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#so yeah my final answer is: it varies
razzle-zazzle · 7 months
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How do you come up with the titles for your fics? They're very creative!
This is a very funny question for me to receive, because the answer... varies. Prior to getting an AO3 account, I only really titled my fics if I had a good idea for a title; AO3 requires every piece to be titled, though, and a lot of them... did not come easily.
I have the easiest time with Whumptobers, as I just title those based on the prompt. Otherwise, I have to come up with the titles myself, and it's usually the first thing I think of that sounds good enough. I have two pieces titled "i don't even know" and "dormmates (idk what to call this)" respectively purely bc I couldn't think of a title for them, and then I have pieces where the title is some low-meaning jargon that vibed like "it's snow problem!" "tiny steps in the night" "eggs for one" and so on. So more often than not I'm scrambling to figure out some kind of title to satisfy AO3 and then leaving the piece untitled on tumblr bc it doesn't need one.
When it comes to naming AUs... yeah, that varies too. I had a lot of trouble coming up with a name for the Between AU because a lot of what I was coming up with (Bergen Branch, Bergen Brothers, etc) either felt misleading, incomplete, or didn't fit the tone quite right. So even though "Between AU" makes no reference to the fact that Branch gets to be Bergen royalty, it still works with Branch's character arcs in that AU as being caught between different worlds. Some of my AU titles end up being more literal or descriptive (Undead Acrobat, PN Rapids AU), and some get to be a little more poetic (Pearl & Seaglass, The River Runs Deep).
There is one series where I spent a lot of time figuring out titles; in fact, just a few weeks ago I had a category two brainrot event that witnessed me going through all the ice and ice-related Wikipedia articles + a thesaurus shifting some of the titles in If We're All for One World (the title of which is literally just a lyric from the show's theme song, lmao). And the names from that series don't all fit a cohesive theme! I just put them together based on the other pieces they could be themed with, and based on what served the story best! I do have a series where all the names follow a theme (Buried Beneath), but it's a loose theme of "earth-related" lmao.
tl;dr I pick names based on what works for the fic itself, but sometimes I just throw words together until I get something that sounds vaguely fitting, and sometimes the fic is part of a series where the titles have some kind of theme, but even then it tends to be loosey-goosey.
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hoe4hotchner · 8 days
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Can I please get one where Aaron is doing the run in that one episode and the reader is at the finish line and meets the team there for the first time as his girlfriend and jack is like “yeah this is my dads girl.” I just feel like it would be a cute interaction.
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Triumph at the finish line | [A.H]
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𝘗𝘢𝘪𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨: 𝘈𝘢𝘳𝘰𝘯 𝘏𝘰𝘵𝘤𝘩𝘯𝘦𝘳 𝘹 𝘧𝘦𝘮!𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘦𝘳 𝘊𝘞: 𝘕𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘪𝘵'𝘴 𝘧𝘭𝘶𝘧𝘧 𝘞𝘊: 0.6𝘬 𝘐'𝘮 𝘴𝘰 𝘪𝘯 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘢!! 𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘐 𝘴𝘸𝘦𝘢𝘳 𝘵𝘰 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘺 𝘱𝘦𝘰𝘱𝘭𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘏𝘰𝘵𝘤𝘩 𝘭𝘰𝘰𝘬𝘴 𝘴𝘰 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘦𝘱𝘪𝘴𝘰𝘥𝘦. 𝘐 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘱 𝘳𝘶𝘯𝘯𝘦𝘳 𝘩𝘰𝘵𝘤𝘩 𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳. 💕💕
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           The finish line came into view, and Hotch pushed through the final stretch of his run, his breaths coming in steady, controlled bursts. It was the annual FBI triathlon, and the exhaustion from the event could be felt in every single one of his muscles, but his determination never wavered. With the crowd cheering on, he kept his eyes forward, focused - until he spotted a familiar figure in the crowd.
           You stood at the edge of the crowd, scanning the sea of runners, nervous excitement bubbling inside you. It was your first time meeting the team, and though you’d been looking forward to it, there was a flutter in your stomach. But when your eyes locked with Aaron’s, all that nervous energy seemed to dissolve. His expression softened as he saw you, and the exhaustion on his face melted into something else entirely - surprise, warmth, and something unmistakably affectionate.
           He crossed the finish line, sweat beading on his forehead, and almost immediately approached you. You smiled wide, waving slightly, feeling a rush of warmth spread through your chest at the sight of him.
           "Hey, you," Aaron breathed out, a small grin tugging at his lips as he reached you, still catching his breath but clearly happy you were there. His eyes sparkled in a way they only did when he was with you.
           "Hey," you replied softly, stepping closer. "I couldn’t miss your big finish."
           He let out a light chuckle and leaned in to press a soft kiss to your forehead, before embracing you in a tight hug while ignoring the bustling crowd around you. For a man who was so reserved in public, especially at work events, the gesture felt so intimate and personal, making your heart skip a beat.
           Before you could say anything more, a small voice piped up from nearby.
           "Daddy! You didn’t tell me she was coming!" Jack’s voice was excited, and when you glanced over, there he was - Aaron’s little boy standing next to the team, his wide grin full of delight. The BAU team stood behind him, all of them watching with varying degrees of curiosity and amusement. "This is my daddy's girlfriend!" Jack turned back to the team for a split second, still not able to pronounce his r's fully. Your heart melted as you heard the way the little boy spoke.
           Aaron’s smile grew as he looked at Jack. "I wanted it to be a surprise," he said and then turned to you with a playful glint in his eyes.
           Your heart fluttered as Jack bounded over to you, full of energy. "Hi!" he greeted you enthusiastically, and without hesitation, he hugged your legs.
           "Hi, Jack," you said with a warm smile, reaching down to ruffle his hair gently. "You did great cheering your dad on."
           Jack beamed up at you, then looked back at Aaron with a wide grin. "I like her, Daddy! She’s really nice. Can she stay with us forever?" Jack ran to his dad hoping for a quick answer to his question.
           Aaron laughed softly, his eyes crinkling at the corners as he looked between you and Jack. "Yes, buddy, she will."
           The BAU team, still watching from a few feet away, chuckled quietly amongst themselves. Penelope Garcia let out a soft, “Aww!” while Derek Morgan elbowed Spencer Reid, who raised an eyebrow with interest.
           Aaron finally turned toward them, gesturing you over with a gentle hand on your lower back. “Everyone, this is my girlfriend. I figured it was time for you to meet her."
           You smiled a little nervously, but the team’s welcoming nature was immediate. “It’s so nice to finally meet you,” JJ said with a kind smile, followed by a nod from Emily, who added, “We’ve heard a lot about you.”
           “Only good things, I hope,” you replied, your cheeks warming slightly.
           "Mostly," Derek teased, giving Aaron a look that earned him a small but amused eye roll from him.
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zepskies · 7 months
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The Old-Fashioned Way
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Pairing: Dean Winchester x F. Reader
Summary: You and Dean are having trouble trying to start a family. What happens when you turn to a spell for a possible solution? [Soulmate AU]
AN: Happy Valentine's Day! ❣️ Welcome back to the Never Say Goodbye-verse, my first ever Soulmate AU! Feels appropriate to celebrate today with some soulmates lol.
Honestly, I have really missed these two. I can’t believe it’s almost been a year since I wrote this series! And I’ve been wanting to find a way to come back to it, so when I recently got this request, I couldn't resist:
The reader finds out she is pregnant and Dean’s reaction.
But of course, I couldn’t make it that simple… This story takes place five years after the Bonus Tracks (3-part sequel).
Word Count: 5,000
Tags/Warnings: Established relationship (marriage). Soulmates, angst, issues in pregnancy, hurt/comfort, fluff, implied smut.
❤️ Series Masterlist
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Today marked five years that Dean had been an officer of the Sioux Falls Police Department.
After twenty-eight odd years of committing felonies of varying degrees…mostly for the greater good, he still found it strange sometimes.
He’d been partnered with his father-in-law, Jack, and by now, Dean had finally lost his sense of “imposter syndrome.”
Jody bought him a pie to commemorate the occasion, and while a little embarrassed, he wasn’t mad about it. The precinct employees now shared the dessert on paper plates from their respective desks and cubicles.
Dean sat in the bullpen with Jack (who was on a call), Jody, and even Jessie Deluca, the boy he’d once arrested for stealing candy and groceries from a gas station.
Well, Jessie wasn’t such a kid anymore. He was now their 18-year-old intern.
“How’s the boysenberry?” Jody asked Dean. Her lips curved upward when he turned to her with a crumb-covered smile. 
“Real good,” he said.
She couldn’t help but laugh a little. “I can’t with this. Come ‘ere.”
She grabbed a napkin and leaned over to wipe at his mouth the way a mother would her errant child. Dean just rolled his eyes.
“Really?” he snipped.
“You look like my five-year-old son after a round of SpaghettiOs,” she said.
“Makes you wonder how his wife deals with him,” Jessie muttered under his breath while he entered expense reports into his computer. Never mind that he had a purple berry stain around the corner of his mouth.
Dean shot him a wry look, along with his crumpled napkin.
“I don’t wanna hear that from a punk like you,” he teased. “You haven’t had a girlfriend since…what, junior prom?”
Jessie fended off the stained napkin with a grimace. But he also smarted at the dig. His arms crossed defensively as he leaned back in his chair.
“As a matter a fact, I’ve got a date on Friday,” he sniffed. “And no, I’m not telling you her name.”
Dean and Jody shared an amused look.
“Aww, look at him, pretending he’s got a date,” Dean said. He fought a deeper grin when Jessie threw the disgusting napkin back at him.
“Fine! Her name’s Annie. You happy now?” Jessie said.
Dean shared another look with Jody.
“Aww, he’s actually got a date,” said Dean. He smirked at the kid next. “Lemme know if you need to borrow some cologne. Chicks dig that.”
“Ugh,” Jessie groaned. He leaned his elbows on his desk and pushed the palms of his hands into his eyes. He knew he’d be catching flack on this for the rest of the week.
Dean chuckled, but before he had a chance to tease their intern some more, his cell phone rang. It was you, and he felt his good mood continue as he answered.
“Hey, baby.”
“Hey, how’s the day going?” you asked.
“Good,” he replied. “We’re on lunch break. Jody got me a pie for my five-year mark at the PD.”
“Aw, that’s so sweet…literally. She knows you too well,” you laughed.
He nodded in agreement. “Yeah, she really does.”
“Tell her and everyone else I said hi.”
“Will do,” he said with a smile. “You just callin’ to check up on me?”
“Well, that, and…when are you getting home tonight?” you asked. The smooth, leading note of your voice had Dean’s lips curving into a smirk.
“Ah, well…” He pushed away from his desk and stepped away from the bullpen for a little privacy in the hall. “That depends. What’s going on?”
“Let’s just say…I have an idea,” you replied. It had Dean’s brows raising. You’d been having a lot of ideas for the past year, and he’d been more than ready and willing for most of them.
“Oh, yeah?” he intoned. While he leaned against the wall in the main hallway of the precinct, his arm crossed under his elbow as he continued holding the phone to his ear. “What’d you have in mind?”
“You’ll just have to find out,” you said.
It only took his brain about a moment and a half to compute.
“All right. In that case, I’ll try to be home promptly at six, barring there’s no shootouts at the 7-Eleven,” he quipped.
“Ugh, please, don’t even joke about that,” you said, your tone sobering.
Dean realized, without even having to read his soulmate’s thoughts, that you were reminded of the last time an explosive incident happened at the local gas station, just two weeks before their wedding day. He dimmed as well. 
“Yeah, ‘m sorry,” he said, swiping a hand over his mouth. “Uh…okay. I’ll see you tonight, sweetheart.”
“Okay, be careful,” you said. You always said it—in the morning, whenever he left for work, whenever you two managed to talk during the day. It was routine, but it also wasn’t. 
And you still wished him a good rest of his day before you hung up. Dean pocketed his phone and returned to the bullpen, where Jody was putting away the rest of the pie. He eyed her just to know exactly where she was setting it down in the kitchen, for future reference.
Jessie peered up from his computer and asked if that was you on the phone.
“Yeah, she says hi,” Dean replied.
Jessie smirked. “‘Course she does. I’m her favorite.”
Dean shot him a look, knowing the kid liked you probably even more than he liked Dean. You’d become like a big sister to Jessie…but it didn’t stop Dean from occasionally being annoyed. 
“Shut up and eat your pie.”
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Dean arrived that night, more or less on time, to find that you’d cooked up a feast. It was laid out across the dining table: steak, scalloped potatoes, carrots and broccoli, and even freshly baked cornbread with butter. 
“Is it my birthday again?” he asked, despite it already being February. 
He ventured into the kitchen where you were getting two bottles of beer. You looked up at him with a smile when he came over and held you from behind. You enjoyed the warmth of his body pressed against your back, while his hands found your hips.
“I cook all the time, Dean,” you pointed out. He pressed a kiss to the side of your head in greeting.
“Hmm. Yeah, but now my spidey senses are tingling,” he said.
You set down the beer before turning in his embrace and twining your arms around his neck. Already he could feel your anticipation through the soul bond, but that was all you were letting him sense. You were keeping your walls up a bit, to stop him from hearing your thoughts. In this case, it felt like a tease.
You tilted your head, a smile playing across your lips. “Oh, yeah?”
Dean smirked down at you. “Oh, yeah.”
You laughed and let him greet you properly with a kiss. You returned it, affectionately caressing his cheek, but you stopped him before he could start pressing you harder into the counter. You held up a placating hand against his chest.
“Wait, wait, the food’s gonna get cold,” you said. And all too quickly, you’d extricated yourself from his arms and went to finish placing the silverware on the table. Dean begrudgingly followed suit by helping you with the glasses and plates.
Dinner was delicious. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d had a steak that good; you two had been scrounging and saving to get out of this apartment and buy a house, along with other things you and Dean had been planning for your future.
By the time the leftovers were put away and the dishes were put in the dishwasher, he started to sense that you were ready to come around with the real reason you’d called him at work today, let alone made such a nice and expensive meal. You went over to where he stood at the kitchen sink and rubbed his arm.
“Hey,” you greeted.
Dean tried to stifle his knowing smile. “Yeah?”
But when he looked over at you, he realized you seemed nervous, not flirtatious. You were serious, and now, he was concerned.
“What?” he asked.
You sighed, hesitating for a moment. Then you went over to a nearby drawer and got some rubber gloves you always kept at work and at home—the kind doctors wore.
You went for your large work bag that normally stored your laptop and files, and instead, you pulled out an old book. Dean’s brows raised of their own accord, considering the last time you accidentally trifled with a book like that.
“What the hell is that?” he asked, with some trepidation. You laid the book out on the kitchen counter.
“It’s a journal of some kind, written in Latin, dating back from the late 1500s. Can you believe that?” Your head raised from where you were examining the cover and spine, but Dean was incredulous.
“What’re you doing with that?” he asked. Your lips pursed, and he felt a tendril of your guilt.
Most likely, you’d taken it from the museum where you worked without permission. You were in charge of the growing library of ancient texts that were stored there, and most of them were too old and valuable for exhibition, even behind glass. He doubted you were even allowed to open this book, let alone “borrow” it from the museum.
You sighed and held up a placating hand. “Okay, Dean, just hear me out.”
You opened the book to a page you’d placed a strip of paper in for bookmarking purposes. You pointed at a page filled with scrawled words that Dean didn’t really understand. Sam was always better at reading Latin.
“That is a fertility spell,” you said.
The weight of that fell between you for a moment, rendering Dean speechless. It took a few seconds for his brain to register what you were saying, followed quickly by a sad, contemplative frown as he stared back at you. You were serious about this, even hopeful. 
“Sweetheart, we don’t need that,” he said, shaking his head. Your expression firmed, though it became touched with melancholy.
“It’s been a year, Dean,” you said. “We’ve been trying for a year, and I’m still not pregnant.”
He blew out a breath. “The doctor said—”
“We’ve done everything the doctor said,” you snapped. “Fertility treatments are either going to take too long or are too expensive, and they still carry risks.”
“And this isn’t a risk?” Dean shot back, gesturing at the book. “You don’t know if this will work, or what the hell it’ll really do to you.”
Your brows furrowed, but you didn’t back down. You held your hands to your hips.
“Uncle Bobby said it’s legit,” you said. Dean blinked in surprise. He shifted back on his heels and crossed his arms.
“You ran this by Bobby before me?” he said. You could feel the small lance of his upset, as well as see it across his face.
You bit the inside of your lip. “I just wanted to make sure!”
Dean took in a deep breath. He mentally counted to five.
“What exactly did he say?” he asked.
You paused at that. “…Well, he said it was a real spell.”
His brows rose. “And?”
“And…that magic is unpredictable and we should talk about it first. But that’s why we’re talking now!” you reasoned. 
Your husband’s gaze lifted heavenward as he threw up his hands in aggravation.
“Dean—” you tried, but it didn’t stop him from snatching up the book. Despite your protests, he took it with him into the master bedroom you shared and shoved the book into his nightstand. You had followed him this far, but you stopped short when he turned around to face you.
“I will check this out,” he said, and his tone boded no argument. “But for the record, I’m against this. Magic is unpredictable at best, and not for nothing, it always comes at a price. I’ll be damned if you’re gonna pay it again.”
You paused. Hearing the vehemence in his tone, feeling the force of emotion behind his words, and your own circling memories of being possessed by a magic-wielding goddess…it had you nodding in agreement, even as tears welled up in your eyes.
Dean faltered a little inside. Always the damn tears. He gathered you into his arms and held you close in comfort. He pressed a kiss to your forehead.
“We’ll figure this out. I promise,” he said.
You tried to believe him.
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Late that night, however, you couldn’t help yourself.
Once you were sure Dean was asleep beside you, hearing his deep, even breaths, you made your move. Dressed in just an old college shirt and some pajama shorts, you slid out of bed and tiptoed over to his nightstand to get the book.
You took it into the kitchen and started assembling the ingredients Bobby had reluctantly helped you translate. (He didn’t know that you had taken a couple of items from his house for the spell.) 
You prepared them in a bowl. The resulting liquid looked brown and disgusting. You mixed it around, grimacing at the smell, and carefully poured it into a glass. The last thing the spell required was a few drops of your blood, and then you were supposed to drink it. 
God, this is terrible, you thought. Part of you couldn’t believe you were going through with this, but…you grabbed a kitchen knife in order to make a shallow cut on your palm. 
The steel was poised against your hand. You took a fortifying breath, but before you could cut into your skin, Dean grabbed your wrist with a strong grip, startling a gasp out of you.
“What the hell are you doing?!” he said, or more like shouted. He was irate, his voice bounding off the walls of the apartment.
You knew he had every right to be, and you didn’t have a good answer for him. Shock had stifled you into silence.
Dean let go of you and took the glass next. He peered in disgust at the concoction inside, but he quickly dumped it into the sink and ignored your protests. He threatened to burn the damn book next.
“Dean, stop! Please,” you said tearfully as you stilled his hands on the book. “If there’s some kind of price to the spell, I’ll pay it!”
“What’re you talking about! Are you crazy?” he asked, through furrowed brows. You squeezed his hands.
“Believe me, I love what we have. I love our life, my job, all of it,” you said. “But I want a family, and I want it with you.”
Dean started to soften at that, when you met his eyes. You paused, taking in a shaky breath.
“It should be simple, but it’s not," you said. "I just can’t understand why it’s so impossible. Why…why there’s something wrong with me.”
Dean’s anger broke down, bit by bit the more you spoke. He let go of the book and reached for you. He held you against his chest, rubbing your back as you quietly wept. You tried to stifle it, but that just made your body tremble even more. He did his best to steady you, rocking you back and forth. His eyes closed for a moment.
You both knew that the expensive fertility doctor hadn’t found anything wrong with either of you, even after a month of testing.
“In certain cases, it just takes longer for some couples,” she’d said. But clearly, you had just been blaming yourself. Dean couldn’t abide that.
“There’s nothing wrong with you,” he said firmly. “Believe me, I want that too. But I also want to make sure you’re safe.”
Emotion clogged in his throat when he thought about what might’ve happened if he hadn’t stopped you. And in turn, you sobered even more when you managed to pick up on his thoughts.
“If something would’ve happened, and I was too late to stop it,” he said, clearing his throat. “…I just can’t, okay?”
After a moment, you nodded. You allowed yourself to rest against his chest and try to calm the racing of your heart. All the while, you tried your best not to resent him for stopping you.
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The next day was a Saturday. You slept in because your body needed it, after the stress of last night. When you woke up, Dean wasn’t beside you. His keys and the Impala were gone, but he’d left you a text: he’d gone to your uncle Bobby’s place. 
And you saw that he’d taken the book as well. Predictable. 
You felt bad for how you tried to go behind your husband’s back, but if you were honest with yourself, you were still upset at him for stopping you, even if you understood why he did it. 
You sat on the edge of your bed. Not for the first time since you and Dean were separated by miles of roads and his family’s mission to find the thing that killed his mother, you found yourself praying. 
Please, God…or if there’s even anyone up there…please help me.
For a while, there was silence in the room. 
But even if your eyes were open, you wouldn’t have seen the being that was standing in front of you. He stared down at you with a tilted head, finding himself a bit too curious. Hesitantly, he reached his hand out and touched your forehead. 
You didn’t completely register the feeling that washed over you. It was like the tingling of a breeze across your skin. You took it for a chill in the room as you shivered a little. Then you opened your eyes, and resigned yourself to starting your day. 
Castiel left the room with but a thought and a flutter of wings. 
He knew he was only supposed to observe Michael’s vessel, not his soulmate. And yet, with one touch, he had sensed the rare genetic defect your doctor had missed.
Your mother had unknowingly suffered the condition as well. Your father never told you this, but she’d nearly lost you in the early stages of her pregnancy. It had been a miracle that you were born at all. 
Castiel fixed the problem. 
He knew what Uriel, or even Naomi would say. Perhaps they didn’t need to know, in this case. They were both far too busy for worldly trifles. Even so, Castiel knew he wasn’t authorized to heal you.
Still, it felt…right. And so, he did it. 
It confused him.
…Maybe it isn’t something to be closely examined, he thought.
With that agreement within himself, he resolved to leave that decision behind him, and continue watching from afar. Those were his orders, after all.
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Visiting Bobby Singer wasn’t as productive as Dean wanted it to be. The men had been arguing in Bobby’s living room for close to an hour.
Dean was upset with him for translating that goddamn spell for you, but the old man didn’t have a good answer. They both knew you were like a daughter to him.
“She came in hot, all damn stubborn and sass up to here,” Bobby said, holding a hand up to his forehead. “But you try sayin’ no when the waterworks starts.”
…Dean could concede that, but he rubbed his face in frustration. 
“What do I do here, Bobby?” he asked, holding up the spell book in question. Apparently, it was more like a journal; it was rumored to have belonged to a sixteenth-century witch named Rowena. “I don’t trust this thing. Deep in my gut, I know it.”
Bobby considered him for a moment. In fact, he gave Dean a long-suffering look that made him really see Bobby’s age. 
“Then trust your gut, son,” was all he said. 
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Dean returned home with a peace offering: some apple crumble pie. You were lying on the sofa watching mindless TV, still in your pajamas. Your mental walls were down, so Dean could both see and feel how miserable you were. 
He took out the pie from the small bag of groceries he carried and held it up so you could see.
“I come bearing sugar,” he said. He also set down a bottle of wine on the dining table. You were focused on the pie, however.
“Who’s that for, me or you?” you dryly remarked. 
“I got ice cream too,” he said, shaking the grocery bag. 
You smiled a little, but he could feel through the bond that you were still sour at him. He sighed and went over to you. He set down the bribery on the coffee table and settled a hand on your pajama-clad thigh. 
“Sweetheart, I am sorry.” 
Sighing, you turned off the TV and sat up against the other end of the couch. You eyed him with a frown.
“You’re not sorry about chucking the spell,” you accused. Or for stealing the book you’d eventually have to bring back to work, lest your boss notice something amiss in the inventory.
“No, I’m not,” said Dean. “It was dangerous. I felt it. And that gut feeling? That’s what’s saved me more times than I can damn count.” 
You were still upset, you couldn’t deny…but you understood his point. When he beckoned you over, you were more willing to go to him. After you scooted closer, he wrapped an arm around your waist and pressed a kiss to the top of your head.
“Look, I’ll go to whatever doctors you want, try whatever treatments, however long it takes,” he said.
You sighed, but you eventually agreed with a teary nod. “Okay. Thank you.”
Even with that, Dean wasn’t convinced that he was getting through to you. He was picking up on a thread of hopelessness that you were trying to hide.
He’d just have to change that.
“But…” He earned your attention by squeezing your side. His lips formed a grin. “I still think we can do this the old-fashioned way.”
He slowly rubbed a hand up and down your back. With the other hand, he reached for your face, tracing your lower lip with his thumb. You smiled slightly at his teasing. Part of you wanted to heed the suggestion in his eyes, and the familiar warmth and promise in his touch. The other, more vulnerable part of you hesitated.
When you caught sight of something over his shoulder, you had to smile a little more.
“I see you got a bottle of Merlot,” you said. A notable upgrade from beer. You couldn’t remember the last time Dean had willingly bought some “bougie-ass” wine.
“A little pie, a little booze…” you noted.
Dean grinned. “I’m thinking we have a not-so-quiet night in.”
Your brows rose, and you hummed in surprise. “Is my husband trying to butter me up?”
“Nah,” he said, tilting your face back up to his. “Your husband’s trying to seduce you.”  
You giggled at that…at first. But it seemed he was serious.
You accepted his passionate kiss. Closing your eyes, you reached blindly for his shirt and held on while his lips moved ardently against yours. Through the bond, you felt his desire like it was your own.
In the five years you’d been married, and the years you were together even before, there were often moments where it was impossible to discern what was him and what was you. 
The beautiful thing about it was, that part didn’t matter too much. Especially not when you and Dean became a tangle of limbs, lips, and tongue on the couch. He ridded you of your threadbare pajamas, and you helped him halfway out of his shirt and jeans before he yanked the rest of it off himself.
And all while he drew lusty moans and sighs and pleasure from your body in the comfort of your living room, the ice cream slowly melted in its container on the coffee table—completely forgotten, along with the pie.
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That night, you lied awake in his arms for a while. Round one on the couch had migrated to rounds two and three in the bedroom, and you were almost too exhausted to sleep. 
It had been months since you and Dean had sex without thinking of calendars and timing, optimal positions and ovulation.
This felt right, you thought, as you stroked his arm that was wrapped around your waist. Even though your skin was sticking to his under the sheets and your frizzy hair was probably tickling his neck, he didn’t seem to mind.
Dean? you tried through the bond, seeing if he was awake. He felt like he was still in-between wakefulness and sleep. At your prodding though, he slipped back into the former. 
“Hmm?” he replied. You let out a sigh in the dark. 
“I’m sorry I kind of tried to take matters into my own hands, with the spell.”
He hmphed in response. “Kinda?”
Your lips twitched upwards. 
“This is a ‘together’ thing,” you said. “I made it all about me.”
Dean shook his head at that. He responded through the bond. No, you didn’t.
I did, you insisted. You were right to stop me. I didn’t care about the consequences…but that’s not fair to you. To either of us.
He took that in with a deep sigh of his own.
“It’s okay. We want the same thing,” he said. “And we’ll get there, baby. Don’t you worry.”
“What makes you so sure?” you asked.
“…I don’t know. I just am.”
You closed your eyes, and once again, you tried to believe him. You let his heartbeat and the sound of his steady breathing lull you to sleep. 
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Nine weeks later…
You were alone in the bathroom at seven in the morning. After almost a month late on your period, you were also staring at two positive lines on your last pregnancy test. 
Ho…ly…shit.
Dean was already at work. This wasn’t something you wanted to tell him over the phone, however. 
How the hell am I supposed to keep this from him all day? you thought.
But then again, maybe this was a good thing. You had time to make sure.
So you called out of work for a personal day, and you immediately called your doctor on your way out to the closest pharmacy. You were going to need a few more tests. 
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When Dean eventually got home that evening, there were two pizzas waiting for him. The smell was already making his mouth water. He peeked under the hood of each box and rubbed his hands together. 
“Ooh, awesome.” Pepperoni, sausage, and double cheese. His favorite.
You appeared then from the kitchen with a strange smile on your face. 
“Hey!” you chirped, but you seemed a bit distracted as you pulled out a sheet pan of cookies from the oven. You nearly dropped them when the corner of the pan banged against the oven. 
Something was off with you. Dean knew it intuitively. He went over and tried to steady you with a hand on the small of your back. He could see that you were frazzled, but he realized, with a frown, that you had your walls up again. He couldn’t pick up on what you were thinking.
“You okay?” he asked. “What’s going on?”
“Uh…well, something,” you nodded and wiped your hands after you peeled the oven mitts off. “And I need to tell you about it before I bake everything in the house, including the expired bran muffins.”
Dean was growing more concerned by the moment. He knew for a fact he’d hidden that bran muffin mix deep in the pantry, so you wouldn’t force him to eat a “healthy dessert.”
“Okay, what?” he asked.
You paused, steeling yourself with a breath.
You then took his hand and led him to the bedroom, into the adjoining bathroom. Across the entire counter were no less than seven pregnancy tests. 
All positive.
Dean’s breath caught in his lungs. Slowly he turned back to you with his widened eyes.
“Surprise?” you smiled, a little nervously. 
Dean grasped the counter and had to sit down hard on the closed toilet seat. 
“Yeah, I did that too,” you said. You couldn’t help but giggle as you caressed his face. He grabbed your hip, both to bring you closer and for added stability. You two had been trying to make this happen for over a year, but the gravity of this being real was finally hitting him. 
He stared up at your face with a growing smile. “This is happening.” 
You nodded, smiling through your burgeoning tears. 
“Yeah. It is,” you replied. “Dean, you’re gonna be a dad.”
That realization had him nodding, swallowing hard and blinking past a sting in his eyes. 
He wrapped his arms around your waist, bringing you in between his knees. You threaded your fingers through his hair, and his head came to rest against your stomach. He pressed a kiss there, over your shirt. 
After a moment to gather himself, he rocked back onto his feet. Then he enveloped you in a secure and warm embrace. He kissed the side of your head, and you felt his smile there.
“We did it, baby,” he said.  
“And that was the easy part,” you quipped, making him laugh. Yet the holy shit of it all hit him in a new wave—one you felt through the bond. You had to take a deep breath to steady yourself as well.
“Oh my God, this is happening,” he repeated.
You uttered a tearful laugh. “Uh, yeah, Dean.”
He was still smiling, but it started to dim a little. 
“We’re ready, right?” he asked.
You chuckled, wiping at your eyes. “We better be.”
Dean nodded and pulled back enough to see your face. You met his gaze. Maybe you’d just had more time than him to process it all, but you finally felt a sense of peace.
“Together, right?” he said.
“Yeah,” you smiled. “Together.”
Dean let out a deep breath. “Shit, I gotta tell Sam.”
Your smile brightened and you squeezed his arms.
“Let’s call him!" you said. "Hopefully Eileen’s there too.”
The two had moved in together a couple of years ago, after Eileen officially retired from hunting. But she often had long shifts at her job, just like Sam did at the law firm he started working for after he graduated from law school, near the top of his class.  
While you and Dean went into the bedroom to call Sam together, an angel watched from a distance, unseen by human eyes.
He found himself smiling.
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AN: Ahh I'm soft. 🥰 I hope you all enjoy this as much as I had fun diving back into Never Say Goodbye.
And I won't say that I'll never come back to it in the future...for obvious reasons. 😉
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Series Masterlist
Dean Winchester Series List
Dean Winchester Masterlist
Series + Dean Tag List (Part 1):
I did my best to get everyone who was tagged in the original run of the series first, then my normal Dean tag list.
@curlycarley @chubby-teddybear @jamerlynn @iprobablyshipit91 @globetrotter28 @deamus-liv @deans-spinster-witch @my-proof-is-you @vera0124 @deans-baby-momma @lacilou @samanddeaninatrenchcoat @theonlymaninthesky @spnexploration @itzabbyxx @cevans-winchester @imagineteller1
@icequeen1371 @tiredqueen73 @bitchwitch1981 @abbigaleelizabeth @ohgodthebogisback @where-the-river-bends @loveprof6 @shadowcrowsworld @thespnlover @this-is-me19 @stevenknightmarc @leigh70 @syrma-sensei @brain-has-left
@hobby27 @ashbatz @saranghaey @jori21 @lillyrob @adoringanakin @agirlwithdemonblood @mimaria420 @nephil-with-a-gun @writethrough @iamsapphine @definitelymentallyderanged @kazsrm67 @letheatheodore @agothwithheavysetmakeup @jacklesbrainworms @foxyjwls007 @wincastifer
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hanasnx · 8 months
Note
bruce trying to explain to dick and jason that the young woman they saw in the manor is his 19 yo situationship !!
PART ONE ✩ PART TWO MINORS DNI 18+
BRUCE WAYNE cuffs his last link, and straightens out the sleeve of his dress shirt.
"I'm not sneaking around." JASON TODD insists, as if it should be obvious and he's disgusted Bruce would imply such a thing. A resentful smile replaces it as he claps a harsh hand on the back of DICK GRAYSON. "Birdie here was just helping me out, he told me you'd be gone by now. Didn't know you kept my copy." He raises the book into view and wiggles it.
"Of course, I would. It has all your annotations." Bruce replies calmly, and Jason's expression drops subtly. Bruce approaches you and adjusts the blanket you held so you'd be more covered up. "Why don't you go freshen up? The car's waiting." Your cheeks heat even more than before, you're sure he can see the color bloom on them and spread to your forehead. He's not the least bit interested in your nightgown that the boys commented on, instead keeping warm and rough hands on your shoulders protectively.
"Hold on a sec', who is this?" Jason has the need to be combative, especially after the flash of vulnerability he displayed. He gestures to you with the book. "Getting younger every year, aren't they, Bruce?" A wolfish grin spreads onto his lips, his canines glinting in the firelight and you frown at his rude implications, talking about you like you're not even there.
"She's my date for tonight." Bruce replies coolly, and you glance between them, puzzled over how he keeps such a level head around someone intent to get under his skin. You were alone five minutes with Jason and he'd managed to annoy you. Bruce somehow senses your unease, and meets your gaze, a soft glow in his eyes.
"Yeah, Bruce, I'm with Jason here. She looks younger than us." Dick has joined in on the conversation that apparently does not include you. "Are you sure that's the kind of statement you wanna make?"
"This conversation is over." A harder tone takes root within Bruce's voice as he commands, and you've had enough.
"Hello? Why are you all talking like I'm not here?" you demand, looking between their expressions of varying shock. "I'm the Ice Princess of Gotham, goddamnit, I won't be ignored!"
A snicker breaks out from Jason, who pats Dick's arm with the back of his hand. "Damn, the kindergartner's got a mouth on her." Dick does not engage in the banter, batting Jason's hand away with a scolding, "Jason."
"I'm tired of this!" you declare, and bunch up the blanket, rolling it up and tearing at it with your claws before throwing it to the ground. "I hope you have fun going to whatever-it-is by your-self, Bruce. I'm going to spend my time with people more civilized." you hiss, proudly sticking your nose in the air as you go to the exit.
"Tell 'em, baby! You go, girl!" Jason jeers after you, "A little more ass next time, that nightgown's too long."
Dick has the urge to shove Jason into the fire, but now that they're adults it's not as feasible as when they grew up around each other. "You're a piece of shit, you know that?" he tells him, but it's more or less tired.
Jason side-eyes him with a shrug. "I knew she couldn't handle it. I'm a tough pill to swallow, and a little princess like that needed some humbling."
"Who says? Jesus, Jason, you think everyone needs to be taken down a peg."
"So, Bruce, what were you celebrating tonight? Her sweet sixteen?" That grin stretches back onto Jason's countenance as he interrogates his former mentor. "Finally sick of pussy your age?"
"She was a distraction." Bruce answers, passing through the two boys. All of the polite inhibition from before is lowered, the playboy veil gone now that you've left the room. All that's left now is Batman, and he opens the window. Dick and Jason's eye follow his back as the cold night air hits them. "Penguin and Batman are at odds, and if Bruce Wayne is the center of controversy, the tabloids don't even notice the dealings of a vigilante." He watches you enter a cab in a huff, your longcoat thrown over your nightgown and heels, and drive off. He turns to Jason, and tips his head toward the open window. "I'm assuming this is how you got in, so out you go."
"This is the fourth story, Bruce."
"So you'll have no trouble."
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cow-smells · 1 year
Text
Decisions | you chose: Roronoa Zoro x reader
Summary: After a misunderstanding makes the crew think you and Zoro are sleeping together, you're forced to face your feelings towards him.
Word count: 1k
Warnings: none
BEFORE reading this, make sure you read the prequel (Sanji's ending here)
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Read on AO3
You definitely did not see this coming when you woke up that morning.
Zoro stood before you, looking more than ready to yank you away from Sanji’s hold. He asked what you wanted – a simple question on its own, but right now, so hard to answer seeing you didn’t know if he felt the way you did.
Zoro was sweet to you, sure. Maybe sweeter to you than he ever was to Nami, or, to anyone else for that matter. But seeing him fight with Sanji over every little thing, you took into consideration that his tenderness towards you might just be to rub the cook the wrong way. But then you thought of the way he pulled you in earlier that morning. Knowing Zoro, it was unlikely that came naturally to him. And it had just been the two of you – there was nothing performative about that gesture.
Not to mention, the way he looked at you now – it was almost pleading.
It wasn’t even a conscious decision when you finally replied, “You”.
That was it. You had taken the plunge, a leap of faith.
The crew fell silent in anticipation; Sanji’s arms froze around you.
“Cook, it’s time you took your hands off my woman.”
Blood rushed to your cheeks hearing Zoro call you his woman. Sanji, seemingly in shock, complied wordlessly. The rest of the crew watched the interaction, expressions varying from wide eyes to slacked jaws.
“What?” Zoro asked the group, sitting himself back down and reaching for the orange juice. “It’s not like you didn’t see this coming.” He poured himself a glass, ignoring the current state of his peers. Deciding to follow his lead, you recompose yourself. You squeeze Sanji’s hand apologetically before returning to your own place, Sanji following your lead in defeat.
“I mean,” Luffy started, “I didn’t see this coming. How did I not see this coming?”
Usopp put on a proud-but-totally casual smirk. “I don’t blame you. They were pretty discreet. It takes a keen eye to notice these things.”
You had to stifle your laugh. “Either way,” continued Luffy, “I’m happy for you guys. The Straw hat’s first romance!”
Sanji leaned forward in his chair, raising a brow at Nami. “You wanna be the second?”
Later, the crew dispersed to their regular activities; this meaning you hadn’t had a chance to speak to Zoro since breakfast. You had a lot of unanswered questions that begged for his attention.
You stood to the side of the deck, watching the sun set after a hard day’s work. You watched the sun blend into the sea as you tried to quiet your rambling mind, trying to make sense of everything that was going on before you saw Zoro at dinner.
You were not prepared for him to approach you first.
You felt his hand on your back before you heard Zoro greet “Hey”, coming up beside you.
“Hi!” you replied, far too enthusiastically. Zoro smiled at your obvious nervousness.
“Are you done for the day?”
“Yeah,” you smiled, forcing the tension to leave your body. It was just Zoro. Zoro, who had referred to you as his woman. Cool. Casual. “How was training?”
“Good. You should join me tomorrow. There’s a couple of things I want to teach you.”
You loved training with Zoro; he had a knack for guiding you so cooly, and yet not giving you any slack for being a girl. “I’d love that.”
Zoro shifted to face the sea. Was he… nervous, too? “Listen. About this morning.”
Oh no. This was it. He was going to tell you it was all a show to annoy Sanji and you’d have to throw yourself off the ship in humiliation.
“I was thinking, and I don’t think I made it clear before.” You swallowed hard. Zoro turned to face you once more. “Can I be straight with you?”
“Always.” Your voice came out too small for comfort.
“Y/n, I’m in love with you.”
Oh.
“I’m not the best at this kind of stuff, so I reckoned I’d just say it so you knew. Hope that doesn’t creep you out or anything.”
“Creep me out!” you laughed. “Zoro, I’ve near crawled in to your bed for like, every morning for weeks now.”
Zoro’s lip quirked in to a little half-smile. “I nearly pulled you in a thousand times.” You had to smile at that, too, your heart feeling full enough to burst. “You think it takes me an hour to get out of bed? I just liked being alone with you.”
“Zoro!” you playfully smack his chest, and his hand comes up to hold yours in place where it fell atop his heart. His other hand finds its place on your neck, anchoring you in place. His eyes drop to your lips, and you stop breathing altogether. Zoro’s thumb brushes lightly over your bottom lip, before he leans down and his lips meet yours.
The passion you had been holding down for so long bubbled up to the surface in an instant; soon your modest kisses turned ravenous, with you pulling Zoro closer to you by his shirt. Zoro angled you so that he could sneak his tongue to meet yours. The idea that the entire display may be inappropriate out in the open where anyone might see you two came across your mind, but the hunger you were feeling for Zoro shut down the concern.
It wasn’t long until you heard a familiar “Oi!” that broke you two apart. Sanji was standing at the door to the accomodations, kitchen towel thrown over his shoulder. “Hands off, she’s an honest woman!” Sanji scolded Zoro who, for the first time, didn’t seem bothered by Sanji’s pestering. “Come on,” Sanji continued. “Dinner’s served.” With that, he was gone.
“We should go,” you told Zoro. Sighing heavily, reluctant to leave your current state, Zoro agreed. The two of you began walking towards the accomodations when Zoro casually slipped his hand to grip yours. Yeah… You could get used to this.
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No tag lists. Do not send asks or DMs about updates. Review my pinned post for guidelines, masterlist, etc.
Warnings: this fic will include dark content such as noncon/dubcon, power imbalance, and possible untagged elements. My warnings are not exhaustive, enter at your own risk.
This is a dark!fic and explicit. 18+ only. Your media consumption is your own responsibility. Warnings have been given. DO NOT PROCEED if these matters upset you.
Summary: Your relationship with your boss takes an unpredictable turn.
Characters: Nick Fowler
Note: some more Nicky for the girlies.
As per usual, I humbly request your thoughts! Reblogs are always appreciated and welcomed, not only do I see them easier but it lets other people see my work. I will do my best to answer all I can. I’m trying to get better at keeping up so thanks everyone for staying with me.
Your feedback will help in this and future works (and WiPs, I haven’t forgotten those!) Please do not just put ‘more’. I will block you.
I love you all immensely. Take care. 💖
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Back to usual. 
You say goodbye to Joey with an especially clingy hug. She’ll be gone back to campus by the time you get home. Her short visits always leave you a bit sad.
You arrive at Nick’s place and let yourself in. The remnants of the prior day’s get together are still littered over the dining room table and throughout the front room. There’s more in the kitchen.
You gather the empty glasses and a few bottles with varying amounts of liquid still inside. You scrape plates into the pin and sweep napkins in after them. You fill the sink with warm soapy water to wash it all when you hear the soft but clumsy pad of feet on the stairs. They’re too light to be Nick.
You have the coffee brewing in anticipation of your boss’ hangover. The aroma wafts into the air as the machine clicks. A figure appears in the doorway and you turn to greet the woman in her sleek but wrinkled dress. This isn’t unexpected either.
“Good morning,” you greet her stunned eyes as she blanches.
“Um, I’m sorry, I was only–”
“Coffee?” You offer her as you open the cupboard, “look like you need it.”
“N-no, I… should go. Is there a Starbucks around here?” She croaks.
“No need, I can do lattes,” you offer, “he’s got this ridiculously expensive machine.”
“Er,” she looks down at the heels dangling from her hand then back to you, “sorry, are you… do you live…”
“I work for Mr. Fowler. Just the maid,” you assure her. Her assumption fills your chest with an unspent laugh. You’re far too old for Nick. Besides, the concept is ridiculous.
“Oh…” her single syllable dangles.
You pour her a cup and turn to offer it to her. Her mouth slants in a guilty smile. She shambles forward and accepts the mug.
“You take sugar, cream? Maybe some Advil?” You suggest.
“Oat milk? And yes please, my head is pounding.”
“Right, he has almond milk,” you open another cupboard and pluck out the ibuprofen, “or whole milk.”
“Almond is fine,” she accepts as you rattle the bottle.
“One or two, hon,” you ask as you approach her again.
“Two, please,” she inhales the scent of the coffee and sighs, rubbing her eye socket before extending her hand to take the tablet, “the whole bottle if I could.”
“Ugh, yeah, I don’t miss those days,” you hum and cap the bottle.
You put it away and go into the large fridge, taking out the carton of almond milk for the woman. You take it to her as she approaches the island to clink down the coffee. You watch as she adds the milk and takes a slender spoon from you to stir it in. She takes her first sip and moans before tossing back the pills.
“Coffee good?” You prompt proudly.
“Oh, yeah,” she looks up at you, “yeah, it’s great.”
“Took me a while to master the beast,” you point to the machine. “I finally got my ristretto down, too.”
She gives a nervous laugh and gulps again, wiping her lips with the back of her hand, “you’re nice… really nice. Why?”
You blink at her question. It makes you wonder, was Nick not nice? That’s not really any of your concern.
“Why wouldn’t I be?” You shrug and turn to the full sink, “you’re a guest.” You plunge your hands in and scrub the porcelain, “plus, you kinda remind me of my daughter. I’d like someone to treat her nicely too.”
“Ah,” she accepts, “that’s really sweet.”
“It’s human, I hope,” you open up the dishwasher to slide in each plate.
“You really… didn’t have to make me coffee,” she murmurs.
You peek over at her as she stares into the depths. She seems sad but that might just be the hangover. You continue your work as you reply.
“It was already on. If you’re hungry–”
“Please, no, that’s okay,” she declines with a wave, “I think… I think I’ll just finish this and get an uber. Maybe go call my mom.”
“Well, you let me know if you need anything before you go,” you chime as you hook glasses into the top rack of the dishwasher.
You finish the dishes and grab a damp cloth to go wipe the table down. You stop by a few other surfaces to clear away rings from the finish and return to the kitchen. As you enter from the dining room, Nick appears in the other.
The woman faces him as she grabs her shoes, “hi.”
He growls and lumbers over to the coffee machine. He sees the mug waiting for him and peers into its empty body. You clutch the cloth in your hand as you watch his naked back tense. He wears nothing more than a pair of briefs. At most, you’ve seen him shirtless when he needs some stitches.
“More coffee?” You offer the woman.
“No, I should go,” she peeks at him nervously.
“Alright, well, you take care,” you bid her and take her cup.
“Thanks,” she says and skulks to the door, “bye, Nick.”
“Mmm,” he flicks his fingers at her as he pours himself a cup.
You narrow your eyes at his shoulder blades. That wasn’t very polite. Well, it isn’t your job to be his mother, even if it feels like it sometimes.
You put the almond milk away as he turns to lean in the corner of the counter. He presses the porcelain to his forehead and groans. You shake out the cloth over the sink and rinse it out.
“You have a daughter,” he states plainly. A question but not really.
“I do,” you answer evenly.
“I didn’t know that,” he says.
You shrug, “guess it never came up.”
"You’ve worked for me for three years…” he mutters.
“You never asked,” you say lightly, “it’s fine.”
He lowers the cup and slurps loudly. He swishes the coffee around before he swallows thickly.
“Your husband okay with you working twelves?”
You chuckle, “sir, really, it’s fine.”
His curiosity is not usual. You stick to the expected, the manageable. You don’t stray outside the lines. You’re friendly but you’re not overfamiliar. He always seemed to prefer that. He enjoyed talking about himself far more.
“You were busy yesterday,” he shifts his weight to one foot, his muscled chest rippling.
“I suppose as busy as you,” you roll in the racks of the dishwasher and add soap before closing it up.
“I… interrupted your plans?”
“Sir, it’s fine, I had a good day off and now I’m back,” you insist, “are there any other messes I need to worry about?”
He tilts his head and exhales deeply. His cheek dimples as he considers you. The cut on his head is exposed but not as bad as it was, though the bruise under his eyes has only gotten darker.
He scoffs as a smirk slants his lips, “sure. You could change my bed sheets.”
“Sure,” you accept breezily, repressing the glimmer of concern at the base of your skull. 
Something about his response seems trite, as if he means to insult you. You’re an adult, you’re less than shocked at his after hours play. By now, you’re quite used to it. He’s in his prime, he’s well off, and he’s handsome by anyone’s measure.
“You could try some witch hazel,” you touch your cheek then point at his, “for the bruising.”
“I can handle it,” he retorts and pushes himself away from the counter, “enough chattering. Get to work.”
🥃
You knock on the office door and wait for an answer. The little device you keep clipped to your belt is still buzzing with Nick’s demand. He calls to you from within and you enter.
“Sir?” You greet him.
“What took you so long?” He growls.
He’s in a foul mood. He has been all day. He can be gruff, you’re used to that, but today, he just seems prickly. His romp must not have been much fun. Come to think of it, his partner had been all too eager to flee.
You shake away the intrusive thoughts and clear your throat, “I was in the laundry room. Sorry.”
“My head is pounding,” he rubs his temples.
“Right, sir, I’ll bring you Advil and some water–”
“Don’t treat me like a child,” he snarls.
“Yes, sir.”
“I’m sure I’m a lot older than your daughter, so cut it out.”
“I wasn’t– sir, I’m sorry.”
“Go, get the pills,” he shoos you, “and call Rhonda.”
You nod and leave him. Wow. You don’t think he’s ever spoken to you like that. The mention of Joey also puts you off. Why is he so concerned? Most people could look at you and assume you have a kid or too. At your age, with your hips…
You go downstairs to retrieve the Advil and a tall glass of water. You climb back upstairs and follow the airy hall down to your office. As you enter, he sits with his head in his hands, his elbows on the desk. You don’t say a word as you set down the glass and pills.
He doesn’t move. You back away slowly and pull out your cell phone. You’ll call the masseuse, she should be able to work out the tension.
As you get to the door, he growls and his chair squeaks.
“You said something, about witch hazel,” he snarls.
“Uh, yes,” you face him, “it’ll take down the bruising.”
He narrows his eyes, the gesture tweaking his swollen cheek. Even battered, he isn’t unattractive. And the woman in his kitchen was just as gorgeous. So you find it hard to fathom why he’s in such a mood.
“Would you like me to get it for you, sir?” You ask, trying not to sound too pandering.
“Sure, whatever.”
You sweep away and go down the hall to the cabinet. You keep everything stocked well. Part of your job is inventory. You’ll have to go through the liquor bottles later and see what needs replenishing too.
You return to him with the witch hazel and a bag of cotton balls. You place them on his desk as he leans his head against the chairback, his eyes closed. You step back on your heel and his eyes pop open.
“Would you mind?” He motions to his face.
“Sure,” you take the cotton balls and pull one out.
You uncap the dark bottle and dampen the cotton with the liquid. His eyes close again as you sidle closer and you dab gently along his cheek. He flinches, just once, then stills. It must be cold. 
His eyes flick open again and startle you as you retract your touch. Awkwardly, you move away and gather up the bottle and bag of cotton balls. He’s quiet as he leans forward to grab the bottle of pills.
“I should’ve guessed,” he says as he shakes two tablets out, “that’s what I do. I read people. You’re a mother, for sure. She’s older, isn’t she? College? You had her young–”
“Sir,” you sniff, uncomfortable.
“Just the one. And you didn’t answer me when I talked about your husband so he must be out of the picture. Divorced. About the time you came around here, huh? You need the job after the messy break up,” he suggests as he wags his finger with a knowing grin, “probably another woman, huh?”
You blink. You’ll let him think what he wants. His opinion of your marriage isn’t important. It won’t do to correct him anyway. He doesn’t really seem to care, he just wants to wound. You just can’t figure out what you’ve done to deserve it.
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hana-no-seiiki · 2 years
Text
YANDERE! TEEN TITANS x YAE MIKO / KITTY CHESIRE ! READER SHORT STORY
the kitty chesire bit is mostly her power to disappear and teleport + love for chaos
as always reader is gender neutral!
[sequel to this fic]
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“YOU. . . HAVE A FOX FORM ? !”
Your team member, Garfield, shouted into your ear as you untied him and the rest of the members after a battle you won.
Via tricking them of course. You were meant for stealth and illusions, not fighting. Most missions with the Titans had you as a scout or back-up. Rarely were you in the heat of the fight.
It was mostly due to your penchant with being a liability. Whether it was intentional or unintentional, placing you with the main group was a recipe for disaster.
It was a perfect role for you. Cause really, who enjoys sitting back and watching everything unfold? You did.
And after watching your friends getting their asses handed to them and laughing for several minutes while invisible (so that they could definitely hear you but you wouldn’t get captured). You came in to save the day.
“Oh, how could you not know BB. I thought we were friends!” You sighed dramatically while finally untying the last member and leader, Robin.
Despite your close proximity, you fail to notice the rare grin on his face.
“Hey, that’s my line! How could you not tell your best friend, huh?!”
“To be fair, it should have been obvious.” Rachel commented. Her cape had gotten covered in some unknown goop, so her voice came out strained as she tried flicking it off.
“Yeah, Garfield. Kitsune, Fox. It’s hard not to know about it.” Jaime added. The scarab on his back’s eyes glow red in agreement.
“I feel wounded, hurt, unimaginable pained—“ Garfield grasped his chest. “But you know what would make me feel b-“
“In your dreams.” You quickly answered. Already knowing what he’ll request. It wasn’t as if you didn’t like turning into your fox form. But you had a plan,
and that plan was chaos.
“I didn’t even finish!”
“Give or take another hundred years or so, then it’ll be a maybe.”
“But- But why—?”
“My kitsune form is not a party trick or just something that can be shown at a whim. It has to be special, as is the person I show it to.”
“Wait, so that’s why you didn’t show me? I thought it was cause you couldn’t do it for another hundred years or so.” Rachel perked up as soon as she heard your words. The remaining goop on her cape forgotten.
“I thought it was because only humans or other beings from Earth could witness it.” Kori crossed her arms.
“You mean it isn’t dangerous for you to turn into one in case you aren’t able to turn back?!” Dick, Jaime, and Victor all screeched in unison.
“Excuses may vary from person to person.”
“[Y/N]!”
Ah yes, all according to plan.
It wasn’t that long before you all had another mission to accomplish. It wasn’t that hard really, in fact the enemies seemed a lot weaker in comparison to the previous ones.
So why were you and the rest tied up?
“Oh no, we’re at risk of dying. Whatever could we do?” Garfield feigned a moan of pain.
“Maybe if [Y/N] shifted into their Kitsune form and got out of their restraints—“ Victor tried suggesting but, like what you did with Garfield last time, you shut him down immediately.
“No.”
Everyone instantaneously gets out of their restraints. No effort at all.
These goddamn desperate little shits—
It had been a month or so since Garfield and the rest found out you weren’t turning into a fox simply because you didn’t want to and they have yet to lose gas when it came to motivation.
It had even gone to the point where the Justice League and heck, even some villains and other unaffiliated vigilantes joined the mix. It was as if every moment someone was trying to coerce you to transform.
“Guys let’s have dinner!” Dick called out from the tower’s kitchen, not bothering with the intercoms since he knew you were close by. As a Kitsune you had a fantastic sense of smell, as such you were already hovering the kitchen since the start.
“Is that . . . [Favorite Food] and - and [Favorite Drink]?” Your mouth watered as you gazed at the dining table. All of your favorite meals, snacks, and beverages were all laid out. Ready to be consumed—
“Ah, ah! Let us see your Kitsune form first.”
You took one long stare at him before disappearing, literally. “I’m ordering take out.”
“God damn it!” The rest of the team all exit from their hiding spots, absolutely saddened by the lack of reaction and that they couldn’t spoil you with your favorites for once.
(It’s not like they can forget about your fox form and just give you everything on a silver platter. Hell no!)
You trudged to Damian’s room. Still invisible until you were sure you entered without anyone seeing you.
You reappear with a smile before shortly turning into a miniature [Favorite Color] fox.
“Tired?” Damian asked, still focused on his computer while you jumped to his lap and made yourself comfortable.
“Mm. Not really! They’re really funny when they’re like that.”
He nodded at your response and began petting you. His other hand reached forward to his phone, “Hey, are you still open? … Yeah . May I have [Favorite Food] delivered at this address…”
You faked a gasp. You knew he had been watching over you since the beginning. Normal people would have freaked out and questioned how knew but you didn’t. How could you? He is your boyfriend after all. Him knowing everything was expected. At least, that’s what he always says, and you didn’t really mind so . . . “You’re the best, Damey!”
“I know.” He finally gazed at you. The love in his eyes are as clear as day, “Now, get off. We have to pick up our order.”
General Batfam Taglist: @the-sander-fander
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luvsellie · 2 years
Text
MASC ON [e. williams]
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pairing high school au!ellie x fem!reader
summary being the new girl in school meant walking in to projects smack-dab in the middle of the year. but when you get assigned to work with the masc girl who sits next to you, there’s no hiding your blatant attraction toward her…and maybe she can’t hide her’s either.
warnings ellie and reader are 18 here (seniors in high school) !! kissing, pining (this is literally just fluff and i wanted an excuse to write for flashback el)
wc 3.9k
note this is incredibly self-indulgent and took me an embarrassing long amount of time to actually write i apologize (title inspiration from the song mask off by future)
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“this is so stupid.”
ellie’s complaint compelled you to roll your eyes, a redundant sigh escaping you. “i heard you the last three times you said it.”
your deskmate slumped against the side of her bed, nimble fingers fidgeting with a slightly chewed pen as she watched you create a rough outline of the halle comet on a large poster board—she thought it was more entertaining than trying to gather the essential information your teacher had required to be provided. you could feel her eyes observing every flick and stroke of your pencil as you struggled to copy the image from your laptop.
the task had deemed itself to be more complicated than you thought, and after one more final attempt, you tossed the writing utensil to the side in frustration. “this is so stupid.”
snorting at your disgruntled attitude, ellie reached for the pencil. “how about this; i’ll draw and you get the stats. i’m dying of boredom over here.” she shuffled closer before you could object, shoving her textbook your way.
not bothering to argue, you grabbed your backpack and started to sift through the supplies you had brought along to her house. markers, pens, pencils, scissors, binder…
removing your binder from your bag you flipped it open, only to be met with other assignments and notes from varying classes. groaning, you said over a shoulder, “ellie do you have notebook paper?”
“yeah—top drawer of my desk,” she answered without looking in your direction, her short hair falling to cover the side of her face.
nodding to yourself, you shoved your things back in your bag and stood, making your way toward her desk. it was rather cluttered, which didn’t shock you in the least, but still organized in probably a way only ellie would understand.
you grabbed the first drawer’s handle and gently pulled, exposing the mess that was inside. grumbling to yourself about how ellie couldn’t possibly be able to find anything in this chaos, you began to poke through her things. managing to spot a spare journal—which you noted was not looseleaf paper like you had asked—you carefully maneuvered the notebook out from underneath all of her art supplies.
hip-thrusting the drawer shut, you flipped the journal open, eager to get on with the research you did not want to do, simply to get this project over with. but as you overturned lined pages, you came to realize this was a sketchbook—and you were the starring subject.
“ellie,” you called, eyes trained on a drawing of you slumped over a book in the school library (you recalled this day rather vividly).
the auburn-haired girl finally looked up from her spot on the carpeted floor. she quickly realized what was in your hands. “shit,” she couldn’t help but mutter in panic. ellie rushed to her feet, already reaching to take the sketchbook from you. “sorry, you weren’t supposed to-”
you said her name again, interrupting her explanation with “you would’ve saved me a lot of time had you been the one to draw that ridiculous comet from the get-go.”
ellie’s arm fell to her side, and she tried to calm her racing heart with a deep inhale. she scratched the back of her neck sheepishly, invisible strings tugging on the corners of her mouth when she realized you weren’t pissed at her. “yeah, i guess you’re right.” she paused before adding, “you’re a really shitty artist.”
your eyes flickered to hers immediately, and you snapped the journal shut before smacking her left upper arm with it. “hey! i tried my best, okay? we can’t all be as talented as you.”
“got that right,” ellie mused, her familiar easygoingness making a return. she stuck a hand out. “can i please have my sketchbook back?”
you kissed the back of your teeth, giving her a look of contemplation as you hugged the object in your hand a little closer to your chest. “mm, i don’t know. i was thinking about going through it some more. i mean, i barely got to see anything.”
ellie’s eyebrows shot up. “seriously?”
“seriously,” you told her with a nod, taking a step closer to the desk behind you.
her hand dropped, and you swore that something flashed across her face, but before you could identify what it had disappeared. maybe i’m pushing it, you thought suddenly, growing aware of the way you were holding onto something that she probably poured her heart and soul into.
across from you, ellie adjusted her stance before shrugging. “alright. have fun, i guess. i just need it back tomorrow by 6th period.”
you blinked at her words, dumbfounded by her compliance. watching her return to the poster board on the floor, you held the little journal closer, already making note of what you would be doing later when you returned home.
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ellie liked to draw you. she supposed it was rather obvious, but seeing the way your eyes widened as you observed her drawings made her second guess. had she really not been that apparent? she guessed not. and while she was excited to let you take her sketchbook home, she was more nervous.
it was very hard to sleep that night, and only when the small illuminated numbers on her alarm clock struck two a.m. did she finally manage to doze off.
“you look a little…rough,” dina said, cringing at her own word choice.
ellie ran a hand through her hair as she walked beside the shorter girl. “thanks. i hadn’t noticed.”
dina ignored the jab. “i can’t believe you actually gave it to her. hell, you never even let me touch that thing…and you’ve only known her for, like, two weeks! i am feeling a little betrayed, but it’s whatever.”
“letting her look at it just…felt right? i don’t know how to explain it. she doesn’t seem like someone who’d become suddenly disgusted by me drawing her way before we ever started talking,” ellie confessed, spotting the door to her earth and space class.
“ouch.” dina grabbed ellie’s arm, pulling her to an empty wall. “first of all, i wouldn’t be disgusted by you if i was her. secondly, stop being nervous. there’s no need for all of that.”
“i’m not nervous,” she objected immediately.
the brown-eyed girl stared blankly at her. “yes, you are. you’re more fidgety than normal. just go in there, sit down, and wait for her to walk in. you said she normally gets to class practically right before the bell rings?”
“yeah, she comes from the other side of the building.”
“perfect! now go.” dina shoved her friend in the direction of the classroom, waving her off with a smile.
sighing through her nose, ellie entered the room, greeted her teacher, and visibly sagged when she noticed you weren’t in your seat yet. there’s still some time, she thought to herself, not realizing that you had walked in behind her until you said: 
“hey, el, you’re kinda in the way.”
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you watched as ellie turned to face you, her eyes wide as she whirled. “you got here fast,” she stated bluntly.
shrugging, you moved past her to walk toward your desk. as you sat you said, “class was in the library today since they were using our room for testing.”
ellie nodded from in front of you, still standing. you noticed how aloof she was acting. “are you gonna sit?” you asked, gesturing to the desk beside you.
“yes,” she said hastily, pulling back her chair. she landed with a thud. slouching against the back of her seat, she looked at you and continued, “you brought the poster in, right? this morning?”
your mouth pressed into a thin line. “yes, ellie, i brought the poster in. but we’re not presenting today anyway, so had i forgotten, we’d still be okay.”
“god, that is such a relief,” she sighed, leaning her head back to stare at the speckled tile ceiling and roll her tense shoulders.
“agreed,” you breathed while hauling your bag into your lap. unzipping it, you pulled out the familiar brown journal. “here. back to you before 6th period. just like you said.”
ellie took her notebook cautiously, setting it on her desk as she glanced at you.
“why’re you looking at me like that?” you asked skeptically, lowering your voice to a whisper as your teacher started class at the front of the room. “if you didn’t want me to take it then why did you give it to me in the first place?”
the girl beside you shook her head, leaning her body closer. you stared at the outline of her tattoo as she said, “i wanted you to take it. i’m just nervous that you look at me differently now.” 
your eyebrows shot upward, both taken back and confused by her answer. “why would i even-” you turned to face her. “ellie, i don’t look at you ‘differently’ because you draw me. i think it’s rather sweet, actually.”
ellie was bewildered by your words, recalling what dina had said earlier about how she would have loved it if she were drawing her. maybe she had been right. licking her chapped lips, she shifted in her seat, as if she were going to say something, but snapped her head to the front when the teacher said her name sternly.
“miss williams i need you to pay attention, please. this has to do with the project, and i will not be happy when you decide to ask me something i already explained to the class,” the man up front lectured, making both you and ellie sit a little straighter in your seats.
you sent ellie an apologetic look when she glimpsed in your direction. as your teacher moved on from his scolding, you grabbed her sketchbook from her desk and flipped it open to a clean page, pen in hand.
meet me at my locker after school? you wrote quickly, pushing it over for her to see.
ellie grabbed the writing utensil you gave her. i have basketball practice after school :(
frowning, you exaggerated a sigh, shooting a playful eye roll her way as you scribbled out a reply. then i’ll come by the locker room after practice. there—problem solved.
problem solved. ellie wrote back with a grin, nodding at your solution.
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“i am incredibly stupid. what was i even thinking?”
jesse was quick to shoot down your self-loathing, his shoulder brushing up against yours as he walked you in the direction of the girl's locker room. “no, you’re not. you were bold. there’s a difference.”
you pressed your lips into a thin line, cheeks slightly puffing out before you kissed the back of your teeth. anxiously running a hand over your face, you said, “well…is there really?”
“yes,” your friend quipped.
rolling your eyes, you shoved jesse jokingly as someone came walking out of the locker room. you instantly recognized dina in her cheerleading outfit, a knowing smile making its way onto your lips. the girl from your history class had always been super friendly.
“dina!” you called, earning a low groan from jesse.
the cheerleader grinned immediately, though you recognized its falter when she spotted her ex by your side. “hey! what’re you doing in the athletic building?” she made a show of not acknowledging jesse.
“i’m here for ellie!” you told her with a toothy smile, fidgeting with the straps of your backpack.
dina’s eyes widened with realization, but her bubbly appearance didn’t feign. she pointed a thumb toward the door she had come out of. “oh! she’s the last one still in the locker room, which i suppose you might’ve already known?”
shaking your head, you said, “yeah, i told her i’d meet her after basketball practice had finished.”
“well don’t let me keep you here then,” dina exclaimed, stepping out of the way to the door with the tiny woman’s symbol on it.
you nodded as you stepped past her, only looking over your shoulder to say, “i’ll see you guys tomorrow!”
“yep!” dina confirmed.
jesse shot you a reassuring grin as you disappeared into the dimly lit hallway that hosted the coaches’ offices.
heart beginning to race, you pulled the door handle to the locker room and forced your legs to move. the fluorescent lights were harsh against your eyes, your chest constricting with nerves as you walked past bathroom stalls, sinks, and floor-length mirrors. you couldn't remember the last time you had been in a locker room.
finally coming up on the athletic lockers (they were on a completely separate wall from the regular physical education lockers), you started to hear shuffling.
“ellie?” you called out, trying your best to not sound like you wanted to abandon this idea entirely.
as you passed a few more of the athletic cages, you spotted the girl you were searching for. her lack of a shirt made you balk.
turned toward the lockers, ellie passed a towel through her wet hair, arms tense with movement. you admired the taunt muscles of her back, her damp skin littered with small, but visible, freckles.
she hadn’t noticed your presence.
you cleared your throat promptly, offering her a smile when she turned around. trying not to be distracted by her toned arms and abdomen, you said, “hi ellie. hope i didn’t catch you at a bad time?”
she shook her head, mouth curling into something between a genuine grin and a satisfied smirk. “hey…and no, you caught me at a really good time, actually. practice ended about 45 minutes ago.”
nodding, you took a few steps closer. “yeah, i know. i asked a friend when practices normally end. figured me being a little ‘late’ would benefit. didn’t want to catch you before you had time to shower.”
“ouch,” she said, reaching to grab for her dirty practice t-shirt in her locker. ellie looked over her shoulder as you halted.
something about the way her eyes glinted made you deadpan, “if you throw that at me i will turn around and leave right now.”
chuckling to herself, ellie shook her head. “calm down, i’m not throwing anything at anyone.” she dramatically put the shirt and a pair of folded athletic shorts in a drawstring backpack before shoving it back into the locker.
“you are so annoying,” you snapped at her, moving to sit on the wooden bench placed directly in the middle nook of lockers. as you sat, you caught a whiff of sharp mahogany and cheap cologne.
ellie’s eyebrows raised, her shoulders leaning to press against the cool metal behind her. “and yet here you are, going out of your way to meet me in the back of the locker room after school.”
part of you was certain she made emphasis on the phrase ‘back of the locker room.’
shooting her a glare, though, you straightened as you said, “i said you were annoying, not that i didn’t like you.” there was a pregnant silence before you added, “besides, i wanted to ask if you wanted to go get coffee with me.” you watched ellie’s lips pull back in disgust, your heart dropping in an instant. “or not. sorry, i didn’t-”
“how about we go get dinner instead?” she interrupted. “coffee’s disgusting and i’m starving.”
blinking at her words, you licked your lips. “yeah. yes. that works.” it took you a moment to regain your composure. shit, i almost blew that. “i didn’t know you hated coffee.”
ellie turned and grabbed a hair tie. as she put half of her hair up—somehow in the most attractive way you might add—she said, “oh, yeah. that shit is gross.”
“um, have you even tried it?” you asked doubtfully, mouth forming into a frown. when the auburn-haired girl stayed quiet and instead clasped a thin silver chain around her neck you guessed her answer was clean no. 
you scoffed as you nudged her sock-covered foot. “i’m going to force you to try mine the next time i bring some.”
“sounds great,” ellie said sarcastically, a grin tugging on her lips. her smile sent chills sprawling down your spine.
shrugging off your backpack, you set it by your feet, muttering out a barely audible, “fuck.” you had no idea where this conversation was going, and your attempt at asking her out on a date had been a bust…sort of?
ellie had declined coffee and suggested dinner, but it still sounded like it fit more under the category of  ‘hangout as friends.’ talking to her was sometimes like talking to a brick wall. masc’s are so fucking clueless, you thought, releasing a heavy sigh through your nose. or maybe i’m not being obvious enough?
“what?” she asked at your suddenly agitated (as she’d describe it) attitude, wetting her chapped lips as she went to sit next to you. lifting a leg over the bench, she sat, body facing yours as she man-spreaded for comfort—her proximity and stature reminded you that she was still very much shirtless…and somehow way better at this (you weren’t sure what this even entitled) than you were.
goosebumps spread across the skin of your upper arms. you shifted, pulling up a knee to rest on the wood as you trailed off, eyes avoiding hers, “you’re just so…”
her head tilted, eyes narrowing as she leaned closer. there was no way she didn’t notice the way you sucked in a breath. “i’m so what? look at me when you talk,” she said.
your gaze snapped toward hers, but first flickered to the swell of her mouth.
“i’m so what?” she repeated, her voice lowering an octave. when you said nothing, she added, “cat got your tongue?”
between her teasing and the adrenaline coursing through your body, you were compelled to do the only thing you could think of to shut her up—to make her drop the questions. swallowing the lump building in your throat, you grabbed her face, thumbs pressing against her warm cheeks, and kissed her with unmistakable want.
although ellie hadn’t expected for you to be so physically direct, she did not mind it at all. following the rough pace you had set, she kissed you back with just as much ferocity, her fingers slipping into the belt loops of your jeans to slide herself forward and you closer.
you mewled at her movement, the pressure between your thighs growing as intensely as you were kissing her. she was quick to regain control of the situation you had thrust upon her.
“ellie,” you mumbled against her mouth, your eyes half-shut as she tugged on your jeans a second time.
“come here,” she told you hastily, lips trailing toward your left ear. “sit on my lap.” she kissed your temple. “please.”
shuddering at her request, you wasted no time in pulling away, pushing yourself off the bench, and situating your legs over hers in a straddle position.
the heat from ellie’s skin seeped through the fabric of your shirt, her hands slipping past the hem. you found yourself arching instinctively to her venturing touch, your stomach twisting into tight knots.
“you are going to make me go insane,” she confessed, her words coming out in a whisper, leaning in to kiss you again. her lips were gentler against yours, eager to savor the moment.
in turn, you indulged in letting your palms trace the sculpted muscles of her arms, fingers trailing every dip and curve from her years of work in the weight room. “you are so beautiful,” you told her delicately, relishing the way her skin burned under yours.
ellie followed the compliment, her hands finding your face and forcing you to look at her. green eyes etched with something between lust and admiration, she thumbed a corner of your mouth. “do you have any idea what you do to me?” she whispered. “from the moment you walked into that classroom…”
her words died in her throat and she swallowed thickly as you shook your head. “don’t do that. not here.”
“do what?” she questioned, adjusting her position on the bench.
the friction between your legs forced you to release a shaky breath, and you licked your lips in an attempt to focus on bringing your thoughts into coherent sentences. she was making it extremely hard. “i want to talk about this over dinner,” you told her hoarsely. “about what we are now. about what you want us to be.”
“are you saying you want to go on a date?” she asked quietly.
you couldn’t help your sudden smile. “i asked you earlier when i mentioned coffee, but you instantly shut that idea down.”
ellie rolled her eyes, though you could sense her pang of guilt. “you weren’t very clear on the date part. otherwise, i would’ve said yes immediately.”
surprise feigned your features. “you? saying yes to a coffee date?”
“oh, ha-ha.” she exaggerated the fake laugh. “and yes, had i known you were asking me out i would've sacrificed my comfort for your enjoyment. honestly, i think i do that quite often—as of right now i think my tailbone is being bruised.”
you sucked in harshly, moving off her with urgency as you shoved her shoulder with a hand. “why didn’t you say anything?!”
“and risk not feeling you up? yeah, no thanks.” her tone was definite.
your jaw fell slack as you crossed your arms over your chest, confounded by her response. “you can still feel me up without me in your lap, dummy.”
“yeah, but that sounds less fun,” ellie teased, holding up her hands in defense. she stood from her seat, reaching around you to grab her baseball t-shirt from earlier. as she put her arms through the sleeves she said, “i have a game tomorrow. you should come watch.”
you scrunched your nose jokingly, deciding to use her words against her. “and see you all sweaty? yeah, no thanks.”
ellie straightened out her shirt, shooting you a rather bemused look in the process. “how do you know you won’t like seeing me all sweaty and worn out?”
as she hunched down to pull on her converse, you exhaled heavily, unable to come up with something witty. mainly because she was right. you would totally like to see her all sweaty and worn out. so, with a slight bruise to your ego, you itched your nape, mumbling out, “i never said i wouldn’t like that. you always assume shit about me.”
“and you always assume shit about me, so we’re even,” ellie shot back, standing back up. she grabbed her backpack from inside the locker before changing the subject. “where do you wanna go for dinner?”
you shrugged, reaching down for your own bag. swinging it over a should, you said, “i don’t know. whatever you want. and you’re right, i do assume shit about you. like right now, for instance, i’m assuming you’re a picky eater.”
“i am not a picky eater.” she shut down your claim with a light kick to your shoe. “and fine, i’ll pick something and surprise you. did you drive to school today?”
you shook your head. “no.”
“great, looks like you’re sticking with me then.” she tried and failed to hide her cheeky smile. closing her locker, she grabbed your hand, hastily leading you toward the main hallway of the locker room. “come on.”
trailing after her, you felt your cheeks heat with the prompt realization of your reality. maybe you’d have to thank your earth and space teacher for assigning that stupid comet project. the steady growth of your relationship with ellie made your insides twist with pure excitement, and as she rambled about how much you would enjoy her restaurant of choice, you couldn't help but succumb to the feeling of pure bliss.
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hikarimiyanaga · 10 months
Text
The Queen's Bride (Part 1)
Summary :
Being a rich man's kid isn't as exciting as everyone makes it out to be.
You have no freedom.
Every choice has been made for you ever since you were born.
What you eat. What course you were going to study. What school you're going to.
Even the one you were going to marry.
So to your surprise, your father has finally chosen one thing right for you.
Daenerys Targaryen.
Warnings : Omegaverse. Stark!Reader. Omega!Reader x Alpha!Daenerys Targaryen. Modern!AU.
Look who's finally watching Game of Thrones. Surprise, surprise, I fell in love with Daenerys.
"This is bullshit!" Jon, your cousin, shouts as he paces around you.
Both of you were just given two names.
Two people you never met that you were going to spend the rest of your life with.
"Who the fuck is Ygritte and why do I have to marry her?" Jon shouts in frustration and you shrug.
"I mean, Father could've paired you with one of the Lannisters. Myrcella is an omega-"
"Shut up." Jon glares at you.
"You have to admit it. Ygritte is pretty as fuck."
"Lucky for Robb, huh? He's the heir so he could choose freely."
"She is. But- I don't know her, Y/N." Jon sighs as he sits next to you.
"Lucky asshole." You slap his arm.
"He's my big brother."
"He is. I wish I could be the heir."
"Seriously? You? Jon Stark of Winterfell Corp? Are you hearing me?"
"Shut up." The two of you look at each other then laugh. "Yours is pretty too, by the way. And a Targaryen too."
"Why them? Our mottos are literally parallels."
"Yeah. Winter is Coming."
"Fire and Blood. Like why her?" You groan at the ceiling.
"Just be glad that she's pretty. Some don't get that lucky."
"Are you talking about-" Jon nods and you sigh.
"I just wish we had freedom."
"Me too. Y/N. Me too."
-
You get your bag and look at the empty apartment around you.
"I need Sansa to room with me. Like gods, this place is fucking big enough for ten people at least." You mumble to yourself as you leave the apartment.
Just like everything else in your life. The apartment was provided by your Father, Ned Stark. You could count the number of times on your fingers that you've actually talked to him rather than just receive orders or scolding from him.
Your phone rings just as you get inside the Westeros University. You answer it as you see your little sister's name.
"Y/N! How are you?" You smile at Arya's voice.
"I'm good, Arry. Where are you?" How is she calling you right now?
"I'm at home. There was a lice problem at school today so we went home! Are you free??" You grin at her exciting tone.
"In two hours, I will be. Why?"
"Can we go play? Mom said she'll let me go to the mall if I'm with you!"
"Sure, can you wait there and behave?"
"Yep! See you later!"
"See you." You say softly and smile as you go to your first and last class of the day. You were so glad that you chose your own schedule. You sit down at your usual seat and hum as you take out your laptop. Looks like professor Varys is late today.
Westeros University is the biggest University in all of Westeros. It has lessons even in magic.
"Did you hear, Y/N?" You look up as Oberyn sits beside you. You were somewhat friends. He can charm anyone in a room while you can outread anyone in a room. Truth be told, even you didn't know why he talked to you.
"Hear what?"
"Not interested in rumors as usual?" He asks and you shake your head.
"Even if Varys tells us otherwise, I still don't like rumors and hearsays." Oberyn nods and grins in satisfaction.
"Which is why you make the perfect audience." You sigh. "Listen to this. Someone is doing it."
"Doing what?"
"Seeing if the dragons will choose them."
"Seriously? That thing hasn't been done in like 200 years."
"Right? But someone is brave enough to do it now. You know what it means, right?"
"Yeah. They get to sit on the Iron Throne regardless of their last name."
"And?" You raise an eyebrow at him in confusion.
"And what?"
"Complete freedom!" You tilt your head at him. "No more choices by parents! No arranged marriages!"
"Damn. Sounds like a dream come true."
"For you guys. I still don't get why you guys won't love freely."
"Because last names have a value of their own. Here at Westeros at least. Oh. And Westeros Conglomerate too." Oberyn shakes his head.
"What you guys should value is talent, not blood."
"Meritocracy rather than blood right. Reasonable." Oberyn looks at you. "I don't make the choices though."
"Marry the king then."
"I'd rather die, Oberyn. I'd rather eat my own shit."
"Still hate men?"
"Only romantically." Oberyn chuckles just as Varys comes through the door.
"You're missing out on like half of the world then." You give him a smile.
"I don't think I am."
-
You hum as you park your car in front of the Stark Mansion. You were just getting your bag when you feel a pair of arms circle around your legs. You look down and see Arya smiling at you.
"Hey, Arya!" You scoop her up and she squeals. Arya is only 9 years younger but you love doing this to her. "Where's Ma and Father?"
"Dad is still at work! Ma is inside!" You put her down and nod.
"Come on, then. I'll tell Ma that I'll take you to the mall." Arya grins at you and she begins to tell you about her classmates and school.
"And then this one guy-"
"Y/N! You're home!" Catelyn Stark rushes over and hugs you. You hug her just as tightly.
"Hey, Ma. Arya wanted to play with me and it's been months since I've been home so I figured I should take her."
"I'm sure she understands that you're busy with university and all."
"I know, Ma! But school is out and she said she was free." Arya pouts from beside you and you smile.
"I am free, no worries." You ruffle Arya's hair and she smiles at you.
"Be sure to be back for Dinner then."
"We'll buy some before we get home. Are Robb and Father-"
"Busy." You nod in understanding then take Arya's hand.
"You ready for an afternoon with me? Your best sister?"
"YEAH! We'll destroy those high scores in the arcade!" You grin and agree.
-
You come home with a passed out Arya, a bag full of plushies, and a bag with food.
"You actually made her sleep? You are a godsend." You laugh at your mom and grin.
"Once you get Arya's quirks and use them against her, she can make herself run out of energy."
"Please don't tell-"
"Ma, she wants to. She can afford to learn it still."
"But her marri-"
"She's still 9, ma. She doesn't need to think about that yet."
"Right. Are you staying for dinner at least?"
"Sure. Is Sansa-" Before you finish your sentence, someone has already hugged you.
"Y/N! Why didn't you tell me you were coming?" You turn around and find your other little sister, Sansa Stark.
"Well, I had to exhaust this one so." Sansa looks at Arya who was cuddling your neck still.
"Whoa. Arya never sleeps this early."
"Like I said. Exhausted. Are Brandon and Rickon here?"
"Yep! They should be getting back from Winterfell by now."
"What did they do there??"
"Father wanted to show them something. Are you staying tonight?"
"If you're willing to share your bed."
"ALWAYS!" You shush her and smile.
"I'll just be putting this one in her bed then I'll come down. Here." You give the bag full of food to Catelyn and smile. "Some of my favorites."
"I'll plate them up." You nod and begin your walk with Arya still sleeping while cuddling your neck.
"You're becoming heavier, Arya. I wonder if I should do some training just so I can carry you around."
-
"Y/N! You're back!" Brandon says then hugs you.
"Hey, little brother." You kiss his head and smile as he beams at you.
"SIS!" Rickon shouts then tackles you to no avail.
"Heya, baby bro." You pick him up and grin. "Did you grow??"
"I did! I'm defeating Arya soon!" You grin at him.
"Don't let her hear you!" You ruffle his hair then turn to Sansa. "Did you do your homework yet?"
"No? Will you help me later?" She gives you her puppy dog eyes and you groan at her. You admit that you're too weak to your siblings.
"Fine. But no talking about boys. I swear to God if I hear one more thing about-"
"But Ser Loras is just so dreamy." You look at her with a deadpan expression.
"Try me and I will sleep besides Arya." Sansa pouts.
"Fine. No boy talk." She grumbles. "Stingy."
"I'm gay. I'd rather marry another omega as long as she's a woman." Catelyn smiles as she sees you getting along with your siblings.
"Do not plant ideas in their head."
"Ma, Sansa is as straight as a ruler. These two don't even know what their second genders are." Catelyn rolls her eyes at you. "That reminds me, when's your test?" You look at Sansa as you place Rickon at his seat.
"This Monday! I'm so excited to confirm that I'm an Omega!"
"And if you're a beta?" You ask and Catelyn slaps your arm. "What? There's nothing wrong about being a beta! I wanted to be one before."
"You did?" Sansa asks and you nod. "Why?"
"More options." Catelyn hits your head and you laugh.
"Why? Does being an omega lessen your options?"
"Technically, I can't have another omega as my soulmate. Not that it matters."
"Oh yeah, dad said he sent you someone." You roll your eyes at that.
"He sent a file of someone. He wouldn't just let some stranger in my apartment."
"Who is it?? Can we know??" You groan at the excitement in Sansa's voice. There's nothing more that interests her than love talk.
"She's a Targaryen."
"The Dragon Family!" Rickon shouts and you ruffle his hair.
"Yup! Bran, do you know their motto?" Brandon hums as he gets some food.
"Yeah. Fire and Blood, right?"
"Yup! You all will get some ice cream. I brought some earlier." Catelyn glares at you. "What?"
"Cavities."
"I only visit once in a while, Ma. Just this once." Catelyn pinches your cheek. "Ow! Give! Give!"
"Just this once and don't ever do this again without saying anything to me."
"Yes, Ma! I got it! Ow!" Catelyn finally lets you go and you hold your cheek. You pout at her. "You didn't have to pinch that hard."
"You know how I feel about sweets." You sigh.
"I know. Sorry."
-
"Good thing the ice cream didn't give Rickon sugar rush."
"Yeah. It was a relief that Ma didn't pinch me."
"Those two boys really love you and adore you."
"They do." You look at Sansa and pat her hair. "I hope you become a beta, baby girl." Sansa scoffs at you.
"Wha- why!?" You smile sadly at her.
"So then you'll have more freedom." Sansa holds your hand. "Sadly. As an Omega, everything is controlled for you here in Westeros. Specially if you have a last name of a noble."
"Y/N." You squeeze her hand and grin.
"Hopefully, you and Arya get to decide your own futures. And your own partners." Sansa gets teary eyed at that. You let go of her hand then pat her hair again. "Time to get ready for bed. I'll just check on Arya for a second, okay?" Sansa nods at you and you close her door before covering your mouth with your hand.
Freedom. What a grand word. For you, it was thrown out the window when you got your test results.
Everyone says that Omegas have equal standings with Alphas. That the world is getting better.
"What a load of fucking bullshit." You mumble to yourself as you make your way to Arya's room.
You open the door and see that Arya is still fast asleep. You get to her bed and kiss her head.
"I hope you'll have more freedom than me, little one." You tuck her in and leave.
-
PS.
Jon is a Stark here and Catelyn knows he's Lyanna's son but no one knows who his father is. Let's just pretend for a second that he's not a Targaryen.
I actually was going to go the usual route for this aka Alpha Reader but decided against it. Omega Reader just works better for the angst inside my head.
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vaspider · 10 months
Note
Hi Spider!
Firstly, I’m very sorry you have to deal with all those difficult people in your posts.
Second, could we possibly hear the tale of your ancestor Shotgun Shorty? And great grand pappy who ran off the priest?
If you don’t have the spoons no worries!
Hey look, I'm avoiding real work by answering very old asks and pretending that counts!
(It does count. Shh.)
Shotgun Shorty was my great-grandmother, and the man who ran the priest off of his farm (repeatedly) was my great-granddaddy. They were married to each other and immigrated from Poland together; we suspect, but cannot presently prove, that Agnes may have been born Jewish. (I've done as much poking and prodding about the topic as I can without actually going to Poland, I think, and it only matters so much to me, because I'm Jewish regardless.)
Anyway, they came over to the US shortly after the turn of the 20th century with my great-grandmother's sister & settled in central Pennsylvania. She ran the farm with her sister and the kids who weren't in the mines and had over a dozen children -- I think the final count was fifteen? -- and I think about 2/3 of them made it through childhood, and he worked in the coal mines and also ran the farm. My granddaddy was a breaker boy as a kid (though I grew up hearing it called being a 'picker'). Neither one of them spoke much English and my granddaddy wouldn't let my dad learn whatever they spoke, so most of these stories come through my granddaddy and his siblings to my dad and then to me.
So as you'll note from that little recounting above, most of the time, my great-grandmother and her sister were the adults at the farm. Great-grammy was built like a little teapot - short and stout - and was by all accounts both an absolute force of nature and... let's say "not too enamored of the Catholic Church." I have been given several different reasons why over the years, but suffice to say that neither she nor her husband liked the Catholic Church very much at all.
The nickname Shotgun Shorty started the day that my grandmother chased a vicious dog off the farm with her shotgun, and from there forward, if strangers showed up on the farm, she'd meet them on the front porch, all five feet nothing of her, barefoot, with her shotgun. Stories vary on whether she ever actually fired the thing at anybody, but I have heard multiple stories of warning shots. Again -- it was her and her sister and the kids during the day.
And then there's this guy.
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He hated the Catholic Church. He especially hated priests. No, I don't know exactly why -- though, given the things we theorize about my family, I have my guesses -- I just know that he did. He especially especially hated priests asking for money.
And that is how, despite never having been Catholic, my great-grandfather was supposedly excommunicated after the third time he chased a priest off the farm who showed up asking for donations. No, not with a shotgun, that was the province of my great-grandmother. Great-granddaddy chased the priests off of his farm with a pitchfork. Why they kept coming back, I suppose we'll never know, since they're all dead now.
Sometimes I kinda wonder if maybe it was some sort of hazing ritual for new priests or something. "Oh, yeah, sure, go ask up at that farm, they love priests up there!"
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miss-tc-nova · 4 months
Text
Faults to Light - Eraqus x Xehanort
This is my piece of the @shatteredestiny-zine which I'm ever honored to be invited back to. It's really a hit to the imposter syndrome with how many amazing people worked on this. But enjoy my angst!
Art by our our amazing bishop and knight mods: Triton and Saphy!
Triton: @princess-triton & princesstriton
Saphy: @saph-y & SaphySushi
Premise: Sometimes the light is just as bad as the darkness
Words: 2,540
Music Inspiration: So Much (For) Stardust by Fall Out Boy
~~~~~
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               Gray eyes gaze into the mirror. Lungs rattle his chest in spite of efforts. A white-knuckle grip on the porcelain sink relents to shove the black hair from his face.
               He didn’t imagine it.
               Across his cheek lies skin welting where the stone struck him. That’s not unusual—a common hazard of keyblade training. But the gash weeping liquid light is not.
               Fear seeps into his brain. He frantically wipes the anomaly from his face and presses a patch against the wound. There. Peering back at his reflection, all appears as it rightfully should. A practiced smile slips across his lips and the young man ventures out to go about his day.
               There’s nothing wrong.
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               Black boots meet the white stone, clicking step by step through the citadel on his way to greet his master.
               This place of light hasn’t changed at all, still just as wearing on a wayward heart as always. While he can’t expect a world to alter its ways in a single year, Xehanort’s views have changed a lot. Worlds vast and varied revealed their secrets as he traveled, yet one thing remained the same everywhere he went: darkness masquerading as light. Such a familiar farce frustrated him to no end, but he couldn’t blame darkness’s tricks beneath light’s overwhelming existence. That didn’t make the dark bad or the light good; that turned out to be a false notion of those raised in light’s influence. Rather, these forces must exist together or not at all. So in the end, Xehanort returned with fewer questions than he had when he left, but gained one far more existential.
               What was his purpose?
               Those uncertainties aren’t borne before his teacher, left instead to fester in his own skull. Still, he’s praised for his journey’s outcome and instructed to rest until the day of his Mark of Mastery exam. Now row upon row of honorary stones pass him by until, finally, he comes across the collection of names he meant to find. He’s surprised to find lilies adorning each one, but only one culprit comes to mind.
               “About time you came to visit.”
               Further along the path strolls the man he was most eager to see. Gray eyes spark with delight, the usual fool’s grin stretching wide on his face. However, in spite of his elation, pulses of distress crash against Xehanort’s heart. There’s something wrong with Eraqus.
               Still, Xehanort lets a smirk twist his lips. “I had things to do, unlike some slacker I know.”
               His friend feigns insult. “Slacker? Me? Never!”
               Painful laughter rings between them. The catch up isn’t as easy as it should be. Though they speak freely, Xehanort’s thoughts are clouded with conflict.
               “So yeah, mom says once I pass the Mark of Mastery exam, I’ll inherit grandpa’s keyblade.”
               “That’s awesome. I’m sure he’d be proud.”
               Eraqus beams. “Man, I hope so. What about you? Did you find what you were looking for out there?”
               Xehanort’s eyes avert, his mind struggling to answer that particular question.
               “Are you still blaming yourself?” At Era’s new query, Xe’s eyes focus, reading the name of the blonde they used to know. “It wasn’t your fault.”
               He knows those useless words are true; there’s nothing Xehanort could have done to change the outcome. Even so, there’s more to the story than what they suffered.
               Not to Eraqus though. “If anything, what happened was because of the darkness.”
               Musings slip from Xehanort’s mouth. “I don’t think that’s true.”
               “Huh?”
               Xehanort hesitates—this conversation won’t be easy. “The light is just as much to blame as darkness.”
               That frown was inevitable. “No. It was darkness that possessed Baldr.”
               “Because the light left him vulnerable,” Xe retorts. “We were taught that the purpose of a keyblade wielder was to destroy darkness. So how do you think he felt knowing he had darkness in his heart? That he was weak? How could he not give in?”
               Xehanort searches for the right words that might finally convince his best friend to open his mind.
               “Do you think that made him a bad person?”
               Ebony brows furrow. “No. The darkness did.”
               Pain pricks at Xehanort’s heart. Perhaps Eraqus would never understand.
               “After all that happened, are you telling me you would trust the darkness?” Eraqus demands.
               His answer is honest. “Maybe.”
               Eraqus’s look of betrayal is like looking at a stranger. “I thought you were supposed to be the smart one.”
               “What?!”
               “Darkness killed our friends! What part of that don’t you understand?!”
               A wince contorts that fair face, palm pressed against the bandage. Though in the midst of an argument, Xehanort can’t help his concern.
               “Are you okay?”
               He should’ve expected Eraqus to swat away his attempt to reach out. “Don’t touch me!”
               Obeying his wish, Xehanort lets his hand fall. “Look, all I’m trying to say is that maybe the light isn’t as noble as we were taught.”
               Eraqus’s eyes burn with a hatred never seen before. “And the darkness is?! You want me to let it into my heart?! To let it take over and kill people like it did my family?! Because that’s what darkness does! It takes and destroys and it ruins lives! Is that what you want me to be?!”
               “No. That’s not what I—”
               His words are cut by the keyblade slicing the air. Though it misses Xehanort by the smallest margin, it cracks the concrete it meets instead—that swing was lethal.
               “I’m not weak like you!”
               Eraqus swings again, this time parried by Xehanort’s own keyblade and bringing about an instinctive retaliation. Xehanort’s weapon falls across Eraqus’s shoulder, sending his opponent to the ground. A wave of regret immediately crashes against Xehanort seeing his friend clutching at the injury.
               “Era—!”
               It drips between clenched fingers. Glimmering liquid collects on the pavement, each drop adding to the horror that this is coming from Eraqus. There’s something wrong with Eraqus.
               Xehanort’s voice comes out hushed. “What is that?”
               In stumbling to his feet, Eraqus keeps his head down. “It’s nothing.”
               He tries to walk away, but a hand snags the white fabric.
               “Wait!”
               “WHAT?!”
               Xehanort stutters back. Beneath his friend’s voice lies a monster’s. In Eraqus’s eyes sparks a light, seeping through and consuming every fleck of dark pigment in the gray.
               “WHAT DO YOU WANT FROM ME?!”
               This time Xehanort’s voice fails.
               It starts in the roots, the light sprouting in Eraqus’s hair—intent on erasing everything dark about him.
               Unlike Xehanort, Eraqus has plenty of words. “If darkness didn’t exist, we wouldn’t be standing among our friend’s graves! They would still be here and you wouldn’t be deluded! There would be no more wars, no more suffering! Everything wrong with this world is darkness’s fault! And if it’s the last thing I do, I’ll destroy it!”
               Another grimace leaves him clutching at his head. Light from the open wound surges, enveloping Eraqus and leaving Xehanort to shield his eyes.
               What’s left behind when the light fades still resembles the young wielder yet somehow angelic and monstrous at the same time. Alabaster skin stretches across a gnarled, hunched frame, gangly arms dragging knuckles across the ground. Golden veins appear like cracks in porcelain, perfect skin. Draped around a gaunt waist sits ivory fabric while chains of gold wind around the creature like the memory of a victim. An ornate halo, just as a crown too heavy to bear, hangs above a bowed head. However, by far the most intimidating feature of this massive being are the triplet pair of wings, raised high in all their glory.
               Molten gold in place of silver brings a violent intensity to that placid face. As it stares him down, primal fear rattles Xehanort’s compromised heart—he just knows that this beast exists to extinguish sins.
               “The darkness must perish!” That is no longer Eraqus’s voice. “THE DARKNESS MUST DIE!”
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               The demon is fast, nearly bludgeoning Xehanort in the head. Keyblade raised, he braces to defend himself, but is sorely prepared for the sheer power behind that deceitful physique. The collision with a tombstone takes his breath away but another flying fist leaves him no chance to recoup. Somehow, Xehanort manages to skirt around the creature, finding his opening to strike with all he has. It doesn’t even stumble.
               An otherworldly cry splits the air as it turns to tower over him. With no other recourse, Xehanort bolts. Heavy, thrumming steps of pursuit flood his brain with terror, causing him to flee deeper into the city. In his way, people scream and scatter but still the crashing grows ever closer until he’s certain it’s right behind him.
               All goes quiet, giving cause to peer back. Racing boots slow to a stop. It’s gone.
               Then the shadow descends on him. His body seizes in fear and the monster’s full weight bears down on him. Caught in the angel’s clutches, Xehanort endures a thrashing worse than even the darkness that started this mess.
               One final swing sends the victim flying. Wooden planks of the dock crack, eager to pass Xehanort to the sea before they crumple under the force. Water hits like concrete, bouncing the man far from the shore before it swallows him up.
               Cool ocean water welcomes Xehanort into the dark, his resolve shaken. If that’s light’s power, taking to the dark really is the only option for the weak. Training never could’ve prepared him and even if it had, this was Eraqus. Putting down Baldr was hard enough, but Xehanort could have every chance and still be unsure he’d make that choice against his best friend.
               The light above wavers. A shadow reaches through his entombment to take hold of him. When the water breaks, clean air fills his lungs once again. Concentrated magic beneath his feet gains Xehanort purchase on the water’s surface and, when he’s able to hold his own weight, the grip relents.
               A man stands at his side—a stranger wearing a familiar black coat. Though that face remains unseen, there’s an air of expectancy about him.
               On ivory wings, the Sin Eater arrives. To his surprise, trails of light trace the demon’s face, dripping from those golden eyes. Though he may look different—though he may stand against Xehanort—this is still his best friend.
               Xehanort looks back to his savior. In solemn agreement, he nods.
               Another screech fills the air and the clash begins again. This time, Xehanort has the composure to remain calm. And the stranger—he’s strong. His fighting covers Xehanort’s every weakness and together they chip away at the angel.
               Narrowly missing Xehanort, another blow leaves him on the back foot. He braces for the follow up only for the attack to make contact with a barrier instead. Seething, the creature turns, knocking the surprised stranger back. Then it goes for the kill.
               Xehanort surges forward, his keyblade hooking the monster’s foot. It takes all his might, but he topples his foe. He offers a helping hand to his ally but it goes untaken. To his dismay, the stranger rushes past, intent on putting down the vulnerable creature.
               Xehanort reaches out. “Wait!”
               Without warning, light bursts from the beast. The ensuing explosion throws back the attackers and brings a new weight of power to the behemoth that, until then, had only used physical force.
               “How could you choose the darkness?” It speaks to Xehanort. Even as wings spread high in defiance, its head hangs low. “After all it did to us?”
               Xehanort’s shoulders slump. “I’m not choosing sides.”
               “LIAR! YOU LEFT ME!” A knurled fist meets the water’s surface. “I tried so hard to show you the right way, but I lost you too! I LOST EVERYTHING!”
               For Eraqus, continuing to be a keyblade wielder was meant to ease his own suffering. He sought light’s strength to protect the things he cared about, but in the end, it all slipped right through his fingers. And though Xehanort’s own heart bore witness to that truth, he chose to follow the fool’s lead and pretend all was fine.
               Xehanort is barely of the right mind to raise his weapon and stop that palm from taking his skull. Beneath his feet, the magic starts to give, but he holds his ground. Then those fingers curl around his weapon, ripping it free and leaving the defenseless wielder to be snatched into the air.
               “I’m sick of being a victim! I’m sick of losing people I care about!” Another shining tear drips from his face. “I’m sick of it!”
               There’s something wrong with Eraqus.
               And it’s gone on long enough.
               “I know! And I’m going to fix it!”
               The angel hesitates. Eyes slightly darker—slightly more Eraqus—peer up at him, filled with despair and conflict. It floods Xehanort with guilt that he didn’t act sooner.
               “No matter what it takes. I promise.”
               Acceptance sits weary on that face and the crushing grip loosens as it brings Xehanort lower.
               A black shadow flashes beside him, driving a hand right into the Sin Eater’s chest.
               “NO!”
               Blinding light pours across the fighters as the sound of pain shakes the air. Xehanort falls to the water’s surface as the demon writhes in agony. Before Xehanort can do anything, the stranger bars his path. He prepares for another fight, but first notices the change. Feathers float away on the ocean breeze. As sheer size begins to wither, color eeks across ivory skin. When the angel finally collapses, what’s left behind is wholly Eraqus.
               There’s no holding Xehanort back a second time as he pushes past to save his friend from the water. Like ink, the black bleeds through those wavy locks. The last of the liquid light oozes from the gash in his chest, giving way to the deep ruby it should be.
               Though Eraqus appears to have returned, there’s something different about him. It’s nearly undetectable, but it’s there: the darkness tainting his heart. Silver eyes slip back to the stranger. Without him, perhaps the last of his family would’ve been lost.
               “Thank you.”
               The figure shrugs, shoves his hands in his pockets, and strolls away.
               “Consider it a courtesy.”
               Memories of an old friend snare Xehanort’s heart. But that’s not possible. He must’ve imagined it.
               Pushing those thoughts aside, Xehanort lifts the unconscious man into his arms and hurries back to the city.
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               Not a soul ever learned what happened to the beast that ran rampant through the city or where it came from. So Scala ad Caelum continued on with life, being a place where keyblade warriors learned the ways of light.
               Eraqus, too, remained the same, blindly devoted to the light. His foolish façade managed to survive the ordeal as well simply due to the coma that left him unaware of the terrible ordeal. Xehanort would keep it that way, if only to spare them both the burden of Eraqus’s grief.
               The one thing that did change, however, was the answer to Xehanort’s question.
               There’s something wrong with the world. The light held too much power. It warped the view of those it led and caused the darkness to lash out in fear. Balance was needed for a perfect world where peace was meaningful.
               And it was Xehanort’s purpose to fix it.
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inkdrinkerworld · 1 year
Text
something like ms.honey 2
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cw: fluff, a bit of angst, mention of haley, flashback scene, friends to lovers, hotch being emotionally constipated
“I can’t do it,” you mutter on the phone and your friend sighs. 
“You most definitely can, don’t chicken out.” 
You really can’t, you cannot go on this date. It’ll be a waste of time and a waste of money. 
What you’d rather be doing is spending the day with your grumpy neighbour and his energetic eight year old who loves all things sweet just like you. 
Except, you’ve not seen them in five days. 
Aaron’s more than likely away on a case, and Jack’s with Jessica, but there’s not been a single text and you can feel dread setting it. 
You want to reach out, but that feels like more than an admission of worry and you’re not sure if you want to delve into what else it could be.
It’s a little mind numbing the way the Hotchner’s have wormed their way into every routine you have and now that they’re not part of it, it feels like something is missing. 
“I think I’m just gonna stay in and do class prep.” there’s a finality in your voice that makes your friend sigh. 
“Alright, just,” she takes a breath, “crack a bottle of red.”
You hang up after that, rifling through your cabinets for your craft stuff.
You’re teaching the kids about shapes and slightly about fractions, but you wanted it to be fun- so it required a sacrifice to your Saturday night. 
Construction paper in varying colours and Youtube tutorials were how you spent about three hours before your phone rang. 
Sighing, you slide ‘answer’ without even looking at the screen. 
“Hello?” there’s no answer on the line, just a crackle and a pop. 
“Hello?” you pull the phone away from your ear and see ‘AH.’ Frowning, you say a little frustratedly, “Aaron?” 
“It’s Jack,” there’s lots of whispering and you get nervous. “Daddy’s downstairs.”
“Are you okay, J?” you find yourself asking, standing and reaching for your keys. 
“Daddy’s friends from work are here.” you take a peek out your kitchen window, but see no cars at their house.
“Where baby?” your heart is hammering in your chest. 
“My old house, there was a problem.” 
“Can you get your dad on the phone?” you ask, ready to get in your car and over to Jack and Aaron. 
“I’m supposed to be sleeping,” he admits shyly and you laugh. “I miss you.” he says and you feel your heart swell. 
“I miss you too Jack,” god you wish you could hug his little body. “Is everything okay?” 
Jack sighs, “It was my mom’s birthday two days ago,” your heart breaks for Jack and Aaron.
Jack had told you about his mom’s funeral when he was over the last time Aaron had been away.
“Daddy was sad, and today Uncle Rossi came over because he made a mistake.” 
“It’s all good now though?” you ask and Jack says a little, ‘yeah,’ but he sounds sad. “Do you want me to stay on the phone till you fall asleep?” 
The words are out of your mouth before you can stop yourself. 
“Can we do a video?” he asks and you switch over immediately, finding Jack’s face smushed to his pillow. 
“You look so cozy,” you tell him and he smiles, a little blush taking over his face. “What story do you want?” you have a couple of his favourites still at the house. 
“Jungle book again, please.” 
You read only a couple chapters of the book before Jack falls asleep, the phone falling to the bed so you’re staring at the ceiling but you don’t mind it. 
You’re cleaning up your coffee table when you hear Jack’s door open. 
“Y/n?” It’s the first sign of trouble when Aaron says your name like that. 
You’re not sure what the trouble could be, but you know it’s unsettling and it makes your skin crawl just slightly. 
You curse yourself internally at that thought. 
Aaron doesn’t have to call you ‘sweetheart’ every time, friends usually go by first names too. 
“Hey,” you say, and there’s a sort of awkward silence that fills the space. “Sorry, I didn’t mean for him to keep the phone, he sounded so sad and fell asleep.” Aaron just shakes his head. 
“It’s fine Y/n, it’s been a tough week for him.” it grates on your nerves the way he’s determined to only call you your name, but you nod as Aaron speaks, packing your crafts into your sticker folder and sliding it into your tote bag. 
There’s something weird with him. 
“Jack said you’d been sad.” you mumble before you can stop yourself. “Sorry, sorry.”
Aaron laughs and shakes his head. “He likes you,” he says and you smile bashfully. “But yeah, I was. I’m better now though, swear.” 
You eye him skeptically, but nod anyway. 
“Rossi says I’ve made a mistake.” Aaron says unexpectedly. Your eyebrows knit as you wait for him to continue, “Coming back to the house.”
Aaron doesn’t know why he’s saying all this, truly. It’s frightening the way he opens up to you without even thinking. 
He wants to add, ‘and being away from you,’ but you cut him off before the words can slip from his lips.
“Do you think it is?” regardless of what his answer is, you’re planning on keeping your face neutral. 
“I’m not sure, it’s done some good, but I think mostly it’s made Jack emotional.” 
You can see the struggle plain on his face. He’s at war with himself, but you’re not sure why exactly. 
“Do what feels right for the two of you.” you say softly and he nods.
Seeing him and hearing that he wants to possibly stay at the house reminds you that they’d never been permanent, no matter what you had thought. 
It bubbles an anger that’s really embarrassment and it makes you feel gross, makes you feel wrong. 
Wrong for letting them into your routines, wrong for getting so used to them being in your space, wrong for your friendship turning into a crush. 
“I gotta go,” you say and Aaron nods. He can tell something’s wrong, but prying seems wrong. 
Everything seems wrong now. 
“Goodnight Y/n.” 
“Goodnight.” 
-
You go another week without the Hotchners but this time they’re home. In their house right across the street. 
Jack still waves at you from inside their gates, but he doesn’t come over and you hardly see Aaron. 
There’s something odd and it’s eating away at you. You hate the limbo of not knowing what’s going on, but you knew it was bound to happen after that phone call. 
You give Jack his ‘something sweet’ every week though, still giving him double the regular batch even if Aaron isn’t talking to you. 
Your week has been mostly the same routine, wake up, go to school, teach the kids. 
Except today. 
Everything’s been turned on its head since the moment you woke up.  
You’re late. And you’re never late, not even five minutes. 
Your alarm didn’t go off, and now you’re about to be an hour late for school because you haven’t had breakfast or showered yet. 
The only good thing is that you called in the moment you got up and let the school know you’d be late. Other than that? It’s been a shit show. 
As you step out the door, you see Aaron hovering by your gate. 
You’re only slightly disturbed by his presence, especially the beard he’s grown. “Is something wrong?” you ask as you lock your door. 
“You’re still here.” he’s got an almost relieved tone to his voice. 
“I’m late,” you explain softly and he nods, stepping back as you open your gate. “Are you sure nothings wrong?” 
Aaron never grows a beard, and he never comes over in the morning even when you were talking. 
Sure you being late is uncharacteristic, but it doesn’t warrant a visit from him- especially after all this time.
“You haven’t called me ‘Aaron’ in almost two weeks.” he grimaces after the words leave him like he wasn’t supposed to say anything. 
“You haven’t spoken to me in almost two weeks.” you counter as you reach your car. “I’m not doing this right now, you have your reasons fine whatever. I have to get to work.” 
You’ve never been this cursory with him ever, and it stings, but Aaron nods. 
Your day doesn’t brighten much from there. The kids are all a bit restless and teaching fractions doesn’t go as smoothly as you’d have liked, but they’re understanding the differences a lot better now. 
You don’t force it on them after lunch though. 
Instead, you let them go over their writing and reading and help them make crafts till the last bell. 
Aaron’s outside waiting for you and you resist the urge to roll your eyes. 
Sure you missed him, but like this, he’s two steps away from making your bad day worse. 
“Come pick up Jack with me? He hasn’t seen me for the day.” you want to ask why, but you don’t want to be reinvited into their lives like this. 
“Aaron,” you want to tell him no. You want to tell him to fuck off and leave you alone, to pretend you don’t exist because it was so easy for him over the last two weeks. 
But there’s something about the way his shoulders drop and relax as you say his name that has you caving. Something about that Aaron Hotchner smile, that’s not even a smile that wins you over. 
“Fine.” 
He knows using Jack to force the two of you together is wrong, but after Rossi and Reid grilling him, he wants to make amends. 
“You stopped speaking to her?” David is livid. He knows exactly why Aaron had stopped speaking to you but he hates that he’s allowed his worry to rule him again. 
“Hotch, she was nice.” Spencer chimes and Aaron rolls his eyes and sucks at his teeth. 
“None of you have met her!” he hisses and Spencer shrugs. 
“Jack talks,” is all Reid says and David nods. 
“Yeah, the kid’s practically in love with her. He even shared some of that chocolate babka she made for you, she’s got a good hand for it.” Rossi says and Aaron smiles despite it all. 
Rossi wants to tease him, but the smile has something sad about it.
“That’s why it can’t go on Dave, she’s someone to lose now.” 
David and Spencer sigh and lean forward at the round table.
“And you pushing her away is what? Keeping him from losing her? It’s premature even for you, Hotch.” Rossi’s words are weighted, but it’s Spencer that gets to him. 
“Jack’s going to lose her twice, once as his friend and then again as his neighbour. When she realizes you’re done with whatever it is you had, she’s going to leave Jack alone to avoid you.” 
There’s an implied, ‘and it’ll be your fault,’ that Spencer politely refuses to add verbally. 
The words had been swimming around his head all week but he didn’t know how to approach you about it to apologise. 
“Did you drive here?” you ask as you reach your car, looking up at Aaron to see him shake his head. 
“No, um, Spencer dropped me off.” you nod though you have no clue who this ‘Spencer’ is. 
“Get in,” you mutter, sliding into the front seat and starting the car.
The ride is mostly silent and uncomfortable. 
It’s stifling that the two of you are this silent but clearly have something to say. 
It’s causing a stress knot at the back of your neck now that you think about it. 
“Can you just say whatever it is you want to? The tension is ridiculous.” you murmur, eyes darting between Aaron and the road. 
He feels gross all over at the way you’ve dismissed him even while speaking to him- but Aaron knows he’s deserved this. 
“I’m sorry.” he starts and you frown. “For being distant, and for not coming over. I didn’t mean to make you upset.” he says softly, almost like he’s ashamed of his actions. 
“That’s not why I was upset,” you reply, pulling into the parking lot of Jack’s school. “You stopped being my friend. You put distance between us when you went back to your old house, and I didn’t know why. Then when you came home you couldn’t even look at me and say, ‘We can’t be friends anymore’ you just shut me out.” 
There’s a long silence in the car as Aaron tries to pick his next few words and you feel like you probably should’ve never said anything to begin with. 
“We’ll talk later,” he says as the children start rushing out. 
You stay in the car while Aaron gets Jack and sigh. Your forehead is pressed against the steering wheel when the back door opens and a rowdy Jack pushes his face up to yours. 
“Y/n!” he screams, and you giggle despite yourself. 
“Inside voice Jack,” Aaron corrects softly and Jack nods, pressing a kiss to your neck. 
“How was your day?” you ask as you pull out, content to give Jack all your attention if it means that you can avoid whatever is going on between you and his dad. 
“Can I come over?” Jack asks as you pull into the familiar road. “Dad?” he prompts when neither of you answer. 
Aaron only looks at you. 
“Uh yeah babe, but me and your dad have to talk, that okay?” Jack nods, unbuckling his seatbelt as you get out. 
“C’mon J,” you call, opening the door and letting him race in.
You set up the tv for him, ‘Little Einsteins’ playing as he sings along. You place a bottled water and a plate of cookies on the coffee table for him too, before turning to Aaron who’s leaning on your kitchen’s arch. 
You stare at him from the other side of the archway, waiting for him to speak. 
“I couldn’t,” he starts and you cross your arms. “I don’t do well with loss, it’s hard to let people in since Haley died- Jack’s mom.” 
God you wish you weren’t so emotional. You can feel tears pricking your eyes just at the mention of Jack’s mom.
“I don’t like putting him in a position where he can lose people. He wasn’t supposed to befriend you, neither of us were,” you nod. “but we did and it started to feel too good being around you.” 
You want to stop him, but Aaron bulldozes you and continues, “Things go wrong quickly when they start to feel good. There’s risks that come with being involved with any agent.” 
“I don’t think someone would attack me because we were friends Aaron,” you try to joke but he doesn’t smile, he doesn’t even do his little eyebrow quirk and it makes you nervous. 
“Maybe not, but I didn’t want to take the chance. Anything could go wrong.”
“Anything could go wrong in friendships that don’t involve agents.” is your counter.
You push off the archway when your brain catches up, “Wait, did you say, ‘didn’t’?” you’re closing the distance between you. 
He smiles a little then, only the tip of his smile going up but you see it. 
“A couple friends told me I was being premature, in putting distance between us. They also reminded me I was more than capable of keeping people safe.” 
You can’t help but smile, “And?”
Aaron’s not off the hook, that much he can tell. 
He can also tell that you’re giving in. 
“And, I wanted to stop being an ass and I really really missed coming over.” 
You shake your head, “What if I didn’t want us to be friends again?” 
Aaron pauses for a moment, it’s long and pregnant and it makes you nibble on your lip when you catch onto what he’s thinking, but then he gives you a proper smile this time, “Then I’d go ask Jack to convince you to give us another shot with you.” 
“Oh that’s mean,” you mumble and Aaron nods, the toes of your shoes touching now. 
“Alright, fine, since you’ve really pulled my leg, I’ll be your friend again Aaron Hotchner.” you say dramatically and he laughs. 
“Good, because I really did miss you. More than Jack.” he whispers the last part and you scoff. 
“Oh that’s not true, Jack called me.” you say and Aaron’s eyebrows knit together. 
“After we came back?” he asks softly and you nod. 
“Three times a week from the landline.” The boy in question comes running into the kitchen, an empty plate of cookies in his hand. 
“Thanks Y/n,” you take the plate from him, and as soon as his hands are empty he hugs your legs. “Missed you.” he says and you ruffle his hair. 
Aaron feels his heart break at the fact that his son had missed you so much, he called you on the house phone. Reid was right, he’d have made Jack lose you twice. He almost did. 
“C’mon babe,” you lift Jack to your hip, “Let’s choose something to bake for tomorrow.” 
Aaron watches as you go for your cookbook, sitting Jack on the countertop as you both flip through the desserts section. 
-
You all fall into your regular routine after a couple weeks, Jack coming over on a Friday for his ‘something sweet’ and to give you all the details of his week. 
Aaron never stays long these days, hard cases that’s mainly long hours but he pops in every night just before you go to bed. 
Like tonight, Jack’s still with you, not awake but asleep in your lap, and Aaron knocks on your door. 
“Shit,” you mumble, lifting Jack’s head and placing it on a cushion.
“Y/n,” he whines and you pout, kissing his head before jogging off to the door. 
“You have to get your own keys,” you say to Aaron, finding him in just his suit shirt, tie and jacket gone. “He fell asleep.” 
Aaron shakes his head as he steps in, noticing both you and Jack in your pyjamas as he flicks your locks. 
“It’s not even eight thirty, what did you get up to?” 
You don’t say a word, but gesture to the coffee table and then to the kitchen. 
The coffee table is covered in paper dinosaurs, all in varying colours and species, and the kitchen has multiple tupperware bowls, some with food and others with sweets. 
“You’re weak sweetheart,” he chuckles and you shrug.
“He’s nice, and we had fun. Jack pays in compliments and kisses, what’s better than that?” Aaron sits where you had been, raising Jack’s head so it lays in his lap, and pats his free side.
“You shouldn’t be working on crafts on the weekend,” Aaron whispers but you frown. “You should be relaxing.” 
You suck at your teeth, “We did relax! We made dinner together and we baked brownies and then we made dinosaurs.”
He just nods, but Aaron wishes he had the time to actually let you relax.
He wishes that he could have a weekend off to take you and Jack someplace where you don’t have to entertain. 
There’s a contemplative look on his face that makes his eyebrows scrunch together and his lips purse - you don’t like it even a little bit. 
“You’re being weird Aaron.” you say as you reach and smooth the wrinkles in his eyebrows. 
“I’ve never been weird,” you giggle softly but don’t say anything and it makes Aaron shake his head. “I’m thinking.” 
You pull back from him, “Aaron, please, don’t hurt yourself.” he pushes at your shoulder when you laugh. 
“Something serious?” you ask, standing and moving to the kitchen. 
Aaron’s about to call out to you when he spots you walking back with a bowl of food and a fork. 
“It could be,” he says and he takes the things from you. You flick through the shows, settling on something easy as he eats. 
“Are you gonna tell me?” he shakes his head, crunching on a carrot. 
“Nah, not yet.” you huff but say nothing, content to just watch your show till Aaron’s ready to leave. 
Except, you fall asleep in his lap as well, and he can’t move. He doesn’t mind, not a bit but he does shift a little so he can lay down too with you and Jack on him. 
“Fucking perfect.” 
-
The next week is fast, the term is winding down for thanksgiving and then Christmas break. 
The kids have been good at the fractions and the shapes, a real change from the last couple of weeks and it makes you feel a teacher’s pride that’s ridiculous. 
“You guys are so smart!” you praise as you watch the class name each of the fractions with ease. 
Now they’re all eagerly telling you their plans for Thanksgiving, and what their parents are going to be making while you’re in circle time. 
“Miss Y/n?” Ben raises his hand as you walk around the room. 
“Yeah?” 
“What do you do for Thanksgiving?” the class all nod at his question and you smile. 
“Uh, well my family and I never really celebrated it. We did the big lunch and dinner for Christmas.”
Another hand goes up and you point to the girl, Lyn, “Will you be alone then?” 
They all know you’re not from Virginia. 
“Maybe, or maybe I’ll spend it with my neighbours.” you haven’t really spoken of it with Aaron and Jack, but if you have to spend it alone it won’t be as bad as it used to be. 
“I hope you do,” Lyn says and you smile. 
“Thank you Lyn.” 
On your drive home, you think about Thanksgiving and what you’ll do for it, but everything feels too much. It feels weird thinking about doing something when you usually do nothing. 
“Y/n!” Jack’s waiting outside your door with Aaron, who has to hold his son’s hand so he doesn’t run over to the car. 
“Jack,” you greet and he tugs on your fingers. “What’s wrong baby?” 
Aaron comes down to take your keys from you.
“We’re going out,” Aaron says and you frown. 
“Where?” you ask and Jack beams. 
“Our favourite!” Jack giggles madly and you shake your head. 
“Never been.” you say and Aaron smiles. He unlocks your door and watches you and Jack go in before getting in himself. 
“That’s even better. We’ll wait for you. It’s not formal. Reservation is for 7.” 
Aaron can tell you want to say something, but you don’t. You just make your way to your staircase. 
“Y/n, can I have more cookies?” Jack asks and you nod to Aaron. 
“If your dad says it’s okay before dinner.” 
You don’t stick around to hear whether or not Aaron allows him. 
You come back down and Aaron sees you first. Without his conscious consent his belly fills with butterflies and his nerves frazzle. 
You’re in a long, blue and orange skirt and a white t-shirt.
Your hair’s been let down, ringlets of loose curls hanging down your back, your glasses replaced with another pair that matches better. 
“I’m ready,” you say, watching Jack and Aaron share a cookie as you grab your purse. 
“Leave it.” Aaron says softly, offering you a cookie in turn. “You look beautiful.” he compliments and you smile as you pluck the cookie from his hands. 
“So pretty,” Jack says as he touches the colours on your skirt. “Like a princess or a fairy!” 
“You’re both flirts,” is the only thing you can say, trying to tamper your embarrassment from their attention. 
Dinner is easy, conversation mostly abstract. 
“What about if you combined the two, a brownie and a cake,” Jack says as they bring dessert out. Aaron had the good sense to get everyone their own hot brownie with ice cream. “A crownie!” he names it excitedly and you giggle. 
“We could try babe,” you say and Jack nods, leaning forward and licking the vanilla ice cream on his brownie. 
“It’s hot so don’t touch the pan.” you say and he nods. He’s been beside you all evening, much to Aaron’s amusement yet he can’t help the way he notices Jack has been wanting you more and more. 
It’s painfully obvious now how much his son had missed you, and for a moment he feels a sharp stab of dad guilt right to his gut. 
“Aaron, your ice cream is gonna melt and then me and Jack are gonna have your entire plate.” you threaten, Aaron’s eyes widening as he notices the chocolate stains around his son’s mouth and the nearly gone brownie. 
“Yeah dad, eat up or pay up.” 
Your laugh is loud at the little Hotchner’s threat. 
“You wouldn’t dare,” Aaron says, digging into his brownie before you and Jack team up against him. He still manages to save about half the brownie for the ride home. 
The bill comes and you reach for it when Aaron shakes his head. 
“Not a chance, sweetheart.” It's cruel of him to say it so sweetly and reverently as he fishes his card out of his wallet. 
It makes you stumble, and allows him the advantage of paying without another complaint. 
Jack knocks out about twenty minutes into the drive back to your house, and from the quiet that surrounds the car you’re tired too. 
“You can sleep y’know,” Aaron says as he glances over at you. 
You shake your head, defiant, “And leave you up by yourself? Don’t think so.” 
He keeps you talking for a little while, before glancing at you and finding your cheek tucked to your shoulder, and your eyes dropping closed. 
“Sleep, sweetheart.” he says softly, hand reaching for your cheek. 
“Don’t want you to be bored,” you slur and he chuckles. 
“Won’t be, promise.” your eyes don’t stay open long after that, certainly not when Aaron keeps stroking your face. 
The drive lasts another half hour, you and Jack out like lights. 
When he pulls up to your house he grabs your keys from the cup holder. 
Aaron’s meticulous as he opens the door and clears the couch so there’s space to place Jack. 
The little boy doesn’t rouse, Aaron having perfected the art of transporting a sleeping toddler over the years. 
He comes back for you, unbuckling your seatbelt and stroking your arm.
“We’re home sweetheart,” he whispers, watching you turn to where his voice is coming from. “Want me to carry you?” he’s gonna do it unless you say ‘no.’ 
“I can walk,” you’re groggy, but he moves to let you hop out of the SUV on your own. 
Aaron stays behind you though, hand on your back as you walk inside. You stretch and yawn when you’re inside and Aaron smiles. 
“Want some tea?” you ask and he shakes his head, he watches you make yours though. 
“Thanks for dinner, Aaron.” you say as you hold your mug, taking a scalding sip that makes you hiss. 
“Don’t do that,” he says and you frown. “What are you doing tomorrow?” he asks and you brighten. 
Aaron never has the weekends off. Ever. 
“You didn’t say you had the weekend off!” you all but scream and he laughs, reaching for your mug as you rush around to his side of the kitchen island. 
“I have the day off,” he amends and you nod, sitting halfway in his lap till he tugs you up properly. 
“And you want me to spend it with you and Jack?” he nods, handing over the tea when you’re comfortable. 
You don’t think hard about his hand falling to your waist to keep you still as he answers you. 
“Mhm, Jack wants to go to a book fair.” he elaborates and you nod. “Are you free?”
“So free! But I have to be back in time to go to the farmer’s market.” 
Aaron nods, lodging his chin on your shoulder as you sip the tea. He can do with a day of just you and Jack and nothing else. 
346 notes · View notes
markbandanawitts · 7 days
Text
A Full English Translation of Mine Yoshizaki’s 47 Question QnA 🔥🔥
— Near the end of the 11.5 Guidebook, Yoshizaki sat down for an exclusive interview with Shonen Ace (The magazine that serialized Keroro Gunso), where he answered some personalized questions about himself
I’ve translated all of them along with giving some context to certain media references in this w attached links. he’s talks exactly how you’d expect lmao
Q1: Yoshizaki-sensei, people often seem to think you’re a woman.
I guess it’s because my name reads as “Mine.” When I chose it, I only had the image of Ryuta Mine in my head. But judging by Keroro’s behavior, I think it’s pretty clear I’m not a woman (laugh)
Q2: What was the first manga you bought?
I had my uncle buy me one copy each of Kiteretsu Encyclopedia and Obake Q-Taro. I used to borrow Doraemon from a rental bookstore.
Q3: Do you still have them?
Nah, even if I did, they’d be unreadable by now. I reread them so much they fell apart.
Q4: Do you have a favorite place to read?
I haven’t been reading too much lately, but I love to in a quiet, cozy café.
Q5: Has anything recently made you feel like you’ve been tricked?
Actually, yeah. Not too long ago, a friend took me on a small trip. We hopped on the highway and drove quite a bit, and I had no idea why we were going where we were; but it was fun, so I didn’t think much of it. Later, when I got home and watched the episode of Kamen Rider Hibiki that I’d recorded that morning, I realized the episode was filmed in the exact spot we had visited! My friend hadn’t said a word! It caught me completely off guard, but honestly, it kind of made me pretty happy too.
Q6: Is there a character you look up to?
Oh, definitely Saeki-san (laugh)
Q7: Keroro’s gotten really popular. Anything about that make you happy?
Hearing that everyone involved with Keroro is having fun working on it is what makes me happy.
Q8: On the flip side, anything tough about it?
It seems like working on Keroro is also kind of exhausting (laugh)
Q9: If you could be any character in Keroro, who would you choose?
Maybe Poyon-chan. She seems so nice and fluffy.
Q10: Who would you like to live with?
I’d say the new characters, Alisa-chan and Nevula.
Q11: Why them in particular?
I feel like we could have a nice, quiet time in an old Western-style mansion.
Q12: Is there any invention from Kururu that you’d want?
Oh, definitely that one thing for making Gundam models!
Q13: What’s your favorite part of the manga drawing process?
Definitely when it’s finally completed (laugh)
Q14: What’s the toughest part?
Getting started (laugh)
Q15: What do you think of the illustrations in the first volume of Keroro?
What do I think? Well, it was my best effort seven years ago. There's something beyond just thinking "it's bad." Especially for Keroro, since I challenged myself to break my previous style and start from scratch, so there are definitely some awkward parts in there.
Q16: When do you draw the cover illustrations? At the beginning, in the middle, or at the end?
The inking is random, so it varies every time.
Q17: Do you pay attention to differentiating characters?
Sometimes I intentionally try not to differentiate them visually. I make their personalities distinct, so that can create a sense of difference. I’ve even tried going against silhouette theory a bit, which is directly reflected in characters like Keroro.
Q18: Which is more fun to draw, Keronians or Earthlings?
Keronians’ round eyes are a hassle, and Earthlings have too many lines... It’s a toss-up (laugh)
Q19: What about secondary characters? Which ones are fun to draw?
Every character becomes lively as soon as I draw them, so it's fun. To me, they’re all waiting in line to be drawn!
Q20: Any tips for drawing something you’ve never seen before?
Draw with your eyes closed!
Q21: Do you do anything to improve your drawing skills?
Since I started working, not really. I draw every day, so whatever I’m bad at stays bad, which can be a bit of an issue.
Q22: When creating a manga, do you start with the characters, story, or setting?
The theme. Something that instinctively feels like "that's it!" The rest comes after that.
Q23: When do you come up with story ideas?
I thrash my ideas around, trying to come up with something, and eventually, once I reach the mandatory state of resignation, it comes to me (laugh)
Q24: Which takes more time, storyboarding or drawing?
Storyboarding!
Q25: If you had to sum up the feeling of struggling to come up with storyboards in one word?
Ugh.
Q26: What’s something essential while you work?
Coffee, probably.
Q27: You’ve never taken a break from publishing, but do you ever want to? If so, when?
I always feel like I want to! Every single time, no matter what!
Q28: When do you usually draw your manga—morning, afternoon, or night?
My schedule is all over the place. I live on a 25-26 hour cycle, so when my timing is off, it tends to mess things up for a lot of people. It makes planning pretty difficult too.
Q29: What’s your favorite manga that you’ve drawn so far?
Definitely Keroro Gunso.
Q30: Do you think you’re better suited for one-shot manga or long series?
Considering the amount of ideas on my brain when working on Keroro storyboards, I think I’m better suited for long series.
Q31: Are you currently thinking about your next manga project?
Ideas come and go, honestly. Right now, I’m putting all my effort into Keroro!
Q32: Do you like your own manga?
When it comes to Keroro, I like it without hesitation.
Q33: If you were an editor, what would you tell yourself?
“You can take a three month break if you want.”
Q34: Are you comfortable with drawing manga in front of people?
I’m totally fine with it! But in reality, I usually work alone, holed up in my workspace.
Q35: Do you do anything for your health?
Not really… It’s bad… I feel like I’ve been sending out SOS signals lately (laugh)
Q36: Do you have any stress relief methods?
I never considered myself to be stressed, but recently my eye started twitching, and apparently, that’s a sign of stress. I was kind of surprised when I found that out!
Q31: There are 24 hours in a day, but how many hours would you really want?
48 hours would be great!!
Q38: Is there anything that influences your manga drawing?
I’m most influenced by the general atmosphere of the world around me.
Q39: How would you describe the feeling of racing through Okutama on your bike?
Yahoo!
Q40: Anything that’s stuck with you or left a strong impression recently?
The insurance commercial with soccer commentator Matsuki has really stuck with me… As for things, I’m obsessed with the NSF100 motorcycle— I want it so bad!
Q41: A memorable quote that’s stuck with you?
“Ramen is long and delicious!” (I have literally no idea what he’s referencing here my bad guys)
Q42: Since getting your cat, Mac, has your life changed?
My lifestyle hasn’t really changed, but it feels like my heart’s OS has been upgraded by about three versions!
Q46: Do you like traveling?
I like it, but I haven’t gone anywhere recently. If I could, I’d love to go with all my friends.
Q43: What’s the most wasteful thing you’ve ever spent royalties on?
Royalties, huh... (laugh) The other day, I saw a Keroro bath towel in a UFO catcher machine, and I had to get it. I ended up blowing ¥2,000* and still didn’t win it. I wonder if my royalties will cover that…
*this is like $14 😭
Q45: What are the things you love the most?
The Earth, my wife, and Mac (my cat).
Q46: What’s the most shocking thing you’ve experienced?
When I first moved to Tokyo, I saw an elementary school kid at Yotsuya Station wearing a backpack and smoking a cigarette. I thought, “Wow, Tokyo’s scary. Maybe I should just go home.” But I’m glad I didn’t because I became a manga artist (laugh)
Q47: What does drawing manga mean to you?
It’s about making people happy. That concept hasn’t changed since I was a kid making hand-drawn manga for my friends in elementary school.
Anddd heres my impressively terrible scans of those pages just in case anyone wanted the source
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pinkiemachine · 13 days
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Hi! So, I was wondering... You said all heroes before 24 are in the YJ, where does that leave the original team of the NTT? Are they in the JL now? Do the Outsiders exist anymore? (and if you don't have this all figured out or have a different plan for canon it is okay, I just overthink things)
So, I’m a little confused by your question—the “original” team was the Mighty Teen Titans, the second gen was the New Teen Titans. Typo? Idk.
ANYWAY—REGARDLESS—I’ll try to answer your question as best I can :)
So, one of my main objectives when it comes to the superhero teams is trying to keep things simple. I don’t want there to be a whole bunch of different teams for people to try and keep track of all the time, because that makes it harder on the average viewer. At the moment, the only teams I’ve greenlit so far are The Justice League (there will be a few “generations” for them as well. Changing members over the years, like Aquaman leaving to become king of Atlantis and being replaced by Green Arrow and Black Canary), the Teen Titans (I’ve posted plenty about them, but yeah, there’s three distinct generations for them, each led by a different Robin, and yes, Jason would have gone on to lead his own team if he hadn’t sadly passed away), speaking of which, the Outlaws, led by Red Hood. Additional members: Arsenal, Artemis of Bana-Mighdall, and Bizarro. Then, there’s the Green Lanterns of Earth. (Yeah, that whole “each sector has only ONE Lantern” thing doesn’t really sit well with me. Besides, it’s not like DC listens to that rule anyway, lol.) So, the team consists of five members: Hal Jordon, Guy Gardner, Jessica Cruz, Kelli Quintella, and is led by John Stewart. While he leads the Lantern team, Hal is the active representative on the Justice League, helping them on missions periodically when the rest of the Lanterns are preoccupied. Kyle Rayner comes in later, during the adaption of the Emerald Twilight arc, leading up to Blackest Night.
Finally, there’s Young Justice, which unfortunately is the least fleshed out of the teams right now, but it too will have distinct “generations.” However, which members are included will vary depending on the characters themselves. For example, among the original Teen Titans—Robin/Nightwing, Starfire, Beast Boy, Raven, Kid Flash, Wonder Girl, and Cyborg—Cyborg went on ahead and became part of the Justice League before Young Justice was founded, leaving Nightwing and Starfire to lead the new young adult team along with newcomers like Batgirl and Supergirl. I’ve been thinking maybe once Raven finishes her arc and defeats her father, Trigon, she can go ride off into the sunset, maybe by going back to Azarath. Either way, the point is she moves on. I haven’t decided about the rest yet. After that, some of them, like Nightwing and Starfire, go on to be part of the Justice League. Then, the next gen of YJ comes along: Robin/Red Robin (Tim Drake), Spoiler, Cassie Sandsmark (who’s usually Wonder Girl 2.0 but to avoid another “multiple Robins” or “multiple Superboys” fiasco, I decided to make her an original hero called Olympia), Miss Martian, Conner Kent Superboy (I’m also looking for a potential new name for him, but I’m coming up dry), Aqualad 2.0 (Kaldur), and Impulse. I have not written anything for this gen of YJ yet, nor for the generation after them, and I can’t say when I will.
What I can say is that I have no plans currently to include the Outsiders. That may change, but personally it seems like a bit too much to include them on top of having the Teen Titans and Young Justice and The Justice League. If there are to be more superhero teams, they really, really, really need to justify their existence by having a specific goal or reason for being.
Thanks for asking :) I enjoy the questions.
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percheduphere · 8 months
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Super serious question for your meta analysis skills: If the Avengers met the TVA crew, how quickly do you think their intimidating view of Loki would go out the window?
Ex: Casey being told Loki was a villain: “I mean, he was kinda a jerk when he threatened me and then later stole my juice but calling him a villain seems a bit much.” OB: “Really? He’s always seemed nice to me!” B-15: “Eh, he’s kinda like Mobius, can be a threat but usually a nice guy.” Avengers: *Wondering if there’s some TVA rando named Loki*
Hi Anon!
I am so so sorry it takes so long for me to reply. I finally made it to yours!
I actually wrote a lil' CONSIDER scenario, in which Loki introduces Thor to his friends. While not the same conditions as what you are querying, I think the effect would be very similar. That is: Loki is really just a pussycat!
That said, the Avengers' reactions would vary depending on who they meet first. It honestly would not take long at all before Loki's villain persona just falls apart. They'll probably wonder how Loki managed to be such a thorn on their side to begin with (*cough* Thanos *cough*).
If they start with Casey, he'd probably say something like: "Oh, yeah. He threatened to gut me like a fish once, but other than that he's actually pretty good guy!" O.B., like you said, would be similar. And because he's a ray of sunshine, he might respond, "Loki is Mobius's friend, and any friend of Mobius is a friend of mine, too!"
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But things start to get really hilarious once we get to the B-15 and Sylvie.
If they start with B-15 (Verity), she will just laugh in their faces. Or she will look at them all judgy, as if to say: "Really? This magic gremlin gave you all a hard time? Mmkay ..." Kinda like this:
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Sylvie would probably laugh in their faces, too, likely commenting on Loki's shit plans.
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If the Avengers met Sylvie and B-15 together, they would just ... bend over their knees cackling. They'd have to wipe the tears from their eyes from laughing so hard.
And then, of course, we have Mobius.
I think he'd be somewhere between Casey & O.B. and B-15 & Sylvie, with a heaping of: I love him. He's great. He messes up a lot and feels bad about it, but that's what makes him adorable. If something happens to him, I will turn into a soggy piece of crinkled paper.
So Mobius's reaction would be a little bit of this:
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A touch of this:
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And a sprinkle of this for good measure. Because Mobius loves Loki and literally has ZERO pokerface when it comes to him:
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Once the Avengers watch Loki and Mobius playfully bicker, it's all over. It's proof Loki's domesticated.
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Hope that answers your question, Anon!
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kaizokuou-ni-naru · 7 months
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Hi! hope you are having a great day! I was just idly curious about what Bluegrass & Hound are saying on page 4 of ch 1108? I've seen her line vary wildly and am wondering if Hound is asking if the Buster Call will be called off or if he is suggesting they call it off.
also now that you've read 1109 what is Saturn saying on the final page panel 2? Is “summoning” an accurate term?
thank you so much for always answering my silly questions
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hey!! yeah, for sure. so bluegrass is talking about how destroying the pacifistas still incurs a loss for the marines, since they're government property. the first thing she says is 張り切れないんだよ/harikirenainda yo, which is like “i/we can’t get too overeager/enthusiastic,” and then 倒しても損失/taoshitemo sonshitsu which like is “even if we take them down, it’s a loss (for us).”
hound is wondering it's possible for the buster call to be stopped/interrupted (once it's started) (the word he uses is 中止/chuushi, 'stoppage' or 'calling off') even though such an action would be 'unheard of/unprecedented' (前代未聞/zendaimimon). so his line is like "could it be possible to put a stop to the buster call? it would be historically unprecedented, but...!"
to me, it reads like he's musing on the possibility (as a result of the unprecedented resistance being put up by the strawhats+vegapunk and company), not actually suggesting or recommending it.
and then for 1109 (i waited to answer this until the official came out, but i still haven't been able to find clean raw scans), saturn's line on the last spread is very simply 呼ぶぞ/yobu zo.
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yobu is the verb 'to call,' and then zo is a particle that adds emphasis. with sentences like this in japanese the subject and object are only implied by context, so most directly it would be "(i'm) calling (you/it/etc)", with both the "i" and "you" being implied rather than explicit in the sentence. 'summoning' is indeed also a valid translation.
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