#parent teacher conferences are happening this week... very tiring | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

daringyounggrayson · 3 years

Text

misplaced guilt

(Read below or on AO3)

It’s been a while since Bruce has been to one of these galas, and for once, he is neither hosting nor making a speech. It’s a nice change, to say the least.

Dick is sitting next to him, kicking his legs under the table. Bruce would tell him to stop, but at least he’s actually using the chair as intended with both feet closer to the floor than the chair, so Bruce lets it go for the moment. If it gets too out of control, he can always reach out and stop him, but for now, he’ll let the kid release some pent-up energy.

Bruce keeps half of his attention on Dick and the other half on his conversation with Jasmine Owen, a woman who works at one of Gotham’s youth centers. Bruce knew from the second she introduced herself that she came over in hopes of getting a donation, but he doesn’t mind; that’s one of the main purposes of these things, and Bruce is happy to help however he can.

“Babs,” Dick gasps excitedly, shooting upright when he catches Barbara walk into the room, Commissioner Gordon by her side. Bruce looks over at Dick, quirking an eyebrow. Dick smiles back, asks in his I’m-in-public-so-I’m-behaving-like-an-angel voice, “May I please be excused?”

“Hnn,” Bruce says, pretending to think over his answer.

“Bruce,” Dick whines.

Bruce smiles. “Alright. But stay in the ballroom. Dinner is going to be served soon.”

“Okay, thanks!” he slides out of his chair and offers a wave. “Nice meeting you, Ms. Owen.”

“And you, Richard,” she smiles back. When he’s gone, she turns to Bruce again and says, “He’s a sweet kid.”

Bruce can’t help but think at least in public, and at least to people who aren’t me. He’s half-joking, but there’s some truth to the statement: Dick has always seemed to behave better for Alfred, and he’s nothing if not an angel around strangers, even when he’s mad at Bruce.

At home, it’s not that Dick isn’t a good kid—he is—but he’s still a kid. Dick can be sassy, and he has a taste for anything that will make Bruce’s hair turn gray (usually dangerous, usually far away from the ground). He also has no qualms about making fun of Bruce when Dick feels it’s called for. Then there are the arguments, the borderline tantrums. Both have been decreasing in frequency, and Bruce attributes most of them to processing and coming to terms with his parents’ murder, but they are—difficult, to say the least. Dick will have these rough days—sometimes rough weeks—where he’ll lash out at Bruce over the smallest things. Sometimes it seems like he yells at Bruce just to put his hurt somewhere.

Bruce tries to take all of it—from the jokes at his expense that even he has to admit are funny, to the meltdowns—as a good sign, one that says Dick feels secure and knows that Bruce will love him regardless of his behavior or attitude. But there are certainly days when Bruce thinks it would be nice if Dick would listen to him like he listens to Alfred—like when Bruce tells him to get off of the unstable shed roof, for example.

Despite the challenges that come with raising a child, there are also so many blessings. There’s no other word to describe it. Seeing Dick learn and grow and thrive is something Bruce will never get tired of. On top of that, Dick is just this brilliant, funny, and kind child. He has the biggest heart Bruce has ever seen, and he cares so deeply and widely. Bruce doesn’t know how he got so lucky. Dick is Bruce’s light, his whole world.

Bruce pulls himself out of his head, says, “He’s the best thing that has ever happened to me.” It’s something he can say with complete honesty. “Do you have kids?”

“Oh god, no. I think I’m still a little young for that,” she laughs. Then, thinking about what she said, her face falls. “Not that you were too young, just for me, I’d rather—”

“No, no, it’s fine.” He puts his hands up and smiles. “I was really young when I took Dick in. I go to parent-teacher conferences, and most of the other parents are at least ten years older than me. But I like to think I’m doing alright, and Dick’s happy, so that’s all that matters.”

“Yes, I suppose.” She smiles, but looks down at the table.

“So, what’s it like day-to-day at the youth center?”

She looks up, coming alive again, and the conversation picks back up.

oOo

After dinner, Dick and Barbara disappear again, and Bruce is left alone to mingle. Most people come to him, but he only has to escape a few times, so it’s going about as good as these things can go.

That is until a very urgent Barbara runs into him and tugs on his arm. “Sorry everyone, but I need to borrow Brucie for a second.”

Bruce ducks down to look Barbara in the eye. “What is it?”

“Dick. Just come with me.”

He follows her without another word to the group of people he was talking to. She leads him into the hall and toward the lobby. When they turn the corner, Dick is on the ground in a lateral recumbent position. Gordon is talking to him gently, though Dick seems unresponsive.

“Dick.” Bruce lurches forward, falling to his knees and reaching out to find Dick’s pulse and check his breathing. “What happened?”

“Barbara thinks he had a seizure,” Gordon answers. “An ambulance will be here soon.”

Dick’s breath hitches and he lets out a low moan that feels like a twisting dagger in Bruce’s chest. His eyes find Bruce’s, and he unwraps one hand from his stomach to reach for Bruce’s. Bruce takes it, squeezing it gently in a reassuring manner.

“I’m right here,” Bruce promises, running a hand through Dick’s hair.

“It hurts,” Dick gasps.

“Shh, the paramedics are going to be here soon. We’ll fix it.”

Dick shakes his head and squeezes his eyes shut. “I don’t feel right.”

Bruce tightens his grip slightly, hoping to keep Dick conscious. “What’s wrong? Where does it hurt?”

“Head, stomach,” Dick mumbles. “Feel hot, an’ dizzy.”

Bruce frowns, trying to determine what could be causing Dick’s symptoms. Is this the beginning of an illness, or a seizure disorder? Has Dick been poisoned? There was a run-in with Scarecrow a few nights ago, and Dick had needed to take an untested antidote for the fear toxin. Could this be a delayed reaction to the concoction Bruce had come up with?

Dick’s grip loosens.

“Dick?” Bruce calls urgently. “Dick!”

He gets no response.

oOo

Dick is staring at a white ceiling when he realizes he’s awake. Sunlight is streaming in through a giant window on his right, and there’s a framed painting of giraffes across from him. He’s tired and confused, and his gut tells him that something is wrong, that something bad happened. His first thought is that he wants his mom.

He turns his head to the left, finding Bruce in a chair and holding his hand.

“Hi,” Dick says, slowly pushing himself into a sitting position. Bruce grunts some kind of greeting and raises Dick’s bed while Dick takes in the medical bracelets on his wrist—one ID bracelet and one that indicates that he’s a fall risk—and the IV in the back of his hand. “What happened?”

Bruce shifts in his chair, face serious. “We were at the gala. You were poisoned.”

Dick matches Bruce’s expression, trying to think. He remembers being with Babs, telling her that something was wrong. Then he’d been on the ground, and there’d been sirens.

“The man who poisoned you had planned to offer me the antidote for a price, but he didn’t realize that you would react to the poison so—so severely,” Bruce explains, rubbing his thumb over Dick’s knuckles. “He was working as one of the waiters and heard the commotion. He came forward shortly after the ambulance left and he’s currently in custody.”

Dick swallows. “Why did he . . .” Why did he poison Dick in the first place? Need money so badly? Feel that poisoning Dick was the only option? “Would it have killed me? If he didn’t give us the antidote.”

Bruce, like always, is honest with Dick. “The doctors were able to stabilize you, but they needed to neutralize the poison quickly, and the antidote did that. It’s hard to say what would have happened without it, but things were touch and go for a while.”

Dick nods, not sure what to say as he takes it in. Eventually, he asks, “How long have I been out?”

“A few days. You woke up a few times yesterday, but you were incoherent,” Bruce says.

Dick wracks his brain, trying to pull up some inaccessible memory.

“I’m sorry that this happened, Dick.”

Dick squeezes Bruce’s hand. “Not your fault.”

“Hnn.”

“What? Are you seriously guilty that you didn’t taste all of my food first or something? ‘Cause that’s nuts, B.”

Bruce says, “You are my child. I am allowed to feel guilty when I fail to protect you.”

“You didn’t fail,” Dick interjects. “I’m okay—really.”

Bruce’s face is still pinched and concerned, and he’s looking at Dick like he might fall apart. Dick leans toward him and stretches his arms out, and Bruce quickly pulls him into a tight hug.

“I’m not going anywhere, Bruce,” Dick promises. And even to himself, it doesn’t sound like a reassurance most nine-year-olds should be giving. But it fits with his new life, he supposes. “I’m okay.”

Bruce tucks Dick’s head under his chin, says, “I was . . . I’m glad that you’re alright.”

Dick nods into Bruce’s chest and lets himself be held for another moment. It’s not the hug from his mom that he woke up wanting, but it’s close. It makes him feel safe and reminds him of home, and maybe that’s all Dick needs.

#dick grayson #bruce wayne #nightwing #batman #batfamily #tw: seizure #elizabeth writes

153 notes · View notes

thcgoodtimegirl · 3 years

Text

The Woman Who’s Been Screwing My Father...

@mctwcsty

She only sort of knew what was happening. Rosalie had been busy with school and cello lessons, trying and usually failing at making friends. Of course she’d noticed Christmases being a little empty, the morning was just her and her mom and quiet excuses that her dad had gotten paged during the night and wouldn’t be home until later. Dinner at Grandma Shepherd’s with her cousins, but still her dad hadn’t shown up. Her birthday happened and again, her dad wasn’t there. Eventually, Rosalie stopped waiting. She stopped thinking or wasting her time wondering if her dad would come to her recitals, holidays, birthdays, and parent teacher conferences. She got comfortable with it being just her and her mom, occasionally Mark. Her dad almost ceased to exist in her mind.

Rosalie learned a new routine: getting herself up and ready for school, checking her own homework twice, and making her own breakfast. Her mom took her to school three days a week and the other two, she walked. If she were to pause herself in her routine and think about it for a few minutes, she wouldn’t be able to remember the last time she saw her dad for more than a few minutes. He was coming home after she was in bed, he was usually gone before she got up- if he even came home at all. Rosalie wasn’t okay with it, she was just used to it. It had become her new routine, and one the rare occasion that he was home for longer with her, he messed with how her days went and she got frustrated. She had heard a few times the way her parents fought about the fact that she struggled when he was around.

Her mom had warned her a week in advance that some things would be changing and that it would be hard. Rosalie’s routine wouldn’t exist when they went to Seattle, but Uncle Richard, Aunt Adele, and dad would be there, mom would be available whenever she wasn’t with patients too. If she knew that things would change a lot and rapidly, she would be okay, she knew to expect it.

Rosalie listened to her mom’s explanation of where they were going, why, and how long they would be gone. It was vague, more vague than usual. She was used to getting very precise explanations, but this time her mom had told her, “I have a case in Seattle, where your dad went. So, we’re going to go, and we’ll see dad and figure out what we’re doing from there.” She knew about Mark, knew that her dad had left; her mom didn’t keep secrets from her, she hated secrets. Rosalie found lying difficult and didn’t understand why everyone lied. When her dad left, her mom sat her down and told her everything; about work, her dad, and then she told her about Mark and how her dad found out.

The flight to Seattle had been long and Rosalie was tired, but she understood that her mom needed to go to the hospital and check in with her patient. She was the child of two amazing surgeons, she’d been down this road before. Despite being tired, she was still going with her. Rosalie followed her mom through the hospital to the desk and stood there quietly while she asked about her patient and heard her ask about her dad. She rolled her eyes lightly, again, it wasn’t that she didn’t care but she hadn’t had a real conversation with him in years at this point now; and now, he lived on the other side of the country.

Turning around, Rosalie was looking at what the hospital looked like when she saw her dad across the lobby. She tapped her mom on the shoulder and pointed, since she’d been asking about him. The young teen didn’t exactly understand what she was looking at as her dad helped a woman into her coat, but she could see the change in her mom’s body language.

Rosalie thought that she didn’t care. She thought that she wouldn’t really want to see him, but he was right in front of her and it looked like he was leaving for the night. That meant that he was free. He would actually have time to talk to her. She felt her mom’s arm wrap around her and gently start walking towards him. Rosalie watched his face, he didn’t look happy to see her even though he’d been gone for four months. He hadn’t seen her in three months, and he wasn’t happy to see her. Her face fell as they approached him. Uncertainty and anxiety was settling in and she didn’t know what to do.

“Addison, Rosalie, what are you doing here?” Her dad’s voice rang through her head and she frowned. “You aren’t happy to see us,” she said quietly. It wasn’t a question, she could tell; between the lack of smile on his face and the tone of his voice. He wasn’t happy to see her. “That’s not what I’m saying-” He glanced at Addison, “What are you doing here?” Addison smiled sadly at Rosalie’s realization before pushing it off and focusing on her husband, “You would know if you bothered to return any one of my phone calls.” She turned to the other woman, “Hi, I’m Addison Shepherd, and this is my daughter Rosalie.” Addison reached out to shake the woman’s hand. “And you must be the woman who’s been screwing her father.” Rosalie glanced between the adults surrounding her. She knew about Mark, knew her dad was mad, but he wouldn’t- he wouldn’t do that. Would he? The teen realized she really didn’t know, considering she hadn’t said more than three sentences to him in three years.

#mctwcsty #t: The Woman Who’s Been Screwing My Father

33 notes · View notes

itachi-with-a-chicken · 3 years

Text

Come be my teacher pt 2

Aish we're back

Link to part 1

Jung Hoseok nearly died to actually make publishable Yoongi's book

But eventually he made it

He hoped the day at the luna park was enough for Jungkook to be forgiven after spending nearly every afternoon with Namjoon and his kid brother

Mostly, he hoped Namjoon could forgive him to have to deal with both his child and his own kid brother

When he mentioned it, Namjoon has a variety of emotions.

Surprise, then recognition. Eventually softness.

"they have been good, all things considered." He laughs a little "Just warning you, Jungkook took a passion for Just Dance"

Well, Hoseok considers when he watches his son weirdly dancing in front of the television, there are worst things that could happen

Also, now that he has a life back, he can discard Min Yoongi in his man cave or whatever he likes to call his attic and go back to his routine

Which means, pick up and drive is kid to school

And see again the cute teacher

Not that he cares

But you know

He does

That day Kim Taehyung was wearing a dark green vest and a white shirt and looked as an absolute old man

His housemate confirmed it and if Kim Seokjin tells you you look bad, it's true

The thing is, Taehyung didn't want to look hot, he just wanted to look comfy and cozy to his kids

When he steps outside to collect the kids, he regretted every choice made that morning

Because there it was. In all his elegant glory. Jung Hoseok.

The two exchanged a small wave and Tae nearly forgot he has something to say to him

"Come on Taehyung" he tries to say to himself "he's just another parent. Nothing to worry about. Nothing special. Not a crush, no sir"

"Hoseok-ssi" he calls him. By his name, because the first thing Jung Hoseok told him as they met is "you're taking my son most of the week, we can at least call each other by our own names"

"yah?" He was already moving towards the car, dammit.

Stumbling at bit at the beginning, Tae tells him about the little recital he proposed to the school board that year

Hoseok beamed at him

"that sounds wonderful! kids will have loads of fun"

Taehyung was positively gloating, but tried to hide it

"so this week it's going to be parents-teachers conference, so we can explain every detail"

Nobody will pry from his cold hands the knowledge that the reason why it was happening that week was that Taehyung knew as a fact that Hoseok was busy until now

And also, that nobody knew about the meeting in the first place

The thing is, a meeting was supposed to happen at some point, and Taehyung was a very considerate teacher, okay?

He needed to tell the principal about the meeting, tho

Ugh

On the other hand, Hobi was quite serene.

The wonders of a full night sleep, he guessed

Nope nothing to do with the cute teacher and the cute vest that made him look cozy and cuddly and all the stuff a grown up should not look like

It would be a lie to say that it didn't do anything to Hoseok.

But then again, Hoseok can be a good liar

His phone chimed in, showing a text from Yoongi

"so did you ask him out?"

"who?" "What do you mean who" "i mean who would I ask out" "the teacher, dumbass"

Hoseok stared at the phone for a solid five seconds

"you don't even know what day of the week it is" "And yet I know you brought the little monster to school, so you've seen him"

For someone who forgets to eat, Yoongi can be really persistent about stuff

"why" he just asks, glancing away from his computer. If anything, he knows Yoongi has little to none interest in his love life by itself

Not after he finished all the people he could set him up, anyway

Including himself

That was so weird that both kinda decided it never happened

So back to the text, Hoseok patiently waited for whatever was the real reason behind such concern

"I may or may not started planning the next book based on whatever vibe you and your lovely teacher give off"

Hoseok shrieked, but just a little

"but you know!!! Most of the time the final product have nothing to do with the beginning!!!" Yoongi continues

Six exclamation point usually mean that he's either lying or trying to convince him of something he didn't actually believe in. So lying, after all.

"and what's the plot" hoseok asks, but then "no, nvm. Don't tell me. Just. Idk. No"

Yoongi didn't reply, but then his editorial instinct won over all his better judgement

"okay, tell me the plot"

Yoongi answer arrived after less then three minutes and it was a shit ton long. He basically already planned everything and all he needed was the main characters

"and they would be me and Kim Taehyung?" Was the only answer Hoseok managed to cave

Because yeah, if life was a written book maybe they could have been the perfect romance

Even by changing some basic stuff - "don't worry you're all idols here" - and making some unrealistic concessions - "your character is the greater dancer of all times" - the way Yoongi was telling the story

A story that didn't exist

makes him want to fall in love for real

But here's the catch: they were real people, and crush on your child's teacher is problematic at best, creepy at worst

So no, he won't be pursuing that. Thank you very much

(but gave yoongi permission to work on the story nevertheless because, you know, it's his job)

And he r e a l l y is set on his mind the day of the meeting after school

Doesn't matter that he exited work early just to go home and shower

And definitely didn't have anything to do with his choice of wardrobe that saw some neat jeans he had brought but never wore and his best fitting pastel red shirt

Along with a leather jacket because what the hell he was still young after all

And if some heads turned to check him out, when he entered the classroom, well. He couldn't blame them

He sat gingerly on his child desk and waited. Mr Kim still nowhere to be seen

Talking about Kim Taehyung

His day started the night before with his housemate that, in order to forget his impossible (only according to him) crush decided to have a drink

And since it would be too sad to drink alone, he had to bring Tae down with him

Little mattered he had to work the morning after and kids were not merciful with headache

He enters the room with the parents with eyes fixed on the floor, trying to remember everything he needed to say and--- oh

Of course Jung Hoseok was there

Of course he was stunning

And of cour-- no wait he was talking to Namjoon? What was he doing here?

Oh right. Mixed classes. His kids and mr Lee were together in this project.

Having the ten years old doing the talking and the eight years old doing the dancing was his idea after all

Mr Lee smiles at him, like the old turtle he was, and sat down, waiting for him to speak

The old turtle seemed frail and sweet but he remembered being a child with him. It was all a play

Which makes him perfect for this project, he guess

So, let's convince the parents he knew what he was doing and what he was talking about despite never producing any school play

It went fairly well for the most of it

Every time he met Hoseok's stare, the other man was smiling, and that made him feel both excited and incredibly shy

But mostly gives him enough confidence at least finish the presentation of the general idea

When parents asked questions - price, time needed, how the parts would have been distributed - he tries to be as clear as he can

And hopes nobody will actually spot how much he still doesn't know

Eventually, the questions are over and the meeting is too, with a copy of the project to take home and a promise to see each other as soon as possible

Tae was putting in order his papers, trying carefully to not perceive either Hoseok nor Namjoon, but of course karma hates him

So a few of his pages fly down the desk, right in front of. Well. Of course Hoseok. Who else

It's not like he could have the worst face in the history of faces and just have his life passing by

No, he had to live his 5-hours-sleep-10-hours-work while wearing his most anonymous clothes and have something less of a Idol staring at his face

Wait

He was staring

He said something

He said absolutely something and Tae was just too far away in his head to hear anything oh my--

"everything alright?" Hoseok asked, and the question clearly triggered Namjoon attention, because he came close too

"ye-what-ye sure. I'm sorry, I must be a bit tired. Hi, Namjoon-ah"

Hoseok smiles at him, but Taehyung makes a weird face at the other man

Well, they clearly knew each other enough to drop some honorifics

Probably wasn't the first time Namjoon came instead of his parents to school stuff like this, Hoseok always knew he was a good big brother

"You did great" the young man says, to which Taehyung smiles a little. Namjoon walks over them but doesn't stop, heading towards the door

"I gotta go now, Hoseok-ssi, see you Tuesday. Tae, see you around"

"Watch your steps" both Tae and Hoseok say, which surprised them, but proved them right when Namjoon bumped into a desk

Then it was only them. And Tae knew it's gonna be awkward really soon.

"so, how you know him?" He asks. Oh, Jungkook babysitter. Makes sense

"and you?"

Taehyung makes a weird face, half displeasure.

"I'll tell you in the parking lot, I'll feel less irresponsible if I'm not at work"

Hoseok felt he has to decline and go straight home

Also stop asking about the private life of his kid's teacher and babysitter

Because that was none of his business

But he was a nice person and nice people listen to what others have to say, right?

#vhope #vhope au #vope #kim Taehyung #jung Hoseok #kim Namjoon #kim seokjin #park jimin #min yoongi #jeon jeongkook #bts #bts au #teacher/parent au

43 notes · View notes

wayward-dreamer · 3 years

Text

Life’s Lessons - Part 12

Title: Life’s Lessons - A Lesson in Doing Things Right

Pairing: Mechanic!Dean x Female!Teacher!Reader

Word Count: 7,392 (texts, thoughts and song lyrics in italics)

Part Summary: Dean and Y/N go on their first official date. The night has to come to a close early, but not before Y/N gives Dean something to hold him over until they can be together again. A busy week keeps them separated, but a little rendezvous at the school between breaks in parent/teacher conference helps deal with not being able to see each other.

Warnings: Brief mentions of insecurities. Other than that, Fluff... like so much fluff. Dean being sweet AF (yes, that’s a warning). And SO MUCH SMUT. Dry humping, Semi-public, Oral Sex (Male Receiving), Vaginal Fingering, Unprotected sex (wrap it up before you tap it, people), Biting, Dirty talk, Swearing.

Music: Whole Lotta Love by Led Zeppelin (not featured within the chapter, but listen to it during the Dean and Y/N school scene).

Life’s Lessons Spotify Playlist

A/N: Thank you to everyone who has been reading and loving this series! It honestly means so much to me to see how much you guys have been enjoying it! Seriously, thank you so much! Only 3 chapters and an epilogue after this. I can't believe how time has suddenly flown by and we’re nearly there! I can’t wait for you guys to see what else is going to happen as we come closer to the end. Happy reading and enjoy! :)

Life’s Lessons Masterlist

Dividers by the wonderful @firefly-graphics! Check her out for all your AU needs!!!

Before Y/N knew it, it was the next day and the day of her first date with Dean that night. Being the gentleman that he was, he left after they watched TV for a while the night before, to go sleep in his own bed. He had left regretfully, leaving her with a kiss she could still feel even as she went to bed. The sexual chemistry between them was tangible, and she wanted to almost skip the date and pull him into her bed to see what that chemistry could do. However, Dean seemed to really want to take her out and she would never refuse him.

Though it did beg the question… did they need to be going out on dates? In her heart she already knew how she felt for him. This wasn’t dating for her; this was much more. She had an inkling that he may have felt the same, considering he told her that she was it for him. Maybe some would say it was too soon to be feeling that this was what she wanted and nothing else, but she couldn’t help it. That’s how she felt. She knew he was the one since the moment they met, even if he was with someone else at the time. Everything had worked out the way it had for a reason. She was never one to believe in soulmates and people that were destined to be together, but she knew she was meant to be with Dean.

She was really looking forward to that night, but she was going to wait to bring these things up with Dean. She didn’t want to spoil his efforts to make this a special night for them. It was pretty simple, just dinner and a movie, and that’s all she needed.

Y/N was glad she had that Friday off before she went back to school on Monday and took it as an opportunity to see the girls. It was a rare occasion that Meg didn’t have a shift on a Friday, and so they took the opportunity to see each other and catch up.

They had come over and had sandwiches and soup for lunch, and they all caught up about everything they had missed in each other’s lives over the holidays. She told them about her family and how she had so much fun seeing them again, and about the present Dean had gotten her, showing them. Charlie had already seen it, obviously, but she was still happy for her friend, nonetheless.

“Please thank Dorothy as well, I know she must’ve had to pull a few strings for Dean” Y/N said, looking over at Charlie.

“It was no hassle, really. She just called in some favors that she was owed” Charlie shrugged.

There was a short pause in the conversation before Meg spoke up.

“So, Dean looked pretty happy by the time midnight rolled around for us” she started, putting her spoon down as she finished eating. “Did you have something to do with that?”

Y/N bit her lip, trying to keep the smile off her face, but failing. “Maybe.”

“I knew it. He looked way too happy when he came out of the room after talking to you” Meg grinned. “So… did you do something dirty?”

“Meg” Y/N laughed, slightly embarrassed. Charlie chuckled but made no move to stop Meg.

“Well?” Meg wondered, raising an eyebrow.

“We… may have” Y/N said, shrugging. Meg looked at her, knowingly. She knew she couldn’t keep a secret very well and they would get it out of her eventually. “Okay, fine. We had phone sex.”

Meg suddenly cheered as Charlie groaned, taking out a couple of bills from her pocket and handing them over.

“You guys bet on this?” Y/N asked, shocked.

“Meg made a bet that you and Dean had phone sex” Charlie frowned, as she watched Meg pocket the money.

“Wow” Y/N said, shaking her head. Though she wasn’t surprised by her friend doing that.

“So… how was it?” Meg asked, grinning.

“It was… intense. I’ve never done that with a guy before… but it was really hot” Y/N laughed, slightly as she described that night to her friends. “Now, I just want to be with him properly.”

“It’ll happen” Charlie said, smiling reassuringly.

“He asked me out” Y/N said, smiling. “He’s taking me to dinner and a movie tonight.”

Both Charlie and Meg looked at her, wide eyed. “Uh, excuse me… why didn’t you open with that?!” Meg asked, shaking her head.

“I meant to, sorry” Y/N chuckled softly.

“Oh my god, you’re going on your first date with Dean!” Charlie clapped her hands, giddily.

Y/N laughed at her, shaking her head. She sobered as she thought about what her friend just said. “It doesn’t feel like a first date though. I mean, we spend so much time together, we’ve been having dinner together almost every night since I ended things with Mark. It’s all felt like we’re dating… so is this really the first date?”

Charlie nodded, understanding what she meant. “Well, it’s more of an official date. You and Dean are pretty much together anyway, he clearly just wants to do it the right way.”

“I guess you’re right” Y/N nodded. “Doesn’t mean I don’t want to jump his bones.”

“Don’t worry, we’ll make you look so irresistible tonight, he can’t possibly think of anything else” Meg smiled, wagging her eyebrows.

“You don’t think it’s too soon?” Y/N asked.

“Hey, Charlie said it, you guys are pretty much a couple anyway. It’s gonna happen sooner or later” Meg shrugged, as she got up and carried her plate over to the sink.

The girls helped Y/N pick out what to wear for her date with Dean. Something that was appropriate for the type of date it was and sexy at the same time. She settled on a black dress and her black over-knee heeled boots, and her long fawn coat. As it got closer to the time for their date, Y/N got ready. She did her make-up and hair, putting a slight wave through it and settling it over one shoulder. The girls left once they gave her a look of approval and wished her luck. Y/N promised to call them and tell them how it went.

“1… 2… 3”

Dean counted down as he lifted the frame from one side, Benny on the other. They slotted the hooks on the wall into the grooves on the frame. Dean stepped down from the ladder to see if it was properly aligned and even, smirking when it looked perfect. Benny stepped down from his ladder, standing next to Dean and admiring the framed black and white photo of the Impala, that Y/N had given him for Christmas.

They had been at the new building all day along with Ellen, all three of them fixing the place up before all the new equipment and machinery came in the following week. Ellen had fixed up the reception area and some parts of the garage with Benny, while Dean fixed up the office and some of the workstations. Some of the other workers would be in over the weekend to take care of other duties as well. It had been a tiring day, but he wasn’t about to let that stop him from thinking about Y/N and their date that night.

To others, it might’ve seemed a little redundant to take her out on a date when they were practically a couple already, but it wasn’t to him. He wanted to show her what she meant to him and treat her special. He wanted to do things right this time. He had taken Lisa out on dates but there wasn’t all that much effort put into them, most of the time ending up at the diner or the bar. Things were different with Y/N. She wasn’t just any girl, she was… well, he was in love with her. He needed her to know that, even if he couldn’t say it just yet.

A bump on his shoulder alerted him that Benny was still there, a slightly amused expression on his face to see his friend spaced out for whatever reason.

“You okay there, brother?” he asked.

“Yeah” Dean nodded, picking up the ladder and walking out of the office to put it back in the corner of the garage. Benny followed behind him, doing the same.

“You spacing out wouldn’t have something to do with a little lady by the name of Y/N, would it?” Benny grinned.

Dean rolled his eyes, shaking his head. “It’s none of your damn business, Lafitte.”

Benny chuckled to himself as he followed behind Dean, back into the office. “Things getting anywhere with you two, yet?”

“Yeah” Dean said, not wanting to say too much just yet.

“You gotta give me a little more than that, chief” Benny shrugged, not budging on the topic.

“Well, considering you won’t drop it… yes. I’m taking her out tonight” Dean told him as he looked down at some papers on his desk, sorting through them.

“Nice” Benny said, clapping him on the back. “Now, why ain’t ya shouting that from the rooftops, man?” the Southerner asked, confused that Dean was being so secretive.

“Because…” Dean trailed off, as he looked at his Southern friend, dropping the papers on the desk. “I just wanna be cautious. That’s all.”

Dean didn’t want to jinx anything by making too much of it. He had gained a whole lot of luck by her coming into his life. He didn’t want to start losing it.

Benny nodded, understanding. “I get it, brother. I do.” Benny tapped him gently on the back again, a soft smile on his face. “I’m happy for ya, Dean. ‘Bout time you got a good woman.”

Dean smiled, his mind instantly on Y/N as he nodded. “Thanks, Benny.”

Dean fixed up his desk a little before he glanced up at the clock, seeing that it was time for him to leave, go home and get ready for his date with Y/N. He said a quick bye to Ellen and Benny, who were just fixing up a few things before they were due to leave as well. Dean pulled out of the parking lot to the new building, flooring his beloved Baby as he headed home.

When Y/N heard the doorbell ring a few times, she smiled as she walked out of her room and down the hallway. She opened the door and smiled even wider as she saw Dean, looking incredible in his black jacket and dark blue jeans, a black sweater underneath and a black scarf around his neck. He hadn’t shaved and she was glad for it, loving a little scruff on him. Dean looked her up and down, smirking. She looked so good as she leaned against the door, her dress and boots making her look irresistible.

“You look… you look amazing” he told her, still smirking.

“You look pretty amazing yourself, handsome” she said, leaning into him as she kissed him.

“Ready to go?” he asked before kissing her again.

She moved back and picked up her bag, smiling at him. “Ready.”

She locked up her house and followed him over to the Impala, smiling as he turned on his music and drove them into the main town square.

They got to the restaurant in time, Dean giving them his name and being led to the back where it was slightly quieter, to a table for two. They sat down across from each other and Y/N smiled as she looked around the room. It was a quaint place, exposed brick walls with black and white photos of Lawrence and of Kansas City landmarks. Each table had a candle in a glass holder, bathing the room in a warm glow. As they had walked through, they had passed the kitchen, and her mouth had watered at the aromas wafting through.

“I love this place” she said, smiling at him as they settled in.

“Yeah, it’s pretty awesome” Dean smiled, looking around. “Food’s insane, too.”

They gave the waiter their drink orders, telling him they’d need a few more minutes to decide what to eat. When he came back with their drinks, a whiskey for Dean and a glass of white wine for Y/N, they decided on what they were getting. The waiter took their orders and then they were finally alone.

“So…” she said, trailing off as she flashed him a smile.

He smirked, leaning forward and folding his arms on the table. “So…”

She couldn’t keep the smile off her face. “I’m so happy we’re doing this.”

“Me too” he nodded, as he continued to look at her. “I wouldn’t be surprised if you’re wondering why, though.”

“I kind of was.” Y/N pursed her lips, nodding. “Can I say something, and you promise not to overthink it?” she asked, hoping he’d be fine with the question she wanted to ask.

“Sure” he shrugged, not seeing a problem just yet.

“I’m so happy you asked me out on a date” she started, reaching over the table and holding his wrist. “I just think… maybe we don’t need to? I mean, I know how I feel about you. It’s way past the dating stage and it’s scary to think of that way, but it’s true-” she rambled, and Dean cut her off with a small chuckle, as he took her hand off his wrist and clasped his with hers.

“I know we don’t need to, because I… I know I feel about you, too” he said, as his thumb ran over her knuckles. “I just wanna do the right thing here, Y/N. I have to do things right this time. I took Lisa out on dates, yeah, but they weren’t much to write home about, you know? I want things to be different with you.”

She smiled, genuinely touched by what he said. “That’s very sweet.”

“Well, I’m a sweet guy, what can I say?” he grinned, his cocky attitude on full display.

She rolled her eyes as she laughed. “How humble of you.”

“And hey, what kind of a boyfriend doesn’t take his drop-dead gorgeous girlfriend out on a date? Come on” he said, feigning anger but a smile came through as he brought her hand to his lips and kissed it.

“That’s true” she said, giddy from the sweet gesture.

“And we gotta have some stories to tell our kids someday” he said, as he picked up his drink and took a sip.

She stared at him, wide-eyed. He clearly hadn’t realized what he just let slip.

“Kids, huh?” she asked, raising an eyebrow. She bit back a laugh as she saw his eyes bulge out of his sockets.

“I-I um…” he stuttered a little, as he tried to find the words to erase what he just said. When he looked at her and saw her smiling at him, with some new look in her eyes that he couldn’t quite place, he knew he didn’t need to hide away what he just said. “Yeah. Kids.”

She picked up her glass and took a sip of her wine, smiling around the edge of it. When she put it down and looked at him, she took his hand again. “Just know that I don’t need more than just you to know how you feel, but I’m glad for this date and any others all the same. And I can’t wait to tell our kids about them someday.”

If his friends could see him now, they’d rip him a new one for the full-blown chick-flick moment he was having. He didn’t care, though. He had the most amazing woman, and he was lucky to have her in his life.

He would never stop thanking whatever higher power existed for her coming here to Lawrence.

After dinner, they walked over to the cinema complex and bought tickets to an action movie. Y/N adored him for trying to say that they should go see a rom-com for her, but she told him that just because she was a girl, it didn’t mean that she liked all of the rom-coms out there. She had a feeling he was very relieved that she had insisted on the action movie. Dean bought them a large popcorn and drink combo to share, and they sat in the back row.

They munched on the popcorn as the movie played out as every other action film did. However, during one particularly steamy scene between the male and female protagonists, Y/N felt her body heating up. She crossed her legs uncomfortably, feeling hot as she sat next to Dean while the actors on screen were all over each other. She glanced over at Dean, seeing him shift slightly in his seat. Flashes of the night in her hotel room on New Year’s entered her mind, remembering how Dean had brought her so much pleasure just from his words.

At the same time, Dean was thinking about the same night, too. About how hot she sounded, about how he wanted to hear her say his name like she had that night, over and over again. You couldn’t cut the sexual tension in that cinema with a knife, as the rest of the movie carried out. They had both never been so relieved when it was finally over.

The drive back home had been silent, except for the music softly playing from the car’s radio. However, Y/N smiled to herself as she felt Dean’s hand slip into hers on the seat, in between them. He held it tightly and squeezed, lifting it as he turned his head and planted a kiss on her knuckles. When they arrived home, Dean parked the car and got out, taking her hand in his again when she got out as well. They walked across the street to her house, hand-in-hand, content to just be together. Finally.

Y/N walked up the porch stairs and to her front door, turning around and smiling up at him. She leaned up, her heeled boots giving a little more advantage to reach him better, planting a searing kiss on his perfect lips. Her arms wrapped around his neck, pulling him in deeper as his wrapped around her waist, inside her coat. She pressed back against the door as they continued their kiss, neither of them making a move to stop. Y/N pulled away and nipped along Dean’s stubbled jaw, loving the slight sting of his stubble across her lips.

“Y/N, uh, we should stop” he chuckled slightly, pulling an inch away from her to look her in the eyes.

She hummed as she combed her fingers through his hair, causing him to groan at the feel of it. “I think we should move this inside, don’t you?”

“I’d love to, sweetheart and believe me I really want to, but I gotta be up super early to uh… do something” he tried to explain as best as he could, without sounding suspicious. Which he hadn’t succeeded at because she frowned at him.

“Do something?” she asked, confused. “What?”

Dean blinked a few times, trying to think of something. He didn’t want to tell her that he had to go work on the new house, considering he completely envisioned her in that place. He wanted it to be a surprise for their future together.

“I can’t say, not yet at least” he replied, looking sheepish.

She raised an eyebrow as she looked at him but decided not to push any further. She trusted him and she knew that he’d tell her when he was ready.

“Okay” she nodded, slightly disappointed.

“I’m sorry, sweetheart” he whispered as he leaned in and kissed her nose.

“It’s fine” she shrugged, trying not to let it get to her. She turned around and faced the door and was about to put the key in the lock when Dean wrapped his arms around her waist, locking her in his embrace. He nuzzled his nose along her jaw, and kissed her cheek, softly.

“I’ll make it up to you, soon. I promise” he smirked, tilting his head to look at her.

Feeling him extremely close to her, his front to her back, gave her a naughty idea which she couldn’t get out of her head now that it was in there.

“I know” she said, turning her head to look at him. “But in the meantime, maybe I can leave you with a little something…”

She emphasized her words with a small tilt of her hips, pushing them back into his. He hummed as he felt her ass against the crotch of his jeans, his cock twitching slightly in his pants.

“Don’t play dirty with me, sweetheart” he growled in her ear. A shiver ran down her as she bit her lip, rubbing into him again. She could feel herself getting wet between her legs.

“Somehow I think you like that” she sighed, as she leaned back and pecked his lips. She took his hands in hers, moving them to hold onto her hips. She slowly began rutting back against him, his groans alerting her to his arousal. She moaned as she felt his cock becoming hard, straining against his jeans.

“Shit, Y/N” he hissed, feeling the pressure in his pants and not being able to do anything about it. He glanced around, hoping that no one would come out of their houses and see them. “Someone could see us.”

She shook her head, not letting him move away. “It’s okay, baby. It’s a quiet street, no one’s going to know.”

Dean thrust his hips forward against hers, growling as he felt his cock press against her ass every time he moved forward. She took his hands and moved them up her body, moving her coat back as she planted them on her breasts. He grunted as she pushed into him a little harder as their hips continued to meet, his covered hard on rubbing against the fabric of her dress over her behind. He could feel that he was about to lose it, as they continued to grind against each other.

“Fuck” he bit out through clenched teeth. He palmed her covered breasts, leaning in to kiss her neck. “Shit, sweetheart, fuck” he huffed as he groaned.

“Dean” she moaned, as she glanced back at him. Seeing her hooded eyes as her perfect mouth hung open from the pleasure that coursed through her, pushed him over the edge.

“Fuck, Y/N” he grunted as he leaned his forehead on her shoulder, shaking as his seed released inside his jeans.

Y/N smiled as she felt him breathing heavily, his chest against her back. She didn’t cum, but that didn’t bother her when it came to Dean. This was about him and just giving him another little preview of things to come for them.

“I feel like a teenage boy.” He shifted uncomfortably, his jeans no doubt stained now.

“You’re fucking full of surprises, sweetheart” he chuckled, as he nuzzled into her neck.

She laughed a little as she turned around, cupping his face in her hands. “You have no idea.”

She leaned in and kissed his lips, smiling into the kiss. He pulled away and looked at her, lifting a hand to stroke her Y/H/C hair back as he cupped her face.

“I better go” he whispered as he looked into her Y/E/C eyes. He leaned in, softly kissing her lips. “I’ll call you tomorrow after I’m done.”

“Okay” she said, smiling at him.

Dean stepped back from Y/N, winking at her before he turned around and walked down the porch stairs. Y/N went into her house, locked the door and practically screamed as she thought about everything that had just happened outside, a few minutes ago. She couldn’t believe she did something like that but as she had already realized, when it came to Dean, she lost all her inhibitions.

As she got ready for bed, she couldn’t stop thinking about how things were already so amazing between the two of them, and they were only going to get better.

Dean cleaned himself up and got dressed into a black shirt and sweats. When he climbed into bed and stared up at the ceiling, he smirked as he thought about Y/N. She kept surprising him, and he loved that. Given their age difference he had to keep up with her a little, but she was incredible in every way.

She was going to be the death of him, he was sure of it, but damn it if she wasn’t the most amazing woman he had ever been with.

The next few days were incredibly busy for both Y/N and Dean. He was busy with everything at the new garage, and she was busy with getting back to school and the start of the next semester. They had parent/teacher conference as well, so that added another layer of stress to that week.

The day of the parent/teacher conference was a long day. A day of classes first, and then once the kids left, the teachers set up their classrooms and made them look fancy with all the projects. Y/N had set up the room with different quotes from books and photos of literary figures, some that they had already studied and some that they would in the future. Parents of every form were there; couples still together, couples divorced and co-parenting, single moms, single dads and foster parents.

She was happy that she had this opportunity to meet them, and she was glad that things had become better, with almost all of the kids doing well. Some were at higher levels than others, but everyone was doing as well as they could in terms of their aptitude, and Y/N felt good about that. There were a couple, however, that she knew were going to have trouble in high school if they didn’t turn it around, quickly.

In between sessions, Y/N scrolled through her phone’s social media apps, texted Charlie and Cas down the hallway if they could take a break at the same time as her. After about only 15 minutes of catching up, however, they all had to go back to their next meetings. The hours were ticking by slowly, as she kept herself entertained with a book in between meetings. At another break, she was trying to read but she just couldn’t concentrate. Looking at the time, she realized that it was 6.30pm. Dean would’ve finished work half an hour ago, so she decided to text him.

Y/N: Currently waiting on my next meeting, but I’m so bored. I keep trying to read but I think I’ve read the same line 500 times in the last few minutes.

Dean: Well, I literally just finished work and on my way home!

Y/N: Oh no! What happened?

Dean: Eh, late deliveries that I had to wait around for. Dinner might be late, unless… pizza tonight?

Y/N bit her lip as an idea came to her. Now that he wasn’t making dinner and they could always order pizza a little later, she wanted to see what he thought about her idea.

Y/N: Sounds good, but maybe we can hold off on it for a bit?

Dean: Uh… I guess. Why?

Y/N: Do you think you can come to the school?

Dean: What are you up to, sweetheart?

Y/N: Why don’t you come here and find out? ;)

Dean stared down at his phone, every possibility of what she wanted going through his head. He shook his head. It couldn’t be what he was thinking.

Dean: Do I want to?

Y/N smiled as she shook her head. He clearly didn’t realize she was being serious about him coming to the school.

Y/N: Yes ;)

Dean choked at that message. Was his teacher fantasy about to play out? He almost couldn’t believe it.

Dean: On my way!

Y/N laughed at the gif of a car speeding that he had added.

Y/N: Give me 15 minutes with the next parents, and then I’m all yours, handsome. She added a heart emoji.

Dean couldn’t help but let out a groan when he read that.

Dean: Damn right you are ;)

Y/N felt a shiver run down her body as she bit her lip, reading his message. She had no idea what was going to happen once he got to the school, but damn she was excited to find out. The haze of arousal was broken however, when the next parents came in. They were talkers and the meeting went a little over time, but eventually they were both satisfied with everything Y/N told them. They thanked her and left, leaving her to wonder when Dean was going to get there. She stood up, took off her glasses and shut the lid of her laptop and was just about to message Dean and see where he was, when a light knock on the door interrupted her.

She smiled when she looked up and saw Dean leaning against the doorframe, smirking at her. He walked in and closed the door behind him, locking it, and pulling the blind down over the window in the door.

“I came in when the parents were leaving” he said, as he walked over to her. He gently pulled her towards him by her hand, her body close to his as he wrapped his arms around her waist. She smiled up at him, her arms automatically wrapping around his neck.

“I’m glad you did, but there’s still some people here so we have to be quiet” she told him. Even with her heeled knee-high boots on, she still had to push herself up slightly on the toes, to press her lips to Dean’s. “And… we have to be quick before the next meeting in 20 minutes.”

“Oh really?” he grinned. “What’re you planning on doing to me in 20 minutes?”

She hummed against his lips, her fingers combing through the short hair at the back of his head. “So many things. I’ve barely seen you; you’ve been so busy with the new site and I’ve been busy with everything leading up to tonight.”

He groaned, as one of his hands slipped down slightly, laying over one side of her behind, covered by her grey A-line skirt. “Fuck. I know. I swear, when things calm down slightly and it’s just up to the contractors to get all the heavy machinery into the site in the next few days, I’m taking you out.”

“I look forward to that, but I hope that doesn’t mean we can’t do a few things right now” she whispered against his lips.

“Definitely not” he whispered back, finally claiming her lips in a searing kiss.

If it were even possible, they pulled each other in even tighter, their bodies moulded together as they continued to kiss, passionately. Y/N softly bit Dean’s bottom lip, causing him to open his mouth and deepen the kiss. She moaned into the kiss, feeling his hand press a little harder into her ass. She pushed into his body, causing him to take a few steps back until his back was pressed against the wall. Her arms came away from his neck, her hands roaming over his muscles through his jacket and moving down his chest.

Her hands moved under his maroon button-up and pushed it off along with his jacket, Dean taking over in removing them completely and tossing them on the floor. Her lips moved away from his, kissing and nipping along his jaw, moving down to his neck. He groaned as she nipped at his neck, his hands groping her ass. Her hands moved over the black t-shirt covering his chest, and down to the outside of his jeans, feeling that he was getting hard already. She rubbed her hand along the seam of his jeans, feeling him grow harder. Dean hissed, feeling the pressure of his cock against the fabric of jeans. Suddenly, Dean stopped for a second, looking around. “Are you sure about this?”

“Of course,” she said, as she cupped his face. “Dean, what’s wrong?”

He smiled at her, a little sadly. “Should our first time really be like this?”

She smiled at him, her heart bursting with love at his concern. “Dean… I want you. I know you want me, too. I know you keep saying that we should do things right, but what’s right is you and me. Does this feel wrong to you?”

“No” he said, shaking his head, his response quick and firm.

“Then… there’s no problem, right?” she asked, biting her lip.

He groaned as he looked at her doing that. That always made him weak. “Right.”

Y/N smiled at him and went back to what she was doing. She unbuckled his belt and pulled it through the loops, tossing it behind her. She unbuttoned and unzipped his jeans, pushing them down slightly. She pulled down his boxers and gasped as his cock was on full display, hard, as his length and girth made her mouth begin to water. He was bigger than any of the other men she had been with, and she felt her heart begin to beat faster. She lightly grasped it, her hand moving slowly along the shaft. She stared into Dean’s eyes and smiled, biting her lip. He let out a shaky breath as he looked at her, his eyes clouded with arousal. Her fingers moved over the tip, feeling pre-cum drip out onto her fingers. She took his cock in both of her hands, pumping them up and down as she moved down to her knees.

Dean groaned as he watched Y/N get on her knees, his cock in her hands. She leaned forward and kissed the tip, her tongue circling the head. She sucked at the head, slowly taking in more of him, inch by inch. Her hand grasped the base of his cock, pumping up and down as she bobbed her head, wetting the shaft with her saliva. She looked up at him as her other hand cupped his balls, massaging them in her hand.

Dean grunted, throwing his head back against the wall, his mouth hanging open. “Fuck, sweetheart. You’re so fucking good at that.” He looked down at her, his thumb stroking her jaw, as her cheeks hollowed while she continued to take him into her mouth. “Love seeing your mouth on my cock.”

She moaned loudly as she drew back and pulled her mouth off him, her hand continuing to move along his dick. “Your cock feels so good in my mouth, Dean. I can’t wait to feel you inside me.”

Dean couldn’t wait for that either. He took her hand off him and tugged, making her stand up. Her mouth felt incredible, but he definitely didn’t want to cum yet.

Y/N let go of Dean’s hand and moved hers under the waistband of her skirt, pulling out the end of her black, full sleeve top. Dean moved her hands away, taking over as he pulled the end of her shirt over her breasts, revealing her dark red bra. He reached up and pulled the cups down, her nipples pebbled and aching against the slight chill in the room. He leaned into her right breast, kissing her flesh, his tongue circling the nub. She grasped his hair in her hands, bringing him in closer.

“Dean” she gasped, as he sucked and nipped at her, moving to her left and doing the same.

Dean bent his knees, grasping the bottom of her skirt and bunching it, revealing her matching panties. His hand moved in, his fingers rubbing along the outside of the fabric, feeling how wet she already was.

“Shit, you’re so wet sweetheart. Did sucking my cock turn you on that much?” he asked, his voice husky as his fingers moved faster along the fabric.

She let out a shaky breath, as she nodded. “Yeah.”

“Yeah?” he chuckled, slightly.

She nodded, frantically as his hand continued to move. “Dean…”

“What, sweetheart?” he asked, kissing her nipple.

He hooked a finger in her panties and moved them to the side, groaning as he felt her wetness against his fingers. He ran them along her folds, his thumb flicking lightly over her clit.

She moaned, her chest heaving as she breathed deeply. “F-fuck me. Please. Please fuck me.”

Dean moved them backwards, until her ass rested against the edge of her desk. He grasped her thighs and lifted her up, sitting her on top of it.

Dean’s hands moved down along her thigh-high stockings, biting his lip as he felt her soft flesh against his fingers. She wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him for a heated kiss. Her hand cupped his jaw, bringing his mouth tight against hers. They parted when they needed to breath, as she wrapped her boot-covered legs around his hips. Dean lifted his black shirt up and took it off, her hands immediately roaming over his muscular arms and shoulders, his hard but soft torso. She bit her lip, keeping herself from moaning too loudly at the sight of him. He was truly the most gorgeous man she had ever been with. Dean moved closer, as he took hold of his cock, pumping his hand along the shaft a few times.

He stopped, however, when he realized something. “Shit, I don’t have any-” he started but she cut him off with a quick kiss to his lips.

“I’m on the pill” she nodded as she looked into his eyes. “We’re good.”

He smirked slightly, as he looked at her. “Okay.”

He took hold of cock and guided it to her entrance, pressing the tip in. He moved forward, slowly sinking into her warm cavern. She hummed at the feel of him, her walls stretching to accommodate his size. He gave her a second to adjust, before he slowly started to pull out. He pushed back in, setting a slow rhythm.

“Y/N” he moaned, softly. “Fuck, you’re so fucking tight. So fucking perfect.”

His hips met hers, as he gradually picked up the pace. He thrusted into her at a moderate pace, causing her to moan loudly, forgetting where they were.

He laughed as he pressed his lips to hers. “Shh, sweetheart. Can’t let anyone hear us.”

She whimpered, as she moved her hips against his. “Fuck, Dean.”

Dean growled low, feeling it rumble in his chest. “Shit, sweetheart. You feel fucking amazing wrapped around my cock.”

“Dean” she moaned quietly. “Fuck me harder.”

“Harder, huh?” he grinned, pressing his forehead against hers. “Like this?”

He drove his hips in, the drag of his hips longer as he continued at the pace he had set, but his cock moving in harder and deeper within her.

“Yes” she gasped. “Just like that. Oh god, Dean.”

“You like that?” he asked, as he looked down at his cock driving into her.

“Yes” she moaned, her voice choked as she tried to stop herself from raising her voice.

She threw her head back, exposing her neck, her chest pushing out. Dean leaned in, kissing her neck, along her collarbone and down the valley of her breasts, feverishly. She moved in, wrapping her arms around him, tightly. Their faces were close to each other, their hot breath mingling as they let out small moans, gasps and groans. Y/N leaned down, sinking her teeth into Dean’s shoulder as she tried to stop herself from moaning loudly. Dean hissed at the sting of her teeth on his flesh but moaned softly as it added another layer of pleasure to what he was already feeling.

Dean’s hips picked up pace, the desk underneath them beginning to rock back and forth from the force of his thrusts. Y/N pressed her lips together, trying to keep quiet, as her hips met his, matching his pace. They were both close.

“Fuck, Y/N” he grunted, pressing his forehead against hers.

“Dean” she moaned, opening her eyes and staring at him. “I’m so close.”

The coil began to wind up tight in her core, ready to break at any moment. She whimpered as he grabbed her hips and drew her in closer, his cock hitting her g-spot with every thrust.

“Cum for me, Y/N. Cum on my cock” he groaned, his hips unrelenting.

Items on the desk began to shake, and Y/N knew she had to get to her release before something fell and alerted someone to what was happening. Somehow Dean understood when she looked down at the lamp shaking; he quickly licked his fingers and brought them to her clit, circling the little bundle of nerves in tight, fast circles.

She let out a harsh gasp, her mouth hanging open as the coil snapped, panting quick, shallow breaths as she came. Her release slicked his cock, warm and wet against him. Dean’s thrusts became erratic, stuttering as he approached the edge.

“Dean” she moaned as she cupped his face, looking into his eyes. “Cum inside me.”

He panted, his breath hot against her lips, letting out a choked grunt as he thrust into her few more times, falling over the edge as he came inside her. He leaned his head on her shoulder, his hips slowing into shallow thrusts. He slowly pulled out of her, as she felt his seed drip out of her.

Y/N leaned her cheek against his head, combing her hand through his sweat soaked hair as they both came down from their high, breathing deeply. After a few moments, he slowly lifted his head, looking into her eyes. She smiled at him as he smirked, both of them laughing quietly. He leaned in, kissing her softly, a change of pace to how he had just fucked her, showing that he was as sweet as he was incredibly sexy. He kissed her lips, once, twice, three times before slowly moving away from her.

Y/N reached over and took out some tissues, cleaning herself as she passed Dean a few as well. He cleaned up and then pulled up his boxers and jeans, buttoning them up and pulling up the zip. He picked up his belt from the floor and put it through the loops, buckling it. She fixed her panties and pulled her skirt down, fixing the cups of her bra and pulling her top down, tucking it back in. Once they had redressed, Dean walked over to her as he shrugged on his jacket. He held her hips as he leaned in, kissing her again.

“You should head home” she told him, smiling. “I’ll be there in another hour.”

“Okay, I’ll order the pizza” he said, cupping her cheeks in his hands. “Should be there by the time you get home.”

“Sounds good” she said, still smiling.

There was a moment of silence between them as they looked at each other.

“That was amazing” she said, feeling her cheeks heat up.

“Fuck yeah, it was” he grinned, his eyes lighting up.

She laughed at him as she lightly smacked his chest.

“I’ll see ya in a bit” he whispered against her lips, kissing her softly.

“Yeah” she whispered as he pulled away.

Dean walked over to the door and unlocked it. He opened it and turned back to her, seeing her watching him. She looked even more beautiful with her lips slightly swollen from kissing, and the knowledge that he had just ravaged her almost got him hard all over again. With one last look and a wink at her that caused the most beautiful smile to grace her face, he left and walked down the hall, ready to head home and wait for her.

Y/N fixed everything on the desk which had moved during their rendezvous. After the last few couples came in for their meetings, she packed up her things, put on her coat and scarf and shut off the light in the room. She walked down the hallway, the heels of her boots echoing off the floors.

As she drove home, the smile just wouldn’t leave her face. What they did back there, had been everything she could possibly want. It had been everything that they both needed. It solidified everything they both wanted from each other and for their future.

They were each other’s future.

And that was the biggest reason to smile.

-x-

If you’re crossed out, it means I can’t tag you :(

Tags: @flamencodiva @deanwanddamons @winchest09 @katehuntington @akshi8278 @hobby27 @michellethetvaddict @spngirl05 @kyjey @halesandy @440mxs-wife @stoneyggirl @deanswaywardgirl @wonder-cole @that-one-gay-girl @redbarn1995 @marianita195 @babypink224221 @deans-baby-momma @parinarain @thoughts-and-funnies @mandalou29 @castiels-a-winchester @ellewritesfix05 @jerkbitchidjitassbutt @supraveng @roonyxx @supernatural-love14 @vicmc624 @prettyboyswow @lunarmoon8 @supernatural-bellawinchester

#Life's Lessons #Dean x Female!Reader #Dean x Female!Reader Series #Dean x Female!Reader Fanfiction #Female!Reader Insert #Mechanic!Dean #Teacher!Reader #Dean x Reader Fanfiction #Dean Winchester Series #Dean Winchester Fanfiction #Dean Winchester Fanfic #Supernatural Fanfiction

219 notes · View notes

lia-jones · 3 years

Text

Growing Together - Chapter Twenty-Seven - Footsteps

Before you start:

This work is unbeta'd and English is not my first language. I apologize in advance for any mistakes you may find.

Victor sighed in relief as he placed his keys on the plate in the hallway, finally finding himself at home after a terrible day at work. It had been meeting after meeting, barely having time for lunch, his phone ringing off the hook, numerous emails waiting for him when he dared to look at his inbox.

To add insult to injury, his day wasn't exactly over. Victor couldn't wait to lie on his sofa and simply enjoy the evening nursing a glass of brandy with his wife in his arms, but he would have to spend it on his study instead, all alone, to attend a conference call with the team in Paris, who was in a different timezone.

His bad mood was somewhat eased with the aroma of delicious food being cooked, his heart taking solace in the sound of his wife and son's voices bantering in the kitchen. At least he was finally home, he comforted himself. For the time being, he would indulge in a hot relaxing shower and a nice dinner with his family.

Owen was always the first to notice when Victor or Andrea arrived, and as usual, he was the first to greet him, running to his arms. Although Victor had been feeling back pain pretty much all day, a customary symptom when he was overly stressed, such was immediately forgotten the moment he had his son in his arms. With heartfelt laughter, Victor threw the boy in the air, having him land safely in his arms with a very tight hug. And just like magic, Victor immediately felt better. His family was all he needed to recover from that awful day and get back on his feet to face another battle.

"What is your mother up to?" Victor asked, playfully disheveling the boy's red curls.

"She's in the kitchen, making dinner. I helped." He beamed at his father. "It's Mom's special fish and shrimp stew."

Bouillabaise, one of his favorites. Comfort food was exactly what he needed. Putting the boy down, Victor moved to the kitchen to find his wife minding the large pot on the stove. He hugged her from behind, his chin leaning on the top of her head.

"Hello, handsome." She turned her head to look at him.

"Hmm." He groaned, burying his face in the nape of her neck, taking comfort in her scent and the softness of her skin.

"Long day?" She reached back to run her fingers through his hair, slightly scratching his scalp, making Victor almost purr in delight.

"Hmmmm." He moaned, too entertained with how she was making him feel to form a proper answer.

"You’re tense." She declared as she reached back to feel his shoulders.

"Just a little tired." His arms circled her waist, as she turned to him.

"Dinner will be ready in 10." She spoke while she continued to work on the knots of his shoulders. "Get yourself out of that suit and have a shower. We got it covered here."

She playfully hit him in the chest, pushing him away from her. As revenge, Victor stole a kiss, a soft sweet kiss that made her sigh when he broke it. Feeling smug with her reaction, he left Andrea to her own devices, heading for the bedroom. A steamy shower definitely sounded very good. Despite Andy's massage, his shoulders still felt sore.

"Owen has some news for us today." His wife declared at the dinner table, winking at their son.

"Let's hear it." Victor lifted his eyes to his son, giving him his undivided attention.

"Next week it will be Career Day at my school." Owen said, excited. "They want us to bring one of our parents to class for Show and Tell, to explain to our classmates what they do for a job."

"What an excellent initiative." Victor nodded in approval, reaching for his glass of wine. "You could ask your mother, she will have a lot to talk about, between her study and LCG."

Owen didn't reply, looking down instead.

"I'm not the only option on the table here." His wife intervened. "You could go."

"Nonsense, you are clearly the best option." Victor retorted. "You could bring the GESA award to show the kids, talk about the study, your work at LCG, how your ideas may change the economy as we know it. Besides, you are practically their size. I bet they will find that both amusing and inspiring." He teased.

His wife was glaring at him, probably not happy with his witty remark.

"I think your mother should go, Owen." Victor concluded, trying to diffuse the tension his joke caused. "I'm sure she will do an excellent job."

"Would you mind coming, Mom?" Owen mumbled, looking down.

"Of course I wouldn't, Bug. It will be my pleasure." She caressed the boy's hair lovingly, a hint of sadness in her smile.

Victor watched both of them, somewhat intrigued. Why were both so morose? Weren't they happy with his suggestion?

"May I be excused?" Owen placed his napkin on the table. "I need to feed my ants."

"You may." Victor smiled. "By the way, how is the colony going?"

"Well." Owen left the kitchen without any other word.

Victor furrowed his eyebrows in confusion. When it came to his ant colony, Owen was usually a lot more talkative.

"What's the matter with him?" He almost whispered to his wife. "Did something else happen at school?"

"You are a clueless idiot." Andrea threw at him, irritated.

"What!? Why? What did I do?"

"Don't you think that if he wanted me to go, he would have asked me already?" She scolded him. "He wanted to invite you, and you shot him down before he had a chance."

"Me? You are obviously the best choice, why would he want me?"

"Because you are his father, you big moron!" She almost yelled, carefully adjusting her tone after. "Look, you are his father figure, his male example, the one that he looks up to. He never really had anything like that before. This is important for him, he finally has a father he can be proud of. Basically, he wants to show you off to his friends. God only knows why, you’re an idiot in a suit."

For a brief moment, Victor recalled the moment he sought out for his father's attention and approval, only to be met with closed doors and reprimands on how children shouldn’t waste an adult's time with trivialities. He remembered how much it hurt him to be ignored, to not be important, to be treated like a nuisance. Victor refused to let his son go through the same thing, but most importantly, he refused to be the one making Owen feel like that.

"I see."

"Finally. Now go fix it." She urged.

He found the boy sitting with his legs crossed on the floor, staring absentmindedly at his ant farm. He could see himself at that very same age, and almost guess what was going through his son's mind. Owen was probably blaming himself for not being interesting enough, trying to find a way to make his father notice him.

Victor sat silently on the bed, waiting for Owen to acknowledge his presence. The boy looked at him with sad brown eyes, deep and dark, making the freckles on his nose stand out.

"Is it bedtime yet?" Owen asked, getting up from the floor.

"No, I just wanted to have a word with you."

"Am I in trouble?"

"Do we only talk when you're in trouble?" Victor couldn't help but feel slightly offended. "Sit beside me."

Owen obeyed, sitting next to his father, an expectant look on his face. Victor took a moment to think about how he would approach the subject. He couldn't tell the boy about the conversation he just had with his mother.

"Maybe we made a hasty decision regarding who is coming to Career Day."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, I did say your mother was the best choice. However, after careful consideration, I think I may be a very interesting choice as well. I mean, I know most of your friends from playing soccer in the park, I'm fairly popular already. One could even say I'm... cool."

"You want to go?"

"That is for you to decide. But I would be honored if you’d take me."

"I was going to ask you." Owen confessed. "I even asked Mom if that would hurt her feelings, and she said she would be happy if I chose you."

"Why didn't you say so, then?"

"Because I know you are very busy, especially now that you are opening that new business in France. I overheard Mom scolding you the other day for not getting enough sleep. I thought you were saying Mom could go because you were too tired. And if you are too tired, it's selfish of me to ask."

Victor smiled at the little boy as he pulled him into his lap. He was barely five, and he could be so considerate. He playfully poked his little freckled nose.

"Even if that was the case, even if I was too tired, I would still go. You know why?"

The boy shook his head.

"Because I love you." Victor replied in a soft voice. "You are my son, and there is nothing I wouldn't do for you."

Small arms wrapped around Victor's neck in a tight hug. And the sweetest voice spoke the sweetest words.

"I love you too, Dad. Thank you for doing this, it will be so cool!” He jumped excitedly. “I can already imagine what my classmates will say about the cool things you do at work! Do you know what you will bring to your presentation? Megan's father is a trainer at the zoo, she says he may bring a parrot!"

Victor's stomach turned cold. Only at that moment did he realize what he truly agreed on.

The task sounded fairly simple: to explain his job to a room full of five-year-olds. It turned out, it was a lot harder than he expected.

His job entailed many complicated concepts, like risk assessment and profit analysis, and had big words like enterprise value, equity, and horizontal integration. Those things were already hard enough to explain to a child, but worse than that, they were boring. He had to make his job look interesting, and although it would be fairly easy to seduce an adult by showing profit, children didn't respond to money. He had to make it entertaining, and simple. Yet, he had no idea how. Nothing about his job would seem entertaining to a child.

But then one day, while running, he recalled his Economics teacher’s words from one of his lectures: Economy has existed since primitive times, where things were much simpler, and an economic transaction meant trading meat for animal skin or a cutting tool. The act of trading baseball cards during recess could be considered an economic transaction. To explain it, he would just have to trade the fancy terms for things children could relate to.

Finally, he had a plan. A good one. That didn't mean he wasn't nervous.

“Do you want to call Mom and tell her to come instead?” The boy asked from the backseat as they were driving to school.

“What? No, I’m fine.” Victor gripped the wheel tighter, trying to steady himself.

“Are you sure?” Victor saw his boy frown from the rearview mirror. “You look like you have a tummy ache.”

Did he? He immediately relaxed his face, trying to remain expressionless.

“Mom told me you would be like this.” Owen smiled with a knowing look. “She told me to tell you that you just need to use the charm you used on her.”

Yes, Victor could do that, he had some good moments with Andrea. Well, apart from the interview, and when her car broke down, with the heavy rain and... nipples. And being so embarrassed he could barely speak. The memory only made him more nervous.

He marched bravely into school with a box full of containers with cherries and a bag full of lollipops. Owen was exhilarated to have his father with him, jumping happily in the halls, showing him every piece of art he had made that was on display. Victor, on the other hand, was sweating from nervousness, hoping the AC in Owen's classroom was freezing cold. The teacher jumped on the spot when she saw him.

“Mr. Lee?” She came to him hurriedly, looking puzzled when she saw Victor place the containers in one of the empty desks. “The Principal didn’t tell me you were visiting. By the way, where is he? Are you here unattended? Is this about a fund or something? How can I help you?”

“I’m here for Career Day. We still haven’t had the pleasure to meet.” Victor extended his hand to the teacher. “I’m Victor Lee, Owen’s father.”

“Owen, you didn’t tell me your father was Victor Lee!” She looked down on the boy, flushed.

“I told you my father was a CEO.” Owen quipped, frowning slightly.

“Well, still, how would I know it was Victor Lee?”

“My name is Owen Lee.”

The teacher fanned herself, eyeing Victor with a weird smile.

“Mr. Lee, I know that our installations aren’t quite what you are used to, but I hope you do feel welcome.”

“I’m sure they will do perfectly, thank you.”

Victor was wrong. The chairs were too small for an adult, especially one of his stature. However, standing up was also not an option, as he would be beside Owen and he would block the view, so he had no choice but to sit on the tiny chair, with his legs awkwardly crossed, looking like an idiot.

Megan's father was the first, and he did bring the parrot, making him do all kinds of tricks. The children and the teacher laughed at the animal's shenanigans, and Victor couldn't help but feel disheartened, knowing this presentation would be very hard to top.

Then came Caleb's mother, who was a physician. She taught the kids the many functions of the main organs in the human body, bringing with her a kidney in a jar. The class was rowdy as they passed the jar around, amazed to be able to see a real kidney, like the ones they had in their very small bodies.

"Next we have Owen's father, Mr. Lee, a very successful entrepreneur in Loveland. He will talk about his job as a CEO of an investment company." The teacher announced.

Victor faced the twenty children in front of him, who were looking at him with wide eyes, waiting for him to start. In almost 15 years of being a CEO, he had attended important meetings with notorious businessmen, oil tycoons, rulers and politicians. He had dinner meetings with the mafia and other shady characters, people that held incredible power and precious information, but could also kill him without a second thought.

He could conclude, without a shadow of a doubt, that children were scarier.

For a second he wished he could be like Andrea. She would know what to do. She would probably greet the children with a goofy gesture, making them all laugh. She was fun and witty, she knew what children liked. Victor paused, remembering his wife’s words through his son’s mouth. He could be funny too, he always made her laugh, it had become one of his favorite hobbies. Maybe she was right. Maybe he could do this. With a new sense of confidence, and with a side note to thank his wife for her encouraging words, Victor approached his audience.

“Good afternoon, Ladies and Gentlemen.” He started, ceremoniously. “First of all, I would like to thank you for your time and attention, and the honor of your invitation. My name is Victor Lee, and I’m the CEO of Loveland Financial Group.”

Encouraged by their teacher, all the children applauded.

“Before I begin to explain exactly what I do, let me start with a question. Who knows what an investor does?”

All the children were quiet until a little girl spoke.

“Is it someone who goes to the market and screams ‘Buy! Buy!’ and ‘Sell! Sell!’?

“You mean the stock market?” Victor chuckled. “Yes, it can be, although there are many kinds of investments. At LFG, what we do is help companies grow by lending them money, which they pay us, but with interest. Does anyone know what interest is?”

Many kids raised their hands.

“Is it when things aren’t boring? Like, they are interesting?”

“Ha. No.” Victor forgot that the words would have a different meaning to five-year-olds. “For example, someone asks LFG for ten dollars. The company lends it but asks in return for eleven dollars. That extra dollar is the interest.”

“That’s not very nice.” A freckled boy raised his hand. “Sharing is caring.”

Victor felt himself blush slightly. The boy had made a perfectly logical remark that unfortunately didn’t fit in the financial world. And he didn’t have the faintest clue on how he could explain it better.

“It is nice, because my dad doesn’t just give the money. My mom and dad work with the companies to help them grow, and they get to keep the tools she gives them forever. My dad gives them the money and asks for more because he also helps them get better.” Owen chimed in, basically saving him. Although it wasn’t exactly accurate, it wasn’t wrong either. Victor couldn’t be more proud.

“That is correct and beautifully worded, Owen, thank you.” He smiled at his boy. “Now, to fully understand the kind of work that a CEO of an investment company does, I would like to invite you all to be, for ten minutes, CEOs.” He ceremoniously declared. “Owen, could you help distribute the boxes and the candy to your friends?”

Owen quickly obliged, and in a moment, all the kids had with them a box of cherries and a lollipop.

“Ok, imagine you are the CEO of an investment company-”

“What is the company called?” The freckled boy asked again. Victor suppressed a sigh of exasperation.

“Whatever you want to call it. It’s your company.”

“Can I call it Unicorn?” A little girl raised her hand.

“Yes, you can. Now…”

“Can I call it Wayne Enterprises? Do you think I could be Batman?”

Victor’s memory took another trip down memory lane, to the day his wife blackmailed him into making that ridiculous Batman recording. He felt his cheeks getting slightly warmer. Luckily, the teacher intervened.

“Alright class, it’s nice to see you this excited but we need to let Mr. Lee speak, alright?”

“Thank you. So, as I was saying, imagine you are in a meeting, as CEOs, and two different companies are asking for investment: a lollipop factory and an orchard that grows cherries. You can pick only one. Which one would you pick? Place your hand on your choice.”

Every single child, except for one, held their lollipops. He turned to the girl that picked the cherries.

“Interesting choice. Why would you invest in the cherry producer?”

“Because I want to invest in a company that makes a lot of money. Cherries are more expensive than lollipops.”

Victor smiled at her insightfulness. She was probably a CEO in the making.

“True, but cherries only grow in the spring, that’s why they are more expensive. The candy factory can make lollipops all year.” He retorted. “You still think the orchard makes more money than the candy factory?”

“Yes, because my mom will let me have cherries but won’t buy me candy.” A boy chimed in, and other children agreed.

“Demand, very good, we need to see what sells best. What else would you use to make a decision?” Victor was excited, watching the proverbial wheels turn in their little heads. “What does it take to produce each of the products?”

“You need a factory to make lollipops. In an orchard, you just need to water the trees.”

“Very well, and you need sugar, and flavors and other ingredients, while in the cherries’ case, is given for free by nature. So, have we decided on the orchard?”

“Yes!” They screamed in unison.

“Seems like we have a unanimous decision. And for the record, what we just did here is a very simplistic version of a risk assessment, a study every investor needs to make to know if the investment is worthwhile. Of course, there are other things I do as a CEO, but I can’t possibly describe them in such a short time.” He paused for a moment, all the children’s eyes on him. “Does anyone have any questions before we finish?”

“Are all CEOs men?” A girl asked from the back.

“Of course not. Women can be CEOs too, my wife is a CEO from a different company. And if you ask me, she’s more successful than I am.” He made a silly face, and all the children laughed.

He couldn’t believe it was going so well.

“Anything else?”

“My father says businessmen are dicks in a suit.” A boy declared, while his father looked like he was close to infarction.

“Timothy!” The teacher chastised.

“Well, I can tell you that can definitely be true in some cases.” Victor spoke wholeheartedly. “In any area, you can find good and bad professionals. But let me tell you all about the three qualities I feel a good CEO should have.” Victor raised his hand, lifting his fingers as he spoke. “Intelligence, resilience, and responsibility. Intelligence because we need to know where we stand at all times and make quick decisions, and they better be the right ones, or else we can lose our business. Resilience because the financial world is a fluctuating one, and everything may change in a blink of an eye. We must be resilient enough to embrace the change, and make it work in our favor. And lastly, responsibility, because as we invest, we are not only dealing with our money or a faceless company. We can change the world with our choices, allowing technology, health, and education to evolve so there is improvement in everyone’s lives. I personally invest only in companies where employees are treated with fairness, and environmental rules are respected. We need to put the power we hold to good use and make this world a better place. If we all understand the smallest of our actions can impact the world tremendously, I’m sure miracles will happen.”

“Well, that was brilliantly said.” The teacher cleared her throat, starting to clap. “A big applause to Mr. Lee, thank you for being with us today.”

Victor returned to the car with a smug smile on his face, and a sense of accomplishment he hadn’t felt in a very long time. He had done well, he had honored his son and made him happy. However, as he started the car to leave, he saw his son through the rearview mirror, lost in thought.

“Everything ok back there?” He frowned at the mirror. “Is there something upsetting you?”

“No, I’m ok.” The boy looked up.

“You’re happy?”

“Yes.” The boy smiled.

“I think the presentation went well.” Victor started the car. “Your friends seemed to like it.”

“Yes, it was fun! And we had candy and cherries as a snack, none of the other parents brought snacks.”

Victor smirked, adding that point to his mental scoreboard.

“So why the long face?”

Owen seemed to momentaneously return to his thoughts before he answered Victor’s question.

“I don’t think I want to be an entomologist anymore.”

Victor gave his son a knowing smile.

“I knew the parrot would interest you.”

“No, parrots are dumb!” Owen seemed slightly offended. “I want to be a CEO, just like you.”

Victor could remember himself, at the same age, saying the same thing to his father, to get his approval.

“Owen, you can be whatever you want to be. I will still support you, no matter what you decide.”

“Then you’ll teach me?”

Victor smiled widely, his heart filled with pride.

“I will teach you everything I know.” He was about to offer the keys to his kingdom, but then remembered how he refused the same from his father, wanting to make his own path.

The epiphany came suddenly, clearing his vision and the fear he couldn’t shake from his heart: he had traveled a different road from his father in so many ways. He was a present and loving husband, with a healthy relationship with Andrea. And he was a present and loving partner, caring and supporting his son in every step of his life.

And that meant so much more than being a powerful CEO. Those were the footsteps he wanted his son to follow. The ones that led to happiness.

Author's Note: This project has been going for a year now (it started in February 2020) and it won't be over any time soon, so I would like to ask you, as much as possible, for your support, because we still have a very long way to go. So, if you enjoy the work, don't forget to comment and reblog. It gives it traction and enables other people to learn about it, and for me to get more excited about what I do.

#victor mldd #mlqc victor #love and producer fanfic #li zeyan #Growing Pains - Series #growingtogether #victor x oc #dad victor

30 notes · View notes

randomoranges · 2 years

Text

cheers to you, teachers. we made it and we did not.

Maybe Just Another Drink More [Honey, Get me Beer]

Étienne makes his way from the washroom to the living room and lets himself fall without grace on the sofa. He sits, quiet, besides Edward, and the silence around them feels somewhat loaded. A moment and then two pass, before Étienne reaches over for the bottle of wine Edward had been steadily taking sips from.

His boyfriend hesitates for a moment, before handing it over and Étienne brings the bottle to his lips to take a deep drink from it.

It’s been a day.

It’s been many days, really.

For the next while, they pass the bottle back and forth and do only that, both lost in their own thoughts, both coping and reeling in their own ways. Over the news. Over the changes. Over everything.

Another year, another year, and it somehow feels like nothing has changed.

“Thought you didn’t like wine,” Edward finally says, breaking their musings and the silent cloud around them both.

Étienne shrugs and holds the bottle close. It had been gifted to Edward just earlier today. A deep red, by the looks and taste of it. Étienne hadn’t bothered to read the label. He’ll have a killer headache later, but right now, he doesn’t care. At least he’ll feel something else other than despair and misery.

And emptiness.

And anger.

And –

“Didn’t want to leave you drinking alone. Figured I’d share in the misery.”

Edward lets out a soft exhale of air and rests his head on Étienne’s shoulder.

“When did it get about surviving ‘til the Christmas break? When did it get so hard?” He asks, voicing the questions that had been running in most teachers heads over the past few weeks.

Étienne puts the bottle down and instead runs a hand through Edward’s hair. His boyfriend sags against him and Étienne lets him be for a moment, mulling over an answer.

When had it gotten so hard, really? Sure, the lead up to the holidays was always a little chaotic. The kids were excited and tired, the teachers were tired as well – but it had never seemed like a race that dragged on and that sapped all energies out of them.

Sure, there’s the quality of students that has changed; between issues these children face now that they didn’t before and the phenomena known as les enfants rois, but it feels different from that as well. There’s something else to it.

“This pandemic has fucked us all over.” Étienne tells him quietly.

Edward groans, knowing he’s right. “Today was the worst. When I had to tell them that basically, Christmas is cancelled once more. They were looking forward to tomorrow so badly.”

Étienne gives his shoulder a squeeze. He had it easier, in a sense, not having an actual group. Not having to deal with shattered hopes and reactions.

“Last year they cut us off a few days before and we had nothing for the last day. This year – it was supposed to be different.”

Throughout the morning, there had been murmurs. Rumours, really, about what the 1 o’clock press conference would be about. The talk of schools closing had been very present and Edward had hoped that it wouldn’t happen. Already, half his class was missing, due to concerned parents keeping their kids at home, what with the rising case numbers. It had felt odd, only having fifteen kids instead of twenty-nine. He’d been looking forward to the crazy festivities of the following day. Pyjama day. Breakfast in class. Giving the kids their little gifts. Bonding with them. Having a day of fun instead of academics.

When he’d gotten the school e-mail, telling them that there would be no school tomorrow, he’d been crushed. Breaking the news to the students had been harder still. Sure, he’d been looking forward to the break and yes, he was exhausted and done with them, but he still felt robbed. Of something. An anticlimactic ending, really. Aborted at the last moment.

He understands why the call was made, but it feels like too little too late. Again. Again and again and again. Back to square one. One step forward, eight steps back.

“I know, chéri, I know.” Étienne kisses the top of his head and Edward makes himself small in his boyfriend’s side. Étienne had been on the organising comity for the activities that would have happened tomorrow. He, with the other specialist teachers, had spent time and energy organising special activities that would follow the health protocols so that the students could have some semblance of fun. And now, that too had been scrapped and tossed aside.

“I’m so tired of this. It’s not as if we couldn’t see this coming. They cram us in to the brim and then act surprised. I’m so tired...” He trails off and Étienne lets him, offering a supportive shoulder to vent to.

They’d been so close, really. To having some semblance of normal again, but it’s back to the drawing board for now. The exhaustion of not knowing when things will go back to “normal” weighs on them, and they have no choice but to soldier on, despite the toll it’ll take on them. The students. The parents. Everyone, really.

Étienne reaches for the bottle of wine and takes another swig.

FIN

#pc: montreal #pc: edmonton #edward murphy #étienne maisonneuve #au #teacher au #christmas song bonanza 2k21

5 notes · View notes

primasveraas-writing · 3 years

Text

Finnpoe Modern AU- Single Dad!Poe- PART 2

Lmao so Part 2 was supposed to be focused on Finn and Poe’s relationship but that didn’t happen as planned so. yknow. Now there’s a Part 3 on the way where more things actually happen, Finnpoe-wise, and that should explain more about their relationship. It is also very possible that a Part 4 may happen, but all of this is for after finals end next week ANYWAY

Thank you again to Eliane, who had the original idea for this headcanon!

Part One l Part Two l Part Three

XXX

BB makes it through preschool and starts kindergarten the next year

He's nearly a year older than his classmates, but Poe is still terrified on the first day of school

He's less scared than the first first day, and now BB is comfortable enough to stick his tongue out at his dad when he catches Poe wiping tears out of the corner of his eye

But BB still allows a hug, long and tight, when it's time to say goodbye

He signs goodbye! with ease, and pride and bittersweet sorrow swell in Poe's chest

BB has a group of friends by the end of the week

BB has a lot to say, Poe hears from their parents, and Poe chuckles to himself at that

By now, Poe feels more secure in being a single parent, but he remembers Shara's fire and how that was balanced so readily but Kes's calm demeanor

It seems that BB is inheriting all of Poe's sass and spirit, totally untempered

(He doesn't mind in the slightest, though he fears the day BB realizes he can out-sarcasm his father)

Sometimes, BB complains that his Deaf friends can sign better than him, and Poe feels a pang of guilt. They've been learning together, and after a year, they've come a long way, but there are still hurdles

On top of his other classes, BB spends his afternoons in the special education classroom

They find a sense of community there; children and parents who have had similar experiences

It's easier then, better than the year before. The father and son have settled in somewhat, even though Poe dreads the end of the year- BB will switch buildings and teachers and everything will be new again

Despite the impending change, BB thrives. He can write a few shaky words and he's nearly entirely fluent in ASL by the time kindergarten ends

The summer flies by: BB is six already, losing teeth, joining the soccer team

He plays #8 on the team. He's fiercely into it, which isn't entirely helped by Poe screaming his support on the sidelines

Jess, Karé, and Snap all yell too; Kes is the only one who shows his enthusiasm at normal volumes, although Poe can never quite forget the game when BB got fouled and Kes sulked about it the entire night

They meet BB's new teachers in August, a couple of weeks before the start of school

Poe's prepared for this now. He knows what to advocate for, how to navigate the reactions to BB and the calm, placating smiles from people who look lost when they first meet his son

BB's teachers are kind, at the very least. Poe had been a public school kid, but with some financial help from Kes, he'd managed to get BB into a slightly more controlled environment- it's a private school, still a relatively big one, but Poe chose it for its positive reputation and special needs programs

His boss, Leia, had endorsed the decision- her twin brother worked in the district, and if nothing else, Poe trusts Leia’s judgment

But most of all, BB was happy there in both preschool and kindergarten, and that’s all that truly matters

They end up at the special education classroom last on the tour of the new building- Poe nods at a few familiar faces before an older-looking man introduces himself as Luke. He shakes Poe's hand firmly and signs hello back at BB, who's staring up at him, unabashed

I'm Luke, he signs, and doesn't even raise an eyebrow when BB tells him to call me BB

“I work with your sister, I think- Leia Organa,” Poe says because Luke seems all-too-familiar, and Luke nods quickly

“My little sister, yes. She’s mentioned you. She says she reminds you of her husband when he was younger.” Luke raises an eyebrow. “You’re not a troublemaker, are you?”

“No,” Poe says automatically, at the same time BB signs yes!

You’re a troublemaker, too, Poe reminds the boy, ruffling BB’s hair. His son snorts, shaking his head, and peers around Luke to see the rest of the room

“Leia likes troublemakers. She’s the best one of all,” Luke says matter-of-factly, then grins. "But- you'll want to meet the rest of our staff," Luke says, signing as he speaks and peering around the room

"There's Mr. C, and there's Finn. He's new this year, too"

Poe's stomach twists at the words- he's all for giving the benefit of the doubt, but he'd hoped for someone with a little more experience

That's his first impression of Finn- the second is that Finn is-

-well, Finn is hot. Nicely fitting jeans and a gratuitous v-neck, accompanied by a winning smile that flashes before the two men's eyes meet

Finn's eyes are warm and brown and it melts Poe on the spot

BB has already abandoned him, tearing across the room and offering his hand to Finn. Poe blinks, trying to get his thoughts in order, and introduces himself to Finn

The young man is right out of grad school (he came highly recommended, and they had to fight to get him, Luke chimes in, while Finn studies his feet), but he's always wanted to teach, even if he had a brief military stint that ended poorly

My abuela was Air Force, BB supplies

She must have been talented, Finn answers. I think I'd get scared all the way up there

I wouldn't! BB replies at lightning speed, and oh no, Finn's laugh is just as delightful as every other aspect of him

They talk for a few minutes more before Finn is stolen away by other parents and Poe decides to talk to other teachers

(I’ll be seeing you, Finn,” Poe says, and Finn just smiles back, but Poe can’t help but sneak glances at the other man, even with distance now between them

Finn catches him just once, and grins at Poe widely)

Poe doesn’t see BB’s teachers too often- there are stories from his son, occasional phone calls, and parent-teacher conferences, but he runs into Finn fairly often outside of BB-related happenings

The younger man has an apartment within a mile of Poe’s, and Luke and Leia seem somewhat determined to drag their protégés out once in a while

Dinners on a few occasions is one thing, but Poe also discovers that he and Finn frequent the same bars

(Frequent, Poe thinks, is a liberal term for a teacher and a single dad, but he does to find a free night once in a blue moon)

(It makes sense, Poe also realizes, that he would run into a man who wears sensible v-necks at the only gay bar in town)

Poe is nursing a whisky, scanning the room for anyone as tired and old as he is, when he spots Finn half hiding in a booth near the back of the room, a young brunette woman slumped next to him

They look slightly out of place, and Poe is debating if he should go say hi or not when the woman looks up at him, her gaze piercing. Poe looks away, the tips of his ears burning, but he can see her whispering to Finn out of the corner of his eye

Poe is staring determinedly at the melting ice in his drink when he hears slight scuffling behind him, then a voice says “Hi Poe, good to see you.”

Finn’s tone is somewhere between the one he uses on conference night and a clearly forced effort to sound casual, so Poe musters his best smile

“Hey Finn,” he says, friendly, then his mind goes blank

“I didn’t realize I would see you here,” Finn blurts, and his eyes go wide. His companion gives a huffy sigh before nudging Finn’s side with her elbow and retreating back to their booth

“I didn’t know you were- that you go to-” Poe is just as flustered, and neither he nor Finn can meet the other’s eyes. “-that you go to gay bars,” he finishes lamely

“I do,” Finn says, voice soft as he stares at the ground. “Well, not too often but Rey-” he jerks his head back to indicate the woman conspicuously watching them from her seat- “has been stressed lately and I wanted her to have a good night.”

Poe takes a sip of his drink. “She your girlfriend?”

There’s no hope of any sort of recovery now- Poe is vaguely tipsy, a lightweight after his son changed all his evening plans for the past two years, and Finn seems beyond flustered, but this conversation started badly, anyways

“She’s not my girlfriend,” Finn says firmly. “We’re gay- I mean she’s gay- well, I’m bi, but she’s gay- a lesbian. We only kissed once and it was real bad. We’re both single and not dating each other.”

“Good to know.” Poe says mildly, at risk of embarrassing Finn even more. Then:

“Can I buy you a drink?”

#poe dameron #poe dameron fanfic #finnpoe #finnpoe fanfic #stormpilot #stormpilot fanfiction #stormpilot imagine #stormpilot headcanons #stormpilot fanfic #stormpilot au #finnpoe au #finnpoe fanfiction #finnpoe imagine #finnpoe headcanons #finn #star wars #Star Wars Sequels #star wars au #star wars modern au

41 notes · View notes

doc-pickles · 3 years

Text

won’t let no one break your heart (part four)

“Have the girls been adjusting well?”

“As well as they can be. Things have gotten better over the last few weeks.”

Jo and Alex sat in an empty conference room on the Peds floor with Martha, who was doing a check in with them. The girls had been with them for two months now, all four of them getting more and more used to their new living situation. Sadie had started back at school three weeks ago and Molly had adjusted quickly to the hospital daycare.

“You know, as of three days ago Sadie and Molly are officially wards of the state. Dad was let out on bail and OD’d within 12 hours of being released. Mom passed shortly after Molly was born,” Martha glanced up at Jo and Alex, who were both wearing shocked expressions. “Have you two thought about adopting? Both girls seem very attached to you and they’re both thriving. Sadie’s teacher said this is the most focused she’s been all school year.”

“Ummm we hadn't considered it actually,” Jo’s words come slowly, the shock on her face speaking for her. “We’re expecting a little boy in three and half months, taking on two more wasn’t really in the cards.”

“Well you two have been doing an excellent job regardless,” Martha packed her bag up and stood to leave. She turned back to Jo and Alex, who were still sitting there stunned, a smirk on her face. “Think about it, it might be good for you and for them.”

Alex’s mind whirled as he processed Martha’s words. Sadie and Molly had fit so easily into his and Jo’s routine that sometimes he forgot their arrangement was temporary. Both girls were beyond excited for the newest addition, always giving them new suggestions for baby names. (Molly’s favorite was currently Pinecone while Sadie’s was Elsa.)

If he was being honest, Alex would admit that he had considered adopting the girls more than once. The way that Sadie and Molly cuddled into his side on early Saturday mornings and how his wife always made sure to tuck them in no matter how tired she was cemented in his mind that the girls belonged with them. He knew Jo didn’t see eye to eye with him, but he also knew that a lot of her apprehension over the matter had to do with the fact that going from no kids to three kids in the house was terrifying to think about.

Both Jo and Alex’s pagers lit up, breaking them out of their daze with a 911 page to Trauma 2. They both stood and exited the conference room, boarding an empty elevator that slowly began its journey downstairs.

“Hey this probably means we get a case together,” Jo grinned at Alex, gripping his hand tightly. “We almost never get to work together anymore.”

Alex froze then, Jo was right. They never got paged together, especially with Jo being a fellow who didn’t usually work on cases that came through the ER anymore. His heart dropped, realizing that maybe there wasn't a case and something was wrong.

As soon as the elevator doors had opened, Alex knew he was right, Even from this far back, he could hear the screams coming from the trauma bay that he was all too familiar with. Jo broke her hand away from his, jogging as fast as she could towards Molly’s screams.

“She got hit in the forehead with a block, she probably won’t even need stitches but I think the blood is freaking her out,” Owen is standing in front of Alex now, but he can barely process what he’s saying as Molly continues to scream. “We haven’t been able to calm her down since they brought her over.”

Alex pushes past Owen, following the screams until he’s standing behind Jo outside of the trauma room. He watches as Molly finally sees Jo, her screams turning into cries as she outstretches her hands towards her, “Mama! Mama, Mama!”

If Jo is fazed by Molly’s words she doesn’t show it as she surges forward and gathers the little girl in her arms, “It’s okay baby, you’re alright.”

Molly’s cries finally settle down to whimpers as Jo rocks her back and forth, allowing Alex to look at the cut on her forehead. Owen’s right, the cut is shallow and won’t need stitches, but Molly’s face is dripping with blood. He quickly cleans her up, watching as she slowly falls asleep on Jo’s shoulder. Once she’s out, Alex takes the toddler from Jo, watching as she collapses into a fit of tears.

“I heard her screaming and I thought the worst. And she was covered in blood and I just…,” Jo takes a deep breath before a sob breaks from her throat, Alex pulling her into his chest as she continues to cry. He’d truly never seen Jo so upset, her body shaking as she curled into his embrace.

Alex knew then that he needed to convince Jo of what she couldn’t see, that she too had grown attached to the little girls that slept across the hall from them. Her fear was clouding her judgement, he knew damn well that Jo would be a great mother, she already practically was one to Sadie and Molly. Afterall, it was her who Molly had called out for and been comforted by.

Looking between Molly and Jo curled up against him, Alex couldn’t help but feel like things were falling into place for them. Everyday both Sadie and Molly taught him something new about being a parent and showed him that he didn’t have a reason to be scared about parenthood. He just hoped that Jo could see what he did…

Three days after Molly’s ER run in, Alex is blindsided by a completely different situation. He’d just finished his work for the day and was about to find Jo and Molly when both of them showed up on the Peds floor.

“Hey, I was just about to go and find you two,” Alex leaned down to kiss Jo’s cheek, his tired brain finally registering the woman standing behind his wife. “Mom? What’re you doing here?”

“I came to surprise my son and daughter in law, but instead I found out that they’ve got two and a half kids they’ve been hiding from me,” Helen leaned up to kiss Alex’s cheek, chuckling at his sheepish expression. “Oh don’t feel bad dear, this little one has already buttered me up, haven’t you Molly?”

A nervous smile spread across Alex’s cheeks as he avoided his mom’s gaze. He had only recently told his mom that she was going to be a grandmother again, but he hadn’t mentioned how far along Jo was. He was certain that if the six month baby bump his wife was sporting wasn’t enough to shock her, that the toddler on her hip was.

Alex looked from Helen to Jo, who shrugged at him to indicate that she was just as thrown off as he was. Turning back to his mom, he tried to look as sincere as possible, “Sorry mom, we’ve been… overwhelmed around here. But the girls aren’t ours, it’s just temporary.”

“Why don’t we head back to the house? It’s almost time to pick Sadie up anyways,” Jo looked to Alex with a small smile, her expression calm as if to say she would handle the situation. “We can order pizza and you can show off the new house to your mom.”

The drive to pick up Sadie and back home was loaded with Alex and Jo filling Helen in on everything happening in their lives, including how Sadie and Molly had fallen into their laps. As soon as they’d picked up Sadie though, her and Helen couldn’t stop talking. The six year old had instantly bonded with ‘Nana Helen’ and had a million questions for her.

Once they arrived back at the house, Jo hurried the girls upstairs for a bath while Alex showed his mom around the new house. A smile appeared on Helen’s face as they walked into the bedroom that they’d made up for the girls, “You know you have that same sense about you that you did when you would take care of your siblings. Like you’d do anything for those girls.”

“Well, I would, they’re special,” Alex tried to brush his mom’s comment off, but the words stuck with him. “Their case worker wants us to make it official, adopt them ya know? And Jo isn’t sold on it, but…”

“But you are, you’re already hooked,” Helen let out a small laugh at Alex’s shocked face. “Don’t act so surprised, I am your mother after all. I know that you want to keep them, so does your wife even if she can’t see that. Have you seen the way her face lights up when Molly calls her mama?”

“Oh don’t get me started on that,” Alex chuckled, wrapping an arm around his mom and bringing her into his side. “I’ll win her over. Or the girls will… either way, I think you might get three new grandkids here soon.”

After dinner had finished, Molly and Sadie both found themselves cuddled into Helen’s side while the family watched a movie together. While Molly was invested in the movie, Sadie was watching with wide eyes as Helen knitted in front of her, “What is that going to be?”

“It’s a hat for the baby,” Helen pulled at the green yarn, explaining the stitches to Sadie. “I figured he might need something to keep him warm since it’s so cold in Seattle.”

“That’s a big hat for a tiny baby,” Sadie mused, causing Alex to chuckle from across the room. “What’s so funny Alex?”

“Nothing, the hat’s just big because Karev babies have extra big heads,” Jo’s hand comes up to slap Alex’s head, prompting him to look down at his wife who was stretched out across him. “What?! You’re the one that decided to procreate with me, you’ve seen my big ass head.”

“Alexander Michael! Language! There's children here,” Jo’s tone makes Alex laugh, hearing his foul mouthed wife berate him for saying the word ‘ass’ well and truly undoing him. “Stop laughing at me, you’re insufferable.”

As Alex and Jo settled in for the night, all he could think about was what his mom had said to him earlier. Jo was laid out in bed already, palms resting on her belly, “You know I don’t get it.”

“Get what?,” Alex looked up from where he was brushing his teeth, eyeing his wife as she stared at the ceiling.

“I don’t get how you can leave your baby, your own flesh and blood, at a fire station when they’re not even a week old. I could never imagine a world where making that decision makes sense,” Jo pauses for a moment, Alex watching as her mind works out her next words. “I can’t imagine doing that to our baby, I can’t even imagine doing that to Sadie and Molly and they’re not even ours. I just… I’ve been painting this picture in my head for years that my mom did the right thing but now I’m not so sure.”

Climbing into bed and wrapping his arms around his wife, Alex pressed a kiss to her neck, “You know I’ve been thinking.”

“Always dangerous words coming from you.”

“I think we should keep the girls, make it official,” Jo turned in his arms, her eyes blown wide as she met his pleading ones. “They’re doing so good here and they’re comfortable and-”

“Alex, in a few months we’re going to have a newborn,” Jo’s fingers looped through Alex’s to press against her stomach, as if to emphasize her point. “We agreed it was only temporary, three kids is a lot to take on.”

Knowing he’d either anger or freak out Jo if he kept pushing, Alex let out a sigh as he pressed a kiss into her head, “Okay, if you say no then it’s a no. I won’t ask again.”

He settles down then, his breathing evening out and his body almost asleep when he feels wet tears soaking into his shirt. Alex knows Jo’s mind is racing just the same as his, but she doesn’t want to entertain the same ideas that he has. Instead of bringing up his wife’s emotional state, he tightens his grip around her and rubs her back silently.

“Nana I don’t want you to go, what if you just stayed with us forever?”

Helen chuckles at Sadie’s pleading tone as she zips up her suitcase. Both Sadie and Molly are perched on Helen's bed in the guest room, watching with sad expressions as she made sure she has everything. In the three days that she’d been in Seattle, both girls had grown closer to Helen than any of the adults could’ve anticipated.

“I’m sorry sweetie, I have to get back home,” Helen sat between the girls, both of them immediately climbing into her lap. “But I do have a surprise for you two.”

Helen reached into her handbag and pulled out two bright green knitted hats, the same color as the tiny one she’d been working on the past few days. Both girls eagerly put the hats on, giggling as they looked at each other.

“We look like teddy bears Nana,” Sadie swatted at the two pompoms on top of Molly’s hat with a grin. “And we match the baby’s hat!”

“Well I didn’t want you to feel left out,” Helen looked between the girls and sent a wink in Sadie’s direction. “I have a feeling that you two will be good big sisters.”

The girls spent a few more minutes enjoying Helens presence before Alex came in and interrupted, “Alright girls we gotta get Nana to the airport. If you come with us we can go to the park after.”

Molly rushed to Alex's arms, the two walking out of the room as Sadie lingered behind and looked up to Helen with a worried expression, “Do you think next time you come back that me and Molly will still be here?”

“You know what,” Helen leaned down and pressed a kiss to Sadie’s forehead. “I think you will be.”

#jolex #alex karev #jo wilson #jo karev #greys anatomy #jo x alex #jolex fanfic #jolex fic #greys anatomy fanfic #nina writes

22 notes · View notes

theworldinclines · 4 years

Text

Title: pull my head out of the sand

Pairing: Wave/Pang

Ao3 link

Wave would like nothing more than to disappear beneath his blankets and never resurface. They’ve had setbacks before, but this afternoon was a setback like none they’d ever faced. The skin of his palms stings from how long he’d kept his fingernails dug in there, his helplessness toward the situation manifesting in impossibly tight fists and a stone lodged in his throat that he can hardly breathe around. It’s like as soon as they allow themselves a brief moment to believe things are looking up, this happens.

He doesn’t lock the door to his dorm-room anymore. He has microscopic cameras enabled all over the place, so it isn’t like anyone could waltz in and steal his belongings without his knowledge, and no one would have the nerve anyway. He keeps the door open because he has one visitor who is more like a roommate at this point in their third year, and he wouldn’t dream of locking him out.

Pang is crunched into the space beside Wave’s desk, his arms wrapping his knees into a bundle against his chest. It’s like he’s trying not to be seen, as if Wave could possibly miss him even with the only source of illumination being the desk-lamp. Wave doesn’t know what to say, and knows that there’s nothing much he could say that would make any of this alright.

He settles the bag of food onto his desk. He’d gone to the place down the road despite the awareness that Pang likely won’t eat for the rest of the night.

“Ohm snuck in to see what the deal was,” Wave says. “She’s… she’s doing okay. He thinks he heard the nurses say she’ll need surgery because her heart…” Wave can’t bring himself to look at Pang, so he instead looks at the wall in front of him where he’d put up a bulletin board.

More accurately, Pang had put it up. He’d asserted months ago that Wave’s dorm was depressing and gave no signs of his personality, which had never bothered Wave any. But Pang was relentless, as usual, and positioned a board right above Wave’s desk for random notes and photos in the hopes they’d add a bit of life to the room. In the weeks since and as Pang wanted, the board’s been covered in developed photos (courtesy of Korn) and stupidly endearing, funny notes (courtesy of Pang himself).

“She’ll likely have to go overseas,” Wave concludes, and lets the news hang in the air.

“If I’d been faster…” Pang begins, his voice hoarse, but he doesn’t go on.

“Then you’d both be in the hospital.”

“I should be,” Pang says. “I’m supposed to lead. I should’ve been the one in that conference room, not Namtaan.”

Wave shakes his head. “I thought what happened last year taught you not to play the hero.”

“That isn’t what I’m doing,” Pang insists. “I should’ve stopped the bomb when I knew what was going on. Instead I let Namtaan take a bullet she had no reason to take.”

“She isn’t dead, Pang. And she knew the risk she was taking; we all know the risks,” Wave says. “Every one of us is here despite them because what’s at stake is worth more in the long-run than ourselves.”

Pang doesn’t lift his gaze from the floor. He stares in silence, burning a hole into the carpet, and Wave leans back in his chair. He removes his glasses so that he can rub the bridge of his nose where he can feel his hours-old migraine still aching.

“I didn’t want her to get hurt either,” Wave says, because it’s the truth and he has a fear that Pang might believe otherwise. “I didn’t wake up this morning thinking that this was how today was going to go; I don’t think any of us could’ve known. But that’s all it is. We didn’t know. It’s the Anti-Gifted—”

“And who brought them in?” Pang asks. “If it hadn’t been for my stupid idea to include them, they wouldn’t even know about the Gifted.”

“Pang—”

“And if I hadn’t been too weak to just force them to not act, Namtaan wouldn’t have had to face a bomb on her own, no one would be hurt.”

“Are you done feeling sorry for yourself?” Wave asks, voice cold, and Pang looks at him then.

“What?”

“You aren’t the only one whose friend was hurt. Everyone’s a mess because of this, not just you. Namtaan was the first person in the Gifted who didn’t treat me like an outsider; after five years of putting on my own plasters, she was the one who insisted that I could accept help. And to thank her, I sent her to face a bomb alone because it seemed easier.”

“Easier? Easier than what?”

“Admitting that I didn’t want you to go,” Wave snaps. “Why do you think I didn’t message you to just go to the conference room?” Wave shakes his head again. “I knew you’d want to stop the bomb so before I even realised it I convinced myself it made sense for you to come to storage instead. No one should’ve been hurt. If you’d gone right away, no one… Namtaan wouldn’t be in the hospital, the teachers would be okay, and none of this would be happening.”

“Now who’s making it about himself?” Pang murmurs after a moment, and Wave is so taken aback that he actually snorts. Pang presses his hands against his eyes as he takes a breath. “We… can’t guess what we’re going to do under pressure,” he says eventually. “It isn’t on us what happened; there’s a million reasons and if we try to blame ourselves for all of them, we’d be here all night.”

“That sounds more like the leader I know,” Wave says, slightly teasing, and Pang shrugs.

“It’s just the truth,” Pang says, tired. “I won’t be over what happened today anytime soon, but what we can do with that is try to prevent anything like this from happening again. So none of us have to follow in Namtaan’s footsteps.” Pang looks down at his lap. “She was always the bravest of us.”

“Reckless, like you,” Wave suggests.

Pang huffs a laugh and Wave knows that he’s thinking about the several occasions Namtaan threw herself into the action at the expense of herself. Today hadn’t been an anomaly by any means.

“For the record,” Pang says after a moment, “if it had been me in your place, I wouldn’t have wanted to send you either. It’s a stupid what-if but I… I’d’ve been scared too. To let you go when I knew you could be hurt, or worse.”

Wave looks again at the mini cork-board on his wall, specifically at a note that Pang had pinned up himself (as is the case with most of the stuff on there). All it requests in Pang’s ridiculous scribbles is that Wave not forget to call him, months old and pointless by now because of course Wave didn’t forget, but he keeps the Post-It because he likes the reminder that he has someone to call.

It’s stupid, but he’s never had that before; anyone who cares whether Wave stays in contact. But Pang cares, so much, about everything. It’s something Wave used to find exasperating that he now… Okay, so he still finds it exasperating, but it’s endearing too.

And Pang and his gaggle of buddies—their buddies, Pang corrects in his head—have rubbed off on Wave; he cares too these days, because he has people and things to care for. But he has to admit that the person who had instigated the change in Wave is mostly Pang. That oaf had snaked his way into Wave’s center of being and it’s to the point where he doesn’t want to imagine any other way. That’s why this afternoon had been such a nightmare. Wave had subconsciously been made to choose between a good friend and the boy he… Well, it’s obvious, isn’t it?

Wave takes a breath and moves from his chair down to the floor to settle in beside Pang. Their arms press together and usually Wave would try to put distance to avoid that, but right now, in the hours following an explosion at their school and their friend was hospitalized, he’d rather not put on the cold front. He’s just too worn out to try.

“I’m sorry,” Pang says. Wave glances at him, questioning, and Pang clarifies, “I haven’t even asked… After everything, I shut down and didn’t even bother asking if you’re alright. Like you said, she’s your friend too.”

“I’m fine,” Wave affirms. “Sort of wish it’d been me though.”

“Wave.”

“It’s true. Namtaan already wasn’t in the greatest health and now… She doesn’t deserve this.”

“She doesn’t,” Pang agrees easily, “but neither do you.”

Pang’s words are as sincere as they always are, and Wave doesn’t know how to respond. Sometimes he thinks that he’s getting better at understanding whatever it is that’s going on between him and Pang, but more often than not Wave is left confused. How is he supposed to know what’s just in his head, wishful thinking about the boy Wave’s been unable to look away from since the moment he bumped into him at the canteen?

But the only thing Wave has ever been afraid to lose since junior high is right next to him, and it very well might be the after-effects of being involved in an explosion, but why in the hell is he letting days go by without doing something about how he feels? It could have been Pang in that conference room, it could have been Wave, and who knows where they’d be right now. If anything had happened to Pang without Wave having told him the truth, it would’ve killed him too, he’s sure.

“I think I… might head back to my room,” Pang says. “Put the food in your fridge and we can have it in the morning, okay?” He goes to push up off the floor but Wave’s hand on his wrist stops him. “What’s up?”

“I like you,” Wave says without preamble, and Pang blinks at him. “Don’t tell me you didn’t hear that. Pang, I—”

Pang brings Wave in by the shoulder so that their faces aren’t so far apart. He looks like he’s trying not to smile too widely, but his dimples are making an appearance regardless. “I heard you,” Pang says. He looks over Wave’s features, his grin widening further as he does, and then he wraps Wave into a hug.

Wave doesn’t cry. He hasn’t cried since his parents’ funeral and he’d been rather proud of himself for holding it together after Namtaan’s accident. But with Pang’s arms around him, he can’t help it. He cries for Namtaan and his role in her injuries, for who he became after his parents’ deaths, for who he was even only last year before letting himself feel again, and Pang just holds his head and lets the minutes go by.

Wave has wanted so many things with Pang, and only until recently has he allowed his mind to wander into the chance that Pang may feel the same. But what if he doesn’t? What if this is a result of today’s disaster and he’s just—

“Hey,” Wave says, pushing against Pang’s arm. “Say it back.” Pang raises his eyebrows and Wave gives him a look, making Pang smile again.

“I like you,” he promises, and he sounds so sure about his words that it’s almost terrifying to Wave. Pang’s hold on Wave’s waist loosens only momentarily so that he can drop his head to rest against Wave’s chest.

Being this close, Wave can feel that Pang is trying to slow his own breathing in order to calm Wave in the quiet of the room, and he closes his eyes to let himself enjoy the feeling of Pang warming him from the inside out. If Wave is lucky, right now won’t be the only occasion like this that they get to have.

He thinks of the bomb, and of Namtaan, and his arms grip tighter around Pang’s shoulders. He focuses on matching his breaths with Pang’s, hoping that the expelled air will dissipate the anxiety and fear of the day as well. They’re still here. He runs tentative fingers through Pang’s hair and keeps breathing. As long as they’re together, it’ll be okay, right?

“Let’s go to bed,” Pang says, getting tiredly to his feet and pulling Wave up with him. Wave can do nothing but agree. He puts the food away and returns to find Pang fast asleep under Wave’s blankets, a sight that makes his cheeks burn ridiculously. He climbs in next to Pang as quietly as he can, but Pang mustn’t mind because he just latches on to Wave’s arm and keeps dreaming.

Wave steals a glance at Pang by his side and can’t help frowning at the exhaustion that is so evident on his face. Wave covers the hand Pang’s got on his arm with his own, because he can allow himself that much now, and hopes for Pang to rest well tonight.

Wave falls asleep, and wakes up to sunlight and Pang on his chest.

His heart feels five sizes too big for his ribcage but he wouldn’t move from this spot for anything. When there’s nothing else, there will still be them. It’ll be okay.

26 notes · View notes

hadestownmodern · 4 years

Text

Persephone is everyone’s mom thats it thats the fic

This fic may be my favorite one I’ve personally written for this au??? It means SO fucking much to me and I think we agree that this is one of our favorite relationships to play with!

“Hey mama, you ready to go home?” Persephone peaks into the room, smiling brightly at Eurydice. The young girl was sitting on the edge of the bed, in her boyfriends oversized sweatshirt and pajama pants. She was free now of the IV and various health tracking devices, and how seemed no different than before save for the most important part- being, of course, the baby she held so near and dear to her.

“Hmm? Oh, yeah. I think so.” Eurydice looks up at her and smiles. She’s already clearly tired but glowing is an understatement on how she radiates joy in this moment. “Have you seen-”

“Orpheus? He’s been cleaning the house all morning. He called me at four am to ask how to wash baby sheets. I thought he’d be here though…” Persephone entered the room and nearly stuck her arms out in anticipation. She’d refrained in the past two days of visits from asking to hold her, not wanting to take Eurydice’s daughter from her. She recalled her own refusal to let anyone hold Junie for days, so she understood. Eurydice worked hard for her, she deserved to never let go of her.

“Oh he’s been around, he just left. I said I wanted fries and he went running.” Eurydice giggled, leaning down to brush her nose with Melody’s. “He’s gonna do anything we need, isn’t he baby girl?”

“I could have told you that months ago. He’s whipped for you. Thinks you hung the stars in the sky.” Persephone teases as she comes closer and sits next to Eurydice, her head coming to run over the baby’s dark hair. Persephone remembers it vividly- she’ll never forget it actually- the way she was enamored with her tiny daughter. The weight of her in her arms, the way she spent hours intoxicated with the smell of her hair. Eurydice deserved that kind of irrevocable love, too.

“Does she have a name yet? Or is she gonna be baby girl for a few more days?” Junie had been easy to name- her name was decided for her before Persephone even knew she existed.

“Oh! We picked one the other night..do you want to hold her?” It was abrupt, but Eurydice needed Persephone to be holding her when she told her. So she could take a picture of her reaction and save it forever, at least in her heart.

Euydice didn’t want for a response before shoving the baby, tiny as she was in all her six pound glory, into the arms of her pseduo-mother and real best friend.

“I- of course.” Persephone grins, laughing as soon as the infant is in her arms. “She’s so small! I forgot how little they are. Then again I haven’t seen a baby since Junie, and I never put her down long enough to register that she was an extra weight. She really was just part of me…” She’s cooing at the baby when Eurydice stands and takes the time to get her things together. Save for Orpheus and a few brief nurses visits this is the first time the little girl is out of her arms.

“So what’s her name? Curly fry? Waffle fry?” Persephone teases, recalling the endless stops they had made together so Eurydice could satisfy a craving one way or another.

“Cajun fry, thank you.” Eurydice rolls her eyes, but reaches out to hold the baby’s hand. “no..Her name is Melody. ‘Cause she’s like Orpheus singing to her for months now. He’s the only thing that could calm her down...it seemed fitting, you know? To name her after music...after his music. My Melody. Melody Stephanie.” She raises an eyebrow at Persephone, to see if she caught on what she did yet, but the content smile gave nothing away.

“Melody. It’s a beautiful name. Very Fitting. Melody Stephanie..it’s nice.” Melody, she understood. And looking at the little girl in her arms she could agree- yes, this baby was Melody. Stephanie didn’t flow- she expected maybe an homage to Eurydice’s mother but not Stephanie. “Nice name...I have to admit i’m surprised you didn’t pick something for your mother. I know you don’t talk about her much but you’ve told me before you wish she were here and-”

“It is a nice name.” Eurydice agrees, squinting her eyes at Persephone as she continues to talk about the content of her daughter’s name. She really didn’t get it. “But I did name her after my mother, Perstephanie.” It’s teasing and light, but she looks up just in time for her brown eyes to meet Persephone’s. “You are Orpheus’ mother… and you’re as close as i’ve ever had.”

It was true. She respected her mother and the few memories she had of Lydia were happy ones. But in the terms of parenthood and being a mother- Persephone filled that role for Orpheus his entire life. She went to parent teacher conferences, she went to recitals. She was his mother. And in the short eleven months since she met Persephone- even before she met Orpheus- the woman had filled that role for her too. Persephone was the first person who saw her- not the broken child shuffled home to home, not the girl with the hard shell to protect herself from the world- as herself. Just a girl putting herself through school to make a better life for herself. Just Eurydice.

Persephone was the person who found out this brilliant girl- who never missed class, turned assignments in early, came to office hours, who offered commentary every discussion- had noone. That she was a force to be reckoned with but she was alone. Persephone was the one who insisted she not spend a holiday alone, not spend one more day in that shady part of town she lived in. Persephone was by and large the reason they were sitting in a hospital room today, a two day old baby being passed between them.

“She wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for you. You’re the reason I formally met the boy who I watched sing across from me at the coffee shop for weeks. You’re the reason I had a place to go, and you’re the one who gave me the wine that said going home with him was a good idea-” Eurydice is laughing and smiling, a juxtaposition to the solid stream of tears falling down her cheeks. Persephone was the only other person besides her Orpheus that could see her like this.

“You gave me my family.” Eurydice takes Persephone’s hand, and squeezes it, drawing them to look eye to eye. She’s crying and she realizes so is Persephone, though Persephone’s border sobs far more than her own. Eurydice, at least, is trying to stay composed through the rest of her dedication.

“You gave me my family. Melody wouldn’t exist if you didn’t insist I come over that night. Orpheus is Orpheus because of you. Not because of Calliope. And in the times I needed someone most..when I needed a mom. You were the one who was there. When I was so sick I couldn’t make it to class and you let me eat crackers in your office. Or when I was so tired I couldn’t stand and you let me sleep in your office. You kept shoes for me knowing I was going to be so damn stubborn i’d be crying by noon if it weren’t for you saving my life with flip flops.” Eurydice laughs, wiping her tears away, before she runs that hand over her daughter’s cheek, eyes looking at only Melody now.

“I don’t want her to carry the ghosts and demons of a dead woman in her name. I loved my mother when I was little. But she isn’t my mom like you are, Seph. And if she ends up anything at all like you then she’ll be a damn good woman one day.”

Persephone is speechless, tears falling over her face and landing on the baby she held. Her heart felt tight in her chest, as pieces from a conversation with her mother eight short months ago fell into place.

“I’m just scared he’ll get his heart broken,” Persephone is sitting at the island in her kitchen, across from her mother, picking at broken bits of Christmas Cookies. “And if he does it’ll be my fault. I introduced them. And if he gets his heart broken-”

“I know you love the boy, Persephone. We all do. You raised him. Yet you also know they love each other. And that is deep and inseverable love. Do not worry. This is meant to happen in this way. They are two souls created for each other. The universe works the way it was supposed to. They were made to be together, this is just a fact of life. They are meant to have this baby just as I was meant to have you, Honey Bee.” Demeter is stitching something intently, across from Persephone, but watched her daughter intently. “The love they have for each other was put there by the universe..but so was the love you have for her.”

Persephone raises an eyebrow at her, reaching out to grab her wine glass, swirling the deep wine within it rather than bringing it to her lips. “She’s a great girl and I love her, yeah-”

“No. She was meant to be in our lives as much as she was his. She was born to another woman but her soul is tied to yours. You could not have been her mother by birth, no. That privilege was reserved for Juniper and the things she will bring you. But, Eurydice needs you in the same way you need her. Whatever that may be is up to you.” Demeter muses, glancing at her granddaughter who was sitting on the floor, playing with a baby doll. “Yes, Eurydice is part of your heart for a reason. Don’t underestimate the power of the love you will share.”

“Look, i’m “Rydice!” Junie interjects, waving the baby around enthusiastically, before holding her arms up to Demeter to be held.

Persephone snorts before drinking the remnants of the wine, shaking her head at her toddler. “June Bug, you can’t say that yet.”

“Why not? She’s right. This one, she’s got the gift for sure.” Demeter kisses her angelic curls, wrapping both arms around her grand daughter.

“Mmhmm. Gift.”

“Eurydice I-” She doesn’t know what to say, she doesn’t know how to elaborate on the deep feelings of love and protection she feels for the young girl infront of her.

“Is that okay with you?” Eurydice asks, so soft Persephone isn’t sure she’s actually speaking or if she’s imagining it. “We can change it-”

“What? No, No. I’m honored, Eurydice. Truly- i’m so honored.” Persephone breaks their linked hands so that she can run her finger under her eyes to catch her tears. “I-thank you, Eurydice.”

“Thank you, for everything you’ve given us.” Eurydice wraps her arms around Persephone’s shoulders, careful not to crush her daughter between them. “Thank you for seeing more than the broken girl with the sad story.”

Persephone wraps her free arm around Eurydice’s back, hiding her crying face in the dark, cropped hair of the new mother in her arm.

They stay like this for minutes, at least, until Orpheus returns to the room and finds them crying in each other’s arms. He wants to ask, but knows what has transpired is personal and intimate to the two of them and that if he’s meant to know he will. That’s just the way the universe would have it.

#persephone #eurydice #hadestown modern #melody #persephone and eurydice #Annika writes

50 notes · View notes

ziracona · 4 years

Note

Ohmygod I want like all of ur headcanons they're all so good. Oml. Would it be okay if I settled on meg headcanons or Dwight & Jake hcs? God you write them so well it makes me so happy

Thank you so much! <3 I know you asked this like this morning, and sorry about that, but I had a lot of fun answering it. Ended up doing Meg. I’m not sure if you want general, or post-ILM so I just kinda did some of both? And got carreid away, haha, it’s gonna go mostly under a read more. :’-)

Meg’s mom did a great job taking care of her growing up. Meg had a hard time making and keeping friends, because she’s full of energy and passion and also very ADHD, so she has a big personality and will talk all the time about what she loves and is a whole lot (in a good way). But a lot of people growing up did not enjoy that about her. Meg wasn’t great at shutting up and acting or lying or falling into a role to get kids at her school to like her, and also just didn’t understand why the rest of them would do that, and didn’t mesh well. With each time she was not accepted, she got a little bit more bristly and ready to defend herself, and it kind of became a self-fulfilling prophecy. It wasn’t like she never had any friends, but she never had any close ones, and a lot of the ones she did have kind of dicked her over for someone else, or moved on, and that was rough. Plus, her dad left her when she was a baby, she was poor, she was loud, and she was Bi. This gave kids a whole lot to bully her for. And they sure did.

Meg’s a fighter, though, and didn’t take shit—she got into trouble a lot, and was mad, because (as y’all who’ve been in the American education system at least know) the faculty never cared if she’d shoved someone because they called her a slur, or said something shitty about her mom, or that she’d punched someone because they’d followed her out of school to say nasty things about her, or that someone else had shoved her, or poured something on her book, or provoked her first. Didn’t even care if it had been four on one, or a guy had come up and fake asked her out to make fun of her in front of his friends—didn’t care about any of what was being done to her, or that she’d just been defending herself. The worst they ever did was talk to the other students, and that just made them want revenge and didn’t stop jack shit. Because of that, she really started to resent faculty and got a huge rebellious streak. She used to get in trouble all the time, before joining track, at her mom’s suggestion. Then, finally, really for the first time ever, even if she didn’t have friends, she had a pack, and that was something. Team didn’t have to like her, they still worked together so they had some kind of a bond and couldn’t just flip, and their track teacher would care if things got nasty, because it lowered performance. Plus, she had natural talent, and a bunch of energy, so it was an ideal fit.

Childhood was all still pretty damn rough though. I wouldn’t say she was miserable all the time or anything, but she was constantly tired of it all. There were some good parts, though. And she had some casual friends she was pretty chill with. Even a kind of almost girlfriend her last two semesters (although that was not exactly the world’s most stable relationship either. Still, not all bad.) While she wasn’t ever tight with them, there were several people at school who thought she was really cool too, because not only would Meg always defend herself, she also was ready in a heartbeat to throw hands for anyone—especially someone weaker or smaller than herself—she saw getting shit from classmates. She was a roaming vigilante of school hall fury by 10th grade, and had earned a certain amount of respect and fear, and a pile of detentions and reprimands, and parent-teacher conferences where her mom chewed out teachers and staff for ignoring the parts of all this where her daughter was getting bullied. Meg used to actually love parent-teacher time, because she got to watch her mom rip people she hated apart, and it filled her with glee to have somebody else fight for her.

Even with school all sucking, Meg had a pretty good childhood basically exclusively because of her mom. Her mom had to raise a kid as a single parent when Meg’s dad abandoned them while Meg was still a baby, and it wasn’t easy. She worked full time when Meg was little as a postal worker. That was unsustainable, though, with how life was going and her wanting and needing to actually be physically present in her kid’s life, so she ended up finding employ as a ghostwriter, and switching to that. It was almost exclusively terrible and ridiculous romances she would get a fraction of the pay and no credit for when published, but Rachel Thomas found a way to make that funny and enjoyable both to herself, and her curious little daughter who would waddle up to her and ask all the time what Mommy was doing and to hear her stories. She would pick safe bits and read them as silly and funny as possible to amuse Meg and feel okay about what she was spending all her time on, and it worked. It made the work enjoyable, when otherwise it would have felt tiring and worthless. Rachel got to be happy with it instead.

She always worked super hard to give Meg a good life, even with very limited resources. She taught herself how to do things like use pencil dust to check for fingerprints when Meg was super into Nancy Drew books as a kid, and how to pick locks, and then taught them to Meg. Meg loved growing up in that house, because her mom was the best. She was always ready to hear about whatever fascinating new thing Meg had discovered, or to pick up a toy sword and go have an epic battle in the backyard as people they’d made up to be. She passed on a love of movies and music and dancing, too, and because she knew that life was rough for Meg, even as a young child, Rachel always went out of her way to make holidays huge productions. Got one really cool present that always had to do with whatever story Meg was the most into usually, and a lot of fun little ones to go with it, so she could open a whole pile of gifts even though the only one who was ever there to give her any presents was her mom. Meg kinda just grew up thinking of holidays like that because of her, and did as big productions for her mom too (to the best of her age-relative ability).

It was super hard on Meg when her mom got sick. I mean, I think it would be on anyone (who had a positive relationship with the parent, or probably even a neutral one), but she took it really hard. She’d been super excited about finally getting out of her hometown and going to college on a track scholarship she’d worked incredibly hard for, but then this had happened, and of course she’d come back to look after her mom. It was really awful though. She wasn’t sure if her mom would survive. At first, the situation had been like, go to college, or go home to help your mom get better, but she realized after a little while with a sinking feeling that it was starting to look like something else. Like give up on your one chance at being able to pay for college, or come home to watch your mom wither away and die while you can’t do a fucking thing to stop it. Her mom had always been a strong and fun and full of life person, so much like Meg herself, in a lot of ways, and she got sick so fast, and so bad. They even looked a lot alike—not just in biological features, but they kind of dressed similarly by nature, and Meg’s mom had also always kept her bright red hair long and liked it like that. Sometime when Meg was little, she’d called her mom’s hair a “fire mane,” older Meg could only assume because she’d been reading picture books about horses, and her mom had loved that and teasingly called it that forever after. The second night after she started chemo that her hair started to fall out, Meg got home to see her shaving her head in the bathroom, because it had been coming out in clumps she hadn’t been able to stand the way that felt. Meg felt heartbroken, and went over to join her and took the scissors on the sink and started to cut hers off too in solidarity, but her mom stopped her and begged her not to. Meg cried and told her she wanted to do it, and her mom comforted her and kissed her on the forehead and asked her to please keep it for her, so that when she got better, she could look at Meg’s as inspiration for what she wanted to get back to. Meg finally agreed, but it was really hard. Harder still to watch her getting weaker and weaker until she just couldn’t do any of the things she used to. And then one day her mom’s doctor had come back and told them he was sorry, but that treatment was failing. She could try a few experimental avenues, and there were people to contact, she could keep trying this in case there was a change, but that she probably only had another year at most to life.

It had been beyond devastating. Meg hadn’t known what to say. Or how to think or cope. She’d just walked out of the hospital feeling shellshocked. And when they’d gotten back in the car, her mom had asked her to pull over at a Wendy’s, and bought them both frostys, and Meg went through the motions, and parked in the lot. And when they were there, her mom had started to eat hers slowly with a spoon, and looked her in the eyes and said, “Don’t worry, Meg. I’ll get better. I promise.”

And Meg had looked up and seen she meant it somehow, even with what they’d just heard. And her mom had said, “You know me. I’m a fighter.” and that had been true, so Meg had sniffed and nodded and said, “Me too. We’ll try all the options.”

Her mom smiled at her and they ate their one dollar treats and went home to research, but Meg had still kind of believed it, because she always believed her mom. She’d had hope then, that she might not die. Even as the weeks went on and she got sicker. And then Meg went for the one jog she didn’t come back from.

Meg and Dwight were the first two to really band together. They survived a trial together and made it to the same fire, and Dwight just unloaded like a whole plan to start systematically picking up other people they met, and theorizing about leaving with them to make it to the same fire, and banding together to survive better, and Meg was kinda ‘no thoughts—head empty’ because she was exhausted from trying to outmaneuver the Nurse, and he was talking so fast and she hadn’t listened at all to the first few lines and now she was playing catchup, but she’d been like, “Oh. Worm I guess?” and agreed. Meg kinda thought Dwight was a pushy little dumbass, and he kinda was, but she also kinda liked him, and waaay faster than Jake did. Meg’s an extremely loyal person, so even though unhooking her and helping her out, or giving her a tool he knew she was better with than he was was just good strategy, Meg’s heart went “Friend saved me” and kinda kept it, so she didn’t mind “New friend is also annoying and full of himself and kind of a douche.” I don’t think she really noticed his change in behavior at first. Just one day like, a month after he’d started working hard to be less of an ass, she was sorting a new toolbox post-trial, and he paused by her and was like, “Hey! Great job in the trial today. Sorry I messed up your escape during that chase—I misjudged how fast he was and thought you’d have time to hide. You really saved us with that last-second chainsaw dodge getting the door open. –Oh here, I found these in a box and I’m still pretty shit at flashlights, but I saved them for you,” and gave her some batteries, and she was just like, “Cool. Thanks. And it’s fine—I almost tripped right over Claudette’s hiding spot yesterday.” and then when he was like halfway back to the fire she was just like WAIT A SECOND and sat bolt upright and stared at him and was like, Didn’t you used to be kind of pretentious and inconsiderate? When did this change??? And was never totally sure, but was pretty jazzed about it. She also remembers way less well than Jake, Ace, or Claudette that Dwight did used to be a loser. If someone else told her that she’d be like, “Oh yeah…huh.” but she’d never really think of it on her own.

This is kind of more a Dwight one than a Meg one, but one of the specific events that was a personal changing point for Dwight was back when it was just the OG four, before even Ace had joined, they had a hard trial with Trapper and Meg was really down. Everyone passed out before Dwight, because he was trying to plan and stayed up, and he noticed Meg having a nightmare and after a minute woke her up because she looked so scared, and she thanked him and then was quiet and just sat there, looking miserable. After about ten minutes he decided to ask if he could do anything to help, and she said she was afraid to go back to sleep, because she thought she might just pick up where she’d left off, and then hesitantly asked him if it was okay if she came over by him, because she thought it might help. He was super surprised, but said yes, and she came over and lay down beside him and leaned on his chest fell asleep. And it felt really nice that someone would seek him out for comfort, and trust him to watch over them. The first time they stayed at the same fire, she’d given him a look and said, “Promise not to come over here while I’m out if I take a nap?” and warned him she was a light sleeper, but she hadn’t even jokingly reminded him of anything like that now. She just trusted him. It made him want to be worthy of that and a lot more.

[ I want to do more bc I’m super into Meg rn, but my word count is shooting me dirty looks so ima do 2 real short post-ILM Meg and call it a night—happy to do more or your Jake-Dwight sometime though. <3 ]

Tapp helps Meg take courses and study up, and gets her certified as a PI, and she actually does really love it. They work cases for cheap for people who need help, and do it together, and it’s very rewarding. That’s not the most sustainable full-time job, but Tapp’s got a little money saved, and David’s…David. Plus, collectors will pay weird money for realm merch sometimes, and Min is…scarily. Worryingly good, even, at finding those people to sell to. So she also has a lot of time to do other things. She can’t exactly do track like she did, but she does long-distance runs for charity, and has fun, and gets to go visit her friends all the time. She loves being able to say she actually is a private detective, and feels like she’s come full circle from being the little her who loved Encyclopedia Brown and Nancy Drew and Agatha Christie books so much. She’s able to help her mom, too, so her mom is able to actually spend time writing the kinds of things she’d like to, for once, and Meg’s super happy for her and still spends a bunch of time with her, often her and Susie, who her mom took to really fast, together. Meg loves to ambush Susie with gifts when she’s working on stuff and make surprise visits to drop off a drink or something, and thrives on the embarrassed-happy Megggg look on her face if she pulls off flirting in public just right. Sometimes Susie will come with her and Tapp when they’re working to try to help, or just to spend time, especially for the like, long research parts of the job. Meg also makes sure they see Michael Tapp a lot, and that Tapp takes time off to do fun stuff with her and his other friends. She is still definitely trying to get him with her mom. Or Jane when Jane’s there. Or her mom and Jane. Sometimes Ace is in the mix when he’s there. And it all ain’t subtle. It’s rough out there being Meg’s even vaguely parental figure. :’-)

Like Tapp promised, he and Meg get a dog. A retired K9 whose handler died a few years ago, and been retired when that happened because it was old enough it had been set to retire that year or the next, and it took the loss of its handler very hard. With its handler gone, it was open to adoption from other force members or retired ones. It was an old dog that had been alone for a long time, still missing someone dead, so sad looking. Outlived his best friend. Tapp had checked the database on impulse alone when starting to work on honoring Meg’s request, and seen it, and wanted badly to take it home. He’d been kind of nervous asking Meg about getting it though, thinking she would want something that would live longer, but she’d jumped at the chance and been really happy. The German Shepherd had been named Partner, because that had been the sense of humor his handler had, and Meg thought it was cute, to always be saying, “Come on Partner,” to a dog. He had been really sad looking when they’d gone to pick him up. Lonely in the back of a pen, nose between his paws, watching people go by, and hesitant when they’d gone inside. Quiet, all the way to the car, and the whole drive home. Just sat in a seat, looking out the window, no matter how much Meg petted him or talked him, or Tapp did, and then they’d gotten home and taken him inside, to a bed and a food bowl and water dish, and he hesitantly ate, and then started to wag his tail a little. They took him out to the yard after to play and he finally got it, and it was like seeing a totally different animal. He got excited, and barked for the first time, and ran around pretty fast for an old dog and would come press his forehead against their legs while wagging his tail, like he was hugging them, in a way Meg had only seen dogs do a few times. He is now a very happy pup who likes to hop up on the couch and put his head in people’s laps and watch them lovingly while they watch tv, and sometimes puts the old skills to good use if he’s in the mood to walk around and lend aid to a case.

#ask #anonymous #ilm spoilers #in living memory (fic)#in living memory #meg thomas #💙💙💙💙 thanks for the ask!#long post

14 notes · View notes

words-writ-in-starlight · 4 years

Note

I'm a little late to the party but for the ask meme: Danny Phantom 5, 13, 14, 18, 20 + Trans!Danny headcanons. I know that wasn't on the list but I have a feeling you'll do it for me anyway ;)

MY NEWEST BOY. For this ask meme! Also thisgot long so I made a separate post about trans Danny because I care about it alot byeeeeee.

5) Guilty pleasures

Barring times where he’s being, A, imprisoned, or, B, hunted forfun and profit, Danny actually—really likes the Ghost Zone. It’s soothing in a way that he’s pretty sureis not quite right, in a way that Sam and Tucker and Jazz do not seem toagree with, but he likes it there. Theslow, billowing curls of green drift through the air like nebulae, currents of energyrather than wind that he could drift on like thick water if he wanted, dottedwith doors and islands that orbit whatever passes for gravity wells in a skyscapeof ectoplasm. Almost every touchstone inthe Ghost Zone moves, although most have a predictable pattern—about once everyten months, Danny tries not to use the Fenton portal if he can avoid it, onaccount of how it comes out practically on top of Walker’s prison—and learningthe rhythms of it is sort of like a hobby, at this point. Danny doesn’t have a ton of time to kill, buthe’s figured out that, as long as he’s in ghost form, he can go for a longtime without feeling hungry or thirsty or tired, in the Ghost Zone, so onetime he told Jazz he was going to try his hand at cartography and spent theentirety of his parents’ five day out-of-state conference coasting on ectoplasmand trying to plot the place. It cameout looking kind of like a star map, full of arrows trying to indicate movementdirection and a lot of scribbled notes like Pretty sure Clockwork moved thisand AVOID and Possibly Vlad’s portal, maybe close this.

Danny doesn’t talk about it much, because the Ghost Zone makes hisfriends, his family, jittery. He’s prettysure they’re worried he’ll decide not to come back some day.

13) What gets them flustered

One time a reporter manages to get a camera intoDanny’s face before he can book it after a fight, and she’s smart enough toalready be asking her first question before he realizes what was happening.

She’s also smart enough to start her first questionwith “Excuse me, Inviso-bill–”

“It’s Phantom,” he snaps,looking around in annoyance, and the reporter smothers a triumphant smirk.

“Yes, Phantom. What made you become a hero,Phantom?”

Phantom just hangs there in the air for a moment, gapingat her, and then squeaks, “Excuse me?”

“You’re a ghost,” the reporter says, keeping aprofessionally straight face and a neutral, friendly tone. “Whatmade you decide to be a hero?”

“I–didn’t?” Phantom scratches a hand backthrough his hair, and the reporter silently thanks whatever quirk of ghostlyfunction is bringing a green glow like a blush to his cheeks and throat andears. She’s going to lock down a raise with this interview, even if heflies off right this second–the first person to interview Amity Park’s ownsuperhero. And he’s blushing. “I’mjust keeping things under control, you know?”

The reporter grins. “Well,” she says withfalse nonchalance, “would you mind answering a few questions?”

“Uh,” Phantom says. “I have to–go.”

He turns invisible and makes a break for it,and the reporter’s fifty-second clip of a conversation runs on the local newsfive times in the next seven hours. She gets a reputation for being ableto snag the neighborhood super for a few seconds, sometimes even multipleminutes. She discovers real quick thathe’ll blush pretty reliably the second she drops the H word.

14) Ingrained habits/forces of habit

Danny works hard to seem helpless at school. It kind of makes him crawl the walls, but he workshard, okay? He lets himself getpushed around, he occasionally gets punched in the face, he does his best toconceal it when a year or two of ghost hunting as a full time job starts toshow in his human form, he spends a lot of time and energy projecting a façade oflocal hopeless wallflower. He can’thelp seeming like a delinquent, given that he’s been living the C-average lifestyleby the skin of his teeth and misses about three class periods on a good week,but at least he can seem like a delinquent who would never, ever be a candidatefor competence. He’s protecting a secretidentity out here. Official Team PhantomPolicy, much as everyone might hate it, is that no one intervenes with Danny’scharade. It gives Tucker hives and Samhas a hit list of bullies, but Danny’s always quick to smile off their concernand get on with his life. He has ahealing factor and it’s been years since Dash was actually concerning tohim except as a potential stalker, Danny can stand to bite his tongue and take it.

Aaaaaaand then when he’s sixteen, Dash punchesTucker, instead. Over some pettynothing, something that Tucker doesn’t even remember afterward—refusing to makea fake ID for him? Laughing at Dash forfumbling a catch at the game on Saturday? Joking about how Dash’s grades were even worse than Danny’s? It could’ve been anything. It didn’t really even register with Tucker assomething worth getting punched over, whatever it was, but he guesses thatbullies can have bad days too.

So Tucker says whatever he says, and Dash whipsaround and sucker punches him, a swift hidden jab that only someone alreadywatching would see. And then–

And then Danny dislocates Dash’s shoulder. It’s not on purpose and it’s not subtle. Tucker doesn’t really remember what happened—hewas a little busy gasping for air. Mostly he just remembers the crash of someone being slammed into a locker,and Danny’s voice, deep and un-Danny-like, snarling You don’t touch them,and a shout, a howl of pain and shock. By the time Tucker can stand upright, wheezing and clinging to Sam,every kid in the silent hallway is staring wide-eyed at Danny, skinny weakDanny Fenton who isn’t really so skinny and weak anymore. Danny’s stepping back from Dash, who’sclutching at a shoulder that looks wrong under his letterman jacket, andDanny looks mildly horrified with himself, but he’s still standing betweenTucker and Dash.

When the teachers show up, Danny goes quietly to theprincipal’s office, and gives a plain-spoken explanation of what happened—Dash punchedhis best friend, Danny slammed him into the wall, and somewhere in there hepopped Dash’s shoulder out of place. He getssuspended for two weeks and detention for the next month, which he cooperateswith, and non-negotiable anger management counselling, which he mostly just…doesn’tattend. Danny has decided that he doesn’tdo school counselling anymore, thanks.

After he comes back, Danny slips back into therhythm of things without any change in his behavior, but—it’s hard for everyoneto forget that they watched Dash’s favorite punching bag nearly put the king ofthe school through a wall.

Sam and Tucker enjoy a very peaceful remainder oftheir high school career.

18) Things they’ll never admit

Danny has not and will not talk to anyone about the accident withthe portal. The actual events, yeah. But he’s thought about it, and—they just don’tneed to know. Sam already frettedherself blue over the Lichtenberg figure lacing up Phantom’s left arm to hisheart. They don’t need to know how clearhis memory of being electrocuted is.

(Jazz watches Danny skirt around the Specter Deflector with abouta five foot radius of nervous respect, and she makes some educated guessesabout why, exactly, her brother doesn’t like being shocked. But if he doesn’t want to talk about it, for once,she’s not going to wring it out of him.)

20) What Ifs/Alternate Timelines

I’m sure everyone and their cousin has done this but…I love Jazz and Danny’s relationship.

So.

Jazz has been keeping an eye on herbrother for…ever. This is partly becauseshe’s a worrier by nature and partly because their parents are both brilliantand affectionate and completely hopelessly scatterbrained. Jack and Maddie are fine and all, but alsoJazz is frequently awestruck that she and Danny lived long enough to be able totake care of themselves. Holy shitis she ever going to write a memoir. TheChristmas I Re-killed the Turkey or something. So when their parents are out for the day andshe wanders through the living room into the kitchen to see if the Nilla Wafershave been contaminated yet, and she realizes that she hasn’t seen Danny in fourhours, she starts looking around.

Sam and Tucker’s bags are in hisbedroom, and all three of them have left their jackets by the door. It’s a cool autumn, and Tucker complainsconstantly that he’s not built for the cold, he’s built for indoor rooms fullof computers, so they wouldn’t have gone out. The TV is off. Danny’s room isempty. It’s not dark enough yet forDanny to have dragged them up to the roof for stargazing.

It’s about this point where Jazzstarts to feel like something is about to go horribly wrong.

She passes the door to the lab andhears Sam’s voice echo up the stairs, and then—

“Fine, fine,” Danny says from thebasement. “It doesn’t even work.”

Jazz opens the door, already composinga lecture about not poking around in the lab (for Danny) and a lecture aboutremembering to lock the lab when they’re going to be out all day (for herparents), and starts down the stairs.

The crack-boom of the portalkicking on hits like a thunderclap, and then there’s a scream, someonewailing like they’re being killed.

Jazz never does remember how she gotdown the rest of the stairs, but she makes it just in time to see her brotherstumble out of the glowing green portal and fall straight through Sam’s armsand collapse into a pile of black-clad limbs and shocking white hair.

#danny phantom #danny fenton #jazz fenton #sam manson #tucker foley #ask meme #headcanon meme #starlight writes stuff #i have that adhd hyperfixation thing spinning up HARDCORE about danny phantom so...stay tuned #anyway some further thoughts about that au: it doesn't change a TON in the long term #but it DOES mean that danny has an ally in a) lying to his parents and b) handling vlad right out the gate #but what i'm really specifically interested in is jazz being there when danny comes out of the portal #she obviously cares about him a lot! i strongly headcanon that the fentons are a little...benignly neglectful #not because they don't care but because they're just REALLY not actually that equipped to focus on their kids #so jazz has had a huge hand in danny growing up rather than accidentally eating ectoplasm as a three-year-old and dying #so YEAH what i care about is that girl coming downstairs just in time to see her brother's ghost/dead body/indeterminate energy construct h #i think it takes jazz a second to look around the lab and do the mental math as sam and tucker scream danny's name #and then she FREAKS OUT #so that's some chaos to deal with while she flutters over a dizzy half-conscious danny and tries to call an ambulance #i...legit don't think danny admitted to his parents that he had a bad enough lab accident to go to the hospital #in any universe #i think he hedged and said he just got a little shock and felt fine and didn't need to see a doctor and managed to get out of it #but that's a longer story #anyway yeah jazz gets on the Fuck Vlad Train much faster in this one and there's angst about her worrying about danny #also in this timeline since jazz is in on everything from the jump she starts calling vlad 'vladimir' when he won't drop their full names #a queue we will keep and our honor someday avenge #lathori #asked and answered

54 notes · View notes