#so yeah not my husband nor my son but he is ME

[gallavichsreddie1128]

Better (Soldier Boy)

Description: Soldier Boy notices that Homelander isn’t nice to his wife so he will do anything in his power to try and get her to leave him.

Word Count:1,852k

He watched from afar as Homelander yelled and screamed at his wife. She had made a mistake and Homelander was yelling at her, not in front of anyone but he still saw it. She was so damn beautiful and sexy, he really questioned how a fuckup like Homelander got a girl like her. “You were supposed to be here with my food 20 minutes ago!” He yelled at his poor wife who was trying to talk. “There was traffic, I’m sorry there wasn’t anything I could do.” “Oh there was traffic, huh? Well maybe next time leave earlier!” Ben couldn’t watch this anymore without wanting to kill him. He had to get that poor woman out of the situation. 

“What can you tell me about Homelander’s wife?” Ben asked the boys as he walked through the door. They all looked up at him. “Y/N?” Hughie asked. “Yeah she’s his wife, right?” Hughie nodded. “So what can you tell me about her?” “Why do you wanna know about her?” Billy asked. “Homelander treat the poor girl like shit.” He said. Billy shrugged. “Eh well maybe the lady likes it.” He suggested. “Didn’t seem like it.” Everyone was confused as to why he wanted to know about her and why he cared. “What do you wanna fuck her or something?” MM asked. Soldier Boy looked at him with disgust but honestly she was breathtaking, maybe he did. “No, But she shouldn’t be treated like shit by her own husband.” He said. “She’s his wife and has been for years. She’s 10 years younger than him and she is unemployed.” Frenchie told him. They all look at the man. “What? It’s common knowledge.” “You won’t get her out of that marriage, so don’t try.” Billy told him.

Ben didn’t listen nor care what the others said. He kept a secret from the others. Homelander was his son and he hadn’t told anyone yet. He didn’t like the fucker and wanted what he had. He could treat her better than he was. It had to be fate when he saw her getting her poor excuse of a husband some food she could make. He wasn’t sure why he agreed to be the one to go get groceries for the boys but he was glad he did. He watched as she tried to reach something from the top shelf but couldn’t. He chuckled to himself and walked over to her. “Excuse me miss, do you want some help?” He asked her. She looked over at him and stopped reaching.

“If you don’t mind.” She said. He shook his head. “Not at all.” He picked up the item she was trying to reach for and handed it to her. “Thank you so much.” She said with a smile. He loved that smile now that he got to see it. “No problem.” He said and watched her put the item in the cart. “You’re Homelander’s wife, right?” He asked. She nodded but didn’t look too happy. “Yup.” She said. “Must be awesome being married to a superhero.” He said. She didn’t look thrilled about it. “Yeah, I guess.” She said. “Are you okay?” He asked her. “Yeah yeah I’m fine.” she lied. He knew she wasn’t telling the truth but didn’t say anything as he went his own way. 

It was days later that he ran into her again. As much as he would like to plan these things it’s been accidentally. She was ordering coffee and he walked up behind her in line. His eyes widened once he realized she was in front of him. “Hey, don’t I know you from somewhere?” He asked. She turned around and smiled at him. “You’re the guy from the store the other day.” She said. He smiled at her. “Yeah. My name’s Ben by the way.” He tells her. “Y/N.” She said. Though he already knew that. “You getting coffee for Homelander?” He asked her. She shook her head. “No he doesn’t need any. It’s for me.” She said. “Dealing with superheros stressful?” He asked. “Sometimes Yeah.” What she completely forgot about was the fact that Homelander had eyes on her at all times. 

“Who the fuck was that guy at the coffee shop today?” He growled. “Just someone that recognizes me.” She shrugged. “Yeah well you had a whole conversation with him.” Homelander yelled. “Am I not allowed to talk to anyone?” She asked, clearly pissed off. “Not if it’s a guy.” She rolled her eyes at him. For being The Homelander he was very insecure. “Ok whatever.” She said to him. Tears threatened to spill down her face. She was so sick of getting treated like shit.

The next time they run into each other Y/N can’t hold back anymore. He sees her at a bar drinking which surprises him. He was there to get laid but now he’s curious why she was here. He walked up to her looking around to make sure Homelander wasn’t near. “Hey 3rd times a charm, right?” She turned towards him and laughed. “I guess it is.” Her laugh wasn’t as warm as it usually is, something was wrong. “What’s got you at a place like this?” He asked. “What? You're saying a lady can’t drink her problems away.” She joked. He chuckled and shrugged. “What problems are you drinking away?” She bit her lip and debated on telling him everything. She barely knew him but it didn’t feel like it. “Everything.” She said and looked at him, sadness filling her eyes.

“What’s Everything?” He asked, taking a seat next to her. She cleared her throat and took a sip of her drink. “You would think being married to a superhero would be amazing but it’s not.” At first she had a small smile but it dropped as she continued talking. “Homelander isn’t a nice guy. He’s not what the world thinks he is.” She whispered. He couldn’t believe she was telling him this. He already knew that but the fact that she trusted him enough to tell him. “What do you mean?” He asked. “He’s not physically abusive but he’s emotionally abusive.” She tells him. “Then why are you with him?” She let out a laugh. “I can’t just leave. It’s not that simple.” She shrugged. “Why not?” He was pissed at this point. “He won’t let me. He’s crazy, Ben.” She looks at him with tears in her eyes.

All he wanted to do was give her a hug and hold her in his arms and tell her she doesn’t have to deal with him anymore. Before he could do anything they heard a hard landing outside the bar. The door pushed open and the devil himself walked in. Everyone in the bar started cheering and taking pictures of him. He waved and smiled and walked through the crowd to where Ben and Y/N were. Ben looked at Y/N and saw her eyes widen. “Don’t worry Y/N. You won’t have to deal with him anymore.” Ben whispered to her. “There you are Honey. I’ve been looking all over for you.” He said as he approached her. She looked up at him with fear in her eyes. He still hadn’t noticed Ben. Y/N watched Homelander’s smile drop as he saw Ben.

But Ben wasn’t just Ben to him, he was Soldier Boy. “Honey, you didn’t tell me you met Soldier Boy.” He said. Y/N eyes widened and looked at Ben. “You’re Soldier Boy?” She asked him. He looked at her quickly and looked back at Homelander. “Maybe.” He said. Homelander laughed. “So you’re the man that wants to take my wife away from me?” Y/N looked at him confused. “Ben is just a friend.” Y/N told her husband. “A friend? Sure whatever you say.” Homelander said sarcastically. “You treat your wife like shit, son.” Homelander was confused by him calling him son. “Excuse me?” Ben stood up. “You heard me.” Homelander laughed. “Is that what she tells you?” “No, I’ve seen it for myself. You can play the good guy act all you want around the world but I know how you are and buddy you aren’t tough.” Homelander’s eyes turned red.

Y/N quickly jumped up from out of the chair and ran to Homelander’s side. “John, it's okay. Let’s go home.” She begged. “Y/N, Don’t leave with him.” Ben told her. Homelander looked at him with anger. “What’s your angle here, pal?” He walked closer to Ben. Ben wasn’t scared of him. That showed in his eyes. “Y/N deserves better than a poor excuse of a man like you.” He said. “Oh what? Like you?” Homelander asked amused. Ben shrugged. “Maybe.” That’s what made Homelander slam him into a table. Y/N gasped with tears in her eyes. The table broke but Ben got right back up and they fought. They were both Supes so it wasn’t an easy battle. The crowd watched in shock as the two beat each other up. Totally forgetting they were in public. Y/N couldn’t move. She was shocked by everything that was said and was happening. Ben was Soldier Boy and trying to take her from Homelander?

She watched as he straddled her husband and punched his face over and over again with super strength. Tears streaming down her face as she yelled at them to stop. Once Homelander was barely conscious Ben stood up and spit on him. The crowd didn’t make a noise as he got off the man and walked over to Y/N. He held out his hand to take. She had a moment to think on whether that was a good idea or not. He just beat her husband. But she thought back to all the times Homelander was mean to her after all she did for him. He deserved to get his ass beat. She took Ben’s hand which made him smile. They walked out of the bar leaving Homelander on the ground in pain. 

They sat by the lake in silence. Not much was said since they left the bar. Y/N was still in shock by everything and didn’t know what to say. Ben looked over at her and saw how shocked she was. He didn’t blame her. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you about me being Soldier Boy.” He said. She looked at him. “Was this your plan?” She asked him. He looked at her confused. “What was my plan?” “To get me away from him?” “Honestly yeah. I saw you two weeks ago arguing and he was being rude as fuck to you for no reason.” He said. “So all the times we ran into each other they weren’t by accident?” He laughed. “Actually they were.” She nodded and looked down at her wedding ring. “Well I don’t know how to thank you.” She whispered. She was now twirling the ring on her finger. “Go on a date with me.” He said. She looked up at him. She didn’t say anything to him. She got up from the bench and took her ring off. She looked down at it one more time before throwing it into the lake. 

[kittenlittle24]

Appendicitis

GIF not mine, comment, like and reblog!

Masterlist

Rushing to the hospital after your son woke up from a nap crying from a stomach ache and fever, you went to Princeton-Plainsboro knowing only there are doctors you can trust.

Your son has been complaining about stomach aches all morning, your husband already left for work, thinking it was just a bug you let him stay home and rest. However when he woke up screaming and crying and with a fever you made the decision to go in.

A young male doctor greeted you. One you never met before nor heard of.

He asked him to lay back but you stopped him before he could examine him.

“I want you to page Dr Gregory House.”

Sighing and rubbing his head, “Miss, Dr. House is very busy and he doesn’t treat kids with belly aches.”

Crossing your arms, “He will treat this kid. Page him or I will march straight to Dr. Cuddy.”

Still crying, your son tugged on your shirt, his other arm wrapped around his stomach, “I want my daddy.”

You hugged him and stroked his hair, while the doctor left the examination room.

You tried everything in your power to calm him down, though nothing helped.

Around 20 minutes later the door opened and the same young doctor entered the room. Standing from your seat, “I told you I want Doc-“

“Yeah, yeah, doctor House is here,” a voice interrupted from the doorway.

He limped inside, once he saw who it was that demanded his presence, a serious look set on his features. Gently he maneuvered your son to a lying position to examine his stomach.

He looked up at him, “Daddy, my tummy really hurts.”

The young doctor froze in shock, mouth gaping open.

“I want complete blood and urine tests. Also, get an X-ray and ultrasound of the abdomen and chest,” he ordered the doctor before he turned to you, “Seems like Appendicitis, a surgeon will operate to take out the infected appendix. This is called an appendectomy. Usually, surgeons make 3 small cuts in the belly and use a small device called a laparoscope to remove the appendix. He’ll probably get to go home today.”

Leaning down he kissed the top of the boy’s head and moved to hug you, he whispered words of comfort and encouragement, saying you did good by bringing him. He stayed close to you the whole time, only leaving to monitor the tests are doing properly and keep your son calm.

A brunette doctor sat next to you and handed you a mug of coffee. Thanking her you took a big sip and put your hands around the warm mug.

“So you’re house’s wife?”

Shrugging, “We never married but I think it’s as close as it gets.”

“And he’s his son?”

You both looked up upon hearing a hard fake cough interrupting her interrogation.

“If you’re done grilling her Dr. Cameron you could make yourself useful anywhere else.” He told her and took her seat after she left the waiting room.

Putting his arm around you, he pulled you to lean on his chest. About a torturous hour later a surgeon came out to say the surgery went well and your son is being moved to a recovery room.

Letting out a breath you didn’t know you were holding, you let yourself collapse into House’s arms, finally feeling the stress leave your body. He kissed your temple and rubbed your arm, “He’s fine, probably going to demand unreasonable amounts of ice cream for being brave.”

Laughing you turned to kiss him, “He can have it. Thank you,”

Scrunching his eyebrows, “Are you thanking me for doing my job or being his dad?”

You shook your head, “For putting up with me.”

[dduane]

The question is at the bottom of this very long thing.

I decided to do a reread of the Wizards series -- I don't think I'd gotten beyond The Wizard's Dilemma on my last re-read in 2016.

Reading A Wizard Alone was interesting, ada neurodiverse fiftyish woman married to an autistic guy, with one autistic (young) adult child and one differently-neurodiverse teen child.

The ending of the book threw me - back in 2002, when the book was published, my husband didn't have a diagnosis (nor did I) and the term "executive function disorder" didn't exist. I knew three autistic adults talking openly about autism. And it was still four years to knowing my one-year-old child's odd responses and sensitivities were a variation of autism.

Fast forward to 2023, and the very language around autism has changed. My son does have disabling effects from autism, but he doesn't say he doesn't want to be autistic. He doesn't want to have an eating disorder, he'd like to be able to do more things for himself, and he definitely wishes we understood him better (and vice versa) but even at eleven, he'd have known that making Darryl's choice would change him utterly.

If you were writing the book now, what would Darryl's choice look like?

Thank you for reading this.

Hey, thanks for your note. I very much appreciate it.

A more currently-written A Wizard Alone would look a lot like this:

...because, when I was updating the Young Wizards books a decade or so ago to their New Millennium Editions, in 2013 I took the welcome opportunity to extensively rewrite the book with (much!) better data, and with input from the autistic readership.

The rewrite's been discussed here and there online over time. Here's one examination of it. Here's another. There are numerous others scattered across the online landscape, if you go looking for them.

This version of the book is (to my intense regret) not available in print in the US, as the North American publisher has so far shown no particular interest in updating the books to their new editions. Should this occur, though, the very first thing on my to-do list is to have the 2002 edition of Alone pulled from print, and replaced with the 2013 edition.

...And yeah, Darryl's choice is a lot different in the revised edition; as it should be. :)

Thanks again.

[starlightkun]

➠ word count: 13.5k ➠ warnings: scenes of a child crying if you don’t want to read that (nightmares and stuff), also people are called mommy/daddy in this so if you can’t be normal abt that please skip this one ➠ genre: fluff, angst? but like around them in terms of life not within their relationship, established relationship, parents sungchan/reader, former hockey captain sungchan, chronically ill reader (chronic migraines), part of the buzzer beater series (after freezing the puck, or if you’ve only read buzzer beater & 27jsc, this should still make sense!) ➠ extra info: the reader in this has chronic migraines, which i have. when the reader’s migraines, experiences as a chronically ill person, and thoughts about being chronically ill are described, that is me writing directly from my own life. i am not generalizing the lives of all people with chronic migraines/chronic illnesses, but i am sending all my love to any readers out there living with a chronic illness, and here’s a reminder to go take your meds! ➠ author’s note: i can’t believe we’re finally done omg. i miss them so much already 🤧 thank you so much to everybody who has followed along with this series! i wasn’t expecting this to be a whole series, nor for so many people to like this fic that i started when i was feeling super frustrated with my migraines. it was definitely something that was super personal and specific to me that i was blown away by how many of y’all liked it and told me you related. so thank you, again!! ➠ series masterlist

“Really? You’re reading Breton lais to our child?” Sungchan’s teasing whisper was barely audible. “He’s going to start school saying stuff like nary and furthermore.”

“Says the man who knew I was reading a Breton lai,” you shot back just as quietly.

“Binnie, are you ready to go see Daddy?” You asked your son excitedly as you unbuckled his seatbelt, helping him out of the backseat and onto the parking lot pavement.

“Yeah!” He yelled out, the small sound echoing impressively in the open area. The five-year-old ran ecstatic circles around you as you walked calmly towards the university’s ice rink. “Mommy, am I skating with Daddy today?”

“I don’t know, you’ll have to ask him nicely after he’s done working,” you informed Woobin as he skidded to a half-skip half-walk next to you, grabbing your gloved hand with his.

Walking into the hockey rink that you knew like the back of your own hand at this point, you saw the Raptors still practicing, and guided your son into the bleachers so you two could watch. Woobin climbed up on the seat next to you, standing on it so he could actually see, and you offered a hand for him to keep himself balanced. He used it until he felt stable, then pushed it away insistently. A few of the players waved at you two, and you both waved back, your son as enthusiastic as ever when he got noticed, waving practically with his entire little body.

Sungchan was on the ice, directing two players with his back to you, and as he skated backward away from them for them to line up and continue practicing, he happened to glance over his shoulder and in your direction. You raised a casual hand in greeting, and he waved back. Woobin sent him a zealous, flying kiss with his whole arm, and Sungchan visibly laughed and immediately went to do it back. After the two players that he’d been instructing had presumably corrected the issue, your husband gave them both pats on the shoulder before skating over your way.

Woobin screamed out a “Hi Daddy!” so loud you were sure the entire campus could hear him, and every head on the ice turned around to look. You burst into laughter, rubbing his back fondly at his enthusiasm, and Sungchan covered his face as he chortled as well.

A few minutes later and Coach called practice, the players slowly starting to filter off the ice and into the locker room. You guided Woobin down through the bleachers towards the gate, where Sungchan was waiting for the two of you.

Your husband had already opened the gate to the ice, standing on the flooring just off it, where you and your son were walking. Woobin flung himself at his legs at full-speed, and Sungchan easily picked him up, beaming as he kissed his forehead.

“Hey, buddy!” Sungchan grinned, readjusting your son’s beanie.

“Hi, Daddy!” He chirped back, bouncing in his arms.

“Hi, hon,” he kissed your cheek, and you gave his a quick peck in greeting as well.

“Hey, Channie.” You slipped your arm around his back in a one-armed hug. “Little dude wants to ask you something.”

“Oh really?” Sungchan focused his inquisitive eyebrow raise at your son.

“Can I skate with you? Please? Pretty please? Pretty pretty please?” Woobin immediately put on his best pout and puppy dog eyes, a display that always made you wonder how he wasn’t genetically Sungchan’s. The two of you had agreed some time ago that with your chronic migraines having a genetic component, you didn’t want to risk passing it down, and had looked into fostering initially. Woobin was your first placement at just a few days old, and he never left, the adoption going through right before his second birthday.

“Mr. Coach ended practice early, so we do have a few minutes,” your husband qualified his acquiescence.

“Yay!”

“You joining us, hon?”

“Sure.”

After fetching yours and your son’s skates from his office, Sungchan helped Woobin put his on, then double checked yours as always. Having married a former collegiate hockey player turned collegiate hockey coach, you’d gotten proficient enough at lacing up your own skates, but he wanted be sure every time that you weren’t going to twist your ankle, or have them come untied, or something else unfortunate.

Coach was still on the ice with the current goalie and center on one end, so you and your family kept to the other side. Woobin squealed and yipped with delight as Sungchan half-carried and half-pulled him around on the ice, you trailing behind with a fond smile on your lips as you watched on.

“Mr. Coach!” Woobin suddenly called to the other end of the rink.

“Oh, Binnie, Mr. Coach is working right now,” Sungchan tried to divert him. “We should leave him alone for now, buddy.”

“What was that, champ?” Coach’s gruff voice responded, the older man starting in your direction.

Woobin was absolutely thrilled to have his attention now, trying to pull Sungchan that way. “Mr. Coach! Mr. Coach!”

“I’m right here, kiddo,” he smoothly stopped right in front of your son. “I’m old but I’m not deaf yet. What do you want to tell me?”

“Mommy signed me up for my own hockey team today!” Woobin told him proudly. “Are you gonna be my coach too?”

“I don’t coach every hockey team in the world, you know.”

Woobin looked down at his skates dejectedly, as if he hadn’t considered this possibility before now.

“But… I did let your dad talk me into being his assistant coach for a certain little league team this season. Was that yours?” Coach asked teasingly, making the boy let out a loud gasp of realization.

“Was it, Daddy? Was it?” He looked up at your husband with wide eyes.

“Maybe…” Sungchan replied with a sly grin.

Woobin rounded on you, buzzing with excitement. “Did you hear that, Mommy? Mr. Coach is gonna be my coach!”

“I heard, buddy. Just like he was your Daddy’s coach,” you chuckled. Looking up at the older man, you added, “How does that make you feel, Coach? Teaching multiple generations?”

“Like my back is going to give out any day now,” he groaned and grabbed his lumbar. “Don’t remind me, Y/N, please.”

You laughed, making a motion of zipping up your lips and throwing away the key.

“Anyway, let me finish up with these two,” he gestured to the two Raptors still milling about on the other end of the ice. “Are you locking up, Jung?”

“Not today, got some errands to run before buddy’s naptime,” Sungchan explained.

“I’m five, I don’t need a nap anymore!” Woobin insisted.

“Hey, champ, look at me,” Coach requested, and waited until he had his attention before continuing. “How old do you think I am?”

“I don’t know, like a hundred?”

You couldn’t help but burst into laughter, grabbing Sungchan’s arm for support as he at least had the decency to cover his mouth to hide his chuckles.

Coach nodded, not breaking eye contact with your son. “Exactly. I’m like a hundred, and I still take naps.”

“Really?”

“Really. You need them to make sure your brain—” he poked the boy’s forehead “—and your body—” he poked his belly, making him giggle “—are at their best. Especially a growing kid like you.”

“So why do you need them? If you’re not a kid anymore?”

“I’m saying you need them extra because you’re a kid. Grown-ups need them sometimes too.”

He pouted thoughtfully for a moment, then pointed up at you. “Mommy takes naps when she has a migraine. That’s when her head hurts really, really bad.”

“There you go. Told you they weren’t just for kids.” Coach stood up straight, cracking his back with a satisfied groan. “I’ll see you all later, okay?”

“Bye, Mr. Coach!” Woobin waved enthusiastically.

“See you Monday, Coach,” Sungchan nodded to him.

You mouthed a ‘thank you’ to him, and he shot you a wink over his shoulder before skating back over to his players, his voice immediately souring as he started barking out orders again.

With the excitement of his upcoming little league team on his mind, your son insisted on having Sungchan show him moves and maneuvers today. You were of course the default practice dummy both for Sungchan to demonstrate, and your son to practice. Which only worked so well since none of you had sticks or a puck or gear of any kind except for your skates, but Woobin was having fun, so you were happy.

Coach eventually finished with the guys at the other end, and as you saw him start off the ice first, you called out to him, “Done for the day, Coach?”

He turned back to you. “I wish! Got some paperwork to finish up in the office! If somebody’s bleeding—call 911, not me!”

You laughed, giving him a final wave as he headed off. About to turn to your family to suggest that you leave to do your errands as well, you spotted the two Raptors players still loitering by the goal, no longer practicing, and yet still not rushing to leave.

“You boys need something?” You asked them knowingly.

“Well, if it’s alright with you, Professor…” the goalie, who had been in your Intro to Literary Theory and Criticism class last spring, began.

“We were wondering if we could see if we could skate with the MVP too?” The center finished hopefully.

“Just for a little! We heard you telling Coach you guys had errands to run before his naptime!” His friend rushed to add.

Woobin’s focus had already started waning on his impromptu lesson from his dad, and as you looked over, you could see Sungchan beginning to wind down on his instructing as he realized this. You checked the time on your phone, then looked back to the two college boys. “Sure, you can ask Binnie if he wants to skate.”

They erupted into celebratory hoots, chest-bumping before practically tossing aside their unnecessary equipment. Suddenly realizing themselves, they collected themselves and turned to you, bowing their heads politely. “Thank you, Professor.”

“You’re welcome, boys,” you replied with humor in your voice, watching as they took off, seemingly racing each other to Sungchan and Woobin.

You could hear bits of their conversation from where you were leaning against the wall halfway down the rink, and watched fondly as your son’s face lit up with enthusiasm, then the Raptors players started pulling him down the ice with them, his delighted laughter bouncing around the rink.

Sungchan leisurely skated over and stopped in front of you. With a great flourish, he bowed and offered his hand out to you. You laughed, placing your hand atop his, and he dropped a kiss to the back of your gloved fingers. He stood up straight again, pulling you off the wall with little resistance from you, before taking both your hands and beginning to skate backwards in front of you, guiding you along with him. Neither of you chose to mention the fact that you knew how to skate just fine, playing along with the fun of the moment as he easily took you around the rink that you were sure he could navigate with his eyes closed at this point.

“Oh, do we have dishwasher pods on the list?” You suddenly asked as soon as the thought popped into your mind.

“We put it on there last night when we loaded the dishwasher and saw that we were almost out,” he reassured you, not even breaking stride.

“Right, thanks.” You smiled, giving his hands a squeeze.

“I also put dish soap on there this morning, by the way.”

“I love you.”

He slowed the two of you down on the far side of the rink, letting go of one of your hands to wrap an arm around your waist and pull you closer. “I love you too, baby.”

After doing a few things out and about, the three of you headed home.

“Hey, buddy,” Sungchan called for your son’s attention, his hands occupied with groceries. “Do you want me or Mommy to help you get ready for your nap? Or are you going to try to do it yourself?”

“Mm…” He looked up at the ceiling thoughtfully. “Mommy!”

“Alright, help with the groceries then I’ll help you, Binnie,” you bargained, putting a bag down on the ground in his reach.

As Woobin dutifully put the bags of chips and boxes of gummies on the lower shelves of the pantry that he could reach, you and Sungchan quickly put away the rest of the groceries. When there was just cleaning and other household supplies left, your husband grabbed those and nodded towards your son.

“Go put buddy down, I’ve got this.”

“Thanks, Channie,” you pecked his cheek before turning to your child. “Lead the way!”

Woobin was able to get into his pajamas by himself, so you were really just there to tuck him in and kiss his forehead. You never bought into the “cry themselves out” mindset from the get-go, and to this day would sit with him until he fell asleep if he asked.

Except this time, he didn’t get into bed at all, standing next to the piece of furniture with you and staring at it like you were about to cliff dive instead of nap. He looked up at you, and you already saw his bottom lip quivering.

“Mommy?”

“Yeah, Binnie, I’m right here, my sweet,” you promised, kneeling down in front of him so you were eye-to-eye. “What’s wrong?”

He threw his arms around your neck, taking quick, shallow breaths as he very bravely tried to communicate with you. “I don’t wanna—I don’t wanna…”

“Okay, I won’t make you right now,” you promised, rubbing his back. “Will you tell me what’s making you upset? Is it the nap? Going to sleep? Did you have a bad dream?”

But he had already devolved into incomprehensible sobs, and you bit your lip at the twinge in your chest. “Alright, sweet, how about we go to Mommy and Daddy’s room? Hm? And I’ll read you something. If you don’t want to nap, you don’t have to today, okay? Sound good?”

You could feel him nod into your shoulder, and that was all you needed to pick him up and settle him on your hip to carry him out of his room. As you passed by Sungchan putting away new bottles of dish soap and dishwasher pods under the sink, he gave you a concerned look. You mouthed a ‘later’ to him as you took your son across your house and into your room. As you passed by your bookshelf, you quickly selected a book, then sat down at the head of your bed, Woobin on your lap. Pulling your blanket up over you two, you let him get settled in and comfortable, still very much crying all the while.

Holding your book with one hand and resting the other on his back, you started reading. After a while, his sobs died down to hiccups, which petered out to just the occasional sniffle. But you could see that he was still awake, his eyes open and following your place as you read. Then, after a while longer, they started to slowly fall shut and his chin would tilt down, then he’d quickly open his eyes again and jerk his head up. Finally, he couldn’t fight the heaviness of his lids, and he fell asleep. You put your bookmark in where you were just before his eyes closed, but kept reading past that, just in case. Out of the corner of your eye, you saw the door handle slowly turn, and your bedroom door inch open before Sungchan peered in.

Your husband pointed to the boy in your lap, then made a gesture of pretending to sleep on a pillow, lifting his eyebrows questioningly after. You nodded, still reading softly.

Sungchan slipped in the room, closing the door quietly behind him as well. Having come to a stopping place, you finally closed your book and set it aside on the one you already had on your nightstand.

“Really? You’re reading Breton lais to our child?” Sungchan’s teasing whisper was barely audible. “He’s going to start school saying stuff like nary and furthermore.”

“Says the man who knew I was reading a Breton lai,” you shot back just as quietly.

“Getting married to a lit professor, you pick up a few things.” He then looked down at Woobin. “What happened?”

You sighed and readjusted slightly to hold him tighter now that you had two free arms. “I don’t know. He couldn’t tell me. As soon as he had to get into bed for his nap he just… broke down.”

A deep frown cut across Sungchan’s face as he stroked your son’s hair, but he said nothing else. He left the room, and you heard him moving around throughout the house as you picked up the other book from your nightstand. Eventually, he meandered back in, sitting on his side of the bed and setting up his laptop to quietly work beside you as your son continued napping on your lap and you continued your book. In addition to doing research at the university and being the assistant coach for the hockey team, Sungchan had picked up teaching a couple of Intro to Biology for majors sections, and you could see him answering emails from his students out of the corner of your eye. You were rereading the material for the Direct Study you were leading next semester.

Eventually, Woobin slowly started stirring, grumbling, yawning, and rubbing at his eyes before burying his face back in your chest with a sigh. You stroked his back, attention still on your book. He turned over in your arms when he finally decided that he was awake, blinking his eyes open and staring off into the middle distance.

“Hey, Binnie, you awake?” Sungchan asked quietly.

He nodded slowly, stretching his arms up, and you had to duck your head out of the way to avoid getting smacked in the face by a stray hand.

“Sleep good?” Your husband kept talking to him.

He nodded again, letting out another adorable little yawn.

“Of course you did,” Sungchan chuckled, gently pinching the tip of his nose. “You got the best seat in the house right there, bud.”

Woobin made grabby hands at Sungchan, and he moved his laptop to the side to transfer him from your lap to his, pressing a kiss to his forehead once he was settled in against his chest.

“Uncle Chenle is going to be over soon,” you reminded your son of your plans for the night. “Are you excited?”

He perked up at this. “Yeah! He said he was gonna bring me back a souvenir!”

“He does love to spoil you,” Sungchan shook his head, ruffling the boy’s hair.

As Woobin busied himself with his toys in his room, the horrors of naptime all but forgotten, you and Sungchan were having a fervent, whispered conversation in your bedroom.

“Should we even go tonight?” You asked, pulling your outfit on.

“I know, I’m worried about bedtime…” Sungchan sighed, nevertheless assisting you with your zipper.

“Chenle’s really good with him, and you know how much he dotes on Woobin.” You paused in front of the mirror, smoothing out the wrinkles. You weren’t sure if you were trying to convince yourself or your husband at this point.

“I know, I don’t doubt how much he loves our kid, or how much buddy loves him,” he replied, fidgeting with his tie behind you. “I just… would hate to not be there.”

“Me too,” you replied quietly, turning around to fix his tie yourself. “I can practically feel the stress migraine coming on thinking about it.”

“Okay, well don’t do that, baby,” Sungchan insisted, resting his hands on your waist to pull you closer. “I mean, that didn’t happen at bedtime yesterday, did it?”

“No, it didn’t,” you agreed. “Or naptime yesterday…”

“Who’s to say it’ll happen at bedtime today?” He suggested. “Might’ve been a one-time thing. Or only for naps.”

“Right.” You breathed out, having finished with his tie, and now looked up at him questioningly. “So we’re going?”

“Seems like it.”

“We should still give Chenle a heads-up.”

“Of course.”

Chenle pulled up in his sleek luxury car soon after, and you made sure to greet him at the door while Sungchan helped Woobin put his toys up.

“Whew! Look at you!” Chenle whistled as he pulled back from hugging you, grabbing your hand and twirling you around. “MILF! MILF! MILF!”

You laughed, shaking him off. “Quiet! You’re a menace, I swear. You better be filtering around my child.”

“Of course, of course.” He held his hands up in surrender, and you saw that one held a gift bag. A rather large gift bag.

“And what did you bring him this time? Milan, was it?”

“A model of the Arco della Pace for us to build together, of course.”

“Oh, of course.” You shook your head fondly, but couldn’t stop the worry from overtaking your mood. “Chenle, I do have to tell you something.”

Your friend immediately matched your change in mood, furrowing his brow with concern. “Everything okay, Y/N?”

“When I was trying to put Binnie down for his nap today, he couldn’t get into his bed. He couldn’t tell me what was wrong, he just started crying and saying he didn’t want to. He had to take his nap in our room with the two of us. I don’t know what’s wrong, but I wanted to give you a heads up, in case it happens again at bedtime, since I know you always say he’s really good for you. If it does, just call and we’ll come right back, okay? Don’t feel bad at all, it’s not your fault.”

Chenle listened carefully and nodded thoughtfully as you explained the situation to him. “Okay, yeah. Are you two sure you even want to go? We can all have a really fun hangout with Uncle Chenle and then I can peace before bedtime if that’s what needs to happen tonight.”

You gnawed on your bottom lip, but ultimately shook your head. “We told Ten we were going to be there. I’d like to at least try to see him accept the award.”

“Of course.” Chenle patted his chest. “I won’t take it personally if he starts crying for Mommy at bedtime tonight.”

“When you put it like that I really don’t want to go.”

“Go,” he insisted. “We’ll be fine.”

“Uncle Chenle!” A delighted squeal came as your son ran in, wrapping himself around Chenle’s legs like a koala.

“Hey, Binnie!” Your friend beamed down at him, squeezing his cheeks in one hand. “How are you?”

“I’m good!” His words were a little garbled as Chenle smushed his face.

“Hey, Chenle,” Sungchan greeted him as well, patting him on the shoulder as he walked by to get to your side.

“Hey, Sungchan!”

“Are you ready to go, hon?” Your husband asked you as the other two started an enthusiastic guessing game of what Chenle brought Woobin back as a souvenir from Milan.

“Yeah.” You nodded. Raising your voice slightly to address the others, you announced, “Alright, guys, we’re heading out. Binnie, Daddy and I will be back after you’re asleep, okay?”

“Goodbye and goodnight!” He darted over as you and Sungchan knelt down to each give him a hug, and two more kisses—one for goodbye, and another for his goodnight kiss, since you wouldn’t be putting him to bed. Really, when you came home, you two always checked on him and gave him one last peck goodnight then, but he of course didn’t know that.

The award for Literary Theory Journal Editor of the Year had barely been placed in Ten’s hands when you saw Sungchan’s phone light up in his lap out of the corner of your eye. He squeezed your shoulder in a silent ‘be right back’ before standing from your table and quietly slipping out of the ballroom. You kept your eyes on Ten as he gave a short and charismatic acceptance speech, clapping when everyone else did, though you stayed keenly aware of the empty seat next to you. Your friend got his picture taken and shook lots of hands on his way back to your table, and your colleagues at your table all rose to greet him when he finally returned.

“Congrats, Ten,” you hugged him, your eyes straying over his shoulder to the door that Sungchan had left through.

“Thanks, Y/N,” he patted your back, pulling away still with a wide grin. “I saw Sungchan get up, is everything alright?”

You waved off his concerns for now. “Chenle probably set off the smoke alarm or something.”

Sungchan returned just a moment later, staving off his clearly concerned face for long enough to give Ten his congrats as well.

“You missed my hilarious acceptance speech, Sungchan,” Ten clicked his tongue in feigned disappointment.

“Damn, maybe next year.”

“Ooh, you think I’ll win next year too?”

“Why not?” Sungchan shrugged. “I don’t know how all the other editors could suddenly get better than you in a year.”

“Great point.”

The awards had continued, and everyone took their seats, though your focus was only on Sungchan and whatever that call was about. He leaned over to inform you quietly, “That was Chenle. SOS for buddy’s bedtime, sounds like the same as naptime.”

You bit your lip and nodded.

“I’ll get the car,” he murmured before giving your shoulder a fleeting touch and leaving your table.

You turned to Ten to give him a real reason behind your sudden departure. “Hey, that was Chenle, and Woobin is—”

“It’s all good,” your friend cut you off with a smile, patting your arm. “Go be good parents, you’ve already been good friends. Promise.”

“Thanks.” You could feel the relieved smile on your face. “Congrats again, Ten.”

After giving your hushed goodbyes to the rest of your colleagues, you hurried out of the ballroom. Sungchan didn’t complain about the anxious death grip you had on his hand the entire ride home, simply smoothing his thumb over your knuckles as the fingers of his other hand tapped out impatient rhythms on the steering wheel at every red light you got stuck at.

Finally, you arrived home, and you didn’t even have to go searching for Woobin and Chenle, as you were barely in your foyer and Sungchan hadn’t even had the chance to finish locking the front door behind him when a small form came running in, barreling into your legs. Chenle was a few steps behind your son, entering right after him. Woobin was blubbering and sobbing against you, beyond the point of any sort of intelligible speech. You sighed forlornly and rested a hand on his head, feeling your heart break as you looked down at him, not knowing how to help him.

Sungchan immediately took your purse from your other hand, rubbing your back briefly as he passed by. As he and Chenle went to talk in the living room, you hooked your hands under your son’s arms and heaved him up onto your hip, carrying him into your room with you. You maneuvered to support him with one arm so you could take off your shoes with the other hand, tossing them in the vague direction of your closet door. Sitting on the edge of your bed, you readjusted him so that he was sitting in your lap, crying into your neck, and you gently stroked the back of his head as he shook in your arms.

“I’m right here, Binnie. I’ve got you. Mommy’s right here,” you told him softly, a hard lump growing in your throat. “You’re okay, my sweet. You’re okay. I promise, I’ve got you.”

Eventually, you heard Chenle and Sungchan’s hushed voices pass by, then the front door open and close. A couple minutes later, there was a soft knocking at your bedroom door.

“Hey, that’s Daddy,” you informed Woobin. “Is it okay if he comes in and stays with us too?”

Woobin nodded from where his face was still hidden in your neck. His sobs hadn’t stopped, and at this rate, you were worried he was going to make himself throw up with how much he was crying and hiccupping.

“Come in,” you called out.

Sungchan had already discarded his suit jacket and tie elsewhere, you realized as he slipped into the room. A pained look quickly took over his features as his eyes immediately found the two of you. He set the no-spill cup he’d brought in with him—Woobin’s favorite cartoon characters printed all around the outside—down on your nightstand as he sat down next to you.

“Hey, buddy, it’s me,” Sungchan said quietly. “I brought some water; I thought your throat might be hurting a little.”

You son let out a couple sniffles, as if contemplating this for the first time.

Your husband continued, “Do you think you can sit with me and drink some water while Mommy changes into her jammies?”

“I won’t leave the room, sweet,” you assured him. “I’ll be right here with you and Daddy.”

In lieu of a verbal response, he nodded again and loosened the vice-like grip he’d had around your neck, letting you shift him over into his dad’s arms. Before you could go run and do the fastest change of your life, Sungchan grabbed your hand, pulling you around to look at him. As you gazed down at him, with Woobin bawling inconsolably in his lap, the two of you exchanged a brief, unspoken moment of uncertainty, unknowing, of knowing that neither of you knew what to do for your son. Your hand was shaking—or maybe that was his—as you clutched each other tightly for just a second.

Then you had to let go of him to rush to change, and Sungchan tried to gently coax Woobin into taking a sip of water. You could hear him coaching your son through taking just one little sip at a time and not chugging, or he’d make himself sick. You, meanwhile, were throwing clothes into the general vicinity of where they needed to go as you pulled on new ones. The nice material now had snot and spit all over them, you were sure they’d need to be dry-cleaned anyway, so you didn’t care about the wrinkles they’d garner from being crumpled up on the floor for the night. You then rushed through taking out your hair and brushing your teeth, keeping the en suite bathroom door open all the while.

Back over with your husband and son, you saw that the task of sipping water had forced his crying to slow down considerably, and you took a deep breath to not pass on your stress back to your child. The last thing you needed to do was get him going again just because you were so worried. He also had his favorite stuffed animal tucked under his other arm, the only one that had survived from his infancy to now, a deer plushie. You didn’t even remember seeing Sungchan bring that in with him, your brain was so scrambled.

“Here, Binnie, Mommy’s back. I feel left out, I’m not the only one not in my jammies,” Sungchan joked, which didn’t even earn a giggle from your child as it normally would’ve. “You want to go back to Mommy and I’ll get changed?”

Woobin nodded, and Sungchan let you get into a more comfortable position up by the headboard before depositing your son into your arms. You could at least see some of his face from the new angle of him sitting sideways in your lap, and it was of course red, puffy, and covered in tears. Sungchan must have already cleaned up some of his snot, as you spotted several discarded tissues on the nightstand.

“Did Puck come to make sure you were okay, too?” You asked quietly, gently tapping one of the plushie’s soft antlers. Puck the Buck, as he had been so brilliantly named some time ago.

Another nod and a sniffle.

“That was nice of him.” You stroked the deer’s head. “Thank you, Puck.”

Woobin patted the deer’s head, too, and as you watched more tears fall down his cheeks, you pressed a long kiss to his hair, silently apologizing for not knowing how to fix it all right now. Sungchan came back from the bathroom just a moment later, scooting onto the bed from the other side.

“Okay, Binnie. What do you think? Do you want to watch an episode of your show?” He suggested. “Or Mommy can finish reading you Bisclavret? Or…”

As he tried to think of other options, you gave him a bewildered look over your son’s head at the fact that he apparently knew which Breton lai you were reading earlier. That was something to address later, though.

Woobin shook his head, though.

“No?” Sungchan said questioningly. “No to what? Do you want Mommy to read?”

Head shake.

“Do you want to watch an episode of your show?”

Head nod.

And so you, Woobin, Puck, and Sungchan all settled in under your covers to watch an episode of his favorite cartoon. Except you and Sungchan didn’t have a TV in your bedroom, and both of your laptops were charging across the house in your home office, so you all had to scoot in close to be able to see it on the much smaller screen of Sungchan’s phone. Puck took up a considerable amount of space when crowding around a phone to watch something, and from your vantage point mostly behind your son and the plushie, you couldn’t see a thing past the deer head and antlers, but you didn’t really care about catching up on the children’s cartoon. You were much more preoccupied with listening for Woobin’s sniffles to cease, and watching as his breathing evened out. He was still awake after one episode, but quiet, calm, and Sungchan went ahead and played the next one.

You gently rubbed his back, smiling to yourself when you heard his first yawn of the night. When his second came before the five-minute mark, you knew he wouldn’t last the whole episode. And sure enough, he was out before the halfway point. Sungchan turned his phone off and set it aside. The two of you were curled up on either side of your son, with Sungchan facing him and you.

Your husband reached a hand up, and you thought he was going to stroke Woobin’s hair, but he kept going and gently wiped a thumb under your eye instead, at the fresh tears that had just brimmed there. You placed your hand over his, turning your head just enough to leave a kiss on his palm.

You woke up early in the morning with a stress migraine. When you shuffled into the kitchen to get a glass of water, the stove clock read 3:03. You quickly chugged your first glass of water, then refilled it to take back with you. Walking through to your bathroom, you retrieved your bottle of rescue medication from your drawer. This one was a muscle relaxer, so you didn’t see any point in keeping it in your purse, as you weren’t able to drive after taking it, which you typically needed to do when you were out and about. You knocked back a tablet before screwing the lid back on and putting it away again. After taking a few more sips of your water, you slipped back under the covers with your family.

Your head felt like it was being squeezed in a vice, but you still blearily opened one eye to look at your son, watching as his chest rose and fell peacefully. He was on his back now, and you couldn’t help but lay a hand on his front, feeling his even breaths under your palm. Sungchan’s foot tapped yours under the blanket briefly as he readjusted in his sleep, and you smiled to yourself. And then it happened again, and you peered over to the other pillow suspiciously.

In the low light, you could see Sungchan looking right at you. He pointed to his own head, then raised his eyebrows.

You lifted your hand in a ‘meh’ gesture, then held up 5 fingers to rate it out of 10, before setting your hand back down on Woobin’s front. Sungchan found your arm under the covers, gently squeezing your forearm. You tapped his foot in return, a silent exchange, before closing your eyes and settling back in to sleep.

Two hushed voices woke you up for the second time that morning. Well, one hushed voice, and one who hadn’t quite mastered whispering yet.

“What do you think Mommy—”

“Quiet, buddy, remember?” Sungchan’s words were barely discernible from behind the closed bathroom door. “Your mom’s got a migraine, and—”

“—and Mommy needs to sleep when she’s got a migraine,” Woobin finished dutifully, his voice a notch quieter than before. “So her head feels better.”

“That’s right, bud. Now come on, breakfast.”

“That’s what I—” Your son stopped himself as his voice raised with his excitement. He continued, in his best half-whisper, “Sorry, Daddy. I know: We gotta whisper. Quiet. I was asking what Mommy wants for breakfast?”

The two of them were quiet, and you heard the bathroom door open, then one pair of feet quietly tread across your room to open the bedroom, then shut it softly. You could hear their voices slowly fade as they walked further away.

“I don’t know. Why are you asking?”

“Because you always bring me breakfast in bed when I’m sick!” Woobin’s voice was back to it’s normal volume as he tried to emphatically get his point across to his dad. Sungchan must have gestured for him to quiet down again, as he dropped down to a part-whisper once more, “It’s Mommy’s turn.”

“You’re right. Let’s see what we can make…”

When you first got Woobin, you only got a migraine a couple times a year, a significant drop from when you were first diagnosed. The frequency fluctuated over the years and seasons, though, and there was a short period of time after becoming new parents, that you had been getting them weekly. You knew that put a strain on Sungchan, since a spouse with noise-sensitive migraines and a crying baby didn’t exactly mix. You of course would go through any migraine pain to take care of your son, but your husband couldn’t stand seeing you do it if it could be avoided. After some medication changes, you were fairly consistent with one every other month now. When Woobin was a toddler, and couldn’t quite grasp the concept of needing to play quietly when he wasn’t napping, Sungchan would take him on “field trips” while you rested. You’d decided to give him a simple explanation of a migraine to him when he was a little older, so he could easier differentiate between the migraines that you got, and when he might have a headache from a cold, or because his body was telling him he needed to drink some more water. He was also now your designated band-aid picker for your monthly injection, and had a better grasp on when, why, and how to keep quiet when you needed it.

Your head unfortunately still hurt, though your heart was warmed by your kind-hearted kid. There were lots of times where you and Sungchan felt like you had no clue what you were doing—like your current predicament with bedtime—but you figured you were doing a pretty alright job overall.

You contemplated getting up to take another dose. The only plans you had for today were a family trip to the park and some chores at home. Your husband would probably insist on you skipping the park for today, but if the second dose worked, you could probably get some things done around the house at least. Unfortunately, your days of laying in bed all day when you had a low-level migraine were long gone. If you could open your eyes, you usually had something that needed to get done.

But for this morning, at least, for now, you could close your eyes for just a little longer. You rolled over, away from the window where a thin strip of light had gotten in through a gap between your blackout curtains that Sungchan must have pulled closed.

You didn’t quite go back to sleep, but you dozed somewhere in between as you fondly listened to the sounds of Sungchan and Woobin trying to make breakfast as silently as possible. The running of the sink, sizzling of something on the stove, beep of the microwave before it was hastily shut off, fridge opening and closing, Sungchan’s quiet murmured directions to Woobin, and your son’s inquisitive tone in return.

Eventually, you heard someone shuffling up to your bedroom door, sounding much too small to be your husband. The door very slowly creaked open, and he tiptoed over to your side of the bed.

“Mommy?” His whisper had gotten better over the morning, though it didn’t matter much, since he was definitely right in front of your face.

You cracked open one eye, and offered him a soft smile. “Morning, buddy.”

“Are you awake?”

“Yeah, Binnie, I’m awake,” you chuckled, propping yourself up on one elbow and rubbing your eyes.

“Daddy and I made you breakfast, hold on!” And he darted back out of the room.

You looked at the empty doorway fondly, slowly pushing yourself up into a sitting position at the head of the bed. Sungchan and Woobin reappeared a moment later with a tray filled with various breakfast foods.

“Morning, beautiful,” Sungchan greeted you quietly, pecking the crown of your head as he went to set the tray down in your lap.

“Mm, morning, Channie,” you kissed his cheek before he could stand all the way back up. “This looks wonderful, thank you guys.”

In one corner of the tray you spotted a colorful assortment of pills, all of your morning doses plus what looked like a couple of your acute medications from your purse that was definitely in the dining room. You grabbed your water from the nightstand to get that out of the way first.

“We’ll let you eat in peace,” Sungchan declared, patting your son on the head to start to usher him out.

“No, it’s okay,” you stopped them. “It’s not so bad. I want you two to eat with me.”

Woobin’s face lit up, and he wasted no time in clambering up on the bed with you. You held the tray steady as he wedged himself in next to you.

“Alright, I’ll go get mine and buddy’s plates.”

Woobin was still earnestly pointing out each piece of food on your tray to you, explaining exactly how he had helped Sungchan prepare all of it when your husband returned. Sungchan sat down in front of you, and as he handed your son his plate, you noticed that there was nothing on it that could make too much of a mess if it happened to capsize.

“Sounds like you were a big help,” you praised your son, stroking the back of his head.

“He was,” Sungchan agreed. “Breakfast in bed was his idea.”

“Really?” You feigned surprise as Woobin nodded proudly. They didn’t need to know that you’d heard their entire bathroom conversation. “Thank you, sweet, it was a very good idea.”

After a very quiet breakfast, Sungchan took the plates into the kitchen, and you started making your mental list of tasks for the day. No vacuum—you weren’t a masochist—but there was laundry to do, and if Sungchan started the dishwasher before he left, it would be done and ready to put away before they got back from the park.

Just as you had put your feet over the edge of the bed to get up, with the bathroom as your destination, you were caught off-guard by Woobin trudging into your room with an armful of toys. He dropped them onto your mattress before hauling himself up after them.

“Hey…” You greeted him with an air of question. “What are you doing, Binnie?”

Sungchan must have spotted him on his way over, as he poked his head in right then, already laser-focused on your son. “What’s all this, bud?”

“We can’t go to the park,” he said matter-of-factly, beginning to sort out the toys that had gotten all mixed up in being carried over and dumped into a pile. “I’ll be quiet, promise!”

“I didn’t say we weren’t going at all,” Sungchan clarified. “I just said Mommy needed to stay home this time, because she’s not feeling well. You and I are still going. Minha and her dad are going to be there too.”

“I don’t want to go. I don’t like the park,” he declared, a stern pout creasing his face.

“What? You don’t like the park?” You asked.

“No,” he mumbled. “I hate it.”

You exchanged bewildered looks with Sungchan at this sudden development. Deciding to try again, you said calmly, “Binnie, I’ll go with you next time, okay? I promise. You have lots of fun at the park.”

“No. I don’t want to go.”

“Okay, no park,” Sungchan acquiesced. “But it’s such a nice day out, I think a walk sounds good. What do you think?”

“No.” He crossed his arms.

“Ah, you know, my head feels good enough for a walk,” you said brightly. “I think I’d like to go on a walk. Are you sure you don’t want to go, buddy?”

“Well… okay.”

“Alright,” you beamed at him, patting his cheek as he finally looked up at you. “Mommy’s got to shower then I’ll be ready to go.”

“How about you get out of your jammies too, Woobin?” Sungchan suggested.

“Go ahead, sweet,” you sent him off with one more pat.

Your son wordlessly got off the bed and left your room. As soon as he was gone, you look at Sungchan, utterly at a loss.

“What was that?” He whispered, following you into the bathroom and shutting the door behind you two.

“I don’t know,” you whispered back, pinching the bridge of your nose.

“He loves the park! I mean, he loves going to the grocery store! He’s one of the most go-with-the-flow kids I’ve ever met!”

“He was obviously lying about hating the park. But why? His best friend’s going to be there, he’s been talking about it since we planned it at pickup on Friday.”

“You think it’s related to what’s been going with bedtime and naptime?” Sungchan paced in front of you. “I mean, what if it’s like separation anxiety? Or something?”

“But he loves you.”

“I know, I know.”

“He even went through that phase when he was a year old where he wouldn’t let me put him to sleep, it had to be you every time.”

“I know, I know.” He held his hands up. “I’m just saying… we might have hit a new phase.”

“But I could at least take him to the park without you. And he went to daycare. Now…”

“Hey, tomorrow, I’ll drop him off at school,” Sungchan said. “You know, so it’ll be gradual. The two of us at home, then just me, then he’s at school.”

“Channie, he wouldn’t let you take him to the park today.”

“I just think that if your choice is between leaving him crying at VPK or not, you’re going to be getting a new little TA in your classes tomorrow.”

You chewed on your bottom lip before sighing and nodding. “You’re right, you’re right. Okay, we’ll try your way tomorrow.”

“We’ll figure this out, hon,” he reassured you, wrapping his arms around your waist and hooking his chin over your shoulder. “But not right now in our bathroom while you’ve got a migraine.”

You hugged him back, burying your face in his neck and taking a deep breath. “Yeah, you’re right. Let’s just worry about today right now.”

After your shower, you got dressed in peace and meandered out of your room to find Sungchan and Woobin by the front door. Woobin hadn’t quite mastered shoelaces, so your husband was helping him out. You slipped your own shoes on, and grabbed a pair of sunglasses on the table by the front door.

“Alright, ready?” Sungchan asked, having finished with your son’s shoes.

“Ready!” Binnie chirped.

You offered a thumbs-up, silently reaching to unlock your front door. Woobin went out first, eagerly bounding down the steps of your front porch. You followed after him onto the sidewalk as you listened to Sungchan lock up behind you, then catch up to the two of you with just a few large strides. The sun outside was painfully bright, even with your sunglasses on, and as you held up one hand to cast a shadow over your eyes, you reached your other out to grab Sungchan’s hand. He held yours firmly, even as you squinted and winced against the light, nearly missing a step when you walked in a brighter patch between shadows of trees, keeping you upright and on the paved path.

Woobin was just a couple steps in front of you, seemingly having a great time. He was talking to himself, interspersed with some singing, and of course pointing out anything he found remotely interesting to the both of you.

“Snail!” He yelled out enthusiastically, pointing to said small creature on the ground.

“Cool, buddy,” Sungchan responded encouragingly.

“Worm!”

“I see. Careful, we don’t want to step on him. He’s using the sidewalk too.”

That made Woobin giggle, giving the worm a wide berth as he stepped around it. You stepped over it.

The boy suddenly gasped, and stopped in his tracks as he pointed to a flower in one of your neighbors’ gardens. “Butterfly! Mommy, do you see it?”

You squinted in the direction he was pointing, finally seeing which one he was indicating. A dark butterfly on a bright yellow flower. “Yeah, Binnie, I see it. That’s a swallowtail butterfly.”

“Swallowtail butterfly,” he repeated, slowly to make sure he was pronouncing it right.

“That’s right.” You patted his head with your free hand.

“What other kinds of butterflies are there?” He asked as you continued your walk.

“Oh, lots,” you mused. “Your dad might know a butterfly expert, you know.”

He looked up at Sungchan with wide, hopeful eyes.

“Yeah, Dr. Hwang, one of my co-workers, she’s an entomologist.”

Your son furrowed his brows in concentration. “Entee— enah— innamolologiss.”

“Come on, let’s sound it out, bud: En,” Sungchan talked him through it. Despite his earlier teasing of you reading Breton lai to your son, your husband was just as much to blame for Woobin’s inflated vocabulary, always taking the time to teach him lengthy scientific terms for things.

“En.”

“Tah.”

“Tah.”

“Mol.”

“Mol.”

“Oh.”

“Oh.”

“Gist.”

“Gist.”

“Entah.”

“Entah.”

“Molo.”

“Molo.”

“Gist.”

“Gist.”

“Entomologist.”

“Enamolgist.”

“Yeah!” Your husband beamed, holding up his hand for a high five.

“What’s an enamolgist?” Woobin asked.

“A scientist that studies bugs. Like butterflies.”

“Butterflies aren’t bugs!” He insisted.

“They are.”

“But how can they be bugs? They’re butterflies!”

Sungchan laughed. “When you meet Dr. Hwang, you can ask her and she’ll explain it. She can also tell you all about all sorts of butterflies. Okay?”

“Your dad studies fish, remember?” You added. “Way different than bugs and butterflies.”

“And you study books!” Woobin said. “And stories! And reading! And writing!”

“That’s right.” You chuckled fondly. “Way, way different than bugs or butterflies or fish.”

By the time you got back to your house, you could barely open one eye enough to navigate the steps and get through the front door. It felt like you were being stabbed in your left eye, the pain shooting back through the entire left side of your head, and you patted Sungchan’s arm before wordlessly heading off towards your room. You beelined for your bathroom, knocking back another dose of the rescue medication you had in there.

As you clutched your eye with one hand and gripped the bathroom counter tightly with the other, the door was pushed ajar. You quickly went to drop your hand and throw on a smile, then saw it was Sungchan, who put another tablet into your hand, your second rescue medication in the dining room.

“Thanks, baby,” you mumbled, taking that one as well.

He sighed, but said nothing else as he rested a hand on your back. You covered both of your eyes as you turned into his chest, feeling when your fingers quickly turned moist. You took deep, shaking, quiet breaths. One of Sungchan’s hands cradled the back of your head while the other slowly rubbed up and down your back.

“Eye mask?” He murmured, referring to the cooling eye mask you kept in the fridge to help with migraine pain. It could also be microwaved if you wanted it warm instead.

“What’s Binnie doing?” You sniffed.

“Picking a movie for me and him. You’re going to lay down. Do you want your eye mask?”

“Yes, please.”

And so Sungchan grabbed the mask from the fridge for you as you crawled back into bed, handing you your earplugs from your nightstand drawer first.

You tried to refuse, eyes drifting towards your bedroom door. “No, but—”

“I’ve got him, hon.” He opened the case and pushed the earplugs into your hand. “You’ve done plenty, Supermom. Okay?”

You nodded slowly, pushing the earplugs in one at a time. He helped you adjust the eye mask, then pulled the covers up over you. You felt as he stood up from the bed and gave one final pat to your arm.

You woke up to find that the medication and nap had taken the edge off the migraine, at least. There was still a dull ache in your head, and you felt like shit, but it wasn’t the worst that you’d ever felt. You pulled the room-temperature mask off your face and set it on your nightstand before rolling over, fully intending on burying your face in your pillow and going back to sleep if you could.

You weren’t expecting to see Sungchan lying next to you on top of the covers, hand tucked under his cheek. His eyes were open, watching you.

“Hi, Channie,” you said quietly, taking your earplugs out and setting those aside as well.

“How are you feeling?” He asked, voice barely above a murmur.

“I’m alright. Still hurts, but not as bad,” you replied, reaching a hand out towards him. He grasped it, gentle but steadfast. “Where’s Binnie? Down for his nap?”

“Snacktime. I called in backup, though, my dad’s here.”

“I’m—” You stopped yourself before you could apologize, biting down on your lip before mustering up a smile. “Thank you. For taking care of me and buddy today. More than you usually do.”

“I wish I could’ve done more for you, baby,” he sighed, pressing a kiss to the back of your hand.

“You were making sure our son was okay. He can’t use the microwave, I can manage my ten-thousandth migraine on my own.”

“But you shouldn’t have to.”

“It’s not your fault,” you insisted. “You’ve been Superdad and Superhusband today. So relax, okay?”

“Alright.”

“How long is your dad staying?”

“He brought ingredients to make dinner. My mom’s coming when she gets off her shift.”

You smiled fondly at your in-laws’ kindness, and lifted the blankets up. “Five more minutes?”

Sungchan joined you under the covers, immediately wrapping his arms around you and burying his face in your neck. You held him close, savoring his familiar warmth and the comforting pressure of him laying practically on top of you. You curled your fingers in his hair, resting your cheek against the crown of his head.

“Ten,” he mumbled against your skin. “Ten more minutes.”

“Hey Professor, mind if we hang out in here?” A familiar pair of heads had poked into your office, two freshmen Raptors players who definitely weren’t in any of your classes this semester.

“Is there somewhere you should be?” You asked, gesturing to the couch across from you nevertheless. It made no difference to you if two adults decided to skip their college classes, you were more-so just curious. “It’s a bit early to be getting to campus if you don’t have a class…”

“Well, we usually have Coach Jung’s class right now, but he just sent out an email cancelling,” the left wing explained, dropping into one corner as his friend splayed out across the remaining two-thirds.

“And our next class is in this building, so we thought we’d see if you were in,” the right wing finished.

“What class do you have in this building?” You tried to keep a casual tone as you checked your phone for any missed calls or text from Sungchan that would clue you into why he’s suddenly missed his class this morning.

As they proceeded to rant about the 2000-level Grammar class they had signed up for in order to fulfill their Gen Ed requirements, mistakenly thinking it would be easy since it was only a 2000-level, you sent a quick text to your husband.

[you: just checking in. did drop-off go okay?]

Woobin once again slept in yours and Sungchan’s room last night, and though he was a little confused at his dad taking him to school today since you usually dropped him off on Mondays, there was no meltdown when you gave him his goodbye kiss. So far so good, until now.

“What classes are you teaching in the fall, Professor?” The left wing asked you.

“Oh, uh, I’ve got Lit Theory, Direct Study, and I’m teaching a Special Topics section in Contemporary Short Stories. We’ll mostly be focusing on magical realism, surrealism, that sort of thing,” you started rambling, still half-focused on your dark phone screen, waiting for it to light up with Sungchan’s reply. “I know neither of you are Lang majors, but it’s my first Special Topics class and I enjoyed having both of you last semester, so if you have a free slot in the fall, I’d appreciate it if you considered enrolling.”

“Hell yeah, that sounds cool,” the right wing grinned. “Is it going to be like, a bunch of essays, though?”

“There will be a final paper, but it will be mostly Socratic discussion, and the occasional short, one-page synthesis assignment,” you clarified. “No tests, no quizzes. As long as you read and participate enthusiastically, you’ll pass.”

“We’ll be there!” The left wing promised. “We loved your intro class. You’re like, one of the coolest professors ever, that’s why we asked.”

“I’m honored, boys, thanks,” you laughed.

“Coach Jung is cool too,” said the right wing, then he exchanged a mischievous grin with his friend. “But you’re cooler.”

“Oh, I’ve known that for quite some time, I assure you.”

“How long have you two been together?” The left wing asked curiously.

You twisted your wedding ring contemplatively. “Let’s see… We’ve been married for seven years, we started dating our senior year of undergrad, so… fifteen years? Yeah, it’ll be fifteen years this fall.”

“Wow. I didn’t even think you were that old.”

“What? Fifteen?” You chuckled, eyes straying to the picture on your desk of you, Sungchan, and Woobin from the party you held to celebrate his adoption being finalized.

“I mean, like, old enough to have been in college fifteen years ago.”

“Surprise.”

“So you met in senior year—”

“No,” you shook your head. “That’s when we started dating. We met freshman year. First day of classes, actually, if I’m remembering correctly. In one of Dr. Son’s classes, so that tells you how long he’s been teaching.”

“Wow, he needs to retire,” the right wing snorted. “And I mean that with his best intentions at heart.”

“Why are you two so interested in me and Coach Jung all of a sudden?” You questioned, tilting your head and folding your hands over your lap.

“Well, we see you and Coach Jung and our MVP all the time but, you know, we don’t know a lot about you, outside your jobs,” the left wing shrugged. “You two seem cool, you know?”

You couldn’t help but laugh again. “Where are you guys from?”

As they informed you that they were both from the same small town about five hours away, you nodded in understanding. Freshmen that hadn’t seen their parents since the holidays, a break that was only made even shorter by their being on the hockey team.

“You two are more than welcome to pop into my office whenever you happen to see me in here,” you reassured them. “And talk to me about whatever you want.”

By the time the players had left to go to class, you still hadn’t heard back from Sungchan, and you had your own class to teach. It was your Direct Study, which usually met in your office anyway since it was just two students. The conversation in this one was student-led, so as they evaluated what they thought the developing themes in the book were, bouncing ideas off each other, you tried to listen and engage earnestly, even as you stayed painfully aware of the lack of response from your husband.

You never forced them to stay for the entire block of time allotted for the class if the conversation didn’t need it, so when they were about done only forty-five minutes into the hour and a half block, you gave them the next chunk of the reading to do before next week, and bid them farewell. Then immediately left your office.

The Science building was across from the Lang building, and you headed for Sungchan's office first. If he was teaching a class right now, you knew it would be an Intro class and, therefore, most likely in one of the large lecture halls on the first floor, but you weren’t going to interrupt his lecture because he hadn’t replied to your message. You just wanted to check to see if he'd made it to campus yet. His office was on the second floor, past some of the teaching laboratories.

When you tested the door handle, you found it unlocked, and pushed it open. His desk lamp was on, illuminating the pictures he had there: one from your wedding day, another of the three of you from a hockey game, decked out in blue and orange Raptors gear, and a third of just you and Woobin from when he was a baby, the exact occasion you couldn’t pin down. He wasn’t in the office, but his backpack was on his desk chair, so he had at least made it to campus.

Your phone buzzed in your hand, and you looked to see that it was Sungchan calling.

“Hey, Channie,” you answered.

“Hi, hon,” he sounded a little out of breath. “Where are you?”

“Uhm, I’m actually at your office. I got worried…” You admitted.

“Oh, okay. We went to your office but couldn’t find you. Stay put, we’ll come to you.”

“Okay—Wait, ‘we?’”

“Yeah, uh, buddy’s with me,” he sighed shortly. “We'll be there in just a sec, okay? Bye, love you.”

And he hung up.

When Sungchan’s office door opened a few minutes later, Woobin was, in fact, the first thing that came through, immediately running to wrap his arms around your legs. Sungchan stepped through the door a moment later, looking disheveled as he took your son’s small backpack off his shoulder and put it on one of the chairs across from his desk.

“Hey, Binnie,” you greeted your son brightly, despite your alarm and confusion, hugging him back tightly. The harrowed look on Sungchan’s face was enough to let you know that this was something for you two to talk about later.

“Mommy!” Woobin was practically buzzing with excitement. “Mommy, guess what!”

“What, buddy?”

“Daddy said I can meet an enamolgist today!”

“Wow! That’s awesome,” you patted his head. “Did he say when Dr. Hwang was available?”

“I was just about to call her,” Sungchan answered. “We wanted to find you first, hon.”

“I saw some cool posters in the hall, Binnie,” you let go of your son and offered him your hand. “Let’s go look at those while your dad makes his call, okay?”

“Okay!” He took your hand and let you guide him out into the hall, shutting the office door behind you.

The first one you found was a diagram of a wetland ecosystem, taller than your head, and spanned the entire wall between two offices.

“I can’t see it,” Woobin craned his neck to look at the poster. “Can you pick me up, please?”

You hoisted him up by his underarms and onto your hip. “Is that better?”

“Thank you!” He then pointed to an animal. “What’s that?”

“Here, it’s labeled. Do you see?” You showed him the black line connecting the animal to its common name and scientific name. “Can you read that first one?”

“Spotted… sal… uh… man… der?”

“Spotted salamander, good!” You confirmed.

“So this one is a…” he pointed to another animal, following the line to its name. “Green… ana… con… da. Green anaconda!”

“That’s right, Binnie.”

The two of you were still on that same poster sounding out animal names, when Sungchan poked his head out from his office just a few doors down. Woobin was in the middle of a name, so you indicated to your husband to wait a moment before listening to the boy continue to sound it out. Sungchan walked over to join the two of you as Woobin had just finished his first attempt at the bird’s name.

“That was a good guess, it does look like the words ‘her’ and ‘on,’” you said. “But the animal is pronounced heron.”

“Hair-in,” he echoed slowly.

“You got it. Can you put it together now?”

“Great blue heron.”

“Good job, buddy,” Sungchan praised him.

“Hi, Daddy.”

“Hi, buddy.”

“Did you get a hold of Dr. Hwang?” You asked.

“Yes, she’s in her office right now and has some spare time.”

“Yay!” Your son cheered, starting to wriggle out of your grip.

The three of you trekked to the third floor to get to Dr. Hwang’s office. Dr. Hwang was an older woman who welcomed you in warmly.

“Daddy says butterflies are bugs,” Woobin said very seriously. “Is that true?”

Dr. Hwang looked at Sungchan very judgmentally, before turning her attention down to your son. “Butterflies are insects, yes.”

“But how? They’re butterflies!”

“They’re just one kind of insect,” she explained patiently. “What’s your favorite fruit?”

“Mm… Grapes!”

“Are grapes fruit?”

“Well, yeah.”

“And fruit is food, right?”

“Uh-huh.”

“Grapes are a type of fruit, and fruits are a type of food. Does that make sense so far?”

“Yeah.”

“It’s the same thing with butterflies. Butterflies are a type of insect, and insects are a type of animal.”

He seemed to think very hard about this for a moment, then nodded satisfactorily. “How many kinds of butterflies are there?”

“There are about 180,000 different species of butterflies and moths. That we know about.”

His eyes practically bulged out of his head. “Woah…”

“Would you like to see some?”

“Can I?” He then looked back at you and Sungchan. “Please? Can I?”

“Of course, buddy,” Sungchan smiled, then looked up at his colleague. “If it’s alright with you, Dr. Hwang, my wife and I are going to step out for a moment.”

She waved you off. “Of course, go ahead.”

“Thank you,” you nodded to her gratefully. Patting your son’s head, you informed him, “Daddy and I will be right back, buddy.”

As Dr. Hwang directed Woobin’s attention to a book, you and Sungchan stepped out into the hall, shutting the door behind you quietly.

“What happened?” You asked him fervently.

Sungchan pulled you a little further down the hall, keeping his voice low when he finally spoke. “He was doing fine until we got into his classroom. Got his arms around my neck, wouldn’t let go… Kid’s strong for a five-year-old.”

“Two of your students ended up in my office after you cancelled class.”

“Yeah, I stayed for the first thirty minutes, to try to ease him into it, but then when I tried to leave again, the same thing happened except worse… Kept asking for you.” He ran a hand through his hair. “It was too much of a distraction, we had to leave. He didn’t stop crying until I told him we were going to see you.”

You nodded in understanding, not upset with Sungchan in the slightest. If you’d been in his position, you probably would’ve done the same thing, if not, gave in even sooner.

“Do you think…” You bit the inside of your cheek. “Do you think we should take him to see someone? See if it’s a phase or… something more serious? I mean, even if it is a phase, he’s clearly getting really upset about something…”

“Yeah, I think that’d be a good idea,” Sungchan agreed.

Dr. Kwon Hayoung was a younger woman, definitely no older than yourself and Sungchan if you had to guess, her posture relaxed as she sat in her mustard yellow armchair. Her entire office was colorful, filled with various toys, whimsical artworks, and plush, patterned pillows on the couch that you were currently sitting on with your husband. After lots of research, various recommendations from friends and colleagues at work, and an entire two weeks of Woobin being attached at the hip to one of the two of you, you had finally settled on taking him to Dr. Kwon. After an initial interview with all three of you, then just you and Sungchan (a task that was aided by the fact that Sungchan’s father had come along and occupied him in the meantime), she then evaluated your son, which required several breaks for him to see you. But finally, she had finished with him, and he went back to play with his grandpa while Dr. Kwon brought you and Sungchan back once again.

“There is nothing serious for us to be concerned about,” Dr. Kwon declared, her tone calm.

You and Sungchan exchanged an uncertain look. You cleared your throat, “Uhm…”

“I don’t mean to downplay the problems that your family is facing right now,” the child psychologist promised, readjusting her lavender purple frames on the bridge of her nose. “However, Woobin is developing typically for kids his age, which is good news.”

“Then why is he…?” Sungchan trailed off, his question obvious. Why is he doing all of this? So suddenly?

“You have been very open about him being adopted.”

“Yeah, we never wanted to hide it from him,” you said. “He even gets two parties every year, his birthday party, and we celebrate the day his adoption went through.”

“But he knows that he’s our son and we love him,” Sungchan added, shifting forward as his voice carried a slight edge to it.

“Of course, of course he knows that.” Dr. Kwon’s tone hadn’t lost any of the gentle kindness she began the conversation with. “Both you and he told me about another kid, in his class, who was not so understanding.”

“Yeah, it made buddy a little upset, but he seemed fine by the next day.”

“I do think he was fine. Until he had a recent dream, about falling asleep in his bed and waking up in someone else’s home,” she informed you, and you felt a harsh twinge in your chest as you realized that your son hadn’t even told you about that. “He’s not afraid that you two will give him away so much as he’s afraid that somebody will come take him from you.”

“Oh…” You breathed out, feeling yourself grimace as you thought about how scared your son must have felt since then.

Sungchan reached over to hold one of your hands. “What can we do? What are our options?”

“We can work on his anxiety, coping skills, attachment in sessions. Since it’s affected your daily lives as a family so much, I recommend starting at three times a week, and we can adjust from there. I would like both of you to attend as many as possible.”

“Of course,” you nodded quickly, squeezing Sungchan’s hand tight.

That night, after helping Woobin brush his teeth with his toothbrush and toothpaste that had migrated into your bathroom, you took your nighttime medication, then tucked it back away into the childproofed medicine cabinet. Sungchan was doing some late-night grading in your home office, but you had a five-year-old to put to bed on time, so you had started on that without him.

Woobin clambered up into his place in the middle of the mattress first, and you lifted up the comforter and blankets to slip in next to him. With the thoughts of his nightmare still weighing heavily on your heart, you called out to him quietly, “Binnie? Can Mommy cuddle with you?”

“Of course, Mommy!” He chirped, immediately taking it upon himself to scramble over to you under the covers and wrap himself around your middle like a koala.

You laughed, enveloping him in your arms to hold him to you even tighter. Pressing a long kiss to the top of his head, you then tucked him under your chin. Yeah, this was exactly what you needed. You had his next appointments set up with Dr. Kwon, and she hadn’t told you to change anything you were doing yet. So tomorrow you’d continue your new routine of bringing your son to campus with you and passing him between you and Sungchan—usually whoever was in office hours had him, or if you were both in a class, whoever had the smaller class. You had tried dropping him off at your parents’ house once, but as soon as he realized that you were leaving without him, he wouldn’t let go of your leg, his eyes started watering, and you immediately folded. Preschool was a no-go, as he had a soft, indefinite ban for the foreseeable future until he was no longer going to be a disruption. They were continuing to hold his spot at no charge to you, at least. It had been stressful, and there hadn’t been very long stretches of time in the past two weeks where you had been apart from him, but there wasn’t once where you ever felt resentful towards your son himself, you realized. He’s what you did this all for.

“I love you, Binnie,” you murmured, kissing his hair again. “Love you so much.”

“I love you so much too, Mommy,” Woobin mumbled back sleepily, his words punctuated by a yawn.

You smiled fondly, listening as the sounds of his breathing evened out as he drifted off to sleep. Not much later, and your bedroom door slowly creaked open. Sungchan quietly went about his own nighttime routine before finally shutting the bathroom light off and closing the door behind him. You were a little confused when he walked over to your side of the bed, though, thinking your son’s sippy cup that was sitting there might’ve needed a last-minute refill. Then you felt him raise the sheets and start squeezing himself in behind you.

“You’re going to fall off, Channie,” you whispered, trying to bite back the giggles bubbling up in your chest.

“Then make some room, baby,” he responded, his quiet words even more hushed by the fact that he was pressing his face into your shoulder as he readjusted.

You gently scooted further in on the bed, trying to jostle the child attached to you as little as possible, not wanting to wake him so soon after he’d fallen asleep—if he woke up now, he’d definitely be awake for another three hours at least. Sungchan scooched with you, molding himself around you after you’d gotten settled in again, and burying his face in the back of your neck. He slung an arm over your waist, his hand finding one of yours where it was resting on Woobin’s back, slotting his fingers with yours.

After some time, when you were sure your son was deep asleep, Sungchan spoke again, “I had a student ask me what death of the author is.”

You craned your neck to try to look at his face out of the corner of your eye. “In your bio class?”

“Yeah, I thought it was weird too.”

“Are they… in one of my classes? And thought that you would know because we’re married? And knew that we’re married?” Obviously there were pictures of you, Sungchan, and your son in his office, but since classrooms and labs were shared spaces at the university, professors didn’t decorate or keep personal belongings in there. The average Intro to Bio student wouldn’t have any reason to know that you and Sungchan were married just from attending lecture.

“That was my first thought, too. Turns out he had you last semester.”

You scrunched your nose in confusion. “Then why…?”

“Apparently, in your class, he met this cute Lang major, but she didn’t seem too impressed with him. Thinks he’s a dumb jock.” Sungchan’s chest vibrated with his chuckle.

“Because he doesn’t know what death of the author is? Is he failing your bio class, perchance?”

“No.”

“Did she actually tell him she thought he was a dumb jock, or is he just assuming?” You asked pointedly.

“He seemed pretty convinced.” Your husband grinned and nudged you with his shoulder. “Sound familiar?”

“What are you—Oh my god, you think that sounds like us?” You rolled your eyes. “I did not think you were a dumb jock! I just… didn’t think about you really at all.”

“Ouch.” His pout was still very visible in the dim light of your bedroom.

“Not my fault you opted to pine for three years like a loser instead of talking to me.”

“Words hurt, you know.”

You shook your head. “So were you able to tell him what death of the author is?”

“No. But he’s apparently trying to read along from your Brit Lit I syllabus.”

“So that’s why you knew Bisclavret the other day. He won’t get very far on his own, even translated, Old English can be pretty awkward to get through,” you warned.

“Yeah… So do you have any study guides?” He batted his eyelashes at you, and you once again rolled your eyes.

“Seriously? You should tell him to talk to her like a person. He won’t get anywhere if he’s constantly thinking of both of them one-dimensionally. Him as the dumb jock, and her as the smart Lang major,” you scoffed. “Sound familiar?”

“That’s a no on the study guide?”

“The Internet exists. And you didn’t get me by making me swoon over your knowledge of Breton lais.”

“True.” He clicked his tongue in the back of his mouth. “I’ll ask him if she has any chronic illnesses to tend to.”

“You didn’t stay with me during the Halloween party as some elaborate scheme to get me to date you. At that point, you still thought you were friendzoned. If my memory serves me.” You pointed out.

He yawned and nuzzled his cheek against your shoulder. “Perhaps…”

“You stayed with me because you’re a good, sweet guy, always have been,” you continued, taking your hand that he had been holding back to reach behind you and poke his leg. “That’s how you got me.”

“Aw, you still know how to my heart flutter, baby. Even after fifteen years.”

You smiled to yourself as he kissed your shoulder. “Yeah, you’re easy.”

“And still know how to wound me with so few words.”

“I love you, too, Channie,” you chuckled softly, taking his hand again under the covers.

“Only this easy for my girl.” He murmured, dropping another kiss to your shoulder. “Love of my life.” Another kiss, this one on your cheek. “Can’t wait to spend the rest of our lives together.”

“We’re already married,” you said humorously, wiggling your entwined left hands pointedly.

“So? I can only talk about spending the rest of our lives together before we sign the marriage papers? Can’t do it while we’re actually living that life together and raising our son?”

“Well when you put it like that…” You turned your head to catch his lips with yours in a soft, sweet kiss.

Sungchan hummed into the kiss, pecking the corner of your mouth when you pulled away.

“I love you, my Sungchannie,” you professed as you’d done thousands of times before, each time thinking that you could never be more in love with this man than you were in that moment, and yet each time it felt like your love had only grown exponentially since the last time you said it.

“I love you too. My girl,” he replied, resting his forehead against yours. You didn’t need him to speak to know what he was thinking. The two of you were going to get through this. Even though right now, you don’t know exactly how, you would.

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[ohmycale]

I guess I am alive again...

I have not been in the fandom for quite some time due to life and many things happening in real life. Somebody in real life asked to read and comment on a post defending Deruth. It's a good read and I agree on most of it. Which even surprising that I'm writing this. I hope I would not offend anyone if I would just highlight some of the things I read that make me think. A bit of a long post incoming

I agree that he's an okay parent...for any other child and any other time except during Jour's death. But since ogCale was a neglected child by most adults around him (during and after this time), especially his parents, I would beg to differ. And here I am thinking that parents try their best even at their worst times. Tbh, the post feels like an excuse Deruth's neglect like many posts that I have read. Just another one who handwave neglect and worse, treat it as something so trivial. Neglect is treated as something so minor that should be waived by time or force. Assuming that we're not holding Deruth on a pedestal, why is an apology for his failings such a bad thing to do, fathom or even ask for?

Father and child were both grieving but it seems that it was only Deruth's grief that mattered. Nobody gave a shit for the child who had his life upside down from losing his mother, ignored by his father, and got a new family that he was (for intents and purposes at that time) didn't even ask for. Because Deruth moved on, everyone, especially Cale, has to. Because of a new family, og!cale never said anything coz he'd probably be answered by 'Don't you want your father (Deruth) to be happy?' (classic line for stepkids) If that's the feedback, why bother opening up and saying something? Og!Cale will be the bad guy for expressing such thoughts and feelings. In real life blended families, it's the parents who facilitate everything including communication. It's the adults who should be guiding the children and have control of the situation. Also, let's not forget that it was Deruth who distanced himself from og!Cale first and never bothered to patch their relationship and issues even to the point that og!cale changed a lot aka Roksu appeared.

I understand that people are not at their best selves when grieving. I was the same. But I am not an adult nor a parent. I didn't have a child that I had to care for or be responsible for. It might have been hard, but it would not sit on my conscience to burden a kid with my messy emotions or pull away. Because pulling away from a person who thought they were loved by you leads them to think that they are at fault. At the very least, og!cale deserved a conversation about his mother's passing and his father's actions at that time.

I don't care about the worst father list. As mentioned before, Deruth only gets the benefit of the doubt already because he is kind and trying. Trying but didn’t succeed. For me, his trying is not for readers to judge, His effort should only matter to og!cale and whether it is enough to absolve Deruth for his failings.

I agree that both Deruth and og!cale are bad at communicating. Deruth did set the precedent of not communicating and pulling away.

The first few chapters show that he cares for his son in his way. Yeah, but he's not reaching his son, does he? They barely had a functioning relationship and we're supposed to congratulate him? As a reader, we get it that he cares for his son. But if we ask Deruth, should he be happier that he’s winning over strangers rather than the person he's trying to care for? And if Deruth is on speaking terms with og!Cale to his son, it’s not gonna be that hard to bring out a topic or issues.

Not touching the Violan bit because she is his stepmother (and stepfamilies are so complex and hard) and to be honest, a better adult than her husband,

8. You can also argue that Deruth didn't try hard enough. He does try. He's not just good efficient as exemplified by the post. He doesn't speak about the things that matter to them both but does the indirect and inefficient ways. He shouldn't be surprised if keeps trying bad ways to reconcile and act surprised when it fails.

9. So for parents to try harder doesn't usually end up with a heart-to-heart talk unless the other wants to talk. It's a risk that a parent has to take - either grab them by the horns or be miserable trying to communicate via the mind. And suffer the odds for the risk.

Re Basen and Lily. I am ambivalent about them. It’s not because they were kids or they did something bad to og!cale. For some people, especially the people who were left by their parents to have a do-over family, they are a symbol. I mean, sans og!Cale, Deruth is winning. He has a new family – a wife that shares his burden, a (spare) son for the county, a daughter that he might have wished for. There are real fathers and mothers who abandon their original families/children because THEY CAN. Is it projecting? Absolutely effing lutely. Is it reasonable enough to expect? Yes. Because Deruth is a flawed human being who already showed that he CAN abandon og!Cale if he so wished. And nobody can stop or even disapprove of him because of his status and position. It is good that Deruth in the story defies this but he’s still doing the BARE MINIMUM.

Overall, whether Deruth is a bad father will be a recurring conversation topic for the fandom. There are many viewpoints but I always always side with the views most relevant and applicable to og!Cale even it might be biased. If og!Cale is here with us, I am sure he will be more than happy to tell us what he thinks.

But we don’t. Any opinion, even the scathing and unpopular ones, deserves merit. It’s good that fandom is not a monolith especially in this because this topic and og!cale’s experiences are so relatable.

Here’s a summary of my stand

Being a good parent to Basen and Lily doesn’t mean he was a good father to og!Cale even if og!Cale does love him

Og!Cale doesn’t need to forgive or forget what Deruth did in the worst time of their lives because he loves him

Deruth is afraid, I get that. But if he remains afraid, his hope for reconciliation isn’t gonna pan out as he hopes to.

Deruth needs to accept that there is a chance it is too late.

Deruth needs to accept consequences for the negative things he gave to og!cale, unintentional or not. Even if og!Cale understands why he did what he did.

Did I just log into my dormant account to post this? Yes.

Is this longer than I intended? Also, yes.

Are my fanfic bunnies dead yet? Maybe.

Hope somebody enjoys this one.

[kazimakuwabara]

Story below for @sanusoweek

Part 8:

"You're a fucking idiotic moron!" Zoro growled, holding onto Luffy tight as Chopper worked at stitching up Zoro's back.

"Yeah," Luffy agreed, letting Zoro nuzzle and hold him as a means of comfort.

"Usopp loved you!" Zoro snarled, "And you let him go off with Doffy?!"

"He's already married!" Sanji snapped, Nami wrapping up Sanji's ribs. Nami pursed her lips, but shot an uncertain glare at Sanji, as if she thought him a fool.

"He said it himself. That he'd run away from his husband after a fight!" Sanji spat brokenly. "So he said he wanted to go back with him!"

Luffy scoffed, and blinked at Sanji, "Wow. You're really dumb, Sanji. I thought you could tell when people are lying."

Zoro purrered and nuzzled against Luffy, Luffy flicking his tail with amusement as Zoro cuddled, and held him.

Zoro winced a bit as Chopper pulled on a divine thread, and the small angel bleated, "Sorry Zoro! The worst part is next!"

"Good... then I'll use that pain to fuel my anger!" Zoro hissed. And then with disgust, he snapped, "Usopp lied. Lied to save you! Did you have any idea who Doffy was?"

"No... who was he?" Nami asked, pausing to look Zoro in the eye.

Zoro waited until Sanji looked him in the eye, and then with disgust snapped, "He is Donquixote Doflamingo!"

The air in the room went cold.

"The God of Wealth? The crazy one?!" Nami choked.

"Why would Usopp be with that guy?" Sanji asked, reeling over the thought that the God of Wealth had kicked his ass, and taken Usopp.

"The very same! And Usopp isn't his husband... or well he is. But only on paper. He married Usopp after his mother and father died, so he could take Usopp, and use him! Usopp's been his slave for well over a hundred years!" Zoro spat.

Luffy's cheerful face became blank with anger.

"We ran away. It took me years to get him out of that place, but we ran away. Because do you wanna know who Usopp really is?" Zoro spat, glaring at Sanji's face which had grown ghastly pale.

"Usopp is the only surviving son of The Goddess of crops... and her husband. A human. When her human died of old age... she died too of heartache. He's a half God. Christened the God of Lying simply because he is half a human, and half a God. He's not an angel, he's not a god, nor is he a human... he's just Usopp... and he lied about Doffy, to save your stupid, sorry, ass!"

Sanji put a hand around his throat, and dry heaved. Nami, goddess that she was, curled an arm around Sanji's shoulders and tried to comfort him. Even if Sanji knew he didn't deserve it.

"It was a good lie... he made it seem real!" Nami tried weakly.

"Well, of course, he did!" Luffy huffed, hopping to his feet. "Didn't you hear Zoro? He's the God of Lies! He must be the best at them!" Luffy clapped his hands, "Well... get up.! Everyone up... we better go get him!"

Zoro looked at Luffy like he would follow him to the ends of the earth. Sanji looked at Luffy, his light in the darkness, and croaked, "You help me save him."

Luffy smiled a fanged grin, "Of course! He's Nakama! He's one of us. And besides..." Luffy revealed his wings, soft wings, feathered wings, tinted red. A pair of angel wings. Luffy smiled, wagging his devil's tail, "I got a soft spot for halflings!"

[trips2saturn]

towl spoilers below!!!!!!!!!

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late briefing but it’s here and that’s what matters!!!!! let’s get into this episode! ❤️‍🔥

this episode was amazing. no notes. angst fuels me, so keep it coming in episode four along with some loving intimacy! 🤝

michonne is the most clever, headstrong, charismatic, fearless powerhouse of a woman in the entirety of twdu. there is no situation nor circumstance that she cannot handle. no matter the time, skill, or hardship that woman is going to do whatever she fucking wants. she’s such an admirable character, and yes this is just a fictional show but she means so much to me. tv mom forever and ever and ever. my lovebug!!!! 🫶🏼

rick… my og lovebug. his selfless, tender hearted yet courageous and dangerous personality is sooo missed recently because of these losers who love to keep playing hide the donkey. he’s been so beaten down and forced into the caged mindset, also known as stockholm syndrome. it hurts so much to see it affect him so deeply, especially in this episode. we truly get to understand just how horrified he is of losing michonne, losing judith, losing their home. it’s so layered that he’s come to the conclusion that he has to do whatever it takes to protect his wife and their children (judith for now until further notice). even going as far as pretending to break michonne’s heart just to get her to go back home for the sake of a safe and secured future. and as much as it rips his entire psyche into shreds, this man is a family man. his priority in life is to protect the ones that he loves by all means necessary.

and thank fucking HEAVENS that despite their years apart, michonne knows her husband like the back of her palm and can read him like a book!!! every word that poured out of his mouth was utter bullshit merely for safety purposes and i’m soooo glad that she understood that without even having to retaliate verbally.

she retaliated by throwing them out of a moving chopper LMAOOO 😭 MY GIRL, MY LEADING LADY!!!!!! CAN WE MAKE SOME NOISE FOR THE CRAZIEST CHARACTER IN THE ROOM. thank youuuuuu! i digress.

“we needed a timeout” shdjshdhsjdjs well yes! please knock some sense into your traumatized husband. he needs his wife!!!

moving forward. the phones!!!! “believe a little bit longer”!!!!! CARL MENTION!!!!!!??????!!!!! 😨🫨🥺☹️😖 rick not mentioning any names for three years and never liking any drawings of his son because they could never be depicted perfectly 😣😣😣 try not to cry challenge [FAILED]. punching me in the gut would hurt less. still hoping for a random chandler cameo too :D

i know that what rick said was absolutely fake and futile but as a fierce michonne lover… HER FACE AS HE SPOKE??? if we don’t see him loving on her endlessly in episode four… i might throw myself out of a moving helicopter.

one hundred percent positive that they’ll be pouring bisquick and making pancakes next episode. i’m sat.

thorne is a D. not an A. she’s a piece of shit and will be dealt with eventually. michonne will handle any light work. i rest my case.

jadis is a sexual predator and a grade-A loser with a shit haircut. i almost pissed myself laughing when rick said that. he’s been waiting and so have i!!!! 😁 but yeah she sucks. die asap.

RICHONNE KISS IN THE WOODS AFTER BEING A POWERHOUSE COUPLE. 🥹 reminded me so much of when they took those cars and drove into that herd of walkers. ugh. please put their entire love story into the louvre.

last but not least because i’m tired — unsure what beale is up to. he’s so sketchy, and also SO CONFUSED about rick supposedly having a briefing with him about being promoted?! NO. no thanks we didn’t ask for him to ever be a leader nor get kidnapped in the first place!!!! scared to see what lies ahead for the next three episodes :(((((

in conclusion, michonne is the most beautiful angel to walk the earth. she looked so hot in every single scene. episode three is hands down my favorite episode yet, despite the hardship. again, angst fuels me. so excited to see what’s in store next week, and every other week after that!!!! it’s only up from here. ❤️‍🔥⬆️

okay that’s it. hope everyone enjoyed the episode!!!! this is such a wild ride, and i’m happy to have my television parents back on my screen, making things happen again. 🌟🔥

[xkaidaxxxx]

Kuroo Tetsuro

The Man

y/n and kuroo : started dating 2nd year of high school

Currently : married and living together

Having a degree really doesn’t give you a great job from the start. During your 2nd year of college you got engaged with him. After that you both got an apartment and married. You’ve been living there for 2 years now. “I’m off to work sweetheart.” He said. You fixed his tie. “ I love you very much.” Giving you a quick kiss leaving afterwards. He wants to be in a sports promotion division but everyone has to start off somewhere. Now kuroo has told you endless of times that you don’t have to pay rent, buy groceries nor pay any other type of bills. It honestly made you feel bad. Yeah you were a housewife with a degree in business management and marketing. Everything was going great. You had breakfast, lunch, and dinner ready for Kuroo everyday. He loves your meals. He’s grateful for everything you do. Recently you’ve noticed he’s been stressed out. It was odd. You’ve never seen him so quiet,upset, looking like he’s going to explode at any moment.

Things were going downhill at work. Many people were being let go due to company issues. All the current workers pay went down. Long story short work was a shit show. He’s saved up money however still struggling to pay bills. He’s at this lowest right now. He won’t say a single word about it. He grew up hearing “you’re going to be the man of your house. You’re the man. Start getting that in your head.” From his dad. His mother agreed but she added that if he ever needed help they’d be there. Yeah his dad wasn’t in on that part. That grew upon him in an awful way. He’s beating himself up. It’s not his fault the company is falling to the ground. Not this fault his paycheck was 71,000yen(about 500usd) less from 341,100yen(2,400usd)= 288,162 yen (1,900usd)

That evening his mother accidentally called your phone instead of his. “Kuroo I have told you endless of times that you’re my son and that I love you very much. I know how it feels to struggle with money. You’re a strong person. Very dedicated and smart. If you need the money sweetheart take it. You can move back in with us. I’d love to have company. Y/n is such a sweet girl.” She spoke. There was a long pause. You hung up with without a word. You waited for kuroo to get home. Time passed by. Dinner was ready as Kuroo walked in and set his briefcase down. “ I’m home my love.” He spoke walking into the kitchen. You helped him take his blazer off along with his tie. “ Eat up lovely. I couldn’t wait today. I was too hungry.” You replied. You sat down and watched him eat. Allowing him to enjoy his tasty meal. Once he reached the end of it you asked, “ How was work?You’ve been working a bit longer?” You crossed your legs. “ It’s good. There’s just more work to do this time around. It’s kind of annoying don’t ya think.” He replied smiling. You wanted to slap that stupid fake smile off of his face. “Yeah I know. I’ve heard. The neighbor downstairs told me her husband got let go. You guys work in the same building right?” You lied. There was no such neighbor nor same building. “ U-uh yeah? Really?” He replied nervously. “ It suck’s they must be so stressed out. There’s rent,water bills,electricity, movie apps,Spotify.” You said. He finally knew what you were doing. How did you find out only god knows. “ Y-yes y/n I’ve been struggling with work. I swear baby I’ll figure it out. I promise. We will be okay.” He got up and held you in his arms. Tears soaked his tshirt. “Hey shh it’s okay. It’s not going to be easy but we’ll be fine. Don’t worry about it. Allow me to do that. I’m the man of the house after all. It’s my job to keep everything in check.” He said letting go and wiping your tears away. “I was planning to tell you yesterday that we got a call from the house phone. They said you wanted to be the Japan Volleyball Association’s Sports Promotion Division? They loved the resume and idea’s you’ve submitted. I’m guessing you put some of your high school and college volleyball background.” You said. Kuroo looked at you in shock. This was what he wanted. He got it after 3 years. “I told them yes..yeah so you start next week. On Monday. I know you’ll do amazing baby.” You said tip toeing giving him a peck on the cheek. “ This is perfect. I told you we’ll be okay.” He blushed. Your stomach grumbled loudly. “I thought you ate already.” He smirked. You smacked his arm. He served your plate as you sat down. “Here princess. Eat up. I love you very much.” He pecked your cheek setting the plate down. “ I love you too baby.”

[nattinatalia]

Jack Harlow x Reader x Son : Instagram AU

Liked by jackharlow, yourusername, cassiewyatt, claybornharlow, and 6,888,356 others

ezharlow Boston 📍 anything fun to do here?

View all 1,200 comments

jackharlow We’re here for work, what do you mean fun????

ezharlow No, you’re here for work. I just came for the free ride.

yourusername Ezequiel 🤦🏻‍♀️

alizemiaharlow You’re ugly.

ezharlow Your father!

alizemiaharlow 😳

cassiewyatt LMAAAOOOO tio Jack is going to slap him upside the head.

ezharlow He already did 🙄 thanks

•

Liked by yourusername, alizemiaharlow, urbanwyatt, cozane, and 7,986,345 others

ezharlow Someone come get this old man, he doesn’t know how to act at his old age!!!!!

View all 1,200 comments

yourusername He’s not old, deja a tu papá, stop making fun of my husband!!!!!

ezharlow Mom, why are you always defending him?

yourusername Because he’s my man and I’m gonna stick besides him 🫶🏼🤞🏼

jackharlow That’s right!!!!!!! Ez, is time to give up, she’ll never leave me!!!!

ezharlow Yeah, I’m starting to realize that!!!!

user Im wondering if this is their regular bickering father-son thing or Ez grew up hating Jack 🤔

user Right? He’s always coming for his neck in the comments.

ezharlow I’m sorry you can’t joke around with your dad. Leave your daddy issues away from my dad and me.

cassiewyatt *cries in daddy issues*

urbanwyatt Come again?

cassiewyatt No not me, them!!!!!

alizemiaharlow 😭😭😭😭😭

user Cass you sure you don’t have daddy issues? Since your parents divorced at a young age and Urban left you?

cassiewyatt Lmaooo, no I don’t have daddy issues. I’m well aware of my parents history, since I lived it. My dad never left me, nor my mom, what you failed to see was that I was always with both of them unless they had to work. They both were very hands on during my childhood, so don’t worry about me and my issues, because I might have a lot of them, but daddy issues or mommy issues aren’t one or two of them 😘

ezharlow What you’re not about to do is come for my family under my posts. This is why I barley even do social media. You “fans” feel entitled to my parents and to my uncle, it’s annoying. So consider yourself blocked.

•

jackharlow added to their story

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ezharlow added to their story

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Liked by jackharlow, yourusername, alizemiaharlow, cassiewyatt, yourbestiename, and 7,567,456 others

ezharlow My best friend for life 😊🤞🏼 throwback with momma ❤️

View all 1,900 comments

yourusername My baby boy 🥺 extraño cuando estabas así de chiquito 😩 te amo.

ezharlow Te amo momma ❤️

alizemiaharlow Mommy’s boy at it’s finest 😂

ezharlow Sure am and what about it?

yourbestiename I took these 😩 you were the cutest little boy ever!!!!!!! Always wanting to be next to your mom.

jackharlow He still does with his annoying ass

yourusername 😭😭😭😭😭

ezharlow Why are you whining? We’ve come to a realization that she will always pick you over me 🙄

jackharlow You finally get it 😂🤭

yourusername Aht aht 👎🏼 I take no sides

•

Liked by urbanwyatt, jackharlow, newbalance, yourusername, alizemiaharlow, and 6,976,387 others

ezharlow Fit of the day 🤞🏼

View all 1,200 comments

cassiewyatt I need to get you in the bedroom fits page asap!!!

urbanwyatt Uhhh nooo. I handed that over to you for YOUR fits, not his!!!

ezharlow You’re so jealous

urbanwyatt Of you kid? Never!!!!!!

alizemiaharlow 🔥 🔥

jackharlow You’re welcome 🙄

ezharlow For what exactly?

jackharlow You got good style because of me.

ezharlow OHHH OKAAYYY OLD MAN

•

Liked by jackharlow, yourusername, alizemiaharlow, yourbestiename, and 7,567,887 others

ezharlow They’re apart for a week and my mom somehow can’t find a chair to sit on 🙄. Side note, the little demon spawns are growing and I know I joke a lot, but I’m excited to be a big brother!

View all 1,200 comments

yourusername What do you mean? Your father is my chair, my favorite chair at that 🤭

jackharlow 😋 😋

ezharlow Oh come on 😡 keep the nasty off my page.

alizemiaharlow You’re finally able to say you’re a big brother 🙌🏼 😭

ezharlow Now can you stop calling me little brother all the time? It’s annoying.

alizemiaharlow No because that’s what you are tonto.

cassiewyatt They’re the cutest 🥺 excited for the twins to get here 😭

druski They’ve always been annoying, I would’ve of thought after many years they would’ve gotten sick of each other 🙄 🤮

ezharlow I’m only allowed to come for them and make fun of them, you? Not so much so leave them alone.

jackharlow 😂🙌🏼

allabouttheharlows You’ve been really active on social media this week. Love that.

ezharlow You’ll have to thank my dad for that. For someone who hated being on social media himself, he’s schooling me about being active.

allabouttheharlows Thank you dad jackharlow 🤭🤭🤭🤭😊😊😊😊

jackharlow Lmao

user so is Ez single????

jackharlow Good question….. he did get lots of girls numbers while on our trip.

selenosunni left and right talking about “call me sometime sexy”

cozane When a girl handed Jack a paper and he didn’t want to get it but once she said it was for EZ 😭😭😭😭😭 Jacks entire face changed Lmaoo

shloob EZ SHOW ME YOUR WAYS!!!!!

ezharlow It’s that Harlow blood

jackharlow So which girl are you going to call?

yourusername JACKMAN!!!!!!!

jackharlow I’m curious that’s all, don’t you want to know who your future daughter in law would be? Get to know her? Or are you going to scare every girl away?

yourusername He’s not allowed to go to work trips with any of you anymore.

yourusername Bye, don’t make me out to be a toxic mom, I’m more than excited to see who my babies end up with, but all in good timing. NO RUSH YOU HEAR ME KIDS!!!!!!?????

ezharlow LMAAAOOO

alizemiaharlow Welcome to my world!!!!!!!!!!

ezharlow I don’t like your world!!!!!

•

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[five-rivers]

Ancestral Chapter 21

Probably the last one for this month, if not this year. Written for ectober day 27: circus gothica (yes, I am behind).

.

Somehow, Danny wasn’t even surprised at this point.  

"Yeah, I, um.  I met the guy, once?"

"Sorry?" said Gwensyvyr.

At the same time, Jazz asked, "Who?"

"Pariah Dark," said Danny.

"He is supposed to be sealed."  Gwensyvyr's form briefly flickered back to her battle regalia.  This close, Danny could see that each of her braids had a spiked chain woven into it, starting low enough down that the spikes would bounce off the back of her armor, not the back of her head.  

"He was," Danny hastened to reassure her.  "He is.  He just.  Got out for a little bit.  Last year."

Gwensyvyr leaned back, her elbow phasing slightly through the chair.  She covered her mouth with her opposite hand.  "It seems my suspicions might not be as far-fetched as I thought before.  If he was out at all, they might have–" She stopped.  "You still need to know the whole story."

Matthew's phone began to tweedle.  He snatched it up with a look of panic on his face.  "Sorry!  I need to take–" The panic transformed into a kind of exhausted horror as he stared at the phone.  "Does our honored ancestor know about phones?  I mean…"  He looked back and forth between Danny and the phone, which was still ringing.  

"She knows about phones," said Danny, unsure whether to be amused or not.  

Matthew seemed to take this as permission, because he answered the phone.  “Yes, did you find it?”  He was silent for a moment.  “No?  Do you know what happened?  Could he have moved it to some other spot?  No, no, I understand.  If possible, please keep looking.  It’s very important.  Goodbye.”  He put down the phone.  “That was Aldryk Wylfred, his father was one of grandfather’s close friends.  He’d been named a Knight of the Key, and given one of the Great Gate Keys to safeguard…  His key is missing.  I’m waiting on the other Knights of the Keys.”

“I had hoped it was not so.”

“Is… no one going to ask why Danny knows someone that Queen Gwensyvyr fought?” asked Leo.  “Or how?”

“Well, he was a ghost at the time,” said Danny.  “But we really ought to…”  He waved at Gwensyvyr.  “Listen.  And stuff.”

Yeah, he wasn’t going to be able to get away with that for much longer.  

“Thank you,” said Gwensyvyr.  "But if you met Pariah Dark, you know what he became."

"King of Ghosts."

"He thought of himself that way, yes," said Gwensyvyr.  "It is not something Artyr and I considered, when we killed him.  Nor did any of the ghosts and spirits who haunted him and wanted him dead as badly as we did."

“His name really was Arthur, then,” said Lewis, who had taken out a notebook at some point.  "Your husband."

“In his birthplace, perhaps.  He was named after a famed king of that land, long dead, as I understand it, then and now.  It has made our respective legends rather confused, at times.  

"With me, he was always Artyr.  He was trained as a blacksmith, which was why they kept him.  Such skills are valuable still, as you well know.”  She nodded to the ritual knives many of them had set on the table, and then again to the knives Irene had set the table with.  "He made the very first of those.  To kill Pariah."

"Why?" asked Danny.  "Why did you need that?  Wasn't he human, then?"

Gwensyvyr shook her head.  "Not entirely," she said.  "Not anymore.  He had his men desecrate the pool.  Mine was not the only blood spilled in it that day, and they did more than that.  They threw trash into it.  They blocked off the spring.  They did things in it too foul to speak of.  They cut down the tree and burned it.  But not before Pariah and his sons ate every single apple that grew on it that year."

"They were syvyrys," said Danny.  "That's why you needed a knife that could cut a ghost."

"Not like I was and not like you are, but, yes.  They had already had some measure of magic to them - that is how they cut down the nine of us priestesses.  Numbers alone did not do that.  But the apples gave them terrible power.  

"They took me and the others they had chosen as slaves - beautiful girls and men with valuable skills, for the most part - back to their homeland.  The islands were not the only place he had taken slaves from, though they were always quite careful not to ever take so many as to be outnumbered.  So, there, I met Artyr.  There, we plotted.  There, I came into my powers.  There, I killed Pariah Dark.

"But to my continuing regret, I did not kill his sons."

"You think they have something to do with all this," said Matthew.

"Or their descendants," said Gwensyvyr.  "They are the only syvyrys I ever knew of who could use blood blossoms like that.  They were always doing some new, terrible thing.  We had more spirits on our side than they did, even with their ridiculous cult, so they spent much of their time making new weapons against them.  They had ways to keep themselves and their spirits safe from blood blossoms that we never learned.  They had ways to imbue objects with their powers.  At one point, they used some alchemy to make this sphere of red glass that could control most ghosts and even tugged on my mind…"  She trailed off.  "You've encountered that, too, haven't you?"

Danny squirmed.  "Maybe."

"How?" asked Gwensyvyr.  "Why?"

"It was–" He looked at the rest of his family.  "It was– This crazy circus ringmaster had it and was using it to make ghosts rob banks and jewelry stores for him."

"Are you talking about Freakshow?" asked Jazz.

"Freakshow?"

"His real name was Frederick Isaac Showenhower," offered Jazz.  "At least, that was his pen name."

"Amazing," said Gwensyvyr.  “We ought to sit down and talk about all of the history you managed to run into despite living an ocean away and under a different name.  But– Showenhower.  That has a German root, doesn’t it?  There was some suspicion that the younger son had fled to that area after betraying his brothers…  I’m getting ahead of myself.  

“While Artyr and I worked at cleansing the sacred pool, reviving the tree, and healing the other damage done by Pariah’s attack, Pariah’s sons built up a cult around their father’s ghost.  A group of fanatics that stayed loyal even in death.  

“They attacked Avlynys again when I was pregnant with my second daughter, seeking revenge and the power of the sacred pool.  Imagine for a moment, such a battle between syvyrys and spirits.  The sky was shattered with lightning, the air green with power.  Trees uprooted themselves to take part in the fighting.  The dead sacrificed themselves to take up their buried corpses.  I myself fought Pariah in his glory, bolstered by prayers and sacrifice, wearing a crown of fire and a ring forged from the souls of a hundred berserkers.  I banished him through the pond, whose door had been stuck open since it drank of my blood.  

“It broke the ground beneath the pond and spring, and the spring sank deep underground where, to the best of my knowledge, it still rests.”

“That’s the portal in Andyr?” asked Danny.  “Just checking to make sure.”

“The pond, yes,” said Gwensyvyr.  “Kyr Argyn was built on the rift - we also used it as a silver mine for a while.  Very useful, for a newly-formed country.”  Her lips twitched up.  “Artyr also enjoyed the chance to learn silversmithing.  I do appreciate your attempts to get back the Kyp Styrryse, Lwys.  It took him a hundred years to get that good.”  She made a face.  “It was also a great aid when maintaining the pool.  Having it again would be very good.”

“Oh,” said Lewis.  “I, well, I’m working on it.  But– A hundred years?”

“Artyr died in that battle, but he did not leave.  We had three more children, after, though they were… strange.  Even now, he has not left, though he sleeps with many of the other spirits of this land.

“After we had driven off Pariah’s sons, we found the pool again.  It took time and a great deal of effort even with magic, and once we did, we were determined that no one should use it for evil ever again, and that even if all of us should die - me, and my children, who numbered three, only, at the time, and my closest friends - it should be safe.  But we could not simply bury it and leave it.  It was not yet clean and still too powerful.  So, we made nine Great Gates and nine Great Gate Keys, to guard all the paths that could reach it.  We pledged our family to the cause of safeguarding it and tending it, and we named ourselves after those gates, those doors, so we would not forget.”

Gwensyvyr paused significantly.  

“We’ve done that, haven’t we?” asked Matthew.  “Even before Uncle Leon died.”

“It was a good while before that, too, to be fair,” said Gwensyvyr.  “In truth, I think it started as early as my great-grandchildren’s time.  A hundred years of fighting with the sons and grandsons of Pariah…”  She trailed off and shook her head.  “Alys wanted peace, and thought that both sides were worn down enough that she could get it.  She married her daughter, her only child, to one of Pariah’s scions.  But Kythrin chose never to have access to the sacred pool, or take up her duties to it, and so never to become queen herself.  The throne and its duties went to her cousin, and her husband killed her and took their children to Britain, where he made a pest of himself for the rest of his natural life, despite efforts to end it prematurely.  

“One of the children came back.  We were overjoyed, but…”  Gwensyvyr’s face soured.  “Once welcomed, they used the pool to try and call up Pariah once more.

“That is when the pool and the journey andyr Kyr Argyn became so entwined with the succession.  Before that, we had helpers, who came freely.  They were not the priestesses of old, but they had some knowledge, and it made the burden easier for the family.  After… we did not trust so easily.  

“Later, many years on, Queen Arynryd saw the danger in this and founded the School of Heroes in an attempt to gather those that could be trusted.  That was the original point of it - not to be a pre-approved pool of heroic suitors to pick from to prevent inbreeding in the royal line.”  She rolled her eyes as a faint susurrus of ohs rose up around the table.  “Although, I will grant that it has been useful for that, on occasion.”

Gwensyvyr shook her head.  “After that incident, though, many of us were worried that Pariah might return, so I and some others went through the pool, and directly into a war.  I am not sure how long it lasted.  Time was strange, there, in the otherworld.  But it was Pariah and his fanatics against all other spirits, and we felt that, as his old enemies, we must join in.

“When Pariah was sealed, we returned, but we found that more than a generation had passed, and Pariah’s brood had made war on us again, and that they had even roused the Normans to do the same.  A whole…”  She paused, looking away.  “While we were gone, a whole branch of the family had been wiped out.  Only the youngest, one too young to go to war, survived.  And though King Ydmynd completed the trials, and as an adult, with a child just born, he decreed restrictions, and that no one should go into Andyr or to the pools except for the Trials.”

Gwensyvyr stared at the table.  “I did not intervene.  I thought it would be enough, as people had children, and those children wanted to take up the family task.  I thought the pool healed enough, and the gates strong enough.  It was not Ydmynd’s fault, mind.  He was young, and he’d had a harrowing time of the trials, with so many of us gone to fight Pariah in the beyond, and all his family dead.”

She paused again, giving Danny time to catch up and think about what that must have felt like, for Edmund.  To think about how every day they seemed to be getting closer to that point themselves.

“There were some benefits to the developments as well.  The decrees were not because of fear, only,” said Gwensyvyr, softly.  “Athlyng Elysyvyt was kidnapped young and educated by the Danes, who wanted to put her on the throne, but without the Trials, she had no claim to it.  We avoided long periods of regency, and the crises that come with child monarchs.  A few times, Pariah’s living fanatics were caught trying to get into Andyr.

“Then, too, not everyone followed King Ydmynd’s decrees, especially after he, in turn, died.  There were strong syvyrys in those years, too.  Even so… even so, we thought it might be best to let the living find their own way, in most cases.  There is a reason I did not stay queen after my death, though I was, clearly, still there and still visible, as magic had suffused Avlynys through the sacred pool far more in those days than it does now.  

“There were things to do, regardless.  Even in death, even with the pool behind the Great Gates, we still had to protect the island and the pool from enemies.  And…”  She sighed.  “When there were no more enemies, and we found ourselves growing weary, many of us chose to rest.  Even I cannot be everywhere at once.  I often chose to shadow my family, rather than any greater purpose and as time passed, and the pool wasn’t tended to, its power faded.  I thought that a good thing, that it was finally returning to how it used to be before my first death, but lately we find we cannot even go there, and…  Now we are here.  A thousand years of attrition and inattention later, we are here.”

“And… that’s it?” asked Danny.

Gwensyvyr spread her hands out.  “I am not going to attempt to recount the entire millennia, much less the portions of it that are in living memory.  Although maybe I should.  I always thought the nationalist movement had a little too much in common with some of the things Pariah’s fanatics got up to.”  She tapped her lips.  “And the Germans sent us a remarkable number of curses during the second of the Great Wars, despite how terrible they were at it, and despite hardly anyone being able to do that at all in the twentieth century.”

“We expelled the nationalist movement.  Their whole organization was outlawed, after the Brygytyn attacks.”

“Matthew, you know as well as I that you never entirely get rid of people like that.”

Iris raised a hand.  “So, our consensus here is that our premier pharmaceutical institution is run by deranged cultists who specifically hate our family for killing their, what, their god?  And they might be Nazis on top of that?”

“Not Nazis,” said George.  “Those were specifically German nationalists.”

“There are American Nazis, too,” pointed out Iris.

“I wouldn’t call it a consensus,” said Gwensyvyr.  “But they must, at least, be involved, and I find the timing suspicious, if he was out of that sarcophagus for any length of time.  I would say that the spirit who attacked just now was one of them, likely being punished for failing to kill you earlier, Matthew.”

“So, what do we do?” asked Danny.  He was, personally, all for going out and beating up whoever was behind all this, but he didn’t know who was behind all this.

“The Trials,” said Matthew.  “If we did them, if we got rid of whatever was blocking you, could you…  How many of our ancestors are here, awake?  Could you help?”

Gwensyvyr smiled, teeth sharp, ghostly fangs.  “We would like nothing better.”

[the-expired-tofu]

The Devil's Trumpets | Pt. 2

|| A 'The Glory' fanfic || MINORS DNI [18+]

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a/n: Hey there, this is my first time writing a fan fiction. I might change a few things in my fictions later on. Also, my English isn't my first language so my writing might lack some fluency. Hope you enjoy :)

trigger warnings: lots of swearing, bullying, murder, gore, depression, abuse, mature content, violence, sexual themes.

pairing: reader x multi

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Y/N

Heaven never appeared to be on my side since I was born. My prayers were never answered. I dreaded waking up everyday when I was in highschool. You see, I never asked for any of this. I simply wished to lead a normal life. Is that too much to ask for?

My parents divorced when I was seven years old. My mother chose to marry a wealthy man and take my sister with her. While I were to stay with my alcoholic father. Even though I shared the same roof with him, I always felt lonely. He was always spending all of my money on more alcohol. Luckily he never abused me. I had to take care of him. Each and everyday became more difficult for me. Leaving with my mother would have been a very different experience. I'm curious of what made her change her mind. She always gave me the same reason for leaving me with my dad.

“Someone has to stay behind to look after him.” She did send us money from her husband’s account to cover up my father’s medication. That’s how we kept in contact with each other. The day she left us was the last time I saw her and my sister. My mother never bothered to make a call nor visit us, or even check on us. I figured she left us for her own good.

However, I was quite close to my sister. Even our parents' divorce couldn't properly separate us. We used to write letters to one another every day since I couldn’t afford a cell-phone for myself. I kept all her letters in a box till this day.

Living like this in Semyeong never really bothered me. Taking care of my dad all by myself was quite difficult if I say, but other than that, I was fine. Until one day, I was walking on the school grounds to get to the cafeteria, when I heard a horrifying  scream coming from the gym. There were quite many students casually walking near the place. How come nobody heard that?

Now that I even think about it, I realize I should have exercised caution while being curious. I decided to check out the issue. And that’s when everything started.

I was peeking through the door when I noticed a group of four students crowding near the stage. I could here some laughs when I noticed a girl with straight long hair coming out of the crowd. That’s when I saw her for the first time.

Moon Dong-Eun. Both her hands were tightly held by two more students, Son Myeong-Oh and Choi Hye-Jeong, while Lee Sa-Ra was holding Yeon-jin’s hair curling iron.

“Hey!”

I lost my balance and fell on my back. It was a guy holding a basketball and stood right over me.

“Oh come on do I look that bad?” He asked as he grabbed me by my hair.

“NO, NO, NO, PLEASE NO!! HELP!! ” I yelled for help and not one student wandering outside the gym came for my help.

“Yeah you’re fucking ugly Jae-joon, no wonder why she fell when she saw you.” That was Lee Sa-ra. She held a cigarette in her mouth while curling Yeon-jin’s hair.

He dragged me near the place where Moon Dong-Eun was lying. I noticed a burn on her right arm that resembled the shape of the curling iron. I had to get away from this place. I have to call the police.

I tried to free myself from his grasp but he dragged me back to the same place where Dong-Eun was. She was almost unconscious when I called out for her.

“Call her all you want. Neither can she help you, nor can anyone else.” Hye-Jeong let out a laugh when she dangled the keys in front of me.

“Oh look! Dong-eun has a friend now,” said Yeon-jin with a pout on her face.”Isn’t that adorable?” She said as she cupped my face with her hands.

“What’s your name?” she asked me while she looked down at my legs.

“She asked you a fucking question, you bitch,” asked Jae-joon who still held me by my hair with a painful grip.

“Well what does it say on her nametag?” said Yeon-jin as she opens the pin of the tag from my shirt. “Y/N. What a pretty name, and such pretty legs,” she took a few steps back to take a look at my legs again. “I wonder how my cigarettes would look on them.”

“Look, please, I swear I wont tell anybody, please let me go, I have to go back, I have to take care of my dad, he is not doing well. Please let me go” I started crying because I knew, I have no way out.

“Well the show hasn’t even started yet and you already want to go back?” said Yeon-Jin. She started backing away from me when she raised her thumb at me and then all of them started grabbing me at the edge of the stage. Myeong-oh and Hye-jeong grabbed me by my arms. I started panicking when I saw Sa-ra walking towards me with three burnt cigarettes together.

“NO PLEASE NO!!”

She shushed me with her finger on my lips. “This is high quality weed. Nobody can say no to these babies,” She said as she pointed the cigarettes towards me. She took a puff out of the three cigarettes together and grabbed me by my thighs. Before I even knew it, she pressed those together on my thighs.

My scream echoed on the walls of the gym. I tried flinging my legs in the air but she held them with a firm grip.

After she was done with my left leg, she went on to press them on my right one.

My screams became more and more distorted as I choked on my tears. My lungs, my throat, my legs, everything hurt.

“Oh my god, this bitch is fucking loud. Can someone shut her up?” said Yeon-jin.

“On it,” said Jae-joon. He threw the basketball away he was playing with a while ago and put his hand inside his pocket to take out a small bottle eye drops. He pressed a few drops on his eyes and put it back inside. I remember that it was that day he brutally beat up another guy who made fun of his colorblindness. His knuckles were still red from that guy’s blood.

“Imagine if she ever screamed my name,” said Jae-joon with a smirk on his face as he threw the ball away.

"Can you just shut the fuck up and shut her up?"

He grabbed my waist firmly and put his palm over my mouth tight shut.

Sa-ra continued pressing the cigarettes on my skin. My muffled screams died down eventually when I started feeling numb. This went on for quite long as I remember.

“Yeah that’ll do.”

Sa-ra removes the cigarettes from my thighs and lets go of my legs. I slid down the table and dropped to the floor. The stinging pain in my legs grew worser.

“She’s already out? Damn she’s weak as fuck,” Yeon-jin said as she nudged with her shoes on my thighs.

“Why did you do this to me? What harm did I ever do to you people?” I muttered.

“Because bitch if we didn’t, you would have told someone about us. Even though nobody even gives a shit about what we do. Nobody will ever believe you, and nobody will ever come to save your day” Yeon-jin said in a sing-song voice and the others laughed as she stood towered over me.

“What a whore,” said Myeong-oh. He kicked me at the back as I winced from the pain.

“Hey let’s go to the karaoke bar, it’s opened by now,” said Hye-jeong.

“Bye hoes,” Sa-ra waved as she walked away with others.

I laid there, barely conscious. My tears didn’t stop and my eyes were stinging. The world grew blurry around me. The burning pain, the bruises, the wounds, my head, the ringing in my ears, everything felt worse. I couldn’t even move. Before I knew anything else, I passed out on the gym floor.

*

I wiped the steam off my mirror as I stood naked in front of it. Some of the burnt skin on my thighs grew pinkish red over the years.

        I wore some clothes on and started drying my hair. Min-hee is fast asleep in her room. I collected all the dishes from the table and put them in the sink. It’s 11.45 p.m. My sleep can wait.

        I turned my phone on and opened Facebook. I searched up Moon Dong-Eun. I found a profile under the same name but there weren’t any pictures. I wonder if it’s really hers.

        I was staring at her profile. Should I search them up as well? I mean, I have to if I want to change my mind.

        I searched up Yeon-jin’s profile first. She worked as a weather forecaster at a news channel and married the CEO of Jaepyeong Construction in Semyeong, Ha Do-yeong. She had a child named Ha Ye-sol, same age as Min-hee.

        Jeon Jae-joon is a wealthy heir to a country club and helped up scaling a clothing boutique named Siesta.

        Lee Sa-ra became an artist.

        Choi Hye-jeong works as a flight attendant.

        For Son Myeong-oh, I couldn’t gather much information about him except maybe he works for Jeon Jae-joon.

        This much was quite enough for me. I put my phone down on the table and rested my head on my arms. I kept staring at the ceiling. The yellow light from the street outside illuminated my room. I looked over at Min-hee, she’s fast asleep.

        I took my phone and went over to the common balcony. I opened up my call logs on my phone as I closed the door behind me to make sure Min-hee doesn’t wake up. At the top of my call logs displayed Moon Dong-eun’s name. I almost made the call  when I paused.

        Wait, no. Am I doing the right thing?

        I didn’t press on her name yet. Instead, I stretched back by holding on the railings and looked over at the city before me. Seoul looks beautiful especially at night. The city lights flickered like the stars in the sky. All the quietness up here and the distant hustle of the people and traffic made me calm.

I closed my eyes and let out my breath. I looked back at my phone and pressed her name. I pressed the phone against my ear. After a few rings at my end, ”Hello Moon Dong-Eun? It’s me,  Y/N.”

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[midsummereve1993]

Why didn't you tell us.

Talks about pregnancy

July 16 2021 7:00 am

Hope everyone likes this, I tried my best. Please let me know what you think and leave comments.

Buck walked into the fire station and quickly changed into his work uniform and raced up the stairs to sit at the table and grabbed an apple, “anything new today he said biting down into an apple and saw Bobby looked at the team and then back to the stove before speaking. “We have a school class coming today to learn about the firetrucks so we need everything done before they get here bobby said placing breakfast on the table before looking At his team, “guys um today I have somewhere to be at twleve today buck said wishing he could here for the class but he had other plans. “Everything ok buck bobby said looking to the men he thought of as a son, it wasn't like buck to have to miss a school class anx the whole week he ahd be acting strange which worried him.

“Yeah everything good i just have some things I need to take care of is all he said not wanting to spill the details because he was unsure on how they would take the news he was hiding, the reason buck had to miss the class was because he was needed at an ultrasound today with his wife and four year old daughter. No one knew he had a family nor children and just assume he was single because he was very secretive about his personal life. He met his wife Scarlett nine years ago and then a few mouths back they had found out she was pregnant and today they would get to know the gender of there baby, buck secretly hoped it was another girl because he enjoyed being a girl dad.

He would be happy too if it was a boy but he wanted a little girl to love abd cherish and he hope that if it was then she would look like her mama, “you know buck has be acting wired am I right hen said watching as he walked down the stairs and Turned to look at her other col-workers. “I agree eddie said leaning against the table, Eddie was close to buck but here lately he was very secretive and he knew he was single but here lately he hadn't be himself.

“Hey cap do you mind if I take a lunch break today at twleve he said wanting to follow buck and see where He is going, “sure but any reason bobby said coming to stand beside eddie. “Yeah I'm gotta follow buck because we was supposed to meet up laat night but he called and said he couldn't make it but I swore I heard a women voice in the background saying somebting about pickles he sadi turning to his captain and saw his face of disbelief. “OK well be careful please can't have yall hurt bobby said walking away and Eddie watched buck clean and shine the firetrucks, at noon Buck took off and eddie followed him and was surprised when he pulled up to the hopsital and it made his blood run cold.

Parking the Car he got out and followed buck into the hospital and stopped just around the hallway in time to see him kiss a women who was nineteen weeks pregnant making eddie curse in Spanish and now everything made sense, how buck was aways looking at his phone or how he was careful to not let anyone see his phone and eddid sit down on the chair and waited. Mean while buck and Scarlett Set in the room and she turned to her husband with a smile, “I'm so exited but be honest baby what would you like she said wanting to know his opinion on everything. “Well honestly I want a little girl who is beautiful as her mamma with your eyes he said leaning In to give him a kiss, “what about you scar you never turly told me what you wanted he said holding her hand and couldn't belive they were at this moment.

“I want a little boy who is handsome lime his daddy and has his eyes she said picturing a little boy with blue eyes and blonde hair buck imagine a little girl with grey eyes and red hair which made him smile at the thought as he heard the door come open and close and turned to the door, “hello Mrs and miss buckley the doctor said walking to the machine and turning it on before turning back to them. “Thos is gotta be cold the doctor said as she pour some jelly on Scarlett tummy And press the wand to her stomach and move it Round, “ok here we go baby is healthy and the heartbeat is on point so that's good so would yall like to know the gender she said turning to the parents Who nodded there head as she Turn back to the Screen.

“Ok looks like your having a little girl and Scarlett started crying tears running down her eyes as she turned to look at back who also had tears running down his face, buck was in awe at the fact he was having a little girl and leant into give his wife a kiss as the doctor wiped the jelly off her tummy and they got some pictures before heading out into the hallway, jjst has they got out into the halway buck froze on the spot seeing a familiar person sitting in the chair ad felt his heart drop at being caught. “Eddie what your doing here he said walking over with Scarlett Feeling his anxiety going through the roof, “Well I was worried for you and decided to follow you.

“When you called last night and ask me a question I overheard someone and got worried so I choose to follow you I honestly wasn't expecting this he said looking at buck and the women next to him, “eddie this is my wife Scarlett and we just found out we are gonna have a little girl he said feeling a little nervous on how eddie would react to the news. Eddie still couldn't wrap his head around. "That buck had a wide and a child on the way, “why didn't you say anything Eddie said, seeing buck breath a sign of relief. “Because I wasn't sure on how yall would React because yall all think I'm a player which i’m not and Scarlett is proof of that, buck always felt like the other put him on a high stool while working at the station and he felt it was best not to say anything.

“Dude you know we love you right and i’m sorry you felt that you had go keep this a secret but i’m happy for you buddy come here eddie said pulling buck into a hug before hugging Scarlett, “you know we can go back to the station and you can tell everyone and I promise everyone will be happy eddie said and buck knew he was right. He had to tell everyone so after nodding his head he headed with Scarlett back to the station and pulled into the parking lot before turning to look at his wife.

“you ready baby he said and saw her head nod as they got it the car and heading the station and eddie meet them at the door, “ok so everyone is upstairs and waiting for us to get back and all three of them headed upstairs and stopped at the top of the stairs and saw the stares everyone was looking. “Hey buck, did you get everything squared away?" Bobby said looking at buck and the women, “yeah I did look um there's something I need to tell gall and I hope that you will understand he said before grabbing Scarlett hand and looking back to his team.

“This is my wife Scarlett and we are expecting a little girl in July," he said, letting the secret he had been keeping for a while out and seeing everyone's faces made him relieved when he didn't see a mad face in the house. “Congratulations buck we are so happy bobby said walking over to him and giving him a hug before pulling Scarlett into a hug. “The reason I didn't tell y'all because I was afraid of how yall would react and since I started working here you had thought I was a player because yeah yall thought I was so I figured I better not say anything.

“Buck we are sorry we made you feel like that hen said feeling guilty, “I Mean you had news and we made you feel like you couldn't share it with us, she said, giving him a hug before everyone else did the same. “It's ok because eddie talked some sense into me and made me realize I needed to come clean, " i’m glad you did because now we can celebrate the wonderful news Bobby said, leading Buck and Scarlett to the table and celebrating the fantastic news. that day buck realized that he had family and he could finally come Clean with anything, “on July 4th later that year irelyn rose buckley came into the world healthy and was loved by her whole family and a host of aunts and uncles along with cousins.

[dragon-prince-6-3]

Dragon prince season 6 spoiler

I thought viren would have done something much darker to save soren than what we have seen. My Theorie was that he sold his soul and his ability to love or killed lissa because she agreed to it ( she know he was a dark mage from the beginning and what mother wouldnt give her live for her child, viren would need to stay alive to performe the spell and afterwards just lied to his children their mother left them to keep them guild free )

Instead she is angree because of his looks and the forced tears. I wouldnt care how my husband looked if he did this to himself, not because of some addiction, but because he tryed to save our son. And i would happy give him the tears to finish the spell. Afterward i would ask what else he did and than decide if i want to go, but i still would have given my tears first. That viren forced the tears from her is not nice, but it was just tears, he didnt touch her or stole blood, etc. Just tears. I wouldnt mind giving someone i know my tears or hair, if they give me a good reason. If a family member would get sick and they would need an organ from me, i would spend it. Water is the least lissa can give when viren already ruined his looks for sorens health.

Next comes the stealing of the staff. That too is not bad. Viren is the student of a master who no longer wants to teach and burn all knowledge of his subject to the ground. I would be already dissapointed in my teacher for quitting. He is allowed to change his mind about his job, so i wouldnt hold it against him. But it is a loss that a Position which needs to be filled with one Person per Generation, where everyone could tecnically qualify. Gets settled with a guy who will not continue the Tradition, after he got a good house and money from it. If he never applaied someone else would have gotten it, who could have actually liked it. Since he liked it in the beginning and now hates it, it is a loss but understandeble, nobady sees the future. So if he doesnt want to teach, does viren get the chance to at least learn everything on his own. No, because kppar trys to hide or destroy as much as he can. Disliking a subject is one thing. Destroying it so nobady else can learn it another. It is not just his own knowledge he would have a right over. But centurys of people and their collectice knowledge he is destroying because of his own reasons. The staff beeing the highlight. It is not a family airloom of kppar, nor a tophy he won. But a relict, which is supposed to go from one master to the next. He has a right to keep it if viren wasnt ready in his power. Instead viren was already a master and would have earned it long ago, if kppar didnt plan to destroy a century old attefact. The only reason this stands in a good light is because dark magic and the staff are evil. If it were sun magic it would be bad.( the dark magic is evil even if it does good things, is an Argument for later ). What is important is that it is centurys old and not for kppar to decide. If it did something to him like posess him or unleash some unspeekable evil on the world, his desire would be understandeble. But aaravos was not at play here, nor does the staff do this. It only increases dark magic, which destroys your own Body, but you know about it and can decide. Kppar only wanted to destroy it because he hates dark magic, not because using it would destroy the world. If you want an example immagen avatar where katara and pakkun where the only water bender alive and he would refuge to teach her because he hates water bending. We would cheer katara on to change pakkun mind but understand if he doesnt want to teach. If he starts to destroy water bending scrools and a secret healing Tool because he doesnt want anybady else to learn from it, we would be pissed. Especially if we would need the tool to save aang and he refused. So yeah viren stealing the staff is not really evil. Especially with the mind of saving soren.

The only evil thing viren did was trapping kppar. He should go into prison for that but i wouldnt hate him for it. Because he is not a monster for this. Viren stole something what should have been his and was needed to save his son. Kppar threatened that he would expose viren to a king, who will take kppar side no matter what and could punish the whole family for it. Even if only viren gets the blame, it still could leaf his children fatherless for a crime he had a good reason to do. We dont know how evil the past king was, but i wouldnt count on him taking virens side or treating him with understanding, considering how much the kingdom seems to fear dark magic. In short viren should not have trapped kppar, but i can see why he did it.

The only thing i can not forgive viren for is blaming soren. I understand where it came from but unlike the Others ( where he has good reason to do what he did ) it is not forgivable.

Virens Action are supposed to stand in a "i did something bad for you light." But i find it to mild. Maybe i saw to many series where something evil for the greater good was worse than stealing, trapping and getting tears. Or i am right and some deeper and more disturbing things would fit dark magic better. Because if this is all he did i would have done it for my family too, if i was a dark mage. If dark magic is so unforgivable and evil make him do something nobady would have had the guts to do, not even all mages before him. Let him Kill his wife, with her agreeing so we dont hate viren.

[bnomiko]

Nocturne ramblings, with spoilers

(This is NOT a rant post. Nor specifically a spoiler post. I'm just making observations and babbling shit about some of the characters in Nocturne thus far.)

I did a spoiler-free ramble post, now time for the other side of the coin, just to let loose a bit...

**SPOILERS** ahoy for Castlevania: Nocturne, S1.

Vampires in general

I'm very happy to see some souped up vampires. Let's face it, the majority of them in the original animation weren't exactly impressive. They were basically people with pointy teeth and like 1 special ability. The fact that 2 1/2 humans could walk into a castle and just waste twenty or thirty of them without taking damage (other than Alucard taking a fist to the mug) felt a bit lackluster.

Oh, but there's a LOT of vampires touching sunlight that aren't going up in flames. You can't just hold a parasol over one and expect them not to combust : p

Olrox

I said it before, but seriously, give a raise to whoever did his character design. He's absolutely delicious. Those cheekbones! The dragon's eyes! I want to roll myself in his hair like a bug in a rug then slap those meaty thighs...

I've also watched all his interactions with Mizrak again. I don't understand how the two of them make so much more sense (given that they literally went from "You know my name, tell me yours" to fucking to "I don't love you" to … maybe I do…), than like, canon pairing Richter and Annette, who feel about as compelling as a piece of dry toast.

I truly hope he continues playing a little on both sides of the fence. It makes him so much more interesting than the majority of the characters who are simply on one side or the other.

Juste

I admit I got all excited thinking he was Alucard in a glamour at first, because when you first see his eyes, there's a gold gleam (of course the second he touched the whip I went, "Ahh, it's Juste.")

I'm sure it's more that his eyes appear to be a very light gray and catch any candle/firelight, but I'd rather think that the animators were being cheeky and hiding a reference to the fact that when HoD came out, some fans were convinced Juste was Alucard's son.

Talking about who looks like who's offspring, uh… I almost question if Maxim was doing some sneaking. Doesn't Julia look more like Maxim?? Since they threw out Vampire Killer clause #1, why not throw out the rest of it?

(I mean... really, who would you think was daddy?)

Also… I honestly do feel badly for Juste. He's always been one of the forgotten Belmonts, but maybe he was better off forgotten as I think most headcanons imagined him living a quiet retirement with his wife and their husband, surrounded by a massive stockpile of overly gaudy home furnishings, with little grandson Richter visiting and getting lost in all the furniture : )

Maria

I already made mention of the fact that she's all of 12 in game canon (and apparently 16 in Nocturne), which makes it all the more awkward that her future boyfriend's already made his appearance when she hasn't even hit her teens yet. I mean… how is that going to work?

(Sorry, can't resist reusing this, Richter's reaction is too funny.)

I feel ya, bro.

Tera

I was so young and naive when I read The Scarlet Letter that I didn't actually get what it was about at the time lol… actually took me years to figure it out. And… yeah, that's it. That's my comment.

Emmanuel (the abbot)

This guy will never get the death he actually deserves. It'll probably be something relatively quick, like falling into a pit of lava *shrug*

Drolta

Kind of a shame to off her so soon. Her latex collection was impressive.

Erzsebet

Carmilla?

And of course, Alucard

Okay, I get that he probably just woke up, but maybe a few strokes with a hairbrush before you run out the door, eh buddy?

Compare to Alucard in the mini artbook/manga for SotN (look at those crisp curls!) waking up after his 300 year nap:

I don't mind the "washed out" palette as much as others do. He was pretty much the textbook definition of pale in SotN anyhow.

Actually it would've been really damn funny if he'd showed up in his pajamas, screaming, "I hope I'm not too… wait, what year is it?" *looks at Maria* "Fuck I'm too early!"

[quitealotofsodapop]

Neither Wukong nor Red Son can lift up MK while he's pregnant (DBK and Sandy are the only ones that actually can, but Sandy doesn't since he doesn't want to accidentally hurt MK or the future children)

MK can, will, and has lifted up both his husband and his dad during both pregnancies, as well as the Eclipse Twins when they begged their big brother for uppies (Wukong takes an hour to process because he was under the impression MK had been drained about as much as him and Mac had been when the Eclipse Twins were being incubated and was subsequently Not Prepared lol)

Red gets lifted up the first time and falls in love with his husband all over again. He always liked it when MK carried them, but MK technically carrying 3 (Red + the twins) and then 4 (Red + the triplets) people at once? Has to be put out with a fire extinguisher before he accidentally burns the place down. MK adorably laughing at his reaction doesn't help

MK and Red Son may experience sympathetic power draining, but not to the degree as they were to their respective parents.

MK: Drained Shadowpeach's powers literally to the point of near-mortality. Loses some powers when pregnant with multiples. Can still lift a whole truck, his dad, his spouse, and his little siblings without issue.

Red Son: Wielded the Samadhi Fire in utero and was so distruptive, that his parents were forced into hiding to prevent them from being hunted by both the Celestial Realm and the Underworld. Can barely carry their pregnant husband to the couch.

I can just imagine Red insisting on carrying something for MK, for a random accident to occur and be saved mid-fall by a single hand.

Red, lifted in the air like a bowling ball: "...My love, are you ok?" MK, not even breaking a sweat: "Yeah." Red: "Do I even weigh anything to you?" MK, re-adjusts Red into a bridal carry: "Eh, I'd say about the same as the Twins and Bai He put together." Red, flames turning a blush pink: "Noodle boy, I adore your strength and your instincts, but please never scare me by saving my life ever again." MK: "No promises." ;3 *smooches*

MK def tries to test how much he can lift/carry even with his powers partially drained. Wukong and Mac rush in to stop him went they see MK lifting entire cars like they're soda cans.

[the8thsphynx]

FELLOW YURI LOVER HELLO <3 I love your art and I wanted to pick your brain for any Lunatic theories or headcanons ya got, if you're up for it! I've always had this thought and wanted to ask other Tiger & Bunny fans about it, but how do you think the Petrov family was doing after Legend's death? How do you think Yuri got through law school to become a judge while taking care of his mom??

Ohhhhhh Anon we are sharing a braincell right now. Buckle up.

Yuri gifs sprinkled throughout to help make my points

(CW for the theories ahead, dealing with themes of trauma, domestic violence, child abuse, and alcoholism)

First off, I absolutely think Yuri and Olga were not wanting for money at all after Legend's death, even before Yuri became a judge. There were probably no financial worries whatsoever for Yuri getting through law school, either. Mr. Legend was the hero in Sternbild for the longest time, so there was likely a sizeable life insurance policy and inheritance for them.

Also for sure Maverick threw hush money their way because while the alcoholism was bad enough then that meant Hero TV ABSOLUTELY was not gonna let the news out that Legend's death was because he was about to kill his wife and child. Case in point for this one is that when Ben got the info for Kotetsu about NEXT powers fading, Ben only had info about the alcoholism; not that Legend was an abuser nor that Yuri was his son.

I could make an entirely separate post and go on for days about the fuckery I think was going on between Yuri and Maverick, but I wanna stay on-topic for your question. another day... maybe... if its asked...

So... onto the sadder part!

What Happened to the Petrovs?

So... disclaimer: I am NOT a mental health professional... however I am a childhood abuse survivor, so I'm really just pointing out patterns I recognize from my own experiences.

In Ep. 16 of Season 1 when we got Yuri's backstory reveal, I couldn't help but make mental note of his mom and how they interacted. When we first see her, she's not only elderly and disabled to where she needs mobile assistance, but she's also clearly having some sort of memory lapse into a time where the abuse wasn't happening, given her cheery way of talking when she does go into these episodes.

However... When Yuri reminds her that his father is dead, it shocks Olga and kind of snaps her out of it... and her instant response is to start verbally abusing Yuri and throwing things at him.

Yuri not flinching we could first think 'yeah his reflexes as Lunatic are probably making him aware he doesn't need to dodge' but like... what if it's that and that he's used to it...?

I think that the mental condition we see Olga with in the beginning hasn't been going on for too long. If we go off the first movie's timeline of things, Yuri implies that he came to Sternbild and was just appointed as a judge for the city.

Also there's this air in the way Yuri was walking around the house and talking to his mom in S1. Ep16 that makes it feel like this is one of the first times in a while he's been around her. he's also still learning the ropes of being a caretaker for an elderly person, bc as someone who used to work with CNAs and nurses in a retirement home the last thing you want to do when someone's having a memory lapse is forcefully pull them out of it, unless of course the writers for the show themselves just didn't know

All of this to me this feels like Yuri has only just recently come back to Sternbild and moved in with his mom in order to take care of her.

With Olga she obviously was very in love with her husband and adored her son before the downward spiral began. That much is apparent later on in Season 2 where we see Olga (albeit almost permanently in this memory-lapse state) being quite tender and affectionate towards Yuri and acting towards him like she did when he was a child (cue the heartbreaking flashback to how she really really wanted to make the cookies Yuri loved on the night she died).

However, in the moments where she's lucid again and acting negatively towards Yuri, I think this is the truth of their dynamic after Legend died.

Trauma from abuse can do... weird things to people.

Now any of us can sit back and say 'if my child went through the horrible agony of killing their own father to save the both of us I would simply cherish and care for them, RIP but I'm built dif', or 'if my husband started abusing me and my son I would simply divorce him' but... people and legality can be more complicated and messier than that.

I'm not going to get into the semantics on if Yuri's mom was a completely bad person or anything like that (bc the whole theme of the Petrovs is 'there are no only good or only bad people, there's just people), but I'll flat out say that I think a bit after Legend's death Olga was at the very least verbally abusing Yuri.

The complete disregulation of her brain from the abuse and violent death of her husband PLUS all the ways Hero TV was probably covering things up must have messed her up some type of way that she blamed Yuri for their life being turned upside down and was resentful towards him.

On the flipside, on Yuri's part, he absolutely has a deeply complicated relationship with his mother on TOP of how fucked up he is from his father. He doesn't regret stepping in as a child and saving her, but for sure there's a painful wound still stinging in his chest about how their relationship was damaged and never really recovered. With how bitter and toxic things with his mom probably got, Yuri might have left home at some point or was even kicked out.

As for Yuri's personal mental state, I mean the show highlights pretty clearly that he is NOT okay. Yuri has very intense PTSD to the point of constantly reliving when his powers activated and he killed his father to having hallucinations of his father mocking him.

His perception on morality has been pretty skewed to the point of being super vengeful to whoever he perceives as 'wicked', which comes through not just as Lunatic but in his dayjob as a judge where he's known for giving out heavy-handed sentences.

(i mean usually this vengefulness as Lunatic is directed to serial killers or violent criminals, so.... it could be worse, I guess...?).

Now... Back to Yuri and his mom... So for those of us who did survive a toxic family/parent, I'm sure we can look at anyone who asks and say 'lmao fuck my shitty family, I don't care what happens to them' but... let's get real, that shit hurts. Especially like in Yuri's case where the family member wasn't always abusive or at least wasn't in the beginning.

So when the times comes for whatever phone call that Yuri got to come take care of Olga in her old age, I think he was still bitter about how she treated him and was mentally prepared for everything to be nonstop difficult and depressing. And I mean from there we see in the series how things go; exactly that.. But as Olga's mental state deteriorates, in some fucked up bittersweet way her relationship with Yuri greatly improves. Like... to the point where in the very end Yuri was happy to talk to her on the phone and spend time with her. Which again, for those of us that have lived this IRL, is HUGE.

I'm not going to get into Season 2 endgame spoilers, but the ultimate fate of the Petrov family depresses me to no end. I DO like though in S2 Ep20 how Yuri was able to get a LITTLE bit of closure for himself.

I just still maintain a lot of things for him in the end of the series should have been handled differently.

This got long, but the brainworms are real.

WATCH TIGER & BUNNY. STAN YURI PETROV.

Thank you for the ask, Anon!