#overly protective hank is best hank

[slimmestslime]

smol + bonus i forgot to post

4th one i mainly drew cause of this song

[the-hinky-panda]

The Preacher's Wife Series: Big Bear Lake (Part III)

TW: Mentions of domestic abuse.

Maggie isn’t used to having dinners like this. She is used to expensive food, plated like it’s from a five star restaurant even if it’s in her own home. She’s used to sitting across from her husband, Simon, as he extols whatever dinner guests they happen to have with his Biblical insight and wisdom. She tries to drown him out by concentrating on chewing her food. She is watched like an animal in the zoo, making sure she uses the right utensil, takes small bites, sips her wine. There is no warmth, no laughter, no relaxation.  

That is not the experience with Hank. 

They’ve gone through half the bottle of Monkey’s Shoulder, the warmth from the whiskey making the heat lamp overly efficient. Maggie’s face is hurting from smiling, her stomach from laughing. She eats her burger with her hands, uses her fries to catch the Thousand Island dressing that’s dripped onto her plate. It’s the best time she’s had in a very long time. 

“Did they ever find the other chicken?” she asks, tears spilling down her face from laughing so hard. 

Hank is laughing just as hard. “No! We searched the clubhouse for four fucking days!” 

There’s a lightness she hasn’t felt in years and she doesn’t want it to end. Hank is everything Simon isn’t: warm, funny, kind. She wants to hear all about him, how he became involved in the motorcycle club, what other hobbies does his mother have other than reading her books, what does he like to do in his spare time? But it’s two a.m. and the bar is closing down. This small blip of joy that has occurred in her life is coming to an end. The disappointment feels tangible. She pulls out her phone reluctantly and brings up the Uber app. 

“I, uh,” Hank glances over at her phone, “I could take you back to your place. If you want.” 

It’s a welcome extension to the time that they can spend together and she jumps at the offer. “I’d like that very much.” 

Maggie had asked her sister, Morgan, about Hank after her first visit to Santo Padre. Morgan had told her that Hank was quiet, even-tempered, and one of the nicest human beings she had ever met. He was protective as the day was long and this was all high praise coming from Morgan who saw the worst of humanity in the ER. Her sister could spot a bullshitter from five miles away. She certainly had nailed Simon for being the over-controlling, narcissistic asshole that he was. So knowing that Morgan had the utmost respect for him assured Maggie that she was in good hands with Hank. 

She follows him out of the restaurant, their arms bumping against each other as they continue to chat about the chilly weather and surrounding woods. When he opens the passenger side door and helps her up into the truck, it’s the first time she’s felt like a lady in years. Her hand feels so small when it’s laying in his large one. But his palm is warm, his fingers gently squeezing her hand as she climbs into the passenger seat. 

Everything was for show with Simon. He would hold her hand when making a public appearance. Guide her across stages with a hand against the small of her back. But they were all expected gestures. When they were at home, he never held doors open for her, helped her into the car, or carried things into the house. She couldn’t remember the last time any man had helped her into the car. She gently squeezes his hand in return, in this empty parking lot with no witnesses. 

“Thank you.” 

He gives her a small, shy smile before closing the door and going over to the driver’s side. When he starts the truck, he positions the heat vents towards her and that small act brings tears to her eyes. It’s so small but speaks volumes of the kind of person that he is: thoughtful, caring, selfless. It’s such a stupid thing to get emotional over. Maybe she’s just too tired, or stressed, or drunk-

“Hey, you alright?” 

She laughs and wipes at the tears rolling down her cheeks. “Yeah, I’m just…I don’t know. I’m not used to having someone look out for me, I guess. I’m sorry.” 

Hank reaches over to her and takes her hand. “You have your sister.” 

“I know.”

“But she’s not there with you everyday,” he acknowledges with a small nod. “Has that been hard, her moving down to Santo Padre?” 

Maggie knows that Morgan had her own cages that she was escaping when she left La Jolla. She admired her for escaping and finding her happiness in the border town. Yes, it had gotten worse since Morgan left but Maggie wasn’t ever going to fault her for that. But she knows her silence is answering the question at the moment. 

“Mo is so happy where she is right now. I wouldn’t want anything else for her. She loves Coco so much, loves all of you actually. Besides, she’s only a phone call away.” 

He pulls out a slip of paper and hands it to her. “And so am I.” 

Maggie takes the phone number, running her thumb over the numbers. This could be her ticket out of hell, her’s and the kids. “Thank you, Hank. This means a lot.” 

“I don’t know what your marriage is like but if you need any help, anything at all, call me.” 

“I’ve been planning on leaving for four years now.” The words leave her mouth and she can’t believe she voiced them. 

“Four years?” 

Well, there is no unhearing those words. “Did my sister ever tell you who my husband is?” 

Hank shakes his head. “I think she mentioned he was a church pastor. And an asshole.” 

A sudden chill runs through her body. Guilt perhaps, but that doesn’t stop her from sliding closer to Hank, seeking out his warmth. “Have you heard of Morning Light Ministries? The megachurch in La Jolla?” 

“Yeah, that’s the ex-surfer guy on TV every Sunday morning.” Hank laughs. “My mom tried watching him one morning. Said he had too many teeth in his mouth.” 

Maggie laughs. “Well, she’s not wrong. But that’s my husband. Figuring out how to leave someone is tricky enough. Trying to do it when thousands of pairs of eyes are watching makes it next to impossible. And then trying to get the kids out safely…” 

“Safely?” Hank’s eyes narrow slightly. “Does he hurt you and the kids?” 

“Not the kids. He’s never raised a hand to the kids. In fact, he leaves them alone most of the time.” 

“But you?” 

Maggie flexes her toes, the cold bringing a familiar ache to her foot. “It’s never anything bad enough to go see or tell anyone about. I only ever had to go to the ER once for a broken foot but that was just an accident. That’s the worst of it.” She sees Hank’s grip tighten on the steering wheel, his knuckles going snow white. She reaches over and lays a hand over them. “It’s not like some women who are in and out of the ER with black eyes and broken bones. It could be worse.” 

He releases the death grip on the steering wheel and instead takes her hand back into his. His thumb drags over her knuckles and her skin erupts in goosebumps. There’s such a gentleness to the touch but an earnestness in it as well. She knows at that moment that if she were ever to call him in a moment of need, he would rescue her. Protect her. And God, how she needed that. 

“The club,” he says after a moment, “we’re actually quite good at moving contraband.” 

She squeezes his hand and moves even closer to him, leaning against his shoulder. She understands why Morgan speaks so kindly about him. It’s the safest she’s felt in six years. “I’ll keep that in mind.” 

“I want you to.” He says it with sincere earnestness. “You don’t deserve to be treated like that.” 

She knows it’s true. She knows that one day Simon will cross the line with her, and she will need to take Lydia and Asher and leave. She knows that Morgan will help her when the time comes. And now, staring into Hank’s warm, earth brown eyes, she knows he will protect her as well. She leans forward and rests her head against his shoulder. 

Who would have thought that salvation would come in clad in a leather kutte?

[connorsjorts]

Yes, hello, I need to know everything about this rodeo clown hankcon au! O.O

DRACE thank you for your interest in Rodeo Clown AU! 

As with most of my ideas, it started out as a shitpost:

But my sweet lovely friend Miss got me thinking about bullrider!Connor and rodeoclown!Hank and, besides the obvious perk of getting to tag a fic ‘hank is a sexy rodeo clown,’

Young, talented (and closeted) bull rider Connor who is pressured to become a star to help his family out of financial difficulties captured my heart… who lives in a small, conservative town pursuing a high-risk  career embedded in conservative culture… who stands to lose everything if he admits who he is

Enter Hank, the brash, grumpy, out-and-proud rodeo clown, new to town and without any fucks about what anyone thinks of him

Y’all know I love an overly protective Hank, and rodeo clowns are basically there to protect the bull riders, so it’s sort of like a bodyguard au but with clown makeup

Right now there is no plot, just vibes and a collection of scenes. Obviously someone almost dies, there’s a lot of physical hurt/comfort potential with this one. Supportive friends Markus and Chloe (Markus as Connor’s best friend back from art school for the summer, thinks Connor needs to break free from this oppressive culture; Chloe as Connor’s high school sweetheart aka they have been each other’s beards for years). Drunken country bar dancing and inappropriate mechanical bull riding in front of Everyone. Connor losing his virginity, mid-day, in his squeaky twin bed while his mother and brother are in the house.

This will be a problematic huge age gap fic because I don’t think the themes really work unless Connor is in his early 20s so I am prepared to Get Yelled At

Also rodeo clowns don’t really wear clown clothes any more but FUCK THAT, Hank is CLOWNIN IT UP. I did not receive the comment “I can’t imagine having the self confidence to WRITE this, let alone post it” on mall santa just to not try to one-up myself

Now. The real question is will I ever write Clown College AU

[cosmica-galaxy]

The baby posts were adorable af! The thought makes my heart all warm and mushy like oatmeal. Now I gotta wonder what a Jeb or Phobos dad would be like. Hell, what would a Player/Tricky hybrid look like?? That one’s a little scary.

ANSWERING BOTH OF THESE! I MADE MORE MADCOM PAPA FLUFF FOR ALL YOU! HEHEHEHAHAHAHAH!

HAHAHAA! I cannot be stopped! MORE MADCOM ASKS!!

Tw: Pregnancy and non-descriptive birth mention, but more cavity-inducing papa grunts!

+Reader has fem bits but are gender neutral +Set in Salty’s Self Aware AU PART 2 HAS SHERIFF AND TRICKY! Thank Jebus I got two asks asking for the same stuff!!

– JEB –

The moment that his player comes forward to tell him that they were carrying his child, Jeb pretty much experiences a temporary blue screen in his mind. After a few moments of him blankly staring ahead, he comes alive and finds himself so elated that he picks up his player and spins them around in a fit of elated joy. He was going to have a demi-god for a child, how could he NOT be happy? Not only that, but it was a product of their shared love for one another, so Jeb couldn’t be any more excited.

In the first trimester, Jeb works overtime to make a safe haven for you to carry his child safely to term. He gathers up any materials he can, such as blankets, medical supplies, and various utilities that he can use to help you throughout your pregnancy. He also reassumes his ‘bodyguard’ instincts from the early days of him protecting the Sheriff from Hank, making sure to watch over you whenever he could and dealing with anyone that dared come too close for his personal comfort.

He also begins to reread up on his studies from long ago and to apply much more modern knowledge to childcare. His player had to help him understand human anatomy at times, but he was more than willing to learn if it meant that his child would be brought into the world of Nevada healthy and safe.

In the midterm, Jeb grows more anxious and excited as you have to help him relax and calm down on more than one occasion. Mostly because his repressed emotions have begun to emerge and they slightly get away from him from time to time. Your cuddles and loving kisses always calm him down and he lays next to you for hours on end like a loyal guardian, even after you’ve fallen asleep and the nighttime part of Nevada comes around.

Jeb even takes up ‘childproofing’ most of the new living space and gathering furnishing materials in his spare time. He’s not an overly handiworker-type of grunt, but he is determined to give his offspring the best crib in all of Nevada. Days of work went into carving up a wooden crib for his child. Designed with angel wings on the corners and halo-esque designs carved into the wood that gave the side of the crib a similarity to stained glass windows one would find in a place of worship.

Needless to say, you were pretty impressed with his work, even more so when you discover that he wasn’t really a handy grunt or an artist. You give Jeb a kiss of approval to make sure he understood your appreciation for his effort.

By the late trimester, Jeb becomes borderline obsessed with protection and nesting. The crib’s room is decorated with little carved figurines and lots of white sheets and items, to which Jeb claims was just to make the room ‘feel holier’. As his player could only snicker in response and encourage his creativity by making glowing sheets and a ‘onsie robe’ from their own iridescent strings.

Eventually, the room is covered with white and color with a few shiny objects and precious polished metals that Jeb had found while he was scouting around for items. It reminded you of a holy-themed magpie's nest for obvious reasons, but you could only give Jeb a loving kiss on his lips while you stand and look on in satisfaction of what will become your child’s bedroom.

Pretty soon, the due date begins to arrive.

Jeb is no longer leaving his players side as they need more and more help as their birthday draws closer and closer. Jeb is stressed out and nervous, and he makes sure that you’re cared for and doted on the most in this stage. He even gives you periodic massages along your back and hips to help you with your growing discomfort and pain.

You both prepare for the arrival by gathering up materials and items that would be used to help you deliver his child as Jeb also works on a medical station that would deliver his child safely.

Then suddenly, it happens.

Right before dawn, his player lets out a loud cry of pain that shocks Jeb out of his deep sleep. Jeb springs to life as he picks up his player effortlessly and goes to the makeshift medbay to lay you on a stretcher he stole from an abandoned hospital. His emotions run high as he prepares and follows your strained instructions on what he should do.

The process was long and difficult with you two being the only ones around, but eventually Jeb finishes the delivery process and cleans the young one off. His player becomes exhausted as they slump against the cot to catch their breath while he swaddles up the little arrival and then…there’s stillness.

There was only the sound of your labored breathing while he sits in the quiet room looking at the bundle in his arms from behind his shades. The little one makes a couple of quiet squeaks as they wiggle in his arms and let out a kitten-like sneeze as they open their eyes.

Surprisingly, their eyes looked just like his…and an even more shocking turn of events, an iridescent halo suddenly developed around their head after a few minutes of being awake. It startled Jeb, but enthralled him at the same time. He holds his child close as the infant lets out a few squeaks and painful yanks on his beard, making Jeb wince and pull back a bit giving his young one a soft glare before chuckling in response. The child even let out a giggle of their own.

Then, the emotions hit Jeb all at once and the ex-AAHW member blinks in a repeated fashion until something wet drips past his eyes. He doesn’t even mind the small hands that come up to investigate his dripping tears as the new father merely holds them close to his body. Relief and happiness fills his S3LF as he nuzzles the glittering infant as close to himself as possible.

Jebus wept. But not from sorrow.

As a father, Jebus desires to raise his child to become the ‘true savior’ of Nevada. Since his departure from the AAHW, Jeb has tried to live a more peaceful life, but Hank and their group tends to make that…difficult. But his child is far stronger and has higher-god blood in them, so he tries his best to be a great role model for his child and guide them through Nevada the best he can.

Jebus is an honored parent of a demi-god that wants his kid to succeed and be just as righteous, if not more so, than he could ever be. While hopefully saving Nevada from The Madness in the process.

– PHOBOS –

When you told Phobos that you were pregnant, you should have really expected that he would be the type to go full ham about you carrying his holy offspring. Phobos was beyond elated, he was pretty much ascending inside of his own body when he processed the news that he was going to have a child. He had pulled you close and nuzzled you in the way you liked while he rambled about making a new wing on the science tower that would house all of his youngling’s rooms.

During the first trimester, Phobos begins construction on the new wing of the science tower. This didn’t surprise you in the slightest, as Phobos was always the type to go above and beyond to ‘please his godly lover’ and as your loyalist acolyte (and chosen child-bearer; his words not yours), you being pleased with your environment came before all else. Even the project.

So he started from the ground up with units to build more onto the building that houses you both, he started the project with the bedroom. Phobos is relentless in his desire for absolute perfection when it comes to you and your developing young. The poor workers are strained to their limits while he makes the room as perfect as he can. Not only that, but he was also making it as ‘holy’ and needlessly extravagant at the same time.

The floors of the room were made from a polished rare white stone, the pillars of the room had to have unique carvings on them, and the doors were made from the darkest refined wood that they could find. All the patterns worked in harmony and even had a style that was similar to Chinese Imperial architecture from your world. Which made sense, since Phobos was a self-deemed ‘emperor’ of Nexus City.

The crib itself was made with precious metals and has a long canopy that was strung above it by one of your iridescent strings, which was requested by the worker that hung the canopy up.

The room was also given a bookshelf, chairs, a changing station, a vanity, and a large walk-in closet. Each piece of furnishing was also overly decorated and painstakingly carved with unique designs that each depicted the player in their holy visage and a god-like Phobos as well. You really felt bad for the workers that put all that effort in, so you would bring them refreshments and sweets as a gratuitous gift to them when Phobos wasn’t around. Since you worried that he would execute the poor workers if he saw them ‘tainting’ you with their presence. This made you rather popular with the workers and some would even visit the altar that was dedicated to you Phobos had set up to leave you gifts.

During the midterm of your pregnancy, Phobos is pretty much obsessed with making sure that you’re protected at all cost and that the wing of the science tower continues its construction. After the bedroom was done, the construction moved to making the child demi-god a playroom, an entertainment center, a living area, their own personal kitchen (cause like hell Phobos would prepare their food in the cafeteria of the science tower), a schooling room, and a luxurious bathroom. He still wasn’t done with the plans for the tower, but you constantly had to remind him that your child was merely an infant and what he was doing was enough.

Phobos is stubborn though, but a good few kisses and affectionate strokes is enough to make your ‘loyalist acolyte’ melt under your touch in response. You manage to get him to relax for a while as you both lay together, his hands on your belly and him whispering sweet sayings into your ear as you stay wrapped up in his crimson cape. Then, he gasps when he feels the child press back into his hands. His cycloptic eye seemingly sparkling as you let out a couple of giggles and a long sigh when he cuddles up closer to your belly to talk to the little one within. Listening to him say how he was so excited to meet his little godling and how much he loved them was enough to make you blush brightly in response.

In the late trimester of you carrying his child, Phobos is strict with his staff and he begins to prepare for the arrival of your little one. Making a closet worth of clothes, high quality blankets for the crib, having a cleaning staff go through the new wing of the science tower daily, and preparing a special medical wing for you to give birth in. Phobos also has to work on his ‘lesser important’ project in the meantime, so you are left in your shared room alone most of the time with assistants helping you throughout the day.

Then, the due date arrives.

Phobos is in the lower levels of the science towers scolding a lot of incompetent grunts from messing up some ‘simple’ engineering work when he suddenly gets a call on his comm from the medical wing.

The moment he is given the news that his player has gone into labor, he leaves the other grunts behind and races to the medical wing. When he arrives, the grunts that were walking through the medical district of the tower part like the red sea to allow Phobos through without a hassle. He gets to the private section of the wing to find his player in the middle of labor.

He rushes to his players side while the trained medical team works on preparing to deliver his godling. He allows you to grip his hand throughout the process, which nearly brings a tear to his eye from how hard you were crushing it. Then, the process passes and the medical team clean up his little one while you release his hand from your deathgrip.

With his player resting on the medical cot, Phobos is handed a little swaddled bundle of grunt in a satin cloth while the medical staff clear out of there to give the pair a moment of peace. Phobos is in awe as he looks at the little glittering grunt in his arms in silence as they slowly awaken to see the world for the first time.

Their eyes are colorful like the players and they were sporting a rather unique mark around their head. There was a bright small crimson circle that was placed in the middle of their forehead, along with crimson markings that gave the illusion that the little one was wearing a royal circlet. Phobos holds up his hand as he gently rubs the child’s face in a gentle and loving manner, almost as if he couldn’t believe his little god was finally here after months of waiting.

He cuddles them and holds them close to his body as the youngling hiccups and stretches out their little limbs, making cute little straining noises before letting out a small yawn. Phobos could feel his ego pretty much becoming even BIGGER as his heart melts and palpitates in his chest. What a perfect little royal.

“My little god…it’s nice to finally meet you.” Phobos mutters just above a whisper as he nuzzles his child in a loving manner.

As a father, Phobos couldn’t be more protective and proud. He bred with the most powerful being in Nevada and was ‘chosen to rear their young’ (again, his words, not yours.) as a god among the masses, Phobos is the most egotistical he has ever been.

But now, he has a child to absolutely spoil rotten and dote on while he works on his other project. Though, you’re the parent that keeps a tighter leash on your child and you also perform disciplinary actions against them. Less they become a spoiled brat because of Phobos’s constant doting.

You also might have to keep a watch on Phobos too, because he’s already talking about having another little god.

[prototypelq]

This is just a personal dump of media I experienced this year and wanted to share with others.

Movies!

Movie of the year (which, coincidentally, actually came out in 2022!)

Everything, Everywhere All at Once (2022)

this masterpiece of a movie is easily the best thing I have seen this year. It is also the best movie I have ever seen in my life, it has everything. It is crazy, it is dramatic and emotional, it will make you feel existential dread and love for humanity and the little things. It is beautiful and incredible and unlike anything I have ever seen. It is not for everyone (but when true art ever is?), but I believe everyone who hasn't seen it should give it a chance, because if this movie is for you, it will be the best film you have seen, maybe ever.

Honourable mentions of other amazing movies, in no particular order:

Don't Look Up (2021)

Beautiful blend of caricature and realism, I would not be surprised if all the ****s**t that happend in the story would actually happen in life. Comedy that is actually a tragedy, and I love it.

Sound of Metal (2019)

A technical wonder, the 'Sound' in the title is completely justified. Amazing movie with a touching story and a perspective on deafness and deaf communities.

Supermario Brothers (1993)

If not for the Everything, Everywhere, All at Once, this would be my movie of the year. Either people didn't have a sense of humour in 93, or they had very high expectations for a first video game adaptation movie. This movie is comedic gold. Every other comedy can only dream of getting even close to this level of humour and absurdity. Great movie, everyone who tells you otherwise is wrong, go watch it.

A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood (2019)

This movie has Tom Hanks singing lullaby songs for a children's evening show, and this perfectly explains the incredible coziness, fluffiness and comfort this movie provides. And the best thing is that it's not an overly happy movie - dealing with grief, death and other complex emotions is the heart of the story. This movie is not afraid to show that a rainbow can appear only after the rain, and it is beautiful in providing comfort for dealing with that rain.

Peanut Butter Falcon (2019)

Good roadtrip movie about male friendship and perspective of a young person with Down syndrome

Devil Wears Prada (2006)

A cautionary tale about managing personal relationships and career boost.

Night Watch (Ночной дозор) 2004

A good, very atmospheric dark russian-urban fantasy adventure movie.

Series!

Series of the year

Red vs Blue (2003-2019) (up to season 17)

I found this gem at a perfect time - a month before finishing university, and this series has been a lifesaver for me. This series has hit the golden comedy mark of Supermario Bros, and Also hit the mark for creating a great cast of characters. The comedy, the irony, the lovable idiots and their tanks, the Soundtrack, and the drama of RE- and Chorus seasons make a perfect blend for a wonderful show. Michael J Caboose is a national treasure and should be protected at all costs. Trocadero songs live rent free in my playlist.

Honourable mentions:

Resident Alien (2021-_)

Good comedy and an exploration of human emotions, relationships, familiar bonds through the eyes of an alien, played by Alan Tudyk. Has the best female-friendship I have seen in a series.

Cowboy Bebop (1998)

Never heard of this series up untill this year and OH BOY was I in for a ride. I'm not a huge anime fan, but this is certainly my favourite. The style, the music, the characters with troubled, yet unknown past, everything here is perfect. Absolutely in love with this series.

Firefly (2002-2003)

Space western AND Alan Tudyk? That's a recipe for a series I would definitely love, and I did. Awesome series.

(I don't know what's the deal with fun blond pilot man and a badass dark-skinned woman with beautiful curls combo is, but I LOVE it)

Games!

Game of the year:

Death Stranding (2019)

No other game has ever made Walking it's main mechanic. I loved the gameplay of this game So. Much. This game perfectly captures all the struggle, effort and perseverance required in real hiking, as well as the importance of human connection on the trail. I have spent 120 hours in the game before finishing the main story just enjoying deliveries, getting all my new homies on the network and rebuilding roads. I absolutely will come back to platinum that last trophy, but for now I have been enjoying the gameplay to it's fullest.

The story was sort of okay, I don't dig the Kojima writing. For all of his ambitions and genius as a game designer, I think writing is his downfall. The spectacle and the music in the game is another level though.

Bugsnax (2020)

A very weird and very fun game! Developers have made quite an effort to make all the different bugsnax fit into an entire ecosystem, and the passion for ecology and entomology shows. VAs clearly had a lot of fun voicing all the different snax.

Subnautica (2018)

Same as Bugsnax, this game has passion over marine biology written all over it and I LOVE that. Designs of all the creatures are very unique and fun. As a person with all kinds of underwater/depths/wrecks fears, this was quite a trip for me at the beginning, though I have become familiar with the game, and after maybe 10 hours it didn't scare me anymore. Sadly, the game is buggy and not very well optimised, and the survival&grind for materials aspects had me quitting the game.

Horizon Forbidden West (2022)

The only release of this year I have played, a sequel to my very beloved universe, and it was...good. The new tribes are breathtaking, the OST of this game is amazing!!!, and all the moments with Erend are precious, but I didn't like the overall story and the direction it's going for the third game. First game had a much stronger writing in my opinion. OST and gameplay however, had been masterfully upgraded to a next level. The poseidon level is a highlight which deserves it's own savefile so you can replay that bit.

I'm so glad Erend is in the sequel, but they did him dirty( Best husband deserved much better

Risk of Rain 2 (2019)

A great game I should spend more time in.

Devil May Cry 5 (2019)

Last year I have fallen into the DMC dumpster fire and I haven't been able to get out ever since. I'm not very good at the game, but I love it. Someday I will get to best doggo Cerberus stage in the Bloody Palace.

[baddiedaddy7]

𝗣𝗹𝘂𝘁𝗼 𝗜𝗻 𝗛𝗼𝘂𝘀𝗲𝘀🥀🖤

𝗣𝗹𝘂𝘁𝗼 𝗜𝗻 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗙𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝗛𝗼𝘂𝘀𝗲😎

strong presence. can be charismatic. minds their own business lmao. their mysteriousness makes them sexy. might be pale. observant. can come off as cold or moody. might get tattoos and piercings. might like to “redesign” themselves every now and then. has good intuition. can be too secretive. doesn’t trust easily. can come off sinister. likes it rough. since first rules the head they might be into hair pulling.

celebrities:Beyoncé,Keanu Reeves,Britney Spears,Ryan Reynolds

𝗣𝗹𝘂𝘁𝗼 𝗜𝗻 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗱 𝗛𝗼𝘂𝘀𝗲🤑

probably great with money. ambitious. practical. can be stingy. hard headed. might be motivated by 💵 lol. good at making plans. try not to indulge excessively. likes sensual and strong scents. dark colored perfumes. sensual ppl in general. might have a thing for ppl with a “dark” style. likes someone they can’t easily read. desires oral sex, and hickeys.

celebrities:Cher,Heidi Klum,Harry Styles,Robert De Niro

𝗣𝗹𝘂𝘁𝗼 𝗜𝗻 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝗿𝗱 𝗛𝗼𝘂𝘀𝗲🗣

charming in speech. might be a fan of murder mystery’s. likes to talk abt sex related things a lot. can be manipulative w/words. might have a deep or “sexy” voice. might’ve fought a lot/been bullied a lot in school. witty. over protective when it comes to siblings. the sibling that has mood swings lol. might even have jealousy issues with their siblings. siblings probably have scorpio in personal placements or a prominent pluto in their chart. doesn’t trust ppl easily. might have a knack for psychology. dirty talk, and sweet nothings gets these individuals aroused. anything that deals with hands are also a turn on. might not like sessions to be long, and into nudes lol.

celebrities:Céline Dion,Bella Hadid,Drake,Michael Jordan

𝗣𝗹𝘂𝘁𝗼 𝗜𝗻 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗙𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘁𝗵 𝗛𝗼𝘂𝘀𝗲❤️‍🩹

honest. strong-willed. mature, esp emotionally. loyal, and most likely reliable. can be jealous of family members, or just clash with them. mother might keep big secrets away or be abusive. mother might’ve been overly attached or obsessed with you. these ppl might’ve been an unexpected pregnancy. probably quiet and mysterious as a child, kept to themselves. the kid that probably just sat by themselves during recess/could’ve been a loner. moms death can take a great toll on you. parents might’ve been controlling but wanted the best for you. trauma stems from childhood. could’ve went through sexual abuse. mother that’s probably passionate, and can be caring. she might also have a lot of pluto/scorpio energy in her chart. these ppl might be hard to get to know. pragmatic. shouldn’t do one night stands, they might get too attached, so they’re most likely to sleep w/someone they have an intense connection with. touch boobies lmao. might like positions where you stare into eachothers eyes, and have access to hugging lol.

celebrities:Sandra Bullock,Selena Gomez,Kanye West,Ben Affleck

𝗣𝗹𝘂𝘁𝗼 𝗜𝗻 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗙𝗶𝗳𝘁𝗵 𝗛𝗼𝘂𝘀𝗲☀️

can be romantic, yet intense. probably spiritual. might like rock n roll music, or music that talks abt dark subjects like death, drugs, etc. enjoys horror movies, conspiracy theories, and true crime stuff. probably into witchcraft tbh, also probably really likes astrology. your flings might end up becoming very serious or intense. children, esp the first child might be a scorpio or have a lot of scorpio/pluto influence. try to avoid being judgmental. might also be childish. children may be intimidated by you at first, but get too attached later on. sex will be full of passion. positions like the anvil, or doggy, any deep penetration positions might work best for you.

celebrities:Mariah Carey,Lady Gaga,Gordon Ramsey,Will Smith

𝗣𝗹𝘂𝘁𝗼 𝗜𝗻 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝗶𝘅𝘁𝗵 𝗛𝗼𝘂𝘀𝗲🫐

can be open minded. might be obsessed with health, and get freaked out over the littlest things. cats would make a great pet for these placements. they also might own unusual pets like spiders, reptiles, etc. workaholic. might have health issues with genitals, so be careful. might have surgery done on genitals at some point. might crave being in control. probably wants to be their own boss. always trying to improve or reinvent themselves. you probably have sex, or masturbate every day. might have sexual relations with co-workers. the shower or bath might be a good setting for sex to these ppl. might like anal lol.

celebrities:Shakira,Demi Moore,Snoop Dogg,Michael Jackson

𝗣𝗹𝘂𝘁𝗼 𝗜𝗻 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗵 𝗛𝗼𝘂𝘀𝗲🤍

loving. extremely passionate. can be empathetic. might attract scorpio/pluto placements a lot. lovers may be overzealous, overprotective, and/or envious or you might be this way. relationships can be life changing. can be low key aggressive. love, and being vulnerable can terrify these ppl. might keep their personal relationships private. selfless in the bedroom. all abt pleasing their partner. might be into spanking, or butt rubs lmao. face to face positions are a turn on for these folks too.

celebrities:Rihanna,Kourtney Kardashian,Barack Obama,Orlando Bloom

𝗣𝗹𝘂𝘁𝗼 𝗜𝗻 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗘𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝗵 𝗛𝗼𝘂𝘀𝗲🪐

the ultimate lol. great intuition, has a knack for conspiracy theories, psychology, astrology, and probably taboo things. likes getting in trouble😈. sensual, and has major sexual appeal. people smart. thinks about sex, mortality, the unknown, and just general dark themes a lot. either fears or embraces death, maybe both. ambitious, and usually actually lives for a long time. experience makes these ppl wise. goes through a lot of transformations in life. understanding. a lot of ppl envy ppl of this placement, mostly bc of their sex appeal/attractiveness. powerful in some way lol. likes that moneyyy. can be possessive, either with possessions or ppl or both lol. sex can be life changing and intense. into or open to bondage, d/s, rough sex, etc but might like it romantic, erotic and sensual too.has an amazing sex drive.

celebrities:Princess Diana,Brigitte Bardot,Marlon Brando,Bruce Lee

𝗣𝗹𝘂𝘁𝗼 𝗜𝗻 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗡𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗵 𝗛𝗼𝘂𝘀𝗲🌺

full of curiosity. analyzes. deep rooted. might be emotionally invested when it comes to the beliefs/beliefs may take over their life lol. when in college, might major in psychology, solving, investigating, etc. justice is important to these individuals. judgement also, and self obsessed. likes big butts w/a side of thighs. sex is fun to these ppl, and they’re probably up to trying new things. lube is your friend. probably has a big penis/fat cat lmao.

celebrities:Nicki Minaj,Winona Ryder,Robin Williams,Frank Sinatra

𝗣𝗹𝘂𝘁𝗼 𝗜𝗻 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗧𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗵 𝗛𝗼𝘂𝘀𝗲🥂

charming, and creative. might come off as standoffish or just disrespectful lol. private reputation, and keeps things in the dark. might be known for being inappropriate. controversial reputation. known for being passionate among peers. may be feared by some lol. can manipulate their way to the top. i can see someone with this screwing their boss/authority lol. into domination and bdsm. leash and whips.

celebrities:Bjork,Taylor Swift,Prince,Eminem

𝗣𝗹𝘂𝘁𝗼 𝗜𝗻 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗘𝗹𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗵 𝗛𝗼𝘂𝘀𝗲👩‍🎤

friendship is a priority. friends are really enemies so watch out. friends might have scorpio/pluto energy in chart. kind. probably a good listener. the mysterious or quiet friend. you might not like when your friends bring around other ppl lmao. you don’t give your trust away easily, and prefer a small circle of friends. can be dismissive. might lose virginity to friends tbh or have sex w/their friends. experimental. group sex maybe. might get piercings on genitals

celebrities:Scarlett Johansson,Kylie Jenner,Chris Evans, Albert Einstein

𝗣𝗹𝘂𝘁𝗼 𝗜𝗻 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗧𝘄𝗲𝗹𝗳𝘁𝗵 𝗛𝗼𝘂𝘀𝗲🧜‍♀️

selfless. intuitive. past life was full of intensity. might’ve had a public death in the past life. past life could’ve been filled with crime. these individuals can be distracted and very sensitive. wild imagination. dreams can seem so real, and dark. dreams might predict things. may take secrets to the grave. gotta have a strong and emotional connection to want to have sex. won’t sleep with just anyone, unless they need to cope with something. might try to please too much during sex but you should focus on your wants and needs too. foot play is also big here.

celebrities:Marilyn Monroe,Madonna,Steve Jobs,Tom Hanks

[boldlyvoid]

Cowboy Like Me | Chapter One: Tennis Court

Summary: Aaron Hotchner ends up in Georgia when he goes into witness protection with his son. Staying in the guest house behind a bed and breakfast in a town no one has ever heard of, run by the most beautiful woman he's ever seen.

Chapter Warnings: character backstories, narrative pov, weddings, town gossip, canon hotch trauma + mentions of past parental abuse

Word count: 4.1k

Masterlist

Our story starts in the middle, not only does it save me time as the narrator, but it also helps you guys avoid 2 months of eye-rolling-ly obvious idiots in love. But to catch you up, she ignored him, he was overly sweet, her father meddled and Jack, Aaron's son, loved to help.

With his rubber boots on, he followed Edison through the mud towards the broken gate at the back of the field, they had planned on fixing it that afternoon when he got off the school bus, but then Jack didn’t end up going.

You see, Jack hasn’t had the easiest time adjusting to the new life they were living. The kids at school didn’t like his new name, he felt like an outsider showing up 2 months into the school year, not knowing what was going on in his classes by day and at night he kept having recovered memories about the last time he was in witsec.

It was breaking Aaron's heart to watch, but the Y/L/Ns knew how to fix any and all forms of sad people.

Be it Grandpa Ed’s big bear hugs and long understanding chats, or the late-night painting sessions with Y/N when he couldn’t sleep (or woke up crying like he did last night), they both helped him tremendously. So that morning, Aaron watched Jack get all ready to follow Ed out to the farm and have a day with someone with who he connected to truly make himself feel better.

Aaron, on the other hand, got ready for the Ladies Luncheon that day. Wearing his best jeans and nicest plaid shirt, he smiled as soon as he walked into the kitchen. The smell of fresh croissants wafted his way before the chaotic sounds of dishes being done directed his attention to where he was needed.

“I got it,” he took over from Anne, her official title was Sous Chef but that translated to everything the Head Chef couldn’t do right that second.

“Thanks, Daren,” she used his new fake name, the only one she’s ever known for him.

“Oh thank God,” Y/N came bursting through the saloon doors, “I can’t deal with the Mayor and her friends alone today, the wedding is this weekend.”

“Oh shit,” Aaron remembers as well. “Let me finish set of dishes and I’ll be right out.”

“Thank you,” she sighs, rushing back out the door and into the main room.

“Oooo,” Gus, the head chef teases with his southern, “she’s bein’ nice to you today?”

“She is,” he can’t wipe the smile off his face. “We’ve come to an agreement, I just have to figure out how to tell my son…”

“About?” Gus pesters.

“We planned to only stay here till I got back on my feet,” he sticks to their cover. “But I think it’ll be better for all of us if we stayed here, and that’s all she wanted.”

“I knew it,” Anne points at Gus, “you owe me today's tips.”

“Not fair!” He chimes back. “Today's the Luncheon, they’re all loaded you can’t have them all today!”

“You were betting on us?” Aaron can’t believe it. This is something Emily and Derek would do back home, making him miss them more than he usually does.

He kinda just melts away into his thoughts after that, wondering how they’re all doing and wishing he could check-in. They just missed Hank’s first birthday, Henry turned 10, Emily turned 50 and Spencer 38… he missed Penelope’s antics and Luke trying to always make her smile. Tara’s comeback and Daves sarcasm. It wasn’t fair, but his life never was.

He goes from sombre to autopilot as the ladies arrive. Taking each of their coats and helping them to their seats. Y/N takes their orders and leaves Aaron to talk with them all.

Three ladies in total.

Rebekah is the Mayor, in her early 60’s still living on her first dead husband's money and letting her daughter burn through everything else. Loretta is another wealthy lady in town, she joins each week for the gossip but claims she's representing the HOA. While Henrietta is very open about the fact she’s just there to bitch about the week with the two ladies who can do something about it for her.

“From Farm to table, and the farms only about 10 feet from the table so you know it’s good,” Aaron teases as he places another two plates down at the table, making the ladies laugh like he did every Thursday.

“Thank you, hon,” Henrietta places her hand on his arm, looking up at him sweetly, “could you do me a favour?”

“Anything.”

“Would you mind askin’ Y/N if she needs any extra help for the weddin' this weekend? Elizabeth is my granddaughter, and ya see she didn’t want me helpin’ with the plannin’ cause she thinks I’m too pushy, well, I still want to help set up if I can, and I’d take any job you have as long as I can help for my little girls big day,” she lays on the sweetness to get her way.

“I can ask, I’m sure if you just show up around back any time I can find something for you to do?” Aaron offers, “I’m setting up the tent with the boys later tonight, if you’d like to help set out chairs and tables, you’re more than welcome to join.”

“Oh bless you,” she takes his hand with both of hers, shaking it with gratitude as she smiles up at him. “I’ll see you later then.”

“Is there anything else you ladies need before I head back to the kitchen?” He’s as kind as possible, knowing they tip Y/N extra well when he’s there.

“No, we’re okay,” they all manage to say at the same time, laughing right after and carrying on with the conversation, giving him a chance to slip away without anyone else asking him for things.

He slips into the kitchen to find Gus and Anne working away for the dinner shift, but Y/N’s nowhere to be seen. So he keeps walking, he heads out the back door and looks out at the fields where he knows he’ll find her. With a cup of tea in hand, she stands there in her big sweater and watches the world go by from her spot on the hill. Peaceful, content, beautiful.

“Hey,” he walks up to her cautiously, “Henrietta wants to come help set up for the wedding this weekend.”

“Of course she does,” she sighs. “Betty called me and said she’d probably ask.”

“Apparently Betty told her she’s pushy and wouldn’t let her help with the planning,” Aaron gossips, it was astounding how being in a small town brought that out of him.

She nods, “yep. But it’s also because Henrietta doesn’t like James, ever since he disappeared that one summer with Augusta… she doesn’t trust him. I wouldn’t either, but betty’s a strong woman, I know she wouldn’t let him get away with that again.”

“Oh shit,” Aaron didn’t know all that. “When did that happen?”

“When they were in high school, they had a very dramatic graduating class,” she laughs. “My group of friends didn’t go crazy till later on after we graduated.”

“Why do I feel like you know every secret in this town?”

“Well, when you own the only place in town that offers alcohol all day long, people tell you things,” she laughs it off, “but yeah, I know some things that could ruin this town.”

“How do you manage to keep all these secrets?” He whispers. “Like me… how are you able to call me Aaron in private and keep up the lie when I’m at work?”

“Daren isn’t that far off,” she smiles up at him. “And secret-keeping is easy if you have nothing to get out of them. They’re like ammunition in this town and I have no one to take out.”

“You’d be good in politics,” he teases.

She lays her hand on his arm as she laughs, leaning into his space and lightening right up to him. She used to be so closed off he never imagined they’d get here, it only took 2 months, but the wait was worth it.

From the moment he met her, he knew she was special. He showed up at her house at 4 in the morning with a scared 11-year-old and she knew exactly what to do. She had Jack's room all ready the next day with everything he needed for the school year, colouring supplied because Aaron said he loves to draw and open arms when he wanted support from someone other than his father.

For the first few days Jack barely looked at him, he was completely silent and it worried Aaron, but not Y/N.

He was in the barn, preparing the bottles for the goats when she walked up and startled him. “Sorry- I just need to ask something?”

He had a hand on his chest, heart beating hard inside as he caught his breath, “the barns so quiet, it’s not your fault. What’s up?”

“I’m hosting a painting party later tonight for the ladies, I was wondering if it’s okay if Jack joins? We’re following a Bob Ross episode, I think he’ll like it,” she adds with a smile.

“Sure,” Aaron smiles, “as long as you can get him out of his room, I’m fine with it.”

She lightly laughs, “he’ll be okay, you know that, right?”

He sighs, “I’m really hoping so.”

“I was his age when my mom died, my whole world changed at 11 too, it sucked for a while but as soon as I found my thing, everything got better,” she tries to cheer him up.

“You’re too nice,” he smiles at her.

She backs up then, smiling awkwardly back at him, “uh, yeah, that’s all wanted to ask. Thank you, I’ll bring him home around 9.”

“okay—“

That was just the beginning of her running away from him.

Like a mouse in the barn hiding from one of the cats, he knew that eventually one of them would give in to the other, it just took forever. He laid on the sweetness from there, complimenting her in the mornings, staying late to help her with the deliveries, organizing the shop for her so she could see the floor for the first time in years… he did everything in his power just to get her to talk to him, to possibly crack the shell she grew around her heart to keep it safe.

It finally worked.

“Are you excited for this weekend?” He asks, “I haven’t seen you put on a wedding here yet.”

“Excited, no,” she laughs, hand sliding down his arm and taking his hand in hers instead as she leads them back to the Inn. “Stressed out is better, these things can go wrong so quickly.”

“You’re holding my hand,” he bumps her shoulder as he tries to hold in a smile.

“It’s slippery out here,” she lies, nudging him back. “Wouldn’t want you to fall and break a hip, old fart.”

“You’re too darn cute,” he says just quiet enough for her to scoff at him.

“Your crush on me is what’s cute, I could hit you with a car and you’d be like wow she’s hot,” she teases him again.

The more she tried to bug him, the harder he fell for her. It’s been the case all along, when she couldn’t avoid him, she took the 8-year-old boy tactic of bullying him slightly. It was amusing to him, which just made her angrier.

“Stop being cute and I won’t act like this,” he combats as they approach the kitchen once more. “After you, boss lady.”

“Thank you, Daren,” she uses his fake name when they’re around people, it’s just close enough to his own name that his ears could get used to the change and it didn’t stand out. And he liked it.

Being Daren Colt the farmhand was like being back in high school, acting in the play and trying to get the pretty girl to talk to him. Sometimes life came full circle, sometimes old lessons have a way of becoming relevant in life again, and this time he decided he was going to do it right.

He was done being the adventurous hotshot FBI agent, willing to do whatever it took to help people… he’s helped so many people to try and make himself feel better but in the end, he's ended up hurting those closest to him.

Like Jess, she’s not in Georgia but she’s also in witsec, he can’t talk to her but he doesn’t imagine she wants to talk to him ever again. Not after being uprooted and sent away with her sick elderly father, sure it would save her life, but it would so fucking inconvenient that he’d hate himself for it too.

Jack, on the other hand, was coming around to it. He found a group of friends at his new school that he fits in with, he paints with Y/N on Sunday mornings and helps her with the breakfast shift after, he has responsibilities and he likes being with his dad almost all day every day. In a strange way, they both see this turn of events as a blessing.

Aarons falling in love with the woman Jack’s starting to love like a mother, he depends on Y/N in ways Aaron can’t compare with. She’s soft, she understands the pain of losing a mother and in turn losing a part of herself, she knows how it feels to hold in the emotions and what it does to someone who holds it for too long. Through art, they’ve processed their feelings, and from what Jack’s allowed Aaron to see, he’s doing just fine.

They both were.

—

She takes a deep breath when she hears Betty finally say “I do,” leaning in to kiss her new husband as the room erupts in cheers and the earth trembles as they jump to their feet.

It’s finally over.

She didn’t need to worry about anything else, the dinner was a potluck, the alcohol was on standby, the dance floor was waiting and she couldn’t wait to just sit down.

3 days of hard work paid off when she saw the girl she used to babysit walk down the aisle with the love of her life. She made it through the family drama, the guest issues, her grandmother… but it all worked out. James was a good man, he’s grown a lot, no matter what the gossip currently was.

Everyone complimented her on a lovely venue, asking how she managed to make every wedding so spectacular and personal at the same time, and it was simple. She listened. She took into account the people and their essence and made the day reflect the love they share. Today represented the start of forever, with one simple kiss they sparked the beginning of a new story that was to be passed along through generations as long as her lineage stayed in Evermory.

She sat down with a glass of wine and watched the toasts, the drunken stories about how their love came to be from everyone that witnessed it. The will they won’t they story that rocked the whole town that fateful summer. The funniest part was seeing August and Betty laughing it off together, with August even being one of her bridesmaids.

Everyone in town was there, in person and in spirit.

She knows her mom would have loved this, after all, this was always her dream. She knew the property had promise, she had drawings and concepts of a bed and breakfast all throughout Y/N’s childhood, if she focused hard enough she could even still hear her mother's sweet voice explaining it all to her.

Knowing she’d love the life Y/N lived made her more content than anything else could. Which was something she also had to remind herself of every time an old lady asked her when she’d be the one walking down the aisle.

“That Daren who works for you is mighty handsome,” Henrietta nudges her with her elbow, looking at her like she knows things Y/N hasn’t even admitted aloud yet.

“That he is,” she doesn’t disagree. “But I’m happy single, you should know that by now, I’m not the marrying type.”

“Oh come on,” she’s not having it at all. “I remember when you were little, your mama brought you to the luncheon and you somehow got into the linen closet and came out in a homemade weddin’ dress claiming you’d be gettin’ married as soon as you could. Where’s that little girl?”

“The love of her life died,” she snaps back, tired of being nice. “It’s not something I can just bounce back from, no matter how much time passes, you should know what that feels like.”

“I’m sorry,” she takes her hand and softly rubs it. Her wrinkled hand is velvety smooth as she stares up at her knowingly. “You’re so young sometimes I forget you’ve experienced so much heartbreak.”

“I’ll tell you this,” she smiles instead of dwelling on the past, “I think Daren is trying to court me, he’s just as cautious as I am he’s just a little more open with his attraction.”

“I knew it!” She squeezes her hand, “oh you two are so cute together.”

“Thanks,” she can’t help but get bashful. “If you don’t mind, I’m going to go find him, he shouldn’t be working when we have a party to put on.”

“Yes, go on,” Henrietta cheers her on as she watches her leave.

She leaves the tent, past the garden and towards the barn. She holds her dress up from the mud, letting her cowboy boots take the mess they were made for. “Daren?” She calls, “are you out here?”

No response. She continues on past the gates, hearing the jingle of a cowbell as her main milking cow trots around to see her. She comes right up to her, getting a nice scratch on the head before nuzzling her arm. “Hey there miss marble, have you seen Daren?”

“Who’s askin’?” He teases as he follows around the same corner, “oh, it’s my favourite person.”

“Hi,” she lights right up. “Why aren’t you at the party?”

“Do you want me there?”

She nods, “of course.”

“Give me 10 minutes to get ready and I’ll join you,” he wipes his hands n his overalls. “Here, let me help you get out of here,” he reaches for the hem of her dress and holds it up from the mud, “after you.”

“Why thank you,” she begins to walk out, it felt nice to let him be so generous. Instead of pushing him away, she welcomed his kindness, it was a nice change.

“You look beautiful by the way, I’m not sure if I’ve told you yet today,” he adds, following her with a big smile on his face.

“You have, but thank you,” she feels the heat rising in her cheeks as she tries to hold in a smile. “I’ve never really seen you all dressed up before, you know.”

“You’ll see it again on Monday night,” he teases as he drops the train of her dress now that they’re out of the mudded area.

“I’m actually pretty excited,” she turns to him with a smile, “I’m still sorry it took so long for me to just talk to you and get over myself.”

“It’s more than okay,” brushes it off. “You had every right to be skeptical.”

They stopped at the guest house, “well, I guess I’ll see you out there?”

“You will,” he nods, gently laying his hand on her shoulder as he passes her and heads into the house.

He didn’t linger, she wished he did because the next time she saw him was hours later.

—

He’s sat at the bar, beer in hand as he watches the bride and groom dance around the empty dance floor. He doesn’t know them well, he only knows them through Y/N’s stories from high school. Her graduating class was a wild one, with cheating and parties, rich people, murders and a now-famous actress.

Jack's dancing with the kids around his age, the older crowd has gone home and it’s just a few stragglers left on the old tennis court turned wedding venue. It was astounding how 1 white tent was able to change the whole scenery that he’s come to know and love so much.

From the corner of his eye, he catches Y/N in the yard waving off the mayor and her daughter as they head out for the night. It’s his chance to steal her away next and so he takes it.

Walking right out to her, “come dance with me?”

She laughs, “oh I don’t know about that, it seems pretty dangerous for me to dance with you.”

“Why’s that?” He takes her hand in his, leading her to the side gate where the music still reaches but they can be alone.

“We still haven’t had a date,” she reminds him as she follows. “I thought you’d be more old-time-y and romantic than this.”

“Dancing in the dark surrounded by roses, that’s pretty romantic,” he laughs as he pulls her in close, hand on her waist and the other lifted in position.

She follows her lead automatically, with a wild smile and glossy eyes. “You are something else, Aaron.”

She scoffed but he knows it’s from a place of love. It’s one he’s heard before, from 2 different voices that loved him before her. It was something he used to identify when he had his hooks in someone. When they rolled their eyes, looked away real quick and cleared their throat before turning back to him, that’s when he knew he had them.

“Can I ask you something?” He swiftly changes the topic, lost in her eyes and the thought of her liking him, he knew almost nothing about her.

She nods, “shoot.”

“Why did you decide to turn your childhood home into a bed and breakfast?”

She sighed, “well, my mom had some money and when she got sick she put it all in my name and told me when I turned 18 I could access it and live my life to the fullest and make her proud… I remember how much she loved having the ladies over for lunch on Thursday, all the moms in town took me in after she passed and made sure I was taken care of from a feminine side of things,” she got into the nitty-gritty details with him like it was nothing new.

Only Aaron has no idea she’s never told anyone this.

“So I went to school to study hospitality for a few years, I asked the mayor for a personal loan that would in return boost the local economy and I created a space where I can take care of the town that raised me,” she lets go of his hand to wipe a tear.

Instead of taking his hand again, she pulls him in tighter, with her arms around him in a tight bear hug she rests her cheek on his chest, “that’s a fact just for you, don’t tell anyone I said that.”

“Keeping a secret for you is the least I can do—

“You’re a poet,” she manages to laugh with a sniffle.

He laughs too, “what was her name?”

“My mom?” She clarifies, waiting for his hum to know she’s on the right track. “Marjorie… what’s yours?”

“Her name was Candace,” he’s solemn. “she was an interesting woman.”

“Your dad?”

He shakes his head, “rather not.”

“sorry…”

“Don’t, it’s okay, really. I just don’t want to taint these memories,” he presses his lips together awkwardly. “My father was a terrible man, nothing like your father, it’s no wonder Jack’s so drawn to him.”

“He’s the best,” she agrees. “I’m glad he got your case.”

“Me too,” he can’t believe his ears.

“Also,” she hesitates, “I never really thanked you when I did all my apologizing.”

“For what?”

“Making me laugh so much,” she’s brutally honest. “I don’t have many good friends, I may know everyone in town but I’ve never had someone like you in my life.”

“That’s a damn shame,” he lowers his voice as he looks deep into her eyes. Hands trail from her hips, over her arms as they erupt in goosebumps and finally, one hand cups her cheek. His thumb caresses her cheek as she leans into it, “but then again, I’m glad that you’re all mine now.”

“Nuh-uh,” she shakes her head playfully, “not so fast. You still have more wooing to do.”

“I’ve got some tricks up my sleeve,” he teases her back.

“We’ll see about that, cowboy.”

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[earnestly-endlessly]

I love your fic recs! Do you have any with Protective!Erik?

Protective! Erik is one of my favourite tropes so I have a TON of fics to share with you. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do.

Protective! Erik fic recs

Erik Lehnsherr's Guide to Saving the Universe By Meeting Your Soul-Mate and Falling in Love in Less than 72 Hours – madneto, Pangea

Summary: Army Pilot Erik Lehnsherr is just trying to enjoy his day off when a mostly naked person crashes through the roof of his car. Even more alarming, the strange falling naked person—who goes by Charles Xavier when he's not speaking an ancient dead language—brings tidings of the apparent potential end of the world, and begs Erik to help him put a stop to it.

Well. His mother has been nagging at him to go out and meet new people.

In Sound and Silence – endingthemes

Summary: Erik is assigned to care for the special patient in room 301.

How Not To Meet Your Future Boyfriend – ikeracity

Summary: Erik punches Charles in the face the first time they meet. There isn't anywhere their relationship can go from there but up.

Forgotten – FuryRed

Summary: Charles is having a really bad day. Not only has he woken up in the middle of the afternoon with no idea where he is or how he got there, but when he returns home he’s confronted by a stranger with intense eyes, who insists that he knows Charles rather more intimately than Charles remembers…

Thou Shalt Not Eat Stones – valancysnaith

Summary: Two months after Washington, Raven found Erik in a skeevy motel off the Florida interstate.

“They have Charles, Erik,” she said.

The bedframe shrieked. In the bathroom, the showerhead snapped in half and clattered into the tub.

Demoted – JayPendragon

Summary: Erik Lehnsherr is a detective-specialist with the NYPD Mutant Tactical Unit, ready to help out where his skills are needed. Or he would be, if he and his partner hadn’t been demoted. For the next four months, he is patrolling the Lenox Hill precinct with Azazel – if he doesn’t die of boredom first. One night they are called in to investigate a potential case of domestic violence, yet the tenant assures them he is both alone and unharmed. However, there is something about this Charles Xavier that compels Erik to follow up.

Warning: Sensitive material, domestic abuse and dubious consent

Watch Your Back – swoopswoop

Summary: Bodyguard AU where Erik is overly protective and things aren't as simple as they seem.

If We Met Differently – swoopswoop

Summary: Erik wasn't the only mutant 'taken in' by Shaw, Erik learns this the hard way when a new mutant is dropped into his cell. They manage to escape together, but things aren't all roses after that. Erik has a score to settle and needs to make sure Charles is safe.

The Color of Love (Character Swap Remix) – BadLuckBlueEyes

Summary: Nobody sees in color until they meet their soulmates. When your soulmate dies, your vision returns to black and white. What happens when your soulmate only dies for a few minutes?

Omega Online – miss_aphelion

Summary: Newly imprinted Charles is having trouble dealing with his overly protective alpha—so in desperation he seeks advice in an omega chat room. Emma Frost is more than happy to help, Raven isn't helping at all, and Erik can't stand to be out of touch with Charles for more than five minutes at a time.

Cannot be Contained in Words – wallhaditcoming (uvcatastrophe) 

Summary: Crime syndicate head Erik Lehnsherr travels to London on business, where he meets oxford student Charles Xavier. Their liaison spawns into a years long transatlantic affair, kept apart by Erik's work and Charles' studies,which Erik chronicles in photographs. When distance ceases to be an issue after four long years, the overlap between Charles' past and Erik's work create a whole new set of complications.

A Pertinent Reminder – ikeracity, Pangea

Summary: Sometimes it's easy to forget that getting involved in Erik's mob business isn't all fine dining and sex on yachts. There's nothing like taking a couple of bullets to remind Charles of the reality.

Part 3 of the Associates series

A Dangerous Game – ikeracity, pangea

Summary: When a familiar enemy of Erik's returns to the city for some old-fashioned revenge, Charles is sucked deeper into the world of the mob than ever before.

Part 6 of the Associates series

You don’t choose the thug life (except when you do) – Anonymous

Summary: Charles is kidnapped and discovers that Erik, the Alpha he has been dating for the past few months and is head-over-heels for, is not just a wealthy businessman but actually the head of a syndicate.

He is rather unhappy about this discovery and Erik gets an earful for lying to him. Then Charles is kidnapped again and really, he hopes mating Erik won't result in weekly kidnapping because he has a thesis to finish and papers to grade.

Marrying a Mob – Ook

Summary: Charles is a teacher at a very exclusive school. When armed men burst in on the trail of two children, of course he stands up to them and gets hurt. The children are Erik Lehnsherr's children (of course); a "prominent businessman" or, less politely, "mobster".

Erik is grateful to Charles for saving his children's lives at the cost of his kneecap. So very grateful.

Naturally he tries to reward Charles for his actions. Equally naturally, Charles will be having none of that.

Azazel finds the whole thing unspeakably hilarious. Naturally.

Rumor Has It – blueink3

Summary: "Did I hear the doorbell earlier?"

"Yeah, but I'd steer clear if I were you. It seemed a little tense. I don't know what's going on, but there's a kid out there who looks freakily like the prof."

Nearly six months after Cuba, Charles' life is turned upside down for the second time. Though he's slowly learning to adapt to the first, he's not sure he can handle the second. Luckily for him, there are a few people out there more than willing to help.

Forward Momentum – AsYouWish

Summary: Six months after Cuba, Charles and Erik find themselves thrown fifty years into the future, where they meet their older selves, the Avengers, and a world that's very different from their own. Faced with the pieces of their broken relationship, an unparalleled adversary, and dealing with Tony Stark on a daily basis, Charles and Erik do their best to adapt while trying to find a way back home -- and to each other.

Runs in the Family – Anonysquirrel (chibirisuchan)

Summary: Alex knew his own reputation. Hell, he'd started some of his own reputation, because it kept some of the smarter thugs off his back. Everyone knew Alex's reputation. There was no way Hank didn't know his reputation, but he'd brought Alex into a house with some really expensive things and a lot of innocent little kids and his too-friendly, too-harmless dad.

But clearly Hank hadn't told his family anything about Alex, just like he hadn't told Alex anything about his family. At least, not about the brain-breaking parts of his family.

"I didn't know where to start," Hank said, for the dozenth time.

Featuring mpreg!Charles in a Kiss The Cook apron, overprotective!Erik in wet black leather, and baked goods. Lots and lots of baked goods.

Round the Corner Waiting – swoopswoop

Summary: When things go so spectacularly wrong during a relationship, Charles - now a single dad - almost makes a big mistake, only to be stopped by a mysterious man who just might turn his life back around.

Hide Your Fires – swoopswoop

Summary: As the sole heir, Prince Charles, had no problem with the roles and responsibility that would come with ruling a kingdom. Though he was the only one who did not see a problem. After years of being shuttled back and forth between kingdoms, his Regent hoping he would find a match more suitable to being King, he is finally sent to Genosha. Though the path has never been less clear than the one to a foreign kingdom with no ties to his native land.

Shaw’s Captive – swoopswoop

Summary: Magneto killed Shaw, it had to be done for the sake of mutant-kind but what he wasn't expecting to find hidden deep with Shaw's complex was a man held captive, obviously tortured, that somehow made Magneto turn into Erik.

Erik now has a potential human in his citadel as he continues the war with the human's.

Mind’s Eye Blind – Sperare 

Summary: As far as Erik is concerned, if you want to scare a person into talking, you have to present him with something more compelling than what he stands to lose...

And there is nothing in the world more compelling than Charles.

Chipped – Rosawyn 

Summary: Magneto's fledgling Brotherhood find Charles Xavier in a mutations research lab as an apparently willing subject for an experimental suppression device.

Okay, I Feel Better Now – Harleydoll

Summary: The AU in which Erik is sent to a mental health facility after being convicted for Shaw's murder and pleads insanity, and Charles is his paranoid schizophrenic of a roommate. Powers, Hellfire conspiracies, protective!Erik, and of course the inevitable angst.

Five Nights in Nuremberg – FuryRed

Summary: When Charles escapes from the mutant prison he has been held in for the last two years he knows that he’s going to need help to avoid being recaptured.

What he doesn’t expect is that help will come in the form of a mysterious German man who rescues Charles and takes him to his home; a handsome stranger who, frustratingly, doesn’t speak a single word of English…

Five Bullet Points – Sperare

Summary: It was supposed to be Erik locked away in a prison one hundred stories below the ground.

Charles was never supposed to be there with him.

Notes: Unfinished but an excellent read. Highly recommend it.

Stolen – ishipitsobad

Summary: Erik is a miserable, grumpy, cantankerous bastard, and he has every fucking right to be. He drew the short end of the stick when he got the Underworld as his domain, and there isn't very much fun to be had in judging and governing dead souls who would rather be anywhere else but with Erik in the depths of Hell.

So when he meets Charles, brilliant and lovely Charles who is more popularly known amongst the mortals as Persephone, and feels the promise of something wonderful that could make his eternally doomed existence infinitely more bearable... you can bet all your drachmas Erik's not going to let Charles go any fucking time soon.

My Barbaric Darling – baehj2915

Summary: Erik is revivified caveman. Charles is the anthropologist(?) taking care of him. This is as ridiculous as it sounds. Romcom misunderstandings and prehistoric wooing ensues.

Swimming with Sharks – Not_You

Summary: Erik used to be a shark. Now he's not, and has to figure out how to be a good human father to his twins. Charles is willing to help.

Eucalyptus leaf of my soul - kageillusionz, ourgirlfriday

Summary: Zookeeper Raven at Taronga Zoo keeps having ideas on how to capitalize on interest in the zoo mascots, Koala Charles and Drop Bear Erik (the only drop bear in captivity!), who have captured the hearts and minds of the public. First it was to introduce prospective mates (It’ll generate attention, Hank. People are perverts. They’d love to see koala porn.). This idea was not effective the first through fifth attempts, as Erik and Charles seemed to show at best polite interest in the newcomer before resuming whatever marsupial debate they had going. However, the resulting lesbian koala orgies did indeed generate interest. Then Raven unveiled the Hug-A-Koala program, which was successful, as the public showed great interest in hugging Charles, and Charles seemed to enjoy being hugged.

Then Raven unveiled the Hug-A-Drop Bear program, and Hank, not for the first time, wished he had a flask handy.

Notes: Yes, they’re Koalas, yes they’re adorable, and yes, Erik is super protective even as a Drop Bear.

[drabbles-mc]

Breaking In

Bishop Losa x F!Reader

Request by @garbinge​: So I did some prompt searching today and found this and thought about maybe a little best friends to lovers trope with Bishop: “look, i know that we rarely agree on things, and i know that you're not happy about how i choose to do things, but you're here, and i love you for it.” anddddd “are you gonna pull the trigger?”

Warnings: language, angst (with a happy ending), Bishop being the stubborn man that he is

Word Count: 1.9k

A/N: I haven’t shown Bishop some love in a while and I really liked these prompts for him. Hope y’all enjoy! xo

Join my group-chat here: (X)

Bishop Losa Taglist: @masterlistforimagines @sincerelyasomebody @sadeyesgf @thesandbeneathmytoes @tomhardydallasstarsgirl @multiyfandomgirl40 @sillygoose6969 @queenbeered @louisianalady @gemini0410 @paintballkid711 @chibsytelford @yourwonkywriter @sesamepancakes @arveeee @mayans-sauce @behindmyeyes-insidemyhead @plentyoffandoms @georgiaaintnopeach @twistnet @themoonandthewicked @bucky-iss-bae @encounterthepast @rosieposie0624 @mylittlelonelyappreciationtoo @mijop @xladymacbethx @holl2712 @lakamaa12 @blessedboo​ @kkim120​ @toni9​ @shadow-of-wonder​ (If you want to be added to my taglist let me know!)

It had been a few days since you and Bishop spoke. The two of you had gotten into a minor blowout. You guys argued on a fairly regular basis, but it was always coming from a well-intentioned place on both ends. You were protective of each other and with the life that he lived, it was stressful to care so much. He wanted to keep you as far away from club business as possible, and you wanted the exact opposite—you couldn’t protect him or yourself if you didn’t know what you were going up against.

When you had called Bishop that day and asked if he was free to grab a drink, just wanting to see and talk to him after the long week that you’d had, he told you not to come by the clubhouse. He let you know that the club had pissed some people off and the clubhouse was a bit of a hot-spot. The information was meant to deter you, but if anything it made you speed over there as quickly as possible to make sure that everyone was alright.

When Bishop heard your car pull onto the lot, he made his way over to it, not even allowing you the chance to make it to the steps of the clubhouse. He tried to get you back into your car, telling you that sometimes you need to just fucking listen to him when he tells you to do things. You weren’t a person who took kindly to being bossed around, not even by Bishop, so things got out of hand pretty quickly after that. And it had been radio silence since.

You were getting out of the shower, ready to pull on your pajamas and climb into bed when you heard your phone buzzing on your bed. You hated that you were hoping to see Bishop’s name on the screen. It wasn’t, though. With a sigh you picked it up and answered.

“Hey, Angel, what’s up?”

“Hey. You with Bish?”

You scoffed, “No, why?”

There was a slight hint of amusement in his voice, “Damn. Alright. Didn’t realize that was a tense question,” he paused, “He left a few hours ago pretty pissed off. Stormed out of his meeting with Taza and Hank. We just…um…know that you two kinda…”

“Kinda what?”

“Don’t get defensive,” he laughed, “He just. You know. He talks to you. Figured you should be the first person to call since he isn’t picking up his fucking phone.”

You sighed, “I haven’t seen him.”

“Alright. If you do—”

“I’ll let you know.”

He tried and failed to bite back a chuckle, “Thanks. Take care of him, yea?”

You rolled your eyes even though he couldn’t see you, “That’s all I’m ever trying to do these days.”

“We love you, y’know.”

“I know,” you laughed, “Bye, Angel.”

“Later, Y/N.”

You tossed the phone back onto your bed as you weighed out your options. It wasn’t like Bishop to blow off the club like that. You had no idea what was going on—he made sure of that the past few weeks, but it must’ve been something rough to make him storm out and shut his phone off. As much as you wanted to keep giving him the cold shoulder, your heart wouldn’t let you.

So that was how you ended up parking in his driveway that night. His bike was in the driveway and even though the house was dark, you knew that he was home and that he was more than likely still very much awake. He was never able to sleep when he was angry, which was half the reason the man was so exhausted all the time.

You were digging around in your purse as you made your way up the driveway. Eons ago Bishop had given you a spare key to his place in case of emergencies. You never really needed it. Whenever you were going to his place it was always because you were invited, so the door was always unlocked. He wasn’t expecting company now though, especially not yours.

Taking a deep breath, you slid the key into the lock. You were rewarded with the clicking sound of the lock opening. Part of you expected him to have changed the locks since he gave you the key so long ago. You were glad that he didn’t because the prospect of trying to open and crawl through a window wasn’t an inviting one. And you knew that if you knocked on the door and tried to get him to let you in, he would just ignore you. You knew because you would do the same thing to him if the roles were reversed.

The door always took some extra effort to push open. Bishop was more than handy and you never understood why he didn’t just fix it. Whatever the reason, you found yourself shouldering the door rather hard to gain entrance to the house. You stumbled in, bracing yourself against the door to keep from falling to the floor when it finally gave way.

“Fuck,” you mumbled under your breath as you straightened yourself out and pushed the door shut, locking it again. As you were going to pull your shoes off, you heard the unmistakable click of a gun. The house was dark and you knew that he probably had no idea that it was you. You chuckled, “Are you gonna pull the trigger?”

You heard him huff as he reached and turned a light on, “What the fuck, Y/N? You’re gonna get yourself shot breaking into places like that.”

You waved the key around, “Not breaking in if I have a fucking key.”

He put the safety back on and set his gun to the side. Exhaustion and frustration was present in every inch of his face. Part of you wanted to hug him, and part of you wanted to smack him because you still weren’t done being mad at him for being an ass to you.

“Why are you here?” he didn’t sound overly annoyed, just tired.

“The guys called me—they’re worried about you,” you walked closer to him, “Figured I should stop by and make sure you didn’t go off on a bender.”

He held his arms out, as if inviting you to inspect him, “Satisfied?”

As much as you wanted to keep being mad, your brain was telling you to reach out to hug him, to caress his face and make the worry lines fade away. You didn’t, though—you couldn’t. Instead, you shrugged, “For now. I’m not leaving, though.”

“Oh?”

“You can’t kick me out of the clubhouse and your house, Obispo,” you walked over and plopped down on the couch.

He sighed, “We’re still arguing about that?”

“We can be done arguing about it if you admit that I’m right.”

He sat down on the couch next to you, “You can’t admit that I had a little bit of a right to be mad?” he shook his head, “I asked you to do one thing and you just—”

“What about me made you think that I would just leave you guys alone if things were getting rough?” you didn’t let him finish his sentence, “I’m willing to break into your fucking house to make sure you’re alright. You think that I wouldn’t make the drive over to the clubhouse to make sure you’re safe?”

“So you do admit it’s breaking and entering?” there was a hint of a smile on his face, and you hated that it made your heart feel a little fuller.

You rolled your eyes, “Not the fucking point.”

His expression sobered, “I know. But you…you do get why I don’t want you involved in all that shit, right?”

“Not really.”

He pressed his lips into a thin line, trying to choose his next words carefully, “I’m not going to be the reason you get fucking shot. If you got hurt because my club got into shit with the wrong people I wouldn’t ever be able to forgive myself.”

“You aren’t responsible for what I do. I make my own fucking decisions. You don’t get to ice me out because you get nervous. You’re my best friend and you don’t get to just decide that I—”

“I can’t do this without you!” he snapped, shaking his head. He took a deep breath, making a conscious effort to quiet his voice, “I can’t lose you. You can get mad at me all you want over that. If you ignoring me for a few days, a week, keeps you alive then by all means fucking do it. If something ever…I can’t…” he couldn’t get his words in order.

You felt your attitude melting away as you watched him fumble to put his feelings into words. You reached out and rested your hand on his arm, “Bish, hey, come on now,” you smiled, “I’m tough. You don’t gotta worry about me.”

“Yes, I do,” despite your attempt to lighten the mood you could still see the heaviness in his eyes, “I’ve watched a million things fall apart in my hands. You can’t be another thing that gets added to that list. And if that means you’re going to hate me from time to time then I’m willing to live with that.”

“I’ve never hated you,” you said with a shake of your head.

He waited for your eyes to meet his, “Look, I know we rarely agree on things. And I know you’re not happy about how I choose to do things,” he covered your hand with his own, “but you’re here, and I love you for it.”

Your eyes widened at his statement, “Wh-what?”

He gave your hand a squeeze, “I love you.”

“Even when I’m kicking in your door?”

He chuckled, nodding, “Especially then.”

Your heart was racing inside your chest—you were almost certain that Bishop could hear it as he sat next to you. This wasn’t where you had been picturing the conversation going. Everything that you’d kept bottled up for years was bubbling to the surface as you smiled over at him, “I love you too.”

“And I’m sorry for yelling at you when you came to the clubhouse,” he sighed, “I just…I was picturing the worst and I didn’t want you caught in the middle of it.”

“You worry too much.”

He chuckled, his gaze meeting yours, “Someone has to.”

You felt like you were supposed to have something profound and meaningful to say. But as you sat there next to him and let him stare deep into your eyes, there wasn’t a single word or phrase that came to mind that could say what you really felt. That being the case, you leaned forward and pressed your lips to his.

There was no hesitation in his movements as he rested his hand on the back of your neck, keeping your lips attached to his. You braced yourself against him as you leaned farther and farther into the kiss. His fingertips pressed lightly into your neck and you wished that you could just melt completely into him.

When you finally pulled away, both of you had satisfied smiles on your faces. You laughed quietly as you reached up, tracing your fingers through his beard, “Do me one favor, Obispo?”

He nodded, “Anything.”

“Fix that fucking door,” you laughed, “Next time I wanna come and see you I don’t want to feel like I’m committing a criminal act.”

He laughed, kissing your temple, “I can do that for you,” he paused, “Thank you for not giving up on me. I know I don’t make it easy.”

You chuckled, “Neither of us make it easy. Keeps us both humble.”

He pulled you into another soft kiss, “I love you.”

You kept your forehead pressed against his, “I love you too.”

[midnightsconspiracy]

Tribute

Tribute - @midnightsconspiracy

Summary: Hanks job keeps him away at your biggest time of need when you’re in labour

Warnings: Child Birth

Word Count: 1366

Requested: No

A/N: I'm releasing new character soon, so watch out for them. But in the meantime, my requests are still open for the old ones and the new ones when they are released.

Masterlist

You knew Hank’s job was important, but not imperative enough that he had to miss the birth of his child. But that was the situation you seemed to be in currently.

Having known your due date was close, Hank had been determined about staying at home with you, wanting to make sure you were ok at all times and that he would be able to take you to the hospital when it was time. But you had insisted that he should go to work, considering you weren’t due for another two weeks, and knowing Hank would have been messaging his team throughout the days getting updates on their cases anyways. Nevertheless, he had taken your advice and continued working, promising that next week he would be off, no matter what you said to him. Still being overly cautious as he attended, he had recruited your best friend to take over the role of babysitter, to make sure nothing would go wrong with you or the baby. And so as he reluctantly left each morning, he felt a little happy you wouldn’t be alone, despite trying to get out of leaving before each shift. However, none of that had mattered later in the day.

Being on bed rest for the remainder of the pregnancy, meant light duty on everything in the house, cooking, cleaning, even going from upstairs to down. Your husband had been like the police officer he was, firmly enforcing the rules at all times, and always lightly telling you off when you pushed those boundaries. Today was no exception, wanting to feel as if you were doing something and not just being lazy, so you decided a small bit of spring cleaning wouldn’t hurt anyone. But as you reached up to place a mug on one of the high shelves, you felt the wetness between your legs, a clear indication that the baby was definitely coming quicker than assumed. Shouting your best friend from the other room, she entered the room nonchalantly, thinking nothing of it, only panicking when she saw the scene before her. Chaperoning you to the car, she drove you to the hospital, giving you encouragement every step of the way, as your breathing got heavier and pain worsened.

Arriving at the hospital you were ushered into a room, quickly being examined, before being told it would be a bit of a wait before the baby would arrive. As the doctors assessed you, you had asked YBF/N to call Hank informing him of what was happening. The doctor had encouraged you to walk around the maternity ward to help the process along, and as you strolled, your friend had reluctantly told you she hadn’t been able to get ahold of him but would try again later as well. But the labour progressed quicker than you thought, as you were already fully diluted only two hours after arriving.

By that point you were seething in pain, the contractions barely minutes apart, raising your voice at your best friend, you demanded to know where your husband was, needing him at that moment. She called him again and again, each time with no luck. And so after five failed attempts, she called the district demanding to know where he was and how long it would take him to get there. Finally getting through to someone who could help her, she shouted down the phone to the poor person on the receiving end.

“I don’t care if that information is for employees only, HIS WIFE IS IN LABOUR! NO, YOU LISTEN TO ME!!"

"WELL TELL HIM HE NEEDS TO BE HERE NOW, HIS CHILD IS ABOUT TO BE BORN!"

"I SWEAR TO GOD LADY IF YOU DON’T GET HIM HERE BEFORE SHE GIVES BIRTH I WILL RAIN HELL ON YOU! Hello?” Turning to you, she informed you that he was stuck in a hostage situation and could not be contacted at that moment in time. Swearing back at her, you were fuming, why couldn’t he just have someone contact him and organise a replacement!? But that anger quickly turned into extreme pain as the doctors informed you it was time to push.

The pain was unbearable, instantly making you regret your decision to have a natural birth, wishing you had some pain relief right now. You pushed and pushed every time you were instructed to, each one causing you to get more exhausted by the minute. Screaming through the pain, you turned to your friend, telling her to get Hank now, not wanting to do this without him beside you.

“WHERE IS HE?” You sobbed, both the pain and absence of your husband, getting to your head.

But after forty- five minutes of pushing, the cries of your baby pierced the room, signalling you that you could finally relax a bit, your best friend beside you, smiling like a madman. The doctor congratulated you, handing you your baby after informing you it was a healthy baby girl. Cradling her in your arms, she cooed, bringing tears to your eyes, instantly erasing the hardship of pregnancy and labour you had experienced. The only thing missing was the father of your child.

Half an hour later, your baby had been cleaned up and handed back to you, as you allowed your friend to hold her, introducing herself as their godmother. Suddenly the door flung opened, spooking both you and your baby at the sudden noise, the intrusion being that of your missing husband. He stopped in his tracks, staring at you and your new baby girl, eye softening at the fact you were both alive and healthy. Taking that as a cue to leave your best friend went, leaving you and Hank to wallow in bliss. Walking slowly towards the bed, he reached out to stroke your cheek, apologising profusely for his absence.

“Sweetheart, I’m so sorry I wasn’t here, they didn’t tell me what was happening, but if they had I would have been here instantly, I’m so so sorry.”

“It doesn’t matter now that you're here.” You assured him, just glad that he was there now with you and your daughter. Nuzzling into him you smiled, wanting to finally introduce him to his second child.

“I think they’re someone you need to meet.” Looking down he stared at his child, in pure bliss about the fact he had become a dad again, gently placing a hand on his babies head, running a thumb over his scalp.

“She looks just like you,” he whispered in absolute awe, tears pricking his eyes, as the mini version of you opened her eyes to stare at her father.

“Do you want to hold her?” Nodding his head, you handed over the baby, watching as he held her gently, scared he would hurt this helpless being. He slowly rocked the baby, talking to them about how special she was and how he would do anything to protect her. Looking back up towards your smiling figure, he returned the same expression, telling you how proud he was of you for doing this, especially by yourself, promising that the next child you had he would be there no matter what.

“Hank, I’ve thought of a name for her.”

“Whatever you want sweetheart,” he assured, knowing that you were entitled to this after a hard enough labour process.

“I think we should call her Camille.” You had been contemplating about the name ever since you had been told it was a girl, thinking that this would be a nice gesture to honour his late wife, not wanting him to lose that part of himself. Tears fell from his eyes in utter shock, not thinking you would want to talk about his late wife let alone name your child after her.

“Really are you sure?” Nodding back in response, you knew this was something you wanted, as a tribute to someone who had been so special to him and given so much to your husband for such a long time. Someone who had made him happy for you before you came around, and who you were sure was watching down on you two as you bathed in the perfection that was Camille Elizabeth Voight.

----------

Taglist: @mileika

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[gpsoftun]

Just when you think you're done writing for the night, the mutant musings pull you back in.

I hate the egregious double standards riddled throughout the FC film series. What do I mean?

-In FC, Charles is an alleged cad for hitting on attractive women while Erik is supposedly 'sensitive' to Raven's feelings and prefers her blue form.

-In dofp and xma, we find out that Erik is not only attracted to conventional looking women but he pretty much has a non-mutant fetish.

-In dofp and xma, Charles is criticized for being protective and 'overly' paternal.

-By the stupid phoenix movie, Hank and Raven make him out to be an uncaring child abuser towards the young mutants.

-In dofp, Charles is called everything but a child of God for sinking into a deep depression and not helping mutants after losing his legs, sister, 'best friend', and his students. Raven could hardly be bothered to give him a smile. He has to pull himself out of that dark place all by himself.

-Erik abandons mutants to hide out in Poland and loses his family once his past catches up with him. He goes on to kill countless people and abduct Charles. Raven can't run to gush and be all understanding towards the moron of magnetism fast enough.

-In dofp, Erik tries to kill Raven.

-In the stupid phoenix movie, Erik wants to kill Jean for killing Raven. Double, double standards because he already lost his daughter and is ready to kill Charles' foster daughter.

-In the stupid phoenix movie, Erik says Charles is always apologizing and making speeches. This mother f--

-In EVERY movie to feature Erik Lehnsherr, he's the one making grandiose speeches. If Charles is talking for an extensive time it's to keep his loved ones from ruining mankind as we know it!

-In the stupid phoenix movie, Raven is all high and mighty about Charles not telling Jean her deadbeat daddy is still alive. When exactly did the blue shrew plan on telling her former banging buddy Erik that he still had a living child, hmmmmmm? Or was Charles supposed to field that one, too?

-In the stupid phoenix movie, Raven's death is supposed to be a big deal and everybody blames Charles.

-In xma, no one cares about Alex's gruesome death Erik aided in for two minutes after it happens. In fact, that egg-sucking SOB gets handed a whole island while Charles is cast into exile.

-In FC, Raven wouldn't shut the flip up about her stupid appearance and how she wanted to be blue all the time.

-By the phoenix movie, this trifling tramp has fan girls, posters, and freakin blue dolls and she stays in her blonde guise to the ludicrous degree of being in it with Hank in private.

Overrated pandemic, Civil War the Sequel, mass hysteria- whichever way the world is rapidly ending, can it PLEASE start at Simon Kinberg's house?! 😤

[corie-the-writer]

Ignite - Chapter 9

Chapter 9 Severide would never mention this to Chloe, but he had been on edge ever since she had left the hospital with her father. He knew that Hank would protect her and their unborn child, but he hated the fact that he was pretty much useless because of being injured. Kelly did not do well feeling vulnerable, and that is exactly what he had felt laying in the hospital bed. Kelly had been thankful that Matt had came in to check on him since he knew that Hank would not allow Chloe to come visit since she was secure in his home. Even though he was starting to miss her, he was thankful that she was safe and protected under Voight's house. Matt had explained that Firehouse 51 had decided to investigate the home that Kelly had gotten injured in. He had pulled a few strings to get the report pushed through the OFI team so they could start the investigation. Matt had accompanied the officials to the house helping with the search. "So did you find anything?" Kelly questioned noticing the file in Matt's hand as he was sitting in the chair. "The fire was started with the oven, a damn dish towel and a bottle of acetone was sitting next to the oven." Matt explained, "When we were in the house there was nothing hanging on the walls, I checked with the crew to see if they had noticed anything." Matt began to explain, "When we went in to investigate, someone decided to hang these up on the wall." Matt stated handing the folder over to Kelly. The firefighter grabbed the folder with his good hand and opened it. Kelly's eyes scanned the first page, noticing the living room wall burnt with several different photos hanging. Kelly furrowed his eyebrows as he looked to the photos. There were various photos of Chloe, some getting to her Jeep, leaving work, on the job, at her apartment. Then there were a line of photos of her and Kelly. There was one of them kissing as they climbed into his car at his apartment, some in extremely intimate moments, and all of the photos of Kelly had his face marked out in a big red X. "Who the hell is doing this..." Kelly growled with annoyance. "We called Intelligence." Matt stated, trying to ease Kelly's mind, "They're working on it as we speak." Kelly tossed the file onto the hospital bed table and slammed his hand down on top of it from being overly frustrated. Kelly found tears building in his eyes at the thought of something happening to Chloe or their child. "Chloe's pregnant." Kelly mumbled to his best friend, quickly wiping his face, "I can't do shit to help keep her safe." Kelly looked to Matt to see the shocked look on his face. "Congratulations." Matt smiled once the news stuck in, "You might not be able to protect her the way you want, but you can help keep her distracted while the cops handle this and get this taken care of." Matt offered, "Chloe will need you there for her now more than ever, not going off the rails." Kelly gave a nod knowing that Matt was correct. If he weren't laying in a hospital bed, he would be running through the streets of Chicago finding the person stalking his girlfriend. . . Kelly had been thankful that Matt had offered to pack some of his clothes for his stay at Hank's home with Chloe, and had been there when he had gotten released from the hospital to take him to Voight's. Matt had told  him that Hank had instructed him to take the scenic route and drive around the block to make sure he was not being followed before pulling into the garage. Kelly was growing extremely impatient since he had wanted to see Chloe. He had adjusted his hoodie and then the brace for his torn shoulder, and was thankful Matt had brought black basketball shorts so the knee brace wasn't too uncomfortable. "This is ridiculous." Kelly looked behind him and out the rear window, "We're not being followed." Kelly added. "Do you really want to take that chance?" Matt questioned, "We're almost done. Then you can stop being so broody." Matt added, going around the block for the last time. . . Chloe had woke up to shower and put on a pair of black yoga shorts and a black tank top, and then cleaned up the bedroom and bathroom for Kelly's arrival. She had been on edge without the man around for the last couple of days and knew that she would relax once she was able to see him. Chloe had gotten the bed ready, knowing that Kelly had wanted to take a nap since he hadn't slept since she had left and had no plans of leaving the bed for the day once he had gotten there. "He's coming in..." Hank spoke loudly for Chloe to hear and she immediately got up from the bed and headed out of the room and into the kitchen to see Kelly hobbling across the backyard sidewalk with Matt carrying his bags. Chloe went to follow her father and held the door open while Hank went to grab the bags from Matt and carried them into the bedroom. Chloe smiled to the man seeing his face instantly relax at the sight of her. He carefully approached her, his one good arm going around her and buried his face into the curve of her neck. "God I missed you." Kelly whispered into her ear. "I missed you too." Chloe replied, then turning to Matt, "Thank you for bringing him."  Chloe spoke kindly. "If I didn't, I'm sure he would have crawled here to get to you." Matt joked causing Kelly to roll his eyes while Chloe laughed, "Careful though, he's been broody all morning." Matt added. "I'll just feed him and put him to bed." Chloe joked causing Kelly to pout. "I'll let you guys get settled." Matt spoke up, "I'll let you know if there is any updates." Matt added and Kelly turned to face him and gave him a nod. "Thanks Matt." . . Chloe had helped Kelly into the bedroom and onto the bed. The detective moved to the bathroom to empty her bladder before heading back to the bed, "Do you want the hoodie off or anything?" Chloe questioned. "No, just wanna lay here with you and sleep." Kelly replied, "Can you turn the fan on though?" Kelly questioned, hating to have to ask her to do something for him. Chloe gave a nod and moved to the front of the bed, turning the fan on and then moved to turn the lights out after she had shut the black out curtains, and then crawled into the bed and pulled the cover over her legs, "Need a pillow under your leg?" Chloe questioned. "No." Kelly yawned, "Can you hand me one so I can put it behind my shoulder?" Kelly questioned. Kelly watched as Chloe reached for the pillow, he grabbed it and carefully laid it behind his injured shoulder and tried to get as comfortable as he could, "C'mere..." Kelly held out his good arm and allowed the woman to curl up against him carefully, "You doing okay?" Kelly questioned. "Yeah, just tired and laying here with you, I just wanna sleep all day." "Well we have nothing else better to do." Kelly joked causing Chloe to chuckle as she started up Lucifer again on Netflix, "What's this?" Kelly questioned looking to the screen. "It's Lucifer. It's a crime show with a hot ass dude who plays Satan." Chloe explained then glanced to Kelly to see him glaring at her playfully, "Those were Kim's words not mine." Chloe added leaning down to kiss his lips, "I was trying to watch it the other day but I ended up falling asleep." Chloe explained starting the tv show and laid her head on Kelly's hoodie covered chest and found herself yawning as he wrapped his arm around her and found herself slowly starting to shut her eyes.

[rjhpandapaws]

I will Always Love You

Ch 2: Wandering Would Suit You Better Than This

Translations:

Hank: Sealgair / Henk

Connor: Curiosity / Conochbar

Warnings: death, description of death

Curiosity was impulsive by nature. He was the patron of it really, but even then, this was unprecedented of him. He was still haunted by how hurt Sealgair had been by how his first life had ended. He wasn’t about to risk that again, so the moment he felt that familiar tug he made his move. With a form to match Sealgair’s this life, he made himself known. He chose to call himself Conochbar to match the language of the place, and planted himself firmly in Sealgair’s new life. Henk was his given name this time. It suited him well. Bold and strong just like Curiosity had known him to be. Experiencing human childhood for the first time was strange, but his family was kind and he got to spend his days with Henk. He was a bright child with a penchant for causing trouble. Curiosity balanced it by becoming a mediator of sorts, slightly more cautious than Henk, but just as full of life.

He waited years for that same wanderlust and boundless curiosity to bloom in Henk. It never really did. The curiosity eventually came, but it certainly wasn’t boundless. Henk wanted to learn everything he could about the nobility system here and chose to become a knight. Curiosity joined him. Somewhere between childhood and their knight’s training they fell in love. That, at least, was everything Curiosity dreamed it would be. “Conochbar,” Henk started, the hum of his voice pulled him back from the edge of sleep. It was their last night of peace before they took up their assignment, “Why did you become a knight?” “What do you mean?” He echoed, this certainly wasn’t a question he expected to be asked. He thought the answer was clear enough. “You aren’t much of a fighter.” Henk continued, “And you’re brilliant. I figured you would choose to become a tactician or an advisor.” “To be crammed in some nobleman’s library until I’m wanted?” He scoffed in response, “Henk, there is a whole world out there, I’m not about to hide away in an ivory tower. Besides,” He said more quietly and traced his finger tips along Henk’s stubbled jawline, “As a knight I get to stay with you. Why would I want to be anywhere else when I have this as an option?”

“You are absolutely hopeless.” Henk had a fond smile as he spoke, “This won’t be like all your books. Knighthood is dangerous.” “I’m well aware Henk,” He tilted his head up to see him better, “I’ll be careful. I always am.” Henk pressed a kiss to his forehead, “That’s all I want.” It didn’t take Henk long to fall asleep after that. Curiosity on the other hand, was now wide awake. Henk was never usually this cautious. Was there something he knew that Curiosity didn’t? Being lent to protect a noble family wasn’t all that uncommon. So why worry now? It wasn’t like this was the first time they’d done something like this. He sighed and closed his eyes. Human bodies were frail, he needed to at least try and rest if he wanted to do well tomorrow. Whatever Henk was worried for, Curiosity would do his best to prevent. They hadn’t had any close calls before now, and he was relatively certain it would stay that way. After all, Henk was an amazing knight and Curiosity was a divine being. They could handle themselves for a two month security assignment.

Curiosity wasn’t used to subtle change. From the places he had watched the world these things had always seemed like such grand sweeping things. Predictable at the very least. But when he wasn’t in a place where he could watch it, he missed all of the subtle signs. He didn’t notice anything was amiss until it was too late for him to stop it. Maybe he had gotten complacent. So used to the ease of it that he missed the rising tensions. Maybe ha had just chosen to ignore all of the small things that built up. Or maybe he simply hadn’t known to look. It didn’t matter now because he and Henk were already caught up in noble ventures gone wrong. They were fighting to just get out of there. “Just run Henk,” He pleaded between blows. He hadn’t seen Henk and didn’t know if he was close enough to hear him over all of the noise, “This fight isn’t worth it.” “If we retreat now then what was the point of even coming here? We made a contract, we have to honor it.” Came his staggered reply, he was behind Curiosity from the sound of it. “We’re knights Conochbar, we can’t just run.”

He rounded on Henk, which in hindsight had been a dumb thing to do, “We’d be alive for one! There’s a whole worl-” He was cut off by a sharp, burning pain in his chest. He looked down and was less surprised than than he probably should have been at the sight of the red tinged sword that was protruding from his chest. When he looked up there were tears and bottomless rage in Henk’s eyes, “It’s okay. I will be alright, just run. Get out of here. Please Henk.” He didn’t listen, instead he doubled down. Curiosity’s human form crumpled to the ground when it was removed. He didn’t have the strength to change forms, to save himself or Henk. He felt weightless and overly heavy at the same time. Was this what dying felt like? His vision was fading in and out as he watched Henk tear through the people around him; enemy and ally alike in his rage. He had to know it was helpless by now. He was outnumbered and gradually being overwhelmed. Even still, he didn’t let anyone near Curiosity. He had to know he wasn’t getting out of this alive, but even being backed into this corner didn’t seem to stop him. He fought with a hellish ferocity that Curiosity would have adored in any other circumstance, in this moment he hated it.

Curiosity could see Death now. She was lingering on the edge of the fight. There as much for him as she was for everyone else. If he had any strength left he would have reached out for Henk; called to him; anything. Instead, what he got was to see Henk get stabbed in a way similar to him. Henk almost looked relieved that it was finally over. He hit the ground in a way that made it seem like he was reaching out for Curiosity, but there was not life to him when he landed. He would have done the same but there was no strength left in him. Death stepped over Henk on her way to him. “You always do this.” She said in a tone that would have been sympathetic if it wasn’t so condescending, “So I will show you what it’s like to be human, since you’re so curious.” He managed a whimper as she gently carded her fingers through his hair, “Let go, it won’ t hurt.” He was met with a hollow feeling and surrounded by nothingness. It was empty space. All the things they had been through, and they gained nothing from it. No rest, no peace; just empty nothingness until Fate decided to toy with them again. He understood Sealgair’s anger now, and he hadn’t even died alone. Death’s voice broke through the haze of emptiness, “You will stay here until The Beginning decides you’ve learned to manage that rampant nosiness of yours.” Then he was alone in the vast nothingness again. Left in empty solitude until he could learn to become someone else. Something else.

[emmy-writes-sometimes]

The Hoodie Problem

A wardrobe mistake costs you and Henry the privacy of your relationship. 

-

           “No,” you groaned as your heard the dreaded chiming of the Alexa alarm. “No, no, no, turn it off!”

           “You have to say its name, dearie,” a tired Henry grumbled in response. You could feel him pull you tighter, deeper into his warm arms. “Alexa, stop the alarm.” The alarm stopped right after.

           “It’s currently 6:20 AM. The weather in London, England, is currently 6 degrees Celsius and will be sunny for the rest of the day. There are no unread emails for your .edu or gmail.com account. One package, containing 3 makeup brushes and dog treats will be arriving to 102…’

           “Will she shut up?” You groaned in response, turning back into Henry’s warm body. The room was freezing cold, and the dog had already gotten off the bed.

           “I don’t think she’s done yet.” In a single second, the opening riff of Back in Black started playing. “Alright, love, you actually need to go.”

           “No,” you grumbled. “Fuck class, I don’t wanna go to class. I hate it anyway, and I don’t wanna sit there and listen to my history professor talk about an asshole and defend his work when it’s already shit anyway.” Henry chuckled, sending another wave of heat through your body, making you want to stay even more.

           “You won’t get to argue your vulgar point if you’re late.” You sighed and started to sit up, yelling at Alexa to stop playing music. “Go, darling, otherwise I won’t get out of bed either.”

           “You’re such an asshole in the morning,” you responded, wrestling yourself onto the floor. A gigantic ball of fluff followed you, expecting his breakfast. “Can I borrow a hoodie? Left mine in the laundry.”

           “Which you only did so you can borrow one of mine. They should all be clean, just find one that can cover the bruises on your neck.” You sighed, spying a hoodie from a charity Rugby match Henry had done the month before, and after slapping deodorant onto your under-arms you pulled it on over her sports bra. You hoped it would be enough. Quite honestly, you didn’t care who saw the hickies on your neck. Anyone who was going to see was an adult who should act like an adult about it. Your hair would have to do since it wasn’t too greasy, and after deciding just to leave it down, you finished up in Henry’s adjoining bathroom and walked back to the bedroom.

           “Covered?” You asked.

           “Yep. Leave me your keys, take the Merc, and I’ll pick it up from the shop after my workout, I want them to check the paint on the hood, too.” He looked you up and down, sitting up in bed as you walked over to give him a kiss.

           “Thanks, babe.”

           “You look beautiful,” he responded with a smile.

           “I do not.”

           “You do!” Without bothering to look at the back of the sweatshirt, Henry got out of bed and went into the bathroom. You yawned as the massive dog zoomed down the stairs, waiting for breakfast. Kal sniffed around as you set foot on the stair landing, probably wondering why your vanilla perfume was mixed with the scent of Henry’s strong aftershave. Truth be told, you were glad. It was a comforting smell.

           “Be a good boy, Kal, Papa’s gonna feed you in a minute.” The dog panted in excitement and went to go stand by his water bowl, where he would inevitably drool for the rest of the time until Henry came to feed him. You placed your things from the dining room table, your makeshift desk, into your backpack, refilled your water bottle, and took a few seconds to exchange your keys with Henry’s keys. With another glance around the house, making sure you didn’t leave any chargers behind, you walked out the front door and began to adjust Henry’s car to fit your height. You felt like something was off, but you couldn’t describe it. Instead you went to go get your coffee and find a place to park before your frightfully early class.

           “You look knackered,” a voice said behind you as you finally climbed out of the car an hour and a half later. It wasn’t the first time you’d borrowed one of Henry’s cars, but at least it was the humblest of the three he had. The McLaren wasn’t something he even trusted himself to drive sometimes, he’d finally gotten rid of the Clio collecting dust at his parents’ house, and the Aston was his precious baby you didn’t dare go near. But you were endlessly grateful he let you borrow the Merc. You just wished it wasn’t so flashy. It was ten times flashier than the seven-year-old Hyundai you’d inherited from your mother. Especially in the parking spot right in front of the building ten minutes before class where people could see you getting out of it. The voice who’d spoken was Anna, your best friend, and supposed roommate if you ever came home.

           “Trust me when I say that man needs a new coffee machine, because I’m sick of having to leave the house at seven in the morning to go buy some,” you groaned in response, swinging your backpack over your shoulder. It was heavy as hell, but you were carrying most of your things in it because you didn’t have time to go back to your barely lived-in dorm room. Your other hand held your gigantic coffee, the biggest one you could buy because apparently British people preferred caffeine-free tea in the morning. People called you absolutely crazy for getting cold drinks when it was cold outside, too, but you didn’t care.

           “You realize your neck is completely purple, right? I doubt an espresso machine is the reason you’re so tied.” You scoffed at Anna’s statement. In reality it hadn’t been crazy sex keeping you up for the past few nights – you’d been working so late that Henry came up to you the night before and wouldn’t stop biting at your neck until you agreed to come to bed, hoping it would embarrass you into having better sleeping habits. But sex was a much better story.  

           “Is it really bad?” You asked.

           “No. Not from the front.” Anna started walking backwards up the building’s staircase, opening the door for the two of you. Your classroom was the first one on the left, a massive auditorium, because everyone had to take the History of Wagnerian Opera class for some stupid reason. You took your normal places in the bright room, taking your laptops out onto the desks. You fully expected to have to plug it in, but Henry, the ever helpful boyfriend, had plugged it in when he found it half dead the night before.

           “Had a rough night, did you, Yankee?” Another voice asked behind you. It was Isaac, another student you’d been friends with from the moment you stepped on campus.

           “What on Earth gave you that idea?” You asked as you took a sip of coffee. Isaac leaned closer, looking down at the back of the sweatshirt you were wearing. The hood barely covered the top of the lettering on your back. It read Cavill in white letters, and underneath it was the number 01. It was obviously customized, and well-loved judging by the fading English rose that was the logo for Henry’s favorite team. It was about three sizes too large, too, adding to the evidence that the hoodie didn’t belong to you. Isaac and Anna knew you were dating Henry, but most people had no idea. It wasn’t like you were hiding it, because you weren’t. Henry just wanted to protect you from the craziness that came with dating him, including paparazzi and prying eyes that would try to find their way into every little thing you did with or without him. You hadn’t signed an NDA or anything, but Henry was insistent on protecting you for as long as he could. You were fourteen years younger than him and he loved you dearly and nothing could change that.

           “You do realize that the back of your hoodie says HIS name on it, don’t you?” Isaac said quietly, hoping no one else in the auditorium heard.

           “What?” You asked in response. You could feel your face going red.

           “It says Cavill 01.”

           “Oh, shit.” You couldn’t take it off because the only thing you were wearing underneath it was a thin sports bra, and of course Henry’s car was so spotless on the inside that there was no chance of there being an extra shirt in there. Come to think of it, he’d been lounging around in the sweatshirt the night before. Shit, you thought. How could you miss it? How could you screw up that badly? What if this ruined everything?

           “Oh shit is right,” Anna remarked.

           “Does my hair cover it?” Isaac looked down at your hair. The lecture was about to start, but the thought of maybe losing Henry over a hoodie made you want to sit in the corner and cry.    

           “No. Neither does the hood.” You sank lower into the seat.

           “Maybe people won’t care. Cavill’s a common last name here.”

           “No, not really. And I think they will.” You sighed, crossing your arms against your chest.

           “Just don’t mention it to anybody and wear your bag when you can. Problem solved.”

           “I’ll get you something else later,” Anna cut in. In reality everyone already knew something was up. You had mentioned a few times, offhand, that you had almost moved into your boyfriend’s house and was commuting from Kensington. And you mentioned one day that he was an actor, much less that he was one of the most well-known actors in the entire world. Your phone had his name as Hank, and even though the connection wasn’t immediate, it was still enough to make someone think of the name Henry. Damn the British and their overly common name diminutives.

           “I swear to God, I’ll strangle whoever even thinks about it,” you sighed in response, putting your head down until the professor started class. You didn’t need to take notes quite yet, and pulled up the messages between you and Henry. The last night it was just on my way, got the food! And you are an absolute angel. Drive safe. His name wasn’t completely revealed at the conversation.

           We have a problem. Henry started typing immediately.

           You didn’t crash the car, did you????

           No, but that probably would’ve been better…

           Please explain.

           Promise you won’t get mad?

           What’s wrong???

           I picked up your hoodie from last night and it has your name on the back and it hides my neck but it has your name on it and there’s nothing under it so I can’t take it off and I’m freaking out because you don’t want people to know and I’m sorry, I just screwed up so bad. I’m such an idiot.

           It’s okay. Calm down. You’re not an idiot. You’re an absolute moron and I love you anyway

           I’m so sorry. I know you didn’t want anyone to know.

           The only reason I didn’t want anyone to know is because I didn’t want anyone to make you upset because I’m stupidly in love with you and people will try to tell you otherwise. It’ll be okay. If they find out they find out. Don’t worry about it. Really.

           I feel like an idiot now.

           I’m sure you look better in it than I do anyway. Don’t worry about it, love. I’ll see you at home and we’ll figure it out.

           Thank you.

           I love you!!!!

           Love you more dimples.

           You smiled a little, sitting back into your chair and starting to type out notes about the dark undertones within Ride of the Valkyrie. For the rest of class, it was fine. But you couldn’t lie and say you weren’t nervous for your next class. Isaac wasn’t there to back you up, and Anna sat on the other side of the room because you always distracted each other. You were on your own, taking in the scent of Henry’s aftershave that was left on the sweatshirt from the night before. It helped you calm down at least a little, even if the name on the back made you nervous. You sat lower in the chair than usual, but it didn’t stop at least one person knowing.

           “You like Henry Cavill too?” Elizabeth, the most annoying person on Earth (and a completely mediocre pianist with no sense of emotion who only got in because her father works for the royal family), said as she strained to read the sweatshirt on the way to her seat.

           “Yep.” You tried to play it off and wipe out the conversation before it even started. Never before had you wanted to listen to your old white professor rant about other old dead white guys. “He’s a good actor.”

           “I’m, like, so in love with him,” Elizabeth responded. Henry rolled his eyes every single time you said a word about Elizabeth, but you’d never tell her that. “Like, he’s just so dreamy.”

           “Oh, yeah,” you responded without even thinking. “He’s gorgeous.” You didn’t even realize what you said until Elizabeth’s eyes danced with a grin that matched her mouth.

           “You know him?” She exclaimed.

           “I mean, um, yeah, my internship…” you tried to cover, but it definitely didn’t work.

           “Shut up, you know him? Or, oh my gosh, is he the guy you’re dating?” You could tell that all of the color drained from your face and the room suddenly felt hot. You weren’t going to lie about it, but she would also be one of the first few people to know. And it wouldn’t be long before she blabbed her mouth to her followers.

           “I heard he likes younger girls anyway,” Ellen, the girl who sat behind Elizabeth, said. That was the cue for you to realize that everyone else was listening, too, and they couldn’t just mind their business. Your hands shifted uncomfortably inside the pocket of Henry’s sweatshirt. The room was definitely getting warmer.

           “Yeah,” you responded quietly. “We’ve been dating a few months and didn’t want to tell anyone yet. But you figured it out, so congrats.” You swallowed a lump in your throat. On the one hand you were glad that it wasn’t going to be a secret anymore. You didn’t want to hide how much you loved the curly-haired idiot who was too large for his own good.

           “Oh my GOD!” Elizabeth said excitedly. She was a little too loud with it. You just turned back around and pulled out your phone, hands shaking from the anxiety of what Henry had said. He said you were good enough, but what happened when the world was able to judge you?

           Well, Elizabeth figured it out. Not long until she spills to her 22 followers. And then their 22 followers.

           At least I can post that picture you took with me on the beach…

           The ugly one where I almost drowned after? Nooooo please!!!

           Oh that’s not what I was thinking about, but now that you mention it, my fingers might just slip…

           This conversation is DONE, fat Cavill! I swear I’ll punch the dimples right out of you.

           You underestimate me, little one.

           Cavill, this class is an hour long and I swear if I get out and you did something I will make you sleep on your own couch for the next year.

           Guess you’ll just have to fight me when you get home…

           With that, the conversation was over. Most people in the room didn’t seem to notice or care, but Elizabeth and Ellie did. Your friends didn’t for the most part, but you would assume some would turn on you. And you could tell that they were going to do whatever they could to make sure everyone knew that they knew before anyone else. It was strange to think that Henry was being so cool with it, that he wanted there to be a before people knew and an after. You shut your mind off and did your best to focus, even though it wasn’t very well.

           You got up at the end of class and packed your things, ready to brave the library until your next class, but you exited the room and there was someone standing at the entry hallway. Henry. And he was holding another coffee in one hand, and draped on his other arm was a shirt. He’d never been in public with you without some stupid disguise on, much less to bring you coffee in between classes.

           “Henry?” You asked, slightly too loudly. Elizabeth and Ellen turned toward you, but you blew past them to see Henry. He was grinning, from ear to ear.

           “So apparently, according to the internet in the past few minutes I’ve been in the car, I’m cradle robbing. Apparently you’re Instagram-model material, which I could’ve told you,” he said. “I brought you another coffee for dealing with bullshit, and I brought you another shirt in case you want to change.”

           “Can I keep this one?” You asked, looking down at Henry’s that you were still wearing. “And you didn’t post the bad picture of me yet?”

           “No, I was waiting for your approval,” he responded. He reached for his phone and handed it to you, and it was opened to a set of pictures he hadn’t posted yet.

           @henrycavill: The real Mission Impossible is getting her to stay still long enough to take a picture with her favorite old man. To be clear, though; she is MINE and I couldn’t be happier. I will sword-fight ANYONE to defend her honor!!

           It was a series of five pictures, all of them the two of you together, some of them cuter than others, and you just grinned. You couldn’t believe he was okay with everything, and you couldn’t believe that he was actually standing there with you, braving the people in your class just to hand you a coffee and offer you a shirt.

           “I love you,” you said quietly. He smiled in response. “Really.”

           “I love you too. I don’t care who knows.” You laughed and hugged him tightly, even though he was still holding your coffee. “But I do want the Merc back, your car is outside.”

           “Whatever you say, cradle-robber.”

A/N: I’m in an opera history class right now and it’s so frustrating that I’m definitely taking it out here. I hope the person who requests this loves it as much as I did because omg I love this 😭

[harcourtholmesii]

A Turn Of Fates (Part 1)

Based on the prompts by @connor-sent-by-cyberlife, specifically the ‘Friend and Enemy’ prompt, but is going to be an ongoing story. This is not necessarily for the list, but I felt the need to upload this one in reference to it, since it was the second story inspired by the prompt. Part of why I wrote it, aside from the inspiration of the prompt itself, was the fact that, in the highway chase between Connor, Kara and Alice, I felt a little disappointed with all the different outcomes, and wanted to add one of my own, one which I felt could lead to a deviating storyline (see what I did there ^^ hehe (I’m pathetic)).

Pairings: Light HankCon / Hannor / Hank X Connor (May Be Updated In Future)

Warnings: - Android Gore - Near Unknowing, Attempted Suicide - Violence - Mentions and Implications of Abuse - Major Character Death

Words: 1770

Enjoy!

‘Do NOT go after them, Connor! That’s an order!’ Though Hank’s words pressed him to stay, clinging to the chain link fence and awaiting the inevitable, Connor felt his arms and legs beginning to move, as if on their own terms. He couldn’t let them get away; if they succeeded in crossing the highway, he would fail. If they failed to cross the highway, and were destroyed in the process, he would fail.

 ‘Connor! Goddammit!’ He would pre-construct the best explanation later, but he had to do this. He couldn’t allow the deviant, the AX400, and the YK500 to be shattered in pieces across the road. It would not aid their mission, and a small piece of Connor’s mind was hard-wired to call out. As if his words alone might halt them from crossing the road. It was a small strain, but a desperate one that pulled at the back of his head. He ignored t, drawing closer to the road.

 Before him, the AX400 had taken a few glancing blows to the body and arms, but had prevented any damage to YK500. Spatters of thirium dotted the road from where the trucks and cars had briefly collided with it. Of course, no vehicle would slow down; no android would ever just cross the road at a busy highway. Instead, the self-driving vehicles that made up the majority of the oncoming traffic, had been input with sensors to determine the presence of living creatures on the road.

 The cars would not stop for androids.

 He made it to the road, felt the wind of a passing car tear through his synthetic skin. If he had been human, perhaps it would have stung, but he barely noticed it. His HUD was an explosion of colour, detailing what paths to take, error signs blaring as every other car came just slightly too close. The wet of the rain made it hard to calculate exactly what he needed to do to avoid being damaged, every minor slip causing him to nearly lose his leg or more of his body.

 There was a rush through him, one he didn’t quite understand. Whilst his thirium pump was beating aggressively within the cavity of his chest, it wasn’t like the ‘adrenaline’ he was familiar with. It was a painful, claustrophobic feeling across his body, every time a car or truck came just that little too close for comfort.

 The deviant tripped over the second guardrail, its female face in a puddle of rainwater created by a minor pothole. It turned to the child-like android, as the little one made its way over the guard rail and attempted to help the deviant to its feet. Connor leapt over the first and raced up the thin island of grass and the only safe spot in the centre of the road.

 From how close he was now, Connor could scan the androids. The YK500 was missing its LED; a sign that, perhaps, whoever had owned it, didn’t wish to be reminded of its artificial nature. It was unlikely that the LED was removed by the AX400, as the process, whilst not painful, could trigger a reaction in the YK500 akin to ‘fear’. It was made to act like a child, after all, and most sharp tools directed to one’s own temple tended to cause a distressed reaction in most androids.

 The clothes, on both the androids, was too large for them; an adult’s clothes, but nothing tailored or overly expensive. Simply store bought from one of the many malls in Detroit.

 There were the finest traces of thirium close to the surface of the YK500’s, located just beneath the right eye. As uneven as it was, it would suggest ‘bruising’, caused by a blow to the head. Considering the AX400’s demeanour to protect the ‘child’, Connor doubted that their most recent witness to deviancy, a mister Todd Williams, was entirely telling the truth about what occurred the night he was ‘attacked’.

 Despite the strange, claustrophobic feeling in his chest, Connor also felt as if his blue blood was boiling. He didn’t understand it. He didn’t question it. Not now.

 ‘Instability; Increased.’

 He leapt over the final guard rail, and Connor was upon them in an instant. The AX400 had pushed the smaller of the two androids across the remaining stretch of concrete. The YK500 stood in the dirt and mud, watching as Connor and the deviant grappled in the middle of the highway.

 Another truck passed by far too close, and Connor felt his thirium pump seize for all of 3.06 seconds. He was managing to hold the deviant close, his strength far greater than that of the housekeeping android. Tried as it might, it couldn’t loosen his grip. He opened his mouth to speak when he heard the wind whistling past his ear and felt the sudden there-and-gone pressure of a rear-view mirror. It scraped across his chassis, ruining part of his uniform and tearing it enough that the synthetic skin had retreated from the damage.

 His own thirium spilled across the highway, and his arms opened on reflex in an attempt to cover the damaged area.

 As he released the android, there was a cry from the other side of the road; a child’s voice calling out in distress. Connor’s optical units zeroed in on the AX400’s gaze, where the head had turned as a reaction.

 ‘Watch out, Kara!’

 By then, it was too late. The deviant’s limp body was swept up by the hood of a driver-less vehicle. Her body went high into the air for all of several seconds before it fell to the road. The legs had been snapped off at the knee joint, thirium spilling out in all directions. Connor watched with that sense of claustrophobia growing, as if something was clenching tightly at his biocomponents.

 Its head had snapped around to face him when it hit the pavement, the neck joint split in four places from the landing. The equivalent of a human’s neck breaking. Connor’s eyes widened on the sight, and a heavy pit weighed down his body, optical units watching with dread as the YK500 stepped onto the road.

 ‘K-Kara…?’

 When the second screech of tires came racing down the highway, Connor didn’t hesitate this time. He raced forward, as fast as is long, impaired legs could manage. He reached out, feeling the wet coat through his fingers, as he pulled the child to him, and half-tackled them across the road. He curled his body up, and with his velocity, carried them into the safety of the mud and grime. A truck, that would have shattered its fragile body on impact, continued its route onward, undeterred by the obstruction of the body on the road, and the androids safely sat on the other side.

 Connor couldn’t tell if it was the child who was trembling, or himself. He peered at the damage on the road, watching as the next car and then the next, continued to spread what remained of the deviant across the road. He could feel the child’s small hands beginning to bat at his chest, attempting to push him away, but Connor simply held them closer.

 He could see the stress levels increasing in the child, how it had, without realising, attempted to self-destruct by running out onto the road when the deviant had been hit. To recover it from self-destruction, all Connor could do was hold it until Hank and the other officers got to their position.

 Peering up at the chain link fence he had climbed to continue the chase, he could see Hank was gone, and the sound of sirens and muted Knights of the Black Death could be heard crossing the bridge above their head.

 ‘Kara!’ The cry was muffled in his uniform, a desperate, anguished plea so akin to a wounded or upset child.

 ‘Instability; Increased.’

 Artificial, thirium based tears, had created a minor damp in his uniform by the time Hank was racing down the uneven hill. Connor watched him with wide eyes, and as the officers had begun setting up a small, blocked off space of road, so they might retrieve what they could of the deviant. Hank approached his side, and though it seemed as if he might strike Connor, the anger in his eyes softened at the sight of the trembling child. A paternal, instinctual reaction, as he raised a hand to the child’s head and attempted to soothe it.

 As Hank pressed closer to Connor, in an attempt to create a smooth transition from one person to another, expecting the RK800 to pass him the android, there was a moment of surprise from both as Connor simply hugged the child tighter. Her fists were bunched up in his clothes now, and something about letting her go failed to diminish his ‘concern’.

 Eventually, it was decided that Connor would be the one to transport the android to Hank’s car so they could return to the precinct. Connor followed Hank’s orders, holding the stressed little one tight to him and not letting them go, even when he had entered into the car. He watched through the windows as the traffic was redirected around a series of police banners and pylons, allowing the tech and investigative team to pick up the literal pieces of the chase.

 Hank seemed about as shaken as Connor felt, and took a moment to breathe deeply once he had entered into the car. His eyes turned to the child in Connor’s arms and to Connor himself, leaning over just enough to raise one hand to Connor’s face. His thumb swept across Connor’s cheeks, revealing a wetness between the tips of his thumb and fingers. Connor was ‘crying’.

 ‘I didn’t think androids could cry.’

 ‘We can’t. Not really…’ Connor returned, lowering his head to rest his cheek atop the YK500’s hair. It was soft, despite it being a simple visage. Wet from the time in the rain, and with the smell of soap from the hotel tub. He felt he couldn’t breathe, even though androids didn’t have to take in oxygen, it felt as if his breath was caught in his throat. He let out a sound he did not recognise.

 ‘Connor…’

 ‘Let’s just head back to the precinct, Hank.’ His voice was a strained kind of stern, Connor attempting to hide the strange feelings by pressing them back behind walls of coded security. The child shifted in his arms, and Connor could tell she was entering into a stressed stasis, her body attempting to recover from the emotional shock.

 ‘We finished the mission.’

 ‘Instability; Decreased.’

[writingquestionsanswered]

Hello! I write LGBTQ+ romance. Backstory: I get told a lot that I spoil my characters. People sometimes wonder why I don't put them through major hardships, or if I do, why I get them out of it faster than would occur in reality (or faster than than readers were expecting). So my question is: is it a bad thing that I spoil them like this, or is it okay to be a writer who doesn't really like putting characters through a hard time?

LGBTQ+ Romance without a Lot of Major Hardship

The short answer is yes, it’s fine to write LGBTQ+ romance (or any romance for that matter) without a lot of major hardship.

The long answer is: but it also depends on how you define “hardship” and “major hardship.”

All stories need to have conflict, which is the struggle between two opposing forces. Conflict is what drives a story forward, so it has to be there. The simplest way to look at conflict is as your character’s struggle to reach their goal against the obstacles put into place by the antagonist or antagonistic force.

Antagonists don’t have to be villains. Antagonists are literally anyone or anything that creates opposition for your protagonist. It can be a situation like being a teen parent or a natural disaster. It can be overly protective parents, or a best friend that cramps the protagonist’s style. It can be bad luck, illness, the economy, nature, your protagonist’s low self-confidence... and it can be multiple related things or things under the same general umbrella. Again, all that matters is it creates conflict for your protagonist.

In romance, the primary conflicts tend to be ones that create problems for the relationship. Part of what makes romance fun is the feeling of just wanting them to kiss already, but the don’t because something always makes it impossible. 

So, if your stories are lacking in conflict or if the conflicts are too easy to overcome, that could be one reason why readers say your characters aren’t going through enough hardship. See the following posts for more:

Even Romance Needs a Little Conflict Creating Conflict in a Romantic Relationship

HOWEVER... it’s also possible that by “hardship” they’re not talking about conflict but actual physical and mental suffering. In which case, even in the fluffiest romances there should be at least a little bit of angst, but all out physical and emotional suffering? No. Every story doesn’t need to have that.

In fact, there are LOTS of LGBTQ+ readers who don’t necessarily want to read about major hardships. Everyone deserves to see themselves in every kind of story, which means someone out there needs to be writing light, fun, low key romances featuring LGBTQ+ characters, and it sounds to me like you’re up for the task. Again, just make sure you’ve got some kind of conflict in there. Look at basically any Hallmark Channel romance or Tom Hanks/Meg Ryan movies like Sleepless in Seattle or You’ve Got Mail and you’ll see that romantic conflicts don’t have to involve intense emotional or physical suffering. And although “lighter conflicts” doesn’t have to mean “wholesome,” my post Writing a Wholesome Romance should help with understanding lighter conflicts. :)

Good luck with your writing!

ETA:

imamarillys added: I agree with that so much. Sometimes I just want to read a cute, light and interesting story between two girls in love. Is tiring to try to find LGBTQ+ that are not heavy as f.

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