#of the room which again is near the hot water heater

[ghostsinthecellar]

I smell a vague smell of smelly and my brain is doing alarm bells but I don't smell the smell strong and there's no heat or light coming off the breaker boxes so I don't know if I'm being paranoid or if I used the hot water heater too much today or what and it's driving me insane

[thyme-in-a-bubble]

the water heater

lilac, chapter three

a/n: ...don't ask me how late it got when i wrote this.... i was on a roll that day and time just turned into a weird soup.

summary: “Dad, please, for the love of god, just–,” you spun around, though the unexpected figure that stepped into the low light caused your fury to fade away in an instant, “oh, uh, you’re not–, uhm, h-hi.”

warnings: lumberjack!frank castle x reader, lumberjack AU, pete castiglione era, past domestic violence, crazy ex trope, slow burn, renovating an inn, totally inaccurate description of tinkering with a water heater just for the sake of making them fall in love

word count: 1137

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“Well, maybe if you just–”

“Dad! Just–…” you swallowed the rest of the heated statement that nearly escaped your lips, mentally counting to three before glaring back at the man who was breathing down your neck, “do you remember when I was 12 and you had the clever idea of attempting to install that new sink in room 5?”

Already knowing where this story was gonna go, Harvey quietly replied, “…yeah…”

“And just who, pray tell, fixed it after you made the pipes uncontrollably spurt out water, consequently flooding the entire room?”

“…you did…”

“That’s right,” you sucked on another tense breath before continuing, “so, unless you’ve somehow improved that skill since then, which, I’m sorry dad, but I highly doubt that you have, please, just let me handle it alone.”

“…alright, fine,” he ultimately backed off, nearing the basement stairs, “but I’ll be right up by the front desk if you need me.” 

“I won’t,” you called over your shoulder as you redirected your attention to the hopeless pipes, “but thanks.”

Letting the illuminated spot from the small flashlight clutched in your palm guide your vision, you checked each and every rusty tube. 

After too many pokes and prods, you finally found the source of the problem. Stepping over towards the main pipeline you bend down and reached through tickling cobwebs to turn the paint-chipped knob clockwise, shutting all of the water off.

Before your spine managed to straighten back out, you felt your blood begin to boil as you heard the sound of heavy footsteps once again ascending the crooked staircase.

“Dad, please, for the love of god, just–,” you spun around, though the unexpected figure that stepped into the low light caused your fury to fade away in an instant, “oh, uh, you’re not–, uhm, h-hi.”

“Hey,” Pete’s deep voice echoed throughout the dim space, sounding the way that hot chocolate felt. 

“Uh, not that I’m not thrilled to see you here, in my basement of all places, but, um, what are you–, what can I help you with?” 

“Nothing ma'am,” he took a step closer, “it’s what I can help you with.”

“Excuse me?”

“Well, Harvey sent me down here to take a look at something.”

“Oh, did he now…” that was the last you needed in order to lose your patience.  

“Yeah,” Pete’s eyes tracked your form as you riffled through the open metal toolbox and yanked out a wrench. 

“Well,” you huffed as you began to loosen the various hexagon-shaped fittings snug on the pipes spiderwebbing out from the bulky water heater apparatus, the labour of the task presenting itself in your vexed voice, “you can tell my dad that I’m still just fine and don’t need any help!” the tool on your palm then inadvertently slammed against one of the pipes, the clanging and therapeutic blow snapping you enough out of your ire to take a step back. Squeezing your eyes shut a moment, you let out a deep sigh before parting your lips once more to speak, “I’m sorry, it was very kind of you to offer your help, but I’m okay.” 

Fully expecting him to just take off, his stationary stance caught you off guard, “so, the water heater’s acting up?”

“It’s fucking ancient, that’s what it is,” you replied as you returned to twist the remainder of the fittings, “should have updated it long ago, but no, no, that never happened,” you continued to grumble mostly to yourself at this point, “of course it’s much more fun to let me handle it down the line when the hot water outlet is completely rusted over and clogged up to the point of no return, you know, that’s just so much more fun…” your words then faded away as you attempted to turn a knob that in no way wanted to corporate.

Quietly cursing underneath your breath, you tried to put all your weight into it as you strained to turn the stuck fitting. 

But just then, from out of nowhere, you felt the wrench begin to turn, but that victory wasn’t the only thing you suddenly felt. Engulfing your own, the comparatively massive hand of Pete enveloped yours as if it wasn’t even there to begin with, helping you turn it as though the metal was made out of butter. 

Blinking up at him after it finally twisted completely, his intimidating stature seemed even more towering up close. 

“Uh,” you slipped your hand out from under his calloused palm, “thank you…”

“No, problem,” you promptly whirled around to avoid his piercing gaze, busying yourself by riffling through the toolbox without any purpose whatsoever, “so your old man’s not helping you out in renovating this place?”

“Well, he’s brilliant at a lot of things, but those skills in particular have never really been in his bailiwick–, wait…” you kept your back turned to him as you asked, “how do you know that I’m renovating?” 

“People in this town like to talk, a lot,” he breathed out the essence of a laugh, “and that includes your father.”

“Ah, okay…”

Spinning around once again, you kept your eyes steadfast on the dusty pipes, though after what only felt like a second, Pete unexpectedly proposed, “hey, what do you say I lend you a hand?”

“What?” 

“Well,” hands clasped together in front of him, the digits on one of them dug into the palm of the other as he spoke, “I’m no stranger to fixing things, so it might help make it fly by a bit faster than if you try and get through it all on your own.”

Unable to detect if this was just some strange joke or not, you verified, “I’m sorry, but are you legitimately offering me your help in renovating this place right now?”

“Yes.” 

“Seriously?” you bellowed a little louder than you’d intended, earning just a small nod from him in confirmation, “I–…” you blinked back at him, downright dumbfounded, “that’s incredibly generous of you, but I can’t really afford to hire you right now…”

“Oh, I’m not asking you to hire me, just let me help out a bit.”

“Pete, I can’t let you do that, not without any form of compensation.”

“Well, then just pay me in free coffee till it’s done,” he attempted to joke, though it didn’t manage to crack a smile on your lips. 

“This is not funny, Pete.”

“No, it’s not,” he continued, still in a startlingly light-hearted tone, “you clearly don’t know yet just much coffee I tend to drink on average every day,” seeing you not budge an inch, he then dropped the attempt with a gentle nod, “fine, how about we just take a look at a price at a later date? Decide on it later when it’s all done, and you start making a profit again?” 

© 2023 thyme-in-a-bubble 

[abarbaricyalp]

No Gasoline (The World's on Fire)

I said I was going to write a 'Bucky takes care of Sam fic' that involved a bath and Bucky getting in fully clothed. Voila. On AO3 here

Oddly, it was early morning when Sam dragged himself through the front door of the house he and Bucky shared. Usually, he got home in the afternoon or early evening. He must’ve gotten in late, stayed too long to do paperwork or debriefs, and slept at HQ last night. Usually, he was better about texting Bucky about those kinds of things. True, Bucky had promised to stay off official channels when he wasn’t part of a mission, but Sam had to know that Bucky was keeping tabs on when the jet landed back in New York or DC or LA or wherever it put wheels down.

He looked exhausted. He was still soot covered and bloodied, which meant he hadn’t spent time at HQ. He’d either been traveling this whole time or the fight had gone on far longer than Bucky guessed. Bucky immediately dropped what he was doing–it was dishes, no hardship there–and strode across the room to wrap Sam in his arms. Sam actually went lax against Bucky. Evidently even more exhausted than he looked.

“Hey, I’ve got you,” Bucky breathed. And then he took away the pretense of Sam standing on his own feet and swept him into a bridal hold.

“It went straight to shit, Buck,” Sam mumbled, head lolling against Bucky’s shoulder. “I barely pulled it all back together. There was so much…”

He didn’t finish his sentence. Bucky could guess. Destruction. Devastation. So many casualties. So much blood. Bucky had been kept entirely out of the loop on this one. He didn’t even know where Sam had been, who the antagonist was, what the conflict was. There’d been nothing on the news as far as Bucky could tell, and he paid more attention when Sam went out on things like this. The lack of media coverage at least suggested this wasn’t civilian based. Sam always took those failures, or near failures, harder.

“Stop thinking about it,” he said, like that was possible, like he had any room to say something like that. “You’re home. It’s over. You’re safe, alright?” He pressed a fierce kiss to Sam’s hairline and brought him into the bedroom, sitting him on the edge of the bed.

Sam, of course, immediately stood. “I need to get out of this,” he mumbled, pawing at the star on his chest and then reaching up for his cowl when that didn’t easily give.

“I know, I know,” Bucky assured, reaching for his wrists and holding both between his metal fingers. “I’ve got you,” he repeated. He reached up to finish tugging the cowl off and then reached for the fastens of the suit. Yes, it had the retractable vibra-something technology, but that taxed the materials and, more importantly, Sam needed to feel the suit coming off. He may want to rush through it, but it was just as important that he be grounded in the moment of having it removed from his shoulders.

Once the suit was suitably loosened–though not removed entirely–Bucky held up a finder and ducked into their bathroom to get the tub water running. Their hot water heater was pretty instantaneous, so didn’t have to wait long before stopping up the drain and returning to the bedroom.

Sam had, of course, begun to peel himself out of the suit. The jacket hung around his waist, impeding his access to the pants. Quickly again, Bucky stepped up against him, tucked a knuckle under his chin to make him lift his eyes, and then rested their foreheads together.

“Sam, I’ve got it,” he promised. “I’m right here. Let me help.”

Sam went lax against him again, giving up the fight. Bucky let them stand like that, forehead to forehead and shoulder to shoulder increasingly, as he undressed him. First was freeing the jacket from the pants, exposing Sam’s taut stomach, still tense and battle ready. Then he undid the fastens of the pants and pushed them down Sam’s hips, rested his own knee against Sam’s to keep him from shaking too harshly. He put a hand to Sam’s shoulder until Sam stood back a little, and then he sank to his knees to undo the shinguards Sam wore and the clasps of his boots. Sam swayed slightly on his feet, hip brushing over Bucky’s hair every few breaths. Bucky kept one hand on the back of Sam’s opposite knee when he stood on one foot each to get the boots off, and he finished pulling Sam’s pants down as well.

Then Sam was just in his under armour, which was still damp with sweat. He made fast work of removing the shirt and shorts himself. Bucky ran a hand down Sam’s side, from his ribs, which his heart was thudding heavily against, to his waist, molten with bruises already, to his hips, and then over his flank. Muscles were tense and coiled wherever he touched.

“I’ve got you,” he said again, just in case Sam hadn’t heard him yet. He picked Sam up again, intending to make quick work of getting him into the warm bath, but Sam had tucked his face against Bucky’s shoulder. Bucky tightened his hold around Sam and leaned down to kiss his hairline again before just resting there while Sam panted out desperate, upset breaths against Bucky’s collarbone.

The warm water wouldn’t wait, though. Bucky had to turn it off, if nothing else. He carried Sam into the bathroom, managed to balance him in one arm long enough to turn the water off, and then carefully lowered him into the bath.

The bathtub was a freestanding thing, deep blue with gold accents, ridiculously regal for how the rest of the house looked. There was a drain in the floor for when they inevitably got distracted and overfilled it. The far edges were high arching, perfect for resting their heads back, and it was huge. Definitely big enough for the both of them to fit in together without constantly jarring elbows on the side of the tub.

Sam did lean back into the headrest, eyes closed, face still pinched with frustration and defeat. Bucky ran a hand from his bunched shoulder, down his tight chest. He let his hand get under the water, low on Sam’s ribs, before he leaned forward to kiss his neck softly.

“Doll, you have to breathe. You can get mad again once you’re clean, but you have to breathe and relax in the bathtub.”

Sam tilted his head back to give Bucky more access to his neck, give himself space to sigh with irritation, avoid looking at Bucky.

“They’re going to write it down as a success,” he said. It wasn’t quite through his teeth, but Bucky thought that was only because he was too exhausted to clench his jaw. Probably a good thing. If he tightened one more muscle, he’d snap like a bad rubber band. “Technically the data was gathered. Technically the goal was met.”

“But?” Bucky prompted as he reached for some magic washcloth that they had stumbled upon ages ago. It was always soft, always fluffy. Kept warm water in. Made suds constantly with little soap. He held it over his palm and drizzled lavender scented soap onto the cloth before beginning to run it over Sam’s shoulders. They’d have to go through the process several times. Might even have to drain the tub to get the murkiness out at some point. It was fine. Between them both, they had enough soap to stay entertained for days.

“But it wasn’t a damn success. People died. Information got out. It wasn’t a full on trap. It didn’t feel like they knew the whole plan, but someone found something out in just enough time to throw our intel off. Good agents died.” Beneath the water, Sam’s fingers curled into fists against his legs. Bucky reached down to hold one hand before he could really dig his knuckles into the meat of his thigh.

“It wasn’t your fault,” Bucky placated meaninglessly. He could say it until his tongue went numb and fell out of his mouth. Sam would never believe it and it wouldn’t stymie any of his anger and guilt. Still, Bucky would say it over and over, hoping it’d get through just once.

“I’m Captain America. It’s my mission, my team. Someone somewhere knew and I should have caught it. We just walked in, so damn sure of ourselves.” Sam’s head turned further away so he was entirely facing the far wall. There was a window there–three panes thick and frosted all to hell so there was no clear sight in or out–but it was too dark outside still to see anything. Just the reflection of the two of them.

He closed his eyes again and Bucky switched to a different washcloth to begin clearing away the blood and early scabbing on his chest. There was nothing violently serious. Scrapes and bruises for the most part. There was a blade graze high up on Sam’s right shoulder, but Bucky had seen him cut deeper when he missed a carrot and hit his finger. Bucky maintained, the leather suit was always better protection than all of the high-tech fancy contraptions the newest acronym organization wanted to give him.

“You still wanna talk about it?” he asked, kissing a scrape behind Sam’s ear. Bucky could imagine a thousand ways he’d gotten it. Most of them involved him hitting the ground, which about made Bucky see red.

Sam shook his head. The fight left him. Some of the tension went with it, but not enough. “I’ve been talking about it for hours. No one’s listening.”

“I am,” Bucky offered softly. He squeezed Sam’s hand until the fist finally opened up and he was able to tangle their fingers together. “I’m right here.”

“It’s not gonna change anything. And I know you’re gonna use it as an excuse to climb into the wheel well of the jet next time you don’t get called out with me.”

“I’ve never considered the wheel well,” Bucky lied. “Wouldn’t be so bad. The metal arm would keep me locked in. The wind chafing couldn’t be that bad.”

Sam reached over to shove Bucky’s head in tired, but playful, admonishment. It got water everywhere. “Your nose gets red enough as it is.”

Bucky made a face that Sam missed because he wasn’t looking. “My nose doesn’t get red,” he said, going back to soaping up Sam’s back. Sam leaned forward against the arm across his chest, holding onto Bucky’s forearm to keep him there.

“It gets totally red when you lie,” Sam continued. “You’re a terrible liar. Outta all the spy skills in the world, you can’t lie for shit.”

“I lie perfectly fine!” Bucky objected.

Sam shook his head. “You really don’t. I can catch a lie a mile off. You don’t even have to open your mouth. You start flushing just at the idea of lying to me.”

Bucky scowled at the side of Sam’s head. “I lie fine,” he repeated in a grumble. He rinsed the cloth off in the water and then replaced the soap with some antibacterial thing that smelled like mint. As he started to wipe over Sam’s chest again, he leaned forward to get his mouth on his neck again too. Mostly because he wanted to, partially to distract him from the topic at hand.

Sam’s head lolled, looser this time. His closed eyes weren’t so pinched and his eyelashes almost fluttered as his eyes moved back and forth behind his eyelids. “If you don’t wanna talk about it, do you want a distraction?” he offered instead.

Read the rest on AO3 here

[helloemergencyservices]

Thawing a frozen pipe

A combination of unprotected pipes and freezing temperatures can lead to a costly mistake for homeowners. Even homeowners who live in areas with typically mild temperatures need to prepare for unexpected Arctic storms. When your pipes freeze, the water in the pipe expands, which can cause a burst pipe and eventually a leak. If you turn on the faucet and only a trickle of water comes out, you probably have a frozen pipe. Dress warmly and warm the pipes by hand to get the water flowing again and not bursting.

Defrost exposed pipes

Turn the faucet halfway on. Once the water melts, the open faucet will force the water through the pipe.

Put on a pair of rubber gloves. Soak towels in hot water and then wring them out gently. Avoid burning your skin. Wrap the pipes with the towels until the ice melts. You may need to do this several times to thaw the water in the pipes.

Heat the tube with a hair dryer. Set the hair dryer to the highest setting and move it in a circular motion. Keep the hair dryer 10 to 15 cm away from the pipe. If you need an extension cord, use a cord suitable for outdoor use and hold the connector up and out of the water or snow. Use the hair dryer to thaw the pipe completely.

Defrost inaccessible pipes

Open all cabinets in the room where the pipe is located. Increase the temperature of the room by setting the thermostat above 25° Celsius.

Place a radiant heater near the wall where the pipe may be frozen. The heater should face the wall and be at least 45 cm from the wall.

Check the faucets for water flow every 30 minutes. Once the water is flowing at full strength again, remove the heater and reset the thermostat.

Call the Emergency Plumber in Warrington. We are available around the clock. Call us whenever you want, 01925941004.

[dianemurdock313]

5 Tips for Indoor Succulent Growing

Succulents can be grown indoors, which is a wonderful way to bring the beauty of nature inside. Succulents are simple to maintain, and the majority can grow in indirect light, so they'll be good on a windowsill or close to a bright lamp. This article will go through seven suggestions for growing succulents indoors.

1. Locate a planter with holes for drainage.

Look for a plant container with drainage holes at the bottom when choosing one for the plant. Additionally, you'll want to make sure your potting mix drains properly because the plant will need a soil that is both well-draining and not overly damp.

2. Put your succulents close to a window.

For succulents, lighting is crucial because they don’t produce their light. Place your plant near a window where it will receive natural light. If your house has no windows, or the spot that you want to place your succulent is not near one, then consider using the best grow lights in the market. These are artificial lights and can be found at just about any garden store. Some people use these indoors because they provide all of the necessary lightings for plants without worrying about over-exposing them too much (especially if you live in an apartment).

3. Plant Succulents in the Ground Up

Succulents should be planted from the bottom up, not upside down or sideways, to promote strong root development. Succulents need many of air holes for adequate drainage, therefore planting them too deeply might also make them rot because their roots can't breathe. Planting succulents shallowly will allow the majority of their leaves to remain above ground.

4. Water your Plants

It's crucial to water succulents regularly to keep them healthy. Succulent plants require regular watering, roughly every three days, but before you water your plants again, check the soil to make sure it isn't too wet. Place stones for more drainage at the bottom of each pot to aid in the soil's ability to retain moisture.

5. Keep it at or near 70 degrees Fahrenheit.

To ensure that the succulents are not subjected to extremely cold or hot temperatures, the temperature should always be watched.  Having an automated heater on standby that you can manually turn on if the temperature gets above 80 degrees is the best approach to maintain this temperature at 70 degrees Fahrenheit. Make sure your home or apartment has some vents where air can move freely; otherwise, the interior may become overly humid.

Indoor Camera With Cove indoor camera, you can check on pets and kids at any time and even talk with your household while you're away. Plug it in wherever you have a good view of the kitchen, living room, or any other place you want to keep an eye on.

[water-tank-with-heater]

5 Surprising Facts About Bathroom Heaters You Need to Know

If you live in an area that gets cold, you should use a bathroom heater to keep yourself warm. Heating your bathroom will help save energy, prevent mold growth and insect infestation, and lower your monthly bills. Bathroom heaters also give you peace of mind knowing that if there’s ever a power outage your family will still be warm and cozy!

They save energy

Best Bathroom heaters are more efficient than other heating systems.

A bathroom heater uses less energy than a space heater, and it's even more efficient than your traditional heating system. Space heaters use about 1 kilowatt hour (kWh) per hour on average, while an electric water heater can use up to 3 kWh per hour--and that's not including the cost of running the water through it! A bathroom heater saves you money by using less power than most other types of electric heaters, which means lower bills and better performance overall.

They're safe

Bathroom heaters are safe because they are installed in a small area. Bathroom heaters are not exposed to children, so there's no risk of them being accidentally turned on or knocked over by your child. Also, bathroom heaters do not have exposed elements that can be touched by children; this means that there is less danger of burns and scalds if a heater is accidentally activated while someone is near it.

They can be used for other rooms in the house

You might be surprised to learn that your bathroom heater is not just for use in the bathroom. These little guys are small and easily portable, which means you can actually put them in other rooms of your house if need be! If you have a large bathroom, a larger heater will do the trick; but if it's on the smaller side (or even if it isn't), then an appropriately sized one should do just fine.

They are easy to install and maintain

You can easily install a bathroom heater yourself. All you need is the right tools, some time and patience. You might also want to consider hiring an electrician if you're not sure how to work with electrical wiring or have never installed an electrical appliance before.

If your bathroom heater breaks down, it's likely that it will be easier for you (or someone else) who knows what they're doing than if no one does know what they're doing! Bathroom heaters are built with easy-to-replace parts so even if something goes wrong during maintenance, it won't take long at all before everything is up and running again!

They are affordable solutions for your home's heating needs.

Bathroom heaters are a great way to keep your home warm, especially if you're looking for an affordable solution that can be used throughout the house. They're also energy efficient and easy to install and maintain.

Here are 5 surprising facts about bathroom heaters you need to know:

Bathroom heaters are affordable solutions for your home's heating needs. Their cost-effectiveness makes them an excellent investment over time, especially if they're used in multiple rooms such as kitchens or living rooms as well as bathrooms (or even bedrooms).

You don't have to sacrifice comfort or style when choosing a bathroom heater either--there are plenty of options available on the market today! From sleek finishes like stainless steel or black glass frames with LED lights inside them so nothing gets too hot around those sensitive areas where water runs down onto skin while showering/bathing; all kinds different styles available so there's sure something out there everyone will love using every day without sacrificing any comfort level whatsoever."

If you live in an area that gets cold, you should use a bathroom heater to keep yourself warm.

If you live in an area that gets cold, you should use a bathroom heater to keep yourself warm. Bathroom heaters are great for keeping your home warm and cozy during the winter months. They're safe and easy to install, so they can be used in other rooms throughout your house as well. Bathroom heaters are affordable solutions for your home's heating needs

Conclusion

Bathroom heaters are a great way to stay warm in the winter and they can also help save money on your heating bill. If you're looking for a new heater or upgrading your current one, then we recommend that you consider getting one of these models. They offer all of the benefits listed above while still being affordable enough so that anyone can afford them!

For more information about best bathroom heater visit our website : https://www.rheemphilippines.com/

[aptplumbingsblog]

Best Locations to Install a Water Heater in Your Home

There are two main kinds of water heaters on the market currently. Tank Heaters (Traditional) and the tankless ones. Both cannot just be put anywhere, there are certain things you need to consider, and it is recommended you call a hot water and gas plumber like APT Plumbing is a hot water system installation company that will recommend the best place to install it.

Storage Tank Water Heaters These are the traditional water tanks we see in many older homes and some new homes. These store water inside them, and it heats and as the water is used, the tank refills and heats again. These tanks need sufficient space, so generally, they are fitted outside against a side wall of the home, or if you are in a unit, they are stored in a cupboard.

2. Tankless Water Heaters Tankless water heaters have specific requirements on where they can be installed, and APT Plumbing are a hot water systems provider in Sydney that can offer advice and install this in the correct place at your home to ensure you have the best running hot water. Things that need to be considered are:

Desirable Area Placing the heater near a tap having water access will enable smooth operation. The technician needs to ensure it is close to the bathroom if you want the hot water to get there as quickly as possible. You can install additional heaters in your home, but this becomes costly. The water heater is often installed on an outside wall closest to the room that uses hot water the most, which is the bathroom in a house.

Ventilated Area Tankless water heaters have specific venting requirements, as they vent out more exhaust than conventional tank heaters. The manufacturer’s directions must be followed when installing your tank to ensure your hot water system is in the correct position. You must have a location at least one metre away from windows and near the vent termination.

Protection from the Outside Elements While the tankless water can be installed inside the home it must be kept in a safe place under stairs, kitchen sink or in a pantry

however, most tankless heaters are found outside on a wall shielded from the weather, the sun, and insects.

Tips for the ideal tankless installation:

It shouldn’t be close to combustible components (rubber, oil-based paint or plastic).

It shouldn’t need heavy plumbing changes.

It shouldn’t be near hot water outlets, other appliances like gas BBQ’s or taps.

It should be easy to locate and access.

You can install a tankless water heater in the same place you had a storage-tank water heater. It is okay to use the original position if you are replacing the water heater. APT Plumbing may need to make some adjustments to go from tank to tankless hot water. They service most of the Sydney areas and will save you time looking for a hot water plumber near me on the internet. They are reliable and reputable in the industry and a company you can trust.

In conclusion When installing a water heater at home, there are many factors to consider to ensure your system is installed in the correct place and fittingly. The most important part of the installation is getting the exact location to ensure you have hot water where you need it. Finding a trained and dependable hot water system installer in Sydney like APT Plumbing is essential whether you opt for tankless or with a hot water tank. You may discuss your selections and the system that will work best for your needs with the plumber once you’ve chosen one.

When looking at the brands, you will notice several distinctions that you should talk with your local plumbing professional to determine which is ideal for your needs. You may research which option is superior and which brand appeals to you. Household size is additionally one of the noteworthy things to consider, especially if you are going for the tank option. It is not good if you buy it and install it only to find out later that the tank cannot handle the demands of your household. How many people will be using the water for showers and baths? Do you use hot water washes for the washing machine? Or dishwasher? To prevent running out of hot water, the technician will recommend the appropriate tank size based on all of these considerations. Where will the system be placed? This is important because if you get it wrong, this will also impact the effectiveness of your access to hot water in the home.

There is a lot to take in when needing hot water and exactly where it should be installed at your home. Often, we think it’s an easy job, and we can remove the old one and install a new one, but are you 100% confident of ensuring you get the correct one? Maybe giving APT Plumbing a call can ensure that all of your concerns are taken care of, giving you the confidence that your home’s best course of action has been chosen.

[amourplumbingservices]

What Do I Do If My AC Pipe Is Frozen

Introduction

The last thing you want to happen when it's humid outside is for your air conditioning system to break. However, sometimes you may not be able to avoid it. Here are a few quick tips for what to do if your AC pipes are frozen:

Check if there is sufficient airflow to the system.

The first step to troubleshooting a frozen pipe issue is to check if your unit is working properly. Unplug the appliance, wait for 30 seconds and then plug it back in. If you notice that the compressor kicks on but there’s no airflow from your vents, this could indicate a problem with either your system or ductwork. It may also mean that some air has gotten stuck in an outlet or split-duct line, which needs to be removed before restarting the system. You should also be aware that some older HVAC units have mechanical thermostats that require manual resetting when they freeze up—in this case, simply unscrew one screw near each wire connection point and then replace it when you've resolved any issues with freezing pipes.

Adjust the thermostat setting.

Your first step to unfreezing your air conditioning unit is to adjust the thermostat setting. In most cases, turning down your thermostat will allow the unit to run longer and not freeze up as quickly. If the temperature in your home is consistently reaching a freezing point, consider using a programmable thermostat or installing one if you don't have one yet. These devices can be set for specific temperatures and then automatically turn on and off as necessary, keeping your AC running smoothly while also saving energy costs by keeping it running only when it needs to be.

If turning down your thermostat doesn't work or isn't an option (for example, because you don't have access to a programmable model), another alternative is using a space heater in combination with lowering other room temperature settings such as lighting levels or stovetop burners on your refrigerator/freezer until everything thaws out again.

Locate the source of a frozen pipe.

If your air conditioner is not working, it’s important to figure out what the problem is. The most common causes of an AC failure are:

- The thermostat isn’t set properly or has been damaged. Check the temperature settings and make sure they match the temperature in your house. Replace any damaged parts on a thermostat with a new one from an electronics store or online shop such as Amazon.

- The air filter needs replacing, which can happen every few months depending on how much dust and dirt is in your home (more frequent if you have pets). Have this taken care of by a professional HVAC technician if needed so that they can inspect other components while they're at it as well!

- The blower motor may be broken - check whether any wires have come loose or if there are any obvious signs of damage before calling someone else out to fix it too soon though! If not replaceable then try turning off power completely until next year when I'm ready again :)

Turn off the air conditioning from the breaker box.

If you're lucky, you might have a breaker box in your home. If this is the case, turn off the air conditioning from there. The main part of the box is usually located near your water heater or furnace. Look for it on one of those two appliances and flip it to "off."

If you can't find a breaker box or if the problem is elsewhere (like at an outside unit), call an HVAC technician for help with thawing out your pipes so that they don't burst and flood your house!

Use a hair dryer to thaw the pipes.

If you don't have a hair dryer, check around your house for one that's not being used. If none are available, look at other options: can you borrow one from a neighbor or friend? The goal is to get that pipe thawed and running again as quickly as possible so you can return to normalcy—so if using an alternative method works better than using a hair dryer, go ahead and use it!

If you're using a hair dryer, make sure it isn't too hot—you don't want to overheat the pipe by exposing it to heat for too long. Also, be careful not to burn yourself or anyone else in your household with the hot air coming out of the end of the nozzle; keep children away from this process while they're still young enough that their curiosity might result in injury.

If you need more help, call your local air conditioning repair company.

If you find that your pipes are frozen, it may be time to call your local air conditioning repair company. They can thaw the pipes and help keep them from freezing again. You can also call a plumber or heating and air conditioning contractor.

If your AC unit is still working but you need more help, contact us at (480) 680-7555 for assistance with any of our services today!

Conclusion

If your air conditioner is frozen, there are a few things you can do. First, make sure there’s sufficient airflow to the system. Adjusting the thermostat setting is always a good idea if this doesn't work. Also, locate the source of the frozen pipe and turn off the breaker box before turning on your hair dryer or heating pad on low heat. If you need more help with this problem, call your local air conditioning repair company today!

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[another-rational-deception]

Hi!! Can you maybe do Mezo getting sick and his s/o taking care of him?? Like, he doesn't come out of the dorms for breakfast and when they find him he's just miserable? So they stay with him and help him?

I like this idea!

D*rk content blogs, do not interact with me at all.

Shoji being taken care of by his s/o

Shoji didn’t want to worry anyone. That’s why he didn’t come down

He thought that since he’s already a bit of a loner who kind of disappears every now and again no one would notice

He was wrong

First of all: I firmly believe that his sneeze is either that weird snort sneeze that sounds like he’s choking or the scream sneeze that sounds like he’s being brutally murdered

Either way, it scares the shit out of whoever walks past his room and they barge in bc they were worried

That person being you, who thank fuck, has already seen his face before

Poor baby just looks awful. His nose and eyes are all red, his nose is dry and his eyes are watering.

He probably hasn’t been sick in a while because of the mask (I haven’t gotten the flu since I started wearing a mask, so like almost 3 years now. crazy) so he wasn’t prepared at all

He usually talks with his real mouth with you, but because of his throat, he opts to use his dupli-mouths, which sound even more congested than they usually do

The back pain is real. His arms feel so much heavier all of the sudden, and his hair in his face is making him too hot

He’s the type to get uncomfortably hot when sick, he’s already a heater, but this is more like a firepit

Shoji’s embarrassed to have people fussing over him, but at the same time he likes it

He feels very cared about

He’s terrified of getting you sick, but you insist on fussing over him and staying near him, so he tries to wear his mask.

It doesn’t go over well, with you or him.

First of all, you’re a little offended, you thought you had gotten past the mask thing.

Shoji, on the other hand, can’t fucking breathe

His nose is completely clogged and breathing through his mouth is hard with the mask covering it

He eventually gives and latches into you.

Mezo falls asleep to you playing with his hair, keeping out of his face so he can stay at least a little cool

You can’t tell me he doesn’t use unholy amounts of hair gel to get his hair like that, so he uses really expensive hair products to keep his hair from getting crusty and gross

Mezo’s hair is so soft, it just feels like a cloud

He really does appreciate it, he can’t put it into words. He loves you so much.

[tharros-auris-black-asimi]

Warmth

Pairing: Alpha Beefy Bucky x Female Mutant Reader

Summary: Being paired off with Bucky Barnes on a mission was hard enough. Hell, the two of you being a part of Hydra a long time ago was already hard enough. But when the two of you are forced to seek shelter in an Avengers safehouse, it gets even worse.

Because there's only one freaking bed.

Will you survive the night with the grumpy Alpha by your side? Or will you rip your hair out?

Who knows. The nights are unpredictable.

What you do know is, is that Bucky Barnes is too fucking hot for his damn good.

Maybe you just might pull your hair out.

Warnings: Heavy A/B/O dynamics. Mentions of past torture from Hydra for both Bucky and the Reader. This Bucky is sort of a mix between CW!Bucky, (hence the beefy!Bucky), but also TFATWS!Bucky bc I love grumpy old man, sassy Bucky. Some angst/hurt/comfort, because I'm a hoe for angst. No heats/ruts in this lil fic, just good ole rough smut. Some biting and some mild blood too. This sex would be considered unprotected irl, but in the a/b/o verse, I don't think you'd need protection??? Who knows. Italics are for when Bucky and the Reader are talking in Russian. The Reader also has a nightmare, which ties back in with the whole mention of past torture from Hydra. If I missed any other warnings in this, let me know and I'll make sure to add them!

Additional Notes: This was written for @agentofbarnes's writing challenge! Congrats on 7k, Zee! I'm sorry this took so long. I started writing this in July, and let it marinate for far too long. But it's here now. I hope you enjoy!

All writing mistakes in this fic are mine, as usual.

Word Count: 4,602

Hell.

This was absolute pure fucking hell.

As you and the former Winter Soldier, James "Bucky" Barnes himself stared at the front door of one of the safehouses for the Avengers in case of emergencies, you couldn't help make eye contact with him.

Great. This was just great.

No one, not even Clint had told you that it would be snowing in freaking January in rural Ohio, of all places.

Then again, you had faintly remembered doing gymnastics before you had been taken by Hydra with some arrogant Alpha guy named Lance. He had been a real pain in your ass and you remembered you had made him cry once. After you had escaped from Hydra, you had bumped into him again. Funnily enough, he was still just as scared of you as he was all those years ago. Which, you know, was nice.

But what was not nice was the Alpha that was currently looking back at you. James Buchanan Barnes, Bucky, Buck, White Panther, Jesus, Bionic Staring Machine- (the last three nicknames, all given to him by the Alpha Sam Wilson himself), scowled at you. His blue eyes even narrowed at you.

You wouldn't call what you and Bucky had a friendship. You two weren't even enemies. Heck, colleagues? Teammates? That was just putting it lightly, the relationship you had with the Alpha. Even when you had been captured and brainwashed into serving Hydra, the two of you had never crossed paths. It had been only after Hydra had fallen, did the two of you actually meet in person. Other than that, nothing. Nada. Nope. No with a capital N.O.

"Come on, let's go." Bucky all but grumbled. Realizing he didn't have the key to get inside, he looked at you. Like you had the key or something.

"James, I don't have the key." Bucky groaned. "Do you have a bobby pin, Omega? Something?" He asked in Russian. You plucked a bobby pin from your hair. A stray piece of hair fell. Putting the flat side in, you managed to unlock the door. You turned to look at him, giving him a toothy grin.

"Learned that from Pit Pocketing for Dummies, 101."

Bucky rolled his eyes at that. You just sniggered as you opened the door, greeted by cool air smacking against your face.

It made you shiver.

Because, unlike Bucky, you did not have any of that good ole supersoldier serum in your veins.

You were a mutant that could control water. Sometimes, you wished that you had the ability to control fire, because then, at least you could be warm in such dire situations such as these.

Taking your shoes off and putting them at the door, you surveyed the place.

It was a small house. Like a cozy little cottage. Probably only had at least two rooms at the max. It certainly gave off that vibe. There was a fireplace in the living room. A fully furnished kitchen, complete with a little wooden table with benches instead of individual chairs near the window.

Your grip on your bag of clothes became tighter as you realized that you needed to take a shower. Your stomach grumbled, alerting Bucky that you were hungry. Your comms had died. The two of you could contact no one until you charged them.

Which meant for at least tonight, or whenever the snowstorm outside stopped, you only had Bucky Barnes for company.

Well. That certainly would be pleasant.

"Go and shower first. I'll make dinner."

***

After your shower, you walked back into the kitchen, your sweet smell that reminded Bucky of deserts that his Ma used to make for him and his younger sisters back in Brooklyn drifted towards his nose. Thanks to the serum, he had already smelled it a mile away.

Cinamon rolls. Apple turnovers. Apple pies. Pumpkin pies. Bucky felt his Alpha rumble at the smell. Even Winter stirred at the familiar scent he loved so much.

When Bucky had gotten the trigger words wiped away from him due to Princess Shuri's genius, the Winter Soldier hadn't gone away from him. Rather, Winter had become a part of Bucky. Winter had been what Bucky became to survive Hydra. Winter was Bucky, only darker. More possessive. The deepest, darkest thing of him that the Wakandan Elders had helped him find again and reconcile with.

It was during times like this, making dinner in the kitchen that reminded him so much of his time back in Wakanda. Taking care of his farm and his pet goats, (that he sadly couldn't bring back with him when coming back to America), that he missed the most. It was domestic, in a way. He could almost feed into the fantasy, the thought that you were his Omega, his Bondmate, and that he was just making dinner for you.

From an outsider's perspective, it might've looked like Bucky didn't like you. That he just tolerated you. Treated you like how he treated everyone else in his life.

But it was the contrary.

He liked you.

He liked you very, very much. Other than Steve, Natalia, and heck, even the winged pigeon- you were one of the only people to truly understand him. You were probably even on the same playing field as Natalia, because you knew what it was like to be controlled by the Russian government. You held him at an arm's length at most, and you never treated him like he was some fragile, broken man. When you treated his wounds, you never fretted like other Omega's. Nor did you dottle. Ask him if he was okay every five seconds. It was disappointing in a way.

Bucky turned his head, just as you hopped yourself onto the counter, away from the conduction stove.

The smell of butter pasta was filling your nose. You watched with rapt attention as Bucky shut off the stove, grabbed the freshly grated cheese, and dumping it in. To hell with calories. Stirring quickly for a few seconds, he stopped. Turning his head to look at you, he gave you a low smirk. His scent of something sandalwood, oceany filling your nose. It made your Omega preen.

"Get some bowls, will ya doll? And forks too." Hopping off of the countertops, he heard a chirping, yet sarcastic reply.

"Yes, Sarge."

He felt his pants tighten at the thought. Hearing you grab all of the stuff, he swallowed.

Not that he would tell you that.

No.

Never.

***

"Oh, you've gotta be fucking with me."

So, as luck would have it. There weren't two bedrooms.

Nope.

There was only one.

Not only that, the entire room was fully furnished. A closet was on the left side of the door, against the wall. There was a window and just a bit to right, in the middle of the room, was a queen-sized bed, all made up with all the fluffiest blankets, comforters, and pillows imaginable.

"And you're sure this is the only room?" Bucky said. "Yeah! It's the only one, James. It's either this or the couch. And I'm not sleeping on the couch. It's too cold. Whoever built this safehouse didn't have any heaters built in either. Fuck, is this how I die? Freezing to death?" Your voice was getting higher with concern.

Bucky just rolled his eyes.

"No, doll. You're not to freeze to death. We're going to share that bed."

You turned your head towards him like he had just grown a second head. "What?" you exclaimed. "No. No, no, no. Noooo. James. Nu-uh. Uh-uh. I'm not going to sleep with you in my tank top and underwear. the least you've seen me in is a pair of short shorts and a tank top."

Bucky inhaled deeply through his nostrils.

Get yourself together Barnes.

Don't throw her over your shoulder.

Don't do that.

"You're a water mutant, doll. You're not a fire mutant. You aren't a supersoldier either. I'm not letting you freeze to death. I'll keep you warm all night. Better yet, don't sleep in your tank top and shorts. Our body heats will do just fine." Bucky snapped at you. You were still trying to collect your thoughts.

And then the realization, the reality of your situation, smacked you right across the face.

Bucky was asking you to sleep naked.

With him.

In the same frigging bed together.

Oh you were going to die. You were going to die and go up to wherever other spirits went to after they died. You weren't really all that religious nor spiritual.

But tonight though?

Yeah. Maybe you believed. Maybe a little.

Just the slightest bit.

"Okay, okay," you grumbled, "I won't wear any clothes. Better yet, I'll even give you a show. That'll even out the odds, James."

***

Warm.

He was just oh so warm.

Your back was flush against his front, feeling skin-on-skin.

You had stopped shivering about an hour ago.

Bucky had scouted the safehouse, to see if there was actually a heater, in case you had missed anything.

Nope.

There were no heaters in the safehouse.

Absolutely none.

Not to mention, all of the blankets weren't as thick. From what Bucky had observed a few hours ago after dinner while you had tackled the task of doing the dishes, was that the safe house had been abandoned for a while. It was either that, or nobody had stocked this place up for a while.

He had chosen the latter.

With his strong arms wrapped around your stomach, he pulled you close. You were asleep. Dead asleep. Bucky felt and saw your body rise up and down as you slept, your breaths all evened out.

It was nice, almost. Outside was quiet. Bucky could hear other than your breathing only the soft wind blowing due to the snowstorm outside.

For a moment, Bucky was lulled into a sense of calm. His mind was clear. His Alpha and Winter were quiet. He didn't have to fret. Or look over his shoulder. Didn't have to second guess himself or his actions anymore.

And then he heard it.

Soft whimpers coming from the sweet-smelling Omega that he was currently holding in his arms. You had begun to squirm, arms thrashing out. Your legs smacked on his knees, trying to desperately claw yourself free from his tightening grip on you.

"... I'll be good... just don't chuck me in the freezer again... please sir... I hate it there... please don't chuck me in the freezer, please..." you were sobbing in your sleep. You started to blubber, continually trying to claw yourself out of Bucky's grip. The metal plates of his Vibrainum arm shifted as his metal fingers tightened around your stomach. Bucky knew not to apply too much pressure on you- you weren't like him, Steve, or Natalia. You didn't have the serum in you.

"Doll? Hey, doll. C'mon, wake up. It's not real." Bucky tried shaking you awake to no avail. You had continued to thrash in his arms.

Sniffling loudly, your Omega was thrashing in her cage, in the confines of your mind. She was whispering, yelling at you to wake up.

"Omega. Wake up."

Bucky didn't mean to use his Tone. But you were being so hysterical, shaking, and crying to the point where it was beginning to worry him. Your sweet scent had begun to twist and turn into something more burnt. Singed. It made his eyes water.

You stopped thrashing in his grip. Your body froze up at his use of his Tone. Your Omega stopped throwing her temper tantrum too. She had paused for a second.

Her Alpha had given her a Command.

So why wouldn't she listen?

Peering from her cage in the confines of your mind, she sighed happily.

Alpha. Alpha cares about us. She whispered in your ear.

Slowly returning to consciousness, you struggled to know where you were for a second.

You had been having a nightmare.

A full-fledged nightmare.

You hadn't had one of those in a while.

"... Where am I?" Your voice was gentle but confused.

You still didn't know if you were still in that godforsaken Hydra facility or not. But you just wanted to make sure.

"Here, doll. You're here with me. We're in Ohio, remember? Sharin' one bed together cause I don't wanna be a bad Alpha and letcha freeze to death." Bucky said.

You couldn't help it. You snuggled into him, hearing a deep rumble coming from his chest. Bucky's Alpha was pleased. Very pleased. Winter was quiet. Which surprised Bucky. The little shit was usually more vocal about his own needs these days.

For a moment, it felt okay. You felt that weird fog lifting. Your brain slowly settling in your current surroundings. Your sweet, filling scent that had twisted and burnt into something smoky and burnt was slowly wearing off.

You were still a little shaken up. You could still hear your screaming echoing in your head. Your voice trembling, and because you didn't know if you were still stuck in the facility, "How long?"

"Not long."

Bucky watched as you lifted your head up, blinking once. And then twice. And then again, just to be sure.

Your body felt like it still wasn't physically here. Your body still felt like it was back in the cryo chamber, stuck in that damn freezer. Bucky watched your chest heave up and down. Taking in deep breaths.

Then you flopped right back into your previous spot, your back facing his front. Bucky pulled you back with his metal arm. You heard the metal plates in his arm readjust and move. You couldn't help it. Your vagina throbbed at the sound. Chewing on your bottom lip, you wiggled a little bit.

A deep rumble had come from Bucky.

The metal-armed Alpha had pushed a little bit of his weight down on you. Making you feel all warm and safe with the sandalwood and salty scent wrapped all around you like a cocoon.

You wiggled up against him again, trying to get comfortable. Your eyes closed.

A deep groan came from Bucky.

Was he asleep?

You stopped moving.

Another groan came from Bucky. His arms were wrapped around you. Not tightly, but still. It was kinda nice in a way. You could feel every muscle on his broad chest against your back.

Maybe Bucky had the right idea to sleep naked after all.

You shifted again. Trying to wiggle out a little out of the embrace.

A deep growl rumbled from Bucky. His grip on you tightened. You squirmed against him again.

Voice gravelly, "Stop moving."

Your eyes flew open.

He was awake.

And you had been-

Letting out a hiss, Bucky pushed his entire weight onto you and grinded his half-hard cock against your ass cheeks. Not even caring about if his entire weight would crush you, because of the serum.

He saw red.

Pure absolute red.

You choked. A needy little whimper filled the room.

Bucky's metal hand traveled down, all the way down to your pussy, his knee pushing your legs apart. You were panting in anticipation, eyes wide as saucers. His metal fingers were shoved deep, all the way to the knuckles. A pitiful whine left your lips. A needy whine too.

When he entered you, a choked sob escaped from your lips. Your hands curled into fists, eyes rolling into the back of your head as the formerly brainwashed assassin let out a growl.

"So sick and tired of you teasin' me," was what the former Winter Soldier growled under his breath, hissing at the way your cunt wrapped around him. Slick was smeared around your inner thighs, and you couldn't help but sob at the feeling of being so full.

Bucky was groaning above you, his hands nearing shaking.

Never had he ever thought he could ever get to do this again.

Because Bucky very much still liked sex. He very much so was a sexual creature. Being inside you gave him flashes of his life before Hydra. It made him remember a much skinner, smaller Steve. A much duller, war-stricken Brooklyn. It made him remember the giggles of Omegas. It made him remember his Ma's cooking growing up. Rebecca's giggles in his ears. Just like the old times.

Not for the first time in his life, he didn't feel trapped.

He felt free.

This was freeing to him.

And when he began to move, position his hips against your back, smacking roughly. Good enough to leave marks in the morning.

Wet, squishing noise echoed noisily every time he bottomed out of you. Every thrust in, filling you, completing you. It sent you gasping and crying out into the pillows. His hands- both metal and flesh, reached under you, to grab ahold of your breasts in a tight grip that only made you sob for more.

"More, more, more, please James, please-"

Something snapped in him.

Broke.

Bucky had never felt this feral before. The last time he felt this feral had been the hours when he first presented.

You whined loudly when he slid out of you, crying out at the empty feeling. Your Omega screeched in alarm.

Why had her Alpha stopped? Why?

Grabbing ahold of your legs, he lifted them up. Before he thrusted back in again, filling you up to the brim. It was deeper than last time, and his cock hit that spongy part. Hit your g-spot so good that you screamed into the pillows.

You were coming. You were coming so fast, that deep coil inside you snapping like a bomb wire being cut that you never got the chance to feel your programs. Your body jolted, spasmed. Your legs lifted off of the bed or at least tried to. Bucky's body weight was still keeping you down. So all you could do was grip the bedsheets when Bucky started to pound into you again, taking all he could.

You couldn't help yourself. You glanced back, just to take a glimpse of him.

James Buchanan Barnes looked downright feral and your pussy clenched around him deeper at the sight. as if she knew.

Every thrust made him go deeper, hitting your cervix every time. It made your second orgasm piggyback off of your first one, sobbing into the pillows. It was only when your second orgasm came, your walls clenching down onto his cock that Bucky's teeth sank into your shoulder, shattering, breaking the skin there. The taste of copper filling his mouth. Bucky let out a grunt as he came. Filling you up with so much of his jizz that he was sure it would drip from you tomorrow morning.

Bucky lifted his mouth from your shoulder.

Pants filled the room as the two of you tried to regain yourselves.

Bucky shifted, moving off of you and lying beside you. His eyes weren't black anymore. They were back to their normal blue. They reminded you of the sea in the morning on a peaceful day.

Your hand came to touch his face. Your hand faltered, trembled though. Because you were nervous.

"It's okay," his voice was deeper, huskier. It made your pussy throb. "You can touch me. It's okay."

Your hands came to touch, cup his jaw. You leaned in, pressing your lips against his. His lips were soft. Your lips moved together, his tongue slipping into your mouth. The kiss became deeper. You hadn't expected it to become deeper. You had been just going for an innocent kiss.

You swore.

Like- you really did.

You didn't expect to be fully making out with James Buchanan Barnes.

But it wasn't like you were complaining though.

Because you weren't.

Bucky was the first one to pull away. He could see how red, bruised your lips looked. He didn't recoil from your gentle touch on his face. He welcomed it. He truly did. Hands holding your hips, he looked at you.

His lips traveled down to your mating gland. He touched over it with his tongue, giving it a broad lick. His teeth sank in, piercing the skin.

Your ears popped. You cried out. His grip on your hips didn't falter.

"Yes, yes, yes," you gasped. Bucky lifted his mouth up from your gland, before sinking his teeth back in and biting again. Making his mark all that deeper.

It was only when he lifted his mouth from your gland, wiped your blood off of him with the blanket did you come at him, sinking your teeth into his gland. It made him grunt, even groan. His flesh hand came to your head, pushing your head down, making you sink your teeth even deeper into his gland.

"Yesss," hissed Bucky, his flesh hand sinking into your hair, gripping it. "Deeper, doll. Go deeper."

Winter and his Alpha completely agreed.

Theirs.

You were theirs.

After what seemed an eternity, you lifted your head up. Wiping your mouth on the blanket, you spoke.

"I missed you. What did you do to get us paired on this mission? I thought I was going with Sam," you said to your Alpha. A smirk stretched over Bucky's lips. "Ah," your Alpha said, still smirking, "I might've put something in his drink to make him vomit his guts out. He got sick."

A noise came from you.

"You gave him food poisoning? James!" You scolded him. Bucky leaned back against the headboard. "Don't worry doll, it'll wear off when we come back to the Compound. Bird Brain won't even know what hit him."

You shook your head in disbelief.

"You're unbelievable, Sasha. Did you teach Natalia that trick, too? Hmm? She and all of your Widow students?"

Bucky was still grinning ear to ear at you when he responded back.

"Well little bird, someone had to teach them. After all, I was their teacher. They all called me Yasha. Speaking of my Widow students..." he trailed off in Russian. You looked at him.

"You've contacted one of the KBG? About that leaked Russian tape with the orange man that is, unfortunately, our President?" He asked you. You nodded. "Yeah, Sasha. Everything's going as planned. Although, I think assassinating the orange man would've been a much better option. We would've gone in there and made it a done deal by now! Fuckin' Steve and his righteous self." You grumbled unhappily.

"Hmm. It would've been great as a date night. Don't you think, doll?" Bucky drawled. You gave a serious nod.

"Although... seeing him freak out on Twitter is much, much better. The tea is better when it's hot." You grinned. Bucky just let out a sigh.

"I'm restricting your phone privileges. And your TV privileges. You need to stop watching those drama channels, Mega."

A noise of deep discomfort came from you.

"Sasha!" you whined, "then what will I do while you're gone on missions?"

"Wait for me to come back?" Bucky suggested. You just sighed. Even shook your head in fondest. You happily snuggled up to your Alpha, your nose rubbing up against your Mate's gland. "I always wait for you to come back, Sasha. I wait and I worry. I love you, James."

A deep rumble came from your Mate.

"I love you too, Little Omega."

Your head peeked up.

"So, can we tell the rest of the team when I leak the tape?" You asked, your eyes glimmering with mischief.

Bucky burst out laughing.

"Yes, yes, yes. We can tell them once you've wreaked havoc, Omega."

"Good." You were nodding seriously, in complete agreement. "It'll be fun. And... also, I forgot to tell you."

The joyful expression on Bucky's face was suddenly replaced with one of worry.

"What? What is it?" He asked gently. "When you were gone for your last mission two months ago... I... I came off of my suppressants. I'm ready, James. I want a family with you."

Shock flickered over Bucky's face. And then he was shoving you back into the bed with a shriek coming from you.

"When's your pre-heat?" He demanded.

You felt it. A cramp. It made you whimper.

"N-Now, James. Now," you stammered. Your Alpha pulled your legs apart roughly before he thrusted back into you, making you gasp.

"Say it," he hissed. "Say you want it. Say you want my knot. Say you want my pups."

"I want it, James." Your voice was a low whisper, even staggering a little bit. "I want your knot. I want your pups. Please. Please, Sasha."

His hands, both metal, and flesh gripped your shoulder tight as that vein of his neck nearly popped. His eyes were black with want. Soon, his Rut would be upon him and he'd breed you. Put his pup in you. You'd carry his pup. He'd have the pack that Winter and his Alpha desperately wanted after all these years.

A whine came from you when he pulled out, only to let out a scream when he thrusted back in. Hitting that part of you that made your eyes roll into the back of your head. Your mouth fell open, but no words came out.

His pace was brutal, not even letting you hold onto him. Your hands were left to grip the bedsheets again. You gripped them so tight that your knuckles turned white and you thought that they were going to pop.

Bucky continued to push, continued to shove his ejaculate deeper and deeper inside of you. A mixture of your slick and his ejaculate smeared all over your thighs and trickled down your legs, and you just didn't know what was happening. Your hindbrain was telling you that this was what was needed. That your designation wanted, nay, demanded this. After all the shit you had gone through, your Omega had found her Alpha and now, now she was determined to have a family. Have the pack she desperately desired.

"Mine."

A harsh thrust made you sob.

"You're mine now. I waited for you for so long. Wanted you for so long. You're mine now. Got my Mark. Got my clothes in your nest. Gonna give you my name. Gonna give you my pups. You're mine. All mine. Say you're mine. Say it!"

You came screaming. Your orgasm making you see white. Bucky continued slamming into you, the wet, squishing noises coming from your pussy becoming louder and louder the more he pushed in. Your teeth sank into his flesh shoulder, shattering and piercing the skin there. You tasted copper in your mouth.

Bucky came with a shout. He shoved you back completely, making you shriek. And then he was leaning in again, sinking his teeth into your gland. Making another deep mark. It made you fall limp into the bed as his knot swelled, locking the two of you in place.

He lifted his head.

Being inside you... knotted inside of you... it was bliss. It was just as good as cockwarming. His cock all nestled deep inside of you whenever you two would sneak off to sleep together.

"Bite me again. Give me your mark, Omega." he panted. Slowly, your head went up, you slowly sat up, before taking in a deep breath and sinking your teeth back into his gland.

Home.

You had brought Bucky home. He held you tight, whispering in your ear how much he loved you and how much of a good Omega you were.

"I love you Omega." His voice was rough.

Lifting your head from his gland. Blood still trickling down the corners of your mouth. You offered him a smile. A genuine one. One that made his stomach all fluttery.

"I love you too, Alpha."

[is-the-snake-video-cute]

Hello! My explanation got long.

I've had quite the year and a half with my spotted python, with her going off food at only 4-5 months old (3 months after I got her) and refusing to take anything for well over three months. No methods I looked up seemed to work. I turned to the head of the Herpetological Society, worried that she was going to starve herself to death in her young state (she was essentially the same size as when I got her 6 months before), and she offered me a live pinkie to see if we could bring her back to feeding. She took it, and I fed her live for several meals to help give her bulk again, then switched her back to F/T.

She took F/T for a few feedings before going on a longer hunger strike that lasted closer to 4 months, ate one meal, then went off food again for several more months. I tried braining, heating to different temperatures, rubbing them in mouse bedding, warming them by heater instead of water, changed husbandry, even didn't offer for a week and didn't even enter the room she was kept in for any outside stressors, but nothing worked. I finally gave in to giving her another live feed a few weeks ago after spending over half her life refusing to eat, still hatchling size. She's eating well now that I give her her forbidden fruit.

I'm not sure I can risk doing another cycle of her hunger strikes, or if she'll ever go back on F/T after trying to wait her out for that long, so do you have any tips for how to make her live feeds safer once she surpasses rat fuzzies, which I would consider the last safe prey? Do you have a hail mary that I haven't heard of to try once she surpasses her prey size?

Hello hello - I'm so sorry you're having so much trouble with your baby! I think you absolutely did the right thing by feeding live to get her a better weight, you really don't have a lot of wiggle room with baby snakes, but I also agree with you that you want to get her on f/t soon or she could be at risk of injury.

My go-to with eaters as picky as this girl is always scenting with what they would eat in the wild. With a spotted python, babies eat small lizards, so you'll want to try gecko or anole scent. Reptilinks carries gecko and anole scenting juice, and I can personally say I've gotten picky young Antaresia pythons eating f/t with their gecko juice.

Making sure you're spacing offerings out by at least a week, you can also try:

- Dipping the rodent in hot chicken broth. Don't know why, sometimes they go wild for this.

- Dip the head in very, very hot water - like, so hot you can't stand to touch it.

- Try pre-killed prey first, and once she's taking that consistently, make the final transition to frozen/thawed.

- Allow the prey to thaw at room temperature near the enclosure so the scent really spreads through the room.

- When offering, f/t, hold the prey behind its neck or at the base of its spine, hold it horizontally, and try to mimic a real mouse's motions.

- My last resort is my 'tough love' method: weigh the snake every few weeks, and keep offering f/t every week until she starts to lose weight. Then, offer pre-killed. If she takes it, great. If not, offer live and keep doing so until she's eating consistently again. Repeat the process for as long as it takes. I've never had a healthy snake starve themselves, and this method always works for me in the end.

If you do have to keep her on live, my advice is: still feed with tongs, never let the rat roam around the enclosure. Closely supervise, and as she's constricting, use the tongs to move the rat's head away from your snake's body if she doesn't grab it by the head. It sounds like overkill, but just in case, don't look away until she's completely finished eating.

Best of luck!

[the-insomniac-emporium]

Bound Blood (Cassandra Dimitrescu/Reader, Soulmate AU) Pt. 2

Fandom: Resident Evil: Village

Rating: T+ for blood, language, nudity, and horny

Warnings: Implied pain/blood kink

Summary: Local vampire tries to give her human soulmate a bath, but the human is feral and loving it. Then it gets a lil horny, to both of their frustration.

Previous Chapters: 1: Sharing Is (Not) Caring

2: Bloodbath, Baby!

“I take it you changed your mind about the clothes? Or am I supposed to use these towels like a makeshift toga?” You asked, glancing around the bathroom, eying the ornate tub with mild interest. This certainly wasn’t where you had expected Cassandra to take you, especially not when she had somewhat promised you garments to wear. There were no pants or shirts (or even dresses) in sight, just a rack of the softest looking towels you had ever seen. It was admittedly difficult for you to resist the urge to use one to wipe the blood off of your shoulder. However, you figured that it would be best to save that for after you were given a good behavior prize. After all, it was much more fun to be a bastard if your “victim” (not that Cassandra really counted as that) knew how polite you were capable of being, and you were, under normal circumstances, very polite. Most of the time. Maybe.

“What did I say about talking?” Cassandra snapped at you, glaring at you from her perch on the counter. She was sitting on the edge, waiting for something, occasionally eying the room’s entrance.

“You told me to shut up for ‘five minutes’. It’s been eight, at the very least! I’ve been holding back, just for you, babe,” you replied, smirking as you did. For a moment your soulmate seems to consider chucking a bar of soap at your head. Eventually she thinks better of it, opting to roll her eyes at you instead. “For the record, I did count, just to be sure. Wouldn’t have wanted to make any assumptions about the passage of time, considering how fast time seems to fly when I’m with a loved one.” Unfortunately, this does not get a rise out of Cassandra, who has shifted to face away from you. Not yet willing to give up your buffoonery (and assuming that you would not, in fact, be getting a good behavior prize anytime soon), you released a loud, exaggerated sigh, before switching tactics.

Standing up with the blanket still curled around yourself, you maneuver over to the tub, eagerly climbing inside. With how large it was, laying down was fairly easy, though you weren’t entirely flat. Wanting to be as comfortable as possible, you adjust yourself and the blanket until it covers you, while letting one end go behind your head like a pillow. It’s nowhere near as nice as you had hoped. On the plus side, however, is the attention it gets from Cassandra. Before long she’s standing adjacent to the tub, staring down with an expression of exasperation.

“What the fuck are you doing?” She asked.

“Napping, obviously. Care to join me?” You answered, without hesitation. Then you gently pat the blanket, as if offering to let her sit on top of you. This only serves to make her angrier. Now she’s leaning over the basin, bracing one hand against it, her other hand reaching to grab your throat and pull you towards her. The two of you are so close that you can’t help but blush, and the feeling of her skin against yours is weirdly attractive. “I should have known you were the kinky type. Not that I mind,” you murmured, gaze wandering a little farther south than her lips. Before you know it she’s shoved you back down and let go of you. She shakes her hand a bit, like she’s just touched something gross, but you see the pink rising on her cheeks. As much as you want to tease her, the sound of approaching footsteps takes priority. Soon the door is opening, revealing a stressed servant, a pile of clothes in her arms. Suddenly you’re glad that Cassandra pushed you away, considering you don’t think she would have enjoyed having someone walk in on the two of you in that position.

“Lady Cassandra, I have what you requested. Would you like me to draw a bath for you? Or-” she pauses when she sees you, clearly unsure of what to make of your behavior. Hell, she almost drops what she’s carrying, and makes a soft ‘oh’ sound. Presumably dying inside, Cassandra quickly takes the bundle from her. Then she stands between the two of you, blocking line of sight, looking as tense as could be.

“Just get back to work, and don’t mention this to anyone,” she growled, gesturing towards the door. As soon as the maiden closes it behind her, Cassandra is turning back to you. “Get rid of that stupid fucking blanket or I’m forcing you to wear wet socks.” Understandably, you start giggling at her request, hardly able to believe that she had really just said those words out loud. “Would you prefer I cut up the soles of your feet? I’ll heal long before you do, asshole.” Now that makes you pause, trying to figure out whether or not her threat held up. Even though everyone had a basic understanding of how blood bonds worked (the less romantic, and more historic, way to refer to soulmates), the specifics were confusing for most people, including yourself. Would your aching wounds bother her? Or only the initial injury?... Somehow you had a feeling you’d figure out the answer within the next few days.

Until then, you decide to err on the side of caution, for once in your life. Still, you roll your eyes before you pull the blanket up and out of the tub. Again you spot a faint rosy tint on Cassandra’s face, and her gaze most definitely lingers on places other than your eyes. In the end you have to bite your lower lip to stop yourself from calling her out on it. Gotta get some clothes first, you think, then back to being a dick. Holding back only gets harder from there.

Wordlessly, Cassandra takes a seat by the front of the tub, where your feet are propped up on the edge. Giving you a judgemental look, she pushes them aside so she can reach the controls knobs easier. You give an exaggerated pout in response, only for her to ignore you completely, trying very hard to look anywhere but at you. It was in stark contrast to how she had looked at you a mere half an hour earlier. There were several interesting things to note about her behavior, and you found yourself almost excited to figure out the puzzle she presented. Did she care about you now? Simply because of your blood bond? Did she have a genuine soft spot for romance?... Those sorts of questions were all you could think about, even as Cassandra turned the handles, letting cold water splash into the tub.

“I’d say ‘fuck you’ but honestly, were I in your position I would likely do the same,” you said, shivering a little. Cassandra raises an eyebrow, staring at you like you were stupid, before turning the handle a bit more. Eventually you figure out what she meant by it. “What, you guys don’t have a quality water heater? This is Romania for fuck’s sake. I would have figured the water would be a hell of a lot hotter by now,” you added, only for her to splash some still very much cold water on your face. “Is this fun for you? Are you enjoying this? God, I hope you assholes have Legos somewhere in this maniac menagerie, so I can step on them while you sleep.”

“Do you always spit in the face of kindness?” Cassandra asked, moving towards the other end of the tub as she spoke. Once more you laugh, though this time it’s much more of a hollow sound, and your smile doesn’t reach your eyes. “My sister wanted to kill you, but I pulled your pathetic corpse out of the basement, now I’m letting you use my bath, and you’re mocking me. This is why I don’t bother with this shit,” she growled, even as she wets a washcloth and starts dabbing at your wounds. On one hand you understand her frustration… but on the other you couldn’t get the image of her past victims out of your head.

“Don’t get me wrong, I’d rather be clean than not,” you started to say, pausing to think for a moment. Then you reach out, putting your hand over Cassandra’s, making her freeze in place. It’s soft enough of a touch to surprise her. Which is why it’s so easy for you to snatch the towel from her hands. “You ‘don’t bother’ with this ‘shit’ because you’re a fucking sadist, who thinks all humans are beneath you, who acts like she has every right to bleed innocent people dry, who thinks she’s God’s gift to this goddamn hellhole we call Earth. Do you think this makes up for your sins? Do you-” her nails dig into your arm and she grits her teeth in pain- “think that I can forget listening to the screams of your victims? Whose graves is this castle built upon? Whose fucking bones am I standing on? Who died to keep you alive? How many other versions of me have you killed, in other timelines, in other lives, where the universe didn’t demand that we be together? I’ve seen your heart, girl, and it’s as raw as they come.”

There’s a brief second of intense, furious eye contact. Then a flash of movement, a rush of pain, tears filling the corner of your eyes. Blood pours from the new hole in your shoulder, but Cassandra is quick to lick it up. She’s groaning in between each run of her tongue across your skin, clearly feeling it every bit that you were, yet she shows no signs of stopping. If anything, her pain seems to spur her on harder. Even you can’t help but blush a little as you struggle beneath her grip. Why did vampires have to use their mouths? Why couldn’t they get blood transfusions, like the rest of society? This way, your pleasure mixes with your misery, leaving you confused, and the fact that you’re still naked is not at all helping.

“Oh fuck off, please,” you gasped, trying to push her off of you. To your surprise, she does as asked, pulling away after one last lick. When you turn to look at her, you see your blood covering her lips and dripping down her chin. “You’re a mess, Cassie. Hot water?” With that you return her favor from earlier, splashing some of the (finally above room temperature) water in her direction. Most of it misses her. A few drops, however, do manage to hit their mark. Then she’s wiping her face on her sleeve, scowling the whole time. There’s still plenty of blood on her face afterwards, but it’s nothing compared to what’s gathering on your shoulder. She eyes the wound, nostrils flaring briefly, a predator dying for one more bite. “If you bite me again, I swear to whoever that one lady y’all worship is, I will bite you. My teeth aren’t made for that shit, but I don’t care. We’ll both be miserable and that’s it, baby! That’s love! I’m threatening you with an unhealthy perception of affection, dipshit!”

This time you expect her to move away, or hit you, or do anything other than what she does. Calling your bluff, she moves around the ever-filling tub, pausing to turn the water off, before hiking the edges of her dress up and… oh. Oh. Somehow she’s in the tub with you now, legs on either side of your waist, presenting the side of her neck to you with a knowing smirk. But you are not known for your cleverness. Nor your ability to make good decisions, at that. Perhaps your blood loss was starting to affect your cognition. Whatever made you so feral, so beautifully unhinged, you embraced it with utter glee. Soon enough your teeth find themselves on Cassandra’s throat, digging in enough for you to feel your blood bond reacting. For a moment she stiffens in response. Then she relaxes, even takes in a rush of air that sounds oddly content, leaning into your touch. What the fuck? You think, almost shocked enough to let go. Almost.

“What’s the matter, pet? I thought you wanted me to know what it felt like on the other side of things?” Cassandra teased, voice quiet and low. Something about her tone sends a familiar, although unwanted, feeling to your core. Still, her words egg you on, and you find yourself biting harder, tugging at the skin a little. More tears gather in your eyes, but you fight through the pain as best as you can. You drag your teeth across her skin, wishing for sharper canines, before letting go to inspect your work. There’s a clear outline where your mouth had been, but not a single drop of blood. Frustrated, you go back in for seconds, choosing a different spot to target. Again you go through the motions, only for no crimson to stain your lips. This cycle repeats several more times, with you running your tongue along her neck in between bites, so focused that you don’t realize that she’s grinding against you until she stops.

“I need to file my teeth,” you mused, trying to forget about what you had just done. Now that it’s over, Cassandra seems to feel the same, and she quickly climbs back out of the tub. She’s refusing to meet your gaze, instead focusing on arranging the clothes the servant had brought earlier. By the time she’s facing you again her blush is almost entirely gone.

“Finish cleaning up, then bandage yourself and get dressed. I’ll have a maiden wait outside to bring you back to my room. Don’t even think about trying to run,” Cassandra said sternly. You’re too distracted by the thought of what happened to give her any snarky response. So she simply nods to herself, then leaves, slamming the door behind her. Though you had expected to be relieved by her absence, you find yourself groaning, holding your head in your hands. Why is she so attractive? This is probably illegal, you think, in at least several countries. Or it should be, at least. Now that she’s gone, there’s nothing to distract you from the price of her attention, with your shoulder and neck aching horribly. Cleaning up was going to hurt even worse. Still, you think, at least I’ll have some time to think of new insults. With that in mind, you begin to wash away the blood, thoughts entirely consumed by your newest ‘partner’.

[spaceskam]

woke me up from the longest dream

Summary: Alex and Michael follow up on a lead and find something powerful.

Tags: canon compliant (for the most part), visions, road trips, my deep sky still sucks agenda

ao3

"Why is it so fucking cold?" 

"Welcome to Montana," Alex said dryly.

Michael made a face and shoved his hands in his pockets. He was doing his best to be mature about Alex inviting him on this trip. It was another loose lead he found and he was irritated that he didn't find it until after he came back home. Michael had offered to help after a grueling time in self-induced misery and Alex had agreed and he had planned to use this time to show Alex how much he'd grown.

However, there was something about being alone with Alex that made him feel a little like he hadn’t. 

"Are you not cold?"

"Didn't we deduce that your species is from a really cold planet due to your body temperature and the clothing Tripp described they were wearing?" Alex asked back.

Michael was used to a vaguely snarky Alex, it was in his genetic makeup. This was a different level though. Alex was in one of the worst moods Michael had ever seen him in that didn't result in a fight, instead it was all icy silence and irritated answers. Michael wasn't sure if it was because of his breakup with Forrest or if it was something else entirely. Maybe it was the fact that Michael was here at all.

He decided to keep quiet.

"You got me," Michael said, taking slightly bigger strides to keep up with Alex.

They were in a small town that served as a hub for a few even smaller towns that surrounded it. It had one small stretch of road with all the local businesses in it, a shabby hotel, a diner, and a farmer's market being the three biggest options. There were a couple others buildings, but Michael couldn't say what they were by just looking at them from the outside.

Alex seemed to know where he was headed though and he waltzed up to a building that was only identifiable by a sign that was meant to say CORRIE'S but was missing a few letters and said CORE instead. He pushed the door open and Michael followed. The inside had the heater blasting in a way that immediately smothered him, but he managed to keep his face even. It looked like a convenience store with only three rows of shelves in the middle. A sign at the back door read GAS PUMP IN BACK. Michael thought that was bad advertising.

"Hello," an older woman at the counter greeted. She seemed to be the only one here.

"Hey," Alex said, approaching her and turning on an easy smile. Logically Michael just knew he was being charming to get what he came here for. Illogically, it felt like Alex could be nice to everyone but him.

How many times could he tell himself to grow up? 

"What can I help you two with?" she asked. 

"Correct me if I'm wrong, but this place is owned by someone who used to live in Fort Belknap?" Alex said, not even beating around the bush to charm her more. That was the only thing to convince him it wasn't just him. 

The woman stared at him, face unchanging. 

"Who's asking?" 

"Holt," Alex said, smiling and tilting his head a little bit, "Carla Holt, to be more specific."

She breathed in and closed her eyes for a moment before opening them a few moments later. 

"Their timing has always been impeccable," she said, gesturing towards a door behind her, "Come."

"Who's Carla Holt?" Michael whispered to him as they followed. Alex grabbed his arm and squeezed, nearly causing Michael to fully trip over air. 

"Just follow my lead. Stay quiet," Alex explained quietly, "I'll tell you later."

And Michael did as he said. 

"You must be the littlest Manes boy," the woman said as she led them into a little office. It was cluttered and didn't really seem like the top secret place Michael was imagining. 

"Yes, ma'am." 

"Corrie," she corrected, "I never did like the sound of ma'am."

"Alright," Alex said, laughing lightly even though didn't reach his eyes, "My mother told me the same thing." 

"I bet so," Corrie said, digging through messy drawers of a desk. She sat down heavily into the beat up chair and started digging through a file cabinet. "I kept telling myself it'll eventually come and bite me in the ass, carrying secrets for someone I only hear from once every few years, but you never know what you're getting yourself into until after you're stuck."

"Yeah, I know how that feels," Alex sighed. Michael's eyes drifted to him. He avoided eye contact completely.

"I'll be honest, I wasn't expecting you. Your brother, maybe. Part of me expected your father to bust down my door more than anyone," she went on. Corrie pulled out a small box and opened it, looking in and making a face before closing it and tossing it over her shoulder. 

"Guess I'm the sucker who agreed to clean up duty."

Corrie laughed.

Truly, Michael expected more danger and more difficulty. He expected a fight or at least tension. Instead, Alex and Corrie made small talk about their shitty affiliations while Corrie dug through decades worth of clutter. Eventually, she pulled out a box and opened it and took a deep breath. She closed it again before giving it to Alex and Alex didn't reopen it so Michael had no idea what was in it. All he knew was that it went into Alex's bag.

"Thank you "

"Keep it safe," Corrie said, "Keep yourself safe." Then for the first time her eyes drifted to Michael. "You too. There aren't many of you left."

It was hot in the building, but somehow Michael felt like he'd jumped in ice water.

"Thank you."

"Mhm. Now get the hell out of my store before somebody follows you."

"Of course. Thank you again," Alex said politely and then he did as she said, turning on his heel and walking away. Michael wanted to stay and ask more–if she knew what he was, maybe she knew things he didn't and they could get rid of Mr. Jones–but Michael simply followed Alex's lead.

"Alex," Michael said, nearly having to jog to keep up. Alex opened the door of the store and a blast of cold hit Michael in the face, colder than before due to the extreme warmth inside. It took him a moment to reboot his mind enough to finish what he was saying. "Alex, what's in the box?"

Alex managed to close his eyes and shake his head in disapproval without slowing his pace. 

"Can you wait until we get to the hotel?" Alex asked, cold again. Michael nodded despite the fact Alex couldn't see him, deciding that a verbal answer probably would be annoying in itself. 

The problem with silence was that it was a sure way to get Michael to spiral. He had discovered very recently that being alone when he wanted to be alone the most was the worst idea. Now, he didn't want to be alone as much as he wanted answers. Walking in silence down a street while wondering what was in Alex's bag, who Carla Holt was, why Alex was angry, etc, etc, etc, was only making his mind race.

By the time they stepped into the lobby of the hotel, Michael was sure that Alex had just borrowed a bomb from an old lady and he was going to explode himself and whoever Carla Holt was was going to hunt Michael down in revenge. He of course didn't say that. Instead, he tapped his foot as Alex requested a room with two queens and didn't realized that the worker snorted because he was assuming they were two queens until after they were already heading to the room. 

"Should I go spit in his drink?" Michael asked when he realized. 

"No," Alex said, "You'd probably make it taste too sweet."

Michael again found himself stumbling over nothing and he looked at Alex, wondering what the hell was he talking about. But it was the nicest thing he'd said to him the whole trip and Michael decided to take it very personally. 

"You sayin' I'm sweet?" Michael asked, grinning. A smile pulled at Alex's mouth that he very quickly schooled, slowing as he came to their room. 

"I'm saying your saliva, and probably your other bodily fluids, have a higher concentration of a glucose-like chemical," Alex said, "As proved by Kyle and Liz when we got drunk."

"You guys drunkenly tested our saliva's glucose levels?" Michael asked, laughing a little. Alex finally speaking to him made his brain stop wandering as much. Not completely–he was still wondering about that box–but enough.

"We were talking," Alex said, unlocking the door with the keycard, "And noticed we all thought you three tasted sweeter than other people we'd kissed and, well, you know. So we did some tests."

"That's... Interesting," Michael said, letting the door close behind them.

Alex walked over to the bed closest to the door and carefully sat his bag down. Michael watched him, staying near the door. He was still unsure about where they stood. He knew Alex cared about him and he knew Alex didn't hate him, but he was also still holding him at arm's length. And then there was that box. He didn't want to push.

But Michael wasn't known for his patience. 

"Alex," Michael said, "What's in that box?"

Alex swallowed and looked up at him for a moment before patting the bed beside him. An invitation. One that made Michael's stomach drop and twist in 11 knots. But he walked closer, sitting beside Alex. Alex stared at him, his features slowly loosening up to betray his feelings. His eyebrows pulled together in that kind of worry that meant he felt like he was drowning, scrambling to pull himself to the surface and never able to get a good grip. Which would explain the coldness, he supposed.

"You know you can trust me, right? I'm... I'm working on not being so self-destructive, and, like, knowing I'm helping you out kinda helps when I feel shitty," Michael said. Alex huffed a small laugh and shook his head, dropping his chin to his chest for a moment. When he looked Michael in the eye again, he was back to being serious. 

"I did something stupid," Alex said, softly like it was a secret, "I agreed to something without knowing what I was getting myself into. And I'm kind of stuck right now."

"Stuck? What do you mean stuck?" Michael said, following his lead and whispering.

"I'm figuring it out, alright? Don't worry. I'll tell you later," Alex said, reaching out to squeeze his arm before dropping it back to the bed, "And I checked before we even left that I wasn't bugged and I've kept my eye out to know that we aren't being followed. And my computer definitely isn't. We're good. They're tracking me, but only to the extent I'm letting them. It's okay." 

"That doesn't sound okay," Michael said.

"Trust me like I trust you, alright?" He said. Michael reluctantly nodded. "I need you to hold something for me."

Michael blinked. "The box."

"Yeah."

"Who's Carla Holt?" Michael asked. Alex smiled softly

"It's not a who, it's a what. It's a code from my mom's side of things. She knows more about the alien shit than she let on," Alex sighed, "I didn't stand a fucking chance not being involved with this shit. My dad, my mom, you. So, you know, if you ever feel bad about that, it's my fucking destiny." 

Michael swallowed and nodded, feeling more eager by the second to know what was in that box. Needed to keep hearing Alex say how fated they were to know each other. Needed Alex to touch his arm again and smile.

"Okay," Michael said, trying to stay in his own space, "So we're fated. Cosmic connection. Called it."

Alex broke into a wide smile, genuine and welcoming as he shoved Michael's shoulder gently. "Shut up."

"Show me," Michael said instead. Alex's smile faded just a little.

"Do me a favor and double check our surroundings," Alex said. Michael nodded and tilted his head, sending a chair to lodge itself under the doorknob and pressed the curtains tightly to the wall. His eyes slid closed as he did a mental sweep of the building, not noticing anything out of order. When he opened his eyes again, Alex seemed to be closer. "Thanks." 

"Show me." 

Alex sighed and nodded, hesitantly reaching into his bag and pulling out the box. It was clear now that it was made of really nice wood, intricate carvings covering it. Alex handled it with an extreme care that Corrie didn't have with it. His eyes flickered between the box and Michael a few dozen times before he hesitantly opened it and Michael leaned closer to see.

"It's just a ring," Michael said, almost disappointed. It looked like a normal, silver band that was old and unpolished after years of being tucked away. 

"Not just a ring," Alex said, he kept his fingers very precise as he picked it up. Michael didn't miss the way it seemed to ripple at his touch.

"Something alien," Michael acknowledged.

"Something alien," Alex confirmed, "Most of the glass and even the rocks that you've had so far all seem to be crafted and at least heavily altered by your people to be as useful as they are. This... This was passed down as a pure substance that was mined and cut into a wedding band to mimic human customs." Alex looked at him. "It pre-dates your mother landing here, Michael."

Michael let out a shaky breath, eager and hungry for knowledge for the first time in a long time. He'd poured over Tripp's journal over and over, poured over Caulfield and Project Shepard records, all of it painful and sickening with an unhappy ending. And now there was something new– old –that might actually give him something more. Proof that aliens were here before his mother, proof that there was a reason they came to Earth of all places. More secrets he craved to uncover. He missed the feeling. 

"It's powerful and, as far as I can tell, the last of it left. The rest was probably destroyed with your planet. But it's old and... and sentimental. One of the older women on the reservation told me the sentimentality powered it more. Because it's not just a ring that symbolizes love or a bond between two people, but it's a new start. Blending the past they chose to leave behind together with something new and different. Safer and secure. Together," Alex said. Michael swallowed, eyes unable to break away from Alex's. Alex cleared his throat and looked back down at it. "That's what she said anyway. There was probably two at one point, but I'm sure the other is lost to time."

"Yeah, okay. Okay," Michael said, agreeing without hesitation, "I'll take care of it and keep it safe."

He went to grab it, but Alex pulled it out of his reach.

"Michael," he said, "When I say it's powerful, I mean the moment you put it on, something's going to… happen."

Michael hadn't really intended to put it on, but it seemed Alex knew him well enough to know that eventually he would. 

"What kind of something?" 

"I don't know, Michael. I just know legend says it has unspeakable levels of power. So, please, be careful with it. I'd prefer you do it with someone around in case it overloads you or something," Alex said. Michael didn't point out what Isobel had before–he was the only one who didn't have a limit.

"Why not just put it on right now?" Michael said, "We're in the clear and you're here. Why not?" 

Alex breathed in and out, staring at him with that same worried, downing look. Michael selfishly enjoyed it for a few moments–enjoying that he cared that much. So he smirked and held out his left hand, feeling confident.

"Go ahead, Alex. Put a ring on it," he said. A smile pulled at Alex's lips that he fought, but he relaxed his shoulders and grabbed Michael's hand with his empty one.

Alex's hand was warm. Michael was sort of obsessed with the feeling of it. Why hadn't they been holding hands this entire time? 

"I'm right here, okay? So if you need me to take it off or if you feel like you're going to lose control, let me know. Try not to throw me," Alex said. Michael rolled his eyes.

"I don't give a shit how much power I have injected into me, I'm not going to hurt you," Michael said. Alex raised an eyebrow. "Physically. Come on now, cut me some slack."

"Maybe," Alex said, putting the ring closer. Michael could feel it now that it was millimeters away from his skin, the power of it overwhelming. And Michael was intrigued. "Ready?"

"Always."

Alex slid the ring onto his ring finger.

The wave of power hit him instantly and, before he could adjust, sent him into a mindscape. Or–he thought it was. The room was damp and dark, unwelcoming. Michael looked around for something, someone, but he was alone. It was crowded with things, though, inventions and technological structures. It looked like his own lair but significantly less familiar, less comforting. 

“Michael?”

Michael turned towards the voice and saw Alex at the top of a ladder, staring down at him with a face that said he was doing everything to stay calm. He had red stains on his clothes. Michael stared at him, unsure what to do. Alex was down the ladder and centimeters away from him so quickly that it could only be achieved by him seeing something that wasn’t happening just yet.

“Are you okay?” Alex asked, “I’m sorry.”

“Don’t apologize,” Michael said, instinctually, “Where are we? What is this place?”

Alex looked around the room, his face betraying his pain before he met Michael’s eyes again. Then his hand was on Michael’s cheek with a warm and grounding presence. Michael’s heart was about to burst out of his chest.

“My research,” he sighed, “Half of it’s destroyed anyway. Let’s go.” Michael didn’t really think that sounded right. This didn’t feel like Alex’s space. He’d been in enough of Alex’s spaces before to know what they felt like. This wasn’t it.

“Your research?” he said. Alex gave him a look and stroked his thumb over his cheekbone.

“I’ll tell you later.”

“Stop that,” Michael said, his voice sounding more irritated than he meant. He could feel the anger in his body, but he didn’t know the source. “Stop not telling me things. You keep doing that. You need to tell me.”

“You’re right,” Alex agreed, swallowing, “But we need to get out of here. I swear I’ll tell you once we get in the car. But we need to get out of here.”

“You promise you’ll tell me in the car?” Michael said. Alex nodded.

“I promise.”

They were upstairs just as fast as Alex had been downstairs. Michael saw blood. He turned his head to find the source, but Alex’s hand was back on his neck to stop him.

“Don’t look. Let’s just go to the car.”

“What, you tryna baby me?” Michael asked, “You know I’ve seen some shit.”

“Yeah, I know,” Alex said, still leading him towards the door as his thumb dug slightly into the muscle on his neck, “Doesn’t mean I have to show you more.”

Michael sucked in a breath and he was thrown back into his body, the power from the ring still thrumming through him and teasing a possible second surge. It was old and unused and desperate to stretch out some of it's pent up energy.

Alex was there, staring at him and holding onto him. He was so close, so real, and so was that memory that was just in the opposite direction. Michael stared at him, taking him in.

"What happened?" Alex asked, hands squeezing his biceps. His hand started to slide up, but stopped at his shoulder. "Hey, you with me?" 

"Yeah," Michael said, "I'm okay."

"What happened?"

"I think, uh," Michael breathed, swallowing. His throat felt dry again. The heat of the hotel seemed to work with the heat inside him; he was on fire in the best way. "I got, like, That's So Raven'd."

Alex blinked a couple times, his thumb moving in slow circles against his collarbone not too far from where it’d been moments ago in his vision. Michael wanted to let his eyes roll back into his head and just sink into the bed with Alex beside him and let this undeniable strength course through him.

"You saw the future?" he said, "Like one of Maria's visions?" 

"I think so," Michael confirmed, "Only… mine wasn't of something bad. I mean, not really, anyway."

"What was it?" Alex asked. 

Michael licked his lips, studying Alex for a moment. The ring on his finger fit perfectly as if it was made for him. The power it gave settled nicely in him, pulsing and eager to be used just a little bit more, but in a childish, playful way. It wanted to stretch after too many years being cooped up.

"Hey, I'm going to try to see something else," Michael said. Alex's eyes went wide as saucers.

"What? Tell me what you saw the first time," Alex pressed, his hand shifting just enough to cup the side of his neck. Michael layered his hand over his, feeling bold and unperturbed. At some point, they were going to get there. He was sure of that more now than ever. 

And he wanted to see more.

" Michael ," Alex said, but Michael closed his eyes and breathed in, letting the power in the ring take him somewhere else.

And he was somewhere else. 

He was standing at the end of a driveway. He looked around and tried to grab some sort of identifier, but all he saw was a house behind him and then a school bus headed towards him. It stopped in front of him, a kid stepping off and running towards him with a backpack almost as big as she was. 

"Daddy!" the kid yelled and Michael tried his damnedest to act like he was meant to be here as the little body slammed against his legs for a welcoming hug. "Is Dad home yet? Can you tell him to get ice cream? I think we need ice cream."

"Oh, you think we need it?" Michael asked, walking with the kid towards the house. It felt natural, oddly enough. 

"Yes," the kid said simply, running towards the door. She threw it open and Michael laughed and jogged the rest of the way. He could hear her already telling a story about school and he was trying to stay close enough to follow.

He walked into a foyer, pictures lining the wall. Family portraits.

Him and Alex. The three of them.

When Michael came back to his senses, Alex was right there again and staring at him without faltering. The ring was still alive, but it was at a sated hum now that it had been used a few times. He wondered how it would feel doing something he understood. He couldn’t wait to try.

“Hey,” Alex said, soft and comforting as he welcomed his weight. The vision he had was definitely not what he was looking for, he wanted to know more about Alex’s research and why it all felt so wrong and where the hell they were, but the second one… 

“Hi,” Michael said, breathing and his eyes drifting down to his lips. Michael had experienced a lot of urges to kiss Alex before. Somehow this felt more dire.

“Please don’t do that again,” Alex said, “Maybe we should take it off.”

Michael shook his head carefully, eyes scanning him, “No, it feels fine now. It just needed to be used after being in a little box for decades. It’s good. Feels good.”

“Okay,” Alex said, still clearly hesitant. His fingers played with the hair at the back of Michael’s neck. There were two beds, but Michael was trying to figure out how to convince him to share one. They could fit. They’d shared smaller. “What’d you see?”

Michael breathed deep, wanting to get closer. He kept his hands to himself no matter how much he wanted to touch. He was being good. To get to where those visions said he was headed, he had to be good. Good for himself and Alex.

“Tell me what’s going on,” Michael said softly, “What are you researching? Who are you working with?”

Alex blinked once, twice before dropping his hand off of Michael. Which definitely hurt, but the fact that Alex didn’t move away definitely helped. 

“What did you see?” Alex asked again, more pressing, “I know you saw that I’m researching something.”

Michael shrugged. He technically did, but he didn’t see anything identifiable. He didn’t know what it was. He would like to. Then again, he’d always wanted to know everything about Alex Manes.

“I didn’t see what,” Michael said, “I just saw that someone’s going to fuck with it. I think. I don’t know, we were in this basement looking thing and it felt really off and, and not like you, but you said your stuff was in it. And you had blood on you and when we went upstairs, there was more blood. But you said not to look. I don’t know what you did or what happened, but, like, if you told me, maybe we can prevent it getting that extreme.”

Alex stared at him for a long moment. 

“You saw that both times?” Alex asked softly. Michael hesitated before shaking his head. “What else did you see, then?”

“Um,” Michael breathed, trying to think of the right words to say, “Uh. I don’t think, um…”

“ Michael.”

“Family portraits,” he said carefully, figuring that was easier to start with than a whole person who called them dad, “Like, ours. Um. I know we don’t belong in suburbia, but I guess we fucking get it anyway.”

He laughed. It wasn’t funny, but it was easier to say it like it was a joke. Alex looked at him, face confused.

“Suburbia? Like. White picket fence kinda thing?” Alex asked. Michael took a slow breath.

“I, uh, I didn’t see a fence, I was too focused on the‒” he stopped, licking his lips. Michael rubbed his thumb over the ring. It seemed to purr at the attention. Michael couldn’t wait to get back home and see what he could really do.

“On the what?” Alex prodded, reaching out to rest his hand on his leg and reigniting the contact. It felt so good. Michael really liked when he was touchy, it was his favorite thing about Alex.

“Um,” Michael breathed, feeling drunk off the attention and the ring all at once. He thought about lying, maybe that they were babysitting because that was close enough, but he was so tired of lies and half-truths and I’ll-tell-you-laters. “On the kid.”

Alex froze for a moment, “The kid?”

“Yeah,” Michael said, shrugging softly, “I, uh, I guess she was ours. She was calling us dad. Do we have any water? My throat is super dry.”

“I… I don’t think you’re seeing the future then, I’m never having kids. Do you realize how awful of a parent I would be? Awful. Neglectful. That’s not… And after I clearly fucking hurt people?”

“Maybe not,” Michael said, not about to argue right now. He was too busy feeling good. Alex kept his hand on his knee. “But whatever it was, it was good.”

Alex stared at him, quiet and clearly thinking things through. Michael let him. It was easier to give him space and time now. He’d gotten better at it before his visions, but they solidified to him that they were on a good path. It felt like they were making good choices and taking good steps. This was just a part of it.

Alex eventually took a deep breath, looked him in the eye.

“I’m gonna tell you what I’m doing, but you have to promise you’re going to stay out of it and trust me,” Alex said, “You promise?”

“I promise.”

“And you’re gonna promise to be honest with me?” Alex said, “And stay safe. Like, seriously. Don’t be reckless just because. I know you.”

I know you.

“Yeah. I’m doing better now,” Michael said, stretching his hand out, “I am. But I’m… I’m tired of not doing shit together. Doing stuff separately always gets us in shitty situations, Alex, I wanna be a team. Can I be on your team?”

Alex swallowed and moved his hand up, tucking Michael’s hair behind his ear.

“Yeah. Be on my team. Let’s be a team,” Alex said. He shifted and Michael waited patiently, watching him. “Okay, so. Deep Sky. It’s… it’s got some good people, I think, but it’s overall fucked. I don’t trust anyone in there, but it’s where I’m doing my research. Sort of. So I’ll tell you.”

It almost felt too good to be true to hear, but he didn’t need the ring to know that Alex was being honest. It showed him anyway. Truthfulness radiated off of him in vibrant blues and whites. He didn’t even need to get in his mindscape to be sure of it. It was strange to feel like that was unnecessary, like his body didn’t need confirmation because it already knew.  It didn’t feel like he was stepping off a ledge. He hoped Alex had the same confidence, wondered what would happen if he put the ring on him.

If Alex still felt like he was stepping off the ledge, he was going to be sure to catch every inch of him this time. No piece would hit the ground like all the times before.

He was going to make this work.

“Everything?” 

“Everything.”

[notyourfriendwithoutsomegreenery]

10 Lessons I’ve Learned From My Houseplants: a PSA to anyone who thinks they can’t keep plants alive

Mix hydrogen peroxide into the water you give them! I mix it into the watering can and typically use approximatly 2tsps hydrogen peroxide per 36oz of water. It kills off pests in the soil and will help prevent root rot if you accidentally over water. It also adds more oxygen to the water, and plants really need that! And use room temperature water unless you know for sure a plant likes cold water. For most plants, water that is too hot or too cold will send it into shock and can kill it.

Bottom water bottom water bottom water. Place the plant in a bowl or tray and then pour water into the bowl. The plant will only soak up what it needs, and when the top of the soil barely damp it’s got enough! It also helps keep the soil from compacting which allows air to get to the roots, which helps prevent root rot and gives the plant the oxygen it needs.

If you think it’s thirsty, feel the leaves. The best way to tell if a plant needs water is by checking its leaves. Get to know what the leaves feel like when you first buy it, as it is probably well watered. When you feel it’s been long enough between waterings check the leaves. Does it feel normal? Good, it doesn’t need water for now! Does it feel easily bendable, thinner, softer, or squishier than normal? Give it some water! Remember that it is easier for a plant to come back from being UNDER watered than over watered. If you feel unsure, give it another day or two.

If you still think it’s thirsty after feeling its leaves, feel the soil. Stick your finger down into the soil about 1-2 inches. If the dirt feels wet or damp don’t water it! Wait until the soil is dry 2-3 inches down. (This does not apply to succulents and cacti. Typically wait for the soil to be dry all the way through and leave it dry until the plant shows signs of thirst.

Baby plants are WAY harder to care for than larger plants because they do not have much of an established root system. Its best if you try bigger plants when first starting out (4-6in pots) because they will be more forgiving of mistakes.

Light! Light is one of the most important things to a plant, that’s how they get their energy! Look up the light conditions for a plant BEFORE you buy it, (even if its just a quick google in the store) so you know if you have the right lighting for it. You can do everything right with watering and caring for a plant but if its in the wrong light it will die.

Higher humidity is more important in the winter than in the summer (unless it is a plant that needs a lot of humidity like a fern). While you may not have to worry about humidity in the summer, using a heater in the winter dries out the air in your home very fast. If possible get a small humidifier for your plants. You don’t need anything fancy, I have a $10 one from Target and it does the job fine.

Don’t worry if your plants stop growing in the winter, just like trees loose their leaves, plants go into hibernation too and do not produce as much new growth. During these cold winter months (and spring… and fall….) don’t water as often. Since they don’t grow as much, they don’t need near as much water. Do not use fertilizer during this period either, the plant does not need it and more than likely the fertilizer will just burn the plant’s roots since it won’t absorb it.

Try to give them individual love and attention. Pet their leaves! Give them lil kissies! Play nice music for them! The best way to care for a plant is to learn what it wants individually. Name them if this helps and don’t treat them all the same! Learning what each plant wants is the most rewarding part of horticulture. You can have two of the exact same plant and they will have different needs, its incredible! Let their little personalities shine through.

Don’t give up if you follow all these and still kill a plant! Plants are hard and sometimes their instinct is to just,,,, die. Don’t trust someone who says they’ve never killed a plant, they’re lying, plants die. Try again and be patient with yourself and your plant friends.

[beskarhearts]

Scars (Din Djarin x reader)

Connection series pt. 4

Pairing: Din Djarin x reader (no use of Y/N)

Warnings: cursing, mention of family members passing away, scars, torture from empire, some sexual tension

Word count: A little over 4.8K

Summary: The Mandalorian sees a part of you that you’ve been hiding and comforts you.

Notes:  Did I listen to drivers license by olivia rodrigo on repeat while writing this and tear up at least two times? Yes. Is this possibly the saddest thing I’ve written yet? Yes.

Last Part ____ Next Part

__________________________________________________________

“If you don’t take off your jacket and sweater, I will.”

And that is when you realized that everything the Mandalorian says sounds 20x more sexual than it ever should.

________________________________

You’ve said it once. And you will say it a hundred more times.

The Razor Crest was a hunk of junk. A total piece of trash. It may as well had been space garbage, just floating through the atmosphere. You swore it was a metal death trap that could just happen to fly through light speed. You told Din to get a new ship and he had very sassily remarked about how she was perfectly fine (yes, he referred to his stupid ship as a ‘she’ and you couldn’t stop laughing about it for five minutes straight).

Regardless of Din’s arguing, you knew deep down the ship was junk. And that is why you had to stop (again). You had rushed to fix the wing on the planet where you had been attacked and it’s been a couple days since then. It held up okay but you knew you were going to have to stop on a planet for probably a whole day, so you could fix the wing, as well as the heater which had broken down in the last day.

So you and Din had planned to stop on a remote planet. One without a lot of humans or any big civilizations near by, that way you wouldn’t have another surprise visitor like last time. One where you could fix the ship and where Din could take a day to relax, to sit back and not worry about the safety of you and the kid. To be honest, it sounded like a great day to you. You would keep busy with the ship, but Din would watch over the kid and talk to you. It would be like how life used to be almost. A taste of normalcy in an otherwise hectic world.

And then Din landed you in the middle of the damn desert.

“Din Djarin, when I said land on a planet, you couldn’t have chosen one with water or plants or nice, cool temperatures?” Din had just stepped back into the ship after checking the surroundings of where you had landed. His armored head faced you and the kid you had held in your arms. The child gurgled endlessly, his tiny fingers clutching onto the zipper of your jacket as you rocked him back and forth. 

“I’ve been to this planet before. There aren’t a lot of people. Worse there is are some Jawas. And Mudhorns, but they stick to the caves.”

“Mudhorns? Where are we?”

“Arvala-7. This is one of the first places the kid and I went together.” The Mandalorian walked towards the two of you, stopping right in front of you. One of his gloved hands reached out to pat at the kids head. The child’s attention drifted from your zipper to his father, a hand reaching out. Din wiggled one of his fingers at the kid, something you don’t even think he realized he did, and watched as the three green digits wrapped around his finger. You smiled at the sight before you, looking at Mando’s helmet which was tilted down, aimed towards the child. The moment felt so domestic, like you three were just a little family. You and Din parenting the kid, living life traveling through the galaxy, not because you had to run but because you wanted to. You could’ve easily let yourself drift into the daydream but shook it away. That was a reality a person like you could never have. A reality that Din deserved and maybe could have one day, but with someone else. Someone who was worthy of a man like him. 

“Well, I am so glad you and the kid are going to take a trip down memory lane here but I am going to die from the heat.” You heard the Mandalorian chuckle as his hands reached out to grab the child. You handed him over to his dad’s arms, which the kid seemed to very pleased about. You could tell that the kid liked his father’s embrace, even though most of his body was covered in beskar. He liked to be held by Din and lately you had been wondering what that would feel like. For his strong arms to wrap around you. 

Lately you had been thinking a lot of things about the Mandalorian that you shouldn’t have.

“Didn’t you grow up on Jakku? That place is even hotter than here.” The words were said with a hint of sarcasm, as his helmet turned as if to said ‘duh’. 

“Yes but that was different.”

“How? Just take off some layers and you’ll be fine.” 

He said it very matter-of-factly and you supposed that was a reasonable thing for most people to do. Most of the time when you were on Jakku, outside working, you would only wear a pair of cargo shorts and a tank top with a work vest. Light layers that kept you cool and allowed your skin to be kissed by the sun as you worked away on a ship. You remembered spending hours upon hours outsides, never being bothered once by the heat and desert environment. 

But things were different. You had lived on Yungbrii for so long now that you were used to the cold. And you always wore your sweater, with a jacket over it. Taking those off weren’t an option anymore. Wearing just the tank top underneath them wasn’t an luxury you could afford anymore. 

“I have a shirt you can borrow if you need to.” Din broke your train of thought with the offer.

An offer that nearly made you lose it. You had never once thought of wearing a piece of Din’s clothing. Hadn’t ever crossed your mind or been mentioned. And you knew he was only offering it because the temperature outside, no other reason. Not because he wanted to see you in his clothing or anything like that. Just to be kind.  But, the thought of you wearing a shirt of Dins, something his skin had touched and probably smelled like him and would probably swallow you... made you feel some things. And a part of you really, really wanted to take him up on the offer. But that would show too much skin.

“No!” You had inadvertently yelled it out, watching as Mando’s helmet whipped up from the kid to you. “I mean... uh, yeah. No thanks. I’m good.”

“Uh, okay. Yeah.” 

An awkward silence filled the room until the kid let out a loud giggle. You swear the little womp rat could tell when you had just done some dumb shit and always thought it was the funniest thing in the whole damn galaxy. You scrunched up your nose as the kids big black eyes looked up at you and you turned to look away from him and Din. 

You needed to ease the tension. “Don’t you get hot in the giant tin can of yours?” 

You couldn’t tell if Din found the tin can jokes funny or insulting, but every-time you made them he let out a little huff, one you couldn’t decipher as a laugh or a sigh. It was one of those times you wished you could see him face. You had gotten pretty used to reading him, despite the helmet and his quiet demeanor. But times like these you wish you could see an expression, an eyebrow raise, a smile, anything. “Sometimes.”

“I’d imagine you are sweating buckets under there.” You walked towards the bag you had stuffed in a corner of Din’s ship, reaching into it to grab your father’s box of tools. The cool touch of the metal against your fingers made a pain spread throughout your whole body. The tools were the only thing you had left of him. The only reminder that he had existed and that he had been there for you every day. The only reminder of the hours he spent teaching you about ships and how to fix them, ever since you were only a tiny little girl. Your mother thought you would be preoccupied with more feminine things. But even at a young age, you loved the feel of metal against your fingers, the sweat that would collect on your brow from the sun, the ache of your muscles from a hard days work. It gave you purpose, meaning. It was a way to help and to contribute. And all you had ever wanted to do was help your family, even in the end. 

But you had failed to do that.

You heard the clanking of Din’s boots behind you and he stopped behind you, bending down at the knees. If he didn’t have his helmet on, you probably could have felt his breath on the back of your neck, but now you only heard the sound of his breathing through the modulator. It was faint but it was there. “You okay?”

You could of broke down sobbing at the moment. At your father’s tools in your hand and Din’s worry about you. But, instead you shook your head and stood up, looking down at him still bent down. “I’m getting there.”

And it was true. For the first time in years, you felt like maybe one day you would be okay. That the pain wouldn’t be so gut-wrenching every day.

And that was only because of Din.

“I should probably get started on fixing the ship.” You gave the Mandalorian, your Mandalorian, a small smile and walked past him, outside of the ship.

_____________________________________

It was so hot.

You weren’t used to the heat anymore. You weren’t used to the way your sweat would seep out of every pore, drenching your clothes. You weren’t used to the fatigue that came along with a hard day’s work in the sun. And the sweater and jacket probably weren’t helping. But no way in hell were you going to take them off. No one was even around but Din kept walking back outside to check on you, probably cause your stupid ass was dying of heat exhaustion. 

Your sweater clung to your skin, the jacket slightly more durable but still trapping your body heat. You bent over a panel on the Razor Crest’s side, a tool tightly grasped in your hand as you worked away. The other hand reached up to wipe away at your forehead continuously. 

“You are going to kill yourself out here.”

Something you hated about the Mandalorian was that he could be so quiet sometimes and sneak up on you. The man was always covered in metal and you would think you would hear him from a mile away, but he could come up behind you without letting out a peep. Which made sense considering his job but it was so unnerving.

You jumped, turning to look at Din, who stood with his hands on his hips and his helmet tilted. “You look like shit.” The words were said gruffly, with an air of annoyance.

“Well, you sure know how to make a girl feel good about herself.” You were almost too tired and hot to let the joke out, but you didn’t want Din to know how horrible you felt. Which was probably useless because you couldn’t even see yourself and knew Din was in fact correct: you did look like shit. Your skin was flushed red, your hair pulled into a ponytail but tiny wisps of hair clung to your head, wet from perspiration. 

“You need to take off some layers. You are overheating.”

“How do you know, sir?”

“My helmet can tell your internal body temperature.”

Of course it can. “Well that feels invasive.”

Din let out a loud sigh at that, one that was loud and clear through the modulator. You were driving him crazy but he didn’t understand. “You need to take them off.”

“Nope.” You let your lips pop out the word, going to turn away when you felt Din’s hand reach out and grab your arm. He turned you back to face him, stepping even closer.

“If you don’t take off your jacket and sweater, I will.”

And that is when you realized that everything the Mandalorian says sounds 20x more sexual than it ever should.

You thanked the Maker that your face was already a bright red from the sun and tried your best to not start choking on your own saliva from the words. On the list of things you thought Din Djarin would say to you, you never would have put ‘threatening to take your clothes off’. 

You blamed the modulator. Something about the modulator made his deep, raspy words sound sexier than they had any right to (not that you frequently thought that Din’s voice sounded sexy, because that would be weird and inappropriate).  And Din was saying this to try to convince you to stop killing yourself in this unbearable heat, but your stomach still clenched at the threat. 

Damn you, Din Djarin. You had to come up with a good come back. Something so he knew his words hadn’t effected you. 

“Well, Din, if you wanted to see me undressed this badly, you should of asked sooner.”

You expected Din to step back, mumbling some lame apology and leaving you be but your Mandalorian was much more determined than you realized. “Sweet girl, no snarky response is going to make me leave this be. You are gonna die out here.”

Oh boy. Of course he said sweet girl. He had said it once last night while you had a conversation (the same conversation where you had told him a little about your family) and you had lamely teased him about flirting. Maybe because you were secretly hoping he was flirting. And you were afraid you had scared him away from ever calling you that again, because you honestly loved the way it sounded. Sweet girl. It was such a sweet thing, made so much sense that Din would call you that. It made you feel special and made your hands tremble. 

Oh, now you had to come up with something really good. Because not only was Din trying to get your to take your sweater off, but now you swear the man was teasing you. There was no way he had no clue what he was doing. And you were the only one allowed to tease people here. So you had to come back with something really snarky, really teasing, that way he’d leave you alone and let you breathe.

But he didn’t give you time to do that because his gloved fingers started reaching for the shoulders of your jacket, so he could take it off of you. And while you were sure in any other situation, if you were any other person with any other life, you maybe just might of let Din continue, you had to stop it.

“I’ll take it off!” you yelled out.

Din ripped his hands away from you, looking down at them for a split second before dropping them down to his sides. He stepped back slowly, like he was unsure what to say or what to do with the tension in the environment. 

“I’ll take them off. But you can’t be out here. You need to stay in the ship.” You said the words slowly and watched as the Mandalorian nodded his head in response, before turning away without another word. 

You were confused. You didn’t know what had just happened. You didn’t know if the Mandalorian was angry with you or if he was reeling from what had just happened like you were. But you didn’t give yourself much more time to think before you took the jacket off, letting it drop to the ground. Your fingers reached for the hem of your sweater and with a shakey breath and one more look around your surroundings, you lifted the fabric over your head. Leaving you only in a jankily cut tank top, with the scars littered on your back and arms exposed. The very scars you had avoided looking at were out for the world to see for the first time since you got them.

________________________________________

The child was most definitely a womp rat. 

It was like he knew when it was not the time to mess around, and decided to mess around. You had been bent down, working away at a panel mindlessly, not paying much attention to your surroundings. You were so close to being done and were consumed in the final bits of work. And the child had made his way out of the ship, waddling up behind you, reaching for you without you being aware of it. You were lost in the gruel of work, in the warm feeling of the sun on your skin. You didn’t know what was happening until it was too late. Until you head the footsteps. 

You flipped around, looking over to the child and then hearing the Mandalorians boots pound on the ramp leading outside. The child let out a squeak at the sight of his dad and it was too late. Din’s head whipped to look over right as your turned around, desperately reaching for your jacket or sweater to cover your skin. You knew it wasn’t on purpose. You knew the kid had probably escaped and Din was just worried about him leaving the ship. You knew he was just worried about the kids whereabouts. It wasn’t malicious or an excuse to look. It was just happenstance but it was still too late. 

“I’m sorry. The kid was napping and I turned around and then he disappeared and-” You heard the abrupt pause in his babbling and knew he saw. Knew he saw the dozens of marks on your back and arms that faced him. Saw the scars that were an almost white color but still very apparent. Saw the scars you so desperately tried to cover. 

You slowly turned around, feeling your chest cave as this part of you was exposed. Tears pricked at your eyes as you saw Din look at you. The child cooed with curiosity, not quite understanding the gravity of the moment. “Who did this to you?”

You heard the tone of his voice loud and clear. He was angry and sounded like a man ready to kill. You knew he wouldn’t like seeing it but even you didn’t understand how much this hurt Din to see. To see his sweet one so hurt and scarred. To see that someone did something so awful to you, something you would always keep as a reminder. “Din-”

“Tell me who.” He wasn’t messing around. He didn’t want to hear you try to calm him or change the conversation. He wanted to know who was responsible for your pain.

You let out a sigh. “Let’s go inside.” 

You picked up the kid, cursing him mentally for being so curious, and your other hand reached for your box of tools until you saw the Mandalorian reach for them. He followed you as you walked up the ramp, into the Razor Crest. You set the child into his little hammock, handing him one of his small toys to keep him preoccupied as the Mandalorian closed the hatch, locking out the outside world. The world that had caused you and him so much pain. You were back in your ship, your bubble where there was joy and love.

“Who did that to you?” He repeated, more evenly but you still heard the rage dripping off his words. His fists were clenched tightly and his helmet was aimed right towards you. You couldn’t see his eyes but you felt like they were burning into your skin.

“This Imperial leader...” You took a deep breath in and out before continuing. “When they found my family, my grandmother wasn’t anywhere around. And they wanted her most. So, they tortured me, hoping I would give up her location. But, I didn’t know and now... I’ve got this ugly, horrible reminder.”

The air was heavy around you as a single tear slipped out. Din didn’t say anything or move. Even the child sat quietly in his hammock, big eyes staring at the two of you. You went to finally put your sweater on when Din finally interrupted with a small “Wait.”

You looked up at the man in front of you. Din brought his hands together, slowing taking off one of his gloves finger by finger until he switched to take the other off. “Do you trust me?” 

You didn’t have to think about it. You just responded with a nod of the head and watched as Din dropped the gloves and slowly stepped towards you, like you were an injured animal he didn’t want to scare away. You still held the sleeve of your sweater limply in one hand, the rest of the fabric resting on the floor of the ship. Part of you still wanted to crawl into it, hide yourself, and pretend Din hadn’t seen a thing. But it was too late for that and in all honesty, you trusted Din Djarin so much. It had only been a matter of maybe a few months since you had joined him and the kid. But it felt so much longer. It had been the first time in so long that you felt safe and cared about, and you didn’t know how Din felt but you hope he shared the same feelings.

You almost gasped when Din’s hand reached out to grab your arm. It was surprisingly gentle, his fingers felt like they were just barely holding on to you. His fingertips were calloused but not rough. They gently traced the bare skin of your arm, one hand holding your wrist and the other beginning to dance along your skin. Din raised his helmet to look at you quickly and you nodded, letting him know what he was doing was okay. Not just okay, but welcomed. Din’s helmet turned back down to your arm as he watched his fingers trace the warm, sun kissed flesh.

Din’s fingers ran up the length of your arm, going from the forearm to your bicep. He moved your wrist slowly in the opposite direction, wanting you to turn around. You slowly turned, no longer facing the Mandalorian. His hands dropped from your arms and part of you wanted to whine at the lost of contact. But then Din moved your hair gently in front of your shoulders and you knew he now had a complete view of your back, besides the flimsy fabric of your tank top. His fingers returned to your skin, this time each one  to each of your shoulders. You closed your eyes, trying to hold back tears, as you felt one of Din’s fingers trace one of your scars. It sent a spark through your body. His touch was so gentle and so kind and it was like he was purifying the marks, no longer making them something so ugly and twisted. The skin to skin contact was minimal, but so electrifying and warm. It made your whole chest feel warm and you realized you had never had someone do something for this like you. You never had someone take your broken pieces and try to make you whole. Nobody had ever treated you so gently because you didn’t let this part of you show. 

But with Din it was so easy to. And so safe. 

“Sweet girl...” He barely whispered the words, but you heard them as he continued to work all over your back. 

A tear slipped down your cheek at the name, the name he made for you. A name you didn’t have to ask for and didn’t expect. But one he gave you, to make you feel cared for because that you deserved. And Din knew that. 

“Din...” You didn’t really have anything to say but you just wanted to feel his name slip from your lips. It was so comforting.

“Do you know how beautiful you are?”

___________________________________

Din sat in the cockpit with the child in the seat beside him, bundled up and asleep, as she took a shower. His hands were still shaking and his gloves were back on but his fingers felt like they were burning. He had stood there, probably for a good hour, just touching her skin. He didn’t even know why he had done it. Why that had seemed like a good idea for him to do. For all he knew, the last thing in the world she wanted was for him to touch him. But, as soon as he grabbed onto her skin with his bare hands, he felt himself melt into and felt like maybe she had too. 

The moment had been so vulnerable. She stood there, scars and all, and let herself be consoled by him. And he was vulnerable too. He exposed himself a little bit to her, letting himself delve into every part of her. She was so soft but so strong. He never doubted once her ability to protect herself and the kid. He didn’t think she was fragile. He just saw she was a human being, one who needed to be shown how perfect they were. How beautiful they were.

Because, Maker, she was so beautiful to him. Every part of her was perfect to him. And all he wanted was to show her that.

His train of thought was broken as he turned his head, listening as she made her way up the ladder to the cockpit. She stepped in and Din swore he could have stayed in this moment forever.

"I, uh, hope you don’t mind. I borrowed one of your shirts.”

Din didn’t mind at all. The sight of her in one of his shirts nearly gave him a heart attack but he still didn’t mind. The shirt was slightly too big on her, swallowing most of her midsection but fell by her thighs. Her hair was still damp from her shower and he was used to it being up in a pony tail. But now it fell down her shoulders and back. 

He realized he was staring at her and cleared his throat quickly. “No. Not at all.” He gave her a small smile without even thinking about the helmet blocking his face and felt silly. She couldn’t see his face but he could look at her whenever he wanted, bask in her beauty and warmth. 

“So, where are we going now?”

When she had been showering, Din had left Arvala-7 and put the Crest into hyperdrive. He had something that he wanted to do. Something he felt he needed to do. “Navarro.”

Her eyebrows scrunched up a little, in a way that Din adored. “Why Navarro?”

“I have something I have to do there. It will just be a quick stop.” He hoped his answer left little room for questions or further conversation and was content when she nodded and walked closer to him. 

“Okay.” She paused, looking over at the sleeping child and smiled at the sight. Din loved seeing her with the kid. She was tough but with the kid, she was so maternal. He could see how much they loved each other. It made him so happy that the kid had someone else beside him, someone who he could look at as a mother. “I should probably get him to bed.”

“Yeah. You need some sleep too. You worked hard today.”

“It was honestly kind of nice, working on the ship. Felt like the old days a little.” Her gaze drifted back to him, a warm smile still on her face. “Din, I just wanted to say-” She paused, seeming to fumble for words but he stopped her.

“Don’t worry about it.”

Din saw her turn, arms reaching out for the child when she suddenly dropped them and turned around. She stood in front of Din, looking down at his helmet which was tilted up at her. She paused before slowly lowering her head down, laying her forehead against his helmet with eyes closed. Din could tell she was shaking a little but he just reached forward and grabbed her wrist. His thumb drew small circles.

Din was pretty certain that she didn’t know what a keldabe kiss was or the importance of it. As far as he was aware, she had a very limited knowledge of Mandalorians and was always willing to learn. But her not being aware of how monumental this moment was for Din was almost even better. The fact that she was making him feel so cherished without realizing showed how good of a person she truly was.

She eventually pulled away with a shy smile and Din dropped her wrist lightly. She turned around, grabbing the bundle the child was in, and turned towards him one last time. “Goodnight, Din.”

“Goodnight, sweet one.”

Din watched as she walked away with the kid in her arms, going down to the hull of the Crest. And that was when he realized something.

This must be what falling in love feels like. 

[candreloup]

Heyyy ! Hope you're doing well ! May I request a drabble in which hero has to battle the villain but hero has a migraine due to some reasons and villain finds out a about the migraine and then you can decide how the villain reacts to it , does he take advantage of the migraine or decides to help hero

Hi!! I'm doing very well, thanks! Y'all gave me so much serotonin with your amazing asks :)) Sorry for not being able to answer yesterday, was busy with father's day stuff. Anyways, on to the story!!

4 PM. Sunday. That day was particularly hot, at the peak of the summer season. The ground outside shimmered with heat, burning anything that came close to it.

Hero lay, draped over the couch and nearly passing out from heatstroke. Goddamn, it was hot. They had always been susceptible to the summer heat- especially on these kinds of days, when the air felt thick with humidity and even sheltering in the meager shade provided little relief from the sweltering sun.

It didn't exactly help that the water heater was broken, too. When all the tap water started to come out lukewarm and even the ice began to melt in the freezer, Hero knew that it was going to be a rough day.

They hadn't had a day like this in ages, when the sky was cloudless and the sun seemed to burn holes through everything under its glaring eye. Good thing Villain was also inactive, presumably taking shelter in some cool spot indoors on such a hot day. Good thing indeed...

And then the ground started to shake.

Shit. Hero scrambled to their feet, trying to figure out if it was an earthquake or if it was Villain acting up again. Please, god, let it be an earthquake, let it be an earthquake- Through the dizziness and sleep-daze, Hero heard the unmistakable voice echoing through their head.

Meet me. You know the place. Now. Or much worse things will happen.

Villain smiled, feeling the exhaustion from the other side. It was the worst kind of hot day, the best kind if you were trying to catch someone off guard. Of course Villain would use it to their advantage. It would be stupid not to. But when Villain saw Hero stagger through the door and lean against it with their eyes closed, they started to question their choice. Perhaps there was a reason the whole city seemed to call a truce on these kinds of days; after all, Villain wasn't evil. They just wanted Hero to suffer a little bit.

Villain shook their head, clearing their mind as Hero seemed to revive and walk towards where Villain was sitting.

The room was elegant, cool and beautifully furnished. The first thing Hero saw through the spinning room was the couch Villain was sitting on, lounging in the cold relief of the inside. Holy hell. The agony of a few hours with no water and extreme heat hit and Hero leaned against the closed door with closed eyes, fighting off the beginnings of a migraine. Come on, Hero. You've been through worse. Come on.

Hero stood up, pushing themselves off the door and walking across the room. Villain stood up as well, hands in pockets in typical villain style. "Welcome, Hero."

"What the hell do you want? I have things to do."

Villain clicked their tongue. "Rather aggressive today, aren't we? Ah well, I suppose I'll get straight to the point. To be short, I wanted to catch you off guard today. I just didn't think you'd come."

"Well, obviously I would come. What, you think I'd-" Hero stopped, almost raising a hand to their head as another wave of pain hit. "I'd..."

Villain frowned, obviously confused. "You'd what?" Hero stayed silent, eyes closed. "You'd what? Hero? Hero? What are you...?"

Hero gave up. They just couldn't hold it back anymore, feeling the pain rippling through their head like someone was hitting it with a hammer. Hero sank to the floor, crouching and holding their head desperately.

"Hero...? What's..." Villain trailed off, the realization hitting them just as Hero completely collapsed onto the floor. Heatstroke. Maybe it wasn't so good of an idea to bring Hero here on such a hot day. Villain just wanted to scare Hero, keep them out of their plans for a little bit- not give them a heatstroke. Almost unconsciously, they reached their hand out to pick up Hero. What are you doing? They're your enemy. Just leave them. But it didn't feel right. Leaving them all alone, suffering on the floor, when Villain was the one who brought them there. But-

Hero reached out and grabbed Villain's wrist, almost crying out when their head gave another pulse of pain at the movement. Villain jumped, immediately going on defense. "Help..." Hero croaked, holding on to their wrist for dear life. Come on, Villain. They're clearly not in any condition to fight. Just... move them somewhere. Don't just leave them on the floor.

Villain sighed, running a hand over their face before kneeling and picking Hero up. Hero weighed surprisingly little. They were so defenseless, too- it would be so easy to just eliminate them right then and there. But something about how Hero had thrown their trust solely onto Villain in that stopped them from doing anything to Hero. No, they would just have to wait. And watch.

Hero woke up slowly, with that feeling that comes from a good rest. The first thing they noticed was the delicious feeling of cold, with just the right amount of warmth coming from a light blanket on top of them. The second thing they noticed was the chain. Specifically, the handcuffs chained to the floor. And the fact that they were not in their house, but rather in a completely new room. The curtains on a window were closed, shutting out almost all light; and the room seemed empty. The third and final thing that Hero noticed was that their migraine was gone. So were their chapped lips and the conspicuous feeling of dryness- in fact, they felt like they could win any fight in this condition. If only they weren't trapped in handcuffs.

Hero inspected the cuffs, examining closely the way they linked to the chain and testing out how weak they were. They seemed to be not too high quality handcuffs, probably having to do with the fact that they passed out. Oh yeah... that happened. Hero cringed, remembering the grab at Villain's wrist and the humiliation of literally collapsing in front of your biggest enemy. Whoops. Well, they'd have to deal with that later. For now, they just had to deal with the handcuffs.

Villain hummed as they walked along the hallway, smiling slightly as they approached the room. Hero was surprisingly childish when they were sick. They were also sort of... cute. For some reason. Their complete dependency on Villain made them feel... possessive, strangely- and made Villain want to take care of Hero at the same time. Huh. That was a strange thought.

As Villain opened the door to the room, they heard rustling from the couch Hero was lying on. They must have woken up. As Villain walked into the room they noticed a few things: first, Hero's flushed cheeks. What were they up to that made them so red in the face? It was cool in the room, and Hero was handcuffed pretty closely to the floor- so they couldn't have been moving around much. Second- the noticeable look of guilt on Hero's face. Really, what were they up to?

Before Villain could observe more, a pillow was suddenly flung into their face. What the-

"Don't come near me!"

Villain raised an eyebrow, picking up the pillow from the floor. "I was just going to check in on you. It appears you're awake. I can see you're also very energetic for someone who passed out on the floor a few hours ago."

Hero glared at Villain raising their legs and arms into a defensive position on the couch. "Where did you take me? What is this place?"

Villain smiled. "It's just a little... private area I happened to own. Don't worry. I'm not going to hurt you-"

"I don't trust you!"

Villain was getting a little bit annoyed. After all, they'd taken care of Hero diligently for the past few hours- shouldn't that at least warrant a thank you or I'm sorry for throwing a pillow in your face? But it's your fault in the first place. Villain sighed. They probably deserved it. But still, it was kind of unfair.

"Villain? Hello-"

Villain growled. To hell with it. Almost before Villain could think about it, they were on top of Hero, glaring down at their still flushed face. "Don't I get even a thank you? Maybe a hello or some kind of acknowledgement that I took care of you for hours? I could have just left you out there to suffer, you know."

Hero's eyes softened. "But you didn't." And then they kicked their knee upwards into Villain's ribs and ran, shedding their broken handcuffs and leaving Villain on the floor.