#probably one sided from my side though because I'm sure he's living his life fine with his gf

[t-lostinworlds]

Big, Hormonal Heart | Bucky Barnes

》 PAIRING: bucky barnes x pregnant!female!reader

》 TROPE/GENRE: established relationship (marriage), fluff fluff fluff

》 SUMMARY: It'd probably take more than one lifetime for Bucky to list reasons why he was so lucky to call you his wife. He was certain your big heart was one of them. One that grew even more with pregnancy hormones. It was sweet, how you to got so upset when they got his order wrong. Your meal was perfectly fine. But when his wasn't? Oh it was a crime.

》 WARNINGS: pregnancy, a dog named Snow and Alpine the cat, pet names (doll, baby, my love, sweetheart), emotional!r (she cries. like, most of the fic), husband!bucky being the sweetest, domesticity and just overall fluff (pretty tame fic ngl)

》 WORD COUNT: 2.5k+

A/N: this idea was super random. i saw an insta reel of a pregnant woman having mood swings over some food and then everyone was sharing their experiences in the comments and i got inspired so here ya go alksalkss. DISCLAIMER! I'm not pregnant nor have i ever been lol. I did as much research as i could but still, don't count on me to be 100% accurate.

++ ALSO this was written in just a few hours. this isn't my best work. just something i wanted to write as an exercise since i haven't written anything in months. anyways, i hope you enjoy!

📍 BLOG NAVIGATION ✩ B. BARNES MASTERLIST ✩ MAIN MASTERLIST ✩

⊱ ─────.⋅♚ *｡･ﾟ.★. *｡･ﾟ✫*.

Bucky Barnes was one lucky man.

If someone had told him years ago that he was going to live in a quaint home in the suburbs, a lovely backyard space for a dog and a cat to enjoy, and that he'd be married to the absolute love of life, an angel on earth who was now carrying his first child—

He honestly would've stared at them dead in the eye, wondering how someone could make such a cruel joke.

Yet here he was, actually living it, a life that seemed so much like a dream.

Though he was quickly reminded of how real this was as he stood in the nursery, glaring at the manual that came with the crib you two had bought from the furniture store.

It looked simple enough at first—putting together ready-made pieces should be easy, right?

Wrong.

Not when you have countless amounts of screws that more or less looked the same but were actually not because each served a different purpose. 

He was in the middle of figuring out how to install the legs to the main base when you walked into the room with your two bodyguards—Alpine the Cat and Snow the five-year-old Samoyed—in tow.

"How's it going, handsome?" you hummed as you reached his side, arms wrapping around his waist, your warmth immediately easing the frustration he had about this goddamn crib.

"It's…" he sighed, gesturing at the wooden pieces scattered around the floor. "Going."

You laughed at that, kissing his clothed shoulder before standing in front of him.

Bucky held your waist then, pulling you as close as he could given that your baby bump was in the middle of you both.

He honestly couldn't begin to express how much comfort and warmth covered his whole being every time he was met with the absolute love in your eyes.

And Bucky was sure his gaze shined the same.

So many people have pointed it out on numerous occasions, the twinkle in his eyes every time they land on you—his beautiful wife.

"I was thinking," you murmured, resting your hands on his chest, moving up his shoulder and down again in a sweet caress. "How about a quick break while we order some food?"

It was only about an hour after lunch, so Bucky wasn't particularly keen on filling his stomach some more.

But you, on the other hand, were nearing the end of your second trimester. It wasn't out of the norm for you to be hungry at this time, given you were eating for two. Plus, there was an added layer that your little peanut probably had some super soldier serum in their DNA—the baby's appetite could be enhanced for all he knew.

Other than that, the last thing Bucky wanted was an angry and hungry pregnant wife. So it wasn't really a hard decision to make.

"Okay, let's get you something to eat," he said.

Ever the observant person that you were, you quickly noticed his choice of words.

"For me?" you asked, brows furrowed. "You're not hungry?"

Bucky shook his head. "Not really."

Your bottom lip went.

He instantly knew he said the wrong thing.

"But I'm hungry," you murmured, eyes starting to glisten.

He could never explain it even if he tried, but whenever you got upset, your bodyguards always seemed to notice it. The two have always been protective of you and that only grew tenfold when you got pregnant.

Today wasn't an exception.

Snow barked at him, whining his complaints as he put his fifty-pound body between your legs, slightly pushing Bucky back. The furball was well trained though, so his protectiveness never went too far beyond being vocal about it. Alpine, on the other hand, was sitting a foot away, glaring at Bucky—quite the traitor given that she was supposed to be his cat, but he couldn't blame her for loving you, either—as if she knew it was his fault you were upset.

But still, Bucky wasn't quite sure what he'd done wrong.

"I know, sweetheart," he said slowly, a little confused, trying to navigate around Snow who was pawing at his leg as if trying to push him further away. "I'll order some food for you."

"But you're not hungry," you repeated, body slumping with sadness.

"I'm not," he agreed, quickly cupping your face when a tear slipped from your eyes. "But hey, hey, that doesn't mean we can't still order food for you, doll."

"No, I know," you sniffled.

"So, what's making you upset, hmm?"

You buried your face in his chest with a shaky breath as you said,

"I don't want to eat alone."

Bucky paused, pressing his lips and swallowing down a laugh because he couldn't have you thinking he was making fun of you. He wasn't. But you were so adorable it made his chest ache.

"Okay, okay," he hummed, kissing the side of your head as he rubbed your back in comfort. "I'll order something for me, too."

•••

A few minutes later, your little family migrated to the living room. You both were sitting on the couch together, the two furballs sprawled at your feet as a random show played on TV. Various take-out bags covered the coffee table, way too many for two people but hey, that's what fridges and microwaves are for.

Fondness filled Bucky's bones as he watched you settle your food on your lap, doing what he called your Cravings Satisfied Wiggle.

He couldn't contain his chuckle.

You looked at him with furrowed brows, words a little muffled with your mouth full. "What?"

"Happy?" he asked, reaching over to wipe the sauce on the corner of your mouth.

"Very much," you giggled, eyes wrinkling at the corners.

Even after all these years, the sight of your pure joy still made his heart stutter, chest growing warmer when you leaned closer with a pout.

Bucky met you halfway for a short yet sweet kiss.

"Thank you," you hummed, even though there was no need for you to thank him for ordering you food.

"You're welcome, sweetheart."

Reaching over the table, he took the one and only paper bag that was for him, because again, he wasn't that hungry.

"Oh."

"What's wrong?" You turned to him in concern.

"It's not a big deal," he reassured with a smile, shrugging because it really wasn't. "They got mine wrong."

You frowned. "You didn't get the nuggets?"

"No, they give me the burger meal," he said. "They must've misheard me.

Bucky immediately perked up when your lips started to tremble.

"Hey, hey, what's wrong?" he asked worriedly, cupping your face to wipe away your tears.

"You—" you sniffled. "You didn't get your nuggets."

Bucky pressed his lips to stop a smile.

God you were so fucking cute.

"It's okay, baby," he soothed. "I'm fine with a burger, too."

You cried even harder.

Snow and Alpine quickly stood, all alert and concerned as they nudged your leg.

"You wanted the nuggets, Bucky," you insisted, choking back a sob. "But you didn't get it."

He carefully pulled you closer, rubbing your back in comfort as you laid your head on his shoulder. "I know, but it's okay—"

"No, it's not!" you protested, all teary and frustrated, pulling away to glare at him. "You deserve to get what you want. Y-You deserve all the good things after e-everything."

Bucky might honestly start crying too with how sweet you were being.

"Oh doll, come here," he placated, pulling you in for a hug while trying to navigate the food on your lap.

He could take it away for safety, but he'd already learned his lesson the hard way. Taking food away from a pregnant woman was a death sentence.

"I want you to be happy," you sniffled, burying your face against his neck. "You wanted the nuggets and they disrespected that."

It took so much for him not to let out a chuckle. Because as much as Bucky hated to see you crying and upset, he couldn't deny how adorably funny this whole conversation was.

But you'd always had the biggest heart. Whether that was crying over those rescue animal videos, emotional scenes in movies, to feeling upset over something he was experiencing—your empathy was always high.

What more with the pregnancy hormones in the mix?

"How about I ask them to change it?"

Again, wrong thing to say.

He needed to get better at this.

"But they're probably so stressed and overworked already," you sobbed. "A-And it's about to rain. I don't want the delivery guy to get wet in the rain. T-They already don't get paid enough."

"Hey, hey, it's okay," he hummed, rubbing your back. "Will you look at me, my love?"

You lifted your head then, Bucky's heart aching at the absolute distress on your features—pout in full play, eyes a little bloodshot with tear stains on your skin.

He cupped your cheeks with a soft smile, placing gentle kisses all over your face, unrelenting until you let out a whine of protest. He stopped then, thankful to see that you'd calmed down now.

"I promise you, the burger meal is perfectly fine with me. I'm not mad or upset about it. I don't mind it at all," he said.

You took a calming deep breath and nodded. It only took a second for you to look at him sheepishly.

"Sorry I overreacted," you whispered, embarrassed.

"Hey, none of that," he lightly scolded. "All the emotions you're feeling will always be valid."

You smiled, small yet sweet, leaning in and kissing him with as much gratitude as you could muster.

"Besides, it makes me feel so honored to know that you're willing to fight for my chicken nugget rights."

"Shut up, Barnes."

•••

You and Bucky always had a nightly routine and it usually consisted of the two of you getting ready for bed in your own different ways. They were intertwined, but not exactly the same. Like you'd be doing some skin care in the bathroom while he would be brushing his teeth.

But ever since you got pregnant, your routine became more in sync.

It usually started with a bath that he'd run for you. Most of the time he'd end up joining you, the length of said bath varying since that usually depended on what mood you were in. Bucky was always at the service of meeting his wife's needs, after all.

Recently, now that your bump wasn't particularly easy to navigate, he'd helped you get ready for bed. From getting dressed to your skin care, including rubbing some moisturizer on your stomach. That part was one of his favorite things to do.

Then it was the typical things, getting dressed, brushing your teeth—this one you stopped him from doing it for you even though he was more than willing—and overall just getting ready for bed.

Once you’d settled on the pregnancy pillow that Bucky fluffed up for you, he'd sit near the foot of the bed to give your sore feet a massage while you read a book.

Tonight, right when he was in the middle of doing that, he heard you sniffle.

Bucky looked up in concern, catching you already staring at him with tears already in your eyes.

"What's wrong?" he asked, looking you over. "Does something hurt?"

"No, I-I'm okay. I just—" You cut yourself off with a sob.

Bucky quickly moved beside you, pulling you onto his lap as he wrapped his arms around your form. You buried your face into the crook of his neck, body shaking as you cried.

"Hey, hey, talk to me," he murmured against your hair. "Tell me what's wrong."

"It's just—" You let out a shaky breath. "You're always taking care of me."

"Of course, sweetheart, you're my wife," he said. "And not only because it's my duty as your husband, but because I love you so much."

That made you cry even harder.

"I l-love you too, so much," you sobbed. "But I haven't been able to take care of you lately and that's not f-fair."

Bucky felt his heart grow as if it wasn't already bursting at the seams.

How could someone be so selfless and sweet?

"You're pregnant, my love," he stated the obvious reason as to why. "Besides, I'm capable of taking care of myself. It's alright."

"No, it's not," you argued, pulling away slightly to face him. "You deserve to be taken care of, too! You deserve to get pampered a-and a break but you're always fussing over me and taking care of me instead. I'm not helping with any of it. I'm just making it harder for you."

"No, absolutely not," he stated firmly, holding your face in his hands, wiping your tears away with his thumbs. "I love taking care of you. It honestly makes me feel so fulfilled and happy when I do."

"Really?" you sniffled.

"Yes. It's the least I could do with everything that you've been going through right now," he said truthfully, adding with a chuckle, "Hell, if I could carry our baby so you wouldn't have to go through all the pain I would."

That earned him a small laugh.

"But I want to take care of you, too," you admitted after a deep breath.

"You already are," he hummed, thumb stroking your cheek lovingly. "You're taking care of our baby and my heart, and those are very important to me."

You scrunched up your nose adorably.

"That was so cheesy."

"But it's true, though."

You smiled, cupping his face. Bucky turned his head to kiss your palm.

"Thank you," you sighed fondly. "For putting up with me and for everything."

"First off, I'm not putting up with anything," he reassured, kissing your other palm before adding, "Second, you never have to thank me for taking care of you. Never."

You nodded, leaning closer to press your lips against his, pouring all your love and gratitude into it. Bucky kissed you back with the same fervor, never needing words to express what you truly feel for each other.

He felt so content—feeling your lips, your fingers tangled in his hair, and your little peanut asking for attention too, kicking the second Bucky rested hand on your bump.

When you let out a soft, needy whine, he was ready to take the kiss even further.

That was until a wet tongue met his cheek.

Bucky groaned in annoyance, pulling away to see Snow giving you a kiss, too. He couldn't be angry at the dog for ruining the moment when your lovely laugh echoed in the air. Alpine jumped on the bed a second later, nudging her head against Bucky's chin before walking over to place a loving paw on your bump.

His smile was as bright as it could be as he watched the scene before him.

A wonderful home, a wholesome family that involved his beautiful, loving wife and two furballs, his family that was only getting bigger in a few months—

Yeah.

Bucky Barnes was one lucky man.

✫*ﾟ･ﾟ｡.★.*｡･ﾟ♛ *.

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[avatar-anna]

I was thinking you could do a “5 times y/n told Harry she was pregnant” for the young!dad series !! That would be so interesting especially since in the last piece you mentioned that Harry already had a feeling she was pregnant before she even told him

The Thing About Having Six Kids

so i got this ask and a couple others that were kind of about the kids' birth/pregnancy a while ago, and went with five different instances about each kid in the youngdadrry universe. it's all surrounding their birth, finding out about pregnancies, etc. enjoy!

Young Dad! Harry x Young Mom! Reader

Simone

(a text conversation between Harry and Y/n)

Y/n: i'm pregnant

(one day later)

Y/n: Harry?

Harry: Are you sure?

Y/n: i'm sure

Y/n: i have four different pregnancy tests to prove it

Harry: I don't know what to say.

Y/n: the 24 hours it took you to respond kind of told me that

Harry: I'm sorry about that. It's just...a lot

Y/n: it's fine i guess. at least you finally responded.

Harry: Did you think I wouldn't?

Y/n: honestly? yeah. it's not like we're married or in love or anything. you don't even live in the same country as me

Harry: What are you going to do?

Harry: I know but I wouldn't just like disappear on you

Harry: I was just shocked that's all

Y/n: idk. i'm still trying to figure out a way to tell my parents

Harry: Shit my parents!

Y/n: that's kinda where i'm at right now

Y/n: but i think i want to keep it

Y/n: the baby

Y/n: fuck that sounds crazy to say. i have physics homework due tomorrow but let me stop and make a life altering decision really quick about whether i want to have a baby or not

Harry: I'm sorry. You know...

Y/n: for getting me pregnant? knocking me up? putting a bun in the oven?

Harry: It seems too early to joke about this

Y/n: it's keeping me from freaking the fuck out at the moment

(ten minutes later)

Harry: I want to talk about this properly and figure this whole thing out but I have to go

Y/n: please don't feel obligated or anything. this was just a courtesy

Y/n: i don't expect anything from you. i get it if your management wants you to delete my number and never see me again. i just thought you should know.

Harry: What are you talking about?

Harry: Y/n?

3 missed calls from Him <3

Collette

"Let's have another baby."

Y/n was close to nodding off, so it was very possible that she was dreaming. She looked behind her. It was dark in the bedroom, but Harry was close enough that she could see him, could see that his head was propped on his elbow so he could look down at her.

"What did you say?" she asked, because she needed to be sure.

"I...I want another baby," he said, voice soft even though they were the only two people in the room. Simone was fast asleep in her own bedroom, tuckered out after a long day of playing at the park and eating ice cream and fingerpainting with Harry. Now that One Direction was officially on hiatus, it was just the three of them—Y/n, Harry, and Simone. Y/n thought it would take some getting used to, living a relatively normal life. But their little family actually fell into it quite easily.

Perhaps a little too easily.

"Say something."

Y/n hadn't realized she failed to respond, but to be fair, that was a pretty big bomb her husband just dropped. Her husband. They'd been married for a few months now, but it still felt surreal, which was probably why the idea of having another baby felt too far from reality to comprehend.

"I just...I don't know what to say," Y/n said honestly. "I—I'm not sure we're ready for that."

"We weren't ready the first time," Harry said when Y/n finally flipped on her other side to face him. This seemed like a conversation he really wanted to have, so she thought facing him would probably be best. "I just think this might be the time, you know? I don't have an insane schedule anymore, there's no more management to say that we can't, and I've always thought about giving Simone a sibling. Don't tell me you've never thought about it."

"I...I have," Y/n said.

She did think about more kids. As young as she and Harry were and as impossible as their relationship seemed at times, Y/n couldn't help but think about wanting more. She loved Harry, and she'd been loving these moments they'd been able to share as a proper family recently. Harry was right, if they wanted to have another baby, now would be the time.

"Tell me what you're thinking," he said as she felt more than saw his hand push some hair away from her face.

"What happens when you start working again?" Y/n asked.

"What do you mean?"

"I know you, H," she said. "And I love you. Everything about you. And one of the parts that make you who you are is the music. This...this little bubble we're in, I love it too, but I know you'll want to go back to it someday. And then you'll go on tour for ten months, and I'll be alone to raise two kids by myself for a majority of the year."

It was harsh, but she trusted him enough to take it. This was the thought that always held her back. Y/n thought about the possibility of expanding their family on more than one occasion, especially in recent weeks when things have been practically perfect. But the reality was that Harry would want to go back to work. She knew, maybe better than anyone, the desire he had to make his own music, to create and write in ways he couldn't while in the band. And perform. Harry loved to perform live. Y/n knew that this time spent with just their family was fleeting, and she cherished every minute of it, the same way she knew Harry did. It was only a matter of time before he went back to work, and she wasn't sure she could raise Simone and a newborn without him.

"That's...That's all over now," Harry said. When Y/n tried to protest, he continued on. "What I meant to say was, the ridiculous schedules, the strict rules about when we can and can't spend time together, the separate hotel rooms. Mama, things can be different now."

"But management—"

"I bought out my contract," he said. "I haven't really given it much thought in a while because I just want to be present with you and Simone, but I've got a few people in mind for new managers. People who will prioritize our family."

This was certainly news to Y/n. It was hard to talk about Harry's management or the harsh thumb they pinned him under, so oftentimes it was a topic they avoided. Hearing him say this now, knowing how much money it would've taken to buy out his contract...that was a huge deal. As far as she knew, the other boys were just sticking with it until the contracts were finished. But Harry went and did what Y/n didn't even think was possible.

"Our family," Y/n repeated, and for a moment, she could see it. The three of them becoming four. It was crazy to think about, to think so far ahead into the future, but Y/n wasn't scared by it.

"Let's have another baby," Harry said again.

Looking at him, Y/n's heart squeezed in her chest. He'd been growing his hair out for a while now, and it was long enough that it reached just passed his shoulders. She loved it, thought it made him look older, more mature. And okay, hot. And Simone loved it too. She loved braiding it and putting bows and flowers in it or just twisting it around her finger. His shoulders were broad and lean, though he'd put on a little muscle in his arms from doing handiwork around the house, something he claimed he loved to do even though Y/n had heard him curse from another room while he worked on his latest project.

She looked at his face, the one that looked so different yet so similar to the one she'd met when she was seventeen. She wondered what those teenagers would think of the people they'd become, of the things they'd seen and experienced.

She thought about it. The baby-to-be. It would have Harry's eyes and smile, her nose and hair color. If it was a girl, she could wear matching outfits with Simone, if it was a boy...Well, they could maybe still match. Y/n thought about all the baby clothes—the adorable little onesies and shoes and mittens to keep the baby from scratching their face while they slept. She didn't let herself think of the late nights and sore boobs and dirty diapers. In this moment, she just thought about all the good feelings, every perfect moment that could be.

"You promise things will be different? I can't—I can't do it alone," she said, needing to hear him say it again.

Harry didn't try to kiss her, he didn't put his hands on her waist or pull her to his chest—all tactics he would normally use to distract her. This conversation was too serious, too important, and she loved him all the more for understanding that.

"I promise, Y/n," he said, taking her hand in his and squeezing it. "I will never make you regret living this life with me."

"That's not what I—"

"I know, but I just...I needed to say it."

He needed to make that promise to her, to himself. Life had not been easy, and Y/n knew Harry blamed himself for a lot of the hardships they faced.

"I don't," she said, kissing their joined hands. "And I won't. Ever. "

Harry grinned, and Y/n could tell even in the dark that his gaze was a little watery. Still, he inched forward and said, "So...?"

Y/n leaned forward and kissed him, her leg slotting between his. "Let's have another baby."

Maeve and Jules

"I'm sorry, did you just say twins?"

"I did. I'm seeing two heartbeats here. See?" The doctor said, pointing at the monitor she'd been observing closely the last five minutes.

Y/n couldn't quite believe what she was hearing. It was one thing to be pregnant (again), but an entirely different one to be pregnant with twins. "That's—"

"Amazing," Harry breathed.

Y/n turned her head away from the monitor to look at her husband, whose eyes were glued to the screen with a look of wonder in them. As she'd begun to process her own feelings about housing not one but two babies in her belly for nine months, she hadn't really considered how he might feel about it.

Looking at him now, she could tell he was ecstatic.

Y/n was still panicking a little, but seeing the elation on Harry's face was comforting. She took his hand in hers and squeezed it hard, needing to feel the warmth of his palm to ground her.

"Hey," he said softly, bending down to kiss the top of her head. "This is a good thing. Unexpected, but good."

"I know," Y/n said, letting out a shaky breath. "I know it's just...a lot. I mean...twins?"

"Nothing we can't handle," Harry said, kissing her cheek.

His confidence was reassuring. Maybe he was freaking out on the inside and not letting it show for her sake, but Y/n felt better about the situation at hand and was ready to continue with the appointment.

To the doctor, she said, "Are they healthy?"

The doctor smiled warmly. "They are. It looks like one of them is about a week behind, but that's nothing to worry about."

"Really? They're twins. That doesn't seem possible," Harry said, his brow furrowing adorably.

"It's rare, but it is possible. Fraternal twins can be conceived as much as twenty-four days apart," the doctor said.

Y/n understood perhaps a split-second before Harry, but when he did, he turned as beet red as she felt. The doctor didn't seem to mind their embarrassment, though she'd probably seen all sorts of couples and situations. Y/n imagined there wasn't much that the doctor hadn't seen before.

The appointment wrapped up pretty quickly after that. Harry snuck out of the hospital through a separate door while Y/n set up her next appointment. She met him in the staff parking lot, where he was standing by the passenger door to help her in. Harry gave her a quick kiss before closing her in and walking around to the driver's side. As he drove, Y/n was thinking about a number of things—twice the amount of clothes, twice the amount of crying, twice the amount of diaper changes. She was excited at the prospect of having a baby. It was a conversation she and Harry had before they started trying, but the idea of twins was a lot to wrap her head around.

She looked at Harry, wanting to ask how he felt now that they were alone, but she stopped herself.

Harry had one hand on the steering wheel, the other covering a wide grin. He was blushing a little too, and Y/n couldn't help but ask what had him smiling like an idiot.

"I'm trying to figure out which times," he said.

"What do you mean which—Are you kidding? Which times we conceived the twins?"

"Aren't you curious?" Harry asked. "Twice, babe. I put a baby in you twice. I mean, one of them had to be when we were on the yacht, right? I always feel good after we have sex, but I feel like we really outdid ourselves there. Clearly."

Y/n just looked at her husband in shock. "You are..."

"What? It's cool!" Harry insisted, but he was laughing too. "And it takes the edge off a little. Come on, you try."

So he was more nervous than he was letting on. That was comforting in its own way too, but Y/n appreciated his attempts to lighten the mood. They could have a serious conversation later, but for now it was fun to just forget all of that. Just for a moment.

Y/n gave him a dry look, trying to appear like she wasn't impressed until she eventually rolled her eyes and smiled. "Mm...I agree with the yacht, and...when you came back from London."

"Really?" Harry asked, more curious than surprised.

"Yeah," Y/n said with a little sigh as she remembered the night in question. "That was a good night."

It was one of those rare occurrences where Simone was in her own bed and Collette managed to sleep for more than a couple hours. They'd spent the whole night catching up and giggling like idiots and kissing and enjoying the pleasure of being truly alone with each other. Y/n loved those moments with Harry, where everything was just so simple and easy and it was just them having a little fun. They definitely should've been catching up on sleep while they could, but neither of them wanted to, so they stayed up with tired smiles and slurred movements until they heard Collette's cries through the baby monitor.

"It was. We should do that again sometime," Harry said. Taking Y/n's hand, he kissed the tops of her knuckles.

"You just want to go for triplets," Y/n teased, even though she knew that wasn't what he meant.

"I'm not that crazy," he said, but his smile told her he was thinking about the possibility. Maybe just a little. "I'm excited for this."

"Yeah? What do you think? Boys? Girls? A boy and a girl?"

Harry shrugged. "Our track record would suggest girls, but..."

"You never know," Y/n finished for him.

Geneva

"We have some pretty big news to share."

Once a month, the Styles family held a Zoom call with their friends and family who were scattered across the globe. Since lockdown began, there was a lot of adjusting—online school, not being able to go to the park to play, being at home all day. It was a lot for everyone, but Harry and Y/n did their best to make the adjustments smoother. And when they needed a break, they set up the monthly Zoom calls.

They were mostly just to catch up. Once all the children went to sleep, Harry and Y/n stayed up late talking to other adults about everything and nothing, maybe even played a different drinking game or two to round out the night before they went back to being parents. Tonight was a special night, though.

Multiple faces looked at Harry and Y/n expectantly through their computer screen. Both of them were sporting big smiles as Y/n leaned on Harry's side, one of his older sweatshirts covering her body and the almost imperceptible bump that was beginning to show now. Today was the first day she'd begun to show, and Harry nearly lost his mind with excitement. Finding out Y/n was pregnant had been somewhat of a surprise, but when she told him, he was over the moon. He's started to suspect, having recognized some of his wife's symptoms by now, but they'd been waiting for the right time to tell their families and friends, and tonight was the night.

"What's going on, darling?" Anne asked.

Neither Harry nor Y/n could barely contain their excitement, which probably gave away the news before they actually said anything. However, in their own eagerness to share the news, neither of them saw a few people on the call sporting knowing looks.

"We're having a baby!"

Cheers went all around as everyone congratulated the couple. Questions were asked about due dates and how far along they were and what they were going to do about the lockdown situation. Everything was just as Harry had hoped it would be.

And then things took an interesting turn.

"Who won?" Jeff asked.

"Won? What do you mean—"

"If my math is correct, which I'm pretty sure it is, I believe it goes to Gem," Sarah said, looking down at her phone. "She went with three and a half months. Glenne narrowly missed with three. No one had four so it goes to Gemma."

A collective groan went throughout the Zoom, leaving Harry and Y/n very confused.

"Did you place bets on us?" Y/n asked, sounding more astonished than offended.

"When lockdown became permanent, we knew it was a matter of when not if we would be getting the announcement," Jeff explained. "Someone has a physical copy of the pool somewhere."

"And all of you did this? Mum?" Harry said, brows raised higher than Y/n had ever seen them. When Anne nodded sheepishly, Y/n had to stifle a laugh. "So none of you were surprised?"

"I love you, dear, and I'm so so happy for you, but since you were seventeen, anytime you've come to me with big news, it's been about having a baby. For my own sanity, I've just come to expect it."

Harry looked down at Y/n, who was grinning behind her hand. For her husband's sake, her gaze softened as she reached up to kiss his cheek. "I mean, they have a point. Even you guessed it before I told you."

As the shock finally wore off, Harry smiled. He supposed it wasn't the worst thing in the world. So, he and Y/n were predictable, even though they hadn't really been trying this time around. They were in love and had a lot more time together currently. Things were finally back on track for them and their relationship troubles seemed behind them now. They were happy, and as long as his family was happy, some light teasing and bet placing seemed harmless.

He did pin everyone on the screen with a mock glare before moving on, though. "You guys made a whole pool. Really?"

"Yeah. Can you believe Jeff thought it would take eight months for you to get pregnant?"

"It was for the adjustment to lockdown period!"

"Eight months?"

And on and on it went. Harry just smiled and rested his hand over Y/n's belly, thinking about how much it would grow in just a few short weeks.

Natalia

"I want Mommy!"

Harry sighed and pulled his only son into his lap, pushing the curls away from his face and wiping the tears from his cheeks. "I know you do, JuJu."

Harry and the kids were waiting to hear from Y/n's mother, but he hadn't gotten so much as a text. He was anxious, worried that something was wrong, but Julian's crying served as a good distraction for the time being.

Julian continued to cry, still not understanding why he couldn't see his mother when he'd become so used to seeing her everyday. Harry would've been with Y/n had it not been for the little boy's crying, and he made the split-second decision to stay home while Y/n delivered the baby with her mother as support. He'd never missed any of his children's births, but for this, he could stay behind.

"She'll be back soon, bubba, I promise," Harry said, kissing Julian's cheeks and holding him close. "Should we go play with your Lego set? I know you've been excited to build it. Maybe we can build something to show Mummy when she gets home."

Julian shook his head and continued to cry into Harry's neck. Realizing his son was content to be miserable, Harry didn't ask again. He sat with Jules for a while, holding the boy to his chest and running a hand through his hair until his sobs turned into sniffles, and the sniffles into long, slow breaths. He waited a few extra minutes before taking Julian up to his room and setting him on his bed, making sure to place his favorite stuffed animal in his arms before leaving him to sleep off his troubles. As he walked away, Harry sort of wished he could do the same.

Every birth had been different. When Y/n had Simone, it hadn't been extraordinarily long, but it was extraordinarily stressful due to their young age. Collette was a fairly quick birth, perhaps a little too quick, seeing as Y/n barely made it to a hospital bed before the baby started crowning. The twins came early, which was apparently common for twins, but that didn't make it any less surprising to Harry and Y/n, especially because Harry was at the grocery store and Y/n was at the park with Simone and Collette and a nanny who was also there had to call an ambulance. Even still, Geneva's birth was probably the scariest, only because of all the rules and regulations brought on by Covid. Y/n's mother quarantined for two weeks so she could stay at the house while Harry and Y/n went to the hospital, as Y/n could only have one person in the room with her.

And now a year later, they were doing it all over again. Harry had been confident that this birth would go off without a hitch, that everything would be just fine, but the lack of word from his wife or mother-in-law made him nervous.

Later that day, Harry was still waiting. He'd gotten a text from Y/n's mother, which let him know that Y/n still wasn't ready to push but that they were getting close. That was an hour ago, and Harry had to believe that it was all happening now.

And he was missing it.

He knew being here with the rest of his children was important. That they were worried about their mother and probably found Harry's presence comforting. He just wished they could all be there in the waiting room instead of at home and fifteen minutes from the hospital. The not-knowing was killing him, and he was pretty sure his kids could sense it.

"Daddy?"

Harry's eyes flicked to where Collette was standing in the doorway of his bedroom. She was in her pajamas, a shirt and matching pair of bottoms with her favorite cartoon on them. Harry had been pacing around his room, his phone gripped tightly in his hand as he waited for someone to call him, but seeing his second daughter standing there, squinting at the light from his bedside table lamp told him he was up a little later than normal.

"Hi, peanut. What are you doing out of bed?" he asked.

Collette shrugged, her hair catching the light. She wiped at her nose and stepped further into the room until she stood in front of him. "Mommy always braids my hair before I go to sleep."

"She does, doesn't she?" Harry agreed. "She's kind of the best, huh?"

Nodding, Collette turned toward his bed and climbed up on it, looking at him expectantly. Even after having four daughters, Harry wasn't an expert at braiding hair. The girls always went to Y/n before school, and she did each of their braids or ponytails or pigtails happily. Harry always made sure to watch with a keen eye, and practiced on Y/n when she let him. He supposed now it was time to put all his practice to work.

The braiding didn't take long, and Harry didn't do half bad, in his humble opinion. Collette was just going to sleep in it anyway, so he wasn't too bummed by the few loose strands that he'd somehow missed.

He'd finished rather quickly, though Collette didn't slide off the bed to go back to her room. In fact, she nestled under the covers on Y/n's side of the bed, mumbling, "Night Daddy," before falling asleep. Harry didn't really mind. It wasn't the first time one of the kids stayed in his and Y/n's bed, and tonight, he figured he could use some company.

What he wasn't expecting was all of his children to stumble into his room. First it was Maeve, then Jules, then Simone, and finally Harry went to get Geneva, just so it was a proper sleepover. No one fought for space—which was a first. All the kids just found their spot and went back to sleep as if they were in their own rooms. Harry resisted the urge to take a picture so as not to wake anyone up with the flash of his phone's camera.

He hadn't planned on falling asleep. One moment he'd been watching a football game with the volume off, and the next he was blinking his eyes open as the sun began to stream in through the curtains. All of his little ones were still fast asleep, though Harry knew that would change soon. Maeve and Simone woke up early to watch morning cartoons, and Geneva would want her bottle within the hour.

Harry began to shuffle around and prepare for the usual morning routine—brush teeth, ok prepare the bottle, make breakfast for the early risers—when his phone rang. Startled, Harry rushed over to where his phone was plugged in, a huge grin splitting his face when he realized it was a video call from Y/n.

"Hi," Harry whispered, careful not to wake anyone up. "How are you? How's the baby? Is everything—"

"I'm fine, H. Everything's fine. Everything's perfect," Y/n said, a sleepy smile on her face.

Hearing that helped his heart stop racing, but only a little, as excitement flooded his veins. Y/n called him, which could only mean that—

"Wanna meet your daughter?" Y/n said, and even through the phone, Harry could see tears line her eyes.

Harry nodded, too overwhelmed with love and anticipation to form words. Quickly, he found an unoccupied spot on his bed and carefully sat down.

Y/n passed the phone to her mother who angled the phone so that Harry could see the baby, whose face was just barely visible through a pink blanket. He immediately felt tears well in his eyes, his throat going dry as he looked down at his daughter. Even through the phone, he felt every emotion he'd ever experienced when meeting his children for the first time. It was the most unique experience, Harry always thought. He'd seen and done so much, yet he still thought there was nothing like looking down at his newborn baby for the first time.

"Is that baby sister?"

Harry looked behind him to find Julian peering over his shoulder. Jules looked at the sleeping baby curiously, taking in his sister's little nose and tiny fingers and pouted lips. Then, he said, "Is Mommy there too?"

The camera panned up to Y/n, who was smiling and blowing kisses to Julian. "Hi JuJu, my love. I've missed you!"

"Mommy!"

"Mommy?"

"Mommy's home?"

Now everyone was up and crowding around Harry, taking turns talking to Y/n and baby sister, who had yet to be given a name. No one seemed to mind, though. If anything, they were more concerned about when Y/n and the baby would be coming home so they could have a party.

"Soon, my loves. The doctor wants me and the baby to stay one more night to make sure we're healthy. You think you can be good for Daddy?"

There was a chorus of yeses before everyone said their goodbyes, the novelty of a new baby sister wearing off when there were cartoons to be watched downstairs. Harry kept Y/n on the phone while he got Geneva's bottle ready, wanting to stay on the phone as long as possible.

"I know you must be tired," Harry said an hour later. He was in GiGi's nursery and watching her toddle around and play with her toys while talking to his wife.

"I'll hang up soon. I want you to get as much screen time as possible before I go," she said, turning the camera to where the baby was sleeping in the bassinet beside her hospital bed.

"Have you given her a name yet?" he asked.

Y/n shook her head. "I know we decided on one, but I wanted you to be with me when I said it for the first time."

"I love you," Harry said as his heart melted to mush.

"I love you too," Y/n said. She lifted the baby out of the bassinet, cradling her head with the expertise of someone who'd done it for years. Looking at Harry through the phone she said, "You wanna do the honors?"

Laughing out of pure bliss, he nodded. With all the tenderness and care he would've used if he'd been there in person, he said, "Welcome to this crazy, crazy world, Natalia Styles."

[thebottomfromhell]

wait: you the moment Muzan was asking that person if they looked sickly? before he killed them I mean what if, that happened again with someone else(reader, perhaps?) but they end up being blind (and he didn't know until reader subtly points it out)? like he asks and reader says 'I'm not sure what you're asking, but you sound pretty healthy.' all genuine smiles and all

I would change the scene a bit for it to make sense, but Muzan encountering blind reader is a lovely idea.

So, also I did this one before others I still owe cuz I'm literally sick, and I always become lazy when sick, and it was the one I needed to think the least. I should feel better by Monday, but I wanted to keep the promise of 2 post per week.

Muzan encounters GN Blind Reader in the scene of the alley

Warnings: Mentioned non-character human death, Implied life-threat to reader and Open ending.

You were born blind. Your mother more often than not said you cried a lot, both as a baby and as a toddler, scared, because you couldn't see anything. The second you didn't have someone touching you you feared you got lost or abandoned, so you cried. You stopped crying when you started to grow up, thankfully your parents were quite wealthy, so you never had problems with being sustained, even if with your current condition living a normal life, like getting a job and starting a family, is harder than normal.

You never let that bother you, though. Also, your other senses do help you around a lot. You can hear, smell and touch your way through most places, so as long as you have your loyal can, you are more than fine. This night, you can sense due the lack of sun rays in your skin, is a busy one. You don't even know what took you so long, since you were only buying some sweets in a shop you go a lot. Since the woman that makes the sweets knows about your condition, sometimes she sneaks some more samples, thinking you don't realize the rations are bigger than normal. Still, it's an endearing gesture.

But the crowd tonight is making it harder to go home, it's too loud and full tonight, so using the temperature of the walls you guide yourself to an alley, there the stones are colder since they didn't get the sun's heat during the day. Then... there is a scent of blood. You know how it smells, since you were little you were able to recognize your mother's periods to the smell in the kitchen when the cooks are cutting the meat. But in those times the smell was diluted, but now it's strong, pungent. Is someone bleeding out? Should you call for help?

No, if it's so bad, it's probably a murder in the alley, if you draw the attention to yourself you might be the next victim, so you make the best to calm yourself. You are blind, so as long as you pretend to be oblivious to what is going on, you might have a chance to flee. You have done this before, not with MURDER, but you have had your fair share of stories of finding people having sex in alleys, and pretending to not know.

"What are you doing standing there like a freak? Can't you see what is going on?" Says a voice, it's rather sweet and soft, clearly manly, you would dare to bet it's a healthy man from his twenties to his mid thirties. In any other situation, you might have even been smitten by the voice. But now.... "No sir, as you might have realized... I can't see. Did I interrupt on something?" You ask, trying your best to keep your nerves under control. You hear steps, shoes with platforms from the west? Is the murder someone wealthy? They are comming towards you. And you know it's not the victim. The victim would beg, run, shove you to scape... not walk calmly towards you.

You move your staff on the ground, making little hits from side to side, hoping it will make this person keep it's lenght as distance. He stops when you hear the edge hit his leg. You stop the movement. "Scaping the crowd, huh? Seems we are not so different from one another. I'm sorry for my tone earlier, I needed some time alone, the city can be upseting at times." Before he sounded as if he was containing his anger, but now... it's gentle, even nice. You can feel hands, not so big or thick, but very strong, in your shoulders, as he guides you to turn around back to the streets. "This alley is infested by pests, let me help you in the way out. Let's go sit somewehre else." You let him, because you are afraid of what he will do if you don't.

You do relax in the crowd for once, though, since is improbable he will do anything to you in front of other but... no one is reacting. Shouldn't he be covered in blood? Then again, he doesn't feel wet, even id the faint smell is still there. Also, he moves you gently, making sure you don't trip or bump into anyone or anything, constantly telling your the name of the streets you are going and describing them for you to know where you are, more or less. He is precise, you know exactly how to go home from here. Part of you wonders if you should tell the authorities, but... would they believe you?

"Here. Here we should be able to rest." You both sit on a bench, there is something off about this man, but you don't know what. "So, what is your name? You don't have to tell me if you don't want to." You nerviously grip tight the bag where you have your sweets, not knowing how to react. "Y/N...." you answer, if only to be polite. "Y/N. It's a pleasure to meet you. Do you live nearby? Have anyone who is supposed to pick you up?" You don't give the exact location, but you asnwer "I live near by. With your descriptions I should be able to get home from here by my own."

"Is it really? Then, I have other matters to answer to, so I will stop keeping you. We might see each other again." He says and... gone... you use you staff after some seconds of silence to check and he is really gone. Or farther than the staff's full lenght's reach. How? You didn't hear any steps or sense any movement. He is just gone. What? How?

You stay in the bench for a while, could it be that you have gone mad? Is this a dream? Was it part from your imagination? Was the man a ghost? You stay a while trapped in your thoughts before going home. Some days pass, weeks, more than a month, and you get to almost forget about the experience. It probably wasn't what you thought, and you will never se that man again, so why worry.

Then, one night your father tells you to go to the main room to meet his new business partner adopted son's. He is a lot younger than you, around half your age, but it seems it will be your job to entertain the child while your parents make business. The kid is very quiet while everyone else is here, it makes you wonder if he is even there. Then, you hear it again. "I told you we would meet again, Y/N." You freeze, it isn't coming from the child, is it? "How would you react if I told you I can give you sight?" You are blind under the situation, no pun intended... Just who the hell is this guy?

"My name is Kibutsuji Muzan, never repeat it."

[heavyhitterheaux]

Dead End

Gif by @harlowgifs 💕

Synopsis: After learning a secret that Scalvo was keeping from you, it leads you both to make a decision regarding it. If everything goes well, the two of you will be together forever. However, if something goes wrong, you might have to live your life without him.

Pairing: Scalvo x Reader

Please Do Not Repost My Content Anywhere

Read Part 1 and Part 2 first

Scalvo didn’t know how to feel about what your father had told him after he had walked away from him and got into his range rover before exiting the parking garage. After he slid into the driver's seat of his own car and began making his way to meet up with Cobby and Rory, his mind was on overdrive. But the last thing that he ever wanted to do was for you to think that anything was wrong.

Staying away from you?

Your father would probably actually have to kill him for that to even become a reality. He just got you back and didn't plan on letting you go ever again. Scalvo did know that your father's connections ran deep, but he simply wasn't sure how deep. And that's probably where he would need help.

Your father wouldn't be able to do anything about him being with you unless he exposed him for what he really was.

As far as he knew, he had put a number of innocent people in jail and left them there to rot, but that couldn’t possibly be all that he's done over the years. Simply because people HATED this man. Word on the street was if your lawyer was going up against him, that he would definitely lose and that your ass was going to jail.

After the job he was going to do with Cobby and Rory and then figuring out everything with your dad, he was going to be done with this life. He had no idea where he was going to start making that a reality, but as long as he had you by his side he was going to make it happen.

It seemed like you two would argue more and more about what his job entailed after you had figured it out and he would always tell you,

Princess, just one more job

But ever since he told you that the first time, it has turned into many more.

A lot of times, he would wait until you were asleep and simply sneak out of the apartment to do a job and worry about you yelling at him later which would always happen once you woke up and found him missing. His phone would be going off repeatedly because you were about to rip him a new one.

“Hello?”

“Your ass better have a good reason as to why you're not in bed next to me right now.”

“Babe…”

“NO! DO NOT ‘BABE’ ME! WHERE ARE YOU!? If you say you're with Cobby…..”

“Um….”

“SCALVO!”

“I'll be back soon, princess. I promise.”

“You said that the last job you did was going to be your last. Do you know how many you've done since then?”

“Uh, two?” He responded, being unsure of the correct answer.

“Try seven. If you die tonight, you're going to have bigger problems when I find out about it. I'll bring you back and kill you again.”

“Princess, just….”

“Goodnight. The couch will be waiting for you once you come back.”

When you had hung up the phone on him all he did was mutter ‘fuck’ under his breath.

But you were in for a surprise when you heard the front door open at five in the morning and him groaning in pain. He was trying to be quiet in order not to wake you up since he knew you had to be up early for work. Even though you were beyond pissed at him, you stayed up to make sure he made it back home and threw off the comforter to go and check on him.

Walking out into the living room, you were confused when you didn't find him, but quickly gasped as you looked down and noticed a trail of blood. You quickly followed in and found Scalvo in the bathroom at the end of the hallway trying to peel off his shirt that was saturated in blood. You startled him when you called his name.

“BABY!?! WHAT HAPPENED!?”

“It’s not as bad as it looks, just go back to bed. I got it. I'm fine.”

“And leave you bleeding out on the bathroom floor? And how do you know it's not as bad as it looks!? IS THAT A STAB WOUND!? And you have the nerve to say that to a medical professional? Sit down and let me see.”

Not wanting to argue since he knew that you were already mad at him, he simply sat down as you got the saline along with some gauze to start cleaning it. As you cleaned it more and more, you noticed that it was deeper than you thought.

“You need to go to the hospital.” You whispered to him.

“Absolutely the fuck not.”

“It's deep! You need stitches! You act like someone is always out to get you. Our job as medical professionals is to keep you alive, we don't care how it happened. Unless you're in hospice, we see it to the end, but that's another story.”

“Because someone always is!”

“Well whose fucking fault is that? You have pissed me off so much in these last eight hours so I'm removing myself from the situation. Do whatever you want. If you want to die or have it get infected, that's on you. Your blood better be off this damn carpet by the time I get home. I love you, but you make me so mad with how you have me worrying about you all the time.” You told him as you turned to walk away and tears were starting to flow, but he caught your hand to pull you back.

“Baby, wait. I'm sorry, okay? Just… I'll go if you want me to.”

As promised, Scalvo walked back into your shared apartment an hour and a half later because he had stopped to get food for the both of you. He noticed that you weren’t in the living room so he assumed that you were still laying in bed and simply in your shared bedroom watching Fire Country which had been your latest obsession. His main thing was to keep calm and not have you suspect that anything was wrong.

But, he should have known better because you could read him like a book. As soon as he entered the bedroom with the food and drinks in his hand, you eyed him as you sat up against the headboard.

“Babe? Is everything okay?” You asked as he handed you a chai latte which he quickly learned was your favorite.

“Oh, um, yeah. Why do you ask?” He replied while not meeting your eyes.

“You look a little flustered, that’s all. I was just wondering.”

Scalvo was quiet as he made a spread in the front of both of you with different bagels and pastries to choose from along with handing you a veggie omelet. He kissed you before the two of you were eating in silence and Scalvo noticed that every few minutes, you would glance at him. He figured that he should tell you, now. Get it off his chest and get everything out in the open. He simply paused the show that you two were watching and looked over at you.

“Princess, I need to tell you something.” He told you as you were mid bite into your bagel. You slowly turned to look at him and nodded your head.

“You know you can tell me anything, what is it?”

“I’m going to have about three more jobs and then I’m done. I'm serious this time. I… I see what this does to you and see how disappointed you are in me all the time. I already know that you're out of my league and I don't deserve you for how well you treat me despite what I do in order to get money. I was just thinking about when I would sneak off after you were asleep and you would wake up pissed and blowing up my phone. The last time I did that, I ended up getting stabbed and needed stitches. The way you looked at me is…. I never want you to look at me that way again. Please understand that you’re important to me and that I’ll do anything for you. But… this is all I know. I’m going to be better for you because the last thing that I ever want you to do is get fed up waiting for me to be done with this life and end up leaving me. I don’t know what I would do if that happened.”

He couldn't do it yet.

He couldn't tell you that your father had just threatened him, so this was the next best thing.

Nothing that he said wasn't true, his goal was to make it a reality.

His last job was going to be taking down your father for everything he was worth.

He just didn't know what you were going to do once you found out… Or when.

That's why he had to make sure you didn't find out until everything that needed to come up to the surface did.

The two of you sat in silence while you digested what Scalvo had just told you.

“I'm not disappointed in you overall. I'm disappointed in the choices that you make sometimes. You weren't dealt the best hand in life so you had to do what you had to do. I can understand that it's hard for you to be able to visualize what your life might look like without all the mess happening around you. I'm just trying to be patient while you figure it out.” You said being completely honest and Scalvo was surprised.

“That's…. fair.”

“And the reason why I would get so mad at you when I woke up in the middle of the night and you weren't there was because I still have nightmares about me getting kidnapped. It only happens when you aren't here. I needed you and you weren't here.” You told him as you had stopped eating.

“I'm sorry, babe. Why didn't you tell me?”

“Because no matter what I say and how much I want a better life for the both of us, you never listen. It goes in one ear and out the other so why am I even trying? You’re an adult and can make your own decisions. Even though I did say I was trying to be patient, I am not going to wait forever. And to be honest, I don't know how much longer I can take.”

“Baby….. just… a little bit longer. It's going to be different now. By the end of October, I'll be done. I'm not quite sure what I'm going to do after but as long as I have you, I'll think of something. I promise.”

All you did was sip on your latte while picking at one of the pastries that you had placed on the plate in front of you.

“Babe?”

“Scalvo, don't promise me anything. Until you are done with this, I will literally worry about you every second in the day when you are not in my line of sight because I have ever since I figured it out. You are worth so much more than this and you know it. I just want a stable life with you and maybe even kids. However, I am not bringing a life into this world until you get your shit all the way together.”

Scalvo’s mouth turned up into a smile and you looked over at him dumbfounded.

“Uh, what is with you?”

“You want to have babies with me?” He asked while still smiling and you rolled your eyes.

“Is that all you got out of that?”

“No, I heard you and I'm going to do this not only for me but for us. Because the longer I do this, there is still a possibility that you could be hurt. I wouldn't be able to live with myself if that happens. And I don't want my kids to have to visit me in prison.”

“Then you better make sure that a situation like that doesn't happen.”

A few weeks had passed and you noticed that Scalvo had become distracted and distant from you. At first you figured that he was just so focused on trying to do what he needed to do to be done with this life, but now you weren't so sure.

You glanced over at him from the kitchen since you were making the two of you fajitas. Scalvo surprisingly was a good cook and the two of you would alternate. He was simply sitting on the couch and scrolling through his phone while the television was on for background noise. The food still had a little while before it was finished so you made it a point to ask him.

“Babe?”

“Hmm? What's wrong, princess?”

“Something is bothering you and I don't like that very much. You've not only been distracted, but distant. How do I miss my boyfriend when you're right in front of me? Want to share with the class?”

Scalvo was clearly very startled and he looked at you and sighed.

“I've just had a lot going on, that's all. One step closer to us being able to leave this place for good.”

“No, that's not it. Do not sit up here and try to feed me that. So, I'm going to give you another chance to answer my question.”

One thing about Scalvo is that he didn't like when people questioned him, but you were his weakness. All you had to do was tell him to jump and he would ask you how high.

“You really want to know?”

“Obviously. Something is wrong with my boyfriend. I can read you like an open book. I know when you aren't acting like yourself.” You said as you began to play in his curls and he finally spoke.

“Your dad threatened me a month ago to stay away from you, and I wasn't doing that. So I decided to do a little digging of my own about his past and I didn't find anything that he should be proud of.”

“Wait a minute….”

“I didn't want to tell you until it was all over and done with. I don't want to hurt you with this. There are things that…”

“It's my father! How can it not? He knows how much you mean to me! And you know how much my father means to me! Why can't you two just learn to get along? I'm not leaving you, and he's going to be my dad forever.”

“I know, princess. But I'm not going to prison for anyone. Especially someone like him. No offense. That's why I've been avoiding going to dinner with you at their place. In not so many words, he’s going to put me in prison because he knows what I do in order to get money and make sure that I never see you again.”

You massaged your temples while trying to make sense of what Scalvo had just told you before letting him have it.

“ASHER ANTHONY SCALVO!”

“Not you saying my full government.” Scalvo mumbled since this was the first time you had done it and also raised your voice. He was on thin ice with you already, but this for sure took the cake.

“Oh, trust me, I want to say A LOT more. I should mop the floor with your 6’3 ass!”

“Princess, now is not the time for us to be arguing.” Scalvo said as he pleaded with you, but all you did was look at him and cross your arms.

“What did we agree on when we got back together? Remind me for a second.” You asked him as you sat across from him.

Scalvo hesitated because he had broken his promise that he had made you.

“Go on, babe. I'm listening.” You told him and he immediately sighed before answering you.

“That there would be no secrets between us.”

“Mm hmm, so why is it that you are just telling me my father threatened you almost a MONTH later?!”

“I was going to handle it!”

“Handle it without telling me!? Don't you think that is something important for me to know?!”

“Yes, but…”

“But what!?”

“I found out some things about your dad and I…. You aren't going to look at him the same and you're not going to like it. I wasn't about to tell you anything until I finished doing what I had to do, but it seems like it couldn't wait any longer. I didn't want to lie when you asked me why I've been so distracted and distant lately.”

“I already don't look at him the same because of what he did to your dad, but I want to know. Baby, tell me.”

“Y/N….”

“I can handle it! Just tell me. What are you hiding from me?”

“First of all, I am not hiding a damn thing from you. You need to talk to your parents about that one because they've been lying to you for your entire life. I always say that I wish I had still had both of my parents, but not if they did some fucked up shit like this.”

“I am about to yell your entire government again if you don't fucking tell me. What the hell could they have been lying about for my entire life?!”

“Yeah, you've been around me too long. Every other word that comes out of your mouth is starting to be ‘fuck'”

“SCALVO!”

“Fine. Here. Don't say I didn't warn you.” He told you as he slid a few papers towards you.

He looked at you as he watched your facial expression go from pissed off to disbelief.

“No this isn't real. You're lying.” You finally said as you looked up at him.

He was looking at you sympathetically before he answered.

“Why the hell would I lie about that? You're my girlfriend and the only person that I give a fuck about in this world. I love you and you think I would hurt you on purpose?” He asked, confused.

You scoffed before throwing the stack of papers back towards him.

“Oh, how quickly we forget? You did fucking hurt me when you broke up with me and disappeared without a fucking trace. So don't even give me that.”

“Baby, I'm not doing this with you right now. We have bigger fucking problems. It's real. If you don't believe me, go and ask the man that you thought was your father.”

“I need to leave.” You told him without missing a beat as you stood up heading into the bedroom with him quickly following.

“You aren't going anywhere. You need to calm down for a second. And it's almost 10 at night.”

“Who are you? My father? Oh and that's right, I don't even know my real one and besides how are you going to tell me to calm down!? I just found out that the man that I call my father isn't who he says he is.” You said as you turned around to look at him before heading over to your closet.

“Princess, we'll get through this, I promise. I know that this is a lot to take in, but I'm right here with you. I just want you safe. Just… let's go back and sit down and talk about this.” Scalvo pleaded with you as he grabbed your hand, but you quickly pulled your hand back.

“Fuck your promises! That's what you ALWAYS do. Promise me this and promise me that! My life has gone to shit ever since I met you and I'm mad at myself for loving you so much. I need to be by myself for a minute.”

“Y/N, you know good and damn well that I never meant for any of this to happen. I am not leaving you by yourself like this.”

“Hmm. You sure? Remember you've had your eyes set on my father's downfall from the beginning and got close to me so that it would be easier. Despite you saying that you didn't know who I was. You could have been lying the entire time. How do I even know this is real? How do I know that you even love me?”

“Are you fucking serious right now? Now you are saying a whole bunch of bullshit. If I didn't love you, when Don had kidnapped you, I would have let him put a fucking bullet in your head. But did I do that? Is that honestly what you think of me?”

“So, what do you want? A thank you? Wouldn't have happened in the first place if you didn't piss him off.”

“Y/N…. None of this was ever meant to hurt you.”

“Well you should've thought about that in the beginning, huh? So what's your plan? Blackmail? Put him in jail?”

“I…”

“You know what? Never mind.” You told him as you slipped a hoodie over your head and your shoes.

“Where are you going?”

“Anywhere to get the fuck away from you.”

“Baby… I'm not the enemy here. He is. He hurt you and deserves to pay for what he did. He has done wrong by everyone in his life and you have taken the biggest hit. I just want to protect you.”

“Don't fucking call me that. And it sounds like you want to protect yourself. He would never intentionally hurt me.” You fired back at him as you grabbed your pink Coach wallet along with your keys.

“You don't have any idea what he is capable of. He only shows you the side that he wants you to see.”

You ignored him and Scalvo watched you leave while slamming the front door behind you. He ran a hand through his messy hair before going into the kitchen and turning the stove off since he noticed that the food was now finished. After putting everything away, he opened his phone to see where you were since you had taken your wallet with you.

It showed him that you weren't too far from home at a 24 hour diner which he knew you loved ever since you were younger. You were mad at him, that was obvious, but not mad enough for you to turn off your location. But even if you did, you were still carrying the air tag.

Because how is he supposed to tell you that there was more?

More as in James had your mother killed because she was a witness in a case that he was prosecuting. To make sure that he won, he had to eliminate the problem. Since that now made you an orphan because she was a single mother, he decided to do one thing that would make this right in his eyes.

He adopted you and changed your name.

Your mother didn't have any family that he knew of so someone coming to look for you would be unlikely.

It was the perfect plan

Until Scalvo unraveled it.

It was about three in the morning when Scalvo finally heard the front door open letting him know that you were finally back. He heard you shuffle around the kitchen for a few minutes before he heard your footsteps making their way in the direction of the bedroom.

Scalvo was sitting on the side of the bed when you finally walked in. The two of you made eye contact and you weren't quite sure if you wanted to speak first.

But you did.

“I'm sorry for blowing up on you earlier, but I take it that you understand why I did it. You mean a lot to me and so do my parents so right now I feel like I'm stuck in the middle. Even if they aren't my biological parents. They raised me. I'm also sorry for accusing you of not loving me because I know you do. The things you do for me, you won't do for anyone else. I know that hearing me say that hurt your feelings. I saw the look in your eyes.”

All Scalvo did was open his arms for you to come towards him and once you did, he immediately slid you into his lap and kissed your cheek.

“It was a lot to take in. I was going to tell you eventually, but I didn't want to lie to you. I love you and you’re my person.”

“I love you back tenfold. I'm so proud of you for keeping up with therapy even when we broke up. I respect that you told me the truth when I asked and I'm glad you were open with me.” You told him as you brushed a hand through his curly hair.

“Everything that I'm doing is me taking steps to be the boyfriend that you deserve. You don't want someone who's shut off from the world all the time. And there's something else though but you were too upset earlier and I didn't want to add to it. I don't know if you'll want to hear this now or later.”

“Be the boyfriend that I deserve, but also be the person that I know you can be. And you might as well tell me.”

“Um, okay. James had your biological mother killed when he found out that she was a key witness in a case that he was prosecuting. He knew that if she ended up testifying that he was going to lose. She was a single mother and I can't find any of your other family. That's probably why it was so easy for him to adopt you. I can show you everything if you want me to.”

You sat there in silence taking it all in as you hugged Scalvo tighter. He gave you a few minutes and noticed that you were deep in thought.

“I guess it's literally me and you against the world now, huh?” You told him as you laid your head on his shoulder as tears started to silently fall down your cheeks.

“It was always that way from the beginning. If he deserves anything at this point, it's to take him down for what he did to you. When all of this is over, we can leave and never come back.”

“He killed my mom, so I want him to burn.”

“We just have to be patient. For now, my priority is making sure my princess gets some sleep.”

You nodded your head as you got up and took a quick shower before getting changed into your pajamas. Walking back in the bedroom, you slid in next to Scalvo and he quickly wrapped his arms around you.

When you woke up later that morning, you laid there for a while as you scrolled through your phone while stealing glances at Scalvo every few minutes since you were facing him.

Before you had gone to sleep, you had called out of work because you only getting two hours of sleep wasn't going to be enough. With all that Scalvo had told you last night there was no way that you would be able to focus and then an idea suddenly popped into your head. More than likely your father would be at his office meaning that your mom would be home alone. This was the perfect opportunity for you to ask her, but her main concern would probably be how you found out. Scalvo already had a target on his back from your dad, so there was no way you would give up an answer if she asked.

Putting your phone back down on the nightstand, you turned back around and started playing with Scalvo’s curls. A few minutes later, his eyes fluttered open and he quickly smiled at you.

“Hi, princess.”

“Hi.”

“You’re not working today?” He asked you and you quickly shook your head no.

“I wouldn't be able to focus with everything going on, so I decided to take a mental health day. But, I think I should talk to my mom about this.”

If you didn't have all of his attention before, you definitely had it now.

“And tell her what, exactly?”

“Just ask her and see if she's honest with me. I'm obviously not going to tell her how I found out because you have a target on your back from my dad already. But just her, not him.”

“Truth be told, I really don't want you around them anymore.”

“I know, but we have to do what we have to do, right?”

“Yes, so I can put a baby in you.”

“Scalvo!” You exclaimed as you hit his shoulder and laughed.

“What? What I do?”

You simply shook your head as you smiled at him.

“What time are you going over there?”

“Probably around two.”

“Oh, good. We have enough time then.”

“Enough time for what?”

Scalvo didn’t respond to your question and simply moved so that he was hovering over top of you. His fingers slipped into the waistband of your shorts and slowly started to pull them down before he threw them off the side of the bed.

“Enough time for me to eat you out. It is my favorite meal.” He told you as he proceeded to spread your legs.

Scalvo was still eating you out when his phone kept going off.

“Baby, ignore it.” You told him as you held onto his curls making sure he didn't move.

It rang for the fifth time when he rolled his eyes and grabbed it off the nightstand. When he saw who it was all he did was sigh before answering.

“Hold on, baby. Because his ass is going to keep calling me until I answer.”

“But…”

“Thirty seconds, princess. I promise.”

“Fine.”

“Cobby, what the hell do you want? Your ass called me five times in a row so this shit better be important.”

“Hi to you too. Did you miss me?”

“I will hang up if you don't tell me what you want. I'm eating my girl out and here you come bothering me.” Scalvo told him and you quickly laughed before hitting him.

“Nasty little fuckers. TMI. Oh! Put me on speaker phone, I want to say hi to Y/N!”

“NO! What do you WANT!?”

By this time, you had started touching yourself and Scalvo had given you a warning look which just led to you smirking.

“Um, I forgot. Wait a minute, it'll come to me.”

“I'm not waiting for a damn thing. Bye.” Scalvo told him as he was ready to toss his phone back on the nightstand, but quickly heard his protests.

“WAIT! I remember. Are we still meeting later?”

“You know your ass could have sent me a damn text to ask me that?”

You simply sucked on your fingers before reaching down to massage your clit and Scalvo pinched your side in an attempt to tell you to stop but you shook your head no.

“Yes, but I love your voice so much. I missed it.”

“Cobby you get on my FUCKING nerves. The answer is yes. Now bye.”

“Make sure you kids use protection!”

“BYE COBBY!”

Once he had hung up the phone, he looked down at you and simply stared at you for a few minutes.

“If you make yourself cum, I will edge you for a fucking week. Move your damn hand.”

“Well then hurry up. I told you not to answer it.”

By the time you reached your parents house it was almost three in the afternoon. Your mom was surprised to see you and since you didn't want to bombard her with questions from the minute you stepped inside, the two of you made lunch together and were now sitting across from one another eating when you finally spoke up.

“Mom?”

“Yeah, doll? What's wrong?”

“Who's Riley Carter?” You asked and you saw all of the color drain from your mother's face. She cleared her throat before she answered you.

“Where did you get that name?”

“It doesn't matter where I got it. All that matters is that you two have been lying to me for twenty-eight years.”

“Y/N….”

“Or do you mean Reagan? Because that's my real name isn't it? Given to me by my real mother?”

“I… there are just some things that were complicated and we thought it was best not to tell you.”

“Oh like having my mother murdered so that your husband could win his case? He would have lost if she had taken the stand.” You replied as you took a sip of your blueberry lemonade.

“Look, no matter what I say, you're going to find fault in it. All I can tell you is that I'm sorry. Even if you don't want to hear it. Your father is…. I didn't find out a lot that he had done until you were damn near eighteen. By that time, he had threatened me not to tell you anything. When we met, he already had you and told me that your mother was killed leaving him to be a single father. You were about nine months old. Despite everything that he has done, I do love him.”

“And you were just going to keep this a secret?”

“To be honest, yes. The less you know, the less danger that you would be in. I can't have my only daughter taken away from me.”

“What? Why? What are you talking about?”

“Your father has a lot of people that don't like him. They would hurt you in order to hurt him or if you piss him off enough, he'll hurt you himself. That's why you were always in boarding school and have my mother's maiden name. All to protect you.”

“Hmm, that sounds familiar.” You responded when you thought about what Cobby had told you regarding your boyfriend.

“I figure that I know too much. If I were to divorce him, he would not get over that easily. Just as he had her killed, he would probably do the same thing to me. That's why I stayed. To keep an eye on you and hopefully not be killed. All your father craves is money and power. He hasn't loved me for a long time and I know it. At one point, he definitely did, but not now.”

“Mom… you cannot just stay here with him.”

“What other choice do I have? Look, all I want is for you to be safe. I know Asher was probably the one to tell you all of this. If anything, I want you to stay as far away from your dad as possible, both of you. I'll be fine. But just know that both of us love you. Well at least I do. I can’t speak for him. If you get in his way, he probably wouldn’t hesitate to do something to you.”

You nodded your head to tell her that you understood.

“There's one more thing. Your father is trying to have Asher arrested and put in prison. There's not a lot of evidence, but enough to put him away for a while. I’m guessing five to seven years. I overheard him one night talking about it. That was a while ago so there's literally only a matter of time before it happens. I like him and I know how much you love him and figured that you should know. Your father doesn't know that I heard him talking about it. He had it out for him ever since he recognized him the first time you brought him over to meet us. Anyone who is associated with Mr. Besegai, he doesn’t like them. All because of a deal they made gone wrong.”

Hearing this made your heart drop as well as speed up within the same minute.

“Chin up, baby girl. They can't convict him if they can't find him.” Was all she told you before she smiled and winked at you.

After leaving your parents house, you immediately called Scalvo and he picked up on the second ring. All you heard was him arguing with Cobby which was the usual.

“COBBY, NO! THAT DOESN'T GO THERE! MOVE! JUST LET ME DO IT. Oh, hi princess. Everything okay? I miss you.”

“I miss you too and no. Everything is not okay. Where are you?” You told him as your thoughts were running a mile a minute.

“What's wrong? I'm with the dumbass of the century where I usually always am when I’m not with you.”

“HEY!” was all you heard indicating Cobby screaming in the background.

“I can't tell you over the phone. I need to tell you in person.”

“Uh, princess, you got me nervous over here.”

“Just send me your location and when I get there everyone needs to turn their phones off.”

“Okay, will do.”

Once you had reached the docks which you quickly learned was their infamous meeting spot, you ran up the steps and were soon face to face with Scalvo and Cobby arguing. Cobby was the first to notice you.

“Wait a minute, since when is it ‘bring your girlfriends to work day?’ If it was today, no one told me.” He asked, but his expression turned into concern once he saw the look on your face.

“Um, Y/N?”

“Well as of right now it is. And Cobby, you don’t even have a girlfriend. What is going on?” Scalvo asked as he approached you and he could tell that you were about to cry.

“Turn your phones off and I'll tell you.” You told them as you turned your own off. Once all of the phones were sitting face down in the center of the table, you took a deep breath before speaking.

“Cobby, I don't know how much of this concerns you, but more than likely they’ll be coming for you too.”

“Now why am I in it!?”

“Princess, what are you talking about? Why do you look like you're about to cry?”

“You were right. He has enough evidence to send you to prison, at least five to seven years if you’re convicted and best believe he would make sure that you are. My mom told me she overheard him a while ago talking about it. She also told me that she wants both of us to stay far away from him. We have to leave before they decide to arrest you. She's scared of him too and what he might do if she tries to divorce him.”

“I'm not leaving until we get his ass arrested for what he's done.”

“Did you not hear me? You could get arrested before he does! We need to leave!”

“And go where, Y/N? I cannot let him keep getting away with hurting people.”

“Well, all my mom said before I left was that they can't convict you, if they can't find you. We need to go somewhere that they can't arrest you and bring you back here for a trial.”

“Cuba.” Was all you heard Cobby say.

“That’s actually the smartest thing that I’ve ever heard you say.” You told him and all he did was smile before taking a bow.

“I need a passport. How the fuck am I going to do that?”

“Didn't you get across the Canadian border when you went with me when we first started dating? Whatever you did then, you need to do the same thing now.”

Scalvo was clearly frustrated as he ran a hand through his curls as he pulled at a few of them. You quickly took his face in your hands and made him look at you.

“Now is not the time for you to shut down on me. What did we just talk about? You don’t want our kids having to visit their father in prison so we need to come up with a plan and we need to do it now. The sooner we leave, the better. You cannot go home because I don't know what he's going to do. And Cobby, you are more than welcome to go with him, but your chances of getting caught are going to be higher.” You knew right now that you had to be the strong one to make sure that he kept his head on straight.

“I'll go to Canada instead.” Cobby told you and you simply nodded.

“Okay.” Was all Scalvo quietly said.

“You’re still going to need a passport, but getting on a plane will be a give away since you have to go through TSA. Um, you could drive to Florida. Miami specifically. My uncle has a boat so he is in and out of the port making deliveries to different places. One of his stops is in Havana. You get off and stay at the beach house I have gifted to me by my grandparents on my mother's side. He'll show you where it is and I have a key I can give you. My dad doesn't know about it. Use cash because they'll obviously be able to track you if you use a bank card.”

“I…. I see why you're with her, Scalvo. Very smart.” Cobby mentioned as he was looking at the both of you.

“But where does that leave you? I'm not leaving you in Boston. It's not safe for you here anymore.”

“As much as I hate the idea, you're going to have to.” You quietly told him and knew that this wasn't going to go over well.

“No, absolutely not. You see what being separated does to us. You already got hurt once because of me. I'm not about to let it happen again.”

“I know you don't like it but we have to think. My father knows that I'm not going to leave your side. It will be a sure way for you to get caught. Besides, I have a whole bunch of loose ends to tie up here. Me leaving abruptly will cause not only alarm, but panic. We have to do this discreetly. I promise to come to Havana as soon as I can. I will set you up with everything you need and you can be on your way in less than an hour. Cobby, I need you to release everything about my father on social media, but only when I tell you to.”

“You got it, boss. Scalvo, I see why you were so depressed when you two broke up, now. Go and do what you two need to do. I got it from here.”

Before you got into your car, you told Scalvo to follow behind you and once the two of you got to your apartment to simply wait in the parking garage while you ran upstairs to gather all of his belongings for him.

You were packing all of his things through blurry vision as tears were streaming down your face because of what this new reality would be. After you made sure to get all of his clothes, shoes, and toiletries, you were doing one last check when you opened his drawer on the bedside table to make sure nothing important was in it. But there was, in the back corner, a blue box.

But not any blue box.

It was from Tiffany's.

You were debating on if you should grab it, and after a few minutes of contemplating, you threw it into his bag and made your way back downstairs to the garage.

If that was your engagement ring, this was one hell of a way to find out.

He was leaning against the driver's side door as you approached him and handed him all of his bags to put into the backseat. You stared at your feet because the tears were steadily coming down your face now with no sign of stopping any time soon.

Scalvo put his finger under your chin to lift your head up to look at him. Once you did, an immediate sniffle came out as you choked back a sob.

“Hey, hey. None of that, okay? It's going to be fine.” He told you as he tightly embraced you and kissed the top of your head.

“I just wish I could go with you right now. But this is the best plan I could come up with on such short notice.”

“And your plan is going to work. You won't hear from me until I'm in Havana so don't freak out. Last thing I want is for them to be able to track me somehow.”

“Okay. I'll let my uncle know that you're coming. He owes me a favor anyway.”

Scalvo nodded his head before reaching down to give you several kisses.

“I love you, princess. So much.”

“And I love you. Please stay safe. I need you in one piece.”

“Same goes for you. I'll see you in Havana.”

Two days had passed and you figured that Scalvo had reached Miami by now. The two days had been the longest two days of your life. As soon as he left, you looked it up on your phone how long it would take for him to get down there and it told you that it would take about 22 hours driving. Knowing Scalvo, he probably wouldn’t have stopped until he was halfway and you were also hoping he took some time to rest. But when you lived a life where you were constantly looking over your shoulder. You weren’t so sure.

Your mind was put at ease when your phone vibrated on the table and you had gotten a text from your uncle.

Favorite Uncle Max- Safe with me

You let out a breath that you didn't realize that you had been holding and choked out a sob. You knew that this was going to be hard, but it was only temporary. You had to keep reminding yourself of that. Soon the two of you would be back together without being scared that you would be ripped apart from each other at any moment.

Not wanting to leave a trail, you sent him a thumbs up before deleting both text messages. Don’t leave them breadcrumbs if you don’t want to be found. You wanted to keep him as safe as you possibly could. For a while, you began to sell a lot of things in your apartment because you didn't plan on taking them with you. Your plan was to sell everything, quit your job the day before you left, and then leave in the middle of the night. Your job was already made aware that you were making moves to exit as an employee, so you took on the task of training the new hire that would take your place when you finally chose to do so.

You were also trying to convince your mother to come with you. You hadn't told her everything, but you did tell her that it would be wise if she was not in Boston when the news broke about your father. She told you that she would let you know when she made a decision. Knowing how stubborn she was, you would have to fight her tooth and nail for her to come with you. But, you could understand. Bottom line was that she was scared. Seeing the fear in her eyes was the first time in your life that you were worried for her safety as well as yours.

Your thoughts were interrupted by a knock on the door and that instantly made you nervous. There were only a handful of people that knew where your new apartment was and wasn't expecting anyone. Glancing at the clock, you saw it was around seven at night before you went to open the door.

Answering the door, you were face to face with two officers.

Hmm, too bad. You knew why they were here and they were approximately forty-eight hours too late and your boyfriend had gotten away.

“Good evening, Ms. Lawson. We're looking for someone and were told that he might be here. Also came to do a wellness check on you. You might know him as Scalvo, but we know him as Asher.”

“I'm fine. No one is here except me.” You quickly told them as you blocked their view to look inside the apartment.

Your father must have sent them. He was slowly starting to execute his plan, so that meant that there would only be a matter of time before you told Cobby that everything was a go. By that time, you planned on being on your uncle’s boat in the middle of the ocean heading to Havana.

“Do you mind if we take a look?”

“Not without a warrant.”

“Well it's a lucky day for us because we have one.” One of them told you as he held it up.

You had nothing to worry about because it was if you had erased any trace of Scalvo actually living there. Being that your father was a lawyer, you knew what they looked for and what they needed, so the best idea was to get rid of it all.

“Hmm, make it short and sweet. I have things to do.”

“Won’t take long, promise.”

You sat and watched in disbelief as they rummaged through your apartment without any respect or regard for any of your things. Who knows how long it would take for you to clean the mess that they made.

Once they were finished, you crossed your arms over your chest and looked at both of them.

“Find what you were looking for?”

“Sorry to disturb you ma'am. We'll be on our way. If Scalvo does show up, make sure you call us.”

“You do that and if we cross paths then I will.”

The next few weeks went by in a blur and you just couldn't wait to be back in Scalvo's arms. You hadn't felt well for the past two and figured that you should get looked at. It was only a matter of time before you would be leaving for Cuba. Everything needed to be fine before you decided to leave Boston for good and start a new life with nothing hanging over your head.

Your doctor Rachel was eyeing you as you were telling her all of the symptoms that you had been having. She had quickly become one of your favorite people since you had moved back. She was a straight shooter that didn’t sugarcoat anything. Of course, it did also help that you two went to boarding school together for a few years.

“I need you to pee in a cup for me.”

“For what? Do you think that will tell you what's going on with me?”

“Y/N, for your first question, I am 99% sure that you're pregnant and for the second question, yes.”

“Wait, no. I can't possibly be pregnant.” You said to Rachel and she just stared at you.

“Are you having sex?”

“Yes.”

“With protection?”

“Well…”

“Okay then that settles it. Go pee.” She said as she handed you the cup as you sighed.

He was supposed to be here for this.

Scalvo was supposed to be here.

Once Rachel told you that you were pregnant, all you saw was tunnel vision. You wanted kids, but definitely not this soon and under these circumstances. There was still so much for you to do until you could leave without having any loose ends. You wanted to be safe and free of worries, the last thing you wanted to be was stressed out how you were now.

As you were driving, you glanced down at your stomach and simply placed your hand there.

“Hi, it's mommy. It's very scary out here right now so I'm going to do my best to keep you safe until it's time for you to come out. Your daddy is going to be so happy when he finds out about you. He's not here right now, but we'll meet up with him soon and we'll all be together and be safe. I promise.”

Once you reached your apartment, as you were putting in the key, you noticed that the door was already unlocked. Knowing that you locked it before leaving, you took out your pepper spray from your bag before entering. When you reached the living room, you saw your father standing there sipping on a glass of whiskey that you recognized from your cabinet.

“How did you get in here?” You asked as you made sure to keep your distance.

“I had to come and check on you myself because my only child is dodging my calls left and right. So as any worried parent, I came to see you.”

“Well, you definitely broke into my apartment and entered without my consent. If I wanted to talk to you, I would have called you back. You can see yourself out.”

“Not so fast, baby girl. Why the hostility towards me?”

“Don’t ask stupid questions. You aren’t even my real father and you had my mother murdered who was the star witness in a case you were prosecuting because you didn’t want to lose. You took me in and changed my name because eventually you felt guilty. Trying to right your wrongs.”

“Hmm, I see nothing gets past you.”

“That’s really all you have to say? After everything you've done?”

“I took you in, fed you, clothed you, sent you to the top boarding school in the entire country and this is the thanks I get? You dating a criminal? And hiding him?”

“Don’t bring him into this. That was all you. You made those decisions on your own and you were an adult.” You fired back at him.

“He has nothing to offer you and he especially won’t have anything to offer you when I get his ass arrested and put in jail for all that he's done over the years. Including robbing me and holding me at gunpoint in my own home. Oh, you didn’t think I knew? Don’t look so surprised. I’ll make sure he’s convicted and sent to a prison far away. My money and connections are long, sweetheart. You have no idea. My daughter is not dating someone like him.”

“I’m not your daughter, so why do you care so much?”

“You are my daughter whether you like it or not. I know you’re hiding him and it’s only a matter of time before I figure out where. There's only so many places in Boston that he could be. Time is running out and I suggest you tell him to turn himself in. If you do that, I’ll make sure he only does two to three years. But, when he gets out you can never see him again. You have forty-eight hours until this offer expires. Keep in mind, you don’t want to be arrested for hiding a fugitive. Just as I can make your little boyfriend disappear, I can do the same to you if you disobey me. Good seeing you, sweetie.” He told you as he got up from the couch and made his way over to you, but you immediately backed up again to put some distance in between the two of you.

“You’ll see that this is the right decision when all of this is said and done. Tell Scalvo to stop hiding and we can settle this.”

As soon as your father closed the door behind him to your apartment, you stood there for a minute in disbelief. He admitted to doing it, but there was not an ounce of remorse for what he had done.

It couldn’t wait any longer, you needed to leave as soon as possible. From that point, you started throwing the last of your things in your suitcases and ran them down to your car before coming back up and taking one last walk through. There wasn't much left, but there was enough for you to have to make multiple trips. By now, you couldn’t call the rent office to break your lease or call your job to tell them that you quit. It wasn’t only your safety that was compromised now, it was your baby’s.

As soon as you were settled into your car, you called your mom. As much as she had lied to you, the last thing that you would ever want is to see her get hurt by the hands of your father. It took a while, but she eventually answered the phone.

“Hello?”

“Mom! We need to leave and we need to leave now. He knows what I’m doing. I need to keep you safe too.”

“I have a bag packed. Is everything ready to be released?” She calmly asked you knowing that she was talking about all of the evidence stacked up against your father that he had no idea you knew about. He obviously just thought you knew about your birth mother and not his entire track record.

“Yes, all I have to do is tell someone to hit a button.”

“I’ll grab whatever else I can and meet you at the end of the street. I don't know where he is and hopefully he doesn't come back any time soon. I don't want to risk it, so the sooner we leave, the better.”

As you raced over to your parents house, your mind was all over the place. This was happening. This was really happening. You had a picture perfect life before you met Scalvo. A little too perfect. Despite everything that came with being with him, you wouldn’t have chosen anyone else.

He opened your eyes to see the person that your father truly was and as much as it hurt for you to do this, no one else deserves to get hurt by him. You knew that he would easily probably get multiple years in prison. He put on a very convincing front. He gave you the world as you were growing up and anything you asked him to do for you, he would without a second thought. Where did that man go? The one who would never dream of threatening his wife or his ‘daughter’.

The main thing now that you had to focus on was healing. Healing for your peace of mind as well as your child’s. You were going to be somebody’s mother for the rest of your life and they needed parents that they could depend on.

Your mother was right where she said she would be when you finally pulled up at the end of the street. She quickly got into the car and you began driving as fast as you could to get away from the area to make your way down to Miami. You figured that you could simply leave your car at your uncle’s house and come back to get it whenever.

“Mom?” You said quietly, but it still came out shaky nonetheless.

“You’re scared, I know. But it’s going to be okay, I promise. I’ve protected you for this long and I’ll be damned if I were to stop now. Where are we headed?”

“Miami. Uncle Max’s boat to Havana. Oh and please tell me you turned off your phone?”

“Good girl. I knew I raised you right and even better, I left it there and he has no idea that I’m gone and that you’re gone for that matter.”

“When we get closer, I’ll turn my phone back on to let him know and then we’ll be free. No more worrying and we can start over.”

“I can’t wait for that, baby girl. I really can’t. It’s been too long.”

“There’s one more thing.” You said as you focused on the road as you changed lanes.

“Yeah? What is it?”

“I’m not only doing this for Scalvo, but for you as well as someone else.”

“Who?”

You simply grabbed her hand and placed it on your stomach as you saw her face light up in awe.

“I’m going…. I’m going to be a grandma?!” She exclaimed as you eagerly nodded your head yes.

“That’s the plan and Rachel literally just told me earlier today before I got an unwelcome visit from your husband.”

“I know that nothing I can say at this point will make you forgive me, but I’m going to make this right. Does Asher know? I guess not since you just found out today.”

“Telling me the truth is a step in the right direction. And no, we’re not communicating right now because we don’t want to leave a trail or give them any leads.”

“I can’t wait to see the look on his face once you do.”

The sun was beginning to set when you and your mother stepped foot in Havana. Your Uncle Max knew someone that would take all of you towards the beach house and there was only a matter of time before you would be reunited with the love of your life. The ride was a short one, but in your mind it was taking forever. Your leg was bouncing in anticipation and your mother quickly laid her hand on top of it to steady it as she grabbed your hand with the one that was free.

As soon as the car pulled up to the house, your mom nudged you.

“Go say hi to your man.”

You jumped out of the car and took the steps two at a time as the driver was helping your mom with all of the bags. You took out your spare key and opened the door before stepping into the house as you took a deep breath.

It looked the same as it had the last time you were here three years ago, except now, you found a sleeping Scalvo in the living room in front of the television with the volume turned down low. You smiled to yourself as you made your way over to him. You simply ran a hand through his curls and his eyes fluttered open to see you in front of him. By the time that he recognized that it was you standing in front of him, his eyes went wide as he immediately kissed you before embracing you. He continued to kiss you all over your face as you couldn't keep yourself from laughing.

“I told you that your plan would work.” He whispered in your ear as he kissed the shell of it and you simply nodded as you hugged him tighter.

“Come hell or high water, nothing was about to keep me from you. I missed you so much.”

“I think I missed you more. Actually I know I did.” Scalvo told you as he lightly brushed his fingers against your cheek.

“There’s something that I have to tell you.”

“What? You okay? We don't have to…”

“I’m fine, everything’s fine. We don't have to leave again.” You said as you cut him off.

“Then what, princess?”

“You have no idea how good it is to hear you call me that. But um, I brought someone with me.”

“Who?”

You simply picked up Scalvo’s hand and placed it on your stomach and smiled. His eyes went wide once again and looked at you in disbelief.

“I… there's a baby in there?”

“Our baby is in there. I found out a few days ago, right before I left and I got an unpleasant visit by the person that calls himself my father.”

“Do we know if it's a boy or a girl yet? And what did he say to you?”

“It's still too early to tell, but whatever it may be, they're going to have the best dad in the world. And he basically told me that I needed to tell him where you were or he was going to have me arrested for hiding you. I left that night and brought my mom.”

Before Scalvo could respond to you, your mom walked in and smiled at the scene in front of her. But, Scalvo hopped up from the couch and held his distance.

“What is she doing here?” He asked you as you did your best to calm him down.

“It's fine. She's the one who told me to hide you in the first place, remember? We can trust her.”

“How do I know that?”

“Okay, Asher. I get it, but I promise that you can trust me. I've hurt Y/N enough and I have a lot of making up to do for it. When I first found out that he was going to try and convict you, I debated on saying anything not knowing if he was serious or not because James would never hurt Y/N by doing something to you, but I was wrong. I'm glad that I did say something. I've always liked you and she's never been happier. I know it will take a while for me to gain your trust and I'm totally okay with that.” Your mom explained and he simply nodded.

“Oh, and I forgot to mention this. I told Cobby to release it. Only a matter of time now before he's arrested.”

A few days had passed and you and your mom were getting settled in Havana as best as you could. James did end up getting arrested for everything that he did and he was currently in jail and had been denied bond. The next step was him awaiting for his trial to begin.

You and Scalvo were currently walking on the beach hand-in-hand when he suddenly broke the silence.

“You saw the Tiffany's box that was in my drawer?” He asked and you turned to him and nodded.

“I did, but I didn't open it. I figured when you wanted me to see it that I would. I had a feeling that I already knew what it was.” You said as you smiled.

“So, what is it then since you already know?”

“My engagement ring. You love me and can't live without me. I got kidnapped for you and hid you in a different country. And now I'm carrying your baby? We are locked in for life.” You told him as you reached up to pinch his cheek.

“Hmm, good point. Well, since you know everything, are you going to give me an answer?” He asked as he let go of your hand and kneeled down on one knee and finally opened the box so you could see the ring.

“Was that you asking me? Because that was terrible.” You told him as the both of you began laughing.

“Y/N, from the first moment I saw you, I knew that there was something different about you. You intrigued me and not many people do that. You were patient and you still are as you love me through all of my faults as I'm trying to learn how to navigate this new life that I have all thanks to you. You are literally the best thing that has ever happened to me and I don't take having you in my life for granted. We've been through hell and back and there is no one that I'd rather do life with. Now Y/N, will you be the Bonnie to my Clyde?”

“Your ass would have to say something like that, but my answer is yes.” You told him as he slipped on the ring and stood up to kiss you.

“You’re stuck with me now, princess.” He told you as he lightly ran his fingers across your cheek.

“Bonnie and Clyde for life, right?”

“Damn right and now we're the ones calling the shots.”

“Hmm, it's ironic really.” Scalvo started to say and you looked at him and smiled.

“As long as no one finds out we're fine.”

“Never thought my bougie girlfriend now turned fiancée's family were drug lords especially my soon to be mother-in-law.”

“I was just as surprised as you were, and it looks like I got you out of one thing and into another.”

“But it'll be different this time. I know you don't like it but…”

“And why is that?”

“It's the family business, so I have to contribute, right?”

You sighed before you stopped walking again as you turned to him.

“My mom paid the police department and FBI so I figured that you can't get arrested so I MIGHT allow it. They can't touch any of us.”

“Good because I already asked your mom and she said yes.”

“She WHAT? Me and her are going to have to have a serious talk.”

“Clyde is going to need his Bonnie though.” He said and you couldn't help but to smirk.

“If you get yourself killed, I'm bringing you back and killing you again and then divorcing you.”

“Well damn, now that definitely sounds like something the daughter of a queen pin would say. And it looks like this dead end wasn't so dead after all.”

[ronwestbreeze]

take a bow

pairing: geto suguru x non-sorcerer!reader warnings: gore and maybe a little bit of angst summary: you smell like coffee...and geto can't seem to shake it. word count: 6.7k author's note: hiiii ;) as you can tell there will be about five parts to this mini series. nothing more and nothing less. i'm kind of excited for this and i've been really wanting to write for my husband so, i hope ya'll enjoy it! and i will not be doing a taglist for this one. sorry guys!

part 2 | read on AO3

There was a cute customer today.

And you were also sure you hadn’t seen him around before. Then again, you moved to this village two weeks ago, and you weren’t too familiar with the regulars yet. Perhaps he was just one you hadn’t seen until now.

You leaned over the front counter a bit, trying to get a better look at him as he moved down one of the aisles to the far left of the store.

He wore what looked like a school uniform, his dark hair tied up with a few strands framing one side of his face. Even though he was further away from you, you could see he was on the younger side, maybe around your age. Possibly older.

You hadn’t met many boys in your life—attractive ones especially—mostly because you were sheltered for half of your childhood and didn’t go outside. So when you did happen to stumble upon a few of them, you were left wondering what to do or say around them. They were almost alien to you.

It was the same with people in general your age. While you weren’t bad at socializing, you still adapted the best way you knew how.

“You’re being creepy.” Your co-worker, Tohru, said passively while scrolling through her phone. A very busy activity she had been at for an hour now.

“I’m not.” You cleared your throat, quickly looking away from the otherwise oblivious customer. “But you can’t deny that he’s pretty cute.”

Tohru drew her eyes from her phone and glanced toward the newcomer who was now in the snack section. Now it was her turn to lean over the counter, a look of interest inching onto her usual bored mask.

“Damn.”

“Told ya.”

“He’s definitely new. No guy that fine lives in a boring ass town like this.”

You hummed, “I wouldn’t exactly call this town boring—but you’ve been here longer than me so I suppose you have the better judgment over that.” Carefully, you snuck another peek at the customer who was studying the back of a bag of chips. “And if he’s that fine, no doubt someone already bagged him.”

“Ugh,” Tohru grumbled with a defeated expression on her face, “you’re probably right. The hotter ones are always taken.”

“Or they end up being a douchebag.” You added with a snort as you organized the stack of gums on the counter.

“Amen to that.”

“Newbie!”

You jumped with a yelp at the loud voice filling the otherwise quiet store. Glancing over your shoulder, you found your manager, a very old and impatient man, stomping over with a toothpick dangling from his mouth, “Are you pullin’ one on me, kid?!”

After getting over your short shock, you furrow your brows, “Um, pulling what, sir?”

“Where the hell is the leftover food from last week?! I told you to save it in the back storage!”

You gave a sheepish smile and rubbed the back of your neck, “Oh yeah, some of it went bad so I had to throw it out.”

“We don’t even do anything with them anyway,” Tohru grumbled under her breath which you tried not to acknowledge.

He eats all the leftovers. Despite his shop advertisement promising to send any leftover food to orphanages and charities.

“Look, newbie, I’ve been real lenient because you’re new. And I get it, you're in a tough spot but I ain’t pityin’ you no more! I have no problem tossin’ you the curb, you hear me?”

Your face burned in embarrassment, especially when his loud ass voice carried throughout the store. No doubt the hot guy heard every word by now. “Yessir.”

The old man huffed, “Good. Now stop messin’ around and help the damn customer! Poor boy’s been waiting for you to notice him!”

God, please don’t be him. Please let it be another boy who's been waiting for a while.

You chanced a glance over your shoulder, only to shrivel up when you found the hot customer standing at the counter, watching your interaction with a small absent frown.

Fuck.

“Someone’s gonna be on dishes tonight.” Tohru sang with a snicker as she disappeared in the back along with your manager.

With your face on fire, you went toward the cash register. You cleared your throat and gestured to the pack of cigarettes and the bag of chips, “Will that be all for you today?”

He seemed to have been lost in thought as it took a beat for him to reply, “Sorry, yes, that’s it.”

You nodded, trying not to look him in the eyes. God, even his voice was attractive.

After giving him the price, you began bagging his items while he fished into his pockets to grab his wallet.

You still had yet to look at him.

The last thing you wanted was to get chewed out by your bum boss in front of a guy that you’d possibly never see again. Before you had been dying to have a quick conversation with him, just to keep looking at him for a little longer. Now all you wanted to do was get him out of the store as soon as possible and hide away in a hole, never to be found again.

“Is he always like that?”

You placed his cigarettes in the bag before you realized he was talking to you. Which only made your cheeks even hotter.

“Uh, yeah, he’s usually getting high in the back, or napping.” You shrugged, glancing up at him every now and then, only to find him directly staring at you. Fuck, you were awful at this. “Only ever out front when the shop closes. He’s always the first out the door before anyone else.”

“Mmm,” By then you looked up to find him not too happy about that piece of information. “And he gives you a hard time to add onto that. Don’t you want to quit?”

At that, you smile, “It would be easy, wouldn’t it? I don’t know if you already heard—probably the whole block had heard him—but I’m not really in the best situation to be quitting a job just cuz I hate my bum ass boss.”

This time he looked sheepish, “Yeah, I wanted to pretend that I didn’t hear him, but I guess there’s no point in that. Sorry.”

“It’s fine.” You chuckled before handing him his bag. “It’s life, you know? I just have to brave it out until I have a stable income of money. Then maybe I can consider the option of kicking myself to the curb from this trash can of a place.”

The male stared at you curiously, the disinterest that he had worn before was now long gone. He searched your face—for what, you didn’t know.

And then he smiled, “You seem to have it all figured out.”

It was infectious, his smile. Even though it didn’t reach his eyes.

“I wouldn’t say all that.” You returned the smile, anyway, hoping it appeared real enough for the both of you. “But I think it’s going to work out for me in the long run. That I can say.”

The male chuckled as he walked toward the store entrance, “I wish you luck then.”

He waved with another smile which took you off guard a bit. You didn’t have much of a chance to respond back to his wave, nor tell him to enjoy his time in town before he was already long gone.

It was now just you and your blushing face.

The back door opened, “Aw, you didn’t even get his number, did you?”

You glanced over your shoulder to find Tohru pouting at you. You grinned sheepishly, “Oops, guess I didn’t.”

“Tsk, tsk,” Tohru sighed, “You really need to learn how to flirt.”

The rest of the day was pretty uneventful. Regulars came and went. Your manager was passed out in the back. Tohru’s shift ended sometime before you and booked it out the front door before you had the chance to say goodbye.

Essentially, you had the shop all to yourself. And it was unfortunately horribly boring.

Later in the day is when fewer and fewer customers start coming in. Apparently, many of the people in the village were too cautious about going out once the sun started setting. There were a few rumors here and there, about mysterious deaths all over the village. You weren’t exactly sure how much truth there was to those rumors, all you could do was clock in and clock out and go straight home.

Just because you doubted the stories didn’t mean you weren’t going to be stupid.

You wondered if that hot guy knew about the rumors. It probably would’ve been neighborly to try and warn him.

The sky was filled with oranges and purples as the sun was slinking behind one of the mountains. The evening glow made the shop look almost ominous, especially with the indoor lights off.

You should probably turn those on by now. They would’ve been on throughout the whole day like regular shops but your boss was such a cheap stake with the light bill you had to keep it off until evening fell and you practically couldn’t see in the dark.

Just as you stepped away to turn the shop lights on, the bell above the door rang. You glanced toward the clock and grinned.

You moved back to the front counter and grinned at the familiar newcomers. Two young girls, who looked no older than five, stood at the entrance. “Right on time! Looks like someone’s excited for today’s batch.”

The brown-haired girl—you knew as Mimiko—with the stuffed doll approached the counter first. Standing on her tippy toes enough for her chin to rest on top of the counter, “Do you have any more rice balls?”

“You bet.” You gestured toward the two chairs next to the counter. “Why don’t you guys take a seat over there and I’ll go get the food. It’s a real treat this time.”

“Okay.” Mimiko nodded before grabbing her sister’s hand to drag her over toward the chairs.

“Thank you!” The blonde-haired, Nanako, called.

You sent her an adoring smile, “Of course, hon!”

You moved to the back, passing your knocked-out manager, as you grabbed the box of food in your locker and brought it back to the front counter. Mimiko and Nanako got up from their chairs and bounced over to get a better look, “I actually got these rice balls from this place in the city during the weekend. It’s way better than the crap here.”

“Really?” Nanako looked into the box, her eyes widening, “Wow! Those look really good!”

“Anything for my best customers.” You winked and allowed them to grab what they wanted from the box.

Both girls giggled as they grabbed rice balls and ramen from the box. You smiled and patted both their heads before allowing them to sit back down in the chairs and eat.

You hadn’t known the twins for very long. Actually, you met them on your first day at the store two weeks ago. They had been attempting to steal a few snacks when you discovered them. You couldn’t shake the way they were looking at you when you found them. Scared yet desperate for some food. Mimiko had been clutching her stuffed doll tightly in her hands as if she were about to tear its head off at that moment.

They were expecting you to berate them and kick them out of the store. Maybe your manager or Tohru would’ve done that, but you just couldn’t find it in you to turn them away. They were obviously hungry, so what else could you do but feed them?

So you took the leftover food from the storage and gave it to them. They were pretty tight-lipped about their home situation so you didn’t push. But it was pretty clear that they didn’t have a lot to eat, wherever they lived.

“Let’s make a deal.” You had said to them that day. “You guys come back at around five o’clock every day and I will feed you some stuff we don’t need. Hell, I’ll probably even cook and bring it over every now and then. As long as the two of you eat.”

They looked hesitant. The brown-haired girl—she told you her name was Mimiko—spoke first, “Will you really do that for us?”

You smiled softly at her, “Of course. You guys are hungry, right? Why wouldn’t I want to feed you?”

Her twin, Nanako spoke next, eyes cast down, “Most of the people here are scared of us. Because we’re different. So they ignore us whenever we do ask for food.”

You frowned, your heart breaking at the time. Of course, you had some questions about why a bunch of adults would turn a blind eye to two little girls who looked no older than five. You seethed at the thought that the only one willing to help them was a barely surviving sixteen-year-old, who couldn’t even make minimum wage.

Instead of crying for them—which you were definitely close to doing—you patted their heads, “Well, I’m not scared of you. And I don’t care if you’re different. Come back tomorrow and there will be food for you guys. Okay?”

The two girls were stunned at your kindness like it was foreign to them. But they both nodded, hints of a smile making its way to their lips. “Okay!”

“But you also have to promise not to steal anymore so you don’t get in trouble.” Mimiko pouted but you attempted a stern look. “I’m serious, girls. And we’re going to pinky promise on it.”

You held out your pinky. Reluctantly, the two girls took it. Giggling when they fought to cover your own pinky with their little ones.

After your pinky promise, Nanako’s nose scrunched, “You smell like coffee.”

You laughed and cleaned up the trash from their meal, “I get that a lot.”

And since then, the twins have kept coming back every day, after five o’clock. Sometimes you wonder where they went before that. Did they go to school? Did they have any parents taking care of them? Did they even have a home?

You supposed none of that was any of your business in the end. But sometimes you couldn’t help but worry.

If you had a big enough space that wasn’t one small box, then you’d take the girls home with you in a heartbeat.

Once Mimiko was finished with her rice ball, she walked over to you as you were counting through the cash in the register from today’s productivity. “Can I help?”

“Sure,” You hummed trying to find something for her to do. “Do you think you could stack those new packets of gum for me and place them in this small box?” You handed the little box which she took instantly. “Go get your sister to help if she wants, okay?”

Mimiko nodded and took the gum packets and the box back to her sister who was just finishing up her rice ball. You made a mental note to buy some coloring books for them in case they got bored. Sometimes they like to stay a little bit longer after they finish eating, to keep you company. And you enjoyed their presence. It was better than staring at the ceiling for hours on end, waiting for a customer to enter even though you knew they wouldn’t come. And then got done with their little task quite fast. Yeah, you definitely need to get those coloring books.

Thankfully, just in time as you heard your manager shift in the back, the two girls made their leave. Waving goodbye to you with the promise of returning tomorrow.

Sometime later your manager came from the back and left the shop, grumbling about you closing up.

And another hour after that, you leave the shop. Hoping to see the twins again. And maybe—even though it was probably impossible—you hoped to see that hot customer again.

It was delusional, you knew this.

But it didn’t hurt to hope.

“Ugh, why are you eating that shit?” Tohru made a look of disgust at your bag of coffee beans. “Now the whole place is gonna smell.”

That was what you were greeted with upon entering the shop the next morning, “Good morning to you too, Ru. And don’t you think it’s a lot better than cigarettes and booze?”

Surprisingly, it was pretty crowded which was a first for you ever since you started working at the shop. Of course, it was a bunch of older people—middle-aged to elderly—but it was busy, nonetheless.

You went around the counter as an older woman locked Tohru into a conversation, “Did you hear what happened to that little boy? Oh, what an awful thing, I can only imagine what his parents must be feeling right now.”

“It’s that demon terrorizing our home again.” An elderly woman standing in line shivered

A man huffed, “I tell you exactly what’s causing all of this. Those no good—”

You didn’t bother to stay and hear the rest as you made your way to the back to throw your bag into one of the lockers. It was the same old thing. A horrible incident happens at night—a few people die—and people are going on and on about the town being haunted. Something about some demon going on a killing spree in the dead of night. To be honest, you thought it was some sick weirdo having the time of his life and the people haven’t realized it yet.

“Gotta buy some new locks.” You mumbled to yourself as you shrugged off your jacket.

“How was your night?” You glanced over your shoulder to find your manager sitting in the office, the door wide open as he smoked.

“Good, sir!” You offered a friendly smile as you closed your locker. “My mattress was uncomfortable but all in all, I can’t necessarily complain! And what about you, sir? How was your night?”

He grunted but never gave a response, which wasn’t unusual. He never offered to talk about himself, even on his good days.

You nodded, took your bag of coffee beans, and joined Tohru back at the front.

“—This is the fifth incident this week! When will enough be enough?!” This was an older man scowling this time. Next to him was a woman—whom you had to guess was his wife—trying to push him out of the shop as he began his rant. “We need to hunt those monsters down! How many more have to die?!”

You watched the couple leave with a small frown, “Wow, it’s never been this bad before.”

Tohru sighed tiredly, “Yeah, they’re pretty fired up this time around. I wonder how much of this is gonna mess with my precious sleep schedule.”

You hummed, noticing the usual dark bags under her eyes.

“Hi.”

A bag of chips was placed on the counter. Both you and Tohru looked up to find the hot customer from yesterday standing at the counter with a friendly smile sent your way.

Your face both burned with being taken off guard and the fact that he was addressing you directly, “Oh—Hi! Welcome back!” Quickly, you manned the second register while Tohru sent you a side glare. You returned his smile, “To be honest, I didn’t think you were still here.”

“Really?” He raised a brow as you checked his item out. “How come?”

“I don’t know if you’ve noticed but the town’s kind of haunted.” You chuckled as you stuffed his chips into a grocery bag, giving him a sheepish smile, “Scares the tourists away. I should’ve probably warned you about it yesterday, sorry about that.”

He chuckled as you handed him his bag. This time he wasn’t wearing the black top he had on yesterday. The baggy pants were the same, just this time around he wore a white button-up. “Fortunately, I’m not afraid of many scary stories, but I appreciate the warning.”

“How brave of you.” You chuckled, ignoring the subtle glances Tohru kept sending you while attending to her own customer. “I can’t necessarily say the same for myself.”

“Don’t you live here?” His eyes twinkled as he tilted his head, “I’d say you’re a lot braver than me, you know. Tonight’s my last night here.”

You shook your head, ignoring how your chest fell slightly in disappointment at the new piece of information, “Then many would say you’re one of the lucky ones.”

“Oh yeah?” He hummed, his eyes never wavering from yours. Wow, he really loved making eye contact. You couldn’t figure out if that made him even hotter or a bit intimidating. And he was so nonchalant about it too, hand in pocket, stance somewhat relaxed. “What would you say? You count yourself unlucky then?”

The bell above the door rang, “Welcome in!” You called the new customer before replying to him. “Well, to be honest with you, I feel like I’m the luckiest girl alive. It’s not so bad here, you know, despite the obvious flaws of the shop and this town. I’m just grateful to at least have a job and a roof over my head. It’s not perfect but it’s everything I need right now.”

He was observing you again. Tohru was far too distracted with the other customers to notice and make fun of your bashful facial expressions. Or how you were practically malfunctioning on the spot from the way he kept looking at you.

“You know,” He leaned on the counter with a smile turning into somewhat of a smirk, “I’ve never met someone as optimistic as you. I almost think you’re unreal.”

“Don’t we all,” Tohru commented as she made her way to the back. “Your turn to man the front counter, newbie. The last customer nearly made me pop a vein.”

“Sure thing, Ru!” You called, trying to ignore how hot your face was at the moment.

Of course, the hot customer saw this and gave a soft laugh, “I didn’t mean to sound like I’m making fun of you, I promise. It’s endearing. You wouldn’t have a hard time finding someone to marry, that’s for sure.”

Steam was probably coming out of your ears at this point.

“I-I-uh, thanks?” You searched the store to try and distract yourself and prevent further embarrassment. Only when you didn’t find anything, you smile sheepishly, “I-uh, I think it’s a little too soon to be thinking about marriage—uh but thanks for the compliment?”

You watched as his nose twitched, raising a brow, “You smell like coffee. Like a lot.”

“Yeah,” You gulped with a nervous smile, “I get that a lot.”

Another laugh left his lips. He was far too amused now. Meanie. “I’ll see you around.”

With that, he left the store. The bell rang in his wake. You watched him go through the window. He waved to you as he passed. And you waved back.

Once he was finally out of your sight and you out of his, you groaned and dropped your head onto the counter, “I’m such a loser.”

The back door opened and Tohru poked her head out, shaking her head disapprovingly, “Yeah, you can’t handle all that man.”

“Shut up, Ru.”

You were the exception, not the rule, Geto Suguru realized a block away from the store.

He’d never really met anyone like you. It was so rare. Pure. So unheard of in this world.

But it didn’t change how the world was. A bright light like that would be snuffed, almost instantly. You would become exhausted at some point, smiling so genuinely like that.

It would make your fall much harder. Much, much worse.

More curses wreaking havoc through villages. More curses to swallow down, leaving the bitter taste of vomit in his wake.

You, Geto decided, were just like everyone else in the end.

Applause.

Applause.

Applause.

Applause.

He wondered if he would ever stop hearing them clap.

Around the late afternoon, your manager sent you out to pick up a delivery of chips that apparently couldn’t make it. Something about a mix-up with the trucks—you weren’t entirely clear on the details. But your boss was pissed about it and you were left with driving to the city to retrieve the box of chips. The only thing you didn’t like about it was the fact that the drive to the city took almost two hours.

You just hoped you’d make it back in time to meet up with the twins.

So half your day was spent rushing through the city, trying to track down that missing shipment of chips, bringing it back to your car which was almost towed because you happened to park in the wrong place, and then driving back to the village while the sun was beginning to set.

The drive back wasn’t as bad as the drive to the city. But you arrived back at the shop twenty minutes past five. Which wasn’t too bad but you were still late, nonetheless.

“Sorry, I’m late!” You called as you entered the store from the back with the box still in your hands. “I got coloring books this time, hope you guys like to draw!” You brought the box to the front, expecting to find the twins.

Only you stop and find Tohru and your manager there instead. Tohru stared at you in confusion, “Who are you talking to?”

You blushed in embarrassment, “Um, sorry, I thought you were…” Quickly, your mind raced. “Did you guys happen to see two girls walk in at around five—that’s what the coloring books were for, yeah, yeah, that makes sense.”

“Two girls?” Tohru frowned, appearing even more confused. “Did you hit your head or something?”

Just as you were about to quickly explain what you meant, your manager blew out another puff of smoke, “She means those unlucky twins.” At this, you furrowed your brows, opening your mouth to ask what he meant, only for him to continue as if you had already asked the question. “Those two have been poisoning our town ever since they killed their parents. It’s about time they get what they deserve.”

Your eyes widened, heart, falling to your feet, “W-What does…what happened to them? What do you mean get what they deserve?”

“Oh yeah,” Tohru said while hoisting herself up to sit on the counter, “now that you mention it, there were two girls that came in here. They didn’t stay for long, some of the villagers barged in and took them. I think they mentioned taking her to the old temple or something like that, I don’t know, I had a headache and they were all being annoying. They went on about them being the cause of all the deaths happening in town—whatever that meant—”

The box fell from your hands onto the floor, spilling the bag of chips. Your heart thundered with panic and disbelief, “You…You just let them take them?” Surprisingly, your voice wasn’t quivering like the rest of your body. Instead, it was full and firm with distraught. “They didn’t even do anything! They’re children! They’re—oh my god, they’re just babies!”

Tohru rolled her eyes as if you were the one being dramatic and unreasonable, “Dude, relax, they’re probably not going to do anything that bad to them. Maybe send them off to another village. Look, who cares? At least there won’t be any more deaths—hey, where are you going?”

You ignored her, threw off your work apron, and jumped over the counter. “This isn’t right! None of this is fucking right!”

“Hey, you still need to clean your mess up—hey!” Tohru’s voice became further and further away as you bolted out of the shop and ran through the street, heading further into the village.

Tohru had mentioned something about an old temple. You quickly searched your mind until you remembered there was a temple on one of the hills. You always passed it whenever you went jogging on your days off. Yes, you knew exactly where they were.

Running wouldn’t get you there fast enough, you soon realized. So you thought quickly. In front of a flower shop, you spotted a bicycle sitting at the front. Quietly apologizing to whomever this belonged to, you took the bike, got on, and pedaled your way up the hill.

In your haste, the world was silent to you.

All you could think about was those poor girls. All you were worried about was saving them before the townsfolk did something that no one could possibly come back from.

The world was silent to you.

You didn’t see the people running by in terror, even when you nearly ran into an older man who had dashed out into the street in a fit of panic. You didn’t see the smoke in the part of the village you biked through. You didn’t see the blue flames consuming the houses and the people around you until there was nothing but burnt ash left.

This chaos was nothing but white noise.

The world was silent to you.

You ignored the large shape flying over you, spewing the blue flames onto another part of the village.

All you cared about were those girls. Mimiko and Nanako.

You should’ve brought them back to your home. You should’ve taken them in. You should’ve pressed for more information about them. You should’ve known that they didn’t have anyone taking care of them.

You should’ve known. You should’ve done more.

“My god,” You gasped, fear tearing at your heart as the temple finally came into view. “have I failed them?” There were no flames consuming the temple. Strangely enough, it was the only place that wasn’t on fire.

When you were close enough, you jumped off the bike and dashed for the entrance. You slammed into the double doors, attempting to pull it open. Only they were locked and wouldn’t budge.

You backed up, not willing to give up. Not willing to let those two die for this fucked up town. And with all your might, you kicked the doors open, causing them to slam against the walls inside the temple.

“Mimiko! Nanako!” You called as you entered, searching around for the two girls.

Smoke filled your nose and caused you to cough just as small voices responded back to you. Calling your name with childlike desperation. It sounded like it was coming from above you. Like there was a second floor.

The stairs were on your right. You dashed for them, skipping two steps at a time until you made it to the second floor. Until you made it into the first room you spotted. Until you found them both locked in a cage together. Beaten and bruised and scared out of their minds. Until you found the two bodies lying in a puddle of scarlet right in front of the cage.

You didn’t rush toward the cage right away. Struck frozen at the sight of the blood. At the sight of the two bodies. It made the once quiet world around suddenly become loud.

There were screams outside of the temple. There was smoke, so much smoke.

Then there was the blood.

Blood.

Blood.

Blood.

There was a small call of your name, snapping you out of your frozen shock. The two girls were pressed against the cages, Nanako reaching through the bars for you…

“I’m coming, it’s okay.” You said, finally snapping out of your shock before rushing over toward the cage. You ignored how your shoes were stained with scarlet as you walked through the puddle.

You tried at the cage for a bit until you roughly yanked it open, breaking the lock that kept it closed. Both girls ran out of the cage and hugged your waist, nearly knocking you over. Their sniffles were muffled in your sweater as you ran your hand through their hair in an attempt to comfort them.

“It’s okay, I’m gonna get you out of here.” You promised while glancing over your shoulder at the bodies. “Nanako. Mimiko. What happened to them?”

Mimiko buried her face further into your waist while Nanako spoke, “Everyone thought we were the ones behind the deaths so they took us and tried to make the man kill us. But he didn’t, he saved us!”

You nodded as you both listened and led them out of the horrific room. The three of you went down the steps. Just from looking through the wide open doorway of the temple, you saw the flames hitting the village had gotten so much worse. What had caused this, you had no clue, nor did you have time to stop and wonder where it all had come from.

Mimiko tightened her hold on your hand, forcing you to stop, dozens of steps away from the front door, “The man told us to stay put and that he would take us away from here.”

On your right, Nanako nodded, “He said the curses won’t hurt us and that we’re special.”

You let go of their hands and turned to face them, your back to the entrance. Carefully you knelt down in front of them, “Okay, slow down. Before I even think about touching the curses part, I just need to know what man are you guys talking about. There wasn’t a third body in that room.”

“They mean me.”

At the sudden voice, you spun around to find standing at the entrance a male. A familiar one at that.

The same male who had bought chips from your store. The same male who had that gentle smile on his face—similar to the one he wore now but colder. The same male who had laughed at your fumbling and embarrassment just a few hours earlier.

“You.” Was the whisper that fell from your lips.

He stepped forward and instinctively pushed the girls behind you protectively. His brows raised at this and he chuckled.

“Mimiko. Nanako.” His voice was slow, silky, and calculated. “It’s time to go. Those people won’t hurt you anymore. Just as I promised.”

You watched him warily but the girls after a beat started toward him, surprising you. Mimiko was the one who stopped while Nanako went to the male’s side and grabbed his hand. She looked at you and then the male. She then grabbed your hand and tried tugging you forward, “Can’t she come with us?”

Something flickered across his face and instantly disappeared in the next second as he smiled, “Why don’t you two wait for me while I talk to the nice lady?”

You didn’t let go of her hand right away, “Mimiko.”

She looked at you and smiled reassuringly despite one of her eyes being swollen shut, “It’s okay. He’s a nice man. He saved us, remember?”

With that, she followed her sister out of the temple. The male didn’t move from the doorway. The blue flames were menacing in the night, his shadow tall. The heat was just as overwhelming as the smoke.

“Who the hell are you?” You finally muttered.

He started walking toward in slow leisurely steps, “A sorcerer.”

Instinctively, you wanted to back away as he got closer. But you stood firm, “And you were the one that killed those two people upstairs?”

“Yes.” He was now in front of you with very little space left between the two of you. The obvious question was at the tip of your tongue but you never voiced it. Yet he replied anyway, “I’ve decided it’s time I’ve stopped serving non-sorcerers. All they’ve done is create more problems for people like me. I figured I cut the problem down from the roots. For all of us.”

There was no smile on his face now. No traces of the friendly face, of the sheepish boy you met back at the shop. Just someone else entirely.

He leaned forward, staring at you with that same look he had back at the shop. Like he was trying to see right through you. Accusatory. Blame.

“What good are you to me?”

You glared now, clenching your hands into tight fists, “It sounds like you’ve already made up your mind. I don’t see a point in proving a damn thing to you.”

He stared at you for a moment longer and then smirked. “Too bad you’re human.” He turned and walked back to the entrance. “I would’ve liked you a lot. I do like you a lot. But if my new world is going to be without non-sorcerers…”

The curse flew past Geto and into the temple. It was large enough to cause irreparable damage to the temple. It was deadly enough to crush any target in sight. Even your screams were swallowed whole in seconds. That’s how efficient it was. That’s how easy it all became.

Geto didn’t look back at your body. Nor did he watch you get killed by his curse. Instead, he continued out of the temple with a few more curses following him at his tail.

“There are no exceptions.” He muttered to himself.

Applause.

Applause.

Applause.

Applause.

He wondered if he would ever forget that coffee smell.

Applause.

Applause.

Applause.

Applause.

Hours later, once the flames had long settled, you sat up in the rubble. Some of the most severe wounds were nearly done healing. But the only pain you felt was the tight twists in your stomach.

You were starving.

Applause.

Applause.

Applause.

Applause.

Your sweater had been burned off and your skirt was ripped as you dragged yourself away from the ruins of the temple. Saliva dripping from your mouth that you tried to ignore.

For a while, you kept going. Pushing yourself through what used to be a lively village. But now it was filled with ruins and dead bodies alike.

You kept your composure thought. Especially when you pass fallen body parts, scattered along the streets.

Applause.

Applause.

Applause.

Applause.

Eventually, you made it to the store, just on the outskirts of the village. The same one you worked at. The one place that had your coffee beans.

The bell above your head rang as you lugged your way over to the aisle where you knew the coffee beans were. Ignoring the calls of your name—which was just background noise to you.

You were hungry. Really, really hungry.

Just as you found the coffee beans, you grabbed one of the bags and tore it open.

“You know you’ve been fired, right?”

For some reason, your hand never reached into the bag to grab a mouthful of beans and tossed it in your mouth. Instead, you just stared down into it, saliva dripping from your mouth as Tohru continued her taunt.

“Boss’ pretty pissed with you taking off like that. And now I’ve gotta miss my concert because of you.” In the corner of your eye, she sneered, “I hope it was all worth it.”

Applause.

Applause.

Applause.

Applause.

“Risking your job for a bunch of girls you don’t even know. What did you even try to do?”

Applause.

Applause.

Applause.

Applause.

“Hmm, judging how quiet everything is, my guess is they probably finished the job.” Tohru sighed and leaned against the shelf, “Well, at least I can get better sleep.”

The bag of coffee beans fell from your grasp and spilled onto the floor.

Tohru gasped, looking down at the mess, “Hey! You fucking idiot! How many more messes are you going to leave for me to clean?! Ugh, you’re such a brat—hey, what the hell is wrong with your eyes?”

Applause.

Applause.

Applause.

Applause.

Fuck it.

Applause.

Applause.

Applause.

Applause.

The next morning, the shopkeeper was found dead in his office. Half of his face was gone, along with a gaping hole in his chest, where his heart should’ve been.

The girl was behind the front counter. Missing a leg, her organs spilling out of her abdomen. Blood everywhere.

It was a horrid sight.

At least, that’s what you heard.

Applause.

Applause.

Applause.

Applause.

You wiped the blood from your mouth.

“I’m done lying to myself.” You mumbled. A giggle left your lips. “What the hell is the point?”

Applause.

Applause.

Applause.

Applause.

With that, you took your final bow.

“Things will be different this time.”

[merakiui]

Mera Mera Mera! Thoughts on twst boys if you tell them "no more sex" after an argument. Pretty please! 🥺🙏 💙 (You characterize them so well, I'm certain you can bless us with knowledge)

>:D I may have a few thoughts on the reactions!!! I shall bless you with said thoughts (i.e. twst cast being petty and silly).

Riddle - he's perfectly silent when he tears out the page in his life planner titled "dick appointments" and rips it in half in front of you. "Would you look at that? It appears my schedule's become open." He proceeds to fill the time slots with academics and club activities. Your "no more sex" rule goes both ways, but if you find yourself unable to bear it he might consider penciling you into his schedule. ...if it ever frees up, that is. :)

Trey - "Yeaaah, I had that coming," he admits with a sheepish chuckle. Trey very rarely argues with you. Ever. So maybe it was one-sided, but he still goes along with it to keep you happy and to end the argument as quickly as possible. He'll smooth things over by baking you your favorite sweet. He can be patient and wait if you're still stubbornly insisting on no more sex, but that doesn't mean he won't tease you often.

Cater - "Cowabummer." Yes, that's all he says. Yes, he gives you the sad thumbs-down and everything. Cater cannot be /srs for this one because if he's /srs you'll see the /srs sides of him that he'd rather hide behind a /j personality. (He later makes it up to you by apologizing and taking you into town to your favorite places. <3 you end up fucking in the changing stall in one of the clothing stores hehe.)

Ace - he rolls his eyes and laughs. "I never even wanted to fuck you anyways. You're, like, super mid." (He's lying. Please don't ban him from having sex with you. </3 This is how he's apologizing later.

Deuce - he's genuinely devastated. Nooo, what do you mean "no more sex"? D: that's not even the worst of it, though. Deuce is just sad that the both of you argued and that he said some things he's not very proud of. He was really mean and so were you. What were you even arguing about in the first place? Deuce's heart aches knowing you're so upset at him, so he does everything he can to make it up to you. It's fine if you don't want sex anymore; he just wants you to be happy.

Leona - he highly doubts you're serious. "Sure, okay. We'll see about that one," he tells you with a lazy half-smirk. "Good luck with that, herbivore." (he's so hot when you wake up next to him in the mornings and he has that rough morning voice...... you end up fucking the following day, too weak to his charms to keep up with your no sex promise. Leona teases you for that.)

Ruggie - "I'll live," he says with a shrug. Sure, it sucks that you no longer want to fuck and it also sucks that the two of you even argued in the first place, but he'll live. You and Ruggie are distant for all of one day before coming back together to sincerely apologize. He's a little awkward with his apology, but it does indeed come from the heart. Perhaps there's some makeup sex that follows...

Jack - another one who is more upset over the actual argument than your admission of no more sex. Jack feels so bad. :( his ears are flattened on his head and his tail is drooped; he's just so sad that he argued with you and made you angry. He was out of line and shouldn't have let his emotions get the best of him. If no more sex is what you truly want, he'll abide by that.

Azul - "Angelfish, I understand you're upset, but do you truly mean that?" You do, and you storm out of his VIP room and ghost him for the rest of the day. Azul goes through the five stages of grief within the span of a few hours. T_T he's a wreck, not only because you said no more sex but because you argued and you're angry with him and you probably hate him now and what if you break up and you never want to see him again and and and and and !!!!!!!! Sad tako hours.

Jade - he smiles patiently. "If you say so." (his compliance is too obedient; don't let him fool you. He's going to spike your drink with an aphrodisiac and then when you come to him begging for release he'll deny you in the same way you denied him.)

Floyd - "Shrimpy, c'mon, ya can't be serious." You turn away from him with a huff, arms folded over your chest. "S'not funny, Shrimpy..." He pouts at you, brows knitted in annoyance. You look him dead in the eyes and snap back with, "Good. Cuz I'm not joking, Floyd." (Floyd's in a foul mood for the rest of the day; no one dares go near him. His aura is too threatening...)

Kalim - if it's your first argument with him, he's genuinely compelled to throw a party celebrating it LOL. Kalim means well with it, too, which makes it arguably worse. ^^;;; but he is indeed very sad that things got to this point and that you were so angry with him that you even said no more sex! He sulks sadly. :( will a parade make you feel better? Or do you want more renovations done to Ramshackle? Do you want gemstones? Just tell him how he can make it up to you and he'll do it! He's so very sorry! >_<

Jamil - he rolls his eyes, shooting you an unamused look. "Very mature of you, (Name)." Jamil isn't going to entertain the argument anymore. If you want to talk things over, you can do that after you and he have cooled off. Although if he's truly intent on getting your forgiveness and nullifying your no sex rule right away, a little hypnosis might do the trick...

Vil - he gives you a critical look. "What does sex have anything to do with this?" If you're going to argue with Vil, argue about the subject matter and don't bring unrelated topics into it! >:( arguments with Vil always make you feel so bad because essentially he tells you to do better and think about your conduct. Of course he also reflects on how he acted and what even led up to the argument in the first place. Even his apology, though heartfelt and authentic, is so perfect.

Rook - "Mon amour, lovely trickster whom I adore most, oh, how you wound me!" He's so dramatic about it, but then he also wholeheartedly means it when he says and acts like that. "Shall we share a kiss of forgiveness and allow water to flow freely under the bridge once more?" He is truly sorry, but then he's sneaky when he's slipping his tongue into your mouth as if he's trying to drag your apology out of your throat and taste it in his mouth.

Epel - "Consarn it!" He's huffy, glaring at you with his cheeks puffed out. "If yer gonna throw a hissy fit and say no more in-out, in-out, then don't come crawlin' to me when yer feelin' it!" Of course he then storms off and is promptly scolded by Vil for such atrocious behavior. Epel realizes he was wrong for getting so worked up and he'll later apologize to you. You apologize as well, but for the rest of the week there will be no more sex. Epel thinks that's fair. He sort of deserved that one. T_T

Idia - "Wutever. I don't need 3D to be happy." He rolls his eyes and the argument ends there. (Idia later spends an entire week locked away in his room building a (Name) sex doll to make up for the lack of your touch.)

Malleus - poor Hornton... :( he sulks in the darkness of his room and no one knows the reason for why he's so upset. Sebek is distraught; whoever dared to put waka-sama in this sad mood will pay!!!!!! Telling Malleus no more sex makes him think you don't want him anymore and that you essentially are breaking up (which is not the case). Diasomnia feels the gloomy atmosphere for days to come. It's Lilia who finally manages to convince Malleus to come out of his room and go to you for a chat to resolve things.

Lilia - "Oh dear. That's rather unfortunate." Even though he says this, he doesn't seem very affected or surprised or even remotely upset. But then Lilia's been through countless arguments, some far more severe than the one he just had with you, so he knows how to navigate these sorts of things. He's very mature about it and respects your no more sex rule. In fact, he's going to keep track of how many days you go with no sex before you inevitably forgo this rule for sloppy, heartfelt makeup sex with him, which he'll gladly indulge in.

Silver - it's probably impossible to argue with Silver. He's just so sweet. How could you ever get into any sort of argument with him? But if you did find yourself at a disagreement, he'd do whatever he could to resolve it and make you feel better. If no more sex is what makes you happy, then there will be no more sex.

Sebek - "SO BE IT, HUMAN. I DO NOT REQUIRE YOUR TOUCH OR INTIMACY TO SURVIVE, NOR DO I WANT IT." He's so LOUD. The entire hall ends up learning more than they'd ever want to about your and Sebek's argument. ;;;; he rants about you and your audacity to Silver (who's half-asleep), and so it's obvious he's affected. Sebek refuses to apologize because he's stubborn, but he realizes he misses you quite a lot. :( no one point that out, though, or else he'll yell at them that that's not true whatsoever!!!!

[kurithedweeb]

I know people talk about MyS Gene and Laurance being exes, but. Hear me out. MCD Gene and Laurance being exes.

(This was specifically written for an AU where Laurance got married pre-canon but it still works well if you take that bit out.)

Think of the potential, especially if Gene is the one who turned Laurance into a Shadow Knight. Imagine the things he could draw on during Laurance's stay in the Nether. The narrative potential.

Maybe they were in a relationship in the guard academy. They met in Brightport when they were both checking out the guard academy with their families, maybe they ran into each other on their way to their barracks. They weren't very serious about it going in, had more of a friends-with-benefits deal that became boyfriends after a short while. They had a very good relationship, rarely if ever fought, and tried long distance for a while after their graduation before eventually deciding to officially break up. It was all very amicable and they still send letters to each other.

And then suddenly Gene stops answering. And it takes a long time for news to travel between Boboros and Meteli. Laurance sends a few letters, not knowing that Gene's parents have been getting rid of them. Maybe they send back a note saying Gene had been executed. Maybe they don't. Laurance can only wonder what happened.

Hear me out: Gene turned bad so quickly and drastically because all he wanted was to be loved. I swear I'm going somewhere with this. Gene wants to be loved so badly, he's craved it all his life, to the point where when he loves someone it will twist into an obsession at the slightest hint of rejection.

He loves his family, he lives with them and raises Dante and helps their mother with anything she could ever need. He loves Laurance, and is safe in the knowledge that Laurance never falls out of love with anyone even when they're halfway across the region from one another, and its clear in his letters even though they're not technically together anymore. He loves his men, and they adore their commander, and the same is true with the Lord. He loves the Lord's daughter -

And she doesn't love him. No matter what he says, what he does, she doesn't love him. And he has the power to change that. And then before he can, Dante, arguably the person he loves the most, turns his back on Gene.

And the obsessive part of him rears its ugly head. It doesn't matter how old Dante is, it doesn't matter that he's doing the right thing. He's betraying Gene.

Dante and his Lord and his Lord's daughter, even his own men, they all turned their backs on him when all he ever did was love them. So he swears his vengeance. And he wakes up under the eyes of a monster, a man who hands him his vengeance and all the love and adoration he could ask for on a silver platter, so long as he does this one job for him. So long as he's a good general.

And Gene can do that, Gene can be that. And he's adored for it. By his new Lord, by the men who fall under his command, and he can make the prisoners that fall under his purview adore him too.

And then he sees Laurance again. And they can have what they once had. Laurance, surely, never stopped loving him. Laurance never falls out of love with anyone. Gene saves Laurance from the other Shadow Knights, and he's so kind to him, so sweet, just like they once were, and Laurance is wearing a wedding ring.

A wedding . . . ha.

Laurance has fallen out of love with him. And he has the power to change that.

He tries to do it the easy way, with his magick, but Laurance is frustratingly resistant to it. Probably because of that damn swamp of his, the one he once said blessed him as a child, but that's fine. If he couldn't replace this spouse of Laurance's, he'd make him adore him again the way he does all the other prisoners.

By turning him. By giving him power beyond his wildest dreams, and a place at Gene's side like he once had.

And in the end, Laurance only hates him more. In the end, Laurance fears him. And that's okay. If he won't love him, fearing him is the next best thing.

All this to say Laurance and Gene are exes in the Drop of Sunlight universe.

[sanjisluvbot]

YANDERE STRAWHATS X BLACK FEM READER CH 17

Masterlist

[ I’ll add ch 1-16 here tmr I’m just really tired <3 ]

The silences became unbearable so you decided it was best you spoke up. Your sentences collided, you both stumbling over what the other said. You shared a laugh and decided to let Law go first, anxiously waiting to hear about what was on his mind that made him go complete radio silent at the dinner table.

" Y/N-ya, This conversation is going to make you upset but it's a neccesary one." He started off.

you nodded and waiting for him to continue. He sighed and turned away for a second, anxiety dwelling in the pit of his stomach.

" Before we had really gotten close and I was traveling with you and the strawhats Robin invited me into her study because she had books that would be really interesting to me."

The shock was written all over your face, he was telling you about reading one piece. You gulped down the lump in your throat, Sanji was telling you the truth.

" I'm pretty sure you have an idea of what I am about to say but, I just want you to know I wasn't keeping this from you because I am trying to harm you, and I am not in kahoots with the strawhat crew. ”

You but your lip wondering if the anger was showing itself on your face. You wanted to tell, scream, or even jump him. That wasn’t the right answer though, you knew that, thinking back to all the times you’ve simply done something logical here you always ended up on the wrong side of the stick or sword.

You hummed and looked away from him, “ I choose not to be angry at you. I mean, speaking logically I had done the same thing. Reading the manga and then coming here. I’m just not as free to go back whenever I please as you are.”

Your heart swelled. You felt mature and dignified in this moment, the anger seemed into the back of your mind most likely going to rush forward when you’re alone again but that’s alright. As long as you don’t show them everything will be fine.

“ I mean still… Y/n-ya I betrayed your trust by not telling you this sooner. If I was in your shoes I would probably be screaming from the top of my lungs.”

You laughed. Of course you wanted to do that, to everyone that you’ve encountered in this mysterious world you wanted to scream from the top of your lungs hoping that maybe someone from your home can hear or that maybe god would rescue you.

Unfortunately that’s not reality.

Law spoke about how intrigued he was by your universe. The new technology, the advancements in medicine he’s never heard of. In such a short period of time he spent there he was able to see things people wouldn’t even dream of in this life time.

Bepo and the rest of the crew peeked out the doors and windows amazed to see their never catch him with his pants off captain be so lax. It was like an alien replaced him or he was possessed by a free spirit.

Although you haven’t spent much time with the heart pirates, they adored you. Like basically everyone else they were enamored with the girl from another world, you were this alien creature who spoke so differently, lived differently, just a ball out of left field.

They were more subtle but they watched you as much as anyone else did. They liked the way you did little things and they liked the way you made their captain easier to deal with.

As they watched you two go from awkwardness back to a regular conversation where Law’s smile was prominent and his posture slouched, they wondered what would happen when you went back home.

Of course the captain would miss you, he would probably be even more overbearing just because your presence is gone but they all knew too well what the right thing to do was.

After hearing your story and what you dealt with from the Strawhat pirates they couldn’t help themselves in wanting to protect you. You were too fragile for this world, even though you weren’t even a different species your world is so fragile and life goes so quickly for you. You deserved to enjoy it— even if it meant they would never see you again.

You would always be one of their favorite memories.

The weight on Law’s shoulders was removed. And your comfortable conversation about the stars and what not from your universe could lull him to sleep. He couldn’t remember the last time he felt this relaxed around a person— even his own crew.

Your eyes shined under the light of the moon and the hue made a light shade of blue casting over your brown skin. He moved closer, wanting to get a slightly better look at you. After all you’d be leaving in the middle of Wano. That thought brought a sharp pain through Law’s chest and a vein popped out on his temple.

He didn’t want this to be one of the lady times he seen you. Law wouldn’t say it out loud— he couldn’t. Knowing you, you’d probably become spooked by his demeanor. But he was sure that he wanted you in his life for the long run, get to know you like the back of his hand and maybe… just maybe…

His teeth gritted- his own thought annoying him while he was trying to focus on you explaining different telescopes that would let you look at the surrounding planets.

He would have to work over time to at-least attempt in forgetting you. He chuckled out loud at that catching your attention.

“ What’s funny loser.”

Don’t

“ Nothing… I was just thinking of something— continue.”

You smiled and teased him once more making him shy away from showing you his reddening cheeks.

The night is still young and you had so much to talk about, he wanted to be all ears but you just made everything so difficult now.

Luffy was aggravated, you spend less and less time with him and everyone else now. He missed when you would spend all day playing games and just simply having your presence in his vicinity.

Robin told him what happened today and he wanted desperately to be happy but knowing that you and Law were ir already have talked it out made him want to destroy something in front of him.

Nami eyed him, her and Zoro were always first to read Luffy’s emotions and she was tad bit upset at how easily Robin opened her mouth. Telling him any of this isn’t in their best interest right now.

Nami wanted you to stay with them of course but she figured out a different way to ensure that. To ensure that both you and everyone else can finally be happy. But, with Robin or any other crew member coming to the captain every other day to report one thing after another it would be more difficult.

Usually Robin and Ussop would be in her corner but she’s all but alone as of now.

Her thoughts started giving her a head ache and Luffy’s anger was making her anxious. She was going to just put her thoughts to rest for the night. She’s have all the time in the world to figure this out in the morning.

Walking into the other room she bumped into Sanji, who had desserts in his hand and gave her his bright smile. When she declined Sanji’s facade dropped, concern ect he’d across his face.

“ Nami si everything alright?”

“ Yeah Luffy’s just agitated and Robin is adding fuel to his fire. I’m just gonna go to sleep we’ve got things to do tomorrow and I need to devise a plan.”

He told her to wait just a moment in the hall while he dropped off his treats, coming out in less than a minute he smiled at her and offered to make her melatonina tea. She obliged knowing he wouldn’t take no for an answer, and he was obviously worried for her and not up to any of his theatrics.

In the kitchen she sat twirling a spoon in her cup letting every thought and worry fly out of her mouth and Sanji listened intently.

“ I just wish you guys would not tell Luffy things about Y/N and Law so often. We need this alliance— especially right now. In order to win and have Luffy become an emperor we need the heart pirates. I get that we all-”

“ Everything’s going to work itself out.”

She tilted her head and he chuckled at how cute she was mentally begging himself to not make a fool out of himself.

“ We’re all just stressed, too much going on, too much focus on Y/n, and too much pressure from other crews and the people of Wano. I get you’re frustrated— I think we all are even the moss ball.”

“ Well yeah but-”

“ Robin wants to get a reaction out of all of us. Luffy is just an easy target. Luffy would get agitated if Y/n were to even look in Trafalgar’s direction.”

“ I’m just trying to come to an understand of why she wants this reaction out of him right now if all times.”

“ Because just like you she’s devising plans and having a captain who will pop his fuse at just one little thing right now must be vital for it to work.”

“ I guess? ”

She drank the rest of her tea sb headed to her room praying nothing disastrous would come tomorrow.

🏷️ : @chaichaiiskai @mizzhellsingsstuff @herwritingartcowboy @axulaphie @toshirolovebot @futmblr @rhicambo @marim0cha @sasukeswife3 @mitskikinnie100 @alaurannara @angstylittleb1tch

A/N: short chapter Ik but de next Sunday! <3 love you lmk what you thought !!!

[mikobeautifulheart]

5 stages of grief, 3 Bargaining

Satoru Gojo x reader

Tw: Mentions of death and depression.

"Yuji, make sure she stays healthy, sometimes she forgets to eat." He manages to grunt out lying in rubble.

"Satoru please" You held is hand to your face, crying as he said his last words.

"She also needs to laugh alot. Doctors orders" He smiled before he set his eyes on you.

"But for god sake Yuji, don't steal my girl." He said before his eyes lightened and his chest stopped rising.

"SATORU!" You screamed as his arm fell limp and slipped out your grasp.

"Y/N YOU NEED TO LEAVE" Yuji said as he heard a building collaps.

"S-s-satoru no." You closed your eyes this can't be happening.

"He put up a good fight, just not good enough" Sukuna's deep voice said from behind you.

You didn't care if you lived of died anymore, Satoru, the love of your life, he was dead. You just sat there, tears falling onto his corpse.

Yuji turns around to look at Sukuna seeing his arms crossed looking down at you and Gojo.

"Be glad I gave him the joys of having last words." Sukuna said a smile spreading across his face.

Those next few days were a blur, you didn't know how long had passed since Satoru had died. All you knew was that you tried every ancient method and mix of techniques to bring him back. Being one of the only people left to use reversed cursed technique you worked tireless and continuously around the clock trying to bring him back.

"Y/n, I'm sorry." Shoko said putting her hand on your shoulder. "There's nothing we can do." She said.

"No...No he's not dead Shoko, he's waiting, waiting for us to find away to bring him back." You said frantically grabbing lose papers around you and scanning them for anything you haven't tried.

"Y/n you need to stop, you'll die if you don't sleep or eat something-"

"I don't care if I live or die Shoko, I care if I succeed or fail." You said not turning away from the papers.

You gave it your all but nothing worked.

"Go home." Shoko said to you as you silently cried over his body.

You don't even remember driving home, you opened the door to a clean house.

You stumbled inside looking at the floor, you couldn't bare looking at all the pictures of him hung up on the walls. You walked into your bed room and sat on your side of the shared bed. You sighed and let you body sink.

Suddenly something glistened catching your attention. Your eyes were draw to a small box on your bed side table with a gold bow on top. Next to it was a card. You hesitated before picking it up and opening the card.

Inside the card read:

'To all the precious things that slipped through my fingers'

There was something else to, a ring. It had a beautiful sparkling blue stone in it. Even though you knew it was probably the most expensive thing you owned, it wasn't because of the price tag but because of the day, the plan, the words.

The day Satoru died was on your 4th anniversary. He planned to surprise you when you got back home from the 'quick' mission. Even after being freed from the prison realm he still remembered the day.

You slid off the side of the bed and held your hand on your mouth, trying to muffle your cries.

"Mommy" A little boy stood at the door way, no older then 5.

"Are you okay?" He said before moving toward you.

"Yes, yes baby I'm fine, I just hurt my arm that's all" You say through sobs.

"Mommy, when's daddy coming home." He asked.

Your heart tensed making your whole body act in agony.

"He'll be home late" You said. You couldn't help but cry more as you were reminded that Satoru was never coming home, ever.

"He'll be home some time."

Life continued on and you found yourself watching your son leave for school from your front door. He grew to be a good kid to.

"Hey, mom."

"Yes."

"Dad's not coming home is he?"

The silence stabbed your heart.

"...No...He's just on a long job, he'll be back one day, were just not sure yet." You replied.

Your son wasn't a kid anymore, he grew and understood that his dad would never be back, but he also understood that you hadn't accepted that yet. He saw you every day muttering to yourself that if you tried some sort of tactic or method and even technique, he would be there today.

"Okay" He said before walking out the door.

"When are you going to tell him?" Satoru asked leaning at the end of the hall way behind you.

"I-I don't know. But you might come back to me, to us. I found this book under jujutsu high that might work on you." You said turning to him.

"Y/n, I'm gone, there's nothing you can do now." He said

"I can try" You said.

"Its been 10 years y/n, he know its and he accepted it, he's being strong for you." He said

"You need to stop trying, i'm sorry but i'm not coming back."

"No Satoru, don't say that" You turned and wrapped your arms around his figure.

"I can do something! I'm not useless, I won't let you die!" You said desperately digging your face into his chest.

"You need to" He said.

"Y/N I love you and our son, I might be dead but i'll always be yours and i'll be waiting for you. When the day comes i'll be here waiting with open arms."

"Satoru..." you cried.

"Don't let the precious things slip through your fingers." He said pulling away and gesturing toward the family photo with Him, you and your son.

"Good bey"

THANK YOU FOR READING ♡

AUTHOURS NOTE: AH NEXT IS DEPRESSION WITH NANAMI SO HOLD OUT FOR THAT. Anyways I cant believe the series is nearly over now. Feel free to request any of the stages for the same or different characters, have a good what ever time and reblogs r welcomed.

[luimagines]

HI PINKY ! 🎻 Anon here ✧⁠◝⁠(⁠⁰⁠▿⁠⁰⁠)⁠◜⁠✧

My finals went overall quite well! (Except for one final but my overall grade was still fine so we're all good) I did end up having my ceiling of my room collapse though! (⁠ノ⁠｀⁠Д⁠´⁠)⁠ノ⁠彡⁠┻⁠━⁠┻ Gotta love landlords that refuse to do proper house maintenance on century old homes. So right before finals had my ceilings collapse, then had finals while stuck sleeping in the living room (to be fair the couch was comfy but the whole setup is less than ideal), and then literally the evening after my last final flew out to literal other side of the planet for college visits. So needless to say I've been rather tired recently! It's been fun though and I also got to see some family that I rarely see again so that was nice. BUT! I finally have the mental bandwidth to send in an ask again. So enough with the dramatic rambling about my life I have more ideas about the human hero reader I thought of!

So! I learned just the other day that an army captain is actually kinda low rank. (At least in the US military, can't speak to other systems) And you usually get there within like 4 years of your career as an officer. And if Wars is around 24-26ish (at least that's how old I usually imagine him since he's one of the older members of the group but not like OLD) and he would have started his time in the military as like a 17-18 year old, buddy boy would actually be behind on his career. (Stick with me this will all come together I swear!)

So I imagine human hero reader (I'm calling them hh!reader for my sanity to specify from here on out for my sanity) ended up getting pulled into the military after saving Hyrule. They really don't like being there, but the royal family of that time doesn't really give reader a choice. I'd imagine them most likely being a very low rank enlisted soldier. (If you require explanations for anything just let me know. I am more than happy to explain and understand most people haven't been raised around this stuff) But because reader didn't want to join the military in the first place and Warriors is one of the MOST wary member of the chain they would probably butt heads quite a bit. I imagine reader with an attitude of while they're usually a very nice person to be around they can hold a strong grudge and aren't afraid to tell someone if they're being an idiot. Not something that goes over well in the military. So reader probably targets at least some of that frustration to the resident military man. And something that would be rather easy to go for is that fact that he still hasn't been promoted. This would probably devolve into him telling them that they suck as a soldier until reader snaps and said they never had any choice in the matter and they storm off. Probably one of the their merry little band would go after reader. I think Sky might be best since he's a knight himself so he'd have a better idea what they were going through. Wind would also be an interesting option especially if it's after the whole "We're the same since we both made the active decision to save Hyrule!" moment. Both are good chances at bonding. Oh yeah I guess it's relevant that I see reader at an older teen age, like 16-17. Yay sibling dynamics (I say this like my only younger sibling doesn't drive me up a wall). I'll prolly add more later but I am tired. And I have a relatively early morning tomorrow.

Hope this was coherent but I actually had motivation for once so I went for it. If any clarification is needed just ask. Make sure to drink water and eat a snack! Self care is important to help prevent burnout. Have a lovely week. Good day/evening) ┌⁠|⁠o⁠^⁠▽⁠^⁠o⁠|⁠┘⁠♪ See you maybe once I've slept and ate. Bye!!

Oh, I thought you going to go the path of Reader outranking Warrior and him not being able to do anything about it. ^.^*

It reminded me of that one post for Marvel where Tony got excited because Rhodey, being Colonel, outranked Steve and could tell him what to do.

I'd imagine if Warrior pulled out the whole "you suck as a soldier" Wild would have to push back a bit because if they suck, what does that make him? He died! Hello? At least Reader had something going for them. They still won in the end with minimal loses on their side.

Wild lost everyone.

So what does Warrior actually think of him then?

[gabessquishytum]

just to flip the age kink thing, i've got a suggestion for how they'd have hob as the younger one. hob's getting to the point where he needs to start his next life and he decides that he wants to keep teaching but wants to change up the subject this time. there's a grad program he's really interested in so he figures he'll do that and then teach the subject, he starts crafting his next identity, and dream's so interested in the process since he hasn't seen hob doing this before. he sees the age hob's going for and offers some help -- he could make everyone perceive hob as younger, so he'd be able to get longer out of this identity.

hob, of course, is thrilled. he starts off as young as he can, of course, but it's been centuries since hob's even tried to pass himself off as 22. he could pull it off when people lived harder, but it just doesn't work anymore. dream makes a couple more suggestions -- hob's used June 7th as his birthday before, it sort of is in a way. now tgat he and dream use it as their anniversary he would have picked a different date but hey, if that's the date dream thinks he should go with, no big deal.

so hob goes off back to school, he's having a great time, he's sort of loving pretending to be in his 20s again. his friends do give him odd looks when they see him with dream, though. that's fine -- dream is, frankly, odd. it's probably nothing. until he starts seeing how dream's presenting himself to others and... yeah, the first time hob sees the dusting of silver hair at dream's temples, he drops to his knees to suck dream's cock in the stacks of the uni library. it's fine. he has very normal feelings about it. it's fine.

he's not totally clear on the specifics of the game dream's playing until the end of his first year, though, when dream mentions, in careful earshot of a few of hob's more gossipy classmates, that he'll plan something nice for hob's birthday. it's their anniversary, after all, and five years is a number worth celebrating. hob doesn't realize until later that dream just made sure all hob's classmates know that he got together with his significantly older and significantly wealthy boyfriend on his 18th birthday. and that dream's been supplying most of hob's wardrobe again. and giving him jewellery. and keeping hob at his side any time they're in public together. and that maybe there's a reason he keeps getting carefully worded questions about his relationship, because dream has very intentionally made him look like a pretty young thing being taken advantage of by an older man. hob needs dream to fuck him about this immediately, actually.

(it also occurs to hob, once dream's fucked him through the mattress while calling him little one and darling boy and pet, that this is. probably how gods and fey and other immortals actually do see a relationship between dream of the endless and a human. and gets turned on about it all over again.)

-🐈‍⬛

This is literally what I look like right now. Oh my fucking gOD

I don't. I don't know how to add to this? Hnnngg. Dream with grey in his hair, treating Hob like his little plaything, making Hob’s friends somewhere between concerned and jealous. It's making my mouth go dry.

I think you might have finally bit the "horny overload" switch in my brain, my darling.

ffffffuck.

I'm just thinking about Dream renting a fancy apartment for Hob to live in while he's studying. He comes home from the dreaming every day, and Hob’s friends skedaddle from what ever study club they've been doing (they're a little intimidated by Dream, although hes nothing but polite). Dream gets to have Hob all to himself for the evening, gets to relearn Hob’s body as it hasn't been for a very long time. Being physically 22 has a lot of advantages when it comes to joint flexibility and sexual stamina, and Dream wants to enjoy them to the fullest. Hob is very much immersed in the fantasy of being Dream’s kept boy, and he likes the attention, he likes it when Dream showers him in gifts. He keeps Dream updated on his grades and soaks up all the praise and sweet talk Dream lavishes on him. They go to the opera together, or to fancy restaurants where Dream publicly shows Hob off to absolutely everyone. And the sex afterwards is just insane. Hob rides Dream’s cock in the limo on the way home, or sucks him off in the dressing rooms of fancy boutiques.

They have literally all the time in the world to be horny and stupid and I, for one, want to see it.

[lovecolibri]

SaL anon here bestie, ready with the gin to endure whatever nonsense Eddie's plot is devolving into this week. God I hope the focus on Henren or Bathena so I can walk away with some sense of satisfaction. I'm not even going to attempt to say something good might come out if it, since history isn't on our side this season wrt Eddie. Tim needs to lay off his Hitchcock obsession, he did Psycho on LS last season, is doing Vertigo now, and both plots were utter nonsense. At least I got a good laugh today looking at the stills from the Oliver and Lou interview. Somebody should have told Oliver to blink 3 times if he's there against his will, though the fact that he looks like he's actively leaning towards the nearest exit probably says it just as well.

Yeah, the sooner bucktommy ends the happier I'll be. The relationship itself is fine, on par with every other BS relationship Buck was in really, but the fandom around it is exhausting and the active attempts to erase any semblance of Eddie in Buck's life is just so, so dumb (and pointless, like Buck wouldn't be the same without Eddie in his life just as Eddie isn't the same without Buck). Anyway cheers friend, we're on the precipice of something that looks both exciting and annoying, let's hope the scales tip in our favor 🍷🍸🥃.

Well, as I'm sure you guessed by my late answer, I saw this and waved at you from post limit jail, due to the d20 finale last night. I wish Tumblr would have a pop up like, "hey, you have 5 posts left before you hit post limit today!" or something so I could prepare!

So, good news, the Bobby and Henren stuff was *chefs kiss* angsty and dramatic and pulled at my heartstrings! The Bobby montage as he's giving his Captain Dad advice and having Buck cook, and calling Hen "Mother Hen" (while looking at Buck and Eddie 👀👀👀), giving the prayer book to Eddie, giving tips to Ravi, calling out orders on scene, it was all so much! And GOD, them taking that poor little girl away, and Denny stepping between that man and his sister, I was in TEARS! The Bobby and Athena talk got me too, and then him seeing his dead dad?! Bobby is going THROUGH IT and I ate it up!

As for Eddie I- legitimately do not know what to say. The whole thing was a mess, Kim giving herself bangs?? to roleplay with a stranger?? was just SO WEIRD and off-putting. Sorry I guess I'm just a hater but I think Eddie getting stuck with actresses like GW and EG means that him having scenes with anyone else feels good? but I'm not falling all over myself about any magical chemistry 🤷🏻‍♀️I hate this storyline and I'm tired of the narrative that this was some great love Eddie is missing out on when season 2-3 gave us actual canon evidence that it isn't true, and it feels more like Tim wanted Devin back and thought he could get away with it now that the audience had some space and KR spent all last season pretending Shannon was some saint (when he killed Shannon off so quickly originally because he said the audience wasn't going to forgive her and he didn't want to waste screentime on that when grief tied in with anger and abandonment was a more interesting storyline for Eddie and Chris). I'm also VERY curious about where the "Eddie realizing he's been looking at the relationship with rose colored glasses and living in delusion about it" is because GIRL that wasn't it. Eddie crying about her being the great love of his life and how they could have had it all is NOT him taking off the rose colored glasses, no matter how pretty Ryan looks when he's crying.

ANYWAY. I was already not on board with this but the writers dragging Chris into it too just gives me the ick. And it might resolve fine, but GOD!! THE JOURNEY MATTERS!! It matters how the characters get places! And this is just...not just a mess but a completely unnecessary one. They could address Eddie's grief and delusions about his relationship with Shannon (and her relationship with Chris because don't think I didn't clock him bringing up her (shit ass guilt trip) letter but not that she abandoned her son and cut off all contact for years) without resorting to trashy soapy doppelganger nonsense and cheating drama. And it's WILD because Bobby's arc this season and his relationship with Athena, and Henren's storyline have been SO GOOD, and even though there were some pacing and tone issues, even the Madney stuff has been good (and Kenny always slays the dramatic arcs!). Buck has taken a mostly supportive backseat this season which, while I ADORE him, was needed after the mess KR made of his character and her apparent lack of interest in the majority of the other main characters and his personal storyline (the bi realization, being Eddie's partner for all the big emotional talks) is also fine, it just got hijacked by some absolutely bizarre shipping strangeness over a couple minutes of screentime. But GOD Eddie's shit has been such a weird mess! It wasn't enough to be stuck with the transphobe all season, we also had to add in this nonsense?! Thanks, I hate it. At least we might finally be allowed to let Shannon go?? I am literally begging at this point.

As for th b/t of it all, I have literally blocked it from my mind and out of my existence (the ONE perk of my tumblr app still not working and having to do most of my stuff in my phone browser means I haven't really seen my dash lately and I've been smart about staying out of the tag for once) because it's just not worth the headache the bad takes give me. I'm just...so tired. I was willing to watch it play out (felt very much like Ali as the first step post-Abby, something background setting up for more later *cries in s4 Buddie canon*) but go at this point I just need it to be over for EVERYONE'S sanity. Especially Oliver's because like, girl. Why do you look like you're trapped in that loft with MW again?! Why so haunted? Girl, are you okay?? Oliver?? And how he continues to just post Buddie/Ryan stuff?? Loud.

I'm just...tired. So tired. And I need a drink. Imma go find some absolutely filthy/funny/fun Buddie fic and drown myself in that because I have the unfortunate feeling it's gonna be a LONG fucking hiatus.

Cheers friend. I know I always say if we can survive RNM (with it's own doppelganger storyline) then we can survive anything but GOD it would be nice to not have it be so hard.

[ihni]

Bubbles the fish

My last fill for the Short fic challenge ("That emotional moment that you can’t find a plot for"), as well as written for day 13 (yeah I know, I'm a little late ...) of Angstober, prompt: "From childhood".

~~~

Jim Hopper is not what you would call a people’s person. He knows how to do his job and he’s good at what he does, but there’s a reason why he most often makes his deputies or Flo deal with the more emotional people – and contrary to popular belief, only part of that reason is that he dislikes it. The main reason is that he’s simply not good at it. Angry people, he can deal with no problem, because Jim is big and imposing and does not back down, but the sad ones? The crying ones, the ones who are silent and hurting? Jim is not the right person to deal with those people, and he knows it, so he usually lets someone else do it.

So when he walks into Billy Hargrove’s hospital room, two months after Starcourt, and finds the kid hugging his own knees, shoulders shaking with silent sobs? A big part of him wants to turn right back around and walk out, pretending he didn’t see anything.

But. The kid looks so small huddled up to the headboard of the bed, scarred forearms wrapping around scrubs-covered legs. And just like every other time Jim has been visiting, no one else is here. It doesn’t sit right with him, because he knows that the doctors lifted the ban on visitors as soon as they were certain that the kid would live; as soon as they knew that he didn’t pose a threat to anyone. Yet every time Jim stops by on his way home after work – spurred on by El, who keeps asking about the boy who saved them – no one else has been around. The doctor said that the kid’s sister – El’s friend Max – has been by a couple of times, but there hasn’t been a word mentioned of his parents, or friends.

Kid must be lonely, Jim thinks and steels himself against the discomfort that emotional people cause him. He will go in there, because the kid got between Jim’s daughter and an otherworldly monster – saved her life when Jim wasn’t there to do it – so the least Jim can do make sure the kid is okay. Or as okay as one can be while recovering from being shish-kebabed by said otherworldly monster.

But hell, Jim is not equipped for this.

He takes a breath and knocks on the doorframe. The kid flinches and looks up, eyes wide, and then grimaces as if he’s in pain. He probably is. He’s got more stitches in him than Jim’s best suit.

“Hey kid,” Jim says, voice gruff even though he’s trying to soften it. “You okay there?”

The kid looks away, frantically – and futilely – wiping at his face as if it’s not obvious to anyone with eyes that he’s been crying. His hands are shaking, and so is his voice when he says, “I’m fine.”

“Hate to break it to you, kid, but you don’t look fine.” Entering the room fully, Jim spots an opened parcel on the floor on the other side of the bed. It’s just a cardboard box, looks to be empty. “You in pain? Want me to get a nurse?”

“No!” the kid says, and it’s too fast and too loud. He’s trying to hide something under the blanket, as if he doesn’t want Jim to see whatever it is.

Alarm bells go off in Jim’s head. The doctors had mentioned that they’re making the kid talk to a shrink, that he sometimes hasn’t seemed all that interested in recovering. That he, at one point when he’d just woken up, grabbed a syringe from a nurse and tried to stab himself with it before they could wrestle it away from him. And now the kid is crying, doesn’t want the nurses to come in here, and is trying to hide something?

It all adds up to nothing good, and Jim is the Chief of Police. He is very familiar with ‘not good’.

“What’cha got there, kid?”

The kid in question shakes his head, and – hell – his eyes well up again. Jim’s got a bad feeling about this, so he strides up to the bed and ignores the hands trying to stop him when he reaches down under the blanket to fish out …

A fish. Literally. A stuffed animal in the shape of a fish, and by the looks of it, it’s been well-loved over the years.

Confused, he lets the kid yank the fish out of his hand, and feels a twinge of guilt as he can’t do anything but watch as the teen shuffles his way painfully to the other edge of the bed, as far from Jim as he can, while clutching the stuffed animal to his chest. His head is turned down, but Jim hears his hitched breath and knows that he’s crying.

And great, now Jim feels like an asshole.

“Uh,” he says, and then quiets. Because what do you say to a teenager who’s been traumatized beyond belief, and who is now desperately clinging to a stuffed animal like he’s five instead of eighteen? “Sorry, kid, I …” He trails off. Doesn’t know what to say. Considers going to fetch the doctors – maybe they can give the kid some sedatives or something – when he looks down and sees something else on the floor next to the empty box. A piece of paper with hand-written text on it.

The kid is not looking at him, so Jim bends down to pick it up. It’s a letter. Or, more of a note, really.

Dear Billy, it says, in loopy handwriting.

I heard about the fire. I’m glad you’re okay, and really proud that you saved those kids. It’s strange to think of you all grown-up and saving kids, since you were just a kid yourself the last time I saw you.

I went through some boxes recently and found your old friend Bubbles. Do you remember him? You used to take him with you everywhere you went. I thought he should be with you, now.

I’m also sending a photo of the two of you. I hope he can bring you some comfort now, as he did when you were younger.

I hope this finds you well.

Mom

Jim looks from the note in his hand, to the boy in the bed who has curled up with his back to Jim, shoulders shaking with silent sobs. Then he looks at the note again, and frowns. He read through the kid’s file after the incident at the Byers’ house back in November, and he knows that the kid lives with his father. That his mother is not in the picture. Max once let slip that Billy hasn’t had any contact with her in years.

Bending down again to pick up the box, he sees another piece of paper on the floor, having ended up halfway under the bed. It’s a photograph. A polaroid, of a blond little boy, no more than seven, in a hospital bed much like this one. His arm is in a cast, and he’s sleeping, curled up around a purple plush fish that looks much bigger than the one the kid is clutching now – but of course, the boy in the picture was much smaller back then.

“Please leave,” the kid says, voice muffled. “Please.” He can’t suppress his sobs, and the part of Jim that can’t handle it when people are crying wants nothing more than to do what the kid asks.

But the part of him that is a father hates watching a child hurt – because eighteen might be an adult in the eye of the law, but no one who saw the kid curled up and hurting like he is now would consider him anything but a child.

So he doesn’t leave. Instead he turns the box over to examine it, and as he does, his heart sinks. Because Jim is a cop, and he’s damn good at finding clues and coming to conclusions. So when he looks at the box and the note, he sees beyond the brown cardboard with its carefully scrawled delivery address (addressed to William Hargrove at this specific hospital – they sender even got the room number right), and sees what the kid must have seen, too.

The address shows that his mother knows where he is, and that she could have contacted him this whole time, but chose not to. The lack of a return address means that Billy can’t contact her back.

The fact that she mentions the fire – the official story that the media ran with, when Starcourt was destroyed – shows that she knows that he got injured. That she’s writing it now, a couple of months later, and addressing it to a hospital, means that she must know that he was badly hurt, and still on the mend. But instead of showing up herself, or contacting her son or the hospital staff to get updates on his condition, she sends an old toy, a photograph and a note.

A note in which she writes I hope this finds you well. Not Love, not Hugs, nothing that can be interpreted as personal in any way.

“Aw, hell kid,” Jim says quietly and drags a heavy hand down his face.

The kid sobbing in the bed has been through hell and back, only to get slapped in the face with the reminder that his own mother does not want him in her life. The woman might have thought she was doing a good thing, but Jim looks at the kid now and thinks that it would have been better if she’d stayed gone.

“I’m sorry,” Jim says, and finds that he is. He’s sorry that the kid got dealt such a shitty hand in life. That he got involved with all the Upside Down bullshit in the first place, that he got hurt saving the kids, that he’s got a shitty dad who never visits his own kid in the hospital and that he’s got a shitty mom who sends a shitty kid’s toy instead of showing up in person when her son almost died.

And he’s sorry that he’s the only one here now, when the kid so obviously needs someone else; someone who could help him, or comfort him, or make him feel better. Jim is woefully ill-equipped to provide any of that.

No wonder the kid is inconsolable.

[luaspersona]

fic teaser | kim taehyung

pairing ↠ himbo!taehyung x reader (f. reader) genre ↠ college!au; holiday!au; smut; one-shot; humor summary ↠ after making some terrible memories together, Taehyung wants nothing more than to never see you again; and he was pretty much succeeding until — after a minor accident — he finds himself having to spend Christmas alone with you in the middle of nowhere. rating ↠ +18 teaser warnings ↠ nothing explicit; profanity; nudity; mentions of sex; mentions of bondage; mentions of puking.

complete work warnings (full warnings on the post) ⇝ alcohol consumption; sexual tension; religious jokes; minor accident; very minor parent issues; second hand embarrassment; pov switch; explicit smut: masturbation, orgasm denial and control, edging, dirty talk, pet names, soft dom!taehyung, switch!reader, fingering, oral (f. and m. receiving), unprotected sex, praise kink, light spanking, a splash of degradation, begging; overstimulation, multiple orgasms, squirting, creampie, rough sex, aftercare.

release date ↠ released. teaser word count ↠ 0.8k estimated reading time ↠ 2 minutes

note ↠ so i had the idea to write a holiday!au for tae’s birthday around three weeks ago and just now finished the outline lol 🤡 i’m still working on it, but i decided to drop a little something so you can have a taste! the teaser happens a couple months before the actual fanfic, so it’s not christmas here yet lol sorry, i promise i’ll plan better the next time (i probably won’t tho). note² ↠ wanna thank @imakeamess for the BEAUTIFUL BANNER, i know i was all over the place but you were able to create the most amazing art for me, so thank you once again🥺 note³ ↠ special thanks to @uarmymoonlight for helping me come up with the story and patiently listening to me rambling about this fic nonstop, i love you! and @vsualitae for helping me find inspiration and letting me spam his dms with this lol note⁴ ↠ also, merry christmas for those who celebrate and happy holidays! hope you all have an amazing year ending and an even better new year🎄

if you wanna be added to the taglist just leave a comment 🥰

When Taehyung was eighteen years old, he told a slightly less experienced Jungkook that girls have a secret sweet spot on the back of their knees.

Yeah, pretty shitty, he knows, he knows— but!, in Taehyung's defense, Jungkook was too damn innocent for his own good and he obviously didn't expect that Jungkook would take a whole ass year to google it. How hard is it to differentiate a freaked out face from a fucked out face, really? It was only like, 30% his responsibility. 

Clearly, though, the universe wasn't as understanding, because now Taehyung is pretty sure that he’s cursed.

Whenever he’s feeling like he’s hot shit, life finds ridiculous and absurd ways to humble him — being extra careful to guarantee Jungkook front row seats.

Fair enough. Taehyung has no problem owning his stuff, and he didn’t really believe all this karma shit anyway.

Except when it came to you.

“Shit.” Soojin curses, hands stopping in their search for her keys.

“What's wrong, babe?” Jungkook frowns.

“Can we maybe go to your place? My roommate had some work stuff to prepare and asked me to give her some space this afternoon.”

Taehyung groans “Soojin, we live on the other side of campus and I'm starving.” He punctuates this by lifting the food bags in his hands.

“But she's been super stressed lately, I don't wanna add to that.”

“We won't! We can be quiet, baby.” Jungkook reassures. 

Soojin chews her bottom lip. “You sure?”

“Promise.”

Taehyung nods. “She won't even notice us.”

Soojin sighs. “Fine.”

“Also, it can be a great opportunity for Tae to finally meet her.” Jungkook turns to Taehyung. “She's painfully your type, man.”

“Don’t even think about it! My roomie is not interested in Taehyung’s fuckboy ways, Kookie, she’s a pure soul.” Soojin protests.

“Baby, that’s slutshaming. Not cool.”

“What? I'm not a fuckboy. I'm just a very good boy who likes to give people what they want, nothing wrong with that.”

Soojin rolls her eyes, then finally opens the door.

Barely they step into the apartment, though, the three of them freeze — somewhat distracted by the sight of a blond man standing in the middle of the living room, covered only by a blue underwear and a trail of purple marks on his neck and collarbone.

And damn, what a fine man that is. Taehyung had never seen such pretty pouty lips before and he can't help the sudden wish to add a couple of purples to that soft skin himself. 

“What the hell?” Soojin's question prompts the man to cover his crotch with his hands. Pitty. “Who the fuck are you?”

“So, I found these old ropes in the back of my drawer, but I think they can hold—” you stop talking once you enter the living room, seeing a hell of a lot more people than when you left.

Jungkook snickers, glancing down at the rope still in your hands. “Pure soul my ass.”

When your name drops from Soojin’s mouth, something snaps in Taehyung’s mind. You see, he isn’t dumb by any means, but Taehyung sure sometimes is slow.

To be fair, he’d spent so much time trying to forget everything about you and the day you met that it’s only natural that he would take some time to recognize your face from his days I wish I hadn’t woken up archive.

But the way your fingers tighten around the knots before you hide them behind your back? Shit, how can he forget the way those fingers felt entangled in his hair that night? The way you made him groan against your neck whenever you pulled a bit too strong?

And your thighs? Fuck, they are so much prettier than he fantasized they’d be, barely covered by the oversized shirt you’re wearing. Taehyung almost has to stifle a groan because holy fuck how he wishes he could’ve seem them — felt them under his palms that night.

“Is he your work thing?” Soojin sarcastically points to the man’s general direction.

“Yeah, sorry about that, Soo, I just wanted to— Taehyung?!”

He grimaces, eyes immediately darting away from your form as he clears his throat, letting out a silent “hey.”

“You know each other?” Soojin frowns.

“We uhm… we met at—” you stutter “we met once. At a party.”

Soojin is silent for a moment, before her jaw drops “Wait— is Taehyung the puke guy?!”

The blue underwear man looks at you immediately. “Did you puke on him?”

“No! No, of course not, Jimin, it was him who— I mean, uh” so this is what humiliation tastes like? “Nevermind.”

The sudden sound of Jungkook’s laugh erupts beside Taehyung, and the boy takes his hand to his stomach as he leans forward. Taehyung is sure he’s never seen Jungkook so happy.

It takes around a minute for Jungkook’s laugh to turn into light giggling as he tries to catch his breath.

“She’s the girl you puked on? No fucking way, man.”

Well. Yeah. Karma and shit.

READ THE COMPLETE WORK HERE

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[accidentally-in-fictional-love]

I can't get my emojis to work, but Joshua Whitmore and happiness?

That Familiar Smell of Fresh Paint - Joshua Whitmore/Reader

Warnings: Gender-neutral reader, no use of Y/N.

Wordcount: 2560

Summary: Happiness isn't a familiar feeling to him anymore, but it's the little things is his new life with you that makes him start to remember how it feels.

Notes: I love writing him so much that I'm already looking forward to all the new ideas that came to me as I was working on this QwQ

It was hard at first, but you both expected that after your big, dramatic return from New York. As soon as you'd boarded the plane the two of you knew that things wouldn't be the same now that he'd been found, and sure enough once word got out that you'd not only crashed his big party to steal him back but also returned to Detroit, one Ms. Jorie Chastain was back at your door to properly ask for an interview this time.

Turns out she'd been quite reprimanded by her superiors for her previous ‘interview,’ and you were more than happy to accept her apology money and then have Joshua slam the door in her face as thanks for tearing the painting that was now framed on your wall.

It'd been quite the sum to make up for nearly ruining both your lives, and you put it away to go towards that adorable little property you'd had your eye on since it'd gone on sale. You drove past it the next day with him to test the waters, see if he'd want to start over fresh with you there, just casually mentioning the for sale sign and how you should maybe check it out, get back to animosity since everyone now knew where you lived. He'd been silent, his foot propped on your dashboard and his sketchbook placed against his leg while he drew what he saw, and he'd barely paid the property any attention at all when he caught sight of an overgrown park crawling with nature and freedom.

You try again a couple weeks later when you make the drive to the art store with him to give his legs a rest; he was so used to walking everywhere he'd forgotten completely how to drive, and at first he'd gone on a very long rant about how cars were polluting the environment and how walking was better for the body and mind, although for once he tossed in a little compliment as he commended you for always walking to work even though you did own a vehicle. 

Now, many rides later, he’s relaxed and sitting in the passenger seat while feeling the breeze, completely fine with cars for the moment while you drive, and you point out the for sale sign again as you approach.

‘I see it still hasn't sold, it's a decent property, I wonder what's wrong with it?’ you joke with many glances thrown his way, and this time he did look as he hums to himself.

‘Based on the state of the yard, broken windows on the side of the house, as well as that concerning dent in the roof I'd say it's a wreck inside, owners are probably old and finally selling because they can't afford to keep it in the family anymore, that one won't be housing anyone until the whole thing needs to be gutted,’ he figures before taking his sketchbook back out to work on his park sketch, he only seemed to work on it when you drove together.

‘Oh, how'd you-?’

‘Been in a lot of places like it, I can usually tell from the outside what the inside will be like by now,’ he says without looking up, and for a moment you'd actually forgotten that he'd been on the road the past seven years, not homeless but traveling, of course he'd had to have learned about all the safe and empty places to stay, what would be a risk and what would be a temporary paradise. ‘You're quiet, you wanted that house, didn't you?’

‘What? No, of course not, I've already got a decent duplex, you're not gunna find a better bathroom for that cheap,’ you brush him off nervously, but he doesn’t buy it as he glances at you and keeps drawing. ‘By the way, I've been wanting to ask since I don't see you on my floor, but how's the job going?’

‘Working to survive but not to be happy, it's a hard question to ask, isn't it?’ he begins, and you give him a look until he chuckles. ‘It's fine, been a while since I've been around that many people, and I know the only things they know about me were found on the internet and in that woman's news segment, but I'd prefer it if I was a no one to them again, just so they'd stop staring when I come around.’ He doesn't draw as he speaks this time, his eyes staring out the window as the neighbourhood turned into downtown, the art store in sight.

‘We could always see if you could work from home, I hear that's been a big thing in the city?’ you suggest, but the thought of that makes him visibly recoil.

‘Working at a desk in the comfort of my own home? Taking the precious hours we have in a day to get up, sit in front of those machines and just work until I can't tell what's the job and what's my personal life anymore? That sounds worse than being forced to paint, don't ever say that to me again,’ he grumbles as he hunches up and places his shoes on your dash again. You chuckle softly at the sight, he always knew what he wanted and what he didn't like, and you certainly can't imagine him being able to work on anything other than his paintings while he was home.

‘Sorry, I should've known better,’ you tease, and he just continues grumbling all the way to the parking lot. The art store is more well stocked now that everyone knew he was here, the owner ordering all sorts of professional things since he knew that Joshua would be back in due time, and sure enough he always was to replenish his supplies. It was nice to not be limited to just the children's supplies now, he’s certainly very happy about it as he races for the paints and sees that they were higher quality than last time, and the new brushes he'd suggested have come in as well, the display announcing their newness to the lineup. 

He has his own money again, after the great loss to the show you'd ruined he'd ended up having to pay out of pocket for it all as compensation, but once that was settled and he was finally set free from his contract he was also free to claim the rest of what the bank had been holding for him for almost a decade now that he wasn't legally dead. 

His checking account had been pretty much cleaned, but he'd also had a secret savings account that had been highly suggested by his then girlfriend, since she did care about his future until he'd grown too numb to remember how to love her back anymore. As such, since Mr. Eldred didn't know about it and focused purely on what he had left in his checking, the interest had accumulated into a new mini fortune that he was now slowly blowing through as he spoiled himself with new paints and proper canvases and all the things a starving artist on the streets wouldn't be able to get.

It was funny how fast his views on money had changed when he was able to toss everything onto the counter and pay for it without putting you out.

Now that he has a paycheck again he mostly sticks to using that, the two of you recently having joined your accounts so you could help contribute to his savings. It was a very big step in your relationship, once you discussed many times as you helped him set up an online account so he could see where his paychecks were going without a trip to the bank, but it felt right after your big city rescue. Knowing that he can get whatever he wants, you again wait patiently as he checks out everything and repeatedly goes over his mental inventory of what he still had back home. 

You hang around the register so you won't bother him, he would likely be ignoring you anyway if he wasn't giving you a history lesson about everything he was looking at, so you prefer this option since it gets you home faster. You exchange a friendly nod with the owner, he was very familiar with the both of you now, and get comfy leaning against the counter until he’s done, his voice drifting over the aisles as he openly talks to himself since you weren't there to listen.

‘He sees like a nice guy,’ the owner observes as he also listens, and you smile fondly in his general direction when he sees something he doesn't like and starts talking a bit too loudly about how kids could never flourish with brushes that break that easily and were too cheap to actually hold the paint they were using.

‘He is,’ you reply honestly even as he approaches with an armful of said brushes and sets them down with the intention to have them be removed from the inventory, which of course they wouldn't be. ‘He's a bit insufferable at times, but… he's genuine, and honest, and passionate, and I've never met anyone like him.’ He returns with more as well as the things he actually wants to pay for before disappearing again. ‘I'm sorry about this, I'll put it all back when he goes to the canvases.’

‘It's no problem, it's pretty slow in here when the kids don't have any big art projects going on, gives me something to do,’ the man laughs, and Joshua is very pleased when he finally notices the extra large canvases that were now in stock even though you know it'll be a pain to fit them into the backseat. 

You continue your light conversation with him while Joshua finishes up, and in his excitement the final bill is a bit more than usual, but he’s happy to pay for it all as he hands over his card and punches in the pin. All three of you have to carry everything to your car once the transaction is complete, thankfully he only indulged in one giant canvas this time since he was running out of wall space in his studio, and the rest is tossed into the trunk with great excitement.

‘Thank you for getting these in, and you have my list of more appropriate supplies for the kids’ section, right?’ he asks as you get into the car, Joshua hovering around the door and refusing to let the owner go without his very important suggestions being taken into consideration.

‘I'll see how well the new stuff sells before I order more stock,’ he vows as he backs up towards the door, Joshua ready to walk back in and give him a quick lesson on why he should also really get rid of some other things so he could pay more attention to his rather lacking informational book selection when you lean across the seats, grab him by the back of the hoodie, and pull him in with you. He relents and shuts the door, now preferring to see how this stuff compares to what they provided in his month back in New York since they'd gone for price over preparation, which of course he could tell the difference between. 

You have to pass by the house again to get home, but you can only glance at it longingly this time at the thought of moving him into another rundown place; you don’t want that for him, he deserved someplace open and clean after waking up in empty houses for so long. He sees your look this time and bunches up again to draw, but this time it isn't to work on his park you discover as you pull into your driveway, it’s actually a rough blueprint of how to fix up what he saw on the outside.

‘Need to get in, see how bad it is or if I’m wrong,’ he mutters as he hands the book over after everything is brought in, and your heart pounds a little harder when you read his notes crammed beside the shapes.

‘It’s just a house, we can look together for something better,’ you tell him as you hand it back and head for your laptop, but he just shakes his head and rests his arms over your shoulders, his chin on the top of your head while you sit at the table.

‘Told you I’m good with my hands, did a lot of construction work, if we buy it fast then we could get it cleaned up before it gets worse,’ he says softly, and you realize that he was doing this because it was something you wanted for once, his final hurdle in him getting used to not only living with but also loving someone again.

‘I don’t want you to have to stay in another busted up old house,’ you reply without looking up, your hands still on the keyboard and touchpad as you hover over the real estate site you’d bookmarked weeks ago. ‘This place is fine, we don’t need anything bigger or better, it’s… you deserve better than more broken ceilings and cracked paint.’

He kisses your head then, he was still getting used to giving you affection when he felt like sharing it even though you’d already slept together and had been together for months, but just knowing that he was the one to kiss you this time is enough to make your heart soar. ‘You know I don’t mind the smell of fresh paint, that’s my entire life,’ he reminds you quietly, his lips moving against your hair and his chin digging into your scalp as he speaks, and you free yourself to turn in your chair and stare up at him.

‘So you really wanna do this? You wanna buy a house with me? I’ll have to start driving to work again,’ you gape up at him, and he doesn’t seem too happy about you driving so much, but his expression is still very soft as he leans down even more to rest his chin on your shoulder along with his arm.

‘It’s closer to the art store, we can start walking there together,’ is his reasoning, and you press your own kiss to his cheek before going to the house’s page and checking out the uploaded images together. It’s better than he expected, the damage is mostly on the outside, but he was right about the older owners wanting to sell their family home since they now had a slightly smaller place closer to their grandchildren and couldn’t afford to keep both. He points out the easy fixes, stuff he’d learned how to do years ago, and the second bedroom is the perfect size for an even bigger studio; both bedrooms lead out into the backyard, a proper backyard this time where there’s room for a garden, and a birdbath is already in place and sporting a bluebird in the photo on the screen.

You take it as a sign, you both do, and he decides to save his giant canvas for later as you call up the realtor and set up an appointment to tour the property, Joshua just watching you talk with a content smile on his face all the while.

[chilly-me-softly]

Expect The Unexpected • Mason Mount pt.2

I just really hope you'll love this as much as the part one. Thank you for your likes and comments, it means a lot 💙

-

"My god I think I might throw up"

"Hey - Mason calls you back placing himself in front of you stroking your arms - have I told you how sexy you look in this dress yet?"

"Mason" a sort of moan comes out of your mouth as he laughs leading you towards him and leaving a kiss in your hair.

"Sixty seconds guys"

"It'll be fine okay? I'm right here with you"

You only have time to nod before a staff member approaches to take you even closer to where you are supposed to walk in. There's a small screen nearby where the host is announcing the next guests and all around you a small countdown starts before your names are announced and that curtain opens allowing you to enter the studio.

Mason takes your hand, holding it and silently reminding you of what he said a few seconds earlier, a smile on your faces as you walk those few metres to your seats.

You greet the host for the cameras even though you saw each other just before the show chatting and then go and sit on the small sofa placed almost opposite her seat.

It has been about three months since your lives were suddenly turned upside down with the birth of your daughter and although an announcement had been made at the time due to the obvious confusion in the stadium that day, neither of you had yet openly spoken about the incident. And how could you if even now there were moments when you could hardly believe how your life had taken a completely different turn in such a short time.

You had somehow managed to keep some privacy, you wanted to be the one to explain if and when you thought it was the right time. And it was certainly better in the grand scheme of things, so you had decided to accept the offer you had been made and tell your story in your own words.

"Mason, (y/n) thank you for being here with us today. Congratulations on your baby girl"

"Thank you" a round of applause starts as your gaze falls on the picture they put on the screen as background, you and Mason in one of the many pictures taken from his social. You're looking into each other's eyes, Mason has a hand on your hip and you remember him telling you how breath taking you were that night.

"You are here today to tell your story, an almost surreal story isn't it?"

"Yeah, that's probably one of the words you can describe it with" Mason steps in, surely more used to interviews, cameras and all those people around.

"You (y/n) gave birth to a baby girl, from an unexpected pregnancy. Can you explain to us how that went?"

"It all happened very quickly actually. I was at the stadium that day when I started to feel a sort of discomfort in my stomach that I didn't give much thought to, but the pain increased as time went on and eventually when we got to the hospital I was told I was ready to give birth and I was there thinking everyone had gone mad because my belly was flat"

"What did you think at that moment?"

"Honestly everything and nothing. Everything happened so fast, at that moment you can only go with the flow. Then she was placed in my arms and it was there that something began to dawn on me"

"There hadn't been any particular signs that might have raised a doubt?"

"No, not at all. Many women find out about such a pregnancy by pure chance. I went on with my everyday life, and never had any reason to worry that something was wrong"

"Now you are at home. How are you handling all this, becoming parents?"

"Mason" you sigh trying to go back to sleep, you don't know what time it is but it's certainly not the time to get up "Mason, your alarm"

"Mmh" he murmurs turning towards you, unconsciously brushing against your side as you almost groan because he's turned the wrong way.

And so you open your eyes, aware that even that day you'll have to be the one to make sure Mason leaves the house on time and you won't go back to sleep. But it's a moment and your brain seem to connect what that noise really is and you get out of bed sharply.

"What? What happened?" obviously all that movement has woken him up too, who with his eyes still half closed looks at your figure moving around the room.

"Just the baby crying. I'll go make her some milk" you cover a yawn badly with your hand taking her from her cot borrowed from his sister and moving quickly out of the room.

"Mase go back to sleep, you'll be a wreck tomorrow" you sigh when you see him lean against the kitchen doorframe, rubbing one eye and with his pillow face still evident.

"You know we can tell mum to stay a couple more nights"

"Your mum can't stay here forever" you use a slightly harsh tone and you don't even glance at him by accident, yet he comes closer wrapping his arms around your waist careful of the little girl in your arms.

"I know, but maybe a couple more nights won-"

"It's not the night the problem - you wriggle out of his grasp as if you've been burned - the problem is that we don't have anything ready, a room or clothes, my stuff is still at my house because we don't have time to set up properly and I'm so tired"

"Love we can't do everything at once, we just need some-"

"Don't finish that sentence" you interrupt him glaring at him, he hides his face in his hands for a moment.

"What do you want me to say?"

"Nothing. Just go to sleep, I'll finish up here and I'll be there" he looks at you unsure for a few moments before returning to the room.

Mason tries to stay awake but his eyes close as soon as he rests his head on the pillow, and when the baby cries again right a couple of hours later you're already up.

"The first couple of weeks were hard, I'm not ashamed to say that I lived them very badly. To the point of even refusing to stay in the same room as the baby at times"

"Why is that in your opinion?"

"Because... because I needed to stop and think. Instead, I found myself thrown into a situation bigger than myself in a world that doesn't wait for you and with this little creature needing you constantly" Mason reaches for your hand casually, intertwining your fingers and placing them on his leg.

"How did you get through this?"

"I talked to a few people and Mason, and we turned to a professional figure. Thinking we could do it alone was not the right way"

"What do we want to talk about today?" sitting opposite the doctor you blanked out, there were so many things you could have said to her and yet at that moment you didn't know what to say. Or how to begin the conversation.

"First of all thank you for making time for me even without Mason"

"One-on-one sessions are as important as if not more so than couples sessions"

"There's one thing, but I don't know how to explain it"

"Take all the time you want" she reassures you, turning the pen over in her hands.

"It's just... this week went well. It finally felt like everything was in place: we took the baby to the park and to meet some friends and had some good family time you know? But there was one time when-I had a hard time recognising her, I-I was looking at her but it was like she was a stranger to me"

"Why do you focus on that time, on that one negative episode?"

You think about the question the therapist just asked you before you look at her a little intimidated by what you are about to ask, "What if I didn't have that kind of connection? What if I don't have the maternal instinct?"

"I take it then that you haven't talked to Mason about it?" she asks, but you shake your head.

"Not yet. It's just that I don't want to scare him off and I needed to get this thing right first to explain it to someone else"

"That sounds about right. (y/n), most women have about nine months to come to terms with becoming a mother. You are experiencing this in a very compact time and already with a child to take care of"

"So it's normal" you double check.

"I would say yes. You don't have any kind of illness, you just need time to process"

"I'm beginning to hate that word. Time" you play down by rolling your eyes.

"It is necessary. If you speed up the healing process or worse ignore it, you may heal but you will be fragile and prone to relapse. And we don't want that, but to have a full recovery so you are at your best to face life"

"It's confusing because I push her away but at the same time I can't be without her. Like now, she's with Mason's mum but I can't wait to get her back. I know as soon as I see her though, something inside me shuts down"

"You often talk about Mason's family and how they are helping you from the beginning. What about your family instead?"

"Oh they live far away, they're not the kind of people who move around a lot so they wait for me to go to them"

"They haven't seen the baby yet?"

"On video call"

"Have you tried telling them that you would like them here with you? That you need them?"

"It's fine - you shrug - I know what they're like. When I moved here I was quite aware of all this"

"However, that doesn't mean you can't miss them. Especially at such a crucial time in your life"

"We will probably need a lot more time to talk about this topic"

"See, even this making jokes when you feel too exposed is part of the problem"

"I realise that. It's a sort of wall I put up over time so that I don't get hurt anymore and have no expectations. And I also realise that... it might be the reason why I can't really express how I feel about my daughter now"

"Being strong is allowing yourself to show weakness. Reflect on this until the next session"

"Mason, what are you like as a father instead?" the host asks as a picture appears on the screen in which he is leaning over your baby's feet, just so that only that of her is shown.

"I'm home" Mason is greeted in the house by noises in the kitchen and the crying of the little one, and sighs not quite a fan of another eventful evening. His ears are still ringing from the last two.

"Hey, look who's here... daddy. Daddy's here!" he hears you coo, and flashes a smile before stopping to put down his wallet and keys on the coffee table before entering the kitchen.

"Hi. Hi baby girl" he leaves a kiss on the top of her head before moving closer to you and brushing his lips with yours. "Still screaming?"

"She never stopped"

"Great" he rolls his eyes glancing up at the messy, dirty kitchen.  "I need a shower"

"Do you want to go now? We can eat something later"

"Yeah, that's fine" Mason leaves the kitchen area behind and takes his time in the shower, letting the water hit his shoulders. But it's as if those screams are in the bathroom speaker, not at all muffled by the distance.

He lifts his head towards the jet, rubbing his face and running his hands through his hair. He would have liked a quiet evening, perhaps to be joined by you in the shower allowing him to unload the heaviness of the day. Instead his bad mood is always there, when he comes down and the dishes are put on the table, and it almost seems to increase when you try to make that high-pitched voice to try to make the baby stop crying. Unsuccessfully of course.

He just wants some slack, he doesn't seem to be asking for much.

"Do you want to try? Maybe with you she'll give in" you hand him the bottle after you've failed to get her to latch on for the last few minutes. And for a moment it seems to happen, silence doesn't seem that far away. But you can't even look into each other's eyes relieved that it all starts again, if not louder.

"What's wrong uh?"

"Mason-"

"What the fuck is wrong?" in a gesture of annoyance he throws the bottle spilling it all over the floor

"Mason!" you call back to him surprised, approaching and quickly taking the baby in your arms. "What's wrong with you!"

"I just want some peace of mind! Am I asking too much?"

"Go take a walk. Get out of my sight" you're bloody serious, the little episode obviously didn't have the desired effect with the crying still in full swing.

"I'm done with all this shit" he throws his hands up before disappearing from that room, leaving you to fix everything.

-

You knock on the room door gently, opening it and placing the baby monitor on the dresser beside it. The room is dimly lit but you can see where Mason is. You then approach him, climbing onto the bed and holding him tightly from behind.

"I can't do this. Maybe this isn't for me" he quickly lets go as soon as he feels your body attach to his and you leave an elusive kiss in the crack of his neck.

"You've had a rough day Mason, it happens. Doesn't mean you're to throw away"

"I can't even put all that aside for my daughter. I'm a horrible dad"

"I cried three times just today Mase - you start stroking his hair absentmindedly - and someone always tells me it takes time to settle in. Some days will be good, some days will be terrible but it will be worth it"

"I don't know this person" you chuckle at his grumbling, leaving a kiss on his temple.

"You don't always have to be strong for me, you know. You can let it out, be honest, whatever it may be. Because I don't want you to burst out so suddenly"

Mason turns on his back looking you in the eye as you continue to rhythmically run your hand through his hair. "It's just that when you come for comfort... I need to show confidence, you need it especially now"

"There's two of us in all this, and maybe I've been a bit selfish by taking you for granted" he shakes his head bringing a hand to stroke one of your cheeks gently.

"I wanted to be the one always there for you, you know"

"And you are, you are Mason okay? Just this thing that happened to us... happened to both of us okay? You have every right to feel down sometimes or not understand how you feel" Mason turns on his side facing you and burying his head in your chest, and you stop talk not feeling like it's the right time to push any further now.

"I would never hurt her" he whispers after a while when you think he's asleep by now and you just want to hold him close to you.

"I know Mase... I know"

-

"Daddy didn't mean to scream earlier" it's around two in the morning and Mason is on the couch with the baby in his arms, letting you rest while unconsciously still paying the price for what happened hours before. "It's just a new and very confusing time and I'm still trying to adjust"

"You might as well stop screaming like a little demon though" the little one stares at him with those big eyes so similar to his own, the shadow of a smile on her face. And Mason can't help but caress her gently as he seems to study her every little detail, as if it were the first time he had seen her. "A very cute demon"

"I was not quite ready for what it meant to have a child of my own. Many things have changed, there are different priorities and many questions on the plate. For my part there is so much desire to get to know her and to grow together with my daughter and my family now"

"Are you active in nappy changing and feeding or are you one of those fathers just in for the fun?"

"Well I admit that I am not a fan of the night shift but I strongly believe that both parents should help. Obviously she's around more and has more things under control but as soon as I'm home I make sure I give her a hand"

"The baby is completely hooked, hands down her favourite"

"That's not true" Mason lowers his gaze trying his best to hide the thin line of embarrassment on his cheeks as you squeeze his hand.

"You were away with the national team just a few weeks ago. Was it difficult?"

"A lot. It was the first time I'd left both of them alone for so long since she was born and... let's just say I'm discovering other sides of myself"

"And how are things between you two?"

"We are also working on our relationship. Obviously we weren't prepared for any of this and a kid changes the dynamics of a couple a bit, let's face it"

"We can't say that everything always runs smoothly, obviously it wouldn't be a healthy relationship. But we are both open to dialogue and making things work out as best we can"

"Had you ever talked about having children?"

"We had started testing the ground for a possible living together"

"Early stages yeah"

"Yeah, so we were pretty serious about us but not that serious yet" Mason chuckles beside you making a smile appear on your face too.

"So it's still too early even to ask anything about a possible wedding?"

"Definitely" one of Mason's thumbs lightly strokes the back of your hand.

"Is she asleep?"

"Yeah deeply" you settle into bed yawning, resting your head on the pillow on your side looking at Mason in the same position as you. "We should take the opportunity to sleep"

"I know" but neither of you hint at closing your eyes or changing position.

"Do you think like- we're getting boring?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean we're in our mid-twenties and there was a time when I would have already jumped all over you, while now-" you laugh genuinely interrupting him, sliding closer to him sharing his pillow.

"We have a baby and less time to sleep"

"You know we use that a lot as an excuse lately"

"It's not an excuse, it's the truth - you feel one of his hands rest on your hip - and as long as we're on the same page we have nothing to worry about"

"But I miss you. I don't want to sound ungrateful or moody but sometimes I miss the us from before"

"Yeah me too" Mason slides his head back on the pillow until your noses practically touch.

"How about next week we take a couple of days just for us somewhere?"

"I'm totally up for it - your lips are about to meet when you pull back slightly causing him to moan softly - But nothing crazy"

"It's not like we're eloping, just trying to hang out again for sex" you smack him on the arm for his total honesty.

"Ways to be romantic"

"Will you marry me?"

"Not right now. And especially not because we had a baby"

"I know we've rushed a lot of things in the last period, but I really was already dreaming of marrying you one day before all this"

"Even before moving in together?" you ask surprised by his revelation, a sweet smile on your face.

"Since we ran in the rain that night and you worried that I wouldn't get sick" and you stay looking deeply at each other, both of you remembering that episode of one of your first dates briefly with a smile on your lips.

"You're right I would have gone crazy" he laughs, however he finally manages to kiss you.

"One day I will put that ring on your finger, and it will be the best day of my life"

"It's been three months-"

"One hundred days" Mason points out with a huge grin on his face.

"See, that's what I was talking about earlier"

"Just so smitten- the host teases him along with you- what do you wish for your little girl? Do you want to tell her something for the future?"

You and Mason share a quick glance before you speak, "Well first of all I wish her always to be happy and that she has the opportunity to do what she wants in her life"

"We will always support her, no matter what happens or how difficult it may be. We might make mistakes, it will almost certainly happen more than once, but we will always try to be on her side"

"Thank you guys, it was a pleasure to have you here today"

"Thank you so much"

And that evening, once home wrapped in the warmth of what has become more and more your home, Mason arrives from the kitchen humming. In his hand a small cupcake with a candle.

"Mason-" your eyes shining with excitement as you watch him sit down being careful that the little one doesn't lean towards the flame.

"These last few months have been hard, adjusting has been hard, but I mean it when I say I'm glad she's in our lives now. So lets celebrate. To the first hundred days of our princess, the first hundred as parents" together you blow the candle, and there's no need to add more.