#putting hannah in as a sibling was so good too

[peachhcs]

summer days

hughes!sister x will smith au (samy + will)

a small glimpse into spending the summer on the lake with the hughes siblings + company

1.7k words

as requested, here’s samy & the guys enjoying a fun day on the lake. this takes place a few weeks before samy + will talk during their vacation. i also didn’t know how to really end this so if it’s bad i’m sorry lol btw i'm sorry for my lack of posts, i've been super busy so i got a little behind!

au masterlist

"come on, moose, you don't ever back down from a challenge," ethan hollered from across the boat where mark, rutger, gavin, dylan and seamus all sat watching their friend bicker back and forth with jack.

samy snickered along with kayleigh, hannah, ryan, gabe, drew, and aram from the other side of the boat. it started with jack bragging about how he had the record for being able to stay up on the board longer than any of his siblings. luke's always been the most competitive out of the four of them, so he took jack's words to heart, arguing he stayed on way longer. of course, the middle hughes challenged his younger brother to a friendly competition.

"alright, fine. fine. you're on," luke shook jack's hand like they were making a deal. the older brother smirked, looking to quinn who was amused by the entire thing.

"okay, i'm up first then," jack dropped the board into the water before zipping up into his life jacket.

"jesus, you guys are competitive," hannah rolled her eyes slightly making samy giggle.

"just be glad i didn't decide to join in. we all know i can stay on way longer than them," the youngest hughes hummed, eyes landing on luke who heard all of it.

"don't you start with me, too," the boy warned her making samy shrug.

"what? you're just scared all of us are better than you," she stuck her tongue out making the guys laugh.

"keep talking and i'll throw you off the boat," luke's tone went flat, but samy knew he was just messing with her. he was trying to act tough as always in front of his friends because his little sister could not be better at him at wakeboarding.

"maybe we should add the rest of the siblings into this friendly fire," jack grinned, overhearing the conversation.

"hey, i'm in. you guys know i'm way better than all of you combined," the younger brunette stood, throwing her own life jacket on.

"is that so? why don't you go first then. show us how it's done if you're so much better than us," jack held his hand out to where the board was, the rope in his other hand.

"you're on," samy said before she jumped into the lake.

she came back up and climbed her way onto the board while jack handed her the tug rope. hannah and kayleigh shot their friend two thumbs up while samy gave quinn her own thumbs up indicating she was good to go.

the oldest hughes revved up the engine again and started pulling samy along. she glided across the water before quinn went fast enough to create waves. the guys cheered the girl on while jack kept the time on his phone.

she hit some of the waves in impressive jumps, letting the board take her across the water. "shit, she may be better than you guys after all," mark laughed.

"shut up," luke rolled his eyes in annoyance, but he secretly was impressed that samy hadn't fallen off yet. she never stayed on for more than minute when they were younger and now they were significantly past a minute.

the boat began rounding a corner, so samy leaned back, dipping her finger tips into the wave while the other held the rope tightly. jack checked the time again and saw that his sister was inching closer to five minutes which was a near record for her because she never lasted until then.

"looks like we got some real competition, huh?" jack nudged luke's arm, a smile spreading across his lips.

as much as luke wanted to be mad, he couldn't. he enjoyed seeing samy take on the waves that were once so hard for he. plus, seeing her as happy as them put a smile on his face because it meant she wasn't thinking about will.

after another couple of minutes, samy fell off. everyone on the clapped for the younger girl while quinn slowed the boat back down and circled back around for her. jack and luke helped her back on and held their hands out for high-fives.

"awesome run little hughesy," jack side hugged his sister.

"i guess you have been practicing," luke hummed making the girl giggle.

"i mean i have to do something while you guys aren't here," she threw her life jacket off before going to accept her high-fives from everyone else.

with jack and luke being a bit rusty, they didn't stay on as long as they did normally. jack would complain and say it was his shoulder still healing, while luke mumbled something about being away making him "lose his talent." despite it, the others enjoyed seeing the siblings bickering with one another about stupid things. it always felt like summer whenever the hughes kids got into it with one another for some friendly fire.

samy even convinced hannah to finally give it a go after her refusing to try it. she only stayed on for a minute, but the others cheered for her bravery. gabe and ryan started getting good at it after spending the last three years trying to perfect their form while the other two were too afraid to do it still.

things died down a bit after an hour. everyone spread themselves out while quinn drove them back towards the house. samy sat on the bench with her legs curled to her chest and nose in a book when gabe plopped himself down beside her. she turned to him, smiling a bit.

"hey," the brunette hummed.

"hey. reading anything good?" gabe asked, trying to catch a glance of her book.

"just this memoir. it's actually really good," she showed the boy the cover that read everything i know about love. it was something samy heard about online and wanted to give it a try considering she'd just gotten out of a relationship.

"looks good. this was a fun day," the dark-haired boy said, gaze falling across everyone on their phones or close to sleep from the long day in the sun.

"yeah, it was. i always like entertaining my brother's teasing. although, it still has felt..different. i hate that we're missing.." samy trailed off, but she didn't need to say their names for gabe to know who she was talking about.

"yeah, i get it," the hockey player frowned.

"i just hate that everything is like ruined between all of us. i mean..of course will didn't want to come. grace probably felt weird coming too," the lake house wasn't the same without the smith siblings there and everyone knew it.

"you know they would've been here if they could've. will's got his many things to do before joining the sharks and grace is searching for places and a job. you'll still see them for the family vacation," gabe found samy's gaze again.

"the family vacation is more of a forced thing. just being here..i know will's trying to busy himself as an excuse for not coming. it's probably better like this anyway because i didn't want to really see him anyway," the girl sighed a little. even if he did break her heart, she still thought he'd come to the lake house this summer.

"but you wished he was here, right?"

samy didn't respond. instead, she refocused her attention on her book leaving gabe to sit beside her in silence. the two didn't speak until they reached the dock again where samy scrambled up to help tie the boat in with her brothers. once they secured everything, she beelined to the house.

her bedroom door shut tightly, locking herself in for a moment. she dug her phone out from her pocket where she clicked around until bauer hockey's instagram page lit up her screen. for a moment, samy stared at the pictures of will on her screen and his huge smile like nothing was wrong. he looked so happy in all of them like he was having a blast and here she was with him stuck in her mind.

she probably hadn't even crossed his mind once.

samy threw her phone on her bed, a frustrated sigh leaving her lips. she shouldn't do this to herself. it was summer. she wasn't going to waste these months sulking about him when nothing mattered but being outside and getting really bad sunburns.

"samy? you in here?" ryan's voice startled the girl when he knocked. she quickly popped the door back open a crack where the taller brunette stood on the other side with a raised eyebrow.

"hey, sorry. just looking for something," she mustered her best smile.

"okay, just checking in. you kind of took off once we docked," ryan laughed a bit while samy forced her own little chuckle.

"yeah, my bad. i'll be down in a second," with that, ryan left and samy released the breath she was holding in.

she quickly changed out of her suit back into some more comfortable clothes before racing back downstairs. the others piled into the kitchen searching for something that wasn't the snacks they ate all day.

"shit, i'm starving," gavin mumbled as he stuffed leftovers into his mouth.

"you guys are disgusting," hannah rolled her eyes, tugging her brother out of the way in search of her own food.

"nice shirt," someone nudged samy's arm. gabe stood at her side again, eyeing the clothes on her body. the girl's gaze flicked down, widening a bit when her shirt read boston college hockey across the front because everyone knew who that belonged to.

"m-must've been mixed into my clothes still," she managed weakly. gabe just shrugged.

"you know it's not too late to..reach out?" his voices lowered a few tones so no one else heard.

almost immediately, samy's expression crinkled up, "no way. he's busy with the bauer combine. plus, i'm sure he's met a bunch of other girls there anyway."

gabe didn't say anything, but all he could think about as samy said that was the call him and ryan got from the blonde a few days ago while he had a panic attack in a bathroom. now if only samy knew that..

"guys, wait! you know what i just realized we haven't done yet this summer?" ethan quickly spoke up, catching everyone's attention.

his gaze turned to samy's, flashing with some sort of mischief as he began inching closer to the younger girl. "i think it's time for throwing samy into the pool!" the older boy exclaimed before running at her.

samy shrieked, pushing gabe out of the way as she attempted to run away from her brother's friends despite them rounding every corner in means of capturing her.

[mortal-song]

thinking about hill house, “no live organism can continue for long to exist sanely under conditions of absolute reality; even larks and katydids are supposed by some to dream,” and the way this became the foundation of every mike flanagan series since. these characters exist under conditions of grief in all its forms. that’s their reality. grief for the dead, grief for the living, grief for themselves, for the dreams laid to rest, the hopes never realized… in hill house, every sibling dreams of something better. they dream of a life — or a death — in which they are unburdened. the shape of this wish is different for each of them, but the wish itself is omnipresent. as kids it manifested in each variation of the red room, something they could “live” in. as adults it manifested as the ghosts they choose to ignore, the ghosts that heal them once they’re seen.

then you have bly manor, where the dream remains the same but the angle and approach are new. hannah dreams just so she can be seen in death. she dreams of the life she could have had with owen, of the love that life left unfulfilled so she plays it out as a ghost. and this tethers her to the physical realm until her ghost, her wish, is acknowledged. rebecca regrets. rebecca is an outlier. she regrets the nature of her death and the life that was stolen from her, but in her death she dreams for those she can push away from her own fate. dani and jamie dream of a life in which they are together, unharmed, and they get to revel in this for a while, and it’s good and it’s peaceful until fate rears its head. but the wish was seen, and so the regret doesn’t exist. hill house says “you have to live / there is no without, i am not gone.” and bly manor says “here is how to live again, even though our roads will meet at the same place.”

and then in the midnight club, this theme persists. and it persists. these kids all exist with the knowledge that they soon won’t. so they dream, they tell stories every night and live out their hopes, put pieces of themselves into the world just so that these pieces can stick around after they’re gone. hill house says “a ghost is a wish / we are all stories in the end,” and the midnight club responds with “a story never dies.” and that’s just how these shows are now. hill house laid the foundations, and every show of mike’s now stands on them. these narratives all haunt each other. if one character starts a thought, a character in a different story will finish it. if one character can’t remain within a dream, a character in another story will live and die in it. the dreams are always different, the grief is always different, but the foundations are the same and the end result is, too: live — choose love and live until your soul is taken. despite, despite, despite.

nobody can exist sanely under conditions of absolute reality, so they dream instead,

[sourbinnie]

☆ trying ☆

♡ genre ¿? ♡ -> heavy angst ; no happy ending ♡ pair ¿? ♡ -> hyung line!skz + sibling!reader (gender neutral) ♡ plot ¿? ♡ -> your brother failed you and now it was too late to redeem it. ♡ warnings ¿? ♡ -> swearing ♡ request ¿? ♡ -> yes!

maknae line

-> the scenario

remembering was hard to you, thinking about the old days just didn't seem right. it was a different life, a different air and a different kind of worry you had. you enjoyed your brother's company a lot when you were younger, he was your best friend even if he was older than you. you had a strong bond (or that's what you thought), a connection that you didn't find anywhere else and when he hugged you, you felt protected like nothing could hurt you.

growing up always leads to people changing through time. so when you started to drift away from him, you knew things weren't going to go exactly how you wanted them to be. you really did try to keep the relationship you formed with him going but it was no use when it was all one sided. that still didn't stop you from trying even if you would leave empty handed, you just wanted to tell him how much he meant to you and you wanted to keep on supporting him. it was safe to say that only brought out fights since he didn't want you there in the first place and when you're in your teenage years, you really don't know how to solve things without fighting.

when he started being a trainee, it was worse. you could handle him not wanting you there and making a fuss about it, you couldn't handle the silence though. you couldn't handle the cold shoulder every time he saw you or the way he couldn't even look at you. even worse was the fact that you barely saw him because of how much time he spent at the jyp building training and when he debuted, he never told you. he told the rest of your family of course but you had to find out through your mom. no message popped up on your phone, no phone call, nothing, it was radio silence and you were done.

it was easy to say that if he wasn't gonna put in his part as your brother, then you were not gonna be his little brother/sister anymore. it was too late to fix anything, especially the mess he created in the first place. it was unfair and you didn't feel like putting up a fight anymore. 

chan ✉

when he arrived at australia, he noticed someone from his family was missing. he sighed as he thought about you, how much he missed you and how much his heart ached every time he thought about you. he really wanted to be a good example to hannah and lucas, yet he failed you to even be a good brother. now as he got older, he knew he made a mistake in pushing you aside, you were his best friend when you were younger and now he doesn't even have a spot in your life.

as he got to his old family home, he noticed your room was empty. not only empty of your presence but empty of furniture and of the things that it once had. hannah explained to him that you moved out because you just didn't feel at home anymore and wanted to pursue your dreams. to say that he was in shock was less than what he was feeling, he felt a sense of anger and sadness invade him. how could you not tell him? i mean yeah, you lost contact over time but he expected to see you. he decided to call you and actually settle this once and for all, he was done with the silence.

"chris? what's up?" the distance in your voice was so unsettling but he wasn't expecting a warm welcome. he didn't know what to say for a minute, he realized he hadn't heard you in so long and it only made him feel guiltier.

"why didn't you tell me you moved out?" he asked as forward as he could be. he heard you take a deep breath and let it out, the tense atmosphere was there even if it was just a phone call.

"why do you care? we live in different countries anyways." you said frustrated as he was now trying to act like he cared. you didn't believe it for a second and you didn't want to have this conversation right now.

"because i am your brother? i don't care if we live in different countries, i wanna know what's going on!" he said and it was irrational that he was the one getting angry but he really wanted to try to make things better.

"so now you care? after all this time?" you said and let out a bitter laugh. "listen, i can't do this right now, i know lucas told me you were back and that i should come say hi but i couldn't because you hurt me so fucking much during all these years that i didn't have it in me to see you again. please don't call me again, okay?"

"(y/n) we can move past it. we can actually work this out please, i miss having you in my life and i need you here with me. i'm sorry that i fucked everything up, i'm sorry i wasn't the brother you needed but just give me a chance to show you that i changed." he said, almost begging because he was done with this feud and he actually did need you.

"i don't need you and i don't accept your apology. tell mom and dad i said hi and that i'm okay!" you said and hanged up. he closed his eyes as he tried to take your words in but he just couldn't, it felt like a stab in the heart but he knew he deserved it in the end. he probably made you feel way worse during this whole years and that's a thought he would have to deal with.

minho ✉

"you didn't show up." he said when he finally arrived at his old house. he saw you there sitting on a bench in the garden and felt a sense of sadness building up in his chest. it's been so long since he talked to you, let alone saw you in person so to see that you were okay was enough to relieve him but enough to make him realize that he needed you more than anyone. he was always by your side when you two were kids, as an only child when you get a sibling, it's almost impossible to separate them from their side. so now as he looked at you and realized he failed you as a brother because you couldn't even meet his stare, it was starting to get to him.

"i didn't. i hope mom and dad had a good time." you answered. you were invited to today's concert in your hometown, you had a ticket and everything was sent your way. he expected to see you there, in the crowd or backstage but he didn't get that opportunity because you weren't there. you still weren't looking at him as you tried to enjoy the scenery and relax a bit but of course if your brother was there, you could not do that. "okay what is it?"

"why aren't you looking at me?" he asked and you just shrugged, not knowing how to answer that. he felt a distant flare between the two of you and he didn't like it at all. he suddenly remembered all the times he got mad at your advances to keep your sibling bond alive, the ways you would support him, the notes you would leave him. "i miss you (y/n)."

"i'm literally right here." you said as if it was obvious but he just shook his head as you finally looked at him confusion invading your face. 

"no, i miss what we had. you are my only sibling and yet i feel like i barely know what you're up to, i only find out through mom and dad!" he expressed tired and defeated. he was not one to beg or to plead for someone but he would do it for you because he was exhausted. 

"maybe because you did me wrong and now i don't want you in my life anymore?" you said calmly and if that didn't break him completely than he didn't know what would. he felt like crying right then and there, and he fucking hated crying. "i'm sorry i didn't go but you should move on from this because i don't wanna be near you anymore." 

"did i really hurt you that bad?" he said as he grabbed your wrist before he could let you walk away and for the first time you looked him in the eye, nodding your head. letting you go as you entered your house again to go to your room and leaving a minho with tears in his eyes.

changbin ✉

he didn't really feel like he wanted to be back. he knew the atmosphere would be tense even if his sister was gonna be there and also his parents. he didn't want to leave you behind and as time passed he knew he made the wrong decision, nothing should've come first other than you. your support should've been enough, your love should've been priority yet he let it go way too soon when things started getting complicated.

now as he made his way towards his old room, he wanted to knock on your door and talk to you. ask you how you've been doing, ask you what you've been up to, ask you if you could give him a chance again to be the brother you deserved. before he could do it, you opened the door and were a bit taken back from seeing him, you knew he would be here you just didn't expect to see him right now. so many thoughts were floating through his head as he tried to think of what to say to you.

"can you please move?" you asked and even your voice sounded different. it didn't radiate the sweet and loving energy it used to, even your words were harsh and held no love towards him. he sighed and crossed his arms without letting you pass.

"is that how you're gonna receive me?" he asked, not disappointed but just surprised and a little hopeful that he might get a hug from you but you wouldn't move. you raised an eyebrow and looked at him, he didn't know how but it made him feel so small when you were looking at him like that.

"you want me to pretend like everything's okay or something?" you asked and when he moved, you took the opportunity to get away but to your dismay he followed you. "changbin i don't know what you want from me."

"i want you to talk to me, i want to listen to you, i just fucking need you goddamn it. i'm tired of doing this and i'm so done with being trapped in the past, i want to move on (y/n)." he said and waited for your answer. he didn't expect to see the tears in your eyes, but he knew you better than that, you didn't cry when you were sad but when you were angry.

"fuck you for real. you want to move on? move on without me because it's not just being stuck in the past, it's the fact that i tried everything to be close to you and you pushed me away. you're not the worst brother because you're not even my brother anymore to me." you said as you went downstairs leaving him shocked as he shook his head. 

he wasn't angry at you, he could never be anymore. he remembers the times where he was so cruel and so bitter, showed no mercy with his words and now as he stood there feeling so small and hopeless, he knew there was no turning back.

hyunjin ✉

it felt weird to him that he was alone on his birthday. usually he was thrilled to spend it with his parents or his members, especially if he was on a break like he was right now. it was night right now and it was about to be over, he sighed to himself and laughed. he felt pathetic, wasted even from how it all hurt within him and how much he was thinking about you. 

in the past you would've been the first one to call and also the last one. he used to hang up way too soon even when he wasn't busy because he felt like you were a bit too much for his liking. he would do anything to receive a call right now, you could yell at him all you want and he wouldn't care as long as he got to hear you again. he felt the tears building up as he knew he had been horrible, he had been unfair and treated you like you didn't deserve. it's like his hands found his way to his phone and looked for your contact, if you weren't gonna call then he was.

"hyunjin, it's late." that's the first thing you said to him and even if he was a bit drunk, he couldn't help but catch the monotone voice you were giving him. he was nervous to talk to you and it showed on his shaky hands even if you couldn't see him.

"why didn't you call?" hyunjin asked and that was confusing you even more as you tried to shake off the sleepiness. he knew he was direct with his question but he was tired of pretending and he needed to hear you say happy birthday to him, as childish as it was from his side being the older brother.

"why would i? oh right, happy birthday." even when you said it still wasn't enough because you just didn't have that same enthusiasm, the same spark that would light up his darkness. he smiled sadly as he let the tears roll down his face because all he needed was to see his little sibling right now yet he was stuck in a room that felt like a trap at this point. "hyunjin did you just call me because of that?"

"maybe, yeah. also because i fucking miss you." he said and you couldn't lie, you felt bad towards him but the sense of anger you've been building up for years was stronger. "i'm so sorry (y/n), if i could choose right now to change the past i would. i would literally spend all the time in the world with you and never would've let you go."

"but you did hyunjin, you did let me go. even when i held on to you and tried to make it work, you dropped me." you said and now your tears were building up, he could hear you sniffling and that broke his heart into a million pieces. "i wish i could tell you that we can make it work but i know i'm better off without you. sorry to say that on your birthday, wish you the best."

it was almost as if you knew that he was gonna start rambling so you hanged up at the right time. he felt like choking on his tears as his phone slipped from his hands, not caring to pick it up. he didn't lose his sibling, he lost his best friend and now he couldn't do anything to fix it.

[reigningqueenofwords]

Sure, Babe

Pairing: Bucky x Reader Word count: 1,173

Read on AO3

Bucky moved to lean on the kitchen doorframe. He watched you move around with ease. You were barefoot, wearing one of your favorite dresses, and an apron he had bought you years before. You’d mended that apron so many times since, and refused to ever replace it. Sure, you had others, but that one meant the most. Your hair was up in (what you called) a messy bun, however he thought it was beautiful on you. He could see your favorite earrings dangling slightly from your ears. They were nothing fancy, some fake pearl earrings you’d bought online, but they made you feel beautiful. He didn’t need to see your face to know your makeup was minimal- mascara and some lipstick or lipgloss. Even now, 6 months pregnant, you did your little morning routine before the kids got up.

“Mommy!” He smiled as you turned to your youngest, Hannah, come running in the backdoor. 

“Yes, baby?” You smiled over at the 5 year old. Your smile turned to amusement. “You were playing in the mud, weren’t you?” You giggled. 

She nodded, eyes wide. She was covered in mud. “Nessa helped, too!” Nessa was your 7 year old. “She made me a mud crown.” She giggled, and her nose crinkled as she did. “Hi, daddy!” She beamed at him. She was missing one of her front teeth, making that grin extra adorable. 

You turned to him and smiled. Wiping your hands on a dishtowel, you went to kiss his cheek. “Care to clean up our children while I serve dinner? Just hose them down and wrap them in a towel. They can have a bath after.” You rubbed his chest. 

“Is Andy messy, too?” He asked about your oldest. He was 10, and it was touch and go with him playing with the girls. Some days he loved playing with his sisters. Other days he wanted nothing to do with him. 

“He has a book report coming up, so he’s up in his room reading.” You told him. “He promised them he’d play Go Fish with them later, though.” 

He chuckled, giving you a quick peck. “Alright, out back, munchkin.” He motioned for Hannah to head back out. “I’ll be right out, let me grab you two towels.” Life was never dull with them, that’s for sure. He chuckled as she ran back outside yelling for Nessa. “How’s our littlest one treating mommy today?” He asked, rubbing your bump. 

You smiled, looking down at where his hand was. “She’s good.” You put your hand on his. “Hoping she looks like her daddy, just like her siblings.” You loved that all three of your kids looked just like Bucky. There were little features that they got from you, but they got his dark hair, and his blue eyes. 

“I hope she is as beautiful as her momma.” He kissed your cheek before going to get those towels to hose off the girls. 

Watching him go, you bit your lip. You couldn't believe how lucky you were to have him, even though he constantly told you how he was the lucky one. 

Not long after, Bucky came in, a girl on each arm. “Hi, mommy!” Nessa giggled, pushing some hair out of her face. “Dinner smells yummy!” She gushed as she wiggled down to go see what was for dinner. 

“Thank you, Nessa.” You kept your eyes on what you were serving. “We’re having baked chicken, mashed potatoes, and sweet corn. And if you eat most of your dinner, I made brownies for dessert.” 

She gasped, excited. “The ones with the peanut butter?!” She asked, hopeful. 

You giggled at her excitement. “Peanut butter chunks .” You told her, getting her even more excited. Her favorite food ever was peanut butter. 

“Alright, let’s let momma finish plating dinner.” Bucky chuckled, coming over lifting her by the arm pits. She laughed as he carried her over to one of the chairs and put her down. 

Andy and Hannah had already climbed into their chairs, almost always loving your cooking. They weren’t a fan of carrots, spinach, or broccoli. You needed to sneak those things in, but they seemed to be okay with sweet corn and sweet peas. Oddly enough, they did like veggie lasagna, which contained all the veggies they didn’t like. 

Soon enough, you were all sitting around, ready to eat. “Baby, why do we all have more than you?” Bucky furrowed his brows. 

“It’s the end of the pay period, so groceries are a bit tight. You get the most because you work hard, the kids get a bit more because they’re growing and they need it.” You felt there was nothing wrong with that. “I have enough, and I’ll munch on what they don’t eat.” You assured him. 

“No, you should take some more of mine. You’re growing a human.” He got up to put some of his food on your plate. 

You raised an eyebrow at him. “You will park your handsome butt in that chair and eat. I’m eating enough, I promise. You do manual labor, and you need that food.” Your tone was loving, but let it be known that you would not back down. “It’s just a couple nights of this, and then we go grocery shopping. I’m fine, the baby is fine .” You assured him, taking a bite of his chicken. 

The kids were happily eating, not paying much attention to the pair of you. Bucky slowly sat back down. “But you’re getting the bigger brownie.” He pointed his fork at you. 

Smiling, you nodded. “Sure, babe.” You agreed, knowing that you’d give him part of it because you weren’t a huge fan of brownies. 

After dinner, Bucky told you to relax while he got the girls a bath. Most nights they did bathe separately, but tonight they got the joy of a bubble bath together. Andy put on a movie to watch while you started on the dishes from dinner. 

“Babe.” He sighed, hands on his hips as he saw you wiping down the kitchen. “That doesn’t look like relaxing.” He raised an eyebrow at you. 

You smiled at him, shrugging. “I was going to read while Andy watched a movie, but I wanted to knock this out. This way I have more time to relax with you.” You admitted. 

That softened him. “I’m off tomorrow. You will relax. I will do all the cooking and housework.” He went over to pull you to his chest. Your arms went around his neck. “And I’ll see if Ma will take the kids this Friday so we can have a date night. It’s been a few months.” 

“I don’t think we’ll top the last one, as I’m pretty sure that’s where I got pregnant with our little one.” You giggled. “Not that I am complaining one bit. I love being pregnant, and I love watching you with our kids.” You fell in love with him more every day. 

He kissed you softly, looking forward to the rest of his life with you.

[thatsdemko]

the other matthews - m.knies

masterlist

pairing: matthew knies x fem!matthews!reader

warnings: not intended for minors + oral (f receiving) + build up

a/n: slightly inspired by the book icebreaker by Hannah grace… happy frozen frenzy! leafs won and I’m here to spread the good vibes!

he’s not lost—well maybe. it’s his fault for listening to Mitch’s advice on trying new places that aren’t around his apartment, and now he’s twenty minutes away with a bag of cold food and an empty stomach. so much for listening to his teammates that’s his rookie mistake.

you’d seen him pace around the same block at least five times. his golden brown hair flops in the Toronto breeze under his beanie, and if it wasn’t for feeling the Canadian kindness you wouldn’t have extended the empty seat across from you for him.

“do you know where we are?” he’s shivering. the maple leafs sweatshirt wasn’t keeping him warm, and the phone in his hand has gone cold. his finger tips are red mixture with white, not even his pockets or a warm cup of hot chocolate could keep him warm.

“well for you, you’re about a ten minute walk, for me, it’s it’s around the corner.”

his eyebrows shift upwards, head cocks to the right like a puppy confused, “do I know you?” he would’ve just assumed you were a leafs fan happy to have him across from you, or just an overall good citizen, but you knowing his exact coordinates? maybe you’re a stalker— he’s hoping it’s not that.

“depends, but you really should get home. my brother wouldn’t like to see you in his spot.”

said brother was emerging from the bathroom, and in the corner of his eyes was a storm of a big nightmare. broad shoulders and bulging biceps were enough to alert him out of the seat and out the door.

“who was that?”

“just another lost American.”

—

“what are you doing here?”

he’s a little shocked, a thick golden brown hair pulled back from his shower, he looks good but that’s not what you’re supposed to be focused on. you’re waiting for your brother to exit out that locker room so you can head to his apartment and his fluffy guest bed.

his mind races a million places, his first stalker? a teammates sibling he may, or hopefully not of, hooked up with? a leafs team member? he’s thankful for the locker room door opening to put a halt on his racing mind.

“hey, you ready to go?”

the broad figure reappears, it’s startling almost and instead of running like the last time, he sticks around to find out that the terrifying brother, was his own teammate. Auston Matthews.

“yeah! I’m just getting acquainted with your rookie.” you point in his direction, making your brothers head snap in the direction of Matthew. he looked shaken, a bit shocked and confused.

“ah,” Auston sighs throwing an arm around his rookies shoulders, “don’t get too comfortable, she’s only here for another week.”

his brown eyes dart between you and Auston, the connections finally sinking. your facial features awfully similar to Auston’s and your smiles deepen within the same creases, how could he be such a fool to never realize that? all along you knew him as your brothers teammate, and he knew you as just a girl with infinite amount of knowledge.

“another week?” his voice comes out squeaky, like the air in his lungs are trapped by the new found information. it’s the first time he actually looked at you as more than just someone, he took the chance to finally recognize your beauty and your similarities to the man that stands beside you.

“yeah I had back to school next week.”

all he can do is nod. he can’t breathe. not a single word exits his mouth as he waves you two off and a hand claps over his shoulder allowing the air to escape his lungs, “she’s way out of your league.” Mitch’s voice rings his ears.

“she’s Auston’s sister.”

“youngest, may I add.” Mitch spins into Matthew’s view, “and didn’t you listen to Auston last week? no dating his sisters especially y/n. swear your mind is always in outer space.”

and Mitch wasn’t entirely wrong. while Matthew was present for his teammates “my sister is coming” speech matthew was not expecting Auston’s sister to be a five foot something beauty with thick dark brown locks that have his mind in a twisted game.

“I was present,” he swallows turning his head back to the exit where you’re long gone, “but I wasn’t entirely present.”

—

the charity event is packed with old rich men accompanied by young girls, and it exhausted you. handshake after handshake nothing seemed to change, their donations were generous but you grew up boredom quickly after the second round of handshaking.

the drink slides across the bar, and it doesn’t take a second to register in your mind who it could be, because by the time your eyes flicker up from the cocktail matthew is beside you, “so you failed to mention Auston.”

“our conversations kept running short.” you offer a weary smile taking the rim to your lips, sipping down the alcohol.

“they were long enough for you to throw in your older brothers name.”

you can’t help but roll your eyes, still taking long sips of the drink in your hands here and there, “I thought you were smart enough to figure it out. I guess I gave you too much credit.”

“don’t sell me too short, y/n.” he gives you a cocky grin. it’s one you want to swallow whole and knock him silly, but it ignited a fire in your stomach you were sure was not there prior to this. you blame his ability to dress clean. it’s definitely messing with you.

“prove me wrong then, prove to me you’re smart.” it’s definitely the alcohol talking, but you know he’s a determined individual. if he’s anything like your brother, he loves a good competition, and you can see the spark in his eyes.

“I can do that, doll.” he steps closer, his brown eyes are darker than they were before. you hadn’t noticed his hand was resting on your hip until he pulled you closer to his chest, “I bet I can find your clit faster than any other man could.” his voice is low, it vibrates against your eardrum making your body curl closer to his with a chill down your spine.

your mouth is dry, the only thing you can do is cock your head upwards and hope your eyes are testing him, and with your luck, he’s whisking you off to the nearest bathroom.

your heart is hammering against your chest. taking one last glance behind you, your brother is nowhere in sight and thank fuck he’s not when Matthew locks the door and slams your body against the steel door.

his tongue is fierce, fighting and playing with yours, you’re both exchanging saliva at this point. he’s lift you up by the back of your thighs. setting you on the edge of the sink, he kneels down tossing your legs over his shoulders. it shouldn’t be such a hot scene, but damn it was, especially when his lips just ghost your inner thighs, and his fingers dance your wet panties.

you have to bite down on your bottom lip, you’re so wet just by his touch you can’t help wanting to let the moan out.

he’s patient, takes his time it’s almost like he’s forgotten the mission until his tongue nudged your entrance and you’re washed with a different emotion. one you’d never felt before, it made your legs shake, whatever his tongue was doing he must’ve found the clit and it was definitely not by accident when he nudged it again.

you role yourself closer to his face, he pulls away quickly before cum is all he can see, “didn’t even need a map, it’s just too easy.”

“you’re a prick, knies.”

“Aw we were just getting to know each other, Matthews.”

[slyandthefamilybook]

Noah's Spring Jewish Book Review

this isn't gonna become a regular thing, don't worry. I just need to gush some about these books. I'm gonna keep the reviews short too because who's got that kind of time!

So far I've read 4 Jewish novels this spring and I'm working on a fifth. We'll go in chronological order

1. Thistlefoot by GennaRose Nethercott

~ Two estranged siblings, Isaac and Bellatine Yaga—the grandchildren of the famous Baba Yaga—inherit their ancestor's chicken-footed house. They travel the country putting on puppet shows and exploring their own mysterious abilities, all the while trying to escape from a threatening figure known only as the Longshadow Man, as well as their own pasts. History relives itself in a book filled with magic and mystery ~

This book was so damn good. Every other sentence is tattoo-worthy and hits you like a sack of bricks. The characters feel so real and raw while also managing to fill out their respective roles with a sense of poetry. The book has a supporting cast of memorable characters and a sense of real danger throughout. Every so often the house will interject in a way that reminds me so much of my bubbe (עליה השלום). I've read reviews that said it dragged on a bit in the second act but I was enraptured the entire way through. It's also pretty gay, which I always appreciate. 10/10

2. When the Angels Left the Old Country by Sacha Lamb

~ An angle and a demon—best friends for 200 years—set out from their tiny Pale shtetl to America in search of a girl who hasn't been heard from. They're accompanied by Rosie, a spunky and fire-spirited girl from their shtetl desperate to get away and have an adventure in the far-off West ~

No book has made me feel quite so seen as this one. As someone who grew up Orthodox there's virtually no representation for people like me. The majority of Orthodox characters in media are trying to get away. None of them love it quite so much as I do, as much as the characters in this book do. From Little Ash tucking his peyot behind his ears like my older brothers used to to the angel waking up to daven shacharit. Sacha Lamb takes the brave stance of "what if Jewish theology is real, actually" and it shines on every page. The writing effortlessly intertwines spirituality and reverence with a classic Yiddish folktale. It's also pretty gay. 10/10

3. From Dust, a Flame by Rebecca Podos

Hannah, the descendant of the famed Rabbi Yehuda Loew, wakes up one morning to find herself transformed, her eyes turning to yellow slits. Her mother seems to blame herself without explaining why, and soon after disappears. After receiving a mysterious letter, Hannah and her adopted brother Gabe travel to upstate New York to meet their mother's family, to learn the secrets of her past, and of their own lineage ~

I'll start off by saying I'm not sure if I was the target audience for this book. It was good, don't get me wrong, but the writing wasn't to my taste. It was a little... blatant, where I prefer prose to be a bit more subtle. Again, nothing wrong with it, just not my particular thing. I definitely relate to Hannah and Gabe a lot, each in their own way. A lot of the book felt very comforting and familiar to me. The book is equal parts supernatural action and intriguing mystery, and keeps you engrossed til the end. It's also Extremely Gay 7/10

4. The Way Out by Gavriel Savit

~ Yehuda Leib and Bluma set out from their tiny Pale shtetl, each on a mission of the utmost importance. Yehuda Leib is looking for his lost father, and Bluma is running from Death. Navigating the Far Country full of demons, goblins, and angels, the pair fight their way through history and mystery alike, and prepare to make war on Death himself ~

This book. Oh boy this book. Where do I start? This book made me cry several times, which hasn't happened in over 15 years. This book said everything about death I've been feeling since my bubbe passed away (עליה השלום). This book genuinely made me re-think how I view G-d? All that and more in less than 400 pages. This book harmonized with my soul. This book changed who I am as a person. This book made me crumble to dust and then built me back up from scratch. 10/10

[louscartridge]

⇢ ˗ˏˋ Hannah bahng x fem reader

Cw- angst if you squint, kissing (nothing suggestive), reader and hannah say 'ily', reader calls hannah 'love' and 'baby' once. Not rly much at all tbh, just fluff <3.

Summary- hannah doesn't want anyone to hear her song until it's out, including you, and you just can't leave hannah alone about it when you're supposed to be sleeping.

a/n- someone please send rhis to her on twt or something 💀. I wrote this the day hannah announced her song but I just haven't posted it until now. Idk why 😭 also some of this was written on a phone and some was written on a computer so sorry if it looks weird.

God do you love Hannah. You love everything about her. Literally. Especially the small things. Details, stuff that any other person wouldn't notice about her.

Physical things, mental things, emotional things.

You obviously love the things about her that the average person crossing her on the street would notice about her too,, But there's just something about being so close to her, knowing things about her that no one else does. Being able to notice things about her that no one else does. Being able to notice things about her, without her even telling you things. You love knowing that you will always know her more than anyone, no matter what.

She's so cute. the way her eyes and cheeks puff slightly when she laughs or smiles real hard, the way she side eyes you when she sees you hanging out with Chan or berry over her, the sarcasm that you guys share, even if over the smallest of things. and while she claims to be the mean sibling, she swears she's the nicest girlfriend. You could confirm both of those. However, it then makes you sound like you're a mean girlfriend. It's not that you're mean per say, you just aren't good with your feelings and Hannah's always been better at expressing them to you then you are to her, or anyone, for that matter. If anything, Hannah's the easiest person for you to express your feelings to.

You're also insanely proud of her. Proud of her for everything. She dyes her hair? "oh my god, it looks so good baby!! Good job." she makes food? "oh my god, this is so good. Good job, for real"

You were especially proud of her music skills.

Shes pretty humble about it, which is cool, but sometimes you just want everyone to know how actually talented your girlfriend really is. Scream it. Scream it together.

However, you haven't heard her official, original, one and only, debut song yet.

Of course you've heard her sing other songs and play the guitar, piano, and what not. between her YouTube covers and what she does for you, you'd argue that you hear her music abilities more than anyone.

But you haven't heard this one.

None of it. Not the lyrics, not the instrumentals, nothing.

At first you were kinda upset that she won't let you hear it, but you respect her boundaries. Plus, knowing that Chan hasn't even heard it yet either made you feel better.

She's told you that it's nothing personal, especially with you. she just doesn't want anyone to hear it until it's put out. And anyone just so happened to include you and her brother. Plus, she valued yours and chans opinion greatly. She figured that if either you or Chan didn't like her song somehow or something, that she wouldn't go through with releasing it. Which she really didn't want to do, considering how long she's spent on making just this one song.

Once she knew when it was going to be released, she told you when right away. You and Chan were the first to know that, along with her parents. Or maybe she would make you wait, let you see the timer she posted on her Instagram story, and watch you go insane. Until then though, you would be the most impatient little fucker ever.

It's was now around the time you and Hannah usually end up falling asleep during a move or something, but tonight you just would not leave Hannah alone.

"I'm actually so exited. I'm not even trying to be funny, but I don't think I can wait like a month." you said, laying next to Hannah on her bed.

She was laying on her side, facing away from you, and you were laying next to her on your back. The two of you originally started out with spooning, but you soon got relentless and started moving, which ended up changing your original position.

"well your gonna have to." Hannah sighed.

You sat up so you were now leaning back on the headboard and looked over Hannah's shoulder. You can see a slight smirk on her face, but you can also tell she was slightly annoyed.

"yeah but like what if I CAN'T."

"you will. You'll be with me for the whole time, and we're going to a concert soon. Time will go by fast." she tries to convince you.

You bring your finger up motioning as you speak. "yeah, OK, but you see-you say that, but really-"

"oh my god" Hannah groans, knowing that you would just keeps going on and on in continuous circles. you frown and her words and tone of voice, upset at yourself for making her annoyed, especially when she's trying to sleep, and you feel bad for your obnoxious behavior.

she turns her body around so she’s facing you and leans up so she can kiss your lips. “Shut up” another kiss. “and go to sleep” another kiss.

Your mood quickly goes up again just from feeling the touch of her soft lips against yours, and the fact that her voice has softened again. Her voice is teasing and you can tell she's slightly annoyed still, but she's more in awe of you then annoyed.

Hannah scoots back down into the bed and clings onto your leg and your waist/hips.

Hannah looks up at you and says “Goodnight. I love you” with a smile on her face, teeth showing slightly and the underneath of her eyes get slightly puffy as she smiles at you. Because of you.

you look down to her and reciprocate her smile and words back to her. “Goodnight. I love you, and I’m beyond proud of you.”

Although it's dim in her bedroom, you can see from the slight light that Hannah blushes at your words. “I try my best to make you proud.”

“hannah, you don’t even have to try.” “I’m beyond proud to be able to call you mine too”

Hannah’s blush gets more intense in response to your statement. “Always love.”

Reblogs are greatly appreciated ♡

[revnah1406]

🌕Amara X Sparrow☀️Wedding headcanons💍

Hannah "Sparrow" Clayton

Amara Thompson

(the green brush means how it actually went 🥰)

I know there's still a long journey in their love story but I talked about this with a few mutuals on the discord server and I can't stop thinking about it hahahaha! My babies getting married 😭😭

So here are a few cute Headcanons about her Wedding!🥰🧡✨

They started to talk about getting married a Year later after Amara moved to Zermatt (Switzerland) with Sparrow. They also mentioned it on their first anniversary. First it was casual, talking about the advantages of getting married and fantasizing about how amazing it could be.

After a couple months Sparrow started to think about it more seriously. Talked with her siblings and her mother looking for advice. Of course their family was more than supportive and excited.

She wanted to keep things small, simple, but make it personal. She knew Amara liked small jewellery, nothing too showy. Sparrow wanted to make the ring all by herself, to give more personal value, so she asked for advice from her closest friends, Aly (@alypink ) helped with the design, Damien (@kaitaiga ) helped to forge and weld it, Anna (@applbottmjeens ) helped with the proposal, how to prepare the perfect moment.

Sparrow would lie if she said she wasn't nervous. She decided to propose during a hike. She woke Amara really early and prepared breakfast... Being more romantic than usual. Amara complained about going for a hike and offered staying at home, she wasn't the most enthusiastic person about hiking. So the possibility of cancelling the plan made Hannah really nervous but she managed to convince Amara, promising she will massage her feet and back for hours once they return home.

When they got to the top of the mountain, with the beautiful swiss mountain landscape, Sparrow knelt in front of Amara and showed a beautiful handmade ring made with pyrite (gold was more expensive and harder to work on).

"Amara, my love. Hey look at me. I know I know sweetheart." Sparrow got even more nervous when Amara started crying, she had to hold her hand to steady her. "You already know this. And you know I'm awful with words. This is just a little reminder that you are everything to me. With you I forget all the bad things. You showed me how it feels to be truly loved, and showed me how to truly love you. I just... wanted to climb one more step with you, together..."

Amara's knees were clearly shaking. "I can't fucking believe you made me do this in sweatpants and fucking hiking boots Han..." She shook her head, trying to assimilate what was happening.

Sparrow chucked. "So is that a yes?"

"Of course it's a yes you dumb idiot!!" Amara wasn't angry, far beyond that, she was too happy, too anxious, too excited she didn't know how to process all those emotions. Sparrow got up and put the ring on Amara's finger, now her fiancée.

The Wedding was six months later, during spring. Amara planned everything with her mother in Law's and Aly's help. She knew Sparrow wasn't very good at planning big events, and Hannah would always like what Amara proposed.

In the end the Wedding was on the mountains, that was Sparrow's only wish. A small one, with friends and family. It wasn't very traditional, they got married civilly two days before the wedding, so Hubber (Sparrow's captain in the Swiss Armed Forces) could make oficial the union of both women in the ceremony.

Hannah's father took Amara to the altar. The stoic man cried and had no fear of showing it. He kissed Amara's forehead before handing her to his daughter. "Your parents would be so proud of you"

Tora (Sparrow's dog) proudly brought the rings to the altar. And after an emotional speech from Hubber Sparrow could kiss Amara and name Amara her wife.

The ceremony was amazing. The after party was even better.

The Wedding night was so sweet, full of kisses, necking and love.

When it was time to organise the honeymoon, Amara had to fight with Sparrow. Hannah wanted to go to Nepal, to show Amara the big 8000s. But Amara refused to climb one single rock during her honeymoon. NUH UH. So she offered to go to Japan, and visit Kyoto, Amara's mother's native city.

They spend a few lovely days there and Sparrow learnt more about Amara's family.

A couple months after the honeymoon Hannah decided to retire from the military.

[queenofbaws]

Would love some Jossam feat the Washington siblings because I love them

It took every last bit of her self-restraint to keep from laughing as she stared forward at the tv, pretending to be too absorbed in the movie to notice the slap-fight going on behind her.

It had started innocently enough: The twins had invited her over to hang out for the day, to chill in the air conditioning while the sun baked the concrete outside, to raid the fridge while their parents were out, all that good stuff. Thing was, they'd managed oh-so-conveniently to forget the whole...thing going on between her and Josh (had, in fact, been conveniently forgetting it more and more often the longer that thing between them went on), and now that they were face-to-face with it, well...they didn't seem to be enjoying the day as much as they'd hoped.

Josh had whispered something to her while the movie loaded and Beth talked over him; Josh had gone to pass her the popcorn and Hannah had whipped the bowl out of his hands; Josh had maybe looked at her for a second to long and suddenly Beth's phone was up in her face as she showed her something funny that had happened in the group chat; and now, having made the unforgivable mistake of trying to put his arm around her shoulders, Josh and Hannah now seemed to be locked in a (not-so-subtle) slap-fight to the death.

Sam bit down even harder on her lip, but she already felt her resolve crumbling - this was what she got for dating her best friends' brother, she guessed.

six sentence sat(or)sunday!!!

[casinotrio1965]

Disney Descendants : The Peter Pan Doll

By Me and @hannahhook7744

Summary: Peter finds out a secret his (younger?) sister has been hiding from him. 

.......

“Peter?” Hannah called out, bored (and a little bit nervous even if she'd never admit it). 

It was never a good sign when her brother was being that quiet. 

“Peter, I'm about to order lunch from Royalgrub. What are you feeling?”

The sixteen year old was once again met with silence. “Pete. Peter Pumpkin eater.  Come on! We don't have all day—why is my bedroom door open? Peter Elizabeth Maria Pan you better not be in my room!”

“Uh Hannah?” Peter asked. “ What’s This ?” He was holding out  a doll that looked like him in his hand.

A doll the pirate captain recognized immediately. Not that she'd admit to that, either. “I have never seen that thing before in my life.” “I don’t believe you–wait–are you secretly my biggest fan?!”

“No!” The brunette sputtered, crossing her fingers behind her back. Sending their oldest cousin Atticus a silent apology that she sincerely hoped he could hear, wherever he was. “I've seriously never seen that doll before in my life!” 

“Uh Huh, who does it belong to then?  Seriously Hannah it’s ok if you are ! All girls seem to like me ..”

“Fucking hell Peter, phrasing! I'm your sister!”  The teen groaned. “And how do you even know if that ugly ratty old thing is you? It looks nothing like you. The colors are all wrong.”

They weren't really: the colors. They had probably been at least a little closer to the true ones at some point—before they became more faded with time. It was thirteen years old, after all. It was bound to happen. 

Especially given that the materials Atticus had used to make it had been old to begin with. 

“Let’s See: Red Hair?”

“It's more pink actually—”

“Check! Green Outfit? Check!”

“It's more yellow to green, if you ask me—” Hannah was digging herself into a hole, wasn't she? Damn it, she should have just asked Luke for help babysitting. Sure, he probably would have teased her about something too but it would have been nowhere near as embarrassing as her brother finding that stupid doll. 

It wasn't like she'd known he was her brother back when she used to tote that thing around. And it wasn't like she was the only one to have a doll of her dad’s nemesis! CJ had a fucking Tinkerbell doll for Brizo’s sake!

Freddie used to carry around a Naveen voodoo doll!

Claudine Frollo even had a little Quasimodo doll in her bell tower when they were smaller. 

Why was it that Hannah always got the short end of the straw when it came to these things?

“Come on, Hannah. Who else do ya know dresses like me? And don’t say Lampwick. He and I dress completely differently!”

“Not really. But you and Robin Hood and Danny Darling all dress pretty similarly too if you ask me. I think the tweedle brothers and their kids even dress like that. You don't own the sole right to hideous all green outfits, red feathers, and red hair, little brother.” 

She had to keep lying till she found a way out of this. 

She was in too deep to admit the truth now. Even if Peter already basically knew it. 

“HEY! I think I look good in this get up and besides it’s not like you know about Robin Hood!”

“Actually I know an embarrassing amount about Mulan, Merida, and Robin Hood but go off, I guess, little brother.” That was it. 

She just had to get him so mad that he'd forget what he was teasing her about. 

Or at least get him to argue about who was actually the older sibling between them. Seeing as he liked trying to put her in time out as if she was the 12–13 year old, and not a sixteen year old Auradon Prep graduate.

“You know what Hannah, you can deny it all you want  but it’s pretty obvious you’re obsessed with me ! And Honestly who could blame you ? I’m Awesome!”

A loud wail broke out from the nursery where Anthony and Harriet’s new son was sleeping, causing Hannah to sigh. “If you're so awesome you can order your own lunch. I gotta go deal with Thomas before he wakes up our siblings.” 

Peter Pan shrugged. “Whatever makes you happy sis .”

With that, Hannah quickly snatched the doll from him and ran off to tend to the new Lord Tremaine.

The End 

[ggukkiedae]

notes: hannah is tired from practice on christmas eve but comes home to a surprise from one of her favortie people

setting: lee siblings dorm, december 24, 2023

word count: 1353

(dialogue in italics are spoken in english)

Practice ran late, considering their performance was the next day. Hannah was worried about Mark seeing as he was performing for three units in a row, and he never seemed to stop going full out. Now, as they were heading to their dorm, Hannah, Haechan, and Mark were silent in the car.

She looked over at the other two, just in time to see Haechan check his phone like he got a notification, and Mark asleep, somehow still muttering the lines of his raps even unaware.

“He needs to take a break,” Hannah muttered.

“I agree,” Haechan put his phone down, shocking her because she didn’t think he was paying attention, “I already reported him to Yoonmi. I’m also taking him up to Taeyong hyung because he wants to leader-talk him. Will you be okay going up to the sixth floor on your own?”

She nodded at him, “I’ll make us a good dinner. Any requests?”

“I trust the chef,” he gave her a tired smile. “I also want you in bed by midnight, so something quick.”

“Got it, oppa,” she chuckled and looked out the window.

The rest of the trip was silent, and so was the elevator ride. Mark was half-asleep on his feet, so Haechan gave her hand a squeeze before helping Mark off the elevator on the fifth floor. She, on the other hand, felt like she was hallucinating.

Once the elevator doors opened, she could smell food. She was tired, but was she tired enough to hallucinate the smell of food? Or hungry enough?

Shrugging off the fact that the smell got stronger the closer she got to the dorm door, she quickly punched in her code and walked into her safe space.

The sound of clinking in the kitchen caught her attention, so she looked through the window between the living area and her kitchen to find a familiar figure clumsily yet carefully going over multiple pans on the stove.

“Yangyang?” She smiled and quickly dropped her coat and bag before she made her way into the kitchen as he turned around to face her, “Schnucki, what are you doing here?”

“I spent the afternoon with Kun-ge helping me cook a nice dinner for our two years,” he pressed a kiss to her cheek before turning the stove off.

Hannah froze as she realised what day it was. Christmas eve. It was their two year anniversary, and she still hasn’t greeted him!

“Oh my god,” she rushed to her room and grabbed the box she had wrapped up and rushed back into the kitchen, showing him the box.

“What is this?” Yangyang gently took the box from her with a smile.

She raised an eyebrow at him, “A present, obviously.”

“I’ll open it in a bit, but for now,” he placed it on the kitchen counter before picking up a spoon, scooping some soup up, and blowing it while holding it for Hannah to try, “I want you to tell me if this is heated well enough for you.”

She smiled at him and tried the soup, humming as she savoured the flavours. “It’s heated well enough. And it tastes amazing.”

“Really?” Yangyang placed the spoon down on a small spare plate. On her hum of approval, he tucked a finger under her chin, tilting her head to face him, “Let me try.”

To Hannah’s delight, Yangyang pressed his lips against hers, tilting his head and wrapping his free arm around her waist to pull her closer to him. But he pulled away too quick for her liking.

“I think it tastes good,” he leans down, just so their noses are touching.

“You think so?”

“Yeah.”

“Why don’t you try again just to make sure?”

With that, she reached up, holding his cheek with one hand and resting her other on his shoulder, pulling him in and slotting their lips together.

For a blissful moment, she let herself melt into her the way her boyfriend's hands felt warm on her waist and how soft his lips felt against hers. She suddenly felt light on her feet once again, all the exhaustion leaving her body as a subtle buzz took its place.

A laugh slipped past her lips as soon as she felt his tongue poke them, making her pull back and give him a look. He just shrugged in mock innocence.

“You told me to try it!”

“You’re being opportunistic,” she took some plates and bowls from the cupboard, placing one of each in his hands and starting to scoop food onto his plate and into his bowl.

He simply placed a kiss on her temple, “But you love it.”

“Mhmm, sure,” she moved to fill her dishes, “why don’t you go on over there with your food and your present, and see what I got you. I’ll be right there with you in a minute.”

He walked over to her coffee table with his plate stacked on top of the present and the bowl in his second hand, carefully but quickly making his way. She chuckled and filled up her own dishes, jumping slightly in surprise as an extra set of hands took her plate and bowl from her and pressing another kiss to her cheek.

She raised her eyebrow at him. “You’re very kissy today.”

“Can’t help it,” he placed her dishes down and helped her sit on the carpet before sitting next to her, “I now officially have been dating you a year longer than my unrequited crush era.”

She lightly shoved him to the side. “You are way too corny. Open your present.”

Yangyang grinned at her, tearing away the wrapping paper to reveal a Nike box. With his love for sneakers, he excitedly threw the box open, only for his eyes to widen when he saw what was inside.

“No way,” he picked up the shoes, a grin on his face, “Did you do this? Did you paint the WayV pets on these?”

The fascination on his face at the realistic images of his pets on the shoes made her grin, “I did. Do you like it?”

“I love it,” he gave her a quick kiss then took pictures, sending it to the WayV group chat.

“Alright then,” she placed a fork in his hand, but he stopped her.

“Nope,” he reached under the couch and pulled out a paper bag, “you didn’t think I came here giftless, did you?”

She looked curiously at him, “I thought the surprise anniversary dinner was your present.”

He just shook his head and gestured to the paper bag. Hannah complied and pulled the bag open, peeking past all the crepe paper to find something she could recognize a mile away.

“You didn’t,” she pulled the jacket out, unfolding it and missing the grin he gave her. “No fucking way, Yangyang! You got me the Diesel L-Kriti coat?”

Yangyang gently took it from her, helping her slip it on over her shirt, “You’ve been talking about it for a while now.”

“This is, like, 2 million won,” she looked at him in slight concern.

He simply untucked her hair from the jacket, resting his hand on the side of her face. “No jacket or amount of money can compare to how much you mean to me.”

Yangyang gently pulled her closer to him and into a kiss once more, trying to express how genuinely he meant his statement through his actions.

“I love you,” he murmured as soon as they took a moment to breathe.

She smiled, leaning towards him, leaning her head on his shoulder while he wrapped his arms around her in a hug, “I love you.”

They sat, basking in each other’s presence for a moment before Hannah sat up and looked at him questioningly. He looked at her as well.

A smirk made its way onto her face, “You kicked Mark and Hyuck out for this, didn’t you?”

“They’ll be back by midnight, and I swear we made food for everyone else, too!” He then looked at their table then back at her. “I think we might need to reheat our food…”

taglist: @1-800-enhypennabi @strwberrydinosaur @sunflower-0180 @caratinylyfe @1-800-minji @one16core @kimhyejin3108 @chansols @akshverse @world-full-of-roses @stopeatread @allthings-fandoms

drop an ask or a dm if you wanna be added or taken out of the taglist 🥰 requests are also open!

( @multifandom-02 this is for u bub 🫶🏻)

[zenaidamacrouras1]

how did you develop all of the backhoe sisters? and choose which characters to populate the holler with?

I don't know how to answer this in a way that isn't either super brief: chaos, whimsy and serendipity. Or super long and dull, "well then I thought this and then I thought that and in the end...."

Read the below with a grain of sand because this was a few years ago so it blurs together.

But what the hell.

For the sisterss, I wanted 5, I wanted bible names. I wanted one to have autism (Ruth) and one to have adhd (Poppy). I decided to make them all 3 years apart and then took Bucky's age and started subtracting and then had to make a chart of all their ages at all the varioes flashbacks and flashforwards.

I typically think of people in my real life who I find interesting and kind of mash a few together?? I try to give them negative character traits that either me or someone very close to me has, so that I can write that annoying aspect of them with some kind of compassion.

Otherwise they are just annoying.

I didn't fully understand them as kids till I had written the epilogue with them grown. Or at least envisioned it. So I just kinda trust the process and go back and retcon or whatever it's called when it's your own character.

I wanted Becca to be surly and tender and also career driven in a way Bucky wasn't.

I wanted Hannah to be on the cusp of extraordinary but completely awkward and uncertain about it. Peak teenager.

I wanted Ruth to be uncomfortable and never feeling like she fit quite in and also a brilliant and core part of the family. She is a big part of how the family functions, but she can't always see it. I feel so bad for her in her teen years. They are not great. It gets better for her.

I wanted Poppy to be a boisterous, joyful, messy, partially feral child.

Imma be real Sarah is the least fleshed out. Look I got tired. I think she is the most regular of all the siblings which is not a bad thing at all but it is sometimes hard for her. One of them had to be kinda normal I think. Sarah is sharp and well organized and likes thing in her life to be predictable and orderly. She is ambitious and driven about whatever she cares about but somewhat unpredictable in what she decides to care about.

Once I have a straw concept then I just put them in situations and see how they react. I figured people would get them confused as there are so many but I am happy if other people can tell I at least tried to make them not be a generic blur.

..

..

As far as the neighbors, I find it amusing to make Scott Summers a super boring normal guy. He's soooo boring. I mean he's a good person but zzzzzzzz..... I made him a super nice but boring normal person in Unpredictable Synchronicity too. Anyway im Backhoe they needed some nice middle class neighbors and honestly there are like no nice middle class people in the MCU. So Jean and Scott it is!

And Bucky needed another single parent in the holler and there aren't that many parents in the MCU plus I mean Maria is great even if she barely appears. It amused me for them to have this whole parallel romance in the background that Steve is barely paying attention to.

I was digging deep for MCU characters by the end. I went around and around for Ruth's partner she brings to the wedding, and who Sarah would marry.

[hannahhook7744]

She’s a Motherfucking Killer Queen, a Psychopath at 13 (A Beauty in a Blood-Stained Dress)!;

Summary: the day Hannah Hook snapped.

Trigger Warnings: Execution of teenagers mentioned, grief/mourning, trauma, fear and anger, swearing, villain origin story, etc.

Co-written with @igetthedisneybox .

------------------------------------------------------------

This was… not how Zee had thought the world would end.

She had always thought the world would go out with a big bang or a quiet whimper. That it would end with ice or fire or an asteroid that no one saw coming. 

She never thought that her captain would be the cause.

“...you all good, H?”

13 year old, Hannah Hook—her captain, someone she'd even call her best friend–was standing on the deck of her ship still in her nightgown that had probably once been white (before they had fished it out of the barge) a letter printed with Auradon’s crest in her hand, crushed by the pressure of her fingers. Her eye twitched involuntarily.

And the isle was deathly quiet for once. 

The isle was never quiet.

“It isn't fair.”

“What’s…what's not fair?” She’d rather stab herself in the foot than admit this, but Zee was slightly scared.

“We're not going to Auradon.”

“Oh…” Zee trailed off, confused. “Why’s…why’s that a problem? You’ve never cared about Bouradon before?”

“—You're not understanding. None of us—no one in this crew—are going to Auradon. Ever.” 

“Oh.” Zee understood, with a sharp clarity.

Hannah laughed, lowly. Tightening her grip on the  already crumbled paper. “We've been banned. No, not banned. We've been blacklisted by Beast. And…. And…”

Hannah threw the paper at Zee, kicking a barrel across the deck. 

Zee just stared, feeling…well, not feeling much of anything, really. She should have been surprised at this, or angry, like Hannah was, but all she felt was a numb acceptance.

“The Lost Revenge crew, CJ Hook, Freddie Facilier, Zevon, and Ally of Wonderland have been executed.” The younger girl’s voice was unlike anything she'd ever heard from her before.

Cold. Deadly. 

The Lost Revenge was Harry Hook’s crew. Hannah’s brother. CJ Hook. Hannah’s sister. “Oh fuck, Hannah, I am so sorry.” There was that surprise she should be feeling.

“It's not fair. That Ben kid wasn't hurt! He wasn't even scared of them! And… and he told me he was sorry. In his lettter. He passed along a letter from Ally of Wonderland’s parents, too.”

Zee frowned at the crumpled up letter on the floor. “What did they have to say to you?”

“Turns out, Ally was adopted. From the isle. Did you know CJ was a twin?”

“Ally of Wonderland is your sister’s twin?”

“Small world… isn't it?”

Suddenly, the ship shook. Violently. So violently in fact it nearly knocked Zee to her feet. 

“What the actual fuck was that?!” Zee asked as she braced herself on a barrel.

Hannah took a deep breath and the ship rumbled. But… that wasn't… all. 

The barrier lit up. 

The captain stomped her foot. “IT'S NOT FAIR!”

“Uh…Hannah? Is that–” She shakily pointed at the barrier. “–are you doing that?”

“Beast needs to pay. They all do. They think they can just—what? Lock us away and forget about us?”

“I mean, fair. Totally fair. But–” Zee paused when she realized she didn’t really have a ‘but.’

“They want the children to die, Zee. They want your sister to die.” Hannah grit her teeth. “They… they killed my siblings for doing something that anyone on the isle would have done. Beast fucking overstepped and slaughtered my siblings!”

The barrier shook. 

But Hannah didn't seem to notice. She didn't even seem to hear what Zee was saying. 

Zee hesitantly put a hand on Hannah’s shoulder. “Hey. I’m with you. Just like when we were kids, right?”

Hannah looked at her with tears in her eyes. And nodded. “..Right….”

And the barrier shattered. 

Zee jumped. “Woah! Was that you?!”

Hannah looked up at the sky, dazed. “I .. I don't know.”

[mystiika]

@miidnighters plotted for a starter — flynn & jamie.

jamie had never really thought too hard about how to act around flynn, nor particularly cared how he presented himself beyond dressing as reasonably as he would have in any other company. from start jamie had been comfortable with him. the only thing jamie had ever really been consistent in caring about was him trying to use the same cologne whenever he met with flynn. he felt it was important that he at least comes with a familiar scent even if the time of day left his appearance hard to make out with clarity. but now jamie had been stressing needlessly about the outfit, needing to focus on something. but to finally put himself out of his misery he eventually he just video called hannah & got her to settle on something for him — what are siblings for, just as she told him in response to his thanks.

in the final hours leading up to picking flynn up, jamie seemed unable to settle between anxious & excited.  he ultimately he's still not quite sure if this was meant to be a date or not. but at this point he was far too afraid of getting it wrong to outright ask & risk ending up embarrassed for assuming that's what it was simply because flynn had expressed interest in him— enough to flush his cheeks pink at the very least which is something he'd prefer to avoid. normally, being around friends like flynn would calm him down ( relaxing is easiest among friends after all ), again, normally but this was FAR from normal for jamie, it was new & a little confusing but ultimately quite pleasant thus far. & he never minded a shifting kind of friendship, they change so much over time as you grow & jamie had every intention of taking this seriously so he can respond to flynn despite the clear insistence that there were no expectations placed on him. as far as confessions go, jamie hadn't been on the receiving end of all that many of them over the years. but he quite liked flynn's. he supposes a part of that is the comfort of flynn already knowing him as well as he does, & choosing to like him after all that. 

❝ it's really not as crowded as i thought it was going to be, ❞ jamie says to flynn; only half turning his head towards the other while distracted by the sudden ❛ winner winner winner ❜ soundbite echoing from a test of strength game directly beside them. but he's able to bring his attention back to flynn just as fast as it had been taken away ( although, aided largely in part by the slightest tug on his hand where the two had ended up with fingers laced together ). ❝ it isn't all that loud either, i mean yeah there's the sound of the rides & games & stuff but i don't think i'll really have to rely on lip reading much. ❞ it was a bit funny how they balanced each other out in that way too — with jamie able to read out the signs for flynn as needed while flynn took care of the times when something was a little too far away or a little too quiet for jamie to catch it all with absolute certainty.

it is a real date, right?

jamie certainly doesn't mind the idea & it's not much different from their usual hang outs in a way. there's still good conversation, good entertainment, & their inside jokes. they'd held hands before too. & yet it felt so different now when simply walking around holding hands was enough to make him overly concious of every way flynn seemed to near him. & near him flynn was, but discerning if it was intentional was made difficult when the environment alone seemed to have them be repeatedly ( both physically & emotionally ) pushed together without their efforts.

he wasn't even sure he knew how to date someone after so long. but he was enjoying his time with flynn & figures he can focus on that for now & make up his mind on how he feels once the night is over.

[polkadotsocks1993]

Try To Breathe

Joel Miller x OFC

Summary: Lily knew it would happen any day now, but now that it's here, she didn't realize the emotions it would bring for everyone involved.

Warnings: childbirth, implied age gap, violence, canon divergence, PTSD, implied sexual situations

Notes: Hi everyone! This kind of got away from me, but I also wanted a more realistic childbirth scene (because I've had two kids with no meds, I promise it isn't as scary as the TV tells you) but I wanted to give Joel and Ellie something a bit happier. Thank you for all your support! ❤️

She'd thought she had no family left by the time she'd met Joel Miller.

She'd come from Nashville, choosing to escape the Atlanta QZ with her family. Her parents, her seven siblings, and a few people they'd picked up along the way. Lily had been eleven when the world effectively ended; gradually, she'd lost everyone she loved.

Her mother was the first to go; dying from an aggressive brain tumor that they'd only discovered a week after arriving at Boston. Lily had been thirteen then, and it was the first splinter in the slow shattering of her world.

Next came Lily's oldest sister, Emma, who died from hemhorraging in childbirth. Her baby was taken by Emma's husband, and they went north to Maine.

Then, it was Lily's brothers, Timothy and Aidan, who were killed trying to smuggle items out of the QZ. Lily's twin sisters Hannah and Hallie were infected on a supply run. Her remaining brother, Emmett, was killed in a mugging gone wrong inside the QZ. All of them died by the time Lily was twenty.

By the time Lily was twenty-two, she'd watched as her father, the only relative she had left with her, took his last breath. He'd been infected saving her, and the person to put him down had been the man who saved her life: Joel Miller.

Joel and Tess had become whatever semblance of a family Lily had. Her last remaining sibling, her sister Aileen, had left with her husband and a group to go to Cody, Wyoming by that time. After long enough without contact, Lily had just assumed they'd never made it.

---------

Lily had never intended on falling in love with Joel Miller, it happened so slowly that she didn't understand it until Frank, whom she considered one of her closest friends, had pointed it out.

"You look at him like he's your universe, Lily. And he looks at you that way, too."

She didn't think her heart could hold any love after the weight of the grief she carried. Her mother, her father, her brothers and sisters, her baby nephew--all of it hung heavy around her heart like a millstone, threatening to pull her under like a current.

Joel had been her first everything: her first kiss, her first time, the first man she'd allowed herself to be close to. Though he never said it, she knew the grief he carried kept him from being too hopeful. They couldn't afford something as expensive as hope in the nightmare their world had become.

It had all happened one night after Lily had saved Joel's life, shooting at a raider who had nearly shot him when they were smuggling medicine back into the QZ. Joel yelled at her, told her she was foolish for nearly taking a bullet for him, that she should never take risks like that. Lily had shoved him with all her might, her red hair wild in a fiery halo as all the years of pain and rage bubbled to the surface.

"I can't lose you, Joel!" She screamed, "I love you, I can't lose you, I won't lose you! I've lost everything else, you're the one good thing I have left!"

Joel had frozen at her admission, but then the floodgates opened. His lips found hers, and they fell into bed that night. His rough hands found her soft, pale skin, drinking her in like she was a fresh spring and he was a man dying of thirst.

"Are you sure you want this? I can stop. We can stop." Joel had asked, hovering above her. She'd nodded, green eyes locked on Joel.

"Never been so sure about anything, Joel." Lily promised. It was worth the temporary pain of her first time, so many things between them that didn't need to be said.

She'd given him her heart that night, and she'd never looked back, knowing that he might ever reciprocate the depth of love she felt. She'd take whatever she could get with him, even if that just meant sharing a bed.

That was five years ago.

Joel still had a lot of baggage; they all did, really. The grief was a heavy burden to bear, and Joel and Lily both carried their own, forgetting about it as they found each other underneath their threadbare sheets in the tiny apartment they shared.

Joel had started calling Lily his wife, and she never corrected him. She went where he went, despite his protests. They'd worked with Tess, the three of them becoming a unit, a weird semblance of a family. For Lily, it was all she needed, all she dared to hope for in this new world. Joel wasn't a soft man; he was jagged edges and hardness and fury. Lily never minded, knowing that gruff warnings, his rough hands holding her face, his stern commands, they were the way he showed how he cared. Lily never tried to fight for more. She loved Joel for the man he'd become in this new world, long gone were any girlish dreams of a soft man and a happily ever after.

Getting pregnant was not part of the plan. Not something she'd expected.

She and Joel had never discussed children--she had always figured that he didn't want that kind of attachment, and she was too scared to bring it up. It had been a night he'd nearly lost her, a random attack by some thugs who had tried to rough her up but didn't account for Joel being so close behind and recognizing her screams as she fought. He'd had a rage that night like Lily had never seen, until he turned and saw her face, pulling her to him with a crushing force that left her startled.

"We're going home. You're safe now." Joel whispered.

That night, he lost every inhibition he'd had. He'd gripped her hips so hard he left bruises and didn't stop. She'd let him take her, digging her nails into his shoulders and sighing his name with nearly every thrust. It was rough and primal, and Lily had never felt anything like it. He wrapped his fingers in her hair, pulling just hard enough to control her head while he kissed up her neck.

"You. Are. Mine." He growled as he left marks on her neck. Lily sighed his name as she lost all of her thoughts. By the time they were done, neither said anything. That night, he'd whispered that he loved her while he thought she was asleep.

She'd only pretended to be asleep.

------------

She'd suspected something for weeks. Not that she'd had any experience with pregnancy before, aside from Emma's, but every smell made her gag. She'd cried over small things, things that would never normally bother her before. She honestly hadn't cried in years. Then, of course, was the period that never came.

She'd confided in Tess, and Tess had followed her to the doctor and hugged her as the doctor confirmed she was about eight weeks along. She'd made Tess swear not to say anything to Joel. Tess assured her.

Unfortunately for Lily, Tess didn't need to say a word.

Joel was too smart not to suspect anything.

"You gonna tell me, or you gonna keep hiding it?" He asked, his fourth glass of whiskey in hand.

Lily had panicked, wringing her hands and bursting into tears. "Joel, I didn't plan it, I didn't do this on purpose."

"I know." Joel said, taking another sip, "how far along, you think?"

"Doctor said about eight weeks, and that was two weeks ago." Lily replied.

"Something was off, I knew that much. But Lily, two weeks? You didn't tell me for two weeks?" Joel asked, his voice irate.

"I didn't know... I didn't know how to tell you." Lily was sobbing now, all of her unsaid wishes and heartbreak and the sliver of hope cracking through the splintered cracks of her heart and overflowing.

"Joel, I don't expect you to stay. I know we've never talked about any of this, I know you don't want this. I don't--I don't expect you to stick around. I can do this. I'm so scared, but I want this. This is a good thing, and I want to be selfish. I've lost people before, Joel, so if you want to leave, I won't be mad, but I love this baby, and I can't go back." Lily confessed through tears.

Joel surprised her, closing the distance and wrapping his arms around her.

"I'm not leaving you alone. I wouldn't have done that before, I sure as hell won't now." He whispered.

"You never said--you never mentioned--"

"I know, Lily." Joel replied, "But we're here now. Time to make it work."

--------------

Lily was seventeen weeks along when the group agreed to take Ellie out West.

Joel had protested and swore up and down that she wasn't going, Tess did, too. But Lily, with her red hair and temper to match, dug her heels in.

"You said you wouldn't leave me. You're leaving. I'm going with you, whether you like it or not. I never heard from my sister, I'm not letting you two go knowing you might not come back. Worst case scenario, we find Tommy, maybe we find Aileen too. Anything is better than a Fedra QZ." She'd said to Joel, who was so mad he wanted to lock her up and throw away the key.

"It isn't safe out there!" Joel said, "You gonna have that baby on the road?"

"If I have to, yes! But say we take that kid out there, and we find Tommy, and Aileen. Say we find a better place. Do you really want this baby growing up here?"

Joel's jaw tensed. "You're not going go slow us down."

"I know." Lily replied.

"You will listen to me about everything. No questions." Joel snapped.

"I promise." Lily said. She moved toward Joel, taking his hand and placing it on her abdomen.

"Joel, the last twenty years of our lives have been nothing but disaster. What if we can fix this for our baby?" Lily asked.

"You sure you want to do this?" Joel asked.

Lily nodded. With that, Joel turned to Tess.

"Guess we're takin' the kid."

-----------------

Of course, that trip began with tragedy, with Tess getting infected. Lily had screamed, pleaded, fell to her knees. Not Tess. Not the only sister she had left.

"I can't have this baby without you!" Screamed Lily between sobs, "I need you!"

"You can, and you will. Look at me, Lily. Get Ellie out West. Take care of Joel." Tess had told her.

Tess had told Joel to save who he could save, and he promptly drug Ellie and Lily out by the arms as the state building went up in flames.

It was only a few hours later that Ellie looked at Lily, eyes wide.

"You're having a baby?" She asked. Lily nodded.

"Huh. I guess I didn't think he had it in him." Ellie shrugged.

For the first time, Lily laughed. Joel took notice.

-----------------------

After Joel's injury, the three sheltered in a cabin in the woods to nurse him back to health. Lily had acquired some medical knowledge, scouring over books after her family died, and she was able to patch Joel up as best she could. She'd managed to keep him healthy despite the risk of infection, and he had slowly but surely come back. By the time that Joel had gotten well enough to walk around, Lily was due any time. She figured she had about two weeks left until her due date.

"We don't have to stay here, Joel." Lily said, stoking the fire to cook what she'd foraged along with the deer Ellie had hunted the day before.

"Yes, we actually do. That baby is coming any day now, and we're not going on the road." Joel replied.

"I think I have to agree." Ellie said, "You're huge now. You can barely walk."

"You're supposed to be on my side." Lily huffed, "We need to be making time."

"After the baby is born." Joel promised, "It's too dangerous now. Stop asking questions."

Lily grumbled; she knew this was how Joel kept her safe, but she also felt helpless. The last few days had left her utterly exhausted, and she felt off in a way she just couldn't explain. Joel had insisted she eat more, had made her stop and rest. Even Ellie, who normally teased Joel, was in agreement: they wouldn't leave until Lily had the baby.

As it turned out, Joel was right.

------------

Lily woke the next day to a pain in her abdomen.

It wasn't sharp. She could still talk through it, but it was large enough to notice. She tried to go back to sleep, but was awoken ten minutes later by the same annoying pain. She pushed through it while making breakfast, leaning over the wood stove in the cabin. Ellie had noticed, stopping mid-chew to tap Joel on the forearm.

"Everything okay?" Joel asked.

Lily nodded, pretending she wasn't in pain.

"I'm fine, just those Braxton-Hicks contractions." Lily assured him.

"They might be real now, Lily." Said Ellie.

Joel walked over to her, rubbing her back just slightly.

"Keep your strength up. I think it's time. I'm going to get some stuff ready." Joel said.

Lily rolled her eyes, but was secretly thankful that Joel knew more than she did. Her mother had died before she could explain much about childbirth, and Emma's childbirth had ended so badly that Lily had all but blocked it out.

Joel had set to work, boiling water, getting blankets ready, and preparing a space for Lily. He'd been there when his daughter was born, he knew what took place. Lily had some idea from the books she read and from talking to Tess, but she was otherwise clueless.

By lunch time, the contractions were every seven minutes. They were uncomfortable, but she could still move through them. As she walked around the outside of the cabin, Ellie walked with her.

"Do you hope it's a boy, or a girl?" Ellie asked, trying to distract Lily.

"I know it's dumb to say I don't care, but I don't. I never thought I'd have this chance." Lily said, bracing herself against the side of the cabin. She could see Joel's watchful eye, and Ellie rubbed her back.

"I think it would be cool if you had a boy." Ellie said, "I wonder if he'd be as gloomy as Joel?"

Lily laughed, putting her hands on her hips and standing up straight.

"I hope not." Lily said, "But secretly, I'm hoping for a boy, too."

The contractions were starting to come closer now, slowly making Lily wretch from the severity of them. Ellie had timed them, they were starting to come every four minutes instead of every seven. Joel had walked around the cabin with Lily again, stopping as she felt the need to squat as a contraction overtook her.

"I'm sorry you're going through this." Joel said, "I should have been more careful."

"Joel, it was bound to happen." Lily replied, grunting through the contractions that were starting to get stronger, "We were sleeping together pretty often."

"I just forgot what having a baby looks like." Joel said, "Sarah's mom, she got pain medicine pretty quick, but her labor was pretty quick."

"My mom said her labor with Emma was nearly three days." Lily replied, rubbing her back as a contraction took over again, "It's one of the few things I remember. She had all of us at home."

"It's going to get worse before it gets better." Joel told her, "Just remember that."

---------------

By the time evening arrived, contractions were coming every two minutes. Lily was having a hard time keeping focus, so much so that she was starting to groan and growl as the contractions came over her in waves.

Then, the real challenge came as her water finally broke.

For all of the books she'd read, nothing prepared her for how strong the contractions became. No matter how Joel or Ellie tried to help, the contractions had her starting to scream, swaying from side to side and squatting as her instincts took over.

"You're getting close, honey. It won't be much longer." Joel assured her, running fingers through her hair.

The contractions came harder and harder, the pressure of the baby causing Lily to squat to get some relief.

"I can't do this, Joel." Lily cried, "I can't have a baby. I can't do this."

Joel took her by the shoulders, trying to center Lily as she panicked.

"Look at me, Lily. Yes, you can." Joel said, "You're going to have this baby, and you'll be fine."

"I don't want to do this anymore!" Lily screamed as another contraction came.

"You kind of don't have a choice." Ellie said.

Lily had managed to lean over the bed, Joel and Ellie on their side as she swayed.

"I want my mom!" Lily growled, panting as she took off her shirt, the heat becoming oppressive.

Joel and Ellie looked at each other, a silent conversation passing between each other as Lily continued to scream.

Joel placed a cool rag on the back of her neck, speaking to her as softly as he could.

"You're almost there, sweetheart. Let me check and see how close you are." Joel said, helping Lily into the bed. He helped her remove her pants, tossing them aside to take a look. Another contraction hit Lily, this time so strong that she moved nearly all the way up the bed.

"I can't do it anymore." Lily cried.

"Lily, look at me. You're almost done. I can see the baby, it's head is right there. You're gonna need to push." Joel said.

Ellie gripped Lily's hand, breathing with her as she cried.

One more contraction, and Lily began to push.

"You can do it, Lily, come on, keep going. Baby's coming." Joel said. Lily took a breath as Ellie placed a wet rag, cooled with snow, on her forehead and around her neck.

Another contraction, and Lily pushed with all her might.

"Head's out, sweet girl." Joel said.

"Get it out of me. Now." Lily cried.

"Almost there, you're doing good." Joel assured her.

"I can't do it!" Lily screamed as another contraction overtook her.

"You're doing it, Lily, keep pushing." Joel's voice was firm.

One more agonizing push, Lily screaming with all of her might, holding on to Ellie for dear life, and Joel pulled the tiny baby free, laughing incredulously.

"A son, Lily, we have a son!" He all but exclaimed, handing the wriggly, tiny baby to Lily.

"A boy?" Lily looked down and stared at the boy--her son--for the first time.

"Joel, look at him!" Lily cried, "look at our son!"

Joel leaned forward, kissing Lily's forehead.

"You did it, honey. You did it. Look at him." Joel whispered, "He's a tiny thing."

"I've never seen a baby before." Ellie whispered, her eyes locked on the tiny baby in Lily's arms.

Lily was in disbelief. The boy in her arms had the most beautiful dark hair and wide eyes. He looked so much like Joel that it took her back. She cried as her baby boy--their baby boy--cried. She brought him up to nurse, Joel giving her gentle instruction (as he'd said Sarah's mother had nursed too).

Her little boy. Her dark haired little baby. He was there. He was healthy.

As Joel and Ellie helped clean her up, they cut the cord and took the afterbirth out. Lily bled, but from what Lily could tell, it was a normal amount and nothing outrageous. As she laid in bed, nursing her new son, Ellie sat vigilantly at the end, staring constantly.

"Would you like to hold him, Ellie?" Lily asked.

"I've never held a baby." Ellie replied.

Lily leaned forward, handing Ellie the bundle in her arms. She helped Ellie adjust his head, and Ellie looked down, transfixed.

"I always wanted a little brother, never got one." Ellie whispered.

Without thinking twice, Lily said, "Now you have one."

Ellie blinked, Lily smiling slightly as she'd realized what she said.

"Joel said I was cargo." Ellie replied.

"Joel has had a hard life, Ellie." Lily reminded her, "He thinks that if he doesn't get attached it doesn't hurt as much."

Lily sighed, looking at the bundle in Ellie's arms, sleeping peacefully.

"Although now, I know. I know how much I'd hurt if I lost him, and he doesn't have a name yet." Lily whispered.

----------------

Lily left the baby with Ellie and walked outside to the porch. Joel had been sitting out there for over an hour. He was staring straight ahead. He'd washed the blood off of his hands and cleaned up as much as he could.

"What are you doing out here? Get back inside." Joel said.

Lily sat down next to him, taking his hand.

"I wanted to come check on you." Lily said.

"I'm not the one who had a baby." Joel replied.

"You helped. You kept me safe." Lily said, "You brought me my son."

"He's somethin' else, isn't he?" Joel mused, looking down at his hands.

"He looks just like you." Lily laughed.

"Don't say mean things about the baby." Joel said. Lily cracked a smile, swatting his arm.

"Joel Miller, don't joke like that. Your looks got you a hot younger wife."

"Stop that." Joel huffed, trying to pretend to be irritated.

"I couldn't have done this without you. Or without Ellie." Lily said, "I wish my parents could have met him."

"I wish Sarah could have met him." Joel said, so low Lily almost didn't hear.

"I know, baby. I like to think wherever my parents are, wherever my brothers and sisters and Sarah are, they all sent him." Lily said. Joel looked at her, an unfamiliar warmth in his eyes that Lily had never before seen.

"He needs a name." Joel offered.

"I think you should name him." Lily replied

"Why me?" Joel asked.

"Because you're his daddy. And he's going to love you." Lily said.

"There was a book, Sarah loved it, read the cover off. The boy, the main character, his name was Jesse. Sarah said if she ever got a brother, she wanted to name him Jesse."

"Bridge to Terabithia." Lily said, "I read that book, too. It was one of my favorites."

Joel looked at her, his eyes glassy. He took a deep, ragged breath, standing up and helping Lily to her feet.

"Jesse. Jesse Thomas. That's his name." Joel said, matter-of-factly, opening the door to let Lily inside first. The two saw Ellie sitting in the chair, still staring at baby Jesse, sitting next to the fire in a rocking chair.

"He has a name now." Lilly said, sitting next to Ellie to take the sleeping baby.

"What are you going to call him?" Ellie asked.

"Jesse." Said Joel, standing to take a look at the sleeping baby. Lily stood up, motioning for Joel to sit down.

"It's time you sit with your son." Lily said. She handed Jesse to Joel, the baby suddenly looking much smaller in Joel's big frame.

"I never thought I'd do this again." Joel whispered.

Lily leaned down, placing a kiss to Joel's temple. He leaned in slightly, holding Jessie's tiny hand in his own.

"You get some rest, Lily girl, I'll bring him back if he needs you." Joel promised.

Lily went back to the bed, Ellie going with her. Both fell asleep quickly, Lily feeling the events of the last day in every part of her body. Lily slept hard, not even moving, until she heard Jesse start to stir a few hours later. She sat up, looking at a snoring Ellie next to her, and walked into the living room. She leaned against the door frame, watching Joel cradle Jesse in his arms and rock him.

"Guess we should go get your mama now." Joel whispered, "She is something else, you'll see. She loves you so much."

"I love you too, you know." Lily said. Joel startled, momentarily tightening his hold on Jesse.

"I didn't see you there." Joel whispered, "He's starting to get hungry."

"Come sit. Get some rest, Joel." Lily said.

"I want to look at him some more." Joel said. Lily sat on the couch, putting Jesse to her chest to nurse. Joel sat at the end, propping his feet up and watching them.

"Being a daddy looks good on you." Lily whispered, taking Joel's hand in hers.

"I never thought I'd get to do this again." Joel confessed, "Maybe, if we get to Wyoming, and it's safe enough, maybe we could do it again."

Lily smiled so wide her cheeks hurt. "We just had him last night, and you already want another?" She teased.

"I'm gettin' old, Lily-girl. If we're gonna have more, better do it before you're changing my diapers, too."

Lily laughed so deeply that tears streamed out of her eyes. "I'd still do it, I told you, I'd follow you anywhere. But I think it'd be nice, Joel. If it's safe, I want more. This is what I always wanted."

"A baby?" Joel asked.

"No. A family." Lily replied.

"I realize I haven't...I'm probably not what you imagined..." Joel stammered.

"You're my husband, Joel. As far as I'm concerned, I've been Lily Miller since the first time you took me to bed. And I'll be Lily Miller for as long as I live. You guys are my family. This is all I've wanted. I knew what I was getting into with you, but you're a good man, Joel. And you gave me the most beautiful little boy. I hate how scary this world is now, but I have you. And I have him. And we have Ellie, too. This is all I need." Lily said.

Joel rubbed a hand over his face, leaning forward to place a kiss on Jesse's head.

"I'm gonna sleep. You get me if you need me, okay?" Joel asked.

"I promise. Get some sleep, you had a big day too." Lily replied.

Joel fell asleep quickly, making a pallet of blankets on the floor next to the bed.

Lily stayed awake for a while, staring at Jesse and watching Joel and Ellie. It had been a long road to get here, and it had been fraught with trouble.

But as Lily sat cradling her son, she allowed herself to be grateful. From the ashes of grief came something new, and for a moment, she would allow herself to feel happiness. She knew it might not last, she knew that bad things could happen.

But for now, her family slept in this cabin along with her, and in that moment, it was enough.

[amazingmsme]

rotating the idea of lee!pokey in my mind rn, the thought of the one lib who's trying so hard to be serious and cool getting wrecked is a v fun concept

like imagine he's being his dramatic arrogant self and someone (see: probably one of his siblings) just gives a few little pokes (pun intended) to his ribs and he is now fighting back the urge to Fold Like A Squeaky Lawnchair. do you see my vision here :3c

(also hi i love how you interpret these fellas, the hannah and wiggly post made me get up and start pacing around my room bc it was So Good, your writing is great and you should feel great too)

Jxhakakdne Pokey is so cute & ticklish & because of his name all his bros love sneaking up behind him & poking his tummy & sides! He’ll freak out & squeal & shift it into a belting note to try & play it off like he was doing a vocal warm up but they all know the truth. He absolutely folds in on himself when they do that! & if he’s laying down & they attack him he curls up in a ball & tucks his knees to his chest! & he’ll try & hide behind his mask when he’s laughing because he gets flustered because this shouldn’t be so effective against him!

I feel like he & Wiggly are closest just because their personalities seem like the most similar & they just give me the same kinda vibe, idk how else to describe it. But Wiggly loves to attack him when he least expects it! & Tinky is such a lil shit, & Pokey & Wiggly are his go-to targets when he wants to wreck someone or get wrecked

Aww thank you so much!! That makes me so happy & really warms my heart! I love hearing that you guys like the stuff I put out there! Makes me feel good☺️