it from the box. As your hair is already up in a messy bun, he has no difficulty placing it around you, as Callie exclaims happily, “it’s a C!.”

“C for Callie,” you answer her, cupping her cheek before turning to Joe. “Thank you…..” Pulling him in for a hug, there’s something so emotional about this moment, something pure. You’ve never felt so cared for by anyone.

Never felt so loved. 

He kisses your temple. “You never have to thank me for anything I do for you.” 

Hating the fact that tears are brimming your eyes, you punch his shoulder, needing to not be so emotional. “You should have told me you got me something. Now I feel bad because I didn’t get you anything.” 

Thumb caressing your cheek, he answers, softly. “You already did.” Confused, his eyes discreetly focus on Callie who’s back trying to figure out which toy she wants to play with first.

That….that does something to you. 

You look at him, ready to say something, when you see it. See it in his eyes. A deep level of appreciation that indicates a story, a reason as to why this means the world to him. There’s something there. Something more he’s not saying, but you know it’s neither the time nor the place. 

Now….now is the time for something else. 

“Baby.” It’s surprisingly easy to catch Callie’s attention, so you pat the space in between the two of you. “Come here. We need to talk to you about something.” 

Wordlessly, she plops right between ya’ll with that naturally inquisitive expression. 

“Callie….” Joe feeling a bit nervous made sense to you, and you expected as such. But you never thought about your own trepidation in this moment. It’s difficult, but you do your best to push it away. “Do you….do you remember when you asked me about your dad?” She nods. “And why…..why you didn’t have one?”

She nods again, Joe this time grabbing her attention. “Callie, do you know why I came back in your mom’s life?”

She thinks about his question, answering tentatively, “because you missed mommy?”

He chuckles. “That’s true. I did miss her. A lot.” You try not to think too much about his words, to not make this moment about you or you and him. It’s about Callie. “But, I mostly came back because I wanted to meet you.”

Her eyes light up. “Really?”

He nods, “Calista, you are the sweetest, kindest, and smartest kid that I have ever met. And I love every second that I get to spend with you.” Joe brings his hand to gently palm her face. “And I especially love being your dad.” 

You’re not quite sure if you’re breathing or even fully present in the few seconds it takes for Callie to process what he’s just said. But then, you see it, a smile that could light up times square. “Really?” She snaps her head in your direction, looking for confirmation. “Mommy, is Joe really my daddy?”

Sniffling, you wipe at your eyes. Damn feelings. You’ve been way too emotional lately. “He sure is, baby.” 

Squealing, she literally throws herself against him, hugging him tightly. “It’s the best Christmas ever!”

“I love you, Callie.” Joe shuts his eyes, taking in this moment, kissing the top of her head. “And I’ll always be here for you.”

“I love you too, daddy!” If you could capture this moment, capture those words leaving her mouth, forever keep them as a keepsake to be preserved for all time, you would. Because it’s everything you’ve ever wanted for her. To know she’s wanted and loved by both her parents. And finally, that moment is no longer a hope but a reality. 

“Wait!” She suddenly pulls away, grabbing the picture she’d drawn for Joe and given to him as a Christmas gift. “I’ll be back!”

He looks over at you. “What is she—” 

“Your guess is as good as mine,” you answer with a murmur, still partially overcome with emotion. 

However, Callie is back in a matter of minutes with that beautiful smile on her face. Flipping it over, she exclaims, “I fixed it.” 

Your eyes immediately land on what she “fixed,” and your heart swells. She’s crossed out Joe’s name with a black marker and instead written above it “daddy.”

“I love it.” His voice is thick with emotion, and you move closer to him, laying against his side. Wanting to be with him in this precious moment. 

Callie wasn’t lying.

This truly is the best Christmas. 

________

“Come on! We’re gonna be late!” 

Callie’s animated voice somehow travels to you and Joe despite all of the hustle and bustle occurring around you, the sea of bodies waiting for the fireworks show to begin. There’s not much distance between the two of you and her, enough for Joe to grab her if need be. 

You walk close with him, you hands locked around his bicep.

His discomfort is obvious, so you assure, “relax. You’re not the tribal chief around here.” He glances at you. “They may notice you, but they’ll leave you alone. Especially since it’s Christmas.”

This seems to relieve him as she explains, “tonight is about her. I just don’t want to take away from that.”

“And you won’t, I promise. Just….just be present in this moment.” He takes your hand in his, giving a gentle squeeze. Continuing to walk with him, your eyes land on Taylor, Darius, and a woman who, even from a distance, looks vaguely familiar. 

“Taylor!” 

Callie rushes over to her new best friend, and the two embrace. You almost wish you had your phone out to take a picture. The woman wears a friendly smile, but instantly, something feels off. She approaches you, asking, “Y/N?”

Nodding, you’re shocked when she pulls you in for a hug and then apologizes. “I'm sorry. I’m a hugger, and I just feel like I know you already.” 

Callie takes this moment to jump back in the conversation, rushing over to Joe and introducing, “this is my daddy!”

That settles some of your anxiety. You’re not certain you’ll ever get tired of hearing her refer to him as such, and you know he won’t either.

“Man, uhh, hi, nice–nice to meet you.” Immediately, you know that Darius most definitely recognizes Joe. “Big fan.”

“Thanks, man.” Joe, understandably, keeps it simple, and you clear your throat. 

“Thank you for arranging this with us. Callie seems to really like Taylor.”

“Taylor too,” Bianca expresses with a smile, as you realize she also has dimples. It’s a little thing, stupid, but as much as you try, you can’t shake the feeling that something is wrong. “I swear, you would think they’ve known each other for years.”

Joe chuckles. “They’ve hit it off pretty well.”

“I’m sorry.” You hate being so off-putting and direct, especially given all of your text exchanges with this woman have gone so well, but you have to ask, “have we m—-”

“Bianca!”

A woman’s voice calls out, interrupting your conversation. 

She looks past you and smiles, waving whoever it is over. “My parents,” she informs. “Over here!”

Callie and Taylor are immersed in a conversation, as you make eye-contact with Joe who gives you that ‘what’s wrong?’ expression. Answering truthfully, you shrug and murmur, “I don’t know.”

The presence of Taylor’s grandparents snatches her attention from Callie. “Grandpa!”

Turning around, you manage a small, inauthentic smile to introduce yourself when you see it. And everything is suddenly ten ways wrong. 

There’s a brief second where you question yourself, question your vision, question your entire existence. But as he smiles, holding and kissing his grandchild on the cheek, you just know, know that you’re not wrong.

“Dad,” Bianca speaks, but you’re someplace else, someplace much different. “This is Y/N and…..”

She’s talking, but you’ve completely dissociated. You can’t say anything, paralyzed with shock and an overwhelming feeling of heartache. 

That’s why she looked so familiar. You saw her that day at the precinct, coming into his office to inform him of her sibling’s misbehavior. This is his daughter.

This is your sister. 

The daughter he picked over you. 

And this is your father. 

You’re going to be sick.

Partially aware of Joe’s suddenly cautious gaze on you, you place one hand over your stomach. “Excuse….excuse me….I—” You feel like you’re going to pass out, like four walls surround and are gradually closing in on you. Your throat is about to close up. “I have to go.” And you run, you run as far as your legs can take you, away from that situation, away from that visceral blast from the past, away from the overwhelming emotions that are threatening to overcome you. 

And you don’t stop.

[keeperofthegrim]

Can I request the first years finding the reader's journal and grim reading it put loud to reveal all sorts of thing including their crush on one of the first years who is very excited to hear about it

Yes you may B)

It was an oversight on your part, so carelessly leaving your journal out for your friends catch sight of. They had invited themselves over (like they always do), so you had no time to clean up. You left to make a quick run to the campus store for snacks, but Grim was starting to get impatient. He went to retrieve some tuna from his emergency stash because it had been a whole hour since dinner! While in your shared bedroom he catches sight of the journal you’re always writing in. Curiosity gets the better of him and he grabs it and scampers back downstairs. 

He settles back down on the old couch and opens the book, catching Ace’s attention.

“Yo Grim, what’s up with the book?” He calls to the monster, making the other boys turn to look as well.

“It’s the humans diary or somethin, I wanna see if they’re sayin good things about me in here!”

“Grim, that’s a blatant invasion of privacy.” Jack reasons, but is ignored as Grim keeps turning the pages.

“Myahahah! Look what they said here! ‘Grim was super cute today! He was mad that I gave him a bath but he was so adorable and fluffy after I dried him!’ This thing is full’a them talkin about how cute I am!” He boasted, puffing his furry chest out.

“And here! ‘He looked so nice today, I just couldn’t stop... staring...? Hah? This ain’t about me! They’re talkin about some boy!” Grim scoffed, offended that his henchman was praising boys instead of him! And now the others are really paying attention.

“Seriously?! Who is it?” Ace leans in to read with him, while Jack makes to take the journal away from Grim. But before he can, Grim sees who his human is talking about! In surprise, he shouts out... 

➔ “Blegh! It’s Ace! Why would they like him?!” 

Ignoring the insult, Ace immediately snatches the journal out of Grim’s paws, scanning the pages for himself. When he reads his name, he’s fighting the urge to let out a girlish squeal. Of course he likes you too. Seriously, he had been flirting since the very start! He decides that he’s gonna kiss you when you get back.

➔ “Deuce?!” 

He’s flabbergasted. Just absolutely gobsmacked. You? Like him? Really?! There’s so much exited energy building up in him that has to take a lap. Even then he’s still jittery, and can’t stop smiling. He wants do this right you know! Ask you out on a proper date, and really sweep you off of your feet! He can hardly wait to tell his mom about you.

➔ “Myah! They like Jack!” 

He stops in his tracks. His ears are perked up, and his eyes are wide. After a brief pause he takes the journal from Grim and calmly takes it back to your room. Once he’s alone, his tail is wagging like crazy. It wasn’t the ideal way to find out, but he’s glad to know you feel the same way. When you return he’ll apologize on behalf the other idiots, but let you know he feels the same.

➔ “It’s Epel!” 

He yells. Basically throws himself at poor Grim to confirm what he heard. He’s jumping up and down in excitement because this is possibly the best day of his life! Immediately planning how he’ll confess. In his head, he’s super suave and cool about it, but he’s not sure if he can keep his composure in real life because he’s just that ecstatic.

➔ “No way! Sebek is the guy they like!” 

For once in his life, Sebek is totally speechless. Earlier he insisted that he didn’t care who you liked, but now? He can try and deny his crush on you all he wants, but the his ears are glowing red. The others are teasing him, but his thoughts are racing and he’s tuning them out. He supposes he needs Lilia’s advice on how to court humans properly.

[natashaslesbian]

Babysitter

From the ‘Tiny Dancer’ series

Natasha had no choice but to leave you with Uncle Bruce when she goes away for an overnight mission. It turns out, Bruce isn’t the best babysitter

Word Count: 1.2k

Pairings (Mom!Natasha x Daughter!Reader) (Bruce Banner x Kid!Reader) (Wanda Maximoff x Kid!Reader)

Warnings: none I think :)

————

“Ok tiny dancer” Natasha said as she left a gentle kiss on your cheek “you be good for uncle Bruce ok?” You nodded your little head and gave your mama a sad smile “I’ll be good. I promise” your mommy gave you a tight hug and made a quick exit. Trial and error had discovered that a short goodbye left you much calmer than a long buildup causing you to breakdown when Natasha closed the door. You turned away from the elevator and headed back towards the avengers private living room “Natasha will um- mommy will be back soon y/n” Bruce tried his best to console you, he was still pretty new at this. Until now, Dr Banner had never looked after you alone, he had always shared the babysitting responsibility with Clint or Tony or whoever was at the compound while Natasha was away for a mission. “You wanna…watch tv?” Bruce said “yes please” you replied as you took his hand, much to his surprise.

You spent 3 hours in front of the tv, you usually did right after Natasha had left for a mission. It took a little while to bring out your bubbly personality. “heeeyy y/n” Bruce said as he returned with your dinner “I’ve made your favourite!” Beckoning you towards the dinner table “Dino nuggs?” You asked “yes. Dino nuggets indeed” your uncle said as he helped you up onto the chair. Natasha had left strict instructions on how you liked your dinosaur nuggets to be made and what you would eat them with, you were horrified when you looked over the plate of burnt nuggets and cabbage as a side “ew!” You exclaimed “what’s this?” Bruce had tried his best, he couldn’t find the sweetcorn you usually had with this meal so he settled for cabbage in the hopes you would at least try it “it’s some yummy cabbage y/n, with your dino nuggets” he handed you your little plastic pink fork which was instantly thrown across the kitchen and clattered on the floor. “Don’t want caby thingy!” You yelled “what about the nuggets?” Bruce tried to deflate the situation “they’re b-burnt!” You started to cry “don’t lik-like them burnt!” You climbed down from your chair and made a fast exit back to your bedroom. “Great” Bruce huffed.

Uncle Bruce tried to tempt you with every other option he could think of for dinner, even takeout. You, however, were having non of it, you wanted your dino nuggets. Dr Banner accepted defeat and returned to the kitchen where he spent 3 hours perfecting your dinner to your high standers. It was almost your bedtime when you finally sat down for your second attempt at dinner, you had long ago stopped complaining about your rumbly tummy and could barely keep your eyes open while you ate the last few bites. There were still more mountains to climb before bed, but luckily you were exhausted so you didn’t put up much of fight during bath time. You fell asleep way after your usual bed time and Bruce near enough collapsed into his bed down the hall.

The scientist felt a small breeze against his hand in the early hours of the morning. He shot awake when his handed was tightly tugged. His minor scream as he awoke had you backing into a corner immediately “sowry uncle Bruce” you whispered “oh y/n” he panted “it’s alright, um- are you okay?” He asked as he pulled back the covers “I had a bad dweam” you whispered “oh- ugh” Bruce was baffled, having no idea how to help you “do you wanna- um - have some milk and then um go back to bed?” He offered “well, mommy usually lets me stay in her bed” you sadly said, missing your mama so much. “Right, well” your uncle scanned his brain for any ideas, sharing his bed with you wasn’t exactly his first choice “would you like me to read to you?” He offered again. You drew your gaze down to the floor and sighed “no, it’s ok” you said as you turned on your heels and went back to your bedroom. Bruce gave you a sympathetic smile and rolled back into bed.

It wasn’t until a little while later that he realised the problem hadn’t quite been solved. He could hear your small whines out in the corridor and prepared himself for your re-entry. “Shh y/n, it’s alright” a familiar voice said. Bruce tumbled out of bed to investigate further. Upon opening the door he found an exhausted looking Wanda holding you snug in her arms pattering up and down the corridor. “Wanda?” Dr Banner asked. The brunette must’ve just returned from her solo mission. She shot her crimson eyes at the scientist and he immediately cowered away “why did you send her back to bed crying?” Wanda managed to whisper but also shout “she-she just walked away, I didn’t know what to do!” Bruce stammered, scratching the stubble on his chin. “She just needs some love and cuddles Bruce, just go back to bed I’ll look after her. Properly” the witch didn’t spare a second glance as she took you down the hall to the living area. Bruce excused himself to head back to bed, feeling very defeated. It wasn’t all his fault, he had zero experience with caring for kids and he did try his best.

Natasha wasted no time in heading straight to your bedroom when she returned in the early hours of the morning. She came to a halt in the living area when she saw you fast asleep on top of a dishevelled looking Wanda, who was also fast asleep. The widow was confused but before she could find Bruce a small whimper caught her attention “mama?” You whispered “hey baby girl” your mommy said as she came and scooped you up into her arms. Finally she was home and you were back in the safest place on earth “where is uncle Bruce?” She asked “uncle Bruce is a bad babysitter” you crossly said as you rubbed your eyes, Natasha couldn’t help but giggle slightly. “It’s okay sweethearts, mommy’s here now” she said as she kissed your hairline. You let out a big yawn and another pair of hands came to hold you “hey Nat” Wanda said “Bruce is in his room, I’ll take her to bed” she said, knowing that deep down Natasha was probably quite angry with Bruce. You willingly let Wanda carry you back to bed and fell straight back into dreamland, knowing your mommy was home again.

You woke up an hour later to a commotion outside your bedroom. “I gave you the easiest job Bruce!” Your mom said “how do you burn nuggets? I mean seriously!” You giggled slightly and crawled out of bed towards the door to listen closely “I’m so sorry Natasha I just didn’t know what to do” Bruce pleaded “if Wanda hadn’t had come home she would’ve been left scared and afraid because of you! I am never leaving my daughter with you again Bruce!” Your bedroom door clicked open and both avengers turned to you “hey baby, did you have a good sleep?” Natasha said as she came to give you a cuddle, you hummed contently and lifted your arms up signalling that you wanted your mama to lift you up “let’s go get some breakfast yeah y/n?” Your mom asked “yes pwease” you tiredly said as Natasha headed for the kitchen. You pulled back from her shoulder and looked back Bruce, he smiled. You on the other hand stuck your little tongue out and have a cheeky look at your uncle.

It was safe to say that Natasha wouldn’t be leaving you with Bruce anytime soon.

————

This is crap I know I’m sorry :/

-Astara

[iamknicole]

Chapter Ten

A/N: Two chapters in 24 hrs! Look at me! 😂😂 but enjoy! ⭐Comment, reblog & share!⭐

Warnings: Cursing, strong emotions ahead, typos, 18+ MINORS DNI!

Masterlist

Chapter Nine

Another three days passed with Zilla staying with Bronco. He would sneak to the apartment late at night to grab clothes when he knew Moriah was asleep. Watching her sleep gave him a dull ache in his heart for her. It wasn't fair that Nadine had made so many unjust decisions for them. There was nothing anybody could say to him that would make him ever forgive Nadine. Before he left the apartment, he made sure to fill her work cup with ice and put it in the freezer for her and put snacks in her purse because she always forgot. He was honestly surprised she didn't notice but then again she never did. 

Slipping back into Bronco's house, he tried to move as quietly as possible so he didn't wake Bronco's little brother. As he moved towards the living room he heard a soft squeal.

“Aye you good in here?” He called out as he walked through the doorway then quickly turned his back seeing Toni sitting top less in his friend's lap. “Oh shit, my bad, B.”

Bronco laughed wrapping the throw blanket around her. “You good, shoulda been in my room anyway. You got what you need?”

“Yeah, I got it. Nice to see you again, T.” He chuckled with his back still to them.

Toni hit her boyfriend, who was still laughing. “It's not funny, Bronco. Nice to see you too, Zilla. Where were you?”

“You really wanna know or you askin cause it's awkward?” 

“Both,” she laughed getting off Bronco's lap, “Answer please.”

He held up his bag for her to see. “Went to get clothes from the apartment.”

“So you saw Rye? Did everything go okay? Well of course it didn't if you're here.” Toni rambled on until Bronco moved to stand behind her and gripped her shoulders. “Huh? Sorry, I'm talking too much. I'm just worried.”

“Ain't no need to worry. He ain't wake her, she don't know he been there.”

Securing the throw blanket around her torso, Toni moved closer to the younger man and turned him around to face her. 

“It's been damn near a week, Zilla. How long are you gonna do this? She already thinks you hate her, this is not helping.”

“That's what I been tryna tell him,” Bronco added, making Zilla suck his teeth. 

“Fat know I don't hate her. I text her. We good, T.”

“That might work with Bronco but that does not work with me,” she fussed. “She doesn't know that because besides you texting her that you love her, you don't say anything else to her and you're not at home.”

He huffed shifting his weight from foot to foot. “Listen, I appreciate you being there for Fat and all that but we straight. I got it.”

“You got it? Yeah, okay. I understand that you're hurting and processing right now but you're literally doing exactly what her mom said you would do. You left her by herself, Zilla. She's alone every day and every night while you're here with your friend every night.”

Toni pushed past him, going to Bronco's bedroom careful not to slam the door. 

“Damn, she kinda feisty,” Bronco chuckled, “But you know she's right. You can't keep runnin, bruh. You gotta talk to her at some point. Good night, man.”

Getting back to the guest room, Zilla got situated for the night and responded to a few texts he had. Jon had invited him and Moriah to the house for a cookout, even though he told him no the first time Jon continued to ask until Zilla gave in. As they were talking a facetime call from Arthur came through. He debated on answering for a few moments before ultimately answering. 

“Damn you wasn't gon answer the phone?” 

“I was gettin in the bed. What's up?”

Arthur knew his little brother well. He could fool their other brothers and occasionally their mother but it was very rare that he could get past Arthur. 

“You tell me. What's going on with you?”

“Nun, wrestlemania season so it's busy.”

“Now that you got ya lie out ya system, let's try the truth, Isayah. You know whatever you tell me don't go no further.”

Zilla couldn't stop the chuckle that escaped him, it was dipped in sarcasm. “Oh trust me, I know you can keep a secret.”

Arthur's face scrunched up, giving his brother a confused look. “It's obviously something you wanna say so say it. Get it off ya chest.”

“Why you ain't tell me?” He asked after a minute. 

“Tell you what?”

“About Angel. You knew and ain't say shit.”

Arthur sighed, wiping his free hand down his face. “This ain't what you wanna hear but that wasn't my place to tell you, Isayah. It wasn't my business to tell. That was for Moriah to tell you.”

Zilla rolled his eyes. “Okay so why not tell her to tell me before?”

“Do you think she wanted to hold this shit in this long? No, she didn't. She wanted to tell you but she been terrified to tell you since the moment that test came back positive.”

“I hear you.”

“If you're acting this way with me then I can only imagine how you acting with her about this.” Arthur paused to gather his thoughts. “That's why y'all ain't been answering our calls. She told you and you lost your shit, didn't you?”

He sucked his teeth hard. “I ain't lose shit. She told me and I left.”

“The hell you mean you left? You left the room? That's what you better mean.”

“Left the apartment. I needed to get away from the whole thing before I took it out on her.”

“You got air then what?”

“That's it. I ain't been back since and before you start I'm not tryna hear shit about it.”

Arthur chuckled under his breath. “I don't care what you don't wanna hear. It's fine for you to want space after hearing that but running from it won't change it. You do know that, right?”

“I know that, Arthur.” 

“I know that look on your face so tryna say anything else to you is pointless right now so ima go. You call or text me when you wanna talk.”

Before Zilla could say anything else, Arthur disconnected the call. He could add another person to the list that felt his anger that didn't deserve it. The whole situation with Angel was eating at him, the person he wanted to take his anger out on was nowhere near and he wasn't calling her. Not yet at least. 

Zilla

12:45am

Remember u said if I ain't find 1, u would fine 1 fa me?

Aunt Kami

12:45am

Yup.

Zilla

12:46am

I ain't find 1

Aunt Kami

12:48am

Gotcha. I'll let you know when your appointment is.

Zilla

12:49am

Thank u. I owe u

Aunt Kami

12:50am

No you don't. Is everything okay?

Zilla stared at the text trying to figure out how he wanted to answer. He knew Moriah is the closest to her Aunt Kami and her Aunt Gabi but he wanted her to have control of how much she wanted them to know. 

Zilla

12:55am

Not really but ion wanna talk about it. 

Aunt Kami

12:56am

That's perfectly fine, Zilla. But if you do, you know I'm here. Go to sleep, love yall

Zilla

12:56am

Love you 2

Getting out of bed was hard for Moriah and going to work was even harder. Having to act like everything was okay especially in front of Thomas so he didn't raise suspicion to her mother was tiring. Zilla buying her a car made it a little easier since he hasn't picked her up from work since. Even though Thomas worked her nerves, the kids on the pediatric floor gave her a little joy.

Entering her five year old patient's room, Moriah got sanitizer and approached the bed with a smile. She greeted her parents softly then laughed seeing her patient faking sleep. 

“Nia's sleeping? I thought she was up.”

The mother smiled, her eyes crinkled in the corners. “Thought so too. Guess she fell asleep.”

“Well I guess I have to give this pop it game to my other patient then,” Moriah playfully started to walk backwards. 

Nia's eyes popped open followed by her giggles. She reached her hands out. “Noooo! I'm awake! I'm awake!”

Her parents and Moriah laughed along with her. She approached the bed again, taking the game from her pocket to give to the five year old. 

“The gopher game! You found it!”

“I did, I told you I would. I got you, girl.”

“Thank you! Thank you!”

Moriah started to check her vitals. “You're so welcome, friend. I talked to Dr. Harris and he told me that you can take it with you to pre-op while you wait.”

“Yes!” She squealed excitedly. 

“And when you come out of surgery, what would you like to eat?”

“Anything?”

Moriah winked at her. “Anything, friend.”

“Spaghetti and meatballs!”

“You're gonna turn into a meatball, Nia.” The dad joked. 

Moriah finished up and went to grab more sanitizer. “Spaghetti and meatballs it is, friend. Mom and Dad, Dr. Harris and another nurse will be in shortly to talk to you a little more about her surgery then take her to pre-op.”

The mother stood quickly. “Wait, aren't you going to surgery with her?”

“Well, no ma'am. I'm sorry.”

“Could you?” She asked, grabbing Moriah's hand. “Please. It would make us and her feel much better if you did. You've been so good to us the last few days, she just adores you.”

Moriah rolled the thought around in her head. “I'll check with the team and make sure it's okay. Alright?”

Leaving the room, Moriah walked around the floor looking for Dr. Harris. She found the slender, salt and pepper African American man engulfed in a conversation with Thomas. The sight of him repulsed her but she pushed it aside for her patient. 

“I'm sorry to interrupt, Dr. Harris. I wanted to run something by you about Nia Whitfield's surgery.” Her eyes shifted momentarily to Thomas. “In private.”

Dr. Harris smiled, he was always a jovial man. It's why the kids in the pediatric floor loved him. 

“Of course, Nurse DeBreaux. And it's okay if Gardner stays, he's going to be in surgery with me shadowing.”

It took every bit of willpower for Moriah not to roll her eyes at that. 

“Isn't that … great. Nia and her parents would feel more comfortable if I went into surgery with her. I know you had another nurse scheduled with you and I understand if we can't change it but I wanted to try.”

Dr. Harris waved his hand dismissively. “Never be fretful to ask to switch in my surgeries. I want my patients and families to be as comfortable as possible,” he explained. “If they want you then they got you. I'll meet you at her room in fifteen minutes.”

With that, he walked off towards his office she presumed leaving her with Thomas. He stepped closer, she took two steps back and held her hand out to stop him. 

“Stay out of my personal space, Thomas.”

“Our first surgery together. Aren't you excited, Moriah?” He asked, smiling from ear to ear. 

“Not at all. You need to focus on not messing up in there instead of on me.”

He shrugged. “It's just a hernia removal. Piece of cake. In and out in an hour tops.”

She rolled her eyes. 

“You heard what I said.”

“How's your boy? One of my patients had the show on last night, he's not bad.”

Moriah turned to walk away from him, mumbling to herself. Getting transferred back to the emergency department wasn't happening quick enough for her. Between the rift with her and Zilla and Thomas always in her face at work, she was more than tired. 

Hassan pulled up to the house he knew Tamera would be showing in the next couple of hours, parking discreetly behind hers. He grabbed the flowers he had gotten her before jumping out and heading for the porch. The door was open, he knocked on the door frame as he entered. He didn't have to wait long for Tamera to come out, her heels clicking against the impressive marble flooring. Her smile grew wider seeing Hassan.

“What are you doing here, Hassan?”

He gave her the flowers then kissed her cheek. “I was in the neighborhood and decided to stop by. Happy to see me?”

His heart swelled as he watched inhale the flower's scent excitedly. 

“Yes of course I'm happy to see you. But in the neighborhood, sir?” She laughed. “You live forty five minutes from here.”

He pulled her into a tight hug. “Not the point. You mentioned you didn't have flowers for the house today so here I am.”

“Thank you,” she grabbed his hand, pulling him with her through the house to the kitchen. “I'll put them in a case. They're very beautiful, Hassan.”

“Just like you.”

Their eyes met, her eyes flickered with a very familiar flame that Hassan acted like he didn't see. The flame in her eyes was the same flame that burned inside of him but he wanted to make sure she knew what she was getting into with him. Gabi and Moriah would say that he was stalling but he hadn't and didn't plan on asking them. 

“You are slicker than can of oil, Mr. DeBreaux.”

“And you, Ms. Jefferson, are sweeter than honey.”

Tamera checked her watch then glanced back at Hassan, a smile rose to his face again. 

“Two hours until your appointment, Tamera.”

She hummed, filling a vase with water. “Guess we better put those two hours to good use then.”

His phone rang interrupting their stare down. Seeing his ex-wife's name made him internally groan but he excused himself and stepped out of the sliding door to the backyard.

“How can I help you, Nadine?”

“Am I interrupting you or something? You sound irritated.”

He chuckled. “You know I don't enjoy talking to you, Didi. What is it?”

“Well that's rude, Hassan. I was just calling to check on Moriah. Apparently she's blocked my number.”

“You say that like it's a surprise. She meant it when she said she was done.”

Nadine scoffed into the phone. “Anyway, how's my baby? Have you talked to her today? I heard she's going into her first surgery today.”

Hassan took the phone away from his ear to stare at it for a moment. “No, I haven't talked to her today but she's fine. How the hell did you hear that?”

“I have my ways. Later on, you need to call and ask her about it. And tell her to call me, this is something we need to talk about.”

He took a few deep breaths to calm his nerves. “I'm not telling her anything, she'll call if she wants. Whatever person you got keeping tabs on her at that hospital needs to stop.” He spat harshly. 

“If you think I'm gonna just stop looking out for my baby because she's upset with me right now then you're sadly mistaken,” Nadine fussed. “This isn't the first time, she'll get over it. She got over that damn baby, didn't she? Exactly so she'll be fine.”

“That damn baby was your grandson, Nadine! He was a part of you and you took his life! You took him, you traumatized our daughter, who is also a part of you and you act like it was nothing!”

“Oooh,” she cackled, “I struck a nerve if Hassan is yelling. Not cool, calm and collected Hassan getting out of character over that bastard baby.”

“You would stoop so low and hurt our daughter because you're pissed at me? You're pissed at me for something that didn't have to change anything about our lives, Nadine.”

Laughing, she mocked him, not bothering to give him an actual response.

“What if she would've hurt herself? What then?”

“Oh please that girl is weak but she's not that weak. She would never.”

He chuckled bitterly. “Because you know her so well, right? Nadine, stop trying to hurt my daughter. Leave her alone, let her be and let her live her life.”

“Your daughter?” She snorted. 

“Yes, my daughter.”

“Goodbye, Hassan.”

The urge to chuck his phone into the pool a few feet away from him was strong. Instead he stuffed it in his pocket and took slow, deep breaths to calm himself down. No one could make him as angry as his ex-wife and he hated it. Some would say it was because he was still in love with her and reached to be her but they didn't know him. He hated who his ex-wife became right before and after their divorce, he didn't know her. Feeling hands on his back, he jumped a little then relaxed remembering he was there with Tamera.

“Didn't mean to scare you. Just wanted to check on you. You looked stressed.”

He wiped a hand down his face. “I'm sorry about that, it was my ex-wife. I'm alright though.”

She gave him a small smile, taking his hands in hers.”You don't have to be sorry, I understand about exes. We can talk about it, if you want. Or not talk.”

“Not talking sounds good,” he smiled. 

Bronco and Zilla sat on the floor in front of one of the practice rings with a few of their peers listening to Booker and Regal talk to them.  Since their interaction after the run in with Thomas, Zilla and Booker hadn't said much to each other if it wasn't work related. 

“Getting TV time doesn't mean you stop practicing and working hard to get better,” Regal informed looking at each of them. “The goal is to stay on TV. Right?”

The group acknowledged him with an answer.

“So if you all know then why are we here right now?”

Silence. 

Booker ran a hand over his locs, stepping in to add his own thoughts. “It's great that yall go to promo class, it's great that you're getting TV time but what's not great is yall either half assing it during drills and practice or not showing up at all.”

Zilla honestly didn't understand why he had to be in this conversation. He went to practice, he went to class and he did his thing on TV. With everything he had in his plate, the lady thing he wanted or needed was to be chastised about something he wasn't doing. The whole time Booker spoke, he rolled his eyes and scrunched his face up which didn't go unnoticed by the older man. 

“Is there a problem, Zilla?”

He sucked his teeth. “Nah, mane. Go head.”

“You sure? Cause the eye rolling and facial expressions is telling me something different.”

Again, he sucked his teeth. “Man, go head. I ain't say nothing, did I?”

“This is something I need everybody to understand right now. Don't take me for no sucka, I don't disrespect any of you so don't disrespect me,” he moved closer to Zilla as he spoke until he was in front of him and snatched the younger man up from the floor, ripping his shirt in the process. “Cause if you wanna get disrespectful, I can show you how I handle disrespect. Is that understood?”

The two men stood nose to nose with no intentions of backing down. Zilla's chest puffed out from his heavy breathing, his jaw tight and his eyes burned. Booker maintained eye contact with him, seeing the tears in his eyes. Bronco watched the interaction wanting to step in but he knew it wasn't his place and he knew his friend needed it. 

“I asked a question. Is it understood?”

Zilla scrunched his face to keep his tears at bay and choked out a ‘yeah’. Booker turned him around and pushed him gently towards the door, letting Regal know they'd be back. He guided the younger man to his office, closing the door behind them, then went to sit on the corner of his desk as Zilla dropped into one of his chairs. 

“Let it out, man.”

Zilla choked back a sob, wiping angrily at his eyes. “I'm good.”

“You ain't. Ain't no way you are. I looked into your eyes, man. You're not good.” Booker said softly. 

“I am. My bad for what happened.”

“I accept your apology but man it's okay to not be okay. Is everything okay with you and Rye? Or is this about your dad?”

Pulling up the end of his now ripped shirt, Zilla wiped his face with it. He cried softly, unable to hold it in anymore. 

“Both,” he mumbled beneath the fabric of the shirt. “This shit is hard, man.”

“I know it's hard, I know it is but turning on the people trying to help you won't make it any easier, Isayah. Your people love you,” Booker explained, moving to kneel in front of the younger man. “Lean on the people that love you instead of leaning away. I know it's hard to be vulnerable but sometimes it's necessary. Alright?”

Zilla nodded, pulling the shirt from his face. “Aight.”

With a smile, Booker stood then pulled Zilla up and into a hug. “Go change your shirt and come back to practice. But understand I meant what I said, I'll put you right on your ass if you do that again.”

Zilla chuckled and agreed. 

They left the office going in opposite directions, Booker back to the practice rings and Zilla to the locker room to change shirts. On his way, he went ahead and pulled the ripped shirt off, stuffing part of it into the front of his doors, letting it hang. 

“Hey, Zilla!”

Not stopping his stride, Zilla threw his hand up at Gia. “What's up?”

She jogged a little to catch up with him. “Damn you walk fast. Why you in such a hurry?”

“Gotta get back to practice.”

“Your face is red,” she observed stepping in front of him to stop him, “Are you okay? You wanna talk?”

“I'm good, just hot,” he lied, wanting to get away from her. “Ain't nothin to talk about.”

“I feel like you're lying. You can talk to me, Zilla. I'm a good listener.” She smiled, rubbing her hand up and down his bare arm. 

He moved her hand off of him, placing it back at her side. “Like I said, I'm good and if I'm not, I talk to my lady or my mama.”

“That girl of yours must have you on a short leash,” she joked. “I mean I can't blame her, I'd wanna hold on to you too.”

He scrunched his face. “I ain't on a leash. I respect my lady and our relationship.”

“Sorry, sorry. I'm just saying every time I talk to you, she comes up. I know she's there, you don't have to worry I'm not gonna try anything. I can appreciate a good looking man and be respectful.”

Shaking his head, Zilla moved around her and went to the locker room. After he changed his shirt, he checked his phone to see if he had any notifications. 

Aunt Kami

9:33am

Saturday @ 10am. I'll send the location. You can take Rye if you want. 

Zilla smiled a little at the message. 

Zilla

1:15pm

My bad, been workin. Thank u, Auntie!!!!

He exited their thread then went into Moriah's. His smile grew a little wider. 

Moriah

11:30am

Just wanted to let you know that I'm going into my first surgery in 30 minutes! It's a short one, not more than a hour but I'm so nervous and excited! 

Zilla

1:20pm

I'M SO DAMN PROUD OF YOU, FAT!! I know u did amazing, baby. I love u

Zilla tucked his phone away and locked his things back up before he left the locker room. He opted to run back in order to avoid Gia, in case she was lurking around. 

After surgery, Moriah stayed with Nia long enough for her to wake up so she knew Moriah had been there the whole time. When her parents came in, she slipped out to go grab the food she had delivered for the young girl. She sat it up in Nia's room with Toni's help.

“You need to get your man to go on back home.”

Moriah chuckled softly. “If I could, I would, Toni. What happened?”

“He walked in on us last night. Interrupted my moment.”

Moriah laughed, taking a peek at her friend's face. “A moment that you swore wasn't gonna happen because yall are just friends?”

“That is not the point, ma'am. The point is, it was interrupted.”

“I got more than a I love you today so maybe he'll be back soon,” Moriah shrugged, putting the parents’ food to the side. “Tell me about it though. Did you finally get some? Cause if you did, I'm gonna need him to try again you still mean.”

Toni wadded up a napkin and threw it at her friend. “I am not mean. No, we didn't. After that lil run in, the mood was killed.”

“Damn, I'm sorry. Try again tonight, at your place.”

“We can't leave his brother by himself, Rye.”

Moriah thought for a moment. “He can spend the night with me. I could use the company and I'll take him to school on my way to work tomorrow.”

“Sounds like a plan. Two birds with one stone. I'll let Bronco know.”

Before Moriah left the hospital, she stopped by Nia's room to check on her and to let her know that she would see her in the morning. She stopped by the store to get something to cook for dinner and snacks for him before she went home. She texted Toni to let her know that they could drop him off whenever they were ready. 

A facetime call interrupted her music as she cooked. She answered it quickly, seeing Arthur's name. 

“My favorite!” She said excitedly. 

“Hey, sweetheart. How you doing?”

She propped her phone up so they could see each other while she cooked. “I'm alright, Art. How are you?”

“I'm okay. Worried about you though.”

She smiled briefly at him. “I'm okay, no need to worry about me.”

“If you lie to me, I can't help, Rye.”

Setting her tongs to the side, she leaned against the counter behind her and stared at the phone. 

“I'll be okay, Art. It'll be okay. I promise.”

“I talked to him. He told me you told him about Angel and he left. Why you didn't call me, manamea?”

She shrugged. “I didn't think he would be gone this long. I thought he would've come back the next day and when he didn't … I don't know. I just didn't wanna talk. He's so mad.”

“He's mad, he's hurt, he's angry but not with you. I don't know if he bit your head off but he tried to bite mine off,” Arthur chuckled, “But he knows it's misplaced anger. He knows.”

“Yeah,” she said softly, wiping her eyes. “It's been a week but he's texting back now at least.”

Arthur wished he could teach through the phone and hug her because he knew she needed one. This is what she had been terrified of all these years and it was happening. 

“What did he do when you told him?”

“He asked questions, he would barely look at me. He yelled at me but he apologized right after. I was frustrating him.”

“Frustrating him?”

“He asked me what happened to Angel and where he was and I was telling him that I didn't wanna tell him.”

Arthur sat quietly for a moment, he wanted to say that his little brother shouldn't have done that but given the situation and the emotions in that moment, he could understand it. 

“You weren't frustrating him, the situation was, Rye. Do you want me to come out there? I can clear my schedule for yall.”

She shook her head moving back to the stove. “No you don't gotta do that. We'll figure it out.”

“I hate this for yall but I'm proud of you for telling him, Rye. And I know you're glad you were able to tell him before Nadine did.”

The doorbell going off interrupted their conversation, she let him know that she would call him later and went to get the door. She smiled seeing Javier standing there with his bookbag and overnight bag. She hugged him then invited him in, she took his bags sitting them beside the sofa. 

“I'm so glad you're here Javi. Dinner is almost ready. You didn't eat yet, right?”

“No ma'am, my brother told me you were cooking. Thank you for having me.”

She cooed, going to pinch his cheeks. “Awwe, you're so polite. You can call me Rye, okay? You don't have to say ma'am, I'm not that old yet.”

He laughed going to sit on the sofa. Moriah went to close the door but was stopped by a hand. She panicked for a second then noticed the ‘630” tattoo and breathed a sigh of relief as she opened the door back for him. They locked eyes as he stepped inside, pushing the door closed with his hand. 

“Hi,” she greeted softly. 

He greeted her just as softly. “What's up, Fat?”

She wanted to hug him but she honestly didn't know if she should or could so she played with her fingers to keep from touching him. 

“I'm gonna go finish dinner.”

He nodded. “Ima shower real quick. You need anything before I get in?”

She shook her head. 

“You sure before I get in?”

She smiled a little at the familiarity. “I'm sure, Zay.”

Again, he nodded then turned his attention to Javier. “Aight, Javi, make sure she don't burn our food, man.”

The trio sat on the sofa eating dinner and watching one of the John Wick movies. Moriah sat between them, trying to ignore her boyfriend's eyes constantly staring a hole into the side of her face. He would look away long enough to take bites of his food and catch a scene or two but that was it. At least she knew he'd missed her as much as she'd missed him. When they were all done, Moriah took their dishes to the kitchen and cleaned up while Zilla showed Javier how the shower worked and set up his blanket and pillows on the sofa. He was done before Moriah so he went to lean against the breakfast bar to watch her. 

“How did the surgery go?”

She jumped and squealed, turning to face him. “Dammit, Zay. I forgot you were here.”

“My bad,” he chuckled. 

“It's alright. It went really good. It was a hernia removal on a 5 year old.”

He frowned. “How does a 5 year old get a hernia?”

“When their intestines bulge through the abdominal wall inside the belly button they can develop one.”

“That sound painful. How was it seeing it?”

Moriah smiled as she wiped down the counter. “It was really cool honestly. It was crazy to see how big it was. She was a trooper though.”

“Yeah? She went home today?”

“Uhn uhn. She'll be there two more days and she's excited about it cause she doesn't wanna leave me.”

He chucked. “I bet you love that.”

“A lil,” she laughed.

He let her finish her cleaning in silence, keeping his eyes on her. Javier came back out to the living room and got comfortable on the sofa, remote in hand. 

“You got your alarm set, Javi?”

“Yup, all set, Rye.”

“Your phone on the charger?”

He sat up to check it. “Yup, it's good. Can I watch TV?”

“Sure,” she smiled, “If you want a snack or drink, you're welcome to whatever is in the kitchen, Javi.”

He grinned at her before turning his attention to the TV. “Thank you.”

Zilla approached Moriah, speaking softly. “Can we talk outside, Fat?” When she agreed, he grabbed her hand. “We gon step outside for a few, Javi. Yell if you need us.”

They sat beside each other on the first step, shoulder to shoulder. The night breeze gently whipped around them. 

“First, let me apologize for walkin’ out like that and not lettin’ you know I was aight. No matter how upset I was, that wasn't right.”

“I accept your apology, Zay.”

“Second, I don't hate you and I'm not mad at you so get that thought out your head. You my Fat and I love you.”

She nodded, blinking a few tears out. “I love you too.”

“I can't imagine how scared you was that whole time and the pain that must've caused. You needed me and I wasn't there, I'm sorry, Moriah.”

She laid her head on his shoulder, crying softly. She wanted to tell him that he didn't need to apologize but she needed to hear that. 

“Thank you for apologizing. I gotta be honest, a part of the reason I was so mad at you and refused to come see you was because of Angel.” She admitted softly. “I knew that my mom would've probably still did what she did if you weren't locked up but I wanted you there. I needed you, Angel needed you and you left us.”

His face scrunched as he tried and failed to keep his tears at bay. They betrayed him, slipping from his eyes in rapid succession. He moved the arm she laid on, wrapping it around her and pulling her closer to him. 

“I regret not being there for you and him, it's something ima spend the rest of my life tryna make up for. I appreciate you been honest with me, Fat. I gotta be honest with you too.”

“I'm listening.”

“I love you and I don't wanna lose you but if you let your mom back in your life, I can't promise that ima stay. My love for you is the only thing keepin me from doin anything to her. I can't have her in my life, Moriah.” He spoke honestly. “She took our baby from us and probably any possibility of having another. She took what would've been a piece of my pops from me and my family. Do you get that?”

“I got it, Zay. I do.”

“That's the only thing I'm asking of you. Keep her out of our lives. She don't want shit but to tear us down and tear us apart. You got me, my family, your dad and the rest of your family … you don't need shit from her.”

“I'm done with her. She's not coming back unless you and I decide that she can. I've washed my hands of her. I promise.”

Nodding, he put his finger under her chin tilting her head back. He wiped the lingering tears from her face then kissed her softly. 

“I love you, aight?”

“Aight,” she giggled softly. “I love you more.”

“Damn I missed you.”

“Not as much as I missed you, big head.”

“Two more things though.”

She raised a brow waiting for him to finish. 

“We changing your number tomorrow.”

“Okay, second thing?”

“Since Zilla can't get you pregnant right now, can Zilla throw his condoms out?” He laughed. 

“Boy,” she laughed, “They're tied not burnt but I guess you can throw them out.”

“What that mean?”

“It means that there's a small chance that I can get pregnant but very small. And if we want I can reverse the procedure but it's not guaranteed to work.”

Zilla pecked her lips a few times making her giggle. “Well guess we gon find out how small that chance is.”

[mewhenimanangel]

spiderboy, miles morales x reader

part 1 ʚɞ part 2 ʚɞ part 3 ʚɞ part 4! ʚɞ part 5

pairing: earth 1610! miles morales x reader

chapter 4 synopsis: Rio invites you over for dinner after hearing how Miles stuck up for you at the party.

wc: 2.1k

warnings!: cursing, teens in love, kissing, suggestive themes, google translate spanish

translations: cariño - sweetie, venid a comeros los dos - come eat you two, mi pequeño caballero - my little gentleman, mantén esa puerta abierta chico - keep that door open, boy

It was Monday morning and you sat in the mirror getting ready for school. You did your usual school make up routine of mascara, concealer, blush, and signature lip combo. You let her braids hang down today and sprayed your perfume. "Mommy can you drive me to school today?" you asked your mother as you went to put food and water in Bobo's bowls. "Sure why?" she asked drinking her coffee. "Got that big doofy project and i'm not walking with all that" "Alright well hurry up cause I gotta go"

You grabbed the project from the closet and went to put it in the backseat of the car. You ran back upstairs to grab your bag and say bye to Bobo. You settled in the car putting your seatbelts on as your mom drove off. You got a little nervous knowing you'd have to see Miles face to face again. You had been texting non stop yesterday but now you'd have to see him again after their kiss.

You looked out the window to see Spider-man stopping some guy trying to rob a mini mart. "At least that boy's working hard to keep people safe" your mom said rubbernecking. "Yeah he's so cool" you said taking a picture of the scene. After a few minutes she pulled up in front of the school and you grabbed the project from the back.

Entering the building you made a B line to Mr. Johnson's class, not wanting to try and keep that in your locker. You walked in the classroom and saw Peter standing there with his partner talking to Mr. Johnson. "Yo n/n" he called out as you put the project on the back counter. "Hey Peter" you gave him a smile. "Listen I'm real sorry about that guy last night. Are you good?" he asked, sentimental for the first time like ever. "Yeah it's okay, I promise" you nervously laughed off. He came over and gave you a small hug, before you left to go to your locker.

Zoya and Kiona walked up to you "Hey bebe" she said resting her head against the locker. "Hey Z, hey Kiona" you greeted them. "Im already ready for the weekend. Feeling extra fucking tired today" you groaned slamming the locker shut. "Too real. I'm exhausted" Kiona agreed.

"Alright I'll see you guys later" you said turning down the opposite hallway. "Yo Y/n wait up!" you turned around, face dropping to see the guy who harassed you at the party. "How do you know my name?" you asked in a flat unamused tone. "That's not important, just wanted to say sorry" he brushed off. "Okay." you said beginning to walk away. He grabbed your arm before you could get too far.

"Wait! You're not gonna say anything back?" he asked seeming offended. "What else am I supposed to say to you? You said sorry I said okay." "Come on, no 'i forgive you'" you narrowed her eyes at him in disbelief. "I don't forgive you why would I forgive you??" you spat. "Because It wasn't that fucking serious" he rolled his eyes.

"Dude you gotta leave her the fuck alone" Miles said walking up beside you. He looked back and forth between you and Miles before walking off "Fuck this" "Thanks..again. Could've held my own there but" "I know you could've." he smiled. "Uh by the way, my mom wanted to know if you'd wanna come over for dinner" he asked.

When he came home last night his mom saw blood on his fist and asked him what happened. He said it was nothing until she pushed an answer out of him. He told her what happened and she ultimately decided to invite you over. After all her son has been at this girl's house and she barely even knows her.

You tried to contain your excitement and nervousness - his mom wanted to meet you. "U-uh yeah that sounds nice. When?" you asked hiding a smile. "Friday night. That okay with you?" he asked hoping you'd say yes. "Yeah I'll ask my mom but it should be fine" The bell rung and you realized you'd be late. "I'll see you later. Get ready to present" you said hurrying to your class.

In physics, you and Miles concluded your presentation on inertia by using toy cars and a ramp. "Nice job you two. You work well together." he said writing something on his clipboard. You looked at each other and smiled before sitting back down.

🩰

The week had gone by and your heart was racing. Your mom had given you permission to go to dinner at Miles' house so here you were in your mirror frantically trying to make a good impression. You went with a sort of calm 'classy' makeup look and let your braids stay down. You wore a black long sleeve knit sweater with a black pleated skirt and a pair of loafers with white socks. Your mom had bought a bouquet of flowers from the market and told you to give it to Mrs. Morales.

On the walk over to Miles' building, you were practically shaking. You walked up the stairs to his apartment and knocked on the door. The lady who opened it had curly hair braided over to one shoulder. You could see the resemblance to Miles so you assumed that was his mom. "Hi sweetie, you're Y/n I'm assuming" she smiled at you.

"Hi Mrs. Morales" you put your hand out to shake. "These are for you" you handed the woman the bouquet of roses. "Aww thank you, cariño. Jeff, baby, can you put these in some water" Just then a tall man came up behind her. "Hey, Y/n right?" to which you nodded her head. "Yeah Miles been chatting non stop about you. He's in his room by the way." "Dinner should be ready in about five minutes" Mrs. Morales told you.

You walked in and peeled your shoes off, before following Mr. Morales' direction of where his room was. His door was open so you looked in and saw him on his bed with headphones on, seemingly drawing something. You knocked to alert him of your presence. "Oh Y/n, I didn't hear you come in" he lit up "Yeah your mom let me in." "Hey I didn't know you draw" you stood there awkwardly looking around his room, eyes landing on his collectibles. "Hey I used to have this" you said holding it. "Yeah that's pretty rare..please don't open it" he said in a small voice. "I wouldn't, m'not stupid" you joked putting it back in its resting place.

You looked around again spotting a familiar mask sticking out of his drawer. "Oh you like spider-man too?" you asked, missing the way Miles' eyes almost popped out of his head. "Uh yeah...something like that" he sighed. "Miles dinner's ready, venid a comeros los dos" his mom called out. "You can leave your jacket and your bag in here" Miles said, leading the way.

You smiled in delight at the scent of the food, everything smelled and looked amazing. You took a seat next to Miles while his parents sat on the other side. "Help yourself honey, plenty to go around." his mom said as they all began sharing their food. You took a bite and nod her head. "Oh this is really good, Mrs, Morales." you said taking another bite.

"Thank you sweetie, and you can just call me Rio."You nodded your head and continued to eat. "So, how did you and Miles meet?" Mr Morales asked. "Oh on my first day i had bumped into him and he helped me find the principal's office" you told them. "Ahh mi pequeño caballero" Rio said, earning an awkward smile from Miles.

You spent the next thirty or so minutes chatting about their lives and getting to know each other. Miles just sat back and watched you as you talked to his parents. They finished up dinner putting their plates in the sink "I can help you wash up?" you offered. "Ah don't worry sweetie, go hang out with Miles. Mantén esa puerta abierta chico" she told Miles as they went into his room. You sat on his bed moving up against the wall. "Do you wanna watch a movie or something?" he asked. "Yeah, I'm good with anything"

You guys settled on 'Someone Great' on Netflix and got comfortable in his bed, stealing glances at each other. Miles inched his hand closer to yours that was resting on your thigh. He mustered up the courage to intertwine his fingers with yours and rubbed his thumb over your knuckles lightly. You looked at each other with small grins, studying each other's face. "You are really really pretty" he blurted out. "You are too" you said before pressing her lips to his in a heartfelt kiss, eyes falling shut.

He wrapped an arm around you, pulling you closer to deepen the kiss. The movie now disregarded, you found your way onto his lap and wrapped your arms around his neck and he let his hands rest on your cheeks before moving down to your waist. They then trailed down to your thighs lightly rubbing small circles over them.

You pressed your tongue against his lips, wordlessly asking permission. He smiled against your lips before granting you access. He brought his lips down to where your jaw and neck meet pressing a kiss there. His hands moved to your ass, lightly squeezing it. Suddenly they heard a creak of a floorboard just outside his room and you frantically got up off his lap and sat back next to him.

"You two okay?" it was his mom. "Yeah mami we're good." Miles answered, hiding his heavy breathing. When she walked away you both sighed and giggled, his hand finding its way back to your. He looked away, eyes landing on the spider-man mask from earlier that you forgot to put back properly. He sat in thought for a few minutes before speaking up again

"Y/n...Can I tell you something?" he said looking into your eyes. "Yeah what is it? You don't got a secret girlfriend or anything right" you joked. He chuckled shaking his head. "No no. But you have to promise nothing's gonna change. And promise you'll keep this between us.

Your eyebrows furrowed before nodding your head. "I'm...I'm Spider-man" he rushed the words out of his mouth. You giggled before looking at his face looking for signs of kid. "Wait are you serious?" He nodded his head and raised his arm in the direction of the mask. Suddenly a piece of silky web shot out of his wrist and pulled the mask to his hand. Your jaw had dropped in astonishment before looking at the mask and then back at him. "There's no way" you breathed out, amazed. "Does anyone else know? Do your parents know?" you asked, holding the mask and looking at it. He shook his head "Just you and Ganke."

He went on to tell you about how he first got his powers and how he replaced Peter Parker, how his powers worked. And then met a different Peter Parker from another universe and then four more spider people from other universes. And how he had to take down Kingpin to get them back home safely "So there's more? Do you visit them or something?" you asked him. His face twisted into a sad expression

"Nah, there's really no way to, you know." She sympathized with him "Well why would anything change? Miles you literally swing around the city and save people every day, that's so fucking cool and really really generous of you." you reached your hand out to hold his face. "I just can't believe you knew about my spider-man obsession and didn't say anything" you joked.

He laughed laughed before you moved closer to each other and resuming your kiss. Before it could get any further though, Miles pulled back. "Would you um let me take you out? On a real date? Like one without my parents?" he chuckled. "I would love that Miles" you hugged him and gave him a kiss on the cheek.

You'd plan your date for the following weekend at a really nice restaurant in downtown brooklyn. After a few minutes, your mom told you to start heading home, so Jeff gave you a ride, Miles tagging along. "Goodnight Y/n" Miles smiled at you. "Good night, Miles"

[nxrdamp]

For a S/V prompt, how about some fluff with Arven & gender-neutral MC taking a well-deserved rest after the events of Area Zero.

I used to have a puffy vest like his, and they are SOFT. I imagine resting one's head on his chest must feel like heaven.

Arven x Gn! Reader -Comfort at Last

Masterlist

After the devastating realization that the only parent he “had”, hadn’t been there the whole time, Arven felt more alone than ever.

Even when Nemona insisted they all walk back together, he stayed silent.

“How the hell can she be so happy?! That was my parent, back there as a AI!!! The AI even left me….”

I don’t even think my (mother/father) got a proper burial….” Arven thought to himself, struggling farther and farther behind the group

After a few moments, the group left him entirely, as he snuck away. While everyone else was headed back to (Naranja/Uva) Academy, he ran back to his (mother’s/father’s) old research center by the lighthouse

He locked the door as soon as he ran in, and collapsed, letting the tears flow from his eyes.

Mabosstiff came out of his pokéball on his own, snuggling up to Arven to comfort him.

“Why Mabosstiff? Why did you have to raise me? I love you, but I just want them back. I want my (mom/dad)….”

Mabosstiff let out a sad bark, nuzzling his face into Arven’s neck.

Days when by, and still not sign of Arven. Nemona couldnt really bother herself to look and Penny didn’t really know him that well.

(Y/n), however, was searching all over Paldea for him. Even going back to Area Zero to see if he was hiding in the 4th research station to mourn his loss

Eventually, they were walking back to their mother’s house, to seek advice.

Arven was loosing his mind, first he lost his parent, and then Mabosstiff ran away. Was it because he was too pathetic to face reality? Or something else. He didn’t know.

————

(Y/n) was strolling down Poco path, before being pinned to the ground.

“H-Hey! What the hell?!”

They crawled out of the captor’s grasp, to get a good look at them.

It was Mabosstiff, he had left Arven to find help.

“Hey Mabosstiff” (Y/n) said, worried,”Where’s Arven? Is he okay?!”

Mabosstiff shook his head no

“Can you show me to him?”

Mabosstiff gave a bark in reply, agreeing to their request.

“Alright” (Y/n) replied,”We’re going to him right now. I’m……I’m really scared Mabosstiff. I want my friend back. I want him.”

Mabosstiff took that as all the confirmation he needed, and took off, dragging (Y/n) behind him across Pogo Path, leading to the place where they first met, the place where Arven’s (mother/father) used to conduct research.

The two of them walked up to the door, before letting out a shaky sigh.

“Here goes nothing…” They whispered to themselves

(Y/n) then gave a firm knock on the door, only to hear a response of shuffling around the room, and disgruntled noises.

“Ugh. Go away.” Arven said, not even bothering to open the door to see who his visitor is.

Mabosstiff barked, demanding the door to be opened at once.

He ripped the door open, ready to pounce on whoever had his partner.

“YOU-“ Arven said, stopping in his tracks before locking eye contact with (Y/n).

Mabosstiff jumped on Arven, giving him a puppy-hug, as (Y/n) stepped into the dusty, once not so long ago abandoned, research facility.

They coughed from the dust being stirred up, only to find an inflatable mattress on the floor, that looked as if it had seen better days. It was adorned with tear stains and shedded fur.

“Why are you here? Student council girl send you for ‘attendance’ or something?” Arven said, shutting the door to let no one else in.

“No. She actually doesn’t know I’m here. Penny either. I……I care for you Arven. I do. I know Area Zero must have fucked with you in the head. I know that, but….please…I wanna be there for you. I’ll never be or replace your (mom/dad), but you do have people that care for you in your life! Well, I don’t know anyone else’s true feelings, but I know mine. You….mean so much to me. I can’t stand you being so….alone”

They walked over to him, cupping his cheek as tears flowed from his eyes at their sweet, encouraging words. “Arven…” (Y/n) said,”I love you. Always will. Plus, you can’t get rid of me. Mabosstiff will just team up with me again.”

Arven let out a chuckle, before hugging them so hard they both fell onto the aged mattress.

“A-Arven!!” (Y/n) laughed, crawling out from underneath him. They then rested their head upon his fluffy, yellow vest.

“I love you too (Y/n)….please know I wasn’t abandoning you-“

“Don’t apologize.” They said, holding him tighter to hear his increased heartbeat,”You lost a parent for Arceus’s sake! I was worried about you, not mad Arvy.”

He sniffled,”Thank you” He said quietly,”Thank you for always being there for me….no one else is-“

Mabosstiff let out a rebuttal, but in the form of an angry bark.

“-besides you and Mabosstiff” Arven finished, laughing his tears away as Mabosstiff tried to smush the both of them on the mattress.

“Just rest” (Y/n) told him,”We’ll worry about Clavell and Nemona chewing our asses out for attendance later”

He gave them a kiss on the forehead, and the three of them got some well deserved rest

Word Count: 898

[lunatic-pudge]

Spy SWF Headcanons

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

TW for SH in the U section

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A: Affection (How do they show affection? And how affectionate are they?)

Poor Spy can be iffy with affection. There are days he enjoys being able to cuddle up with his partner, and other times, he needs his space. It all really depends on how he's feeling that day. He'll usually let you know when he's having one of those "don't touch me" days. Also no PDA in front of the other mercs. If you guys were in a different area where no one knew you two, then he's a little more open to it. But only little things like hand holding, little kisses here and there, an arm around the waist, that sort of thing

B: Best Friend (What would they be like a best friend? How would the friendship start?)

Good luck trying to befriend this guy. Lots of trust issues. Lots of commitment issues. Cause of his line of work, he can't just be going around befriending people, plus he's kinda an introvert. Finding comfort in being alone with some alcohol and a book. But once you do befriend him, you got yourself such a sassy queen. He's the perfect person to go to if you're looking for some juicy drama, fashion advice, or just someone to BS with. I can see him being such an unintentional mom friend too. Fussing over you while acting like he doesn't want to and has better things to do. He doesn't like showing people that he cares

C: Cuddles (Do they like to cuddle? How would they cuddle?)

He does like a good cuddle, he really does, but remember,  there's times he just can't handle physical contact. He claims that he has to be the big spoon and how dare you wanna spoil him by being the big spoon. But with some determination and patience, you can get him to cave him and let you spoil him. It takes a while cause he's not used to being doted over like that. plz help him

D: Domestic (Do they want to settle down? How are they at cooking & cleaning?)

Spy? Settling down? Such a preposterous thing! Okay, but like, he's never really let such thing come across his mind. He's like Medic in the sense where he's so dedicated to his work. It's all he's ever really known. I'm sure he's thought about settling down when he was actively with Scout's Ma. Cause think about it. He's got a baddie that loves him. He's got a son (and a bunch of step sons). But there's a reason why he wasn't there, there's a reason why he left. Imma get more into it later though.

But as for cooking and cleaning? He's def up there with Engie when it comes to who's the best cook. He just doesn't like having to cook. To go through all that work and mess, and only be made to share with everyone else. He'd rather just go to some fancy restaurant or wait for some merc to make dinner (depends on who's cooking). And he's definitely the cleanest one of all mercs. He can't stand messes. His bedroom and smoking room are in such perfect condition. The only way you can tell that someone was even in the room is from the perpetual smell of cigarettes and a bottle of alcohol/glass that's been moved

E: Ending (If they had to break up with their partner, how would they do it?)

Due to his commitment issues, it's very hard for Spy to be in a relationship. He's got too much trauma and baggage for anyone (and even himself at times) to handle. Sometimes, he does the right thing and tells the person that he can't do it anymore. Other times, he'll just up and leave, never to be seen again. Yeah, it's a real shitty thing to do, but it's what he feels he has to do. It's easier for him to just disappear and act like he never existed. He doesn't know how to cope with his issues and it shows

F: Fiancé(e) (How do they feel about commitment? How quick would they want to get married?)

Yeaaah, no. Absolutely not. Never. Marriage is a line Spy doesn't have the strength to cross. Dating is one thing. Marriage is a whole other thing. He could believe he's with his soulmate and still woudn't be able to propose. The thought alone fills him with anxiety. If you wanna be with this man, you gotta understand that he ain't ever gonna pop the question. Not even as an old man on his death bed. The most he can do is get you a pretty ring and let you say that he's your husband, but even that can be a little too muc

G: Gentle (How gentle are they, both physically and emotionally?)

Spy is a lot more gentle than you think. More so physically than emotionally though. He will love all over you as much as you want. Emotionally, it can be tough. He's a good person to vent your worries to. He does give some real good advice. But if you ever want him to let his walls down and open up, that's gonna be something that would take YEARS to do. He can let little bits of info out, but nothing too big. He's trying though. It's easier for him to hold you and let you spill your worries out to him

H: Hugs (Do they like hugs? How often do they do it? What are their hugs like?)

Hugs are only in private or if he's trying to show that he's better than the person who's trying to win your affections over. His hugs aren't the best? Like, it's basically hugging a chain-smoking skeleton in a suit. I'm also gonna go on a limb and say that he's perpetually cold (cause he ain't got no meat or fat on them bones, ya know) so he'd use hugging you as a way to warm up. You wouldn't let this poor old man freeze to death, would you? Also, homie's got some of the NICEST cologne ever. So yeah, while he's got that constant cigarette smell to him, he also smells divine? I dunno. He's weird like that

I: I Love You (How fast do they say the L-Word?)

Ain't no way in hell this man is saying I love you first. And yet at the same time when you say I love you for the first time, he might cry. Spy might think he's some bad boy who pulls bitches like no other, but deep down, he's just a boy who's been through hell his whole life, never was able to cope with it in a healthy way which led him to down a rabbit hole of essentially made everything worse (I'm trying to not derail this entire post, plz help, I'm struggling) But he will say it. It'll take a while, but it's worth it when he says it. God, he could probably write a whole ass novel on why he loves you

J: Jealousy (How jealous do they get? What do they do when they’re jealous?)

I wouldn't say that Spy is a jealous person, more so he just likes being able to woo/seduce you in front of the person who's trying to flirt with you. It fuels his ego. He knows he's better than that pathetic excuse of a person that thinks they could ever be on his level. It's one of those times he gets to be so smug and prideful

K: Kisses (What are their kisses like? Where do they like to kiss you? Where do they like to be kissed?)

Oh boy oh boy, does this man know how to kiss. He's got the experience,  he's got the skill, he can easily make one little peck on the lips turn to a full make out session. He will leave you breathless. He will leave you wanting more. And he won't stop til he's satisfied,  gosh darn it! And I know you ain't gonna stop it. I know that you want this Frenchy, disgusting. (I'm kidding, plz, I luv u, don't leave yet)

L: Little Ones (How are they around kids?)

Now Spy has never really been much of a kid person. Like, he can tolerate kids, but only for so long before he needs to leave the room to recoup from how chaotic kids can be. Now, I'm sure that when Scout's Ma told Spy she was pregnant, he was over the moon with how happy and exciting this news was. And I bet he cried when he held Scout for the first time. I bet you he still has baby pics of Scout hidden in his room he looks at when life isn't going well. But remember, there's a reason why he left. And as he got older, dealing with kids became more of a chore to deal with. He's a mercenary! He doesn't have time to be dealing with kids, he's got a job to do, man!

M: Morning (How are mornings spent with them?)

He's GRUMPY in the mornings. He just wants to be left alone til he's ready to deal with everyone. And since he's an old man, he's up early. I... I don't think he sleeps to be honest

N: Night (How are nights spent with them?)

He's got a whole ass night routine he follows every night before bed or he'll kill someone. He tends to stay up late so he tends to not get much sleep at all. He won't cuddle when he first goes to bed, but then if you wake up in the middle of the night, he's all cuddled up with you, refusing to move. It will take a while for him to let you spend the night with him. He doesn't like having to sleep with his Balaclava on. He does get frequent nightmares though so be ready to be there to comfort him

O: Open (When would they start revealing things about themselves? Do they say everything all at once or wait awhile to reveal things slowly?)

As I said before, it takes Spy a very long time for him to open up about himself. And even then, he isn't gonna tell you everything. It's just not his thing.

P: Patience (How easily angered are they?)

This is another thing that's weird. Like it's a 50/50 sort of thing, but also depends on the person? When it comes to his partner, he tends to be more lenient with them as compared to someone like Scout or Soldier. I would say he's also good at keeping a level head, unless he's stressed out, then oops

Q: Quizzes (How much would they remember about you? Do they remember every detail in passing, or do they kind of forget everything?)

Oh honey, this man knows EVERYTHING about you, whether you told him or not. Even the most private things like your family's medical history, he knows it already. Don't question it. As a matter of fact, why are you even questioning it? He's a spy! of course he knows all these little things about you. He never forgets >:(

R: Remember (What is their favourite moment in your relationship?)

It was the moment you let him doll you up for the first time. This man wouldn't stop going on about how he wanted to dress you up and do your makeup (if that's something you're comfortable with). FInally, you gave in and let him. And boy, was he ready. He already knew you're measurements and was so quick to take you to the tailor and fit you in an outfit that costs more than your house. He'd do your hair, nails, makeup, he'd go all out for you and make you look like a GOD (or goddess)

S: Security (How protective are they? How would they protect you? How would they like to be protected?)

He can be rather protective of his partners. He will literally have you living in a luxury house, filled with security, in a country of your choosing if it means to keep you safe. And, man, if you protected him, he'd be at a loss for words. He wouldn't even know what to do. He'd be so confused as to why you would ever wanna protect him? He'd probably get upset and scold you for putting yourself in such a dangerous situation

T: Try (How much effort would they put into dates, anniversaries, gifts, and everyday tasks?)

Homie's going ALL OUT. He loves being able to go all out and show off. You guys will be dressed to the 10's, at a fancy restaurant, eating some of the finest foods, and you sure as hell are getting spoiled with gifts. Every occasion is a chance for Spy to spoil you and show off how perfect you are. Don't fight it, he won't listen

U: Ugly (What would be some bad habits of theirs?)

He's got a lot of bad habits. He doesn't know how to cope with trauma well. He's definitely someone who has or actively self harms. I'm sorry to say that, but it's just something I can see. Also he chain smokes. He's ALWAYS smoking, never giving himself a break

V: Vanity (How concerned are they with their looks?)

Oh you know he is always concerned about his looks. Even if he's got his Balaclava on, he's still fussing over his appearance. He'll fuss over yours too. He wants you both to constantly look your best. Even a tiny speck of dirt if your cheek is the end of the world for him. He will fuss about it for HOURS

W: Whole (Would they feel incomplete without you?)

Spy is very much used to being alone. He can handle it. He'll miss having you around. You were always his favorite person to complain to. But he's not worried about it. He's a tough cookie

X: Xtra (A random headcanon for them)

Finally, I can say what I've been wanting to say. >:)

I fully believe that Spy is still in love with Scout's Ma. He most definitely is still in communication with her. Helping her out and even coming to see her when he can. That's his baby mama! He can't just abandoned her like he has with every lover he's had. He does still very much care about her, even if it's hard for him to express it and such. He only left so her and the kids could stay safe. Him being there just causes problems. She was the only one who was willing to stay with him no matter what. Even now, with Scout being an adult, she's still around, sending him letters and even gifts.

Yeah, if you couldn't tell, I'm a hard Spy x Scout's Ma defender. Their relationship may not be perfect, but God does it have me in such a chokehold, and I'm not really one for shipping

Y: Yuck (What are some things they wouldn’t like, either in general or in a partner?)

Spy don't want no slob. He has very high standards. He doesn't want someone who's sloppy and doesn't take care of themselves (I smell some slight hypocrisy here)

Z: Zzz (What is a sleep habit of theirs?)

Awful sleep schedule. What even is sleep? He stays up late like a youngster, and wakes up early like an old man. I basically said what needs to be said up in the night section, oops

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

[gabatronnie]

,, request prompts !!

these are for people who know they want to make a request but don’t have an exact plot and/or reader in mind!

fluff ~

1. “there it is, there’s that cute smile! i knew you had it in ya!”

2. “don’t worry, i’m staying, for as long as i need to.”

3. “PILLOW FIGHT.”

4. “is that my shirt?”

5. “i’m just glad you’re okay”

6. “just because you can doesn’t mean you should.”

7. “you’re a terrible influence.”

8. “i know we’re not… friends or anything. but if you just need to cry, i get it.”

9. “i don’t hate you.”

10. “you’re pretty -“ “pretty stupid”

11. “i’ll spend a thousand lifetimes coming back to you.”

12. “it’s cold, take my hand, my body heat can warm you up. y’know, cause i’m taller.” “hey!”

13. “you got me flowers?”

14. “ha! you fell on your ass!”

15. “they get annoyed about how often i talk about how much i love you”

16. “you fucking dumbass! just be careful, okay?! i’m kinda sick of worrying about your safety! i love you too much to think about it!”

17. “may i have this dance, my fair lady?”

18. “you look so good in my clothes”

19. “come back to bed”

20. “i love you, but that’s gonna get you killed. not literally though.” “then why can’t i do it?!”

21. “love, can you calmly and politely shut the actual fuck up?”

22. “your my mom loves me, let’s go make cookies.”

23. “thank you, for never giving up on me.”

24. “i think i’m in love!” “who’s the next victim, and how are you gonna torture them this time?”

25. “yeah, i have massive feelings for you, but moving on from that…”

26. “you took all the blankets, asshole. so now, you’re filling the gap, you ARE my blanket.”

27. “did y-you just…kiss me?”

28. “when we get home, you’re in big trouble, missy!” “i won’t in as a big trouble as your big ass, love.”

angst ~

1. “i’m sorry, i hurt you, i can’t promise perfect. but i can promise effort, hon.”

2. “please don’t leave me.”

3. “thank you, but our chapter has ended. but that doesn’t mean i don’t love you anymore.”

4. “let’s just become strangers again.”

5. “i hate you for what you did.”

6. “i’m not your problem anymore.”

7. “I don’t owe jackshit!”

8. “does it ever stop hurting? i mean the wounds on the inside, on your heart, on your soul, love.”

9. “make it stop, please baby. it hurts…”

10. “all you’ve ever done is hurt me.”

11. “you wanna hurt me? go ahead. i already know how it all feels. it doesn’t matter anymore, i’ve given up.”

12. “if you’re going down, so am i. there’s no happy life without you in it.”

13. “i hate knowing you’re hurt, please, tell me i can fix it. even if it’s only once.”

14. “i’m out of empathy for you! fuck you and your privileged ass!”

15. “we’re over.”

16. “everyone wants to hate me, why can’t you be different?”

17. “i don’t need you! why are you still here?!”

18. “just go away!!!”

19. “when will i ever be enough?!”

20. “i can’t look at the night sky anymore, it makes me think of him/her too much…”

21. “come back… please…”

22. “it’s okay, peace has been made, that’s all i wanted. now it’s my time.”

23. “hug me until my eyes pop up because i’ve been crying since four in the morning!”

24. “was it all a lie?”

25. “i’ve lost so much there’s nothing else left.”

26. “i’ll see you on the other side, dearest love.”

27. “i tried so hard to trust you! and i know it wasn’t for nothing! stop being so cross!”

28. “i should’ve trusted you, i’m sorry i didn’t.”

29. “i’m just mad, okay!? i’m beyond pissed i’ve ruined my only chance!”

smut ~

1. “never tease me like that again.”

2. “i’m not fucking done with you. bed. now.”

3. “i’m tearing that dress/suit off the moment we’re alone.”

4. “you’re a lot less quiet when i’m fucking the shit out of you.”

5. “and go, be a good girl and spread your legs, okay baby?”

6. “such a naughty little slut for me/us, adorable.”

7. “cover your mouth one more time, and we’re stopping. i wanna hear you.”

8. “b-but, i wanna see you too. don’t blindfold me, i-i wanna see your face.”

9. “look at you, you’re already shaking, it’s been less than a minute.

10. “crazy, naughty girl. who do you think you are?”

11. “keep your hands on me, don’t let go.”

12. “i’ve always thought of us kissing, but i never thought i’d actually fuck you.”

13. “i’m gonna touch you until you beg.”

14. “you’re more than a fling, my dear.”

15. “you’re so sensitive, i almost feel bad.” “am not!” “oh really? then how about you ride me until you fall to your knees?” “u-uhm…”

16. “you make such sexy noises, hot stuff.”

17. “keep acting up, i dare you.”

18. “fuck me senseless and pin me to the bed, i can’t wait any longer.”

19. “if you keep staring at me, we won’t get to make a baby. or six.” “h-huh?!”

20. “don’t be too loud, or else the others will hear.”

21. “listen to me, you little whore. you’re gonna do exactly what i tell you to.”

22. “i am this close to ripping those clothes off you myself.”

23. “you have ask first, sweetheart.”

24. “sorry, was i drooling? i just really want to bang you right now.”

25. “go on, i wanna see what your mouth can do.”

26. “lay it on me, or in me, but you get my point.”

27. “the outfits great, but i really wanna see you without it on.” “but you told me to buy it?” “i meant i wanted to see you naked.”

28. “i don’t care how good it feels, don’t cum until i say.”

29. “give me a baby. for two reasons, firstly, i wanna fuck you. secondly, i wanna bang you.” “that’s the same thing!” “no, it’s two different words.”

© gabatronnie - don't translate, heavily inspire, feed my work to ai, or repost it on other platforms.

[the-ninja-legacy-whip]

Lloyd’s upbringing in your fic fascinates me. I wanted to ask if he was able to interact with literally anyone else but his mom, and how often he was allowed to actually leave the apartment and be outside, bc from your fic’s implications he a) only meaningfully interacted with his mother, and she was apparently often absent both physically and emotionally, leaving him alone often and b) he left the apartment like once a month maybe. The fact that his mother, an authority figure, was his only constant form of human interaction must have had such an impact on his development, not to mention the lack of variety in settings. What did he think of the shows he must have watched, seeing characters make friends? What did he think of normal kids getting to make friends and go places without having to dress up and hide? I imagine he must have been so jealous and confused. Idk just thinking ab the psychology of a child who was isolated from the entire world for 13 years straight. If you wanna use this ask to expand on it pls do

He was 'literally allowed to interact' with other people, it just...usually never went well. I actually have (read: had, ofc now that I need it I CANT FIND IT) a whole deleted flashback scene from Book 2 where Koko takes him over to another apartment for him to be babysat/have a playdate, buuuuut he winds up biting the other child (even though Lloyd did it in self-defense due to the other child bullying him for his looks). But beyond that, interaction with others didn't not happen, it was just exceedingly sparse (and almost never without Koko around, which I think is something Lloyd mentioned at one point or anther—)

It is true that his mother was his most consistent source for of interaction, and Koko being Koko really did try to give him as much to work with as she could—it's why he's so smart but so awkward with his approach at time (luckily he has a little green element empathy to push him in better directions, usually). And yes, they had their monthly visit to the markets, but she'd take him to parks and the movies and stuff like that when it wasn't too busy, but those experiences also thinned out as Lloyd got older and she got busier, which we know Lloyd is resentful of.

But yeah—if you were constantly shown glimpses and only heard in stories about what life was "supposed" to be like and you were only ever tempted with the occasional chance to get to experience any of it, you'd be jealous and downright pissed too (especially when your own mother wouldn't tell you why)! Outside of the Garmadon thing, it's the other reason why Lloyd ran away (and why he's still mad at his mom/doesn't want to go back to her)—he couldn't take it anymore, and even though he hardly had any idea of what he was doing, it was still better than *drumroll* being stuck in a cage! Even if Darkley's was a primarily bad experience for him, it was still an experience (if not his first real one he made himself; hence why so many characteristics he picked up from there still stick with him and why he gives the students there the benefit of the doubt later on in Book 3)

...As early as the next chapter ,Lloyd even thinks to himself that despite all the bad that's happened (and is currently happening to him) that this is the first time in his life that he's ever actually lived—

And that alone makes him smile.

(really, how ironic, to be a 'master of life' and yet never having the chance to 'master' it at all)

[heartfullofleeches]

Hejehwkej slasher woman. She is probably a mechanic in the little town Reader and their friends visit for the holidays. The reader tries to get their car fixed so they can escape the town bc they are pretty sure there is something wrong with it, she can only lie and finish her cigar as she tells them the car has no fix, and tells them that if they are going to be here for a while, why not make it a good time, with her and ONLY her *wink* (she probably calls the Reader sugartits or darling too)

In a little town where nothing happened- everything happened that lone night.

The traditional began the winter following your last year of high school. You and a small group of friends had planned a vacation to a mountain retreat to celebrate the occasion, forgetting a key factor in the scene. The further out you traveled; the more snow began to fall. The roads became a slippery slope; visions obscured by the thick fog upon the horizon. There was no choice but for you to stop at the nearest exit; a small town not listed on a single map.

The snow would not let up for the remainder of the week, but soon your orginal destination became a memory of the past. While not ideal, you bunkered down and found your own fun within that time. When the snow let up some, you were able to explore the town, and find out more about its residents and history. Apparently, the remain townpeople were all that was left after the development of the same city you and your friends were heading. It drew in tourism from time to time due to the quality of each mom and pop store, and ghost tales surrounding missing persons cases from away ago.

Shaking off the latter fact, you had a good time just exploring the shops and taking your haul back to the inn. There was a lake behind it that, while frozen over, was a pretty chill spot to stay at. You even went outside by yourself some nights; just staring up at the unpolluted sky. Spirits high upon your departure, you decided to attempt the drive again the following year, stopping at the town along the way. It's a tradition that would last well into your college years with memories that would last a lifetime.

Where did it all go wrong?

-

Sitting in the passenger seat of an old beat-up truck, you defrost your frozen fingers against one of its heaters; shivering from the cold and the panic included adrenaline. A heavy winter coat hangs around your shoulders. It smells like motor oil and cigarettes, but it was better than facing the freezing cold and harsh reality alone. You try not to cry. The tears would only freeze to your cheeks. You had to stay strong. For everyone.

You jump a mile in your seat as the driver's side door pops open. A figure hops inside, dabbing a cigar again the ashtray as she sets a mug in the cupholder. The stream from it rubs against your leg. The woman groans as she grips the steering wheel, forgetting about the wound beneath the cloth wrapped around her hand.

"I'm sorry.." You croak.

She seems surprised at your apology. "Nah, t's fine, doll. You were scared, is all. Plus, I did do a number to your car in the process. "

You rest your head on your knees. Trapped alone on the desolate road with a flat tire, a truck pulled up out of nowhere when you were rearing to head back to the town. Fearing it was the same force that caused the disappearance of your friends, you locked the doors and pretended to not exist - only for the passenger window to be smashed open after repeated knocking.

Acting in fight or flight, you picked up the glass and slashed at whoever was trying to get in. As the wind's settled, you saw the logo of a repair shop on the woman's jumpsuit; her name right beneath it. Harper.

Harper tilts her head in the direction of the cup. "That's for you, by the way. You'll need it."

You silently pick up the cup. She chews on her lip.

"Wanna tell me what happened?"

You stare at the dark liquid. "I.. don't know. We were just having a good time at the lake, when we heard a scream. When we went back inside, the hotel owner was missing and soon... so was everyone else."

She goes to place her hand on your shoulder, but retracts as you flinch from her phantom touch. "That... that's rough, sugar."

You wipe your face with your sleeve. "Thank you.. by the way"

"Ah, it's the least I can do, specially considering I won't be able to fix your car tonight since there's more to it than a busted tire. Lines are down too so we can't call anyone. You can stay in here if ya want, but my place is only a couple miles more up the road. I just need to close up, but you'll have to step inside for a few so that we don't waste all the gas."

Weighting your options, there was only one to take. The snowfall was the worse it had been in years and the town was at least an hour and some change back.

"Okay."

Harper grins. "Pretty and smart. Let's get you inside."

-

Walking inside the shop, Harper leads you to the back office while she goes to finish up. As she walks off, you swear you can hear a click. Sure enough, when you check the door its locked. You try to swallow the bubbling fear as you step away from the door. It doesn't help when you find a familiar backpack on the floor; darkness staining its strap.

Looking through the bag, you find all of your friend's belongings had been dumped from it and a few of yours had been tucked inside along with a blue mask that almost makes you lose what little contents your stomach carried. Windows barricaded and searching for a way out, you find a set of keys under a rug, but instead of unlocking the door - it opens the safe beside your friend's bag.

Contents from bygone years spill from its bowels. An old coat you lost one winter, a bracelet the next. Tons upon tons of pictures of you from within that time frame. Some even from inside your hotel room. Some following you all the way back home. The final picture drags your heart to the bottom of your chest. A picture you all took that had been hung in the inn's lobby; each one of your friends' faces marked with a number-

While yours was surrounded by a heart.

" 'S not nice to snoop around other people's private areas, doll.

The room's door closes without so much as a creak.

"But that's okay. As a couple, the secret was bound to come out eventually."

[8-bit-britt]

Ooo

Can we hear more Whiplash headcanon infodumps? Pls?

Love these goobers; wanna know more about them.

Okay!

Redmond is a whole other can of worms, he is VERY vocal about what's on his mind which feeds into headcanon stuff a lot easier.

Had different takes on his backstory but have settled on Red growing up on a rabbit farm with his mother. He was always by her side and teased about being a mamas boy by his peers.

As he got older, Red developed a skill in lock picking (see the game over screen) and would regularly get out of his cage and hop the fence. He grew this fascination with the farmer who raised them and would sneak out to the farm house to observe. Often the farmer would be reclining in his chair watching tv and Red would watch with him through the window, which is where a lot of his pop culture trivia comes from. This, however, began the wedge in his mother's relationship where he wanted to explore and his mom would try to stop him.

Then tragedy struck. He snuck out one night and this time, his mother followed. But she didn't make it back. Redmond went looking for her in the morning.

I like to think that shortly after the death of his mother, he and a handful of other rabbits were purchased by Genron. Now he was confined in a new form of prison with no escape this time and left alone to process his feelings. Though he never really could.

I bring all this up because it is painfully apparent in the game that Redmond is a mamas boy. He's always crying out to her and always blaming her death on Spanx out of passive aggressiveness. But we never really know what happened to her.

It started out as "Don't you think I'm taking this rather well? Did you know a weasel ate my mother?" implying that he knows Spanx didn't do it, to suddenly taking her loss out on him. He never did see who killed her so he's using Spanx as a way to cope. Trying to put a face to his trauma so he can vent cause he couldn't bear the guilt that maybe it was his fault. It won't be until after the two escape that he can finally mourn for her death properly and let the reality of it sync in.

Part of an animatic I never finished where Red thinks about her mid-game. Eventually instead of using Spanx as an emotional punching bag, Spanx will give him that closure he desperately needed and a much needed friend to talk to after being locked up for years at Genron. Being pushy towards his mother just before her death and now living with that regret has also made him particularly clingy.

But y'know, that's just me over analyzing some funny voice lines in a b rated platformer.

[inkybinkyboink]

@salenrooz​ BET YO

im a SUCKER for scent headcanons i dont even care if its weird

jimmy/saul: k so separated the two for obvious reasons. saul absolutely smells like the worst male cologne in existence. like it’s so strong to the point where it just smells like chemicals. jimmy on the other hand? idk he looks like a clean linen bastard. like it would make sense if it was like the opposite right? like i feel like he doesnt smell like anything, like he smells like fresh laundry and the nail salon he has his office in yknow?

kim: ok ok ok so. kim grew up in what im assuming to be wasn’t the super cleanest house? like pet smells, cigarette smoke, dirty dishes and takeout boxes left on the counter. and i feel like when kim grew up she wanted to become her own person and that includes the way you smell. so i feel like she smells like rose petals, the muted smell of like,,an office filled with paperwork, you know what im talking about, please you have to, and cigarette smoke, because no matter how hard she tries, a part of her will always be stuck in the past.

mike: bruh ok uh like clean laundry, but more muted??? like an old man who lives alone, and he sits in his chair all day watching movies, but he also smells like motor oil and gunpowder and soil. kaylee always thinks it’s just because he goes on hunting trips, and no one ever thinks that it could possibly be because he’s out working for a drug kingpin every day.

howard: like lavender and burts bees hand salve. please i know thats weirdly specific but i dont know what else nails the whole “living natural” more than burts bees and lavender. also slightly like chlorine. though, near the end, maybe more like restless sleep, coffee, and salt.

gus: heres the thing. it depends. i think gus has become very very good at catering himself differently depending on who he’s around. so, if he’s just “gus the los pollos restaurant owner” probably just like old spice shampoo and deodorant. simple. humble. but if he’s “gustavo fring drug kingpin visiting madrigal hq/ cartel connections” then he’s probably wearing just the right amount of cologne, like bergamot or teakwood, something citrus-y.

nacho: like motor oil and leather from working in his dad’s shop, but i feel when he’s at home or if it’s like just him it’s a lot of floral scents, mostly from the girls, but also partly his own doing. not that he uses perfume necessarily, but he’ll light a candle to get the weed smell out of the air and it’s almost always some type of flower. usually rose, or gardenia or something not too overpowering, but still nice. mostly he just smells good, but like,,,not in a comforting way, in a hot way. yknow?

lalo: it’s been like. 2 months and im not over how this bitch would smell. ive said it once and ill say it again, i have and will never meet lalo salamanca because he isn’t real, but the way he smells gives me dysphoria bc you know it’s really good and vv masculine. his grandfather used to burn palo santo because he claimed it helped with headaches. lalo never saw any merit to the claim, but he liked the smell, so when his grandfather passed away he nicked the rest of the burning wood and now his own house just kind of constantly smells like palo santo. has a tendency to use really woodsy scents when it comes to like shampoo and stuff, and he usually smells like spices or cooking oil or something. good god i love him i wanna give him a hug.

chuck: i felt bad leaving him out. chuck smells like plastic and gasoline and like,,,a library in a really weird way. im not saying its good or bad, im just saying it is. kind of probably constantly smells like somethings burning but its not. its just the wires he recklessly tore out of the wall. 

bonus!

skyler white: there needed to b more women in this post ok brba and bcs are really bad for the bechdel test and it makes me mad!!! anyways, i think skyler would smell good yo! like god dude idk like she smells comforting in the same sense that your mom was comforting as a kid, and she smelled like home yknow? 

lydia rodarte-quayle: the same paper scent kim has but stronger. also like herbal teas and cinnamon. and coffee. shes not one to like douse herself in perfume or whatever, but i dont think shes beyond indulging in an expensive fragrance yknow what i mean? lydia smells good but also you can tell she’s rich when she walks by you.

[vanderwoodlings]

I really am fucking obsessed with 2.07 tho. Like

S: When it's just the three of us, it's fine, but anytime she gets a new guy, she stepfords out and lets him make all the decisions.

E: I don't think that's what's happening.

S: Remember when we had to move to Chamonix because German Klaus wanted to ski all year round?

E: That wasn't so bad.

S: But what about Paolo—the raw food diet? Family colonics? Or Sameer? I know I enjoyed our—

E: I see what you mean.

See that. That would’ve been enough—Serena didn’t spend her entire childhood in the Upper East Side. That tiny fragment alone is fascinating! But the overall point that Lily repeatedly changes herself for men and that affects her parenting style, meaning that Serena and Eric’s home life was even more unstable than previously thought? That’s something to chew on. But wait—there’s more:

B: Oh, your mother. Remember how she always used to just jet off to Mustique or Ibiza without warning while you and Eric were still in school?

S: Eleanor always knew when we showed up with our overnight bags. Lily had a new boyfriend. We tried alternating between you and the archibalds so you guys never knew how bad it really was.

B: We knew.

Like, this is in-text neglect. This is “Lily was in no way ready or able to be a parent” level stuff. (And then you think about the Scott of it all and you have to wonder if Serena was in any way planned or if Lily just couldn’t do that again. You have to wonder.)

And there’s the idea of Blair and Nate and the first time that they ever really added how much time Eric and Serena had been spending at their houses, and the idea of these tiny kids doing their best to make it okay as much as possible, and Serena is trying really hard to parent Eric and make it seem as okay as possible, but Eric is entirely aware even if he can’t say anything because that would make Serena’s life hard, and so everyone’s lying to everyone else and they’re all trying very hard not to talk about how not okay it is.

Someone write the fic.

Still, we continue:

S: I remember this one time, um, when I was eleven. Eric and I wanted a white christmas. Luckily, mom's husband was a raging cokehead, so he left blow everywhere.

L: Oh my god.

E: It wasn't everywhere—just on the smooth, shiny surfaces.

S: Was that, um, German Klaus with a "k," or was it Danish Claus with a "c"? I can't ever remember which ones she actually married or which she just decided were more important than her children.

Like, wow. And you wonder why your kids have issues.

(And I focus a lot on how Lily is bringing unsafe people into her kids’ lives, but she’s also bringing them into her life. Just makes me wanna grab the gossip girl writers by the lapels and shake them until all the explorations of trauma fall out.)

L: Eric, my darling, you are always honest with me. It isn't true, is it?

E: I know Serena’s timing sucked, but she did pretty much raise me all those years. You just weren't here, you know?

L: I wasn't that bad.

E: Our ringtone for you was "Since U Been Gone.” Vanya the doorman used to sign our permission slips from school.

When I put that last bit into i won’t cross these streets, I got several comments re: ow. Because it is, in fact, painful.

But it’s also canon, and it’s one of the multitude of anecdotes that Eric and Serena give us about the pre-series era in this episode—like, the “Since U Been Gone” thing? That’s a whole dark joke coping mechanism shared between them, which means that Eric and Serena chose it together. Maybe it was as simple as Eric getting his first phone and being excited to give reverting custom ringtones, or maybe one of them straight up had a breakdown and the joke was part of a way to calm down. It’s not just saying Lily wasn’t there, it’s giving us all the little parts of what that meant—in anecdotes, in Serena’s stress response focusing so much on Protect Eric, in Eric talking Serena down at the start of the episode and coolly backing her up when she finally loses it

It’s a fucking gift that just keeps giving

[jj-maybank123]

ICU

JJ Maybank x Fem! Reader

Warnings: None

Author’s note: Hey!! I’m new into the OBX fandom. I fell in love with JJ and I wrote this quick thing :) Also, this happens in between them finding out John B is alive and them reuniting in Charleston. 

Summary: Based on ICU by Phoebe Bridgers

The grass was cold against her warm sun-kissed skin. Y/N was lying on the front lawn of her house as JJ tried to pick the lock of the front door of her shitty house. What started out as an innocent get together at the Chateau had quickly turned into drinking, smoking, and a late night swim. It was around 2am when everyone left and JJ offered to walk her home, he had decided it wouldn’t be safe for her to walk alone even though it was just a couple of blocks and she had done it a million times before.

“JJ, leave it. I’m tired and I wanna sleep. I’ll just sleep outside,” Y/N groaned. “...or climb the window.”

They had been stuck outside of her house for about an hour trying to open a door. Her Mom was working a night shift and she couldn’t find her keys anywhere, after retracing her steps she deemed it a lost cause but JJ insisted he could pick the lock and asked for her hairpin. At first she stood beside him, even tried to do it herself, but after the first 30 minutes she decided there was no point in trying the impossible. However, JJ wouldn’t budge. He was convinced she had used a hidden key a few years ago to get them inside.

“You are not climbing anything, okay? You’re still drunk.” JJ placed his hands on his hips, his eyebrows furrowed and his hair slightly messy.

“I’ll just wait here until I feel fine enough to climb,” She insisted.  

He sighed, before walking away from the front door towards her, “Okay, fine.”

She was about to say goodbye when JJ laid down next to her.

“I’ll wait with you.”

“JJ,” She said firmly, “Go home. You need to rest, you have work in like 4 hours.”

Their shoulders were just barely touching as they laid side by side, face turned so they could see each other.

“What if a bear attacks you?” he said.

“A bear? In the Outer banks?” He nodded. She rolled her eyes and laughed, “If a bear was to attack me right now I don’t think you’d be able to stop it. Leave and save yourself.”

“I totally would. You’re acting like I haven’t saved you before.”

“Please tell me when you’ve saved me.”

JJ shifted his body to be fully facing her. “That one time you fell off the swing and I carried you home.”

“That was like ten years ago-”

“When you almost drowned that one time last summer. When you fell from your bike. Yesterday, you made me go to your house to kill a spider. Uhhhh - Rafe! That’s a big one. Fought him for your honor. ”

“You got knocked out.”

“Yeah, after saving you!” He touched his chin with his pointer finger, “Let’s see what else.”

“Stop!” She was laughing, he wouldn’t stop naming the most random things he had done throughout the many years they had been friends.

“When you didn’t write that essay for Terry’s class, I called you in sick. Took the blame for the weed your mom found in your room, saved you from that too. When your tire popped in the middle of nowhere and John B and I drove all the way and fixed it. That one time you got so drunk I snuck you into-”

“Okay! Okay! I get it! You’re my knight and shining armor and I can’t be without you. Please stay.”

His eyes softened, “Always.”

He laid back down and a comfortable silence fell over them. They both looked up to the sky. It was a clear night, and they could see the bright stars shining above them. The only thing that could be heard was their breathing and grasshoppers chirping, but neither felt the need to say anything. They didn’t have to.

She was close with the other Pogues, of course, but it was different between her and JJ. They had always been comfortable around each other, no need to pretend. In many ways he knew her better than anyone else, even herself. To her, JJ was it. She had been in love with him since she was old enough to think and for a long time she thought maybe it could be mutual. That somehow JJ Maybank could love her back.

The last couple of months had been crazy, between finding the ship, gold, and John B being declared dead. But even with all the craziness, Y/N had never felt more alive, for the first time she was doing things for herself and not thinking about work and her mom. Somehow this summer had brought them closer together and things began to change between them. Stolen glances, lingering touches, excuses to be together for longer...everything was great but she couldn’t help but want more. 

“I feel like I didn’t start living until a few months ago,” Y/N broke the silence. JJ looked at her slightly confused.

“What do you mean?”

“Like I’ve been dead for years, you know? Not literally, but I was always pretending to be someone I’m not. But not anymore.” Not with you. “Like my life began the moment that we found that boat. I mean, sure the whole thinking-John-B-was-dead thing was horrible but it led to kinda great things and for the first time in so long I feel happy. But I’m so scared that things will suck again.”

She paused but JJ didn’t say anything, he just stared at her. Suddenly she felt stupid for opening her mouth.

“I’m sorry that makes no sense. I’m just thinking out loud. It’s probably the alcohol.”

“No, no. That makes all the sense in the world,” JJ sat up, “It’s like everything is so great now and I feel like it won’t last or that I’ll ruin it the way I always ruin things.”

“You don’t ruin things. Don’t say that,” She sat up and looked at him with so much care. How could he ever think that?

“Yeah, well, that’s not what my Dad thinks,” he said, “He always goes on about how I ruined his life and how I don’t have a future or that I’ll end up in jail.”

“I hate your Dad,” she said and she meant it. She hated the way he talked to him, she hated having to ice the bruises he’d give him. “Don’t listen to him. He has no idea what he is talking about.”

He avoided her eyes and started picking the grass. “I don’t know about that.”

“Hey,” She gently cupped his face so that he was facing her, “I mean it. You’re amazing, JJ.”

“How do you know?” He asked. 

“I see you,” Y/N said without a second of thought, “The way you truly are and it’s great.”

They stayed like that for a few moments, just looking at each other. Their eyes saying everything they didn’t have the courage to say. They had never been this close before, faces just inches away. She could see every detail of his face. How beautiful he was, the way his hair fell perfectly, a small scar on his forehead, his lips.

JJ looked down for a second before looking at her again, “That feeling that everything might go wrong… it disappears when I’m with you. I get the opposite actually, like everything might be okay.”

“Me too.” She spoke barely above a whisper.

Slowly, like gravity on a feather, they started leaning towards each other. Hesitation on both sides, knowing that kissing could change everything. That finally they could be transparent about their feelings, about how mad they are for each other, about how the real fear is about losing each other. Their noses touched, she could feel him breathing, his shaking hand came up to cup her neck. Y/N was leaning into his lips when suddenly he jerked away, his hand dropping.

Y/N was stunned. She couldn’t move, she couldn’t think. All she felt was her heart breaking as tears of humiliation and sadness filled her eyes.

“I’m sorry,” JJ said as he ran his hand through his hair, “I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay.” She said quietly, hoping her voice wouldn’t crack.

“No, it’s not. I always do this, I always ruin things. I’m sorry,” His voice rose a little bit, he was frustrated. He took a deep breath and said,  “You’re my friend. I don’t wanna lose you.”

“You won't,” Y/N said after a few moments of silence. She had decided that the only thing worse than JJ not loving her back would be to lose him completely. Having him as a friend would be better than not having him at all. “You’re my knight and shining armor, remember?”

“You don’t need me to protect you.”

“Maybe,” she felt her chest tighten, “But I like it when you do.”

“Yeah?” His voice was soft and vulnerable.

“Yeah. You just have to learn how to punch better and forget the gun.”

JJ laughed, “I’ll work on it just for you.”

“Good.” She smiled at him.

Silence fell over them, only this time it was different. The things left unsaid and undone lingered in the air. Regret and curiosity plagued their mind. They became aware of their surroundings. Sitting further from each other than they usually would, heavy eyelids due to the lack of sleep, the warm summer breeze that wrapped around them and the lack of darkness as the horizon turned into shades of oranges and pinks.

“I should probably go to bed,” she said, looking at the sky.

“Can we just stay here for a little bit?” JJ’s voice was small, like he was afraid of asking.

He let out a breath of relief when she nodded. They laid on the ground again, shoulders barely brushing, hands millimeters away; so close yet so far away.