#never get a birth control shot the convenience comes with consequences

[daedrabela]

i miss being hot. i miss taking pictures and feeling cute. i miss dressing up and wearing minxy little outfits. i can't stand myself anymore. i can't look in the mirror.

[megaminds-destiny]

You know that moment in a movie, where the hero has tried to defeat the villain, they have failed and now they’re all upset, feeling like they can’t do it, and later on somebody comes up and talks to them and tells them they actually are good enough, and if they try again they will get it right, ect, ect.

This is not one of those moments.

Not by a long shot... in a way it sort of looks like one, and chances are that is what DreamWorks intended it to be, but if we just get straight down to things, Megamind had absolutely every right to say what he said in this scene.

I know that here, he definitely has doubt that he could ever defeat Titan. It would be foolish to even consider that he could beat him to be honest. After knowing closely, and blowing up Metro Man unsuccessfully especially, but that is actually entirely besides the point. In reality, it’s not even about whether he could defeat Titan or not, it’s whether Roxanne even has the right to actually ask him that in the first place.

Megamind was assigned to the role of villain at birth. He did everything that he could to tear himself away from that position, and aimed to become the exact opposite. This resulted continuously in abuse and punishment. Verbally, physically, implicative, you name the method, and that’s how the message was conveyed. Now... as a child, he thought to himself that what he wanted, what he was interested in doing, becoming, was important, and he wanted to prove that he could be good. But the world beat it into him that he was not. Is was actually in fact his Destiny, that he become a villain. It was actually HIS fault that all this abuse was inflicted upon him, his fault for trying to be something that he was not meant to be. Destiny, they hit a keyword there. ‘Destined for’ had a special place in his heart, as the last words his father had ever spoken to him, and without the need for that to be communicated out loud, it was picked up on by those around him, and used to get him to do as he was told, and accept whatever happened to him, while conveniently taking away his right to speak up or defend himself about it. So as well as that, at this point it’s become a spiritual thing, where people are actually using a Divine Entity as a logic system to convince Megamind that he actually has no say in the matter. In fact, if he tried to change who he was Destined to be, it would affect the balance of the universe- there can’t be any ‘Yang with no Yin,’ and this is the way the world stays ‘Perfect and Rosy’. If he were to fight this, it would not only destroy the balance, possibly the world, and hurt other people if he succeeded, but also there was no chance that he could succeed because Destiny ultimately had the control- not Megamind. And he would suffer continuous punishment for as long as he disobeyed. This is mental manipulation, and the way you convince someone to believe things that are absurd or untrue. (Similar to a cult, or abusive parent/child relationship)

So where’s the relevance in this? It IS relevant, because this is the mindset and logic system that Megamind has been following for his entire life. Believing with all his heart that his suffering in the past was the result of his own disobedience to the universe itself, and the only way to not be punished, the only right thing to do was to be a villain, as shown. And so? He stayed a villain all his life, and did the absolute best job of it that he could. Made a life out of it. Plotted and scemed, carried out his evil plans, got caught, sent to prison, escaped and repeated the process over and over. It worked. But of course, it came with it’s fair share of cons. Isolation. He never got to have a real family, it’s up to our imagination how the prison inmates treated him as a child, but even so they aren’t there with him anymore. Rejection. A lot of it. It was just a part of being a villain. He was accepted in a way, as a brilliant bad guy, but nothing more than that. He was never given the space to actually hope that one day he could have a friend other than Minion, he could have a relationship with somebody kind to him, or a family of his own in any regard. Purposeless. In the fact that while he does have a ‘purpose’, it’s not actually up to him whether that was what he wanted to do or not. And while we already know he makes the best of it all that he possibly can (as a result of acceptance and the sheer positivity and optimism of his character) it hurts him in the way that he will never feel what freedom is like, and he will never be granted the right to choice. He’s stripped of his right to go after his dreams of being a hero.

It would be hard enough if... if say somebody actually took the time and went to the effort to explain to him the truth... it would be extremely difficult to accept that the reason he was living this way all his life against his genuine will, was because a bunch of people wanted to be assholes and push him around for no valid reason. That’s how school kids are, but nobody seems to have ever stepped in. He wasn’t doing anyone any favours, and he should have been allowed to - in fact it should have been his right as a sentient being to get the choice in how he wanted to think, behave and live his life (without hurting anybody else or taking away someone else’s freedom). The prison actually had no right to keep him hostage as a baby/child, and somebody should have been there to protect him when he was being bullied. He needed and he deserved to have somebody step in in his defence, and tell him the truth about his situation. Long ago. Not now. And not like this- as a demand, without explanation, incompatible to the logic system, without acknowledging his current pattern of thinking (where it came from and how it came about) it can’t be disregarded, because this is what he does to survive. To not be tortured, punished, or suffer consequences. To do the right thing, follow the rules, keep the city, keep Destiny happy. He is in no position where he can just drop these rules and this logic system that he follows! His hands are metaphorically tied. Roxanne has offered him no alternative thinking pattern whatsoever, the idea is not compatible. She might as well have suggested he go and throw himself off a cliff, but even that wouldn’t have held the consequence of failing the Destiny he was assigned at birth, and throwing the universe out of whack. It already felt like he had messed with the balance enough as it was.

But wait there’s more! This discussion they had just had with Metro Man, was not encouraging as the former super hero had seemed to have intended. In fact, it was about as far from encouraging as he could have possibly got. Metro Man, in Megamind’s mind had basically told them that he didn’t feel obligated to his role as the ‘Yang’. He admitted that he didn’t really care, in fact he thought that the entire thing about fighting each other was just silliness. They were just messing around. There was no Divine Power, he never felt obligated to fill his assigned role. If the universe went out of whack because he decided he’d rather mess around with a guitar instead of mess around playing hero, then somebody else should do something about it. If the Universe really needed someone to fill this empty ‘Yang’ position, then why can’t Megamind just do it. Heck, maybe it wasn’t a coincidence that somebody else became a villain and pushed Megamind out of his role. Things were at an imbalance now, but all Megamind had to do was become a hero and he done with it. Problem hecking solved. No more Metro Man needed. But wait a second just hold up there Mr Jackass sir... why was it then, that when Megamind attempted to escape his role as ‘Yin’, he got so severely punished? How actually was it, that Metro Man managed to get off Scott free? As if in Metro Man’s own words- everyone in the whole city had a choice. Except the actual person being forced into things was actually Megamind. All his life, he is not only forced into this position he never chose, but also forced to accept it, forced to believe it’s actually a good thing, told directly that what he wants doesn’t matter, and that he is not allowed to question/rebel/change his mind/quit- ever. With consequences in place, waiting for him to slip up. And along comes Metro Man who’s been given the position Megamind sees as a GIFT, where he doesn’t miss out on connection, conversation, relationships, acceptance, love, affection, validation, just people actually liking him and caring about him and the only thing he really misses out on is... a choice apparently? For Metro Man to be preaching to Megamind how unfair it was that he didn’t have a choice in being a hero, when he was the one who actually initiated the whole thing in the first place, made up all these rules and pretended that all of this stuff was fact. But the worst part is... he still didn’t tell him that. Metro Man still, didn’t tell Megamind that he ought to have a choice in the matter too.

Roxanne is a smart woman, and she’s a reporter too. I don’t think there’s any way that she doesn’t know about Megamind’s background, therefore why he thinks the way he does. (And if not she never stopped to ask him why he thinks this way) I don’t think she had the right to ask this of him, to try to defeat Titan, as a hero, when just the night before she had actively participated in being one of those people who forced him into his role by not only rejecting him, but also saying to him that he would never get the chance to change his mind about who he wants to be. Because of what he’s done, and who his is- he can never change. She is the one who told him that, and for her to have the nerve to then turn around and suggest that it is up to him to change his Destiny, when Destiny has always been the one controlling/disciplining him... it’s just not a fair thing to ask at all. Especially after everything that while they were inside, Metro Man had just told him. That had already been just a massive slap in the face, and what Roxanne said to him afterwards was ultimately just another one. He has the right to be in grief. She was surprised at him, but genuinely there was no other reactions in the bank to be had.

[cheekybabycal]

Look at Me in the Eye

Summary: Calum and Y/N decided to give their relationship another shot, but it’s not long until the two become three. Now Y/N is faced with a difficult decision.

PART ONE

Rating: 14+

TRIGGER WARNINGS: anxiety, panic attacks

Warnings: swearing, mentions of unprotected sex, mild smut

Word count: 2.6k

Author’s note: my first fanfic on tumblr! Welcome to my page, hope you enjoy the shit I post. My writing is usually long (about 2k and above) so join the ride if you’re patient. That’s it, happy reading!

Y/N didn’t really believe in karma. She didn’t think that there was some weird, hidden force, returning positive or negative energy back to her. If she got something she wanted, it was because she worked hard for it. Not because she helped someone she barely knew find their way to a classroom back in 2013. Or if, god forbid, something bad happened to her, she would trace it back to why it occurred, and she would never assume it happened because of something mean she said a few months back.

But as she sat on the edge of her bed, her hands gripping the hem of her grey NYU sweater, her mind racing and her heart pounding in her ears, silencing the noise of the early January wind outside her window, she couldn’t help but think about what she could have possibly done to the world to end up in this position.

There were only a few times in Y/N’s 21 years of living in which she was, at least in her own opinion, unnecessarily rude. Other than that, she can’t think of anything she has done for ‘karma’ to come back and bite her in the ass. Okay, so maybe she stole a tiny stuffed puppy key chain back in 2nd grade, but surely that didn’t count...

Y/N wasn't stupid. She knew unprotected sex had consequences. She had learned enough in 9th grade health class to last her a lifetime. She knew about chlamydia and herpes and warts and HIV, and of course, pregnancy. But ever since she got back together with Calum (a decision she might be starting to regret), she had been happy. As in, actually, literally, genuinely happy. And so, it didn’t really bother her if they fucked without protection. The first time they did, though, after they got back together, was after quite a few hours of partying, both of them ridiculously drunk. She remembers leaving sloppy kisses on Calum’s skin, however much of it she could reach, as they stumbled into his apartment (which she moved into a few weeks after that night). She also remembers freaking the fuck out the next morning and running to the closest convenience store to buy a Plan B.

After that night, Y/N went on the pill and tried her best to keep up with the schedule. She even went as far as setting reminders on her phone for the first few months. But when her phone suddenly started blasting during a lecture, she was quick to get rid of the alarms altogether, and made a mental note to herself to take the pill at the same time every day.

And truth to be told, she was pretty consistent with it.

Until she wasn't.

Y/N and Calum had been tested and both of them were clean in the STI area, so using a condom or a birth control pill was solely for the purpose of not getting pregnant. However, since taking the pill at the exact same time, every single day on a regular basis was a bit of a challenge, they decided to go back to the classic – and easier – protection method, condoms. At first, Y/N didn’t want to say anything to Calum because she knew that for some men, condoms reduced the total amount of pleasure they would feel, but it turned out that Calum was fine with using them, and that was the end of that.

For the life of her, Y/N can’t remember how this could have happened. Never in a million years would Y/N think that she would be sitting alone on the bed she shared with Calum, shaking with fear of what was about to come.

Well, technically, she wasn't sure. Not yet anyway.

She couldn't bring herself to take the test.

So there she sat, on the bed, her heart hammering as she felt a panic attack coming. And it did.

Just as her lungs started to tighten and her head started to spin and her limbs started feeling numb, Y/N heard the front door open.

“Hey, I'm home.” Calum’s voice rang in her ears, causing her breath to hitch in her throat. She couldn't call back to him if she wanted to, and God, this was the worst timing possible because Y/N knew, she just knew, that the second she would see Calum, the whole thing would get even worse.

She tries to focus on her breathing, but her head is spinning too fast for her to count her inhales and exhales. So instead she tries grounding herself, sliding off the bed to land on the floor and grip the soft carpet under her. It doesn’t help.

“Babe?” Y/N can hear his footsteps coming down the hall and towards the bedroom, and all she wants to do is melt into the carpet that she’s gripping so hard. She hugs her legs tightly to her chest (bad move, since she can’t breathe) and rests her forehead on her knees, planning to keep herself hidden from him for as long as she can.

“There you are.”

Well, there goes that plan.

“Shit, Y/N are you okay?” he’s by her side within seconds of stepping across the threshold of the room, crouching down beside her and placing a hand on her shoulder. “What happened babe? Where does it hurt? Do you want some water?”

She looks up at him, a single tear spilling down her left cheek as she tries to control her breathing. He is so caring, so sweet, so loving to her, and she’s about to crash his entire life and everything he’d worked hard for.

“Fuck, it’s another one, isn't it? It’s okay, just focus on me,” he speaks calmly, now sitting next to her on the floor and wrapping his right arm around her. Calum was familiar with Y/N’s panic attacks and had helped her through a few, so it was safe to say he knew what he was doing.

She rests her head against his shoulder almost immediately, and as her heart continues to pound out of her chest, her arms give out and drop by her sides, causing her legs to wobble and land in an awkward lean against Calum. “Just focus on me,” he repeats. “focus on the sound of my voice. Here, give me your hand.” He gently takes her hands in his left one and starts playing with the rings on her fingers, and then the bracelets on her wrists. “These are really pretty. Almost as pretty as you. But I like this one,” he says, gliding his thumb over the small and simple rock-centered ring. “It kind of reminds me of that sculpture thing we saw at that mall downtown, do you remember that one? With the rocks and the little fake birds. It was fun to look at.”

Y/N knows what he’s doing: distracting her, and it’s working.

“I... yeah, remember,” she says weakly and between sharp inhales of air. “keep … keep talking.”

“Right, I always thought it was weird though. Because birds fly in the sky, and maybe near mountains, but the rocks on the sculpture looked like ones you would find on the beach, you know? And the birds didn’t look anything like seagulls, either, so what was the artist trying to accomplish?”

A light, throaty chuckle leaves Y/N’s throat, and she realizes that her heartbeat is starting to slow.

“Anyways, today was a good day at the studio. We got this really cool new song. Not the whole thing, but we have the bass down, thanks to me...” He laughs then, and she swears that the sound of it started to clear her head. “and Luke and Ash are working on the lyrics real hard, so that’s a plus.” and as he continued to talk about his day, Y/N feels her lungs opening up again, and oxygen reaching her brain again, and her heart rate slowing down back to normal. Almost, anyway. But it’s good enough.

After what seemed like forever, her breathing goes back to normal and she feels grounded. With a weak smile, she looks up at him, wanting to kiss every inch of his face and then his neck, and she wants to whisper in his ear that she is having his child but she isn’t sure yet and she doesn’t know if he would be happy or not and her thoughts are suffocating her so she just looks into his eyes.

He brushes a few loose strands of hair behind her ear and leans down slowly. Ever so gently, he tilts her head, looks into her eyes, then at her lips, and closes the small distance between them. He presses his lips against hers lightly, and at that moment he could swear that this was the most intimate kiss they’d ever had, and when Y/N grabs his face with both of her hands and deepens the kiss, Calum is sure.

They fit so perfectly. Like they are meant for each other, and a slow warmth crawls up Y/N’s body and rests on her cheeks, a light pink spreading against her face. She smiles against his lips and pulls away, looking up at him, his chocolate eyes meeting her hazel ones. Their gaze holds for a moment, each looking into the other’s soul, and then she straddles him, resting her forehead against his.

“I love you,” she whispers, and even though they have already said I love you to each other about a dozen times since they got back together, she can feel Calum’s grip on her waist tighten before he relaxes a split second later and wraps his arms around her to pull her closer to him.

“I love you, too. So, so much”

Y/N can feel herself loosen, the stress she felt from earlier dissolving just a bit after hearing him say it back to her. At least now she knows that once she tells him, once she actually finds out for sure, that he will be supportive.

Hopefully.

She kisses him again, this time with more fury, like she can melt all her worries away with his lips. Her hands find their way to the nape of his neck and she plays with the dark curls there as he tugs on the material of her sweater. It’s a beautiful, passionate moment, but she wants more. Experimentally, she grinds her hips down on his, and a low groan escapes from the back of his throat and she feels the vibration of it on her lips. Taking that as a positive sign, Y/N continues to move her hips, grinding down on his forming erection and hearing his breathing quicken. She loved the sounds he made when he was just beginning to get aroused, because it almost sounded like he was trying to fight it, and Y/N always found that oh so sexy. Pulling her out of thought, Calum slips a hand under her sweater, rubbing circles against her back before moving it up to cup her breast. She sighs into his mouth, quickening the pace of their kiss as she relishes in the feel of his skin against hers.

But then he lowers his hand to her ribs, down her stomach, and when his fingers gently graze against her abdomen, she opens her eyes and stops everything she is doing, pushing him away with just a bit of force.

Calum blinks at her. Pulls his hand away. “uh... did I do something?”

She bites her lower lip and looks away, shaking her head. Great. Now she had to explain why she was all weird, which would most likely lead to him asking why she had a panic attack in the first place.

Just great.

“I... um, no. You didn't do anything wrong; I’m just jumpy today is all.”

He continues to look at her, as if he is debating whether to ask what’s really wrong, and Y/N prays that he won’t actually do it. After a long moment, Calum sighs and wraps his arms around her, and she leans into him, her face resting against his shoulder.

They stay like that for a while before starting what they had going before, back up again. It doesn’t take long for them to get really into it, and soon they’re stretched out on the floor, Calum lying on his back on the carpet and Y/N on top of him. They are a mess of lips and teeth and tongue and hair but they’re laughing and Y/N feels lighthearted. She stops to look at him, to really take in the beautiful sight that is her boyfriend, and then helps him get rid of his shirt. She’s a bit shaky when he slips his hands under her sweater to take it off, but she decides against pushing him away and instead lifts her arms to help him. After Calum pulls her sweater off of her, he sits up, with Y/N still on his lap, a look of worry on his eyes.

“Hey,” he says gently, lifting her chin so he could really look at her. “You know you can tell me anything, right?”

“Calum, you know I know that,” Y/N really isn't sure what else to say.

He stares at her, then presses his lips softly against her forehead. That’s all it takes for her to kiss him again. It’s a heated, passionate kiss, full of emotion, like they haven’t seen each other in years, and they can’t get enough of it, of each other. She pushes him back down on the floor and bends over him, smiling against his lips as she starts to grind on him. He lowers his hands to her ass, squeezing gently before hooking his thumbs in the waistband of her leggings and dragging them down. She gasps into his mouth as his fingers linger over her belly but she doesn’t want to disrupt the moment, so she ignores the nervousness that starts to poke her in the back of her mind. She can tell he wants this to go forward, and there isn’t much she can do when he raises his arms to her back and unhooks her bra.

She wants this; she really does. It’s been a long day for her and there is nothing she’d rather do than spend the night wrapped in Calum’s arms. But if she’s this sensitive to when he’s touching her near the abdomen, how will she react when he’s inside of her? Y/N doesn’t want to find out.

“Cal...” she breathes his name to get his attention, but he sees it as a sign of encouragement as he trails his lips from her jaw to her neck, leaving marks here and there, and her breath hitches in her throat because Calum’s lips on her skin are setting a slow-burning fire within her and she just wants it to grow.

He flips them over so he's hovering over her, and buries his face into her neck, trailing the forming hickies down to her sternum, to each of her breasts. He takes his time with her, getting her to gasp and moan as he pays attention to each nipple. Once he feels it’s enough, he continues his path, trailing his lips and tongue down her stomach, along the faint line of her abs, and then right down to...

She pushes him off before he can get to her lower abdomen, startling him. Sighing, Calum pulls away and sits up. “That’s it. What’s wrong?”

[femnet]

So, the pill. It’s birth control, yes, but there are plenty of other uses for it, whether it be medical purposes, convenience purposes, or a secondary to condoms. I’m 21 years old, I’ve never had sex, and I’m religiously on birth control. I probably could not function without it.

To start, my gynecologist prescribed it to me because at the point of my appointment, my period had not come in 7 months. Not only is this deeply unhealthy, but my mother was actually getting worried I was pregnant even though I had no semblance of a baby bump. Catch me as the next Virgin Mary, am I right? My friends all recommended I go get it checked out, and so off I went. He told me I had ammorhea  (heavily irregular periods), and while I don’t know the long-term consequences, he made it seem like if I didn’t get on birth control to regulate my menstrual cycle my uterus would probably explode. Encouraging.

For some background, my birth control comes in a small pack of 28 pills, with 21 hormone pills and 7 sugar placebo pills. The week of placebo pills is when the lack of suppression hormones releases the blood that mimics your period. You don’t get a real period on birth control, because your hormones are being strictly monitored. Your body is not naturally releasing blood—the flow of hormones dictates when it will. I start my month on a Sunday, and my period generally comes the Tuesday after I start taking the sugar pills.

Being on birth control is a little annoying when you can’t tell your Muslim mom that you are using it.  My mother is scared of anything that has to do with sex, and even a medical reason is not enough for her to comprehend me controlling my sex organs. I’m usually away at college so it’s not hard to take it, but it’s a little difficult when I’m home for a month and have to take it when she’s asleep so no questions are asked. Because I had to change my time table to right before I go to bed, when I go out with my friends it means that I’ve taken my pill with a shot of alcohol, a sip of wine, or simply dry, because I’m out at a party and I’m too intoxicated to do any better. These truly make for the funniest stories.

Speaking of timetables, you can change the time you take your pill every month during the week of placebos. I’ve gone from taking it at 12:45pm to 12:45am in a single month because of the circumstances of when I had to take it. Time changes like that are completely acceptable if you do that during the week you get the pill period. During the month of real pills, varying more than 2 hours before or after is probably a bad idea. Consistency is key.

Birth control also means you can skip your period if you want to, in order to better fit your schedule. The first time I’ve done this, I had the heart attack of a lifetime because of a thing called breakthrough bleeding. According to my doctor—after I called him in a literal panic—this is when your body isn’t used to being out of its rhythm and bleeds out old blood. It’s kind of gross, and it doesn’t last more than 5 days, but sometimes it does require pads. It doesn’t come with all of the pain and mood swings, but it is mildly inconvenient. However, don’t let that deter you, because skipping your period is still extremely useful and having the ability to control that part of your body feels like a superpower. After the first one or two times you skip, the breakthrough bleeding is usually gone.

All of this may seem like birth control is scary, or too much effort for the benefits, but to be honest, it is worth it. Having a body and bodily functions that make sense to me and to the doctors, being able to prepare for my periods rather than carrying around a pad at all times and having the worst periods of my life because there’s so much built up blood (sorry, that was gross), is a blessing. I would not give it up for anything. If you’re considering birth control, for any reason be it medical or sexual, I suggest you go to your gynecologist and set it up. It is so worth it in the long run.

- @lordvoidemort

[drunkdragondoes]

As much as I wanted ice foreplay... Let's go with shower sex and birbs. (We know I need it to live properly)

When Winter discovered she was pregnant, she found herself with two choices - end it or keep it a secret.

One was undoubtedly easier. She could continue with her work and live life as she did. There would be no change in lifestyle. Maybe fewer nights out, a little less drinking. Some more prudent choices.

Yet she thought of her father. She had always acted in defiance of him, refused to let him control her. But she hated that in some ways she was still under his thumb, and thus the child was kept and birthed. And in a short span of three years Amaya Schnee grew to be Winter’s pride and joy.

It was not without consequence, however.

He found out not long after she gave birth, just like every other secret she tried to keep. She didn’t cry when all that came was a letter, addressed to Winter in business terms detailing the grounds of her disownment. For her it was only a matter of time. She had saved money on her own as a result, and her job paid well enough to cover costs, if only barely sometimes.

And yet Amaya grew and grew, and soon other costs came, costs that she hadn’t expected in raising a child. New foods, medical costs, things that for all her strength she could not deny for her child, no matter how deeply it cut into her pockets.

And one day she did the one thing she never thought she’d do. She stepped down from her specialist title to take on a role that, while it paid less, would keep her by her daughter.

Money didn’t exactly become tighter, but it still made her worry. The worst of it was when she misplaced the money she would have used for groceries that week. She had started with a controlled panic, but by the time she finally found it she was nearly overcome with relief. It wouldn’t have spelled the end of her life, thankfully. The cost itself was small in comparison to her overall budget. But just the fear of not having, that Amaya could not have, was enough.

She was eternally thankful that Weiss and even Whitley always tried to slip funds her way. Every envelope was a godsend to her, filled with small notes and handwritten letters of encouragement.

Amaya grew to be Winter’s pride and joy. Her smile made her smile. Her first words made her heart soar. She took pride when she was finally able to determine why she was crying and provided exactly what was needed each and every time. She was a mother through and through.

But while she would never admit calling her child a burden, not even to herself in the darkest of her corners, she was resigned to the fact that she had cost her. Old friends and colleagues drifted away as she spent less time with them. She watched as those her age either continued to live the life they pleased or at least had a spouse or partner to raise a child with.

And then Qrow found out about her.

She should have realized that Weiss’ meeting came about under unusual circumstances compared to the other times. It was sudden and seemed unusually convenient, especially with how easily Winter was able to get the time away from her job.

The final tell should have been Ruby’s presence. Winter didn’t mind the pure-hearted girl, but for both of them to be free with their vastly different schedules, and then want to spend time with her? Preposterous. But she had been so eager to see Weiss that it all went out the window.

They took a small vacation out of town on Weiss’ lien. On the first night, they went to a fancy restaurant - one that she didn’t dare attend on her own - and her sister ordered her favorite for her. Ruby, on the other hand, treated Amaya like a princess. She held her in her lap, gently preened her hair and played and entertained her. And they all shared a spacious suite, complete with a kitchen and everything she could have imagined, including her own private bathroom.

On the second day, they had gone to a park and she saw him sitting on a bench, his eyes locked on her. She almost hadn’t, but once she drew close and knew it was him she froze. She turned back to walk away, looking at Ruby and Weiss, but the two girls simply stared back. It was there that she realized it had been all set up. Rage nearly overtook her. The only thing that kept her in place was Amaya grasping at her hand.

Weiss at least apologized, stating that ultimately what she had done to arrange this meeting wasn’t right. Her gaze was downcast, and though she had grown to become a woman her body shrank and became diminutive, like when she had first gone to Beacon. Had he approached Weiss alone, she would have outright denied any connection, said no, and turned him away before threatening to call security. But he had contacted Ruby, and try as she might she could not say no to her in the end, not when her partner had shared everything Uncle Qrow was to her.

Ruby tried to apologize as well after Weiss finished, but her sister shooed her away and requested that they bring Amaya with her. It would at least allow Winter to have a conversation alone with him.

She felt her face harden into an angry frown. Turning on her heel, she walked towards the bench Qrow was sitting on and took a seat next to him at a respectable distance. His mouth opened and then closed and then opened and closed again before finally culminating in a small sigh. “I’ve been trying to think of what to say for a while now, but I don’t think I’m coming up with anything good.”

Her head turned towards him, and now that Winter was closer she felt her eyes drift across his form. Little had changed between that night and now. Perhaps a wrinkle here, an extra white hair there, but nothing drastic. Still tall, still lithe and just a bit gangly.

She felt old memories return and cast the thought away, doing her best to nip it in the bud. “Well, you have five minutes.”

A half-hearted scoff fell from his lips. “I guess I’ll just get into it then.” He wet his lips, his eyes traveling to the ground below his feet as he leaned forward. “That’s…” he breathed, “That’s my girl, isn’t it?”

“What makes you think she’s your child?”

“Well,” Qrow leaned back, looking up into the sky, eyes reflecting scarlet back into hers, “she’s got my hair, for one thing.”

She let out a huff. “You’re not the only one with black hair.”

“Maybe, but the timing of everything suggests otherwise. How old is she?”

“I don’t have to tell you that, Qrow. Especially after today-”

“Winter, please.” There was an edge in his voice, one that she couldn’t place anywhere because she couldn’t recall when someone had ever sounded like that to her. Ever. Was it defeat?

She gave in. “She’s a bit past three now.”

There was a heavy sigh, and Qrow remained silent. One minute. Two minutes. His body moved, as if to say something, but always fell short, always kept from speaking. She let her eyes fall upon him again, wondering why they had been together for so many nights across their ‘work only’ relationship. He was attractive. Was still attractive.

“You know, Winter, when you had her, you made a choice. It was a choice to exclude me, and I’m not going to force my way into her life if you don’t want me to.” He finally spoke, that defeated lilt gone and replaced with his usual demeanor of confidence. “And I get it,” his gaze fell to the floor again. “I don’t always give the greatest impression of what a father usually is. But…” there was another slow heave of his chest as he bit his lip. Her body tensed, waiting for the other half of the sentence to come.

“I’ve seen a good friend suffer and break before things got better. And while his case was different, it’s something no one should be at risk of going through.”

Standing up from the bench, he turned and gave Winter a slip of paper. It was a scroll number and an address and room number of a hotel. “We can talk if you want. And if you never contact me again, well,” he huffed, “that’s okay too. But it’s there if you ever change your mind, even if it’s just money that you need.”

The rest of the day was more subdued. They stayed in the suite, simply doing nothing and Winter did her best to relax. She played games with Amaya, the three of them made food together, and they watched one of Ruby’s favorite movies from when she was growing older. She doubted the little girl would remember much, but she let her watch to her heart’s content.

When it was finally evening and they had put the child to sleep for the night, it was just the three of them. Ruby, however, was nearly bobbing from side to side, unable to sit still with the unsaid question in the air. Winter watched the younger woman, and she knew she was watching her. She watched Ruby bite her lip, fiddle with her shirt, brush the hair out of her eyes for the fifth time. But so was Weiss, and before Ruby could say anything she was snatched away. Weiss shot a sympathetic look towards Winter, and she understood. This was her decision to make.

It was just her left in the room now. Taking out her scroll she dialed the number onto her scroll, only to be surprised that the number was already recognized. She had kept it for so long, and yet never maintained contact with him once their work relationship stopped mattering. But it’s not like it ever mattered - the only time they contacted each other was regarding their assigned job.

He was a nuisance, she reminded herself. But in spite of it all he was reliable. He had been a consistent partner when she needed one, no matter how drunk he seemed to have gotten. And when push came to shove, he was someone she could trust and rely upon.

And he was a good lay.

Her head tilted back in resignation. The last time she had sex was with Qrow on that night. She hadn’t tried dating or anything of that sort since then. Maybe her libido just wasn’t there anymore, not after Amaya was born. Yet she felt her cheeks flush, thinking of the way his breath ghosted on her ears, how his hands fell onto all the right places, and how he-

A low, frustrated groan rose from her throat. Looking at her scroll again, it was past nine in the evening. With a quick text to Weiss, she headed out the door and into the night. Qrow should still be awake, if his habits were still the same.

The hotel was quite close, perhaps a block or two away. It was an arrangement, though, after all. Winter should have expected that much. But to her surprise he was not at the hotel’s bar. Instead he was at his room.

“I thought you’d call first.”

“I think this is something I’d rather discuss in person.” She took a breath. “May I come in?”

“… Alright then.”

His room was plain, but it seemed decent enough. He probably asked for it this way. Near the far wall, the curtains were drawn back, revealing the lights of the city. And at a small table were two chairs, with one facing the view. A small bottle and a partially filled glass stood atop the wooden piece. “Drinking, as usual.” She wasn’t sure if this was meant to insult him or simply be an observation.

“Thinking, more like. I just opened the bottle.” He watched as she took the second seat, and she felt naked in just her plain sweater and jeans. For all the other times they had been with each other, romantic or not, he had seen her in her full military outfit.

“I…” she looked up and he bit his lip, running his hand through the side of his head. “Do you still drink?”

She gulped, looking at the bottle on the table. Whiskey. Hard liquor. “Sometimes.” He nodded and ducked into the bathroom to pull out a second glass. Placing it on the table, he didn’t fill it, instead resuming drinking from his own.

“Not going to fill it for me?”

He looked her in the eye. “I’m not going to force you to drink, Winter. Not when we’re in a hotel room together, not before a conversation like this, and certainly not when you have a child to return to.”

It was respectable of him to do so, but to her it felt a little demeaning after all they had been through. She wasn’t fragile. Grasping the bottle, she tipped and poured out the drink for herself. In a quick motion she put it back onto the table and held the glass before downing the liquid. Her eyes blinked shut. It had been some time since she let herself have something this strong, and the burn was harsh.

But when she set it back down, she wasn’t sure what to say to him. Did she make requests or demands? Was he going to ask to be a part of her life from this point onward? Would he draw a line if she became too unfair? Qrow wasn’t rich. He was stable and well off on his own, but not rich. Being a hunter didn’t pay that well. There was a limit to what she could even think about asking for. And it’s not like she originally intended to let him know.

She found herself pouring out another drink. “You never called.”

He gave a small grunt, taking another sip of his drink. “Neither did you,” he swilled his glass around, staring into the amber liquid. “But I wasn’t the one hiding someone, so… I guess I don’t have an excuse.” He looked at it a little more and sighed, “What’s her name?”

“Amaya Schnee.”

She watched as his jaw set and he blinked. A flash of a grimace or something appeared and he downed the drink, quickly pouring himself another one. “Makes sense. We don’t know each other that much outside of work and sex.”

Her own face flared in indignation and she controlled herself. But as she tried to ignore the blow he dealt her, she reminded herself that she had done the same. With her last name, the girl would have no idea who her father was. More importantly, though, it once again implied that Winter had no intention of involving Qrow at all. She finished her glass and took poured another drink again.

“Are you sure you should be having that much?” she turned to look into his red eyes. “Not calling you a lightweight… just-” whatever he wanted to say was cut off as he took a slow sip. She tried to fill the silence that was between them. Tried to say something to make the moment easier.

She swallowed. “I didn’t know you would care this much.”

“I’m uncivilized, not insensitive.” He took a long breath, staring into the dark skyscape once again. “I just remember my friend, Winter. I remember the labors of love he performed for his two daughters, and how heavy it was at times. You’re too young to have that type of look on your face. Everyone is. But things in life aren’t fair, And I guess… I just don’t want to leave this to chance. Not in this case.”

“… Thank you, then.”

They didn’t say anything afterwards. Not until the bottle between them was finished. Something in her mind was telling her to answer the scroll that was still buzzing in her pocket. Finally at some point Qrow’s scroll rang as well, and he looked at her.

“Do you want me to say something? They’re worried about you.”

She finally reached into her pocket and pulled out her scroll. “I’ll tell them on my own.” Once she did though, she saw how much time had passed and it was a bit past twelve. Far too late to go back.

“Winter.”

His hand brushed against hers and she froze. It was as soft as all the other times when he did touch her, whether for work or for play. Her mind flashed to all the times when she shook hands, got pats on the back, was saluted, all the way back to when the last time she held hands with her mother. Nothing had ever felt as soft as he did. Nothing had felt as comforting.

“I can walk you back if you need it too. You don’t have to make the decision now. We didn’t even talk much about it, after all.”

She didn’t dare look up at him. Not while she was tipsy and remembering all the times they’ve touched each other. She could go back and think about this on her own. He was offering her the space if she wanted it. She wasn’t sure if remaining here was something she could handle.

But her own lips betrayed her. “I’ll stay.”

“Are you sure?”

“… Yes.”

He paused before letting go of her hands and she watched as his mouth pursed before speaking. “You can take the bed then. I’ll sleep in the chair.”

At some point Qrow must have gone out. It was either before or after she fell asleep under the covers. It was the only reason why there was a bottle of water she didn’t remember being there on the small table next to the bed. Brushing aside the white locks that spilled over her head, she greedily drank it down before looking over to her side.

Empty. The pillow was untouched. True to his word, Qrow had remained in the seat, his chin lying down upon his chest. It would hurt once he woke up.

They still hadn’t talked.

Rather, she still hasn’t talked. Qrow already made his point.

Gazing out the window, the sky was still just a little dark. Too early for either of them, really. She got up, used the restroom, and went back to sleep.

The next time she awoke there was the loud sound of running water. With a slow glance, she felt herself rise and look towards the restroom door, spotting that it wasn’t fully closed. Her eyes fell onto the handle, wondering if this was just a habit of his or if he forgot that she was over.

Maybe it was because after last night, he was expecting her to leave in the morning. He already said what he wanted to say, and Winter was the one who would make the decision. Her eyes fell to her hand, the one that Qrow had touched, and she wondered if staying the night had been a mistake.

A part of her told her to leave, to take the time he offered her to make a decision down the road later.

But a deeper yearning demanded that she stay. She needed to stay, it told her. It craved a presence that only Qrow had ever been able to fulfill. Of all the partners she had, both in and out of bed, not only had he stayed the longest, but he had been the only to to teach her to take chances, to take risks. He might have egged her on, but it was in his own way.

“We can talk if you want.”

“I’m not going to force you to drink, Winter.”

“You don’t have to make the decision now.”

He always gave her the option to walk away with no consequences. She could step down if she wanted, or she could step up and do it. He was crass and rude with his comments at times, something that she was able to ignore. But there was a strange way in how he respected her choices. He let her exercise control, a desire that led her away from her father’s company in the first place. And every decision that she made to move forward or stay still was her own.

And she missed the way he touched her.

She gulped, staring at the door. All tiredness gone, she quickly stood up and began to remove her clothes. The sweater, the jeans, and the bra and underwear beneath them. Heart pounding, she pushed it open and walked in, feeling the gentle steam pillowing her body. It was a wide bathroom, with the generous shower stall. She saw it once prior to going to sleep, the plain glass obscuring nothing from her view. Her heart skipped beats beat as her gaze fell over his body, absorbing every curve, every scar, before falling onto his hands.

With one last breath, she walked up, opened the stall door, and entered.

“Winter?”

As the hot water began to splash over her, her eyes fell to her own fingers, seeing them grasping and wringing in front of her plain body. She found it impossible to look him in the eye, too scared to do so. Her cheeks burned red, trying to ignore the qualms that came with being naked, trying to ignore that she could see just the tip of his-

She bit her lip and let out a shaky huff. There would be no going back. She wouldn’t let herself go back. Slowly tracing her gaze to his hand, she reached out and grasped his wrist with both hands. She then closed her eyes and brought it to her face, letting her cheek fill the dip of his palm.

Gods, even just this was soothing after the last four years.

He gave a slow breath and expected him to maybe laugh. Instead, his voice was low and quiet. “I get you, Ice Queen. My friend was a bit like this too.” Her old nickname. She hated it at first, but after all this time…

When his fingers curled just a little bit, cupping and stroking her face, she felt her poise beginning to crack and break. It started with quick puffs of air, then her head dipped down just a little, and soon she could feel just the tiniest pricks of tears in her eyes.

Her disownment, the money, the tension, everything seemed to peel away and it was just the two of them under the running water.

“Do you want to talk about it yet?”

She was a mess of emotions. Sad. Lost. Aroused. Broken. She shook her head, half-wet locks flinging back and forth. Diving into his chest, her arms curled tightly around him, and in a moment so did his and she felt her shoulders shake. It was safe here and she could just care about her own wants and desires.

She didn’t know how long they stood there under the water, but his voice echoed through his chest. “Here, turn around.” His hands let go and her eyes looked up at him for the first time. His red eyes were soft and staring into hers, his jaw set in the barest of understanding smiles. With a bit of adjusting, Qrow positioned her so that she was under the brunt of the running water and facing away from him, the hot liquid carving down her back and making her relax. With a gentle movement he motioned for her to pull her hair to the front.

Then he stepped back for a moment. She tensed, unsure what he was doing, but fought the urge to look back. She had already entrusted him with her naked body, least of all her life, in many other occasions. He had yet to betray her, and soon his hands returned to her shoulders, lathered in soap. He used soft motions, starting with her arms. His fingers dragged down slowly and carefully before pressing down just a little firmer to massage her muscles. Then he moved onto her back, his fingers working the same rotations on her.

It was both cathartic and unnerving. At one moment her body was unwinding, feeling the stress wash away. And in another she prayed that he didn’t see her biting her lip in hot agony. Well intentioned as he was, she could not deny the effect he was having on her body. And the shower stall, for its decent size, was still cramped for two. Sometimes when he leaned to the side she would feel the tip of his cock prodding and sliding across her soapy skin. He must have noticed as well, for each time it happened he let go of a breath and his hands became even more gentle, as if she would break underneath his touch.

But the worst was when he reached for the neck of the showerhead. The entirety of his hard length slide past the side of her hips and she swore he gulped. And she was sure that despite her attempts to suppress a shudder, a heavy breath came from her lips.

A brief moment of clarity attempted to ring through the growing haze in her mind when the hot water hit her back and arms, washing the soap away. He put the showerhead back on its mount and stepped away a little. His voice was slow, as if unsure. “I’ll… I’ll let you do your front.” She heard his weight shift, and she whipped about, water flicking from her body. His hand was reaching for the stall handle and she grasped it as gently as she could in her high-strung state.

His eyes stared into hers again, and as much as he tried to fight it they trailed down her body, absorbing every curve and dip, settling on the v of her waist before sliding back up again.

“Winter, you know where this will go, right?”

“Qrow Branwen,” her voice was heavier, needier than she recalled, and she embraced it, “if there is one thing I want, it’s this.”

“… Alright then.”

He moved away from the door and leaned in. The first kiss was soft, almost no more than a pressing of lips. Instead his hands gently glided around her sides and onto her back, sending hot shivers up her spine. On their second time she pushed in, letting her lips mash against his, looking to set the tone, the pace. She had been aware of the ache between her legs all last night, and now that they were here like this, she wanted it. Her own fingers went around his body and back, trying to trace down his muscles, but the simple sensations he was giving her were strong. In comparison hers were weak.

Maybe that was how Qrow managed to get her back up against the wall. His hands were on her hips now, no longer as gentle, but more firm. His member was sandwiched between their stomachs and she dared to pull back and look down. Water cascaded down their skin and pooled around his hot flesh, giving it a wet, almost familiar sheen.

It always seemed bigger up close. She looked up into his eyes again. It had been a long time since her body even entertained the idea of having sex. But she steeled herself. Throwing her arms around his shoulders and lifting her legs up around his waist, she felt her back slide up the slick walls and felt him brushing up against her.

“Are you ready?”

Their angle wasn’t the gentlest. Gravity could make the entry swift, and that would hurt. But she kissed his lips again, tongue briefly brushing against his and after a moment, he pulled back. She felt his knees bend and his body dip, a hand briefly leaving her hip to steady himself at the entrance.

It went in and she inhaled sharply. And then slowly he let her weight do the work. He tried to control himself, but his grip on her hips tightened and she felt him push himself up and into her. A sharp breath left her lips as she tried to ignore the mild soreness.

Qrow gave a strained grunt, “Gods, Winter.” His eyes had shut again and he tried to remain still, basking in the feeling of her coiling around him. She fought the urge to shift even a little bit, knowing that it would be wiser to wait out the slight pain just a little longer, to let herself stretch and accommodate him.

He seemed to know this as well, and his hands tried to slide up and down her bottom, dragging the droplets of water across her skin. Gone was his gentleness, replaced with anxious squeezes from his fingertips that made her tense against him. His mouth left hers, trailing down and daring to suckle against her neck.

Pain be damned.

“Do it. Just-” her hands and legs wrapped around him tighter. “Just do it.”

He didn’t need any more prodding. His hips drew away, and then pushed in. And then again. She let out quick gasps, fingers digging into his scalp and back, thighs squeezing tighter with each motion.

His mouth found her breasts and she moaned loudly, pushing his head down more. She tried to move herself with each push, tried to take as much of him in as she could. The angle wasn’t friendly at all. Her memory recalled that he could go deeper, that he was actually more than what she was feeling now. But now was more than enough. “Qrow, oh-” he gave a long, deep thrust, as deep as he could, “Qrow!”

At the moment it was all just about him buried deep inside her, like how it used to be, like how she wanted it to be. The best of times, after all, was when she was free to say yes or no to something, when he would offer and let it lie until she decided. Nothing was ever taken by Qrow when it came to their relationship, only offered.

The water and steam was getting everywhere, but the sensation had long dulled against her body. All that was left were the agonizing thrusts and searing white. She might have screamed. She might have bit him. She might have said something to egg him on even faster and then faster again, because soon there was nothing except the torrent of her muscles clenching and pulling away at her insides.

It was finally the sensation of Qrow pulling his member out that brought her back. His black and wet hair came into her sight and his head tilted up, mouth going to her ear. A heavy groan fell from his lips. “W-Winter, please.” It was a desperate cry, and she felt it in his now almost painful grip. Her high fading away, she looked down and saw him twitching under the hot water.

Nothing needed to be said. As coherently as her mind could, she wrapped her fingers around him and began to quickly stroke. His hands began to lose its traction and she let her shaky legs come to the floor, trying gingerly to stand and not lose her footing. Her lips found his again, tongue diving into his mouth, pulling him through. With throaty moans and grunt, his cock pulsed in her hands and he came.

A part of her felt disappointed. She missed the feeling of pure abandon, to have no fear of repercussion, but now was not the time. She could not afford it. The white strands landed upon her wrist and stomach before washing away into the drain. Soon her hand relented and she felt his shivering body sag against hers. She kissed him again and he responded, slowly coming back to life once more.

His hands circled around her, and in that moment it was just the two of them under the running water.

“Are you… Would you be okay with being an uncle for now? At least for a little longer?”

“I’ve been an uncle for a good amount of my life. A bit more won’t hurt at this point.”

A/N: Thanks to Salty for letting me use her OC Qrowin baby. Also this ended up getting waaay bigger than intended, but no regrets! And now I just have two more asks to get to from the smut prompts lol

[theauthorandi]

Sky Davis groaned as the flour settled on every inch of the kitchen around her. This was their doing, she had no doubt about that. Sky was used to the interferences. She'd known they were there from the day she'd understood that the woman who called herself mother wasn't the same woman who had given birth to her. Before that, she'd thought she was just clumsy, or unlucky. Now she knew for a fact why the flour had fallen from the shelf and she wasn't happy about it.

Just then, Christian walked in.

"Really?" He asked. There was a tinge of disappointment in his tone.

Sky sighed, resigned. Christian didn't understand. She'd tried to explain, at the very start of their relationship. She'd warned him that weird things happened around her. She hadn't gotten around to explaining why that was, though. He'd cut her off and insisted that there weren't coincidences or things like bad luck. It was her choice if these things continued to happen, Christian thought. He never once considered the idea that Sky's dead parents might have something to do with it.

Ghosts weren't real, after all.

"It's not my fault." Sky grumbled, even as she turned to grab a broom and clean up the mess. There was flour coating her clothing and hair, though. It looked like some kind of bomb had gone off and she was sure it would take more energy than Sky had to both clean up the mess and argue with the man watching her.

"If you say so," Christain said. His voice was taunting, doubtful. Sky hated it. Despite everything she loved about him, there were still flaws that she wasn't sure she could forgive. Being a condescending dick was one of them. "Just remember, you bring this kind of thing on yourself."

"Don't you have a class to get to?" Sky snapped. Christian raised an eyebrow, but then nodded and turned away. No attempt to help her clean up. No questions about how her day was. Sometimes Sky wondered if he cared about her at all. Then he'd show up unannounced with some takeaway Thai food and a single rose and she hated herself for doubting.

When the flour was cleaned up and Sky was changed into clothing that didn't make her look like she'd been attacked by a giant powdered donut, she crossed her arms and faced the empty kitchen. She waited, knowing they would appear.

Regardless of the anger she felt towards their actions, Sky knew her parents loved her. They would face the consequences of their actions or they would be banished from the apartment. It wasn't the first time she'd done it, after all.

"Come on." She said when her patience for waiting wore thin.

A cupboard creaked open. She raised a single eyebrow and it swung closed again.

"Do you have anything to say for yourselves?"

Nothing moved, the temperature stayed the same. For anyone looking in, all they would see was a young woman with dark hair and a darker expression glowering at an empty kitchen. Sky knew better. She'd been through this more times than she could count.

There was the time her best friend in high school had been cheating off of her during an exam, and her pencil kept flying off and hitting other people in the head. Sky had ended up with a month's detention for disturbing the test.

Then there was the time when Sky was trying to get a job at a nearby convenience store. She remembered showing up to the interview nervous but prepared. Yet, she'd walked out of there without a job and without her dignity. The till had managed to jam, the security cameras had faded in and out before going on a loop that contained only Sky's entrance to the store and the manager greeting her. No less than twelve cans of soda had burst when she'd asked what kind of hours they were offering.

The most memorable encounter was when she'd turned twenty-three. It was the one time that Sky was grateful to have two nosy ghosts following her around at all times. She'd gone to the bar with a few friends, left her drink unattended for a quick trip to the bathroom, and ended up in the alleyway later that night trying to regain her sense of direction. The man who followed her had been obviously creepy.

He'd taken her in his arms, guiding her further down the alley and away from anyone else. If it weren't for her parents watching over her, that night would have taken a turn that Sky was sure she'd never have recovered from.

As it was, a ladder from a fire escape had dropped at just the right time. The man had been knocked out cold and Sky had wandered back to the bar. The cab ride home was cheaper than she'd ever seen a cab ride be, and the driver didn't look happy about his tracker malfunctioning. Sky was grateful though, when she realized the man was charging exactly the amount of cash she had on her person. Five dollars and eighty-five cents would not have cut it if it weren't for the attention to detail her parents had put into keeping her safe that evening.

"I get it." Sky said, a rueful smile on her face. "You don't like Christian. You've never liked him."

The faucet started dripping.

"That doesn't mean you need to throw a fit every time he comes over." She added. The drip stopped. "I am an adult, in an adult relationship. Do you realize how creepy it is that my dead parents are trying to control my love life? Just because Christan and I don't agree on things like religion and the nature of the universe doesn't mean we can't make it work. We're both committed to each other, and your input isn't appreciated."

She waited, and waited, and waited. Neither of her parents did anything to respond. There were no plates crashing to the floor. No terrible groaning that only Sky could hear. Not a single sign that they'd heard her. She sighed, running a hand through her hair before turning away towards the living room.

Sitting on her coffee table, lonely and forgotten, was Christian's phone.

His class was only an hour long. It wouldn't do him much good if she raced over to the campus just to give it to him when he'd be back for it sooner or later. She ignored it and reached for the remote instead.

As her hand passed over top the phone in an effort to reach the remote, the screen came to life. It was password protected, and she wasn't the kind of girl to snoop. She valued her privacy as much as he did, and there wasn't any reason not to trust him.

Well, besides the dislike her parents seemed to have.

Sitting back on the couch, Sky flicked on the television. She needed something mindless to calm her down. It was always exhausting to argue over her love life with her intangible, invisible parents. She'd had a long day as it was, and the flour explosion had been the icing on the cake.

The television whirred to life. She flicked mindlessly through the channels, uninterested in the thousands of sitcom reruns that were playing just then. Cartoons, she decided, were exactly what she needed.

Just as she'd settled in on the Disney channel, the poltergeist activity started up again. the volume went from a nice 15 down to zero in about six seconds. She sighed and turned it up again. It stayed for a moment and then shot back down to zero. Huffing, she crossed her arms and glared at the television.

Slowly it inched it's way up to a decent volume. Just as she was certain her parents were done, however, the television shut off entirely.

"Oh my god, stop." She groaned. Reaching out for the remote again, she leaned forward just far enough to see that Christian's phone was lit up and that the home screen had been unlocked. She was about to turn away, maybe to ignore her parents by taking a nice nap or perhaps even pulling out the ingredients for the banishing spell just in case the threat was needed.

Then the messaging app opened on its own, and her eyes were glued to the three unread texts that were waiting. Two of them were from some girl named Cynthia, and another was from Sky's friend Amber.

She didn't need to open them to see what they said. The beginning of each text was enough to tell what was going on. Cynthia was dying to see Christan, wanted him inside her. Amber was wondering if he was on his way over yet, a text that was sent at almost the exact same time Christain had said his Sociology course would be running.

Sky felt cold. Not the kind of cold that came from realizing she was being cheated on, though that was also running through her mind in a terribly destructive fashion. It was the kind of cold that came when her parents got too close. It was a comforting cold, the touch of a mother long dead, still watching out for her after all these years.

Suddenly the flour in the kitchen didn't seem like such a terrible thing.

Just like that night in the alley, her parents had been watching out for her. From the day they died, when she was only six months old, they'd stayed on the earthly plane just to make sure she didn't find herself in some terrible situation. They'd saved her again, though they couldn't keep the heartbreak at bay. Still, Sky would rather feel cold and heartbroken with her parents sitting beside her any day if it meant knowing that someone was watching, protecting, caring for her.

"Dad?" She asked, a hint of a smile gracing her face as she realized there was more than just irritating hauntings and the rare save that her parents might be willing to do. "What do you think about haunting Christian for a bit? I think he was right when he said people brought bad things upon themselves. It's time he got a little of what he deserved, don't you think?"

The resulting bang that came from the nearby window shutters made Sky laugh. Her life wasn't perfect, but at least she had people who cared. It didn't matter that they were dead. It only mattered that they were hers.

Hey there! I hope you enjoyed Sky's small story of realization. Now, if you’re interested in seeing more Cards Against Humanity Promptsfulfilled check out my website. If you have any CAHprompts to submit, send me an ask. And as always, if you’re looking for updates and interesting stories of The Author’s life, subscribe to my email list!